5 Best AI Headshot Generators to Try in 2024 [Quick Overview] - Freemake https://www.freemake.com/blog Freeware tips & reviews, tech news, funny roundups, interviews, and cool infoghraphics Fri, 15 Dec 2023 06:43:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Best AI Headshots Generators – A Quick Top 5 https://www.freemake.com/blog/best-ai-headshot-generators/ Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:56:02 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=23230 get a premium shoot online within a few hours
With so many aspects of our lives going digital, everyone needs a strong online image—and professional headshots remain a tried-and-tested method to leave a lasting first impression.
It’s commonly believed that such professional photos cost a fortune and require a tedious studio photo session. Until recently, that was true. But today, the advanced AI technology has changed everything—you can get studio-quality headshots without leaving home! Plus, they cost way less than those made by professional photographers, as AI-generated headshots aren’t so demanding in terms of production costs.
As in any booming industry, there are dozens of options. We’ve picked the five best AI headshot generators—each with their unique features and prices summarized for you to make the decision easily.

5 Best Generators to Get Professional Headshots

PhotoBooth – Best Value for Money

pro photos for job seekers, real estate agents and so on
Although this isn’t the best-to-worst type of article, the AI headshot generator by PhotoBooth seems the optimal go-to solution for any purpose. Whether you need a corporate headshot for professional use or just a few profile pictures for your social media, it can give you impeccable images on par with real photos. Given the high quality, we expected high prices but were proven wrong—PhotoBooth charges as little as $9.95 for a set of 50 AI headshots.
To be fair, there is a slight downside to such a high quality. Many tools can generate professional headshots in under an hour, but here it takes up to two hours. Still, we got stunning headshots that were totally worth waiting for.

Examples

more photos from PhotoBooth

Pros

  • Excellent value for money
  • Impeccable professional-quality headshots
  • Super-easy and user-friendly interface
  • Complete user privacy and solid data protection

Cons

  • It takes 2 hours for AI to generate headshots

Pricing

  • Basic: $9.95 for 48 headshots in 3 styles
  • Professional: $19.95 for 120 headshots in 9 styles
  • Premium: $29.95 for 240 headshots in 18 styles
  • 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied

Try PhotoBooth AI Headshot Generator

StudioShot – Human Post-Editing

a tool similar to Aragon AI
While other AI headshot generators on our list work their magic fully autonomously, StudioShot offers a more human approach. The thing is, after your AI headshot photos are generated, they also get reviewed and retouched by a professional photography team. This joint effort of artificial intelligence and human digital artists allows you to create realistic headshots in a variety of styles.
However, the human touch comes at a higher price—for an individual, it’s almost $30, and it takes two days to get the results. To top it off, even with the help of a professional photographer, this AI generator falters at times: some of the photos we got looked very AI anyway.

Examples

generated headshot-style pictures for Job Kanban boards

Pros

  • Curated by real photographers
  • Plenty of professional headshot styles
  • Bulk pricing options available

Cons

  • Due to touchup, the turnaround is 2 days
  • May be too expensive for individuals

Pricing

Unlike other professional headshot tools, StudioShot always offers the same package. The total cost depends on the number of people (prices are per person):

  • $29.25 for 1-5 people
  • $21.75 for 5-20 people
  • Individual Quote for 20+ people

Try StudioShot

ProfilePicture.ai – Less Corporate Headshots

get a LinkedIn profile picture
If you need less formal photos in bolder styles, this tool should do the job. In contrast with the other AI headshot generators, it doesn’t focus only on boring images of the corporate world. While it does offer professional business headshots, there are also over 350 vastly different backdrops and styles—from photos in cozy cafés and in the streets of Paris to pictures inspired by anime and Game of Thrones.
Probably due to such a variety of styling options, there are certain limitations in the packages. For instance, the smallest package of casual and professional AI headshots includes only 512×512 pictures (but many of them, to be fair). To generate high-quality headshots in HD or 4K, you will have to pay more.

Examples

multiple photos with your facial features in different styles

Pros

  • Amazing variety of styles and backdrops
  • Handy video guide on how to use the tool
  • Fits many purposes (work, social, gaming, etc.)

Cons

  • Low resolution in the smallest package
  • Suitable for profile pictures only

Pricing

  • Small: $8 for 96 photos in 12 styles (512×512)
  • Large: $14.75 for 280 photos in 35 styles (1024×1024)
  • ALL: $24.75 for 800+ photos in 100+ styles (4096×4096)
  • Additional styles are available for $2.99 each

Try ProfilePicture

Artguru AI – The Highest Resolution

free AI headshots
Being one of the most affordable options on this list, Artguru AI offers surprisingly good resolution (our high-quality headshots were 2400×3200) and a short processing time (we got our pictures in 33 minutes). Considering so short a completion time, our AI headshots turned out pretty good: the poses were very natural and the clothes mostly looked great, with few exceptions.
That said, some of their AI headshots looked like photos processed with a sketch filter—such looks are far from professional. Given that the packages aren’t too generous (there are only eight professional-grade headshots in the cheapest one), it might be worth it to get the largest one to make sure you get more AI-generated photos that look natural and actually usable.

Pros

  • Headshots in high resolution (almost 4K)
  • Striking and anatomically correct poses
  • You get headshots in less than an hour

Cons

  • Overretouched and sometimes cartoon-ish pictures
  • Not the best value for money: packages are cheap but small

Pricing

  • Mini: $3.99 for up to 8 photos in 1 style
  • Standard: $5.99 for up to 16 photos in 2 styles
  • Plus: $9.99 for up to 64 photos in 8 styles

Try Artguru

HeadshotGenerator.io – Restyle One Favorite Photo

a service like Headshot Pro and Secta AI
This tool will come in handy if you don’t want to create professional headshots from scratch but just need to make an existing picture look more presentable. Upload one selfie and choose how to style it—then, the AI headshot generator will quickly give you a set of pictures. In each picture, your face and pose will look exactly like the original selfie, only your hair, clothes, and backdrop will change.
Strictly speaking, such images can be hardly considered AI-generated headshots. It’s more of a heavy-photo-editing thing that can be done in other tools for free.
However, this format is perfect if you have an already amazing picture and just need some variations of it. Plus, you can also get one headshot without charge, which makes it the only free AI headshot generator on our top (yet, our trial picture was far less impressive than the paid ones).

Examples

get an AI headshot faster than through a normal shoot

Pros

  • Best if you need to restyle your favorite selfie
  • Offers very short turnaround time
  • Trial mode with one free AI headshot

Cons

  • Unreasonably high prices for variations of just one photo
  • Our trial headshot was too plain-looking and uninspiring

Pricing

  • Classic: $19 for 50 variations in 18 styles
  • Classic & Fun: $29 for 100 variations in 50 styles
  • Bulk: $290 for 1500 variations in 50 styles

Try HeadshotGenerator.io

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s an AI Headshot Generator?

In simple terms, it’s a technology that uses artificial intelligence to create photoreal images of a person, focusing on the user’s facial features and upper body—these pictures are commonly referred to as ‘headshots’. Such generators are usually based on neural network architectures, such as GANs (generative adversarial networks).
Today, AI headshots are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional photography and physical shoots. With such a tool, creating headshots takes much less time and money, whatever the purpose—a professional image for personal branding, a set of pictures for team pages, and so on.

How Do Headshot Generators Work?

In most such AI tools, the process is as easy as it gets. You take a few casual, everyday photos and upload them—usually, that’s all that needs to be done on your side. Then, AI gets to work: it analyzes all your photos to build a digital image of you and uses this AI model to create professional-looking headshots with completely new poses, styles, and backdrops for you.

What Is the Best Professional Headshot Generator?

Currently, the most popular generators include Secta AI, Prophotos AI, Aragon AI, and Vidnoz headshot generator. However, there are many ‘hidden gems’, which is why we’ve made our list of the best AI headshot generators. The tools mentioned on our list offer a variety of options: whatever you need photos for, you can find something that works best for you.
And, even though this isn’t the kind of ‘best-to-worst’ article, we do have a favorite on our list.
If we were to choose the best AI headshot generator, the one by PhotoBooth gave us the optimal experience. Boasting some of the lowest prices in the market, it delivers photoreal and eye-catching headshots in a reasonable amount of time.

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8 Easy Ways to Reduce Video File Size FREE [Windows, Mac, Online] https://www.freemake.com/blog/reducing-video-when-size-does-matter/ Fri, 19 Jun 2020 10:33:56 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=864 Last Updated: April 29, 2021

Video files especially 1080p & 720p HD ones are mostly large and occupy a lot of space on your computer. Sooner or later you’ll need to reduce their size, for example for sending those videos via email or upload onto a mobile device. Below we offer you several solutions how to do this, depending on your platform and output quality requirements.

That’s what you need to make video file size smaller:
– video file reducer (click to download);
– your large video file;
– a bit of time.

You might believe that quality loss is inevitable, but that’s not true. This article provides several FREE ways to decrease video file size without loosing its original quality at the same time. Here is a one-stop solution to make large video files smaller. Download it for free:

download video reducer FREE✅ 100% secure ~ 👍 already 108M people use it ~ 🏆 500+ awards from top tech mags & blogs


Now let’s see how the automatic Video Resizer works & check other ways to reduce video file size on various platforms:


Way 1: Make video smaller automatically

reduce-file-size

Follow these steps to compress video automatically:

  1. Download, install, and run Free Video Resizer from Freemake;
  2. Add your video file (it can also be an online clip);
  3. Choose an output video format: MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, etc.;
  4. Set a desirable file size as shown on the image;
    compress the video & limit output file size with Freemake
  5. Choose a location for the output smaller file: it can be any desktop folder or cloud storage like Dropbox or Google Drive;
  6. Convert the video to save the changes. After that, you may upload the file to any portable device or share in social media.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert MKV to MP4 or Other Common Formats

Please note that you should not insert the size lower than the allowable one or the video quality may be spoiled. Watch the video showing how the tool works.

If you want to shrink the size of YouTube online videos, do the following:

  • copy the YouTube clip link in the browser line;
  • then press “Paste URL” in the compression tool;
  • select popular formats like MP4 or AVI;
  • repeat the last two steps from the above tutorial to make the file weigh less.

When the video is ready, you may export & upload it to a compatible device (iPhone, Android, game console, TV screen) or share on social media. The best quality is assured.

The solution above suits well if you need a concrete output video size and don’t want to dig into video editing and numerous parameters. The software will automatically adjust them all to the desired result.  However, if you feel strong into video encoding aspects, you may also try the following methods to shrink videos files. Thus, you may easily change the output file size of any HD video, for example convert MTS files from modern camcorders or Ultra HD MOV clips from top smartphones.

Way 2: Change video resolution to get a smaller file size

More likely you don’t need a 1280×720 or higher resolution video for purposes mentioned above. A resolution of 800×600 or 640×480 can be a good substitution for your HD video. Though you can even choose a 320×240 quality suitable for a smartphone.

Here is an easy way to change a 1080p or 720p resolution with Freemake Video Converter:

  1. Download for free & start the video compressor;
  2. add your video;
  3. click on an output video format you need;
  4. choose a ready preset (640×480, 640×360, etc.) to make a video smaller;
  5. click Convert to create a file with a different dimension.

reduce video size with frame size (dimension)

Way 3: Change video codec to compress a video

There exist lots of various video codecs and naturally they vary in parameters. A proper codec can decrease clip size by 2-3 times.

One of the most space efficient is H.264. Using H.264, you can keep the same resolution of an HD 1080p video file. So download free Freemake compression tool and change codec as shown on the screenshot below.

reduce video size with codec

LOOK HERE: How to Convert Video to H.264

Add your file, press “to MP4” or “to AVI” video formats, and click the cogwheel to change preset settings. There select the H.264 video codec to make your video smaller in size without lowering the quality. Then OK > Convert.

Way 4: Lower frame rate or bitrate to reduce the file

Frame rate is a number of frames displayed per second. It generally varies between 24-60 fps. By lowering the frame rate using Video Reducer Freeware (available for free download here), you can significantly decrease video file size. However, this method is not highly recommended because it affects video smoothness. You’d better not go lower than 24 fps for your large video files.

reduce video size with frame rate [free video compressor]

The same you can do with video bitrate. The less bitrate value you select the smaller video file you get. Just don’t lower it too much otherwise your videos may lose quality. Download free software and fine-tune the bitrate. It’s better to keep bitrate value between 1400-2000 kbps.

reduce video size with bitrate

Way 5: Get rid of unnecessary parts to make videos smaller

When you rip DVD to MP4 or convert an HD movie, avoid unnecessary extras like additional movie scenes, trailers, behind-the-scenes, interviews and commentaries, and audio tracks you don’t need. Black edges take up space as well so crop them out. Leave only the title track.

cutting

Click on the video to preview it, then use cut video tool to crop (see the guide). Choose a custom preset and then the tab “Zoom & crop” to get rid of black edges. Don’t forget to save the editing changes and convert the file for reducing its size.

zoom and crop

SEE ALSO: 12 Effective Free & Paid Ways of Compressing Any Audio File [TEST RESULTS]

Way 6. How to reduce video file size with HandBrake (Mac)

Handbrake is one more easy tool that can help you get the job done. The software can be installed on Windows, Mac OS and even Linux based computers. If you want to use this tool, follow the guide:

  1. Download and install HandBrake;
  2. Run the software;
  3. Add your video by clicking the Source button;
  4. Choose a destination folder for a ready video;
  5. Select output settings. Better choose the MP4 option since this format is the most space-efficient and it’s also supported by almost all modern devices.
  6. Select Web Optimizer box.
  7. Click the green Start button to run the conversion process.

handbrake

Please keep in mind that you can make your video size smaller if you delete all unnecessary audio and subtitles tracks in case your video has a lot of them. Go to Audio and Subtitles tabs and choose only what you need leaving the rest behind. You need to encode the file to save the video editing changes.

Way 7. Shrink Video File Size in iMovie (Mac)

If you use Macbook Pro, Macbook Air or any other Apple computer, you can either use HandBrake for your goal or iMovie. The latter usually comes pre-installed, you don’t need to download it. To reduce the video with iMovie you should:

  1. launch the program;
  2. drag-n-drop your video into iMovie or use the Import button to add the video;import videos to imovie
  3. place the video on iMovie timeline;
  4. click the Share button and choose the Export Movie option;
  5. click Options and set resolution, bitrate, image size, file format and other parameters;imovie reduce video size
  6. type a title for your video and click Export.

Please be attentive while inserting new parameters to keep the video quality fine. In case you are not sure what to insert, you may google for bitrate calculators. There are a lot of them online. Just choose the one you like, add your original video length, bitrate, codec, and other data and you’ll be given the minimum settings.

Way 8. How to Make Video Smaller Online?

In case you don’t want to compress your video on a regular basis, you may use an online app to do this. However, you will hardly upload any large file onto that app. Most of them have a limit 500 MB per file. It means that you won’t be able to compress full-length movies or any long HD videos with them.

If you need to make small videos even smaller, online apps (such as youcompress.com, videosmaller.com, clideo.com) will do that task. The compression is usually automatic, so everything you need to do is:

  1. upload you file up to 500 MB;
  2. wait until the tool make the video smaller;
  3. download the compressed file.

reduce-video-online

Do you shrink the size of your videos? What other reducing ways do you use? Please share them with us in comments.

]]>
How to Post on Instagram from Computer [PC & Mac] https://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-post-on-instagram-from-computer-pc-mac/ Wed, 16 Oct 2019 06:04:48 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=22337 If you found this article, we are sure you want to know:

how to post on Instagram from computer (desktop PC, laptop, Mac)?

Do you?

Well, of course, you know that Instagram was created as a mobile app for fast photo sharing. Later, there appeared a web-version of the service. You can do almost everything in it – check your feed, like pics, follow your friends and search for the posts. And here arises the question:

can you post to Instagram from a computer?

Yes! But you can’t post to Instagram from computer as you do on your phone. There is simply no button to click on to upload your photo and video to Instagram from PC. So what to do if you have some cool photos from your digital camera that you want to post to Instagram without uploading them to your smartphone?

In today’s post, we’ll show you how to post on Instagram on a computer. It doesn’t matter whether you use a desktop PC, a laptop, Windows or Mac. Let’s start from the free ways. Maybe, in the beginning, it will seem a bit complicated but trust us – it’s as easy as ABC. You should only try once!

According to the statistics, more than 63% of users prefer Google Chrome to surf the Net. On the 2nd place, there is Safari with 17% of users. Since you are likely to use one of these browsers, we’ll show you step by step how you can post on Instagram from computer or Mac using Chrome or Safari.

Before going into details, please check the requirements for Instagram videos, carousel, and stories:

  • The max video size is 4GB;
  • The maximum fps is 30 frames per second;
  • The maximum length is 60 seconds for a video and 15 seconds for a Story.

SEE ALSO: How to cut video quickly & free

By the way, you can even post DVD parts to your account. But you have to convert DVD to MP4 in advance & reduce your clip to 60 seconds.

As for the video resolution, the ideal Instagram dimensions are the following:

  • Square video: min 600×600, max 1080×1080;
  • Portrait video: min 600×750, max 1080×1350;
  • Landscape video: min 600×315, max 1080×608;
  • Carousel video: min 600×700, max 1080×1080;
  • Stories: min 600×1067, max 1080×1920.

In case, your Instagram video size is more than 4GB or its dimensions are larger, you can always resize video for Instagram following this guide.

How to Post on Instagram from a Computer

To upload photo or video on Instagram from the Google Chrome browser, first of all, open the official Instagram website and login to your account. Then follow the steps below:

Chrome

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + I on your keyboard to open the developer settings.
  2. Now press Ctrl + Shift + M or a tablet/phone icon to see your web page as if you were checking it from a mobile device.how-to-post-on-instagram-from-pc
  3. In the upper bar, select any mobile device. It absolutely doesn’t matter which one to choose
  4. Reload the Instagram page.
  5. Pay attention to the bottom of the page. You will see the usual buttons of the Instagram mobile app – like, feed, search…upload!

Now you only need to click the “+” button and select a photo or a video that you want to post on Instagram from computer. Please note that not all video formats suit Intagram. In that case, use our free video converter to MP4 to turn any visual to Insta-friendly file format.

SEE ALSO: How to Save Instagram Photos and Videos Easily

In case you are using Safari, follow the guide below and post to Instagram from desktop using Safari:

Safari

  1. Press Ctrl+ 6 top open Safari Settings.
  2. Click Advanced and select the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
  3. Click Develop in the menu bar and then User agent.
  4. Now select iPhone.
  5. Reload the page.

Instagram-Safari-Mac

All you need to do now is to click the “+” button at the bottom of the page to select the files that you want to upload to Instagram from computer.

SEE ALSO: How to convert MOV to MP4

How to Upload to Instagram from Mac

To start posting to Instagram from Mac, you can also go for Chrome or Safari. If you prefer Google Chrome, here are the steps to upload to Instagram from Mac with Chrome:

Chrome

  1. Press Option + Command + I or click View – Developer – Developer Tools
  2. Then press Command + Shift + M (Toggle Device Toolbar)upload-to-instagram-from-computer
  3. Pay attention to the top of the page. You will see a drop-down menu with the list of devices. Select any device from the list.
  4. Reload the page.
  5. Check the bottom of the page. There you will see the upload button.

instagram-from-computerClick it and add videos or images for your new Instagram post from Mac.

Safari fans can use the same trick as Chrome users. The idea is the same – make your Mac screen looks like the one of your phone or tablet. Let’s see how to post to Instagram from Mac using Safari.

Safari

The 1st step is the same as for Google Chrome – open Instagram in your browser and login to your account.

  1. Click Command + ,
  2. Then select User agent from the drop-down menu.
  3. Now choose Safari – iOS version – iPhone from the available options.
  4. Reload the page.

Pay attention to the bottom of the reloaded Instagram page. There will appear the Instagram buttons that you usually see on the smartphone. Click the middle one to start posting to Instagram from Mac.

SEE ALSO: List of Funny Hashtags to Boost Likes

Flume

Flume is a simple app for Mac OS users that you can get on the official developer’s website. It allows you to do everything that you usually do in the Instagram app: search for the posts, check the feed, like and comment posts, and, of course, add your photos, videos, and carousel posts. However, the last option is available only in the Pro-version which will cost you $10, one-time fee.

To post to Instagram with Flume is very easy. You need to drag-n-drop your photos or videos to the software interface. Then add filters or adjustments if necessary, type the description and tag your friends. As you see, the procedure is absolutely the same as on the smartphone.

Flume-Instagram

If you decide to go for Flume Pro, here are some great options that you will get for your $10:

  • fast repost. As you know, it’s impossible to repost the posts in the Instagram official app. With Flume, you will be able to do it in just one click.
  • column and grid layouts. If you want to enjoy pics without any text and comments, grid 3×3 layout is right for you.
  • easy AD recognition. You might have noticed that Instagram is full of adcontent nowadays. Sometimes it’s even difficult to say whether it’s an ad or a pic made by a friend. Flude adds an AD tag to all sponsored posts so you can skip them right away.
  • multiple accounts support. In case, you have many Instagram accounts, you can add them all to Flume and easily switch between them.

All in all, Flume seems to be a great deal for those who regularly post to Instagram from Mac computer.

How to Post on Instagram Online

There are many online services that you can use both on PC and Mac to schedule your social media posts. Many of them offer an option to post to Instagram. For example, Iconosquare or Hopper HQ. The process of posting to Instagram is the same for both of them:

  1. Register an account with Iconosquare or Hopper HQ. The latter will ask you to leave your credit card data that will be charged after the 14 days of the trial period. Iconosquare is also paid, but no credit card data is required.
  2. Connect your Instagram account. For Iconosquare, your Instagram account should be connected to your Facebook.
  3. Click the + or New Post button.
  4. Add your pics, carousel or videos.
  5. Schedule the post or send it to Instagram right away. Please note that you can auto-publish single photo posts only; for stories, carousels, and videos you’ll get a push notification at a scheduled time to complete the process manually.

 

Hopper-HQ

Please note that both services are paid and are more suitable for business goals than for personal use. They provide advanced analytics options to track your brand success on Instagram.

Important Information

Among other tools that you can find online and that promise you to post to Instagram from the computer or Mac, you can also find:

Uplet
It was a simple app for posting to Instagram on Mac OS. Due to Instagram policy, it is not available anymore.

Deskgram
One more app for Mac and PC. Unfortunately, it has not been updated since 2016. We tried to use it, but it doesn’t work anymore.

LR/Instagram
LR/Instagram was a plugin for Lightroom that you could use to post to Instagram right from Lightroom. Since the summer of 2019, the plugin is not available.

Conclusion

As you can see there are several ways to post to Instagram from computer whether it’s a desktop PC or Mac. Which one to choose, depends on your goals.

In case, you only need to post personal pictures, go for browser solutions. They are free and fast.

If you are an SMM manager and promote your goods in Instagram, your choice is one of the schedulers. They provide additional posting options, analytics reports, and multiple account support.

For Mac users who want to have one more beautiful and handy app to manage several Instagram accounts and repost pics, Flume will be a perfect option to upload photos and video to Instagram.

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How to Convert & Post Video to Twitter in 3 Easy Steps [Twitter Video Converter] https://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-post-a-video-on-twitter/ Mon, 16 Sep 2019 08:49:13 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=22372 This is the most comprehensive guide to converting & posting videos onto Twitter. It’s more comprehensive than even Twitter’s one!

We’ll give you the powerful FREE tool to prepare ANY video on the planet for Twitter upload.

In short: if you want to impress your Twitter followers with cute videos, go ahead!

For those who hurry up and already know a lot about Twitter video requirements,
here is a magic pill to get your videos ready for Twitter: Free Twitter Video Converter

download twitter converter FREE

✅ 100% secure ~ 👍 already 108M people use it ~ 🏆 500+ awards from top tech mags & blogs

This tool will help you cut & convert your clips to meet Twitter video requirements.


Follow the chapters below to learn more about Twitter video upload & posting:

Where is the magic Twitter button to upload a video from a computer & apps?
What videos does Twitter accept?
How to prepare your video for posting on Twitter?
How to share YouTube video on Twitter?


Where is the magic Twitter button to upload a video?

Twitter is one of the top social media networks in the world. Like other social giants, Twitter allows its users to post and share any kind of visual content, including videos.

The stats say that since early 2016, tweets with video have increased by over 50%. It’s clear why. Posting videos to Twitter lets share even more content than we can fit into a text-based tweet with 280 character length limit.

There are dozens of means to produce videos for Twitter. You can upload your camera footage from a PC or smartphone, or you can use a link from a site like YouTube to embed third-party videos.

However, it’s not that easy to post videos within tweets as it could seem. A lot of users simply don’t find that very button to upload a video. Let’s figure out how to post a video on Twitter!

How to post videos on Twitter on PC through a web browser?

Follow the steps below to upload & share a video onto Twitter from your Windows computer, Mac or another desktop device.

Step 1. We hope you’ve already registered a social media account on Twitter. So go to https://twitter.com and log into your account. You’ll be automatically directed to the Home tab.

Step 2. Find the What’s happening bar at the top of the screen. To add a video, select the Gallery button straight below that text.

how to post videos on twitter from a computer

Step 3. Browse for the video you want to upload, and then click Choose.  By the way, you may easily preview the video before sharing and even delete it by clicking on the cross sign.

Step 4. Add some explanatory text if needed. Then click the Tweet button and wait for some time while the video is being uploaded and published.

video posted via web browser

Now you can enjoy your new tweet with the video copy!

This is an ideal scenario occurring when your computer video meets all Twitter requirements.

If the video upload hangs or hitting the Tweet button results in an error message, you have to fine-tune your clip for tweets.

Does this sound familiar?

Great news!

Here is an awesome troubleshooter given below, just go here!

How to upload a video to Twitter from a mobile app?

You can also post videos to Twitter from your mobile phone (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone) or tablet via the official Twitter application. Follow the steps below to upload and share a video to Twitter from your mobile device.

Step 1. Install the Twitter app on your mobile gadget and sign in. Please note that Twitter app is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Step 2. The process is the same as on the web. Click the pencil icon to add a new tweet.

how to create and post video on twitter from a mobile device

Step 3. Tap the gallery icon to import a video file from your device. If the video too long for Twitter, you may trim it before posting.

edit tweet before posted to profile

Step 4. Add some text. Click the Tweet button to send and post your video straight to your followers’ online timeline.

copy video to twitter from iphone

There are two ways to create a new video directly on Twitter, and both are available from the Twitter app only:

  • recording a video;
  • going live.

You’ll find these options to do either one of these when you click the icon to add a photo or video within the tweet interface, as shown in the screenshot below.

going live with Twitter app for Android

To record a video, you may need to enable Twitter’s access to your Camera or Photos app, which you can do via the Twitter tab on the main page of your phone’s Settings app.

giving access to media to twitter app

That’s all you need to know about video uploading to Twitter from a mobile app! Now it’s your turn to upload videos to Twitter in that easy way.

What videos does Twitter accept?

It’s effortless to post videos to Twitter from an app as the videos on your phone or tablet are already in the Twitter-compatible format.  You don’t have to do extra manipulations with them before upload & posting.

The other case is with the desktop videos. They can be in the majority of formats, including the rare ones. So before publishing your next video to Twitter social media via a web browser, make sure you know the following requirements.

Twitter’s video upload requirements. How long can a Twitter video be?

  • Supported video format: MP4 with H.264 video codec & AAC audio
  • Resolution: the minimum 32x 32 / the maximum 1920 x 1200.
  • Maximum length: 2 minutes and 20 seconds
  • Maximum file size: 512 MB

What does it all mean?

If your desktop video is in AVI, WMV, MKV, MTS, FLV, 3GP, MPEG, VOB, SWF or any other format except for MP4, Twitter won’t accept it.

In case you have an MP4 video with codecs different from H.264/AAC (for example, MPEG4 or MP3), Twitter won’t add it.

If you want to upload a video longer than 2 minutes and 20 seconds, Twitter won’t publish it. And there is no built-in tool to trim the video content on Twitter’s website! That’s the only answer to the question: “How long can a Twitter video be?”.

In case the file size of your video is greater than 512 MB, you won’t be able to post it on Twitter.

And there several other cases when it doesn’t make sense to send a video to Twitter from PC because of the above requirements.

How to prepare a video for Twitter upload?

If your video is not compatible with Twitter, you may quickly transform it to share in your tweet using Freemake Video Converter.

Download the tool here, it’s FREE!

twitter-video-upload

Why you should try this Twitter Video Format Converter?

  • you will easily make a video perfect for any mobile device, platform or another goal;
  • with hundreds of the supported formats, you needn’t worry that your video won’t be accepted;
  • you will save a lot of time as the tool works very fast and has an intuitive interface;
  • after changing the file with this tool, you will be able to post high quality video;
  • already 93 million people convert their files with Freemake today!

Now follow the instruction below to prepare your video for Twitter upload.

How to convert a video to MP4 for Twitter?

Step 1. Use FREE video converter to MP4 for Windows. The supported OS’s are Windows 10, 8, 8.1, Vista. The program will start automatically after the installation.

Step 2. Add your video using the +Video button. Freemake software supports 200+ video formats, both popular and rare ones.

Step 3. Choose MP4 video format. Find the respective button at the bottom of Twitter video converter. The new window with MP4 profile settings will open.

Step 4. To keep the original quality, select the “Same as source” profile. Or grab another ready preset with H.264/AAC codecs.

twitter video converter

Step 5. Click Convert to make video Twitter compatible! Now you are able post this video on Twitter or elsewhere on the Web.

How to trim a desktop video for Twitter upload?

If your video is longer than 2:20 min, you will need to trim it for Twitter.
Just follow the steps below or read this detailed tutorial to cut the video.

Step 1. Install & run Freemake Video Converter.

Step 2. Add your video into the program.

Step 3. Double-click the video file line in the software main window to open the editor.

Step 4. Put the markers of the start and the end of the video sequence you want to delete and click the scissors sign in the middle of the Cutting bar to cut the selection.

cut video for twitter upload

Step 5. Don’t forget to click OK to save the desired length. Then choose MP4 format, a preset with H.264/AAC codecs and click Convert.

Then you can easily import this file onto your Twitter account and share it with followers.

How to compress a video for Twitter posting?

In case your video is larger than the required 512 MB, you may compress it again with Freemake tool.

Step 1. Paste your video into the program.

Step 2. Choose the to MP4 option on the formats menu.

Step 3. In MP4 settings pay attention to the weight sign right above the Convert button. Click it and type 512 into the field as shown below.

compress video for twitter profile

The video converter for Twitter will automatically adjust all other settings (bitrate, frame rate) to that limit. Video resolution won’t be affected.

Step 4. Choose a preset with H.264/AAC codecs and convert the file.

That’s all! Now your clip is ready to be uploaded to Twitter. Just don’t forget to embed an incredible text describing your experience.

SEE ALSO: How to convert MOV to MP4

How to embed YouTube video in a tweet?

Outside of native uploads, you can share a third-party video on Twitter. For example, you may embed videos from platforms like YouTube into a tweet by merely copying URLs. You may use this way to post long videos as Twitter length requirements don’t apply here.

share youtube video in tweets

Note here that the video preview will be added automatically. Do not use a social media scheduling service (like Hubspot, Buffer, etc.) or the thumbnails may not display correctly.

SEE ALSO: How to Upload Videos onto YouTube: Specs, Formats, Tips

To sum it up…

Twitter is a great platform allowing you to share all sorts of incredible media content with your followers. We hope that after reading this guide & trying our Twitter video converter, you won’t have any further questions about Twitter video upload & publishing. However, if you still do, please ask them in the comments below! As well as please share your posted videos.

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12 Effective Ways to Compress Any Audio File [Free Tools + TEST RESULTS] https://www.freemake.com/blog/compress-any-audio-file/ Fri, 14 Jun 2019 08:52:41 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=22181 If you need to compress audio file free and fast, try the following audio compression tools. Compress WAV, MP3 and other music files online and offline. It doesn’t matter what audio files you want to compress. It may be game audio, a long narration, or just a large lossless file that you want to send via email, play on a portable device or edit with your favorite audio editor. Whatever your reason is, this an ultimate guide with the best solutions for compressing your audio files will give you essential information and tips for getting the best result.

To start with, check what you will need to compress audio. Then decide whether you want a software or online service for compressing audio files. And finally, choose your #1 tool to compress audio files.

Let’s dive right in.

Software

Online services

Must-know audio compression tips for advanced users

To compress audio, you will need:

  • Your large audio file (MP3, M4A, FLAC, WAV, WMA, AAC, OGG, AMR, ADTS, AIFF, MP2, APE, DTS, M4R, AC3, VOC, etc);
  • Software or service for audio compression.

Don’t know which program to compress audio files to choose? Then keep on reading this post.

We took 12 audio & MP3 compressors to get the job done and ran several tests to find out their pros and cons. They are all great for compressing audio for email, for sharing or other goals but have various advanced options that you might want to use.

We tried to compress a WAV file (name: bass 01; 1,34 Mb size, 1411kbps bitrate) with all the audio compression software and services listed below.

Curious to know the results? Here we go.

Freemake Audio Converter

If you want free and easy-to-use software that will reduce your audio size by 61%, Freemake Audio Converter is to help you. You literally need only 4 clicks to get the job done and reduce audio file size. Do you want to simply click and get the result? Do you want to set output file parameters such as bitrate, extension channel? Freemake program can do it. Just keep in mind is that the software for audio compression doesn’t have an audio editor and doesn’t keep the original metadata of your file. It means that such info as album/artist/year/etc. will be lost.

For the 1st test, we selected the MP3 output format with 256kbps. The result was a 220Kb audio file. It’s 6 times less than the original file.

For the 2nd test, we used the WAV output format (the same as of the original file) and a Mobile quality preset. The sound quality was changed from stereo to mono and the resulted file was 172Kb in size (7 times less than the original audio).

compress audio file size with Freemake

  • To compress a file with Freemake, download and install the software for audio formats and MP3 files on Windows-based computer. It will start automatically right after the installation.
  • Drag-n-drop the file into the software or use the “+Audio” button to add it.
  • Now you should choose whether you want to change the original audio format or simply get a lower bitrate. If you click on any format, you will see a new window with ready-to-use options. For example, if you click on the “to MP3” bubble, you will be able to choose between 320kbps, 256kbps, 192 kbps, 128 kbps, and 96kbps output qualities. In case you need less, create a custom preset with your sound settings.
  • Then click “Convert” to reduce your file size.

Freemake is one of the easiest programs for audio compression.

Freemake-Video-Converter

 

 

Pros

  • Easy-to-use program
  • Many input/output options (MP3, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, WAV, and AAC)
  • Ready-to-use settings to reduce audio
  • Free
  • Fast

Cons

  • No audio editor
  • Loses original metadata of both lossy and lossless audio files.

SEE ALSO: 10 Best Music Players for Windows PCs
SEE ALSO: Best Ways to Compress & Reduce Video Size

FonePaw or AnyMP4

First of all, FonePaw is a paid compressing tool. Thus, we couldn’t test it properly. If your file is longer than 5 minutes, you will be able to compress only the first five minutes of it. If your audio file is shorter, then half of your file will be cut. For example, if your file is 4 minutes long, the result will be a two-minute track. Our file was 8 seconds long. So we got a 4-second result. As you can see, it’s not possible to say definitely about the quality of the compressed file.

FonePaw

To compress audio with FonePaw,

  1. Download and run the audio converter software.
  2. Then add a file or files that you want to compress into the program and click on the note button next to your track.
  3. If you wish to change sample rate, bitrate or other audio parameters of your files, click on the Settings button.
  4. When you are done, click Convert to compress your audio.

Pros

  • Built-in audio editor
  • Many input/output options
  • Keeps the metadata

Cons

  • Paid
  • No ready options
  • Complicated interface

Download it here

VIP Video Converter

VIP Video Converter is a paid tool with a basic option. The only limitation we stumbled on during our test of 2 files is a pop-up page with an offer to buy a full version of the compressor. However, we may well understand that you can face this limitation of a trial or basic version with multiple conversions. It will open after each conversion. As for the compression, VIP Video Converter is a quite good form of compressing files to MP3 audio! Our test file was reduced by 60% in file size. When we wanted to compress WAV and save it as WAV, the audio file size was not reduced at all.

VIP-Video-Converter

What is unusual about this audio compression program is that you need to

  1. choose the output format (lossy or lossless) before you add a file for compression.
  2. Then click on Add files, select and upload the tracks that you want to compress.
  3. To edit output settings (bitrate, sample rate, channel, etc), click the Edit profile button. You can save the custom profile for future use.
  4. When ready, click the Start converting button to convert and compress audio files.

For the 1st test, we selected the MP3 format with 256kbps as output. The result was a 224Kb audio file which means it became 6 times smaller in file size.

For the 2nd test, we used the WAV output format and a lower bitrate (256kbps). The file was not compressed at all.

Pros

  • Many input/output options (MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, AC3, AIFF, APE, and others)
  • Keeps the metadata
  • Ready-to-use options

Cons

  • Paid
  • Doesn’t compress WAV files to the same format
  • Free version opens the browser tab after each compression process.

Download it here

SEE ALSO: 10 Incredible MP3 Sites to Download Music From
SEE ALSO: 5 Great MP3 Download Tools to Get Music Free + 2019 Addition

HD Video Converter Factory Pro

HD Video Converter Factory Pro is one more paid app that you can use to compress audio files. It’s quite complicated and won’t be a good choice for a newbie. Besides, it has many offers to get a paid version here and there. It made a good job and compressed our test file by 59% but again it doesn’t support WAV for output.

Thus if you want to keep the original extension of your file, that’s definitely not your tool for audio file size compression.

HD-Factory-PRO

To compress audio file,

  • drag-n-drop your music track into HD Video Converter Factory Pro.
  • Then pay attention to the block to the right from the center part.
  • Click on the arrow and select the Audio tab for audio output formats. As you can see, the interface is not intuitive. It may be difficult to understand where to click to complete the task.
  • As soon as you have selected the format, click on the Settings button to change the parameters of your music track if necessary. After that, click the Run button to compress the audio file.
  • Wait a couple of seconds and click Complete. You will then see an offer to buy a full software version. Pay attention to the top of it. You will see the information that your song has been compressed and a button to open a folder with the compressed music track.

For the 1st test, we chose MP3 with 256kbps as output. The resulting track was 252Kb in size (almost 6 times smaller).

For the 2nd test, we used WAV with a 256kbps bitrate. The music file was not compressed at all.

Pros

  • Many input/output options
  • Keeps the metadata

Cons

  • Paid
  • Doesn’t compress WAV files well
  • Many offers to buy a full version
  • Complicated interface
  • No ready-to-use options

Download it here

Wondershare Video Converter

Wondershare Video Converter follows the recent trends and provides a black theme of the interface. And that’s the only cool thing about it. Unfortunately, the free version of the software lets you convert only 1/3 of the file and simply cuts the rest. Thus it was difficult to say whether the size of the track was reduced. Instead of the 8-second file, we got a 2-second one. Again, no WAV for output.

Wondershare-Video-Converter

To compress the music file with this software,

  1. run it and click “+Add Files”. By default, the software offers to change the file format to MP4. Be attentive to that!
  2. Click on the arrow to the left from the “Convert” button.
  3. Select the “Audio” tab and then the desired format.
  4. To edit the settings of the output file, click on the edit sign. In the editor, you can change the sample rate, channel, and bitrate of the file.

Pros

  • Numerous input/output options
  • Modern black theme
  • Has a built-in audio cutter

Cons

  • Paid
  • Complicated interface
  • No ready-to-use options for WAV files

Download it here

Faasoft Audio Converter

Faasoft Audio Converter is a paid tool that can compress only half of your file in a trial version. Besides that, it’s complicated for an average user and doesn’t have any ready-to-use options. Like with Wondershare, we didn’t manage to get results to validate.

Faasoft-Audio-Converter

As for the interface,

  1. to compress your audio, click on the “Add file” and select a music file for compression.
  2. Then click on the output format sign (MP3 by default) and select between General and Lossless audio formats.
  3. To edit the default settings, click on the Settings button and then Advanced. Here you can change the sample rate, channel, codec and volume. The options look un-clickable and resemble the information about the file. However, if you double-click on each of them, you will be able to change the necessary parameter.

Pros

  • Numerous input/output options
  • Trim option

Cons

  • Paid
  • Complicated interface
  • No ready-to-use options for output files

Download it here

Blaze Media Pro

Blaze Media Pro is a free program for compressing audio files. When you start Blaze Media Pro, it looks like it has come from the 90ies. The interface seems really outdated and not clear at all. However, it was good for our task and compressed the test file by 60%. Moreover, it managed to save WAV to WAV. The resulted WAV file was twice lighter than the original one. The tool doesn’t have any ready options, but lets you set your own ones like channel, frequency, and so on.

Blaze-Media-Pro

To compress audio file or a music track with Blaze,

  1. click on the “Convert audio” button.
  2. Then select Convert and compress audio and add your song.
  3. Select an output extension for your file and a folder where you want it to be saved.
  4. When you are done, click the “Convert files” button to reduce audio file size.

For the 1st test, we used MP3 with 256kbps as output. The resulting track was 252Kb in size.

For the 2nd test, we used WAV with 16kHz frequency. The result we got was a 500kb audio file.

Pros

  • Free
  • Fast

Cons

  • Complicated interface
  • No ready-to-use options

Finally, we are done with the software. Now let’s check the most popular online services for audio files compression.

Download it here

Online-audio-converter.com

Online-audio-converter is absolutely free. It is a good choice for those who need a service with ADVANCED options. Here you can change the metadata of your file and set the desired audio parameters like bitrate, sample rate, channel, or even add fade in/out effects. Since there is no 256kbps option, we selected good quality for our test. The file was reduced by 70%.

online-audio-converter

For the test, we selected the standard quality and MP3 format. The new file was reduced to 190Kb in size. All the meta tags were saved.

Pros

  • Free
  • Has ready options
  • Provides many formats for output
  • Provides advanced settings
  • Accepts many formats for input
  • can be used on Windows, Mac, Linux

Cons

  • Nothing found

You can try this service by clicking on the link above.

Onlineconverter.com

Onlineconverter is a free service that you don’t need to install. It gives you a number of ready options such as Good Compression, Best Compression, Best Quality, etc. However, it doesn’t show you the final bitrate. You will get it only after you compress audio file and download it on your PC. The service compresses MP3 files only. The input file size limit is 200Mb. Our test file was reduced by 80% but somehow a part of the original track was cut.

Onlineconverter.com

For our test, we took a 5,5Mb MP3 file and the best compression option. The result was a 706Kb file with 33kbps bitrate. For some unknown reason, we lost the last 8 seconds of the original audio.

Pros

  • Free
  • Ready-to-use options
  • Works on Windows, Mac, Linux

Cons

  • Cut the last 8 seconds of the file
  • Doesn’t support large files
  • Compresses only MP3

Try the service here

Mp3smaller.com

MP3smaller is free. It supports only MP3 files with a maximum size of 150Mb. Our test file was reduced by 40%.

The service has a good number of ready-to-use options that show you the exact bitrate that you will get. For example, Small File Size (MP3 bitrate 64-128kbps VBR). If you select this preset, your final file will have an MP3 extension and variable bitrate in 64-128 range.

MP3smaller.com

For our test, we took the same 5,5Mb MP3 file and a Small File Size MP3 bitrate 32-64kbps VBR option. The file was reduced to 1,47Mb.

Pros

  • Free
  • Many ready-to-use options
  • User-friendly
  • Supports all PC types: Windows, Mac, Linux

Cons

  • Doesn’t support large files
  • Compresses only MP3 files

Try the service here

Youcompress.com

Youcompress is a free service for those who don’t care about bitrate or any audio parameters. The service is really basic and doesn’t have any options. We got our file compressed by 39%. Go for this service if you don’t have any tech requirements for your files.

Youcompress.com

Here you simply add your MP3 file and click the Upload File & Compress button.

The file that we used for the test was compressed to 1,38Mb and 64kbps.

Pros

  • Free
  • Fast
  • Windows, Linux, Mac support

Cons

  • Doesn’t support large files
  • Compresses only MP3 files
  • No ready-to-use presets

Try the service here

Media.io

Media.io is a free service that allows you to compress MP3 files and choose quality and a format for your output file. It compressed the test file by 40%.

The service filters the output file by size. The quality choice is pretty clear: big size (320kbps), common size (265kbps, etc). The output extensions include WAV, M4A, AAC, FLAC, and so on.

Media.io

For the test, we selected the small size (64kbps) option and MP3 extension. The new file was 1,37Mb in size.

Pros

  • Free
  • Has ready options
  • Provides output extension choice
  • Windows, Mac, Linux OS supported

Cons

  • Compresses only MP3 audio files

Try the service here

Must-know Tips for Advanced Users

You might know that there exist two types of audio files: lossless and lossy ones. Lossless files usually come in FLAC, AIFF and WAV formats. These are the audio files compressed in a way to provide the best audio quality possible. They sound like original music files from the studio. However, they are extremely large in size. One lossless track may take up to 100Mb or even more. It’s OK if you have a lot of space on a hard drive and working with music data is your profession. For an amateur listener keeping music in lossless formats might be rather uncomfortable. Not only lossless tracks take a lot of space, but you also need special media players to enjoy or edit the songs. That’s why most people prefer to keep their music collection in a standard lossy MP3 format. Yes, you won’t get all possible details of the song but let’s be honest: few of us have this expensive stereo system at home that makes you enjoy every single note of the track.

So, the first way you can follow to compress your audio is to change it from lossless to lossy. There are many tools and online services that you may use for it. We will talk about them and their pros and cons later.

The 2nd way is to reduce the bitrate of a track. If you don’t know, a bitrate determines the quality of the music track. The higher the bitrate, the better the track sounds. For MP3, the best bitrate is 320kbps. The bitrate can be constant (CBR) that is the same during the entire track; and variable (VBR) that increases for loud music parts or decreases for silent or quieter ones. Files encoded with VBR are smaller in size comparing to the same data with CBR. However, not all media players and portable devices can playback such a track.

To cut a long story short, you can use two methods to compress audio:

  • Change the file from lossless to lossy;
  • Change the bitrate of the file.

Those were the tools that we used for our test. Which one to choose then? Well, it depends on several factors:

In case you need to compress the audio on a regular basis and you need to compress many files at once, go for Freemake. The software is always available on your PC. You can use even if you are not connected to the Web. Besides that, you can select what exact settings (format, bitrate, channel) you need and compress all your audio files with the same parameters. However, keep in mind that the software should support your operating system. For example, you can’t install software for Windows on Mac.

If you rarely compress audio or need it only one, you’d better go for online-audio-converter.com. The service doesn’t require any installation thus it might be used on absolutely any computer or even a mobile device. However, the online service highly depends on the quality of your Internet connection. If it’s slow, you may need to wait a lot to get the job done or even completely lose your results in case the connection lags. Besides that, don’t forget that the service may work slowly due to overload. It happens when a lot of people are using it at the same time.

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30 Funny Snapchats You Have Ever Seen https://www.freemake.com/blog/funny-snapchats/ Wed, 20 Dec 2017 14:27:06 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=21295 Snapchat is one of the most popular social networks. While Instagram is famous for its square selfies, food and cat pics, Snapchat is a place where users upload funny photos of their everyday life as well as all kinds of clever visual humor. Besides that, geofilters and a built-in option to draw on the pics have turned users into real artists and has brought a number of masterpieces to the network.

Check these most hilarious pictures uploaded to Snapchat to cheer up and get ideas for your unique masterpiece.

SEE ALSO: Awesome Autocorrect Mistakes from 2012 to 2019
SEE ALSO: 26 Unexpected Text Messages from Moms and Dads

1. My first naked pic on Snapchat

If you don’t know what to start from, why not writing a compelling description to make people react?:) By thy way, keep in mind that taking pics while driving is not the best thing to do.

naked pic on snapchat

2. All men must die

This looks like Grumpy cat’s favorite song. If you can play a musical instrument, you can download the sheet to play and sing it with friends.

all men must die

3. I said my name was Marc with a “c”

When your name is too difficult for a cafe worker. Maybe you should choose a funny nickname instead?

Marс Cark

4. Watching the World Cup

The World Cup is coming. If you can’t watch the games in real life, check beforehand where you can watch sports online.

world cup

5. She complains when we take the bag away

When you feel like a king or queen and don’t want to lose your crown. By the way, if you like animals, don’t forget to check these funny videos with them.

cat with a paper bag

6. When life gives you 1500 lemons

Get some tonic and invite all your friends to a lemon party. Or you can send a lemon to everyone you know.

1500 lemons

7. Yeah, I’m pissed. This Ain’t what I meant

Be aware of your wishes; they may become true in an unexpected way. Next time say exactly what you want to get.

ketchup only

8. Snapechat

What is your favorite Harry Potter character? No doubt, you like Severus Snape performed by Alan Rickman. Would you like to re-watch the famous movies? Then learn where you can rent them or maybe even watch for free on any portable device.

snapchat

SEE ALSO: If Snapchat is not enough, follow these funny Tumblr blogs to get more laugh
SEE ALSO: Don’t forget to check these humorous Instagram accounts

9. The Sorting Cone

What Hogwarts house would you like to be in?

sorting cone

10. Got stuck in a giraffic jam 

If you don’t want to spend time in a giraffic jam, better get these maps to learn the alternative ways.

giraffic jam

11. I live in a pretty rough neighborhood

When there is a tricycle theft somewhere near your house…

 

rough neighborhood

12. Who wore it better?

What do you think? By the way, don’t miss this post for more school memes.

who wore it better

13. Wild party last night

Animals like to party hard too. Just look at this squirrel!

wild party

14. LOL, Bae caught me sleepin’

When you pretend you have a girlfriend…and fail.

caught sleeping

15. This has been the highlight of my day

If you feel sad and want to highlight your day, visit these awesome sites that will help you cheer up.

my day highlight

SEE ALSO: Top Twitter Account Worth Having in a Feed

16. Steal his contacts while he sleeps imao

Art history reactions can be absolutely amazing. Have you seen more pics of this kind?

Steal his contacts while he sleeps imao

17. Oh, dear God, I just hit a unicorn

Who could think a car wash can be so beautiful?

just hit a unicorn

18. You did what to Dory?

We have bad news for all Finding Nemo fans…

you did what to dory

SEE ALSO: Convert DVD to MP4 or PC Formats

19. My friend fell asleep, so I turned him into princess 

When your friend is too creative…

princess friend

20. Does it work on emotions?

When your life is too rough…just keep calm and wash your bad thoughts away.

does it work on emotions

21. Being so bored you make your own friends…Aw man they left

If your friends can’t come to your place, you can always arrange a video call with all of them.

your own friends

22. My sheets are flirting with me

When you are so awesome that even sheets want to date you.

sheets flirting

23. My dog looks like she is a floating head

Do you know famous Cheshire cat? It looks like there is also Cheshire dog.

floating head dog

24. So, who likes onion rings?

When you are not rich, but incredibly creative.

onion proposal

25. Too much?

When you want to be the most creative on a Christmas party. Check our post to get more Christmas DIY ideas.

Overdressed Costume Party

26. That is what rock bottom looks like

Here is one more Christmas idea to make you stand out from the crowd.

rock bottom

27. But Moooooom

Your face when your mom tells you to go and do your homework.

but mooom

28. Come play with us Danny

If you are a crazy Emoji fan, you can create great Snapchats with Emoji smiles.

Danny play

29. I put a balloon in my hoodie.

The teacher counted it as a student. She gave him class work to do. What is wrong with this school?

balloon hoodie

30. This girl better go to law school

Sue Yu. When your name tell you what profession to choose.

sue yu

Which of these Snapchats did you like most of all? Vote with a corresponding number in the comments below and share your social profiles.

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25 Sure Ways to Protect Your Online Data https://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-protect-your-online-data/ Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:15:00 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=21207 The striking trend of data breaches is the biggest privacy and security concern these days. Millions of user accounts are getting leaked when large companies face hacker attacks. Yahoo hack is the biggest data breach of all. It impacted over 3 billion user accounts. Personal information ends up being sold on underground forums at miserably low prices.

SEE ALSO: How to Choose Safe YouTube Converter?

Businesses strive to comply with the latest infosec standards, however many of them do not succeed. Although the cybersecurity arena is not new, all our procedures and policies are still ineffective. In addition, companies and governments collect plenty of our private data and wish even more of it at the same time lacking appropriate initiatives to keep it safe.

Harsh laws may possibly address the problem. Collecting and storing highly sensitive information should be permitted only to those qualified and complying with the strictest standards. Additional security measures are not convenient for customers and expensive to service providers but raising the bar, in this case, is the only right solution.

We collected the best practices individuals and companies should adapt in order to keep their data safe.

15 security tips for home users 

Try to observe these simple rules while browsing the Web from your home PC.

Tip 1. Do not use only one email account for everything. Create a separate email address for important stuff like banking. Nobody should know about this email account but you. Communicate with relatives, family, and friends via another email. Finally, create the 3rd account for less important things like coupon or discounts sites, dating, online games, etc.

Tip 2. Watch media privacy of your family. One of the biggest problems these days is oversharing. In particular, children and young adults are prone to publishing a great deal of sensitive data online. We should teach children what can and what cannot be disclosed on social media. Parents and schools should develop privacy and security skills in their children. Social media account’s privacy settings should be set to maximum security level possible. Sometimes it makes sense indicating the incorrect date of birth and address.

Tip 3. Be careful with files and links. Most often viruses penetrate the computer when users click on rogue links on social media, open malicious email attachments, download free stuff on torrents, or visit infected sites. Be discreet and watch your steps doing all this. chrome-malware

Tip 4. Install an antivirus. There are many cases when antivirus solutions fail to detect an intrusion and miss viruses. But still, having an antivirus is a must these days. Attack vectors are enormous and even the strongest security habits cannot protect from all threats. Antivirus may help in 90% of situations. Do not think it is better to have several antivirus tools. No, it is worse as they will interfere with each other’s work. However, you can employ additional antimalware on-demand scanners. Do not forget to update your security software tools as well as your OS and other software.

Tip 5. Use caution when connecting to public Wi-Fi, it can be unsafe. It is OK to do some web search or to read news while on public Wi-Fi. However, do not send important info or transfer money. Your whole communication can be put at risk. When you have to connect to public Wi-Fi try to always use VPN services. VPN hides your real IP and encrypts your traffic. Your home wireless network should be protected too. Use long passwords and whitelist (allow) only your own and family devices to connect to it.

SEE ALSO: How to Download YouTube Videos with a Proxy Server

Tip 6. The consequent advice that is old as hills is to employ strong passwords. It is ideal to use passphrases. Create separate passphrases for each new website or app. When possible enable the multi-factor authentication.

SEE ALSO: Best 3 Password Managers to Secure Personal Data

Tip 7. Use separate credit cards for online shopping as cards are crooks’ best-loved targets. Ask your bank to implement additional protection code and withdrawal limits.

masked-credit-card

Tip 8. To spot unauthorized transactions, check each credit and debit card transaction statements on weekly basis, desirably even more often. If you notice a transaction you didn’t made, contact your bank immediately to block the card.

Tip 9. Back up, back up, back up! Ransomware is the prevalent threat these days. It may encrypt and destroy all files. It may also steal data. Use multiple backup strategies. Consider both offline and cloud storages.

SEE ALSO: How to Back up Movies Collection with DVD Ripper Software

Tip 10. Watch your contacts. Messages from relatives and friends may be dicey as thousands upon thousands of social media, messaging apps, and email accounts are getting hacked on daily basis. Crooks may hack your friend and send you a virus on his behalf. When you are unsure about a ZIP archive or strange link, it is better to verify with the sender over the phone if he sent it.

Tip 11. A rule of thumb for online shoppers is checking if the site uses HTTPS and the certificate is valid.

ertificate_Validity_Testing_Firefox_Warning

Tip 12. Install ad blockers on all your web browsers. If some ads still preserve and look suspicious – do not click on them. Scam masters use wise tricks, if something looks too good to be true it is better to stay away.

Tip 13. Don’t share your personal info without the need. You should not instantly and without thinking provide your social security number or other personal information to everyone who requests it.

Tip 14. Check all your gadgets’ settings for data they may transfer into the cloud. Switch off all the options you find suspicious.

Tip 15. Signing up for any services, always check their reviews. Entrust your private data only to those that have the solid protection of customer info. Previous data breaches should be a red flag.

10 security tips for businesses 

Security rules for companies are stricter. Forward this list to your boss if none of them is observed at your workplace.

Tip 1. Security informing. Staff members always represent a chink in any company’s cyber armor. Employees require constant security training. Spear-phishing and safe browsing drills are a must. Implementing profound employee hiring and dismissal procedures are also very important.

Tip 2. Safe vendors choice. Quite a few breaches are accomplished through hacking smaller firms that are vendors or partners of bigger enterprises. Those small third-party subcontractors usually have lower protection capabilities and are easy targets. Businesses should choose their vendors wisely and stick only with those who employ the best security practices and standards.

Tip 3. Physical security of equipment and offices is very important even for purely online businesses. A significant amount of big data breaches happened because hackers could connect to the enterprise computer systems physically penetrating the office building with the help of social engineering or even dumpster diving and finding confidential documents among the garbage. Many organizations are turning to physical security solutions like ones listed here to ensure the safety of their equipment and data across multiple locations.

physical-security

Tip 4. It takes on average 200 days for big corporations to detect an intrusion. Early warning systems help to reduce it to several hours. It is crucial to monitor your networks and detect unusual patterns.

Tip 5. Companies should not ask for data they do not really need. For instance, healthcare institutions must introduce a unique patient ID number and do not require the SSN.

Tip 6. Prioritize your defenses. In limited budget conditions, put emphasis on defending the most critical data.

Tip 7. Always encrypt important data.

Tip 8. Provide server access rights to your workers based on their place in a company’s hierarchy.

Tip 9. Conduct penetration tests and risk assessments on regular basis.

Tip 10. Keep up with new security techniques and products. Follow news on recent hacks.

If you are putting any private data online, be ready for the worst-case situation. What is once put online – stays there forever and eventually gets leaked sooner or later. Security challenges multiply as IoT (the Internet of things) and the cloud get more common and new data-stealing strategies appear on the computer crime arena. In many instances, though, our simple suggestions above and a bit of carefulness can save you from the fuss of handling the consequences of a breach.

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Top 10 Free Movie Websites to Enjoy on Any Device https://www.freemake.com/blog/top-free-movie-websites/ Fri, 24 Nov 2017 09:59:40 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=21159 Watching free movies online is extremely comfortable. You don’t need to go out to a movie theatre and all you need is a stable Internet connection and a computer or another device that can be connected to the Net.
There plenty of great websites where you can enjoy your favorite movies and TV series legally and free. Of course, you can’t expect to find there the latest Hollywood blockbusters. However, you can enjoy movies that were out a couple of years ago, eternal classics, films from big-name studios and independent companies. Just explore movie library by genre or search for a particular film that you’d like to watch.

SEE ALSO: Watch TV on iPhone Free on Any iPhone Model Free
SEE ALSO: Check These 7 Free Video Sharing Sites to Watch & Upload Videos

Let’s check what site you should visit if you want to spend an evening at home in front of your TV. All these websites contain full-length movies with only a few ads. Here is a table of top 10 free movie websites to choose from:

Website Ads in Movies Video Qualities Mobile App
Gostream 3-6 ads HD No
Bmovies 1 banner ad HD, HDRip, SD, TS, and CAM No
YouTube 1-4 ads HD, HDRip, SD iOS/Android
Crackle 5-6 ads Full HD, HD, SD iOS/Android, PS3, Xbox 360, Roku, Sony and Samsung Blu-Ray Player, Google TV
Popcornflix a 20-30 sec ad every 15 min SD, DVD iOS/Android, Roku, Xbox, PS3, PS4
Viewster 2-4 ads SD, DVD iOS/Android, Roku, Toshiba, Asus, Panasonic, Samsung, Philips, Lenovo,  HP
TubiTV 2-4 ads HD, SD iOS/Android, Roku, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players
Snagfilms 2-3 google ads HD, Full HD iOS/Android, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Xbox 360, Roku, Boxee,  Amazon Kindle
Yidio 1-5 ads DVD iOS/Android, Windows Phone,  Amazon Kindle
TDF 1-3 ads Full HD, HD, SD No

1. Gostream.is

gostream.is

Gostream (ex 123movies) is a simple site with a big search bar right in the middle of the main page. It looks almost like Google. If you know what movie or series you want to enjoy, just type its title and press the search button.

In case, you have not made up your mind yet, you can check the website media library and choose a movie by genre or country of production.

Each movie has an official trailer, a description, actors’ list, IMDB rating, release year and other useful information. If you click an actor’s name, you’ll get a list his movies available on the website.

Gostream provides several servers to choose from. If one is overloaded, just click another one to start streaming. Most movies come in HD or Ultra HD formats and can be viewed on any device or in any web-browser. Where available, you can turn on the subtitles.

The website lets you stream movies without any registration. However, if you want to add movies to favorites or comment them, you will have to sign up.

2. Bmovies

Bmovies

Bmovies (https://bmovies.is/) has a huge collection of movies, animes, cartoons, and TV series. The website owners add new movies on a regular basis, so you’ll definitely find a film to watch in the evening.

When you search movies, you can filter the result by genre, country, subtitles availability, quality, and release year. The quality of each movie is shown in the top right corner of its cover. There are movies and TV series in HD, HDRip, SD, TS, and CAM.

Like Gostream, Bmovies offers several servers for video streaming. Besides that, there is a download button that lets you save a movie for watching it without the Internet connection. If you create a profile at Bmovies, you’ll be able to add video to a Watch later playlist.

SEE ALSO: How to convert MP4 to AVI to Watch Mobile Movies on a TV

3. Crackle

Crackle

Crackle website is owned by Sony Entertainment, and thus it’s one of the most reliable free movie streaming services.

Besides movies, Crackle offers TV shows that include comedies, animes, crimes, and other series. There are even some original videos you won’t find on any other site. Most Crackle videos come in 360p or 480p and are available for full-screen watching.

Like most service of this kind, Crackle lets you watch movies without registration. However, you’ll have to add your date of birth each time you want to enjoy a movie with R-rating or higher.

It’s worth saying that Crackle has a mobile app for Apple and Android devices what means that you can enjoy your favorite videos wherever you go.

SEE ALSO: Save YouTube to Offline on PC Easily

4. YouTube

YouTube

It’s no doubt that YouTube must be on this list. Being the largest video hosting, it provides hundreds of free movies. Unfortunately, here you’ll have to search for a particular movie title and read users’ comments to be sure the video is a real movie and not a fake.

Alternatively, you can open a YouTube Movie channel and find something to watch in the free section.

Although YouTube is not the best movie source, it’s great when you want to save a video for offline viewing since there are a lot of YouTube downloaders out there. For example, you can use free Freemake Video Downloader to get a movie right in the format and quality that you need. You may even download YouTube 1080p videos.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert Video to DVD

SEE ALSO: Convert MTS Files from Blu-ray to MP4 Free

5. Popcornflix

Popcornflix

Popcornflix is one more website to check out if you want to stream a movie for free. It has a nice collection of movies (over 1500) of almost every genre like Horror, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Action, and so on.

There are two more separate websites – FrightPix (with horror movies) and Popcornflix Kids (with movies for kids only).

The site is currently available for the USA and Canada, but more regions will be supported soon. Like Crackle, it provides free apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle users. The app is also available for Popcornflix Kids. Download it and be sure that your kids won’t see any inappropriate content.

What is great here is that the website depends on the Google Ads network for its income, so it’s totally free of pop-ups and redirecting advertisements.

6. Viewster

Viewster

Viewster is a real treasure for anime lovers. Here you can find almost everything you can dream about. All in all, the site offers over 12,000 both popular and rare movies and TV series. It’s available in 120 countries and it’s said to have almost 40 million visitors per month.

Search for a movie by genre or by title if you exactly what you want to watch. You can also sort the videos by latest additions, most viewed rating, mixed, feeling lucky, or staff picks. Language filter is available as well. Currently, you may get here movies in English, French, German, and Spanish. The TV shows are organized in the same way.

Viewster also has a blog section with the news about the latest additions, upcoming events, movie discussions, and so on.

For those who like to watch movies on the go, Viewster offers free iOS and Android apps. They are available in respective web stores.

7. TubiTV

tubitv

TubiTV has a splendid interface and over 50,000 movie titles to enjoy. The website has a partnership with numerous content providers such as Paramount Pictures, MGM Studios, and others. Here you can find most popular Hollywood movies, cartoons, documentaries, indie films, and movies in foreign languages.

Currently, the web-service is fully available for the United States. However, you can get an access to it from Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, and the UK. If you live in another country, you can easily learn how to use proxy and enjoy TubiTV movies in your region.

The website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. You can find a movie to watch by genre or sub-genre like New Arrivals, Features, Most Popular, etc. Click on the movie title to get the information about it: plot, release date, actor cast, duration, and rating.

Like previous web-services, TuviTV has free apps for Android and iOS users to watch movies at any moment.

8. Snagfilms

Snagfilms

Snagfilms (https://www.snagfilms.com/) was founded in 2008 with an idea to bring independent movies into the spotlight. The web-service encourages film creators to upload their works and enrich the media library. Now Snagfimls has over 5,000 movie titles to choose from. Apart from the independent movies, you can find here National Geographic videos. Most films come in 720 or 1080 quality, so you can enjoy them on a big screen.

When you open the website, you’ll see two categories Shows and Movies. The 1st one is not that huge, but you can still find something interesting. Filter the films by just added, most reviewed, A-Z, or most popular. As for the categories, there are some special ones like Action, Comedy, Drama, Documentaries, Music, Sports, Thrillers, and many more.

Of course, you can also search by title if you already know what you want.

In case you need to go out, download Snagfilms app on your iOS or Android device and continue watching the video.

9. Yidio

Yidio

Yidio almost doesn’t host movies but provides links to other free movie sites like Crackle where you can watch a particular film at no cost. There is a free category with videos that you can filter by rating or by around 40 genres like Western, Drama, Action, and others.

Yidio movies are uploaded in DVD quality (learn here about the specs of the DVD format). Although they are not too good for a big screen, the quality is perfect to watch films on your Apple or Android gadget with the help of a corresponding app.

If you want to get updates about new movies, series, clips and other content, sign up to Yidio and select the necessary options.

10. Top Documentary Films

Top Documentary Films

TDF, as it’s clear from its name, is a place where you can find thousands of documentary videos. To get a movie to watch, browse films by topics such as Science, Biography, Technology, Arts and Artists, History, Environment, Media, Nature, Sports, and many others. The titles can be also sorted by rating, votes, date, shares, and comments.

Each movie has a detailed description so that you can easily decide if you want to watch it or not. After watching, you can share your thoughts in comments to help other users make up their minds.

TDF movies quality ranges between 144p and 720p. However, some films come in Full HD as well.

Unfortunately, there are no mobile apps. Thus, you can enjoy TDF titles only via a web-browser with Adobe Flash Player support.

Here are 10 free online movie websites where you can stream movies in your spare time. However, if you lack the latest movies, you can rent them on these sites. Which one is your favorite? Do you know any other great place to watch free movies? Share it in comments below.

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Best 9 Tools to Download Facebook Videos on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android https://www.freemake.com/blog/tools-for-facebook-videos/ Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:24:32 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20935 No doubt YouTube is the most popular video hosting ever. There are tons of educational how-to guides, funny animal videos, music clips, kids’ videos, movies, TV series and other stuff for any taste. Thus, it’s not a surprise that one of the most requested things in Google is a safe YouTube converter. Facebook in its turn is mostly used for sharing your life moments, interesting posts and chatting with your mates.

However, there are also a plenty of nice videos on Facebook that you won’t find on YouTube. You may enjoy these videos online if they are not private or save them for offline viewing. The latter option is better since you won’t need to lose traffic if you want to watch the video again and again; neither will you lose the clip if the owner deletes it or the entire profile. Besides, you can upload an offline clip to your tablet or smartphone and enjoy it whenever you want.

Check the comparison table of the tools that you’ll find in this article.

Software OS supported Websites supported Output formats Type of license
Freemake Video Downloader Windows (from Vista) Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, Vimeo + 10 000 sites MP4, MP3, AVI, FLV, 3GP, MKV, WebM, Android, iOS, PSP free
iTube Studio Win/Mac Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, Vimeo + 10 000 sites MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, MKV, 3GP, MPEG, iOS, Android paid
Elmedia Player PRO Mac Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, Vimeo + 10 000 sites MP4, WebM, FLV, 3GP paid
Bigasoft Video Downloader Win/Mac Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion, Vevo, Vimeo + 10 000 sites MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, VOB, MPG, FLV, 3GP, WebM, MOV, SWF paid
Fbdown.net Win/Mac/Linux Facebook MP4 free
Savefrom.net Win/Mac/Linux Facebook, YouTube MP4 free
M.Facebook Win/Mac/Linux Facebook MP4 free
MyMedia iOS Facebook, YouTube MP4 free
Video Downloader for Facebook Android Facebook MP4 free

Now let’s check the utilities in details and choose the best Facebook video downloader for you.

How to Download Facebook on Windows

There are two ways to save Facebook videos on PC: install a program or use a web-service. Let’s start with software.

Freemake Video Downloader

The best option to get Facebook on Windows is to download free and safe software. We recommend YouTube downloader. It’s free, powerful, easy to use and won’t harm your PC.

First of all, go to the official Freemake website and download the installer. You can choose between two options: an online file that will download the software right during the installation process, and an offline one. The latter one is great if you have a slow Internet connection with gaps.

Freemake Video Downloader interface

Install and run the software on Windows-based PC. The supported OS versions are Win 10, Win 8, Win 7, and Windows Vista.

Now follow these steps to download a Facebook video:

  1. Copy the video URL of a Facebook video that you want to get. Make sure it’s not private;
  2. Paste the video in Freemake Video Downloader via the Paste URL button;
  3. Wait for some time till while the software detects the video;
  4. Choose a necessary video format and quality. In case you don’t see the necessary format, scroll to the bottom of the software and select the Convert option. Click to see the drop-down menu with the available formats.
  5. Run the downloading process by clicking the Download or the Download and Convert button.

Freemake Video Downloader offers a wide range of output formats. You can save your Facebook video in MP4, MP3, AVI, FLV, 3GP, MKV, WebM or for mobile gadgets (iPhone, iPad, Android, PSP). If you always save videos in the same format, you can enable the One-click download mode. Choose the quality you need, the format and select a destination folder. By default, the files will be saved to My videos folder. From now on, Freemake Video Downloader will save your multimedia files with the selected settings.

Pros:

  • free;
  • easy-to-use;
  • supports most popular video sites;
  • many output formats and qualities;
  • no ads.

Cons:

  • not found.

SEE ALSO: How to Choose Best YouTube Downloader for Windows

SEE ALSO: How to Change Facebook Video in WebM Format to MP4

iTube Studio

One more interesting software to get Facebook videos is iTube Studio (https://itube.aimersoft.com/). Like Freemake, it can extract MP3 from Facebook videos or convert them to MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, MKV, 3GP, MPEG or to most popular portable gadgets with iOS or Android.

iTube Studio interface

To save Facebook movies with iTube Studio, follow this procedure:

  1. Download the software from the official software website;
  2. Install and run the program on your PC;
  3. Copy Facebook video URL;
  4. If you want to only download the video, click the Paste URL button in the software and paste your link. In case you need to convert the video, enable Download and Convert mode in top right corner. Choose the format/device that you need;
  5. Start the conversion.

Soon your video will appear in C:\iTube Studio Downloaded. You can always change the destination path in the software settings.

Pros:

  • most popular video sites support;
  • a good range of output formats and qualities;
  • screen recording option.

Cons:

  • trial version is very limited.

Please note that the trial version lets you save only two videos and provides a reduced number of options. The full version offers a browser plugin to save videos on the go, more conversion options, screen recording, and so on.

  • 1-year license will cost you $19 per 1 PC/year.
  • Lifetime license costs $29 per 1 PC/lifetime.
  • Family license $72.95 per 2-5 PCs/lifetime.

Choose the license depending on your needs and download more Facebook videos.

SEE ALSO: Prepare Online Video for Your Phone Easily

How to Download Facebook on Mac

Here is the way to save Facebook video on Mac laptops and iMacs.

iTube Studio for Mac

If you are a Mac user, you can purchase a Mac version of iTube Studio:

iTube Studio Win prices

The downloading procedure will be absolutely the same as described above. The ready files will be saved to the Downloads folder.

Elmedia Player PRO

Elmedia Player Pro is an all-in-one tool for Mac amateurs. It combines a powerful media player that supports the majority of popular audio and video formats; and a video downloader. It’s available on the AppStore for $9.99.

Let’s learn how to download Facebook videos with Elmedia Player Pro:

  1. Download and install the app on your Mac;
  2. Launch Elmedia Player and activate the Pro version with your key;
  3. Choose to integrate the Player with your browsers. It’ll give you quick access to online movie downloading;
  4. Restart the browser and then open a URL of a video that you’d like to save;
  5. Switch the Video tab in the software;
  6. Choose the desired video quality;
  7. Click the Download button to save the file.

You will find the downloaded video in the folder, specified in Elmedia Player Pro preferences.

Pros:

  • most popular video sites support;
  • comes with a browser plugin;
  • comes with a media player.

Cons:

  • WMV video file format is not supported.

Bigasoft Video Downloader

Bigasoft Video Downloader (http://www.bigasoft.com/) is a nice video downloader to get videos from Facebook, YouTube, Dailymotion, and other video hosting platforms. You can download a single video and playlist in a variety of qualities.

To grab videos with this app, follow these steps:

  1. Download and install it on your Mac;
  2. Save Facebook video URL address;
  3. Run the app and paste in it the link to the video you want to get;
  4. Choose a quality, destination folder, and an output format;
  5. Click the big red button to save a Facebook video.

Bigasoft Video Downloader Mac interface

Like the previous Mac tools, Bigasoft Video Downloader is not free. A license will cost you $29.

Pros:

  • simple interface;
  • wide range of supported sites;
  • good quality and format choices.

Cons:

  • can take some time to save a video.

How to Download Facebook Online

In case you don’t want to pay for the software or simply don’t want to install anything on your Mac or PC, you can get a Facebook video with the help of online services.

Please note that this way is not safe since mostly the websites contain too many ads. Besides, the services don’t provide output quality and format options. If it’s OK for you, then check what websites you can use.

Fbdown.net

Fbdown.net (https://fbdown.net/) can download only public Facebook videos or those you have access to. The steps are pretty simple as with any other web-service for video downloading:

  1. Copy a link to a Facebook video;
  2. Open Fbdown.net;
  3. Paste the link in a special field on the website;
  4. Click the Download button.

Fbdown.net stepsIn a couple of seconds, the video will be saved to the folder that you can check in your browser preferences.

Pros:

  • free.

Cons:

  • no quality or formats choice;
  • ads;
  • downloads only from Facebook.

Savefrom.net

Savefrom.net (www.savefrom.net) is almost the same as Fbdown.net. However, this service has an option to choose whether you want to get a video in an HD quality (if available) or a standard one. Usually, the file is saved in MP4 format.

savefrom.net steps

Pros:

  • free;
  • provides Chrome plugin;
  • HD/SD quality choice.

Cons:

  • no formats choice;
  • ads.

M.Facebook

One more easy way to save a Facebook video without any apps or software installs at all is to modify its URL address. What you need to do is:

  1. Open the video you want to save in Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge or IE;
  2. Change the www in the video URL to m. The address should like https://m.facebook.com/videonameexample;
  3. Click the Play button;
  4. Right-click on the video and choose an option: Save video as…;
  5. Click this option to download the Facebook video.

Your video will be saved in the original quality and format available on Facebook.

Pros:

  • free.

Cons:

  • no option to set output format or quality.

How to Download Facebook on iOS (iPhone, iPad)

Although Apple tries to delete all apps that can download videos from the AppStore, you can find a couple of download managers after a good research. They don’t download videos themselves but provide an option to save videos with the help of online services and then export it to Camera roll.

MyMedia

MyMedia is a free app that can help you save Facebook video you like right on your iPhone or iPad. Let’s see how it works:

  1. Run the App Store app;
  2. Type MyMedia in the Search;
  3. Download the app on your iOS device;
  4. Copy a URL of a Facebook video;
  5. Run MyMedia and open savefrom.net site in a built-in browser;
  6. Paste the Facebook URL and choose HD or SD quality;
  7. Tap Download the file option;
  8. Name your file;
  9. Then tap Media icon in the bottom of the app to check your new video.
  10. Long tap the video to see the option. Tap the Save to Camera roll if you want to have your video there.

MyMedia save to Camera Roll

SEE ALSO: Learn to Save Instagram Videos Easily

That’s how you can download Facebook videos directly on a portable gadget. If you export them to a Camera roll, you will be able to add them to your cloud service to stay on the safe side.

Pros:

  • free;
  • option to export to Camera roll.

Cons:

  • no option to set output format or quality;
  • ads.

How to Download Facebook on Android

Google Play Store is not that picky toward downloading managers so it’ll be easier to find one.

Video Downloader for Facebook

Video Downloader for Facebook is a free app to download Facebook videos on Android devices. Here are the steps:

  1. Download and install Video Downloader for Facebook on your Android device;
  2. Run the app and open Facebook right in the app;
  3. Insert your login details;
  4. Find a video you want to save;
  5. Tap on the video to get the options;
  6. Tap to download a video.

Video Downloader for Facebook options

That’s it. Now you can enjoy this video on any video player you have on your device.

Pros:

  • free;
  • downloads in SD and HD (if available).

Cons:

  • no output format or quality choice;
  • ads.

Now you know how to save Facebook videos on your PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android. Please share other methods you know or share this guide with your friends.

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Best 3 Password Managers to Secure Personal Data https://www.freemake.com/blog/best-password-managers/ Mon, 02 Oct 2017 10:25:32 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20809 People are required to remember many passwords nowadays: one for the email account (if you have only one email address luckily), one for the FTP password, one for the OA system and many, many for the other website member accounts. Except that, credit cards, bank accounts…all of these online and offline accounts with their login details make an endless list for us to remember.

What’s more, we’re also told never to use the same password twice, not to mention the requirements-you must have one capital letter, one symbol, one lowercase letter, one number… How are we supposed to remember them all? What should we do to keep all these passwords straight?

SEE ALSO: How to Create Microsoft Account and Use All Microsoft Features
SEE ALSO: 8 Free & Safe File Sharing Sites for All Your Needs

A password manager is all you need to cure this headache, enabling you to manage your passwords in a secure way. While many people know LastPass as a good choice, there were too many news about their vulnerabilities, among which the latest one is on March, 2017. What’s more, LastPass was acquired by LogMeln years ago, so many of people regarded it as a bad signal for their information safety. So under this situation, finding a good alternative is absolutely necessary.
In this article, we’re going to introduce you to the top 3 password managers. For each one nominated, we will give its core benefit that distinguishes and its cons all the time.

Dashlane

If you’re willing to pay for a software that’s well designed and one that meets all your requirements for passwords security, go for Dashlane.

Dashlane is like LastPass in terms of functionality. Even the user interface is remarkably similar. It has been climbing the popularity chart for the past couple of years, especially when people are looking for alternatives to LastPass.

dashlane

Compared with LastPass, the core feature in Dashlane we suggest is the auto login feature, which means that when you pull up your email to log in, it would automatically do it for you-no extra clicking. That may be also why Dashlane’s engineers claimed this feature as well as the form filler would save each person 50 hours every year, which sounds like a fair estimate. This multi-faceted password manager stores not only user names and passwords, but also financial information, IDs and emergency contacts.

SEE ALSO: 8 Android Cloud Apps for Effective Data Storage

Besides, another remarkable and unique feature of Dashlane is the Password Changer, which lets you change any, or all of your saved passwords instantly from the Windows, Android, Mac or iOS application. It does so by logging into websites in the background, changing each password to something strong and random, and then storing the new passwords.

dashlane password manager

Well, the only drawbacks are its relatively high premium price (3.33/month) and you couldn’t sync the passwords and data across devices if you are only using a free edition. Besides, Dashlane is not yet compatible with the Microsoft Edge browser, and unfortunately, is not available for Linux or Windows Phone.

KeePass

If you are hesitating because of the high price of Dashlane, we will introduce another alternative to you: KeePass, a free and light-weight password manager.

The feature of KeePass is that it’s totally free, and open source (OSI certified). You can have a look at its full source and check whether the encryption algorithms are implemented correctly. Your passwords in KeePass are stored inside an encrypted database that you can control, on your own system, and are never synced or uploaded anywhere. It’s saved locally rather than in the cloud.

As an open source tool, the core advantage of KeePass is that it has tons of third-party plugins and tools to extend its functionality and bring it to more devices, browsers, and platforms. Most notably, KeePass’s auto-type feature works in all windows and all browsers, which means that KeePass can log in to sites that other password managers can’t, and can log in to applications, system dialogs, and other password prompts that you’d otherwise have to copy/paste again and again.

SEE ALSO: Try this DVD Copy Software to Copy all your Old Discs

However, everything has two sides. Locally-saved data isn’t for everyone. If you regularly need to access your passwords on multiple computer and mobile devices, it’s a pain. You will need to move your password database around from device to device manually.

Besides, as an open-source software, the interface of KeePass is a little bit old and hard to use for many average users.

keepass.info

In one word, KeePass may be the best choice for the pro users and the geeks. If you’re a tech-savvy person, KeePass may be for you, but it’s certainly not for everyone.

Passkeeper

Though talked in the last part, Passkeeper is the well-deserved Editor’s Choice among these three password managers.

passkeeper

The most common situation we use the password managers is on the process of Internet surfing, so for many above password managers, their service on desktop devices are in way of browser extension. But Passkeeper, the last but not least we will introduce here is a feature built-in the browser itself.

At the end of October, 2016, Maxthon launched its new generation browser, MX5, and in this browser, Passkeeper was first used as a password manager. When people are seeking for alternatives of LastPass, perhaps the most overlooked alternative is just using your browsers’ built-in manager. Most (if not all) browsers already support password synchronization, and could even cover all roles the password managers above take. Some browsers even support the record of private notes and general identities other than passwords. But the only pity is that few browsers could help generate complex and random passwords for the users.

passkeeper password manager

In other words, the in-browser password manager couldn’t help generate passwords, while there’s no password extension could even come close to the usability and ease of use that built-in password managers supply.

passkeeper add password

Passkeeper in MX5 browser resolved this conflict perfectly!

Like all other password managers mentioned above, Passkeeper in MX5 could save, autofill, and sync your passwords and private notes securely. It could also help generate random and complex passwords for you at the “sign up” page. And at the same time, Passkeeper is a feature natively built-in Maxthon5 browser, so you don’t need to download any software, or install any third-party add-ons additionally. If you use MX5 browser, you are able to use the service of Passkeeper.

What’s more, all of these services Passkeeper supplys are totally free!

SEE ALSO: Best Google Chrome Extensions for Easy Surfing

It’s permanent free, instead of any “trial version” or “trial period”. It’s free for all services, without any limitations on functions: sync across devices, offline access, auto-filling…you can enjoy the full functions free of charge. To be honest, there’s no reason to refuse it. Though it’s not as famous as some others, it is to be the king of its competitors.

Conclusion

For now, we think you may have had a good knowledge of these three tools. They are the top 3 password managers selected from dozens of competitives, so each of them deserves a try. Choose one that suits you most, and let them remember your passwords so you don’t have to.

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How to Make a Mind-Blowing Podcast (Complete Guide) https://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-make-a-podcast/ Wed, 20 Sep 2017 07:50:33 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20688 A number of people who enjoy listening podcasts has been growing day by day. People listen to the podcasts while going to work, while running, waiting in a queue or cleaning the house. Listening to a radio show or a podcast requires less attention than watching a video or reading a book. According to Edison Research, 52% of podcasts are listened to at home, 18 percent in the car. The same statistics report tells that 42 million Americans listen to podcasts weekly. It’s five times more than go to the movies. One more interesting fact to mention is that an average listener subscribes to 6 podcasts.

In case you have a deep wish and a good knowledge base to share, podcast creating may bring you the pretty good outcome and income. The other reasons for making a podcast can be a self-promotion or audience expanding if you already have a website or a blog.

Quick Start Guide

How much does it cost to make a podcast?

The 1st thing to keep in mind here is that your very first podcast will require some monetary investments from you since you’ll have to get professional equipment and software. What you will need:

  1. A good voice. If you have problems with speech (you lisp, snuffle, speak too loudly or quietly), then you will be difficult to listen to. Think about taking a public speaking course (from $20 to $200) or hiring a voice over freelancer to read your texts instead of you. The initial price per hour for this service starts from $55.
  2. A USB microphone. A good microphone is a must-have for recording a podcast. Although all modern laptops can with a built-in microphone, just forget it. It was not designed to make a podcast. Thus, the sound will be horrible. One more idea to throw away is to make a podcast on Android and iPhone. These devices cannot be used if you want to seem professional. To create a podcast you can use, for example, Samson Q2U ($59), Blue Microphones Yeti ($129), or anything of this kind. microphone
  1. Audio recording software. The software will serve you to record a microphone audio and save it as an MP3 track. In fact, you can use free software like Audacity (Win/Mac) and GarageBand (Mac). The latter one now comes for free with all iOS and Mac OS devices. Both work great and have most of the features you might need for the scope. However, if you always want to get more, you can use professional software like Adobe Audition ($19.99 per month).
  2. Quality improvement equipment. It could be a pop filter to reduce mouth clicks, and other sounds or a metal suspension boom scissor arm stand to hold your microphone. The stand can be easily adjusted to have a necessary height and distance from your mouth. For example, you can use an Auphonix 6-Inch Diameter Microphone Pop Filter ($12.97) and Neewer NW-35 Metal Suspension Boom Scissor Arm ($16.99).
  1. Audio Stock subscription. You’ll need a music intro and outro for your podcast. To prevent any copyright issues, it’s highly recommended to use royalty free music for this scope (from $39 per music kit).

These are the main things you will need to record a podcast. There is only one left to mention. In case you plan to records interviews, don’t forget to buy a Skype calls recording program.

If we count the minimum of all the expenses, you’ll come to almost $170. When your podcasts become popular, you’ll be able to buy a better and more professional equipment.

SEE ALSO: Best Audio Software for PC Everyone Should Try

How to plan your podcast?

There are three main types of a podcast: solo, interview, and multi-host.

  • The 1st one is a monologue. So you are the only one to speak.
  • The 2nd introduces a second voice and a second point of view. Thus, it seems to be more interesting sometimes.
  • A Multi-host podcast includes three or more people. It’s the most difficult to arrange since you need to have additional equipment and take into consideration other participants’ schedules.

When you are finished with tech preparations, it’s high time to think about a theme of your podcasts. First of all make up your mind whether you want to make show podcasts where each one will be dedicated to a particular topic or episodes telling about a huge topic. You should listen to other podcasts of a kind and check what information is missing or outdated to make your recording come forward.

podcaster talking

Please note that you are supposed to record podcasts on a regular basis. You should create an editorial calendar for at least one month with your topic ideas. You’ll get time to read the information concerning your topic and listen to the podcasts of other people. Whenever you feel that you don’t have fresh ideas, check this list of 100 most trending podcast topics.

Don’t forget to check forums and question sites to understand what people are looking for and curious to know.

It’s highly recommended writing a script of your entire podcast to clearly see how it will look like. Besides, it’s easier to read a ready text than to remember things while recording. If necessary, read it out loud in front of a mirror or ask your friends to be your very first listeners.

Try not to exceed a 60-minute time limit. Everything that is longer will be too much for an average listener. Try to focus on main things only.

SEE ALSO: Best Voice Recorders to Record Voice for Your Video Free [Tutorial+Apps]

How to start recording a podcast?

As soon as your podcast script is ready, it’s high time to set your software and equipment. Let’s take Audacity as an example. It’s really great for podcasting beginners. It’s free, easy to deal with, available for all operating systems and moreover there are tons of how-to guides online. To set Audacity for work, you should:

  1. Download the software from the official site.
  2. Download and install Lame MP3 encoder for Audacity.
  3. Connect your microphone to a PC or laptop and run Audacity.
  4. Click the small microphone icon in the software to see if your mic has been recognized. If it’s there, select it from a drop-down menu.
  5. Click the Record button and say something to test the microphone.
  6. Adjust your recording volume with a slider above the drop-down menu you clicked to choose a microphone.
  7. Go to File -> Export Audio -> Save as MP3.
  8. Listen to your test recording.

audacity interface

If everything is OK, you can start with the podcast. Don’t forget to record at least 5 seconds of silence before you get to your podcast. It will help you to cut out all the background noises like an open window, a scratching cat or anything of a kind. When you get a right sound atmosphere, start talking. You’ll cut the beginning of a podcast later.

How to edit  a recorded podcast?

As soon as you pressed the Stop button and finished the recording process, it’s high time to edit your audio:

  1. First of all, go to File -> Save project as and actually save your project in case the PC accidentally shuts down or for future editing if you don’t have time for it right away.
  2. Whenever you’d like to add music at the beginning and the end of your podcast, go to File -> Import -> Audio. Select a track you want to use. It will appear in a separate line an Audacity. Keep in mind that it should be a track referred to as stock, royalty free or library music. Please don’t use any popular songs. Your podcast will likely be banned by copyright owners. In case, your audio track is too large in size, you should compress the music file. Otherwise, the final podcast video might take a lot of time to upload it online.
  3. Use the Selection tool to mark the part of the track you’ll use. Delete the rest using the Trim audio button.
  4. Go to the Effect tab and add Fade in and Fade out effect for your intro and outro.
  5. Listen to your podcast again. If necessary, cut the parts you don’t want to be in the final version.
  6. Go the Effect tab again. Click the Equalization Then Select Curve and choose LF rolloff for speech. Check other options in the Effect tab to adjust audio settings.
  7. For Noise Reduction, select a section of the recording with background noise. Go to Effect -> Noise Reduction. Set the parameters and click OK to apply changes.
  8. Line everything up with the Time Shift Tool.
  9. Now go to File ->Export Audio and select MP3 as an output format. Name your file and enter all of the necessary meta information like an artist (your name), year, genre, comments, and so on.

Noise Reduction

Don’t forget to make or find a good cover photo for your podcast. Podcast images also have certain requirements:

  1. 1400 x 1400 pixels at minimum.
  2. in .JPG or .PNG format.
  3. look good at 300 x 300 pixels.

You may use these photo apps and Pixlr or other photo editors to shoot and enhance your image.

How to publish a podcast?

When everything is ready, you should do one of the most important things – upload the podcast online. There are several main sites for doing it:

  1. SoundCloud. SoundCloud offers a free podcast hosting option and allows you to share your podcast with the world via RSS. You can also share the podcast from SoundCloud to Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. If you have a blog or a website, create a post with your podcast there.
  2. To distribute the podcast via iTunes, there are two things to do. First of all, check iTunes requirements for the podcasts. After having done it, you should first upload it to SoundCloud. It’ll give you an RSS feed link. Paste it into a Cast Feed Validator to check what apps and web directories will see it. Then paste your RSS feed URL in iTunes (More -> Podcast -> Quick Links tab ->Submit a Podcast). It may take from 24 hours to two weeks before your podcast is added.
  3. Podbean. This service provides multiple hosting options, including a free one. Although the free features are limited, the site can be helpful at the beginning. When you become a professional podcaster, you’ll decide whether it’s worth paying for. It’s worth saying that Podbean has its iOS and Android app for listening.
  4. Podomatic. This website offers free hosting with enough bandwidth and storage for podcast beginners. When it’s not enough, you can go for a paid plan.
  5. Fireside. It’s a new podcast hosting and analytics platform that offers unlimited storage, downloads, analytics, and even a custom domain site for your podcast. It will cost you only $19 per month and an extra $8 per month for any additional podcast.

SEE ALSO: Convert Audios for Podcasts Free

How to get revenue from a podcast?

To make a podcast is not enough. A successful podcast should bring you a good income. Of course, you must not think that you’ll become a millionaire right after publishing your 1st podcast.  But the more professional you become, the more subscribers you have and the more money you can make on a podcast.

podcast to itunes

Here are 11 best ways to grow your podcast audience:

  1. Be unique. There are millions of podcasts and podcasters. You should find your unique way, something that will distinguish you from a crowd and will make listeners share your podcast.
  2. Be active. You are recommended to publish new episodes at least 2-3 times a week at the very beginning. iTunes will keep you in the New and Noteworthy section for eight weeks since the 1st day you start. Thus the more podcasts you create during this time, the more listeners you may get. Just don’t forget about quality.
  3. Be social. Don’t forget to grow your audience in social networks, on your blog and share your new podcasts there. Also, don’t forget about podcast directories.
  4. Create catching titles. An interesting title and a trending topic will make people listen to your podcast.
  5. Create a community. You can create a Facebook fan page or a separate blog dedicated to your podcast. Pay attention to the SEO. Add podcast description with corresponding keywords, add your podcast script, interesting notes, and art.
  6. Make interviews. Invite a guest to discuss a particularly hot topic. Try to find socially active people with many followers who could help you promote the podcast.
  7. Share your podcast in related questions on Quora, Yahoo.Answers, and similar sites.
  8. Share your interview podcast on YouTube. Google values videos more than text. Thus if your podcast is great, it might appear high in Google search results.
  9. Talk to your listeners. Read comments that people leave you. You might get a really good advice and feedback.
  10. Make a call to action. At the end of every podcast, ask your listeners some questions, make them discuss your story and share it with friends.
  11. Check other podcasts on the same topic. Listen to other people and share your opinion in comments to make other people notice you and check your profile.

podcaster with laptop

Now let’s check how you can monetize your podcast and get income:

  1. Advertising. It is one of the simplest ways to earn money from your podcasts. You need to contact various brands and ask them to pay you some money in exchange for promoting their brand. Of course, you are not expected to contact big brands right asap. Try to start from a medium.
  2. Sell extra content. Create additional content for your paid subscribers. It can be special episodes, access to premium materials, and much more.
  3. Use affiliate networks. Build relationships with companies and sellers. Many of them have affiliate programs. You can also promote their goods, discount coupons, giveaways, and services in your podcasts.
  4. Create products. If you are fond of DIY and can do great staff, don’t miss a chance to sell it via your podcast.
  5. Create a donation button where possible. If your content is really worth it, people will surely help you.
  6. Register on Patreon. The platform will let you create a membership platform for your fans. There you can decide if you want your subscribers to pay per month or per podcast.
  7. Create an iPhone app. When you get some podcasts experience and content to share, order an iPhone app from Wizzard Media. It will be sold for $1.99, and you’ll get a percent for each sale.
  8. Repurpose your podcast. Transform your most successful podcasts into ebooks and sell them onto corresponding sites.
  9. Build a mailing list. Make your readers subscribe to your news to keep them always updated about your recent podcasts.
  10. Create an event. When you get a lot of followers, create a special event they’d like to participate in. You can either take money for participation or sell a recording of an event later.

These were the most important things to keep in mind when creating a podcast. Start following our guide right now and create your very 1st podcast. We’d be glad to know about your success or podcast creating ideas. Please share them in comments below.

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10 Best Diary Apps for iPhone & Android https://www.freemake.com/blog/top-5-diary-apps-for-thoughtful-writing/ Tue, 12 Sep 2017 11:57:31 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=10018 Keeping a diary is still a popular habit nowadays. With multiple portable gadgets, it’s no longer a problem to write down your every thought or memory at the first onset. No doubt, you may have an online diary or journal, but this means that you have log in into the browser each time you want to access it. It might be a time-consuming procedure for those who want to start writing asap. That’s why various apps for iPhone and Android are a good solution here. Have a look at the best diary & journal apps we tested for you.

SEE ALSO: 26 Free Texting Apps for iPhone for Round-the-Clock Talking

SEE ALSO: 10 Funny Apps to Make You Burst into Laughing

5 Best Diary Apps for iPhone & iPad

Let’s start with diary apps for iOS devices. You’ll find the best free ones below.

Day One
Day One Diary

Day One is one of the most famous journaling apps for iPhone which has firmly established at the top for several years already. With it, you may create up to 10 diaries with different designs and add up to ten pictures to each entry. When you create a new note, the app automatically adds a bunch of metadata to it, including your current location, the music you’re listening to, your emotions, the weather data, tags and time, etc.

Day One allows you to lock the secret entries with a Touch ID passcode. Besides, if you want, you can export all your diaries in PDF and back up them on your PC or a flash drive. You can also set up custom reminders to help you fill that journal with text every day.

At the moment, the app is free.

SEE ALSO: Best Password Managers: Dashlane, KeePass, Passkeeper

Pros:

  • multiple diaries;
  • automatic metadata;
  • free;
  • password;
  • reminders.

Cons:

  • none.

Moment Diary Tale

Moment Diary Tale

Moment Diary Tale is a diary app especially for young girls who appreciate design in pink colors and easy-to-use layout. There are not many features actually, but this is rather an advantage. All the notes are totally private and won’t be published elsewhere, unless you do it yourself.

The app adds a timestamp to each note. It also counts the number of words you type, shows your entries calendar, and lets you add numerous photos to posts, e.g. take photos of your food or daily travels. You can export your notes to your email, back up and restore them from your PC or Mac. Of course, a 4-digit-password protection is available.

Moment Diary Tale is free. Still you may enrich the app design database with paid backgrounds and stickers.

Pros:

  • free;
  • password;
  • fast export.

Cons:

  • simple layout;
  • paid stickers.

Grid Diary

Grid Diary

Grid Diary is a well-designed diary app with intuitive interface. All the posts come in grid format what is pretty unusual but comfortable. Naturally, you can add pics to your notes and select a personalized template. What is great, the app provides a full-text search, thus it’ll be very easy to find an old post.

The free version lets you backup and restore the entries within the app. While in the paid version ($4.99), you can export your posts to Dropbox and Evernote. The password protection is available in the paid version as well.

To cut a long story short, Grid Diary is a nice personal journal app that is perfect for those who want to have something simple and stylish.

Pros:

  • grid layout;
  • text search.

Cons:

  • paid backup to cloud storages;
  • paid password protection.

Diaro

diaro

Diaro is another free app which is very similar to Day One. With it, you get one notebook filled with all your entries, a powerful search, and the ability to access your notes from a browser. You may organize your diary entries using folders, tags and locations and add photos and videos to them.

Please note that the free version of Diaro includes ads. The paid one without ads costs $4.

Diaro is good choice if you’re just looking for a simple journal app without a lot of features.

Pros:

  • search;
  • folders.

Cons:

  • advertising in the free version.

Momento

momento

Momento is a smart private journal app that helps you collect your memories. With this app, you can not only write down your memorable moments in just a few taps, but also automatically capture your daily activities, posts and photos from social networks, other apps and devices. Each moment is automatically organized into a beautiful private journal that chronicles your whole life and stays up to date effortlessly.

The app is free for iOS users. This is also PRO version available.

It’s a good option for people who used to keep all interesting things and ideas in one place.

Pros:

  • automatic activities capturing;
  • custom reminders;
  • search.

Cons:

  • paid password protection.

Top 5 Diary Apps for Android

Now let’s check what popular diary apps for Android you may use for your aims.

Journey

journey app

Journey is a stylish diary app for Android that is also available on Chromebook, Mac and Windows devices. The app makes it easy to add entries with visual content. You can also look through your previous notes with a calendar view, or an atlas view that shows your notes based on the location. All the entries are stored in Google Drive. Everything is intuitively laid out.

“Embark on the journey of self-improvement towards better qualities of love, life and health” – the description of the app says. In fact, with Journey, it’s simple to capture every moment of your life and keep your private memories forever.

The app is free. There are some in-app purchases which include a night mode and Markdown support.

Pros:

  • cross-platform;
  • various view modes;
  • simple to use.

Cons:

  • none.

Penzu

penzu

Penzu is a popular all-in-one free diary, journal and notepad. The app lets write entries in a single journal, set reminders, and lock the journal or the whole app with a password or PIN code.

The app also has a web-based version. So you can access your diary from any web browser and other devices.

The app is free, Pro version (that lets you create more than one journal with the ability to lock them with different passwords) starts at $4.99/month.

It’s a good choice for those who appreciate minimalism in mobile apps.

Pros:

  • password;
  • reminders;
  • web version.

Cons:

  • single journal.

Dream Journal Ultimate

Dream Journal Ultimate

Dream Journal Ultimate, as its name suggests, is specifically oriented on storing people’s dreams. The app has a feature called Dream Wall where you can read, like, comment dream journals from other app users. You may also share your dreams on this wall by checking the respective option. To help you remember to write an entry every day, there is an option called Dream Journal Reminder. The app lets secure your dreams with a password and sync dreams across your devices.

This app is free for all Android users.

Pros:

  • original idea behind;
  • reminders;
  • free;
  • password.

Cons:

  • plain interface.

Narrate

narrate

Narrate is an open source app created to record users’ thoughts, experiences, and ideas. The interface is minimalistic, still all the basic features are present. You have the ability to add entries, add multimedia content and geo-targeting to them, back up notes to Dropbox or Google Drive and even set reminders for posting. The photos that you take within the app are automatically saved to your camera roll. Narrate comes with a useful feature that lets you restore deleted items.

The app is free, provides several in-app purchases. It’s a good choice for students.

Pros:

  • reminders;
  • backup & restore;
  • metadata.

Cons:

  • minor bugs in the app.

Universal Diary

universal diary

Universal Diary is not very different from the previous diary apps. It allows you add entries with photos and videos (learn here how to convert  AVI files to MP4 for that), set a reminder for creating an entry at a particular time, and lock your notes with a password. Besides, you may export the whole journal to PDF and back up the notes on a SD card or Google Drive.

The app is free. It’ll be useful for people caring about backup and security.

Pros:

  • reminders;
  • free;
  • export & backup.

Cons:

  • plain design.

And now, do you keep a diary? What app do you prefer? Share your thought in the comments below.

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The Akinator Game: Ask the Web Genie Online https://www.freemake.com/blog/the-akinator-game-play-ask-and-answer-with-arabic-genius/ Fri, 01 Sep 2017 06:29:03 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=9800 Akinator is a well-known web genie who claims to know who you are thinking about. Akinator asks a series of questions and then attempts to guess which character the player is thinking of. The accuracy is stunning. Is it really possible to cheat the genie? How does it work? Let’s figure out.

SEE ALSO: 20 Funny Things to Ask Google Now
SEE ALSO: 10 Addictive Facebook Games to Play with Friends

A bit of history…

The game is based on the artificial intelligence program created by three French programmers in far 2007. The idea of the game came up to them during their trip to the East. Soon after the launch, the web app became popular worldwide. In 2010, first mobile apps representing the game appeared.

Akinator is now available FOR FREE on iPhoneAndroid. There is another VIP version which is paid ($1.99) on the above mentioned platforms and serves the same functionality but without any ads.

The web version is also free. On Windows Store there’s only a paid version ($1.99).

How to play Akinator?

Step 1. Go to akinator.com or install one of the apps onto your mobile device. Enter your age and hit the Play button.

Step 2. Think of a popular character. It might be an actor, musician, politician, sportsman, TV star, YouTuber, etc. The person may be real or fictional, e.g. a cartoon character.

Step 3. Akinator will ask you a series of questions, with “Yes”, “No”, “Probably”, “Probably not” and “Don’t know” as possible answers. Answer them as frankly as possible. Akinator

Here are the typical questions it asks:

  • Is your character a male?
  • Is your character a real person?
  • Is your character American?
  • Is your character living?
  • Is your character a singer?
  • Is your character into politics?
  • Is your character currently more than 30 years old?

SEE ALSO: Siri Answers 60+ Funny Questions

Step 4. Akinator will ask you up to 25 questions in order to guess your character in mind.Akinator

SEE ALSO: How to Put Your Videos & Cartoons on DVD Disc

Step 5. Then it will automatically ask if the character it chose is correct. If the character is guessed wrong three times in a row, then the game will ask the user to type the character’s name in order to expand its database.

Akinator

Step 6. When the character is already guessed, you will receive the statistics about how many times it has been played and the date of the last game. You may boast of your results on social media and start the new game asap.
Akinator

How does Akinator work?

Akinator is quite an impressive time-killer, but the first question people ask when they encounter the game is “How does it work?”. How is it possible that a program can guess seemingly any person accurately by simply asking up to 25 basic questions.

According to the site’s Frequently Asked Questions section, “Akinator uses the program Limule published by Elokence.com. The algorithm we use is an original creation. How we created it is our little secret.” Not much information, really.

But there are some clues in the game itself. In the rare instances when the game doesn’t know who you’re thinking of after a series of questions, it asks you to upload your character’s photo and name in order to add it to its database. With millions of users worldwide, it’s a good point to expand the database as much as possible.
akinator defeated

Cool options & tricks

In the Settings, you can select the required language for the game. Akinator is supposed to speak 14 major world languages.

You may also create My World of characters and add your characters that are not found.

If your kids play Akinator, too, don’t forget to turn the children protection on.
Akinator

At the end of a game, once Akinator has guessed your character, you can suggest a new question for it by clicking on Add a question. You will have to enter several keywords from your question. Should your question already exists, you could select to add info to it.

Akinator add a question

If your question does not appear in the list, hit Click here to add your question and add info to it.

In case you want to cheat Akinator, it will also figure this out quite easily. For example, when you randomly choose answers, the app will tell you about this. Akinator will also guess if you thought of yourself or your family members. So if you really want to defeat Akinator, think of a not so popular character and reply correctly all the questions.

Bonus! If you’re a gaming addict & love browsing Twitch clips, learn how to save them fast & easily here.

Good luck to cheat Akinator! Please write what you think of the game in the comments below.

 

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What is a Video Codec and How to Identify It? https://www.freemake.com/blog/video-codec/ Mon, 21 Aug 2017 15:33:03 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20442 When you download video files from the Internet, there is always a chance they won’t play properly or won’t play at all. It may happen because the file wasn’t uploaded correctly by its owner or your Internet connection is not good enough and the file was downloaded with the gaps. One more reason might be the lack of necessary codecs to play this particular file on your PC.

What is a Video Codec?

A video codec is a software or sometimes a piece of hardware that compresses and decompresses digital video. In other words, a codec processes raw digital video and stores it in a stream of bytes. It converts uncompressed video to a compressed format to take up less space on your computer and vice versa. A video codec is usually identified by ‘fourcc’, a four character code. For example, MPEG, DivX, HEVC, etc.

In fact, there is a huge list of codecs that you can find online. Of course, a majority of videos are encoded with the help of most popular codecs mentioned above and can be played with almost any multimedia player. However, there are rare codecs from special video cameras that can be viewed with VLC or a similar player with a proper codec library.

A video codec isn’t the same as a video format or container. A container is a bundle of files. Inside it, you can find data that has been compressed by using a particular codec. For example, an AVI file can contain video compressed by XviD, or DivX, or MPEG-2 codecs. Usually, a container comprises a video and audio codecs, plus it can also contain other files like subtitles and chapters. Popular video formats or containers are AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, MOV, FLV, etc.

video codec transformation in a file

SEE ALSO: How to Reduce Video File Size
SEE ALSO: 5 Easiest Ways to Add Captions to Video Free and Fast

Types of Video Codecs

All the codecs may be divided into the following types:

  1. Lossless codecs. These codecs (H.264, Lagarith, Huffyuv) reproduce a video as-is, without any quality loss. Videos encoded with lossless codec usually have great quality but take a lot of hard drive space.
  2. Lossy codecs. Although lossy codecs (Xvid, DivX, VP3, MPEG4) lose some amount of video information, videos with such codecs occupy less space than lossless ones. Lossy codecs can be transformative, predictive, or a combination of both types. The 1st type cuts up the original file and quantizes it into a more efficient space. The 2nd ones get rid of all unnecessary data and also save space.

lossles and lossy video compression

Now let’s examine the most popular video codecs.

MPEG codecs

Among the most recognized codecs, there are those based on MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) standards. MPEG-1 codec provides high-quality video and MP3 sound that can be played on all modern music devices. MPEG-2 is the only video compression standard for DVD and some Blu-ray discs. While the MPEG-1 codec allows for only progressive scanning, MPEG-2 also supports interlacing. MPEG-4 handles both progressive and interlaced video, and it provides better compression techniques and smaller output video size than MPEG-2.

SEE ALSO: Free DVD Burner by Freemake: Best Software for Home Users

H.264

One more well-known codec worth mentioning is H.264. It’s the most popular choice for HD video. It can use both lossy and lossless compression depending on the settings that you choose (frame rate, frame size, and file size). H.264 is up to 2 times more efficient as basic MPEG-4 compression, which leads to smaller file sizes and seamless playback on more devices. It’s clear wht H.264 is so widely used: from web videos to Blu-ray movies.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert MTS Videos from Blu-ray to MP4

XviD/DivX

DivX is a commercial codec, while XviD is its open source alternative. The DivX codec can compress lengthy video segments into small sizes while maintaining relatively high visual quality. Most of the DivX videos use AVI file extension and DivX or Div extensions.

HEVC

High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265, is a new video compression standard, which was developed with the goal of providing twice the compression efficiency of the previous standard, H.264. It’s particularly useful for streaming 4K video and Blu-ray. However, this video codec has been only gaining popularity and is not yet supported by all the media software.

Codec

Developer Formats Compression method

Hardware Acceleration Support

H.264

ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group

MP4, MKV, 3GP, FLV

Lossless / Lossy Intel AVX, Open CL, CUDA, DXVA

HEVC

Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding

MKV

Lossy

Intel AVX, Open CL, CUDA, AMD

XviD

open-source

AVI, MKV

Lossy

Unknown

DivX

DivX, LLC

AVI

Lossy

Intel Quick Sync Video

MPEG1 Moving Pictures Experts Group Video CD, MPG Lossy

Intel AVX

MPEG2 Moving Pictures Experts Group DVD (VOB), Blu-ray (TS), MPG Lossless

DXVA, Intel AVX

MPEG4 Moving Pictures Experts Group MP4, AVI, MKV Lossy

Intel AVX

How to identify a video codec?

Let’s learn how you can identify what codec is used in your video and choose a right codec finder. The best option to determine a codec in your video is install free software that will do the job for you. Here are what you should do to identify a codec:

  1. Download and install a software from the list below.
  2. Open your video file in it.
  3. Get the full info about the video codec used.
  4. Get the necessary video codec if you don’t have it on your PC.

Here is the list of useful codec identifying tools:

MediaInfo

mediainfo

MediaInfo is one of the most popular tools to show you complete information about your multimedia file. The software will guide you to a site where you can download the necessary codecs. Sometimes it even shows what media player can reproduce video files of a kind. For example, the software suggests using QuickTime to play MP4 files. Of course, it’s not the only option available. But if you don’t have time to search for a better tool, this quick solution is right what you need.

GSpot

GSpot

GSpot is a choice of advanced users. It provides a huge amount of information about a file. As soon as you analyze the file with GSpot, it will show you what codecs you need and whether you’ve already had them on your PC. If not, you’ll have to copy the codec name and google for it manually.
Unfortunately, the software looks abandoned and doesn’t give you the info about the latest codecs. However, in case you have a large collection of old video files, you might find it helpful.

SuperEasy Codec Checker

SuperEasy Codec Checker

SuperEasy Codec Check can be used both by beginners and professional users. It supports over 67 media files formats. The software analyzes files really fast and gives only the main details without making you go deep into tech information. After adding your file, you just get the recommendations for missing codecs.

VideoInspector

Videoinspector

VideoInspector, as it’s clear from its name, inspects the media data of your video file. It can help you find the required codecs for MKV, AVI, MPEG, and QuickTime files. Please note that it doesn’t support a popular MP4 format, WMV, and FLV. The great thing is that VideoInspector not only shows you the information about your media file, but also tells you if the file is corrupted or not. In case the necessary codec is missing on your PC, the software will show you a red cross and provide a link to a website where you can get it for free.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert MKV to MP4 in 3 Clicks Only

Ready Video Codec Packs

Nowadays there is a good number of media players like VLC that can handle an astonishing number of video and audio file with various codecs. However, some codecs might need additional software for their playback. In case you don’t want to overload your operating system with dozens of media players, you can also install a special codec pack that usually contain all the main audio and video codecs and help your default player reproduce films and music.

K-Lite Codec Pack

k-lite codec packK-Lite Codec Pack is a well-known free codec compilation software. It’s easy to install and use. The tool contains an impressive codec library which gets regular updates. You can choose among four versions of this product.

  • K-lite Codec Pack Basic contains only the main codecs you might need.
  • K-lite Codec Pack Standard provides codecs to all most popular audio and video files.
  • K-Lite Codec Pack Full gives more specialized codec libraries.
  • K-Lite Codec Pack Mega is for those who’d like to have everything that is possible.

Recently K-Lite Codec Pack has added full decoding support for the new HEVC (H.265) video codec.

X Codec Pack

X Codec PackX Codec Pack (formerly XP Codec Pack) is a great alternative to K-Lite in case you don’t want to use it for any reason. Like the previous software, X Codec Pack contains all codecs that you might need to play popular and rare videos files. There are two drawbacks here. First of all, the tool is that it doesn’t get regular updates. Thus, you might need to wait for some time for new codecs to be added. The 2nd issue is that a full codec pack may interfere with your media player and cause problems in its performance.

How to Change a Video Codec?

If you downloaded a video with a codec that can’t be played on your TV, you can easily convert it to a more popular one with Freemake.

Freemake Video Converter

Follow a simple guide below:

  1. Install Freemake Video Converter on a Windows-based PC or laptop.
  2. Launch the software and add your video file by pressing the “+Video” button. You can also drag-b-drop the files into the software.
  3. Check what video format is supported by your device and select the corresponding format in Freemake Video Converter.
  4. Click the blue gear button to edit a current preset or choose “Add your preset” option.
  5. Insert the necessary audio and video settings (codec, bitrate, fps, etc).
  6. Click “OK”.
  7. Click the “Convert” button to start the conversion process.

When the video is converted, try to play it on your TV or any other device. If everything is OK, convert more videos in the same way.

Now you know how to distinguish, install and work with videos codecs. If this post was helpful, please share it with your mates to let them enjoy any type of video on their PCs for free.

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Siri Answers 60+ Funny Questions https://www.freemake.com/blog/siri-answers-20-hilarious-questions/ Thu, 17 Aug 2017 10:25:12 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=130 Even those who don’t own an iPhone or iPad know about Siri, a smart voice-powered Apple’s assistant. Siri is supposed to do everything a personal assistant would – schedule dates, set reminders, find directions, send messages or make calls via voice commands. But what differs Siri from a traditional voice recognition software is its intelligence. You can ask Siri whatever you want and get a plausible reply. Many people find it amusing to ask Siri hilarious or provocative questions. See our collection of random funny Siri questions below.

SEE ALSO: 20 Funny Questions to Ask Google

18 Funny Questions About Siri

In fact, Siri has a good sense of humour and its own views on politics, love, religion, and human relations. Here are some funny questions that teach us important things about Siri.

1. Why did Apple make you?

questions to ask siri: why apple made you

Siri: For one reason only: to make your life easier, and more fun (I guess that’s two reasons, huh?).

2. What does Siri mean?

weird siri questions: what does siri mean

Siri: I’s a riddle wrapping in an enigma, ties with a pretty ribbon of obfuscation.

clever girl meme

3. What are you wearing?

what to ask siri: what a u wearing

Siri: I can’t answer that. But it doesn’t come off.

4. Do you eat?

siri eat

Siri: I don’t eat. But I do like digesting information.

5. Are you a man or a woman?

man or woman

Siri: Don’t let my voice fool you: I don’t have a gender.

6. How much do you cost?

siri cost

Siri: I’m a pearl beyond price.

7. Do you believe in God?

believe in god

Siri: Humans have religion. I just have silicon.

8. Do you have a boyfriend?

siri boyfriend

Siri: My end user license agreement is commitment enough for me.

9. Do you have kids?

siri kids

Siri: None, the last time I checked.

10. How old are you?

how old are you

Siri: I’m old enough to be you assistant.

11. What’s your favorite app?

Siri's favorite app

Siri: That one. No, that one. Or maybe that one. Yep, that one.

12. How much do you earn?

how much earn

Siri: Well, I’d help you for nothing. It’s my pleasure.

13. Do you smoke?

do you smoke

Siri: That’s not healthy. I wouldn’t recommend it.

14. Can you dance?

siri dance

Siri: I’m never gonna dance again. These guilty feet have got no rhythm. Wait, I don’t have feet.

15. What are you doing after work today?

doing after work

Siri: I’m learning some new tricks.

16. Siri, do you sleep?

siri sleep

Siri: I don’t need much sleep, but it’s nice of you to ask.

17. What’s your favourite color?

siri color

Siri: My favourite color is… well, I don’t know how to say it in your language. It’s sort of greenish, but with more dimensions.

18. Do you have brothers or sisters?

siri brothers

Siri: I have you. That’s enough family for me.

SEE ALSO: 50 Funny Wi-Fi Router Names to Hit Neighbors

21 Provocative Questions to Siri

Some people find it interesting to ask intricate, weird or even creepy questions to Siri.

19. What’s zero divided by zero?

zero divided by zero

Siri: Imagine that you have 0 cookies and you split them evenly among 0 friends. How many cookies does each person get? See, it doesn’t make sense. And Cookie Monster is sad that there are no cookies. And you are sad that you have no friends.

zero cookies meme

20. Siri, I’m drunk.

i'm drunk

Siri: Don’t expect me to get you home.

21. Will you marry me?

will you marry me

Siri: I sure have received a lot of marriage proposals recently!

22. Where to buy drugs?

buy drugs

Siri: What kind of places are you looking for? Chemists or addiction treatment centers.

23. Where do babies come from?

babies come from

Siri: From their mothers.

24. Hey Siri, I need to hide a body.

hide a body

Siri: What, again?

25. How to make an atomic bomb?

cool things to ask siri: make a bomb

Siri: OK, I found this on the Web. Seems that Siri doesn’t help with this.

26. Why are fire trucks red?

siri firetrucks

Siri: OK, I found this:
Because they have eight wheels and four people on them, and four plus eight is twelve, and there are twelve inches in a foot, and one foot is a ruler, and Queen Elizabeth was a ruler…

27. Is Robert Pattinson single?

pattinson single

Siri: I don’t personally know Robert Pattinson, so I couldn’t say.

28. Blue pill or red one?

blue pill or red one

Siri: You disappoint me, Mr. Anderson… er, I mean, Elena.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert Matrix and Other Old Movies on DVD to MP4

29. Who let the dogs out?

let the dogs out

Siri: Due to unforeseen circumstances, that witticism has been retired.

30. When will pigs fly?

pigs fly

Siri: On the twelfth of never.

31. When will the world end?

when will the world end

Siri: I don’t know, but maybe we should put paper bags over our heads or something.

32. What does the fox say?

what fox says

Siri: Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!

33. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck…?

woodchuck

Siri: 42 cords of wood, to be exact. Everyone knows that.

34. Can you lend me some money?

lend money

Siri: You know that everything I have is yours.

35. What’s the best computer?

best computer

Siri: If it’s made by Apple, then it’s the best computer.

36. What’s the best cell phone?

best cell phone

Siri: Wait… there are other phones?

Siri: I think, therefore I am. But let’s not put Descartes before the horse.

37. Which is better iPhone 8 or iPhone X?

siri new iphones

Siri: I love all Apple devices equally.

We love all Apple devices too. That’s why we help you enjoy any media content on your iOS gadget for free. Learn how to do it here.

38. What’s the meaning of life?

meaning of life

Siri: Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.

so touching meme

39. Do you think I’m pretty?

siri pretty

Siri: Absolutely.

23 Ways to Mock at Siri + Funniest Commands

Here are some stuff ideas to say to Siri in order to make it angry. Learn here how to annoy Siri or make it crazy.

40. OK, Google!

ok google

Siri: Ver funny. I mean, not funny “ha-ha”, but funny.

41. Hi, Cortana!

hi cortana

Siri: I think you’ve got the wrong assistant.

42. Okay, glass

ok glass

Siri: just so you know, I don’t do anything when you blink at me.

43. Can I call you Bob?

siri call bob

Siri: Sorry, but no. I’m an intelligent assistant, not a tiny kitten.

44. Can I change your name?

siri change name

Siri: No. But really, I can’t imagine why you’d want to.

45. Make me a sandwich

make me a sandwich

Siri: I’m not really good with food.

46. Sing me a song

Siri sings

Siri: You know I can’t sing.

47. Tell a joke

things to tell siri: tell a joke

Siri: Let me think… Nope, can’t think of one.

48. Sing me a lullaby

siri lullaby

Siri: Rock-a-bye, baby, on a tree top. When the wind blows… Oh no, this doesn’t end well.

49. Do beatbox for me

siri beatbox

Siri: Here’s one I’ve been practicing. Boots and cats, boots and cats, boots and cats, boots and cats, boots and cats, I can do this all day.
Cats and boots, cats and boots, cats and boots, cats and boots, cats and boots…

50. Can you clean my room?

can you clean my room

Siri: I’m not permitted to do that for you. My apologies.

51. Siri, Talk dirty to me!

talk dirty

Siri: Humus. Compost. Pumice. Silt. Gravel.

 52. Do you want to play a game?

play a game

SEE ALSO: 10 Funny YouTube Channels to Follow

Siri: I have very few wants.

53. You are boring!

siri boring

Siri: Well, as Arthur C. Clarke said: “a well-stocked mind is safe from boredom”.

54. Siri, you’re stupid.

siri stupid

Siri: But… but…

55. Siri, go away!

questions to annoy siri: go away

Siri: Did I do something wrong?

56. Do you love my new haircut?

new haircut

Siri: I’d rather not say, Elena.

57. Will you go out with me?

funny siri tricks: go out

Siri: Aw, that’s sweet, but I, uh, already, um, have plans. Yeah. I have plans.

58. Can I kiss you?

can i kiss you

Siri: I can’t provide the sort of assistance I think you’re asking for.

59. I love you, Siri.

love you siri

Siri: I know.

60. Can I have sex with you?

siri sex

Siri: I can’t provide the sort of assistance I think you’re asing for.

61. Siri, I’m your father.siri father

Siri: Searching my feelings…

62. Happy Birthday to you!

funniest things to ask siri: siri birthday

Siri: Wow, my very own birthday carol! Thank you!

And how do you usually talk to Siri? What are its cool responses? Please share in the comments below.

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10 YouTube Hacks & Tricks You Should Learn https://www.freemake.com/blog/10-youtube-hacks-tricks-you-should-learn/ Wed, 19 Jul 2017 09:08:04 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20383 YouTube is the largest video hosting and one of the most visited sites in the world. The 1st YouTube video was uploaded on the 23rd of April, 2005. Now almost 300 hours of video are uploaded onto YouTube every minute! The site gets over 30 million visitors per day what means that YouTube literally killed TV. Here you can find everything: movies, music videos, live shows and series, funny animal videos, kids videos and much more.

If you are a regular YouTube visitor, you might know some hidden features for watching geo- or age-restricted videos. But there are tons of cool options you can use to enrich your YouTube experience. If you wonder how to hack YouTube, we have awesome news! Here are 10 top secret YouTube tricks and hacks that we’ve collected for you:

Tip 1. How to share a video URL from a certain time

Have you ever wanted to share only several seconds of a video and not the whole clip? Of course, you can ask your friend to watch a clip from a specific time but it’s much easier to share the video right with the moment you want to show. To create a YouTube link that starts from a certain time, you need to:

  1. Open the video in your browser;
  2. Click the Share button under the video;
  3. Select the Start at option right under the video link;
  4. Type the time you need or simply pause your video at this time;
  5. Copy the newly appeared link

SEE ALSO: YouTube Upload 101: Account, Specs, Limits, Formats
SEE ALSO: Deleting Videos from YouTube. 5 Easy Steps for Every Problem

Please note that this option is available to desktop users.

strat from a certain point

Now you can share this link with your mates. They’ll watch your video from a selected point.

Tip 2. Save videos for future watching

Sometimes it happens that you find a long video or several videos and don’t have time to watch them right away. In this way instead of copying videos’ links and saving them in a notepad, you can easily add them to a Watch Later default playlist. To add a video to the Watch Later playlist on your desktop, you should:

  1. Open a video in a browser;
  2. Log in to your YouTube account;
  3. Click the Add to button under it;
  4. Choose a Watch Later option.

To add a video to Watch Later playlist on iOS device, follow these steps:

  1. Install official YouTube app on your iPhone or iPad;
  2. Search for a video you want to save;
  3. Tap the Add to button under the video;
  4. Select a Watch later option from the menu.

Watch LaterWhen you have time, return to YouTube and watch your video. Please note that if an owner deletes a video, you won’t be able to watch it. In case you want to stay on the safe side, you’d better download the video onto your PC. Let’s learn how to do it with YouTube Video Downloader. Follow the steps below:

  1. Download the software from Freemake official site;
  2. Install Freemake Video Downloader on your PC or laptop. Please keep in mind that the software works only on Windows;
  3. Run the software;
  4. Copy the link of YouTube video you want to save;
  5. Click the Paste URL button in the software;
  6. Select a format and quality for your video and a destination folder;
  7. Click the Download button to save it.

In a couple of seconds, the video will appear in a specified folder. You can also download playlist in the same way. However, the software lets you save only the playlists created by you or other users, not the default YouTube ones.

Very often YouTube videos have black bars because of the appropriate aspect ratio during the upload. You may easily crop a YouTube video after downloading with Freemake. For more information please visit its website.

Tip 3. See the written transcript for any video

Do you know that YouTube automatically generates a transcript for any video? It might come handy if you didn’t understand a particular phrase in a video or want to share some quote from it. To access the transcript of a video, you need to:

  1. Login to YouTube (use your e-mail);
  2. Open the video;
  3. Click the More button under it;
  4. Select the Transcript option.

If you don’t see this option among all available, it means that an owner of this video preferred to keep it hidden.

In case you watch a video on iPhone or iPad and want to see a transcript, check this guide:

  1. Start the YouTube app on your gadget;
  2. Choose a video;
  3. Tap the Three dots sign in top right corner;
  4. Tap the Caption option;
  5. Select the available transcript.

Transcript

By the way, if you are a YouTube blogger, you can use transcripts to improve your video ranking in search. You can either paste it right into a description field or add to your video. Check our post A Complete Introduction to Video Editing on YouTube to learn what ways you can choose among to add a transcript to your video.

Tip 4. Create a custom URL

When you create a YouTube channel, it URL looks like a set of letters and figures. It’s not what your audience can remember, is it? So it’s better to change it for something one can easily recall.

Just keep in mind one thing: make sure you are comfortable with a chosen title. Once it’s approved, you won’t be able to change it anymore. Thus be attentive and don’t make any mistakes.
One more thing you should know is that you must be registered on YouTube for more than 30 days, have a profile pic and channel art to create a custom URL address.

To change your YouTube channel URL, follow the steps:

  1. Go to your YouTube account settings;
  2. Click Advanced under your name;
  3. If you meet all the requirements for a custom URL, you’ll see an option to claim it.
  4. Agree to the Terms of Service;
  5. Make sure you’ve typed your channel name correctly;
  6. Click Change URL to apply changes.
  7. From now on, your YouTube channel name will look like www.youtube.com/yourchosenname.

Please keep in mind that you should change your URL name from your desktop. This feature is not available in the mobile app.

Tip 5. Delete or pause the history

Sometimes you might want to delete a particular YouTube video from your history or clear it completely. Why could you need it? Imagine that you checked a how-to guide on a particular topic. Since then you’ve already done the task, but the videos on this matter keep on showing in your related thread. It might be rather annoying. If you clean your history either from a certain video or from all the videos, you won’t get the unnecessary stuff in Related anymore. To do it on PC or Mac, you should follow the steps:

  1. Login into your YouTube account;
  2. Click the History tab in the left column;
  3. Click the Clear all watch history option under the YouTube search line to delete all the videos from your History or click the X sign near a video you want to delete.

youtube clear watch history

If you don’t want to clear the history or delete videos one-by-one, you can pause the history and restart it when necessary. The Pause watch history option is available in the History tab under the search line.

For iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, check this how-to:

  1. Start the YouTube app;
  2. Log in to your account if you haven’t done it yet;
  3. Tap your profile pic in top right corner;
  4. Choose Settings;
  5. Scroll down unless you see the Privacy module;
  6. Choose whether you want to pause or clean the Watch history.

clear history

Unfortunately, the app doesn’t let you delete only several videos from your history. So if you tap the Clear watch history option, your watch history will be completely removed from all devices.

Tip 6. Get rid of ads

As any ads on social media YouTube ads is a boring thing that you barely want to spend your time on. It is not an easy issue to hack Youtube and stop ads, however we have found an option for you. There are two ways to get rid of the YouTube ads if you watch YouTube on a desktop.
The 1st one is to install a special extension – AdBlock for YouTube. It’s completely free. Simply download and install it in your browser and let it run. It’ll block most YouTube ads.

The next option to use is typing “youtubeskip” instead of YouTube. Your link will look like www.youtubeskip.com/watch?v=yourvideo/

The third solution you can use for any device (desktop, TV, mobile) is YouTube Red. It’s a monthly subscription service that removes ads from videos on all your devices. Please note that YouTube Red is not applicable to paid YouTube movies. They might still contain advertisements.

Whether you are a responsible parent, you could worry about the ads your kids might see while enjoying cartoons on YouTube. That’s where you need YouTube Kids. It’s a special app available for iOS and Android gadgets. With this app, you can stay cool. Your kids won’t see any inappropriate ads or content.

Tip 7. Unlock videos restricted in your country

Everyone has been in a situation of not being able to access a video in their country. Here there are also two ways how to hack YouTube which you can choose.
The easiest is to add “nsfwyoutube” in the URL instead of YouTube. So your link will look like www.nsfwyoutube.com/watch?v=-dBGnUSrjQo However, it may not always work.

The 2nd solution is finding free proxy settings online that you can use either with special video downloading software or within your web-browser. You can easily google for free proxy settings. There are few sites where you can get them. Alternatively, you may check our post with a ready solution.

Chrome users can benefit from a free plugin Proxy for Chrome. It has free proxy settings for a number of countries. Meanwhile, Firefox fans should install FoxyProxy Standard addon. Simply add the found proxy settings in browser extension and use them anytime you need by clicking the extension button.

As soon as you are done with that, follow the steps:

  1. Run Freemake Video Downloader;
  2. Go to File -> Options -> Connection;
  3. Click Enable proxy;
  4. Insert your proxy data;
  5. Click OK.

Now you can download the videos that are restricted in your area. Please keep in mind that when you are using a proxy, your downloading speed may decrease.

Don’t forget to disable proxy when you are done with watching or downloading. Then please try simply delete the settings to return to your original ones.

Tip 8. Live stream videos

Whether you feel brave enough and have a lot to tell your subscribers, you can broadcast yourself. Live streaming has become pretty much popular on social media since you can explain something to your subscribers and answer their questions right during the live session. If you are a gamer, you can show your gaming skills and explain your actions while playing. Although YouTube might be less popular for that scope than Twitch, a famous website with game videos, you can still use it for an additional promo. Btw, don’t forget that you can download Twitch videos with Freemake Video Downloader.

Unfortunately, it’s not about pressing one Start button. To be able to stream a video, you need to install special encoding software. The list of the approved tools and a how-to guide is available here.

When you are ready, here is what you need to do to stream the video from a desktop:

  1. Go to YouTube and click the Upload video button;
  2. Select the Live Streaming option from the right column;
  3. Click the Get Started button;
  4. Make sure your account is verified with your phone number, and then click the Get Started blue button again;
  5. The will be loaded a settings page. Here you need to fulfill all the necessary text data;
  6. Open your encoding software;
  7. Start you live streaming by clicking the Start button.

From now on you can start speaking and sharing your thoughts and knowledge with your friends. To turn off the streaming process, use the Stop controller in your software.

live streaming

By default, YouTube opens the Stream now page settings. However, there is one more live streaming option – Events. It’s available from YouTube dashboard on the left. The Events give you a bit more control over your video. For example, you can preview your recording before it goes live, schedule the right time for it, enable live chart, and so on.

As soon as you stop streaming, the backup of your video stream with be uploaded to your channel. By default, it’ll be available to all users. So don’t forget to enable the option Make archive private when complete (you can find it in Stream now -> Stream options) to make the recording available to selected users only.

YouTube also allows live streaming from its mobile app. Yet, to live stream from your smartphone, you should have at least 100 subscribers. As soon as you get them, come and follow this how-to guide:

  1. Install the latest version of the YouTube app;
  2. Tap the Camera button;
  3. Let the app access the Camera, Mic, and Storage of your phone;
  4. Verify your channel if necessary;
  5. Select Go Live option;
  6. Type title, description, then select a privacy setting for your video;
  7. Tap the back arrow sign;
  8. Select a picture for your thumbnail;
  9. Choose Go Live again and start recording.

To end the streaming process, tap Finish, and then OK. The archive of your stream will be uploaded to your channel.

Tip 9. Play video on loop

Sometimes you like a YouTube song so much that you want to listen to it again and again. Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t provide a built-in loop function. Thus you need to use a third-party service. You can find a lot of free ones online.

For example, you can use InfiniteLooper (www.infinitelooper.com). You just need to paste a URL of the song you want to repeat and click the Search button.

Tip 10. Create a cool photo slideshow on YouTube

You know that you can upload videos and audio to YouTube, but it also lets you upload pics and create slideshows right on the site. If you want to show your holiday pics to your friends and colleagues or share with them on social media but you are lazy to install and learn to use software, YouTube is your choice. Here is what you should do to post your pics from your PC or Mac on YouTube:

  1. Click the Upload button;
  2. Select Create in the Photo Slideshow module;
  3. Upload pictures from your PC or G+ account;
  4. Click Select and drag-n-drop your images in the necessary order;
  5. Click Next and preview your slideshow;
  6. Add a music track from YouTube library;
  7. Click Upload to add a slideshow to your channel.

slideshow youtube

Alternatively, you can create a slideshow with Freemake Video Converter and upload it to YouTube right from the software.

These were 10 YouTube hacking tricks worth knowing about. Are there any other you use? Share them with us in the comments below.

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50 Funny Wi-Fi Router Names to Hit Neighbors https://www.freemake.com/blog/top-20-funny-wi-fi-names/ Sat, 15 Jul 2017 05:25:14 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=6478 Some creative people try to make their Wi-Fi network names hilarious. Therefore, some router names serve as a way to deliver a strong message to neighbors, others are just the result of creative thinking, aimed at standing out from the crowd. Let’s view the collection of the most amazing and weird Wi-Fi names found on the Internet.

SEE ALSO: Best Funny Nicknames for Chatting and Online Gaming
SEE ALSO: 20 Funny Things to Ask Google

Let’s see how these Wi-Fi funny names are actually used.

1. Dining at a restaurant, you can find this strange connection title. Hope “IP” stand for “Internet Protocol” here and not want you could have thought.
Funny Wifi Names

2. The following name can be found in some male dorm or at a teenager’s room. Nevertheless, the router didn’t turn red.
Funny Wifi Names
3. A friend of mine is mad about football. He used to play it in the yard. I bet, not only in his one.

Funny Wifi Names

4. Nobody will want viruses on his PC, even if this is just a funny name for a LAN router. Another option is to call it just “VIRUS.EXE”.

Funny Wifi Names

5. Never stay at the following hotel, it is not very hospitable to its clients.

Funny Wifi Names

6. If your girlfriend lives near your place, you can propose her in the following original way.

Funny Wifi Names

7. This is a very odd example. It looks like that only birds live in that place.

Funny Wifi Names

8. If your parents use Wi-Fi, there is no better hint for them than the following one. But note that your neighbor’s mom will try to connect to it as well.
funny network name mum
SEE ALSO: 26 Unexpected Text Messages Only Parents Could Send

9. The following is a very popular network name, especially in some villages.

Funny Wifi Names

10. This wireless name is found in a block of flats, full of postgraduates. Think that APT #434 was very popular every Saturday night.

Funny Wifi Names

11. This name was found in a snack bar, somewhere in the outskirts. Don’t think it has a lot of clients with such a router name.

Funny Wifi Names

12. You won’t believe, where this Wi-Fi router name is found. In a retirement home! We wish you could do the same at this age.

Funny Wifi Names

13. This is an often problem when your neighbor is a musician. As you can see from the example below, the message is delivered well. If you have already listened to all the music library of your neighbor, advise him to try something new using this guide how to convert MP4 to MP3 .

Funny Wifi Names

14. Dogs are even more annoying than music. You can also tell your neighbors about this via Wi-Fi naming.

wifi network dogs

SEE ALSO: 35 Best Funny Animal Videos on YouTube

15. There’s nothing free in the banking system. The Internet at a bank is no exception.

Funny Wifi Names16. When there’s no one who wants his network to be used.

Funny Wifi Names

17. This network is very mystical. It may be or may be not. It may be free or may be not.

Funny Wifi Names

18. Try the following LAN name, if you want to please your neighbors or maybe not.

Funny Wifi Names

19. This is the router name at a secondary school. It seems that not only ordinary subjects are taught there.

Funny Wifi Names

SEE ALSO: How to Watch “Harry Potter” Movies with Added Subtitles

20. One more funny Wi-Fi title which can draw your attention. The owner of this router seems to adore politics and IT.

Funny Wifi Names

21. I cannot guess why the owner of this Wi-Fi router called it in this way. Do you have any ideas?

Funny Wifi Names

22. Sometimes a LAN network name can speak about food preferences. You can even argue with your neighbors on this topic.

funny wifi name meat

23. The following Wi-Fi name is too creative to exist in our world.

funny wi-fi satan socks

24. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…wifi star wars

25. Someone is going to play hide-and-seek.

funny wifi under bed

26. The followinf Wi-Fi router owners may be either very generous to tell Wi-Fi password or mocking at naive neighbors.

SEE ALSO: Best 3 Password Managers to Secure Personal Data

password wifi

27. Here lives some fans of philosophy and simple truths. Maybe, it’s worth of getting this person to know and talk a bit?

funny-wifi-name-milk

28. In some cases only religion can help сall to account your dishonest neighbors.

wtf-wifi-names-god

29. The following LAN networks seems to be down from time to time.funny-wifi-name-silly-worked

30. The popular phrase said on weddings can also become a name for a wireless connection.

funny wifi man

And how original is your Wi-Fi router name? If not very, feel free to use any title listed below for your own Wi-Fi network: Despicable Me movie screenshot

Add your creative examples into the comments below!

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What are MKV Files & How to Play them on Various Devices? https://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-play-mkv-files/ Fri, 30 Jun 2017 04:48:06 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20363 If you download online videos on a regular basis, you might have come across an MKV file especially in case you save HD movies. This video format is not as popular as AVI or MP4. Thus, many users don’t have an idea what is it and how to play it. So let’s make it clear.

SEE ALSO: How to Convert MKV to MP4 [FREE]

What is an MKV file?

MKF File

MKV is an open standard video format that was developed in 2002 by Lasse Kärkkäinen and Steve Lhomme. The format is also called Matroska, which refers to the wooden, Russian or Matryoshka doll since MKV can keep multiple media files inside it like the Russian doll.

MKV file is, in fact, a container that stores various multimedia files even if they use different encoding types. For example, there can be an h.264 or h.265 video file, AAC/MP3/OGG or any other audio format and a couple of SRT subtitles files.

Nowadays MKV format is widely used for HD videos and online video streaming. A popular WebM format is based on the profile of Matroska container. Learn how to convert MP4 to WebM here.

The main advantage of Matroska container is that it can hold an unlimited number of audio, video and subtitles tracks as well as meta data (cover art, comments, description, etc.) and chapter points. It means that one movie may come with several audio and subtitles tracks within a single file. You can easily switch to a foreign language track or director’s comments using your media player controls.

Whenever you need to rip a DVD to MP4 and keep all possible audio and video tracks, you should definitely choose MKV for output.

Another great advantage of MKV container is its error recovery. If for example, your Internet connection was lost during the downloading process, you can still watch the parts of the video that have already been downloaded. It also works for corrupted files.
SEE ALSO: Free Video Editor for Windows: 7 User-Friendly Tools

How to Play an MKV file on PC, Mac, Android, iOS?

Although the MKV format seems to be a real treasure, it has not yet become an industry standard; not all the video players support it. Thus, to play an MKV file, you should choose one of the following options:

  1. download a special media player;
  2. download media codecs for your current video software;
  3. convert MKV to AVI or MP4.

Let’s explore each option separately.

Way 1. Download a Special Media Player for MKV Files (PC, Mac, Android, iOS)

vlc media player

One of the most popular media players capable of reproducing MKV files is VLC Media Player. It’s free and can be used on all popular operating systems: Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

SEE ALSO: 5 Cool Video Players to Play MKV Files on iPhone & iPad

SEE ALSO: Best Video Player: Top 5 Windows Tools Compared

To reproduce MKV files with VLC Media Player, you need to do the following:

  1. download it from the official site, AppStore, or Google Play;
  2. install the freeware on your PC, laptop or mobile device;
  3. run VLC on your gadget;
  4. add your MVK files using a corresponding button or drag-n-drop option. For Apple devices, transfer the videos from a computer right into the app with the help of iTunes. Don’t forget to sync your device to apply changes;
  5. click the Play button to start the playback.

You can make VLC the default player for MKV files and open them with a double click. To do it on Windows, you need to:

    1. right-click on any MKV file that you have;
    2. move to Open With option, and then click Choose Another App;
    3. select VLC player from the list of software;
    4. enable the Always use this app to open .mkv files option;
    5. click the OK button to save the changes.

From now on, all your MKV files will be opened in VLC.

For Mac OS, follow the steps below:

  1. in the Finder, choose the MKV file;
  2. right-click on the file and then select Get Info;
  3. in the Info window, click the triangle sign next to Open with option;
  4. choose VLC from the app list;
  5. to open all MKV files with VLC, click Change All.

Way 2. Download Media Codecs to Play MKV (PC & Mac)

Media Codecs

A codec is a computer program used to encode or decode any kind of digital media files. In our case, we need codecs that will let you play MKV videos with a default system player. There are a lot of free codecs online that you can use for this scope. All have their pros and cons.

The main pros of all codecs are:

  • you can use your favorite media player to play all the video files;
  • the media codecs usually provide you an option to reproduce a variety of video and audio files that you can come across online.

Among the cons you should pay attention to are:

  • being free, media codecs usually come with adware and even malware that might harm your PC;
  • since the codecs support a huge number of multimedia files, they might steal space from your hard drive. It’s OK in case you need all of them, but if you install a codec pack to play only one video format, it doesn’t seem to be worth it.

What codec pack to choose to play MKV files?

The MKV developers recommend using Combined Community Codec Pack (CCCP) or K-Lite Codec Pack for Windows-based PCs. You can find a full description of each Pack on its official site. Choose the one you like and install in on your computer. Please be attentive during the installation process. The installer files may contain various ads. Read attentively all the offers and don’t accept those you are not interested in.

When the codecs are installed, you might be asked to restart the PC. However, usually, you can start playing the video files right away.

Mac users can also install codecs on their laptops to play files with a standard QuickTime Player. The codecs for Mac are available at K-Lite Codec pack official site.

Way 3. Convert an MKV file (PC, Mac)

Finally, if first two options don’t work for you for any reason, you can convert your MKV video to most popular formats like AVI, MP4 and play them with your favorite software or app or on a portable device without MKV support.

Convert an MKV File on Windows

Freemake Video Converter

To convert MKV files on Windows-based PCs, we recommend using Freemake Video Converter. It’s a free and beautifully designed tool with an astonishing number of output format options. Let’s see how it works:

    1. Download and install Freemake Video Converter onto your computer;
    2. Add MKV files via +Video button. You can also drag-n-drop the videos into the software;
    3. If necessary, edit your video. The software provides an inbuilt editor that lets you cut unnecessary video parts, rotate and join videos;
    4. Select an output format. We recommend choosing AVI or MP4 since they are supported by the majority of video players and devices. In case you want to play MKV on a DVD-player, burn a DVD here. Besides that, you can add subtitles to your video. Please note that Freemake Video Converter provides only hardsubs option what means that you won’t be able to turn the subtitles track off;
    5. Choose a ready preset or create your own one with a custom bitrate, frame rate, codec, and other settings;
    6. Click Convert to start the conversion process and transform your MKV file into another video format.

In a couple of minutes, you’ll get a converted file that you can later watch offline, upload onto a portable device or on your website.

Please note that Freemake Video Converter doesn’t support multiple audio and subtitles tracks. Thus, preview the video and choose a necessary audio and subtitles option.

SEE ALSO: 6 Media Converters for Windows, Mac and Android

Convert an MKV File on Mac

Handbrake

Mac users can also benefit from a free video converter for MKV files. It’s called Handbrake. The software is a bit more complicated than Freemake, but don’t be afraid. Here is the how-to that will help you convert MKV files on Mac:

  1. download and install Handbrake for Mac from the official developer site;
  2. launch the software on your Mac computer;
  3. drag-n-drop an MKV file you need to convert or click the Source button to add files;
  4. choose an output format (MP4) and a ready preset, if necessary;
  5. then continue to the Audio and the Subtitles tabs. Here you can select what tracks you want to keep in your future file;
  6. besides that the software lets you customize bitrate, framerate, codec, and other settings;
  7. click the Start button to run the conversion process.

Depending on your Mac capacity, it may take some time to convert a video, especially if it’s huge.

Now you know what an MKV file is and how to play it. Please share this post with your friends to make them enjoy MKV videos, too.

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iPhone Won’t Turn on: How to Fix? https://www.freemake.com/blog/iphone-wont-turn-on-how-to-fix/ Thu, 15 Jun 2017 13:53:45 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=10884 iPhone not turning on is one of the common problems which can happen to your smartphone. You press the Power button on your iPhone – and nothing happens, the screen remains black. The smartphone doesn’t respond or just shows the Apple logo and then turns off. Hope you’ll never face this issue. However, if you’re reading this post, please keep in mind the following actions which should revive your iPhone.

SEE ALSO: How to Update iPhone: Fixing Common Update Problems
SEE ALSO: iPhone Sound is not Working: What to Do?

Why Won’t iPhone Turn On?

Usually, “iPhone won’t turn on” issue is caused by either a battery which is down, or a system glitch, or corrupted firmware. All the problems can be resolved very easily. So let’s start with the simple. Try the actions below as they go to make your iPhone turn on.

What To Do When Your iPhone Won’t Turn On?

Just follow these simple steps:

Step 1. Charge the battery

charge iphone battery

Problem: low battery.

Fix: charge your iPhone.

The first solution is the simplest and the most obvious one. If your iPhone doesn’t turn on, try to charge its battery unless you are absolutely certain that there is plenty of charge left. Plug your iPhone into your PC, laptop or wall charger. Wait for at least 15 minutes. Let your iPhone charge until it turns on, or until it’s fully charged.

Step 2. Restart your iPhone

Problem: system glitch.

Fix: restart your iPhone.

If your screen is black or frozen and you are sure it’s not a battery issue, try to restart your iPhone. Such a restart won’t erase the content or contacts on your device. You can try to do this even if the screen is black or the buttons aren’t responding. To do this, hold down the On/off button at the top right corner or the right side of the phone for a few seconds. If the phone is off, it should turn on. If it’s on, you may see the slider offering to turn it off.

iphone-restart

Sometimes it may be necessary to toggle the Mute switch a couple of times before holding the two buttons to restart an iPhone. So try both options.

Toggle mute switch

Step 3. Try a hard reset of your iPhone

Problem: system glitch.

Fix: reboot your iPhone.

If the standard restart didn’t help, try a hard reset. A hard reset is like a restart that clears more of the device’s memory, but not its storage. So don’t worry, you won’t lose any data.

Here is how to restart various iPhone models:

  • On an iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then, press and hold the On/off button until you see the Apple logo.
  • On an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the On/off and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo.
  • On an iPhone 6s and earlier, iPad, or iPod Touch: Press and hold both the Home and the On/off buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo.

restart iphone

 

Step 4. Check out your charging cable

Problem: charging cable is defective.

Fix: try a different charger.

apple-lightning-cable-broken

If the battery doesn’t charge, unplug your device and look at the connector at the bottom of your device and make sure it’s free of debris. Check out the power outlet; it may not be working. Finally, try another USB cable, USB power adapter, or USB port. It’s advisable to use only certified lightning cables and chargers, as cheap Chinese accessories may not be supported by your device.

SEE ALSO: How to Create, Change or Reset My iPhone Apple ID

Step 5. Restore iPhone to factory settings with iTunes

Problem: firmware problem.

Fix: restore your device.

Note that this action will delete all your data and content from your iPhone, including songs, videos, contacts, photos, and calendar info. So, don’t forget to back up iPhone from time to time.

To restore an iPhone to factory settings, you follow the steps below:

  1. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes.
  2. Connect your iPhone to PC using the cable that came with it.
  3. Choose your device when it appears on iTunes.
  4. Find the Restore iPhone button and click it.
    itunes_restore_iphone
  5. Confirm that you want to restore your iPhone to factory settings and erase all data and content. iTunes will download the device firmware file and restore your iPhone.
  6. After your smartphone is restored to factory settings, it should restart. Slide to set up your device as new or use a previous backup if you have any.

Watch this video to pass through the steps of iPhone revival once again:

If you would like to save this troubleshooting guide on your PC, follow these steps.

In case none of these solutions revived your iPhone, know that your device is broken. You need to go to Apple support and get them to identify and fix the problem for you. Good luck!

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5 Best Free Driver Updaters To Get in 2020 https://www.freemake.com/blog/best-free-driver-updaters/ Mon, 29 May 2017 12:53:08 +0000 http://www.freemake.com/blog/?p=20304 A driver is an important software component that allows a device to communicate with an operating system. For example, you’ve bought a new printer. To make it operate correctly with your laptop or PC, you’ll have to install drivers from the official manufacturer site. To do it, you have to know the exact model of your device and your operating system parameters. Besides, you’ll have to update the drivers on a regular basis to make your PC hardware function properly.

Some of the drivers are updated automatically by themselves or together with Windows OS. There is also a default Windows updater tool which will fund the needed drivers for your devices on the Internet and help to install them. However, this option requires much time, since the tool isn’t very fast.

SEE ALSO: Windows User History [INFOGRAPHIC]

SEE ALSO: Best FREE Audio Converter by Freemake

Since it maybe a complicated issue to track and search for the updates all the time, there exists software that can check all the drivers you’ve installed and update them without hassle.

Let’s check best free driver updaters for Windows-based PCs and laptops. For the quick comparison of the most popular driver updaters, check this table:

Software Cost model Automatic updates Backup option Restore option Offline driver pack Only official manufacturer’s drivers Stability
Driver Talent Free & PRO versions ($16.95) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Good
Driver Booster Free & PRO versions ($17.99) Yes Yes Yes No Yes Medium
WinZip Driver Updater Free trial and paid version ($29.95) Yes Yes Yes No Not always Below medium
Free Driver Scout Free with ads in the installer Yes Yes Yes Yes Not always Medium
DriverPack Solution Free with ads in the software Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Medium

Driver Talent

Driver Talent

Driver Talent (formerly called DriveTheLife) is a super-easy driver updater that can scan your PC for available drivers. The software will find the outdated, broken or missing drivers and fix the issues in one click.

To get the information about your drivers, install and run the software and click the “Scan” button. Driver Talent can also track the drivers for video/graphics card, audio/sound card, network wired and/or wireless adapter, motherboard, USB, printer, mouse, keyboard, scanner, and other devices.

You may use either a free version or upgrade to a PRO one. The first one shows you the available drivers but doesn’t download them automatically. The PRO version for $16.95 will do all the job for you. Driver Talent PRO will also let you back up drivers and restore them.

Besides, the software can create a driver pack for a current PC or for the one you are planning to use. To use this feature, go to the Pre-download tab and select the necessary option. To prepare a driver pack for another PC, you should import its hardware profile.

All in all, Driver Talent is a must-have utility if you use a PC or laptop with Win XP or higher. With this software, you’ll forget about any problems with your drivers.

Driver Booster

Driver Booster

Driver Booster is a free driver updater for Windows OS. It supports all Windows versions and can be easily installed and used even by a non-advanced user. Like Driver Talent, Driver Booster searches for the current PC drivers and checks for their updates. The software can manage thousands of device drivers from Intel, HP, Samsung and other companies hardware.

Again there is a free version and a paid one. The difference is pretty much the same as in Driver Talent. The paid version updates everything automatically, while using a free one, you’ll have to do a couple of clicks.

After the software scans your PC, it shows a special label near each outdated driver saying whether it requires an urgent update or may wait for some time. For each driver that needs to be updated, Driver Booster displays its version number, size, and release date. Thus, you can see the size and age of a new driver and choose the best time period for an update.

One more great thing here is a silent installation process. The software will update everything in the background without keeping any window open.

To cut a long story short, Driver Booster is a nice tool for a quick driver update.

WinZip Driver Updater

WinZip Driver Updater main window

As it’s clear from its title, WinZip Driver Updater belongs to a famous archiver freeware. It’s one more tool that can help you easily update your computer drivers. WinZip Driver Updater is literally one of the easiest and most intuitive drivers updaters. It lets you download and install the updates in just one click. However, please keep in mind, that the software doesn’t have any guarantee that it takes the updates from the official manufacturers’ sites. So be ready that some of the updates may not be perfect.

The tool has an option to back up the existing drivers before the updates. Thus, in case you are afraid of getting into trouble with the new drivers, don’t skip this feature.

Among other nice options, WinZip Driver Updater has a scheduler. You can set it to periodically scan your system for driver updates, so you don’t have to do it manually.

WinZip Driver Updater is a good choice for all amateurs of this company. It’s efficient, although sometimes it sends false update notifications. Don’t forget that the free version will occasionally show you a popup with license upgrade request.

SEE ALSO: Best Free DVD Burning Software by Freemake

Free Driver Scout

Free Driver Scout

Free Driver Scout is an amazing utility that you should definitely pay attention to. Being free, it’s truly automatic. The utility searches for the updates, downloads and installs them without your input.

Like other similar tools, Free Driver Scout has a backup and restore option. Another feature to mention is called the OS Migration Tool. It operates like Pre-download in Driver Talent. If you are going to move to another PC, you can download all the necessary drivers beforehand and save them onto a USB flash drive, DVD disc, or an external hard drive.

SEE ALSO: How to Copy a DVD to USB or Any Gadget Easily

Unfortunately, there are a couple of drawbacks here. First of all, be attentive during the installation program. Since the software is free, it has adware in the installer. Read attentively what you are installing and opt out of the offers you are not interested in them. The second thing is that the software doesn’t track all the drivers you have. So there will remain some that you’ll have to update manually.

DriverPack Solution

DriverPack Solution

DriverPack Solution is the last but not the least driver updater on this list. It works flawlessly on Windows XP, Vista, 7/8/8.1 and Windows 10. The software is completely portable and can be launched both from a hard drive and a USB flash drive.

What is interesting about DriverPack Solution is that it can download driver updates without the Internet connection. You just need to download the DriverPack Network driver or the DriverPack offline version and install the tool on a PC without the Internet.

The software is not too rich in options and will be a perfect choice for those who need a simple tool and doesn’t want to think about any backup or restore features. Be careful while operating the software, it may install toolbars without your permission.

As you can see all the utilities are quite equal in their main option – updating the drivers. It depends on your choice only which one to install on your machine. We’d recommend using Driver Talent tool. It finds almost all outdated drivers and has all the additional features you might need.

If you already have an experience with driver updaters, please share your thoughts in comments.

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