Create animated GIFs from YouTube videos

The popularity of animated GIFs still hasn't let up, and one of the easiest ways to create your own animated GIF is by using YouTube videos and free online GIF converters.

When it comes to creating GIFs from your own video clips, Softonic Editor Jan-Hendrik already took us through the process of creating your own GIFs on both Mac and PC using web apps or a webcam to record things live. If you're already found the perfect video online, however, there's an even easier way to make your own GIFs. With any one of the three online converters below, you can create your very own animated GIFs from a YouTube video.

Gifsoup

With Gifsoup, you simply copy any YouTube link into the text box, and then click Create Gifs.

Then, you can use any section of the video up to ten seconds. Select the section by picking a start and end time within the clip. Then, click on Generate Animated GIF to create the GIF file.

There aren't any other options, so creating the GIF is incredibly easy. The only downside: Gifsoup adds its own watermark to your creation. With a paid premium account, you can create animated GIFs that are up to 30 seconds long with no watermark.

MakeaGIF

MakeaGIF works on the same principle as Gifsoup, but offers a slightly fancier interface. A slider lets you select the start time and specify the desired duration of your GIF animation. If you register for free, the maximum playing time is 10 seconds. Otherwise, you have a limit of 5 seconds.

Unlike Gifsoup, MakeaGIF displayed no watermark and creates longer animated GIFs, although the web app works much slower.

IMGflip

A more comfortable online converter for YouTube videos is IMGflip. Like MakeaGIF, this service offers free access, as well as premium access for an additional charge. The free version will generate 10 second GIFs with dimensions of 260 or 360 pixels with watermark, with the option of making 100x100 square images as well.

Especially practical about IMGflip is that before making your GIF, you can set the expected frame rate and file size You also have the option of adding small text messages at any point in the animated GIF. The paid version (IMGflip Pro) creates clips of any resolution and up to 40 seconds long, without watermark.

While there may be a ton of GIF websites out there, sometimes it's still impossible to find what you're looking for, and with these three services, you can create GIFs that perfectly express your emotion.

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Another false viral rumor hits Facebook

 

Facebook is proving to be an excellent tool for spreading rumors, scams and hoaxes. Some are malicious, playing on our emotions to get clicks to websites, or even to trying to trick people into giving away their security passwords. The last year has introduced something different: the well meaning but misinformed repost.

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Firefox 17 released

  

Firefox 17 is out now, and you can download it for Windows and Mac.

In line with recent updates, this is not a radical update, but there are some changes. The most notable is the introduction of Facebook integration. Click here to enable this feature once Firefox has been updated. This adds four Facebook buttons to Firefox, as you can see below, allowing you to check notifications, messages, friend requests, and open your profile.

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Giveaway: Ashampoo Burning Studio 12

 

We have 10 licenses to give away for Ashampoo Burning Studio 12.

Simply leave a comment below (with a valid email address) beforeNovember 21 2012 to enter.

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How to use the hidden emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger

 

Like most instant messenger apps, you can use emoticons in Yahoo! Messenger. Clicking the smiley face in the messenger window opens up a big selection of emoticons you can use to spice up your conversations.

Did you know there are a range of hidden emoticons not accessible from the emoticons menu? If you know the right combination of keys, you can say anything from 'Bring it On' to 'Shame on You' or 'Not Worthy.'

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Instagram begins to roll out web profiles

 

Instagram, the insanely popular photo editing and sharing mobile app, announced today that web-based profiles will begin rolling out incrementally to users this week. These web profiles will bring with various features previously only accessible via the mobile app.

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Which version of DirectX do I have?

Which version of DirectX do I have?

 

PC games almost always have a DirectX requirement - it's often 'DirectX 9.0C'. If you're not sure which version you have installed, there's an easy way to check! These instructions will work on Windows XP, Vista andWindows 7. Read on to find out how.

Click on the Start button:

Type 'dxdiag' into the search field, then click on the dxdiag icon that appears:

A window will open with lots of information about your system - here's where you'll find your DirectX version:

That's all you need to find out your installed version of DirectX!

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How to get Google Search and Google Chrome on Windows 8

How to get Google Search and Google Chrome on Windows 8

 

Microsoft has tightened control over its products' ecosystems by integrating all of their different services. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 are tightly integrated and want you to use the services that Microsoft provides like Bing and SkyDrive. While these services work well, there are many people who prefer other services and search engines.

Not to worry, Google can be set as your default search engine and it takes a few easy steps. In this guide, I'll show you how to set Google to be your default search engine as well as replace Internet Explorer as your default browser in the Modern UI.

The first thing you need to do is to download the Google Search app for Windows 8 or Windows RT. You can download it here.

Next you'll be guided through some set up procedures and there will be a brief tutorial about how to use the Google Search app.

You can drag the Google Search icon wherever you want on your home screen. Next, activate the Charms Bar and hit the search button. Find Google Search, right click or tap and hold to bring up the context menu. Pin Google Search to the top for quick access to search from the Charms Bar. That's all there is to it!

If you want to replace Internet Explorer as your default browser in Windows 8's Modern UI, download Google Chromefor Windows 8.

Once you've downloaded and installed Google Chrome, it'll take you through a short setup where you can choose Chrome to be your default browser. That's it! Drag the Chrome icon wherever you want in the Modern UI for easy access.

Google Chrome for Windows 8's Modern UI is not as intuitive or touch friendly as IE but if you need to sync all of your data from Google, then Google Chrome will work just fine.

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Stop strangers from contacting you on Facebook

Stop strangers from contacting you on Facebook

Facebook offers a gateway for sharing your thoughts, memories, and pictures with friends and family. Unfortunately, spammers are hard at work trying to take advantage of all that information, sending messages and friend requests to people they want to market to or scam. Even worse, creepy people might befriend you based on looks alone.

To avoid receiving messages or friend requests from people you don't know, you just need to tweak a few of the privacy settings on Facebook. Doing so will save people who get a lot of these requests some hassle, and will ensure that you don't inadvertently accept friend requests from strangers.

Step 1: Log in to Facebook and tap on the menu arrow in the top right-hand corner, then choose Privacy Settings.

Step 2: Click on the Edit Settings link next to How You Connect.

Step 3: Adjust the drop-down boxes to reflect the privacy level you desire.

Tip: You'll want to pay special attention that none of the drop-downs say "Everyone," keeping spammers and strangers at bay.

Now you will no longer receive friend requests or messages from people you don't know. If you change your mind later and want to make yourself easier to reach on Facebook, you can always adjust the settings to allow everyone to contact you.

Have any other Facebook privacy tips to share? Post them in the comments.

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How to e-mail photos from Picasa

How to e-mail photos from Picasa

You don't have to upload photos from Picasa to Picasaweb in order to share them. If you just want to send a photo by good old e-mail to someone from within Picasa, it's very easy to do. Picasa is integrated with Gmail so it is recommended that you setup a Gmail account but you can also send photos using any mail client installed on your computer.

Here's how to e-mail a photo from Picasa in 5 easy steps:

1. Select the photo that you want to send in the Picasa browser:

2. In the top left corner of the screen, go to File and select E-Mail:

3. A dialog box will open asking you which e-mail client you'd like to use (either Gmail or your own e-mail client). I selected Gmail:

4. Another dialog will open allowing you to login into your Gmail account:

5. Once logged in, simply type the address of your recipient, write a message, click Send and you're done!

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How to: Uninstall Windows Live Messenger 2011

How to: Uninstall Windows Live Messenger 2011

Judging by the user comments I've read in the program's review and blog post, I'd say Windows Live Messenger 2011hasn't been very successful among users. Whether the problem is the integration with Facebook or the new "social" interface, I can't tell. What I know for sure is that many people want to get rid of it and go back to a previous, lighter and more friendly version of Live Messenger. So here's a short tutorial I wrote on how to downgrade to Windows Live Messenger 2009 in just a few easy steps.

1. First of all, you need to remove Windows Live Messenger from your computer. Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, scroll down to Windows Live Essentials 2011, right click on it and start the uninstalling wizard.

2. In the first screen of the wizard, select the "Remove one or more Windows Live programs".

3. Select the programs you want to uninstall. Bad news is that you need to remove all the apps you've installed from the Live Essentials suite, besides Messenger (good news is that you can reinstall them all afterwards).

4. Wait for the process to finish, and then you'll have to restart the system.

5. Now that your computer is free from version 2011, it's time to install Windows Live Messenger 2009. Get the fileand run it.

6. Select Live Messenger, plus all the apps you want to install back - and which you were forced to uninstall in setp 3 - and wait for the process to complete.

7. Once done, go to the Start menu and launch Messenger. There! Version 2009 is ready for you.

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How to get a Google+ invite

How to get a Google+ invite

If you're into social media and tech, you can't have missed the news that Google has sort-of-launched a beta for its new social network, Google+.

Like Facebook, the system allows users to add friends and share updates, photos, videos and links. Unlike Facebook, Google+ also offers Hangouts (group video chat), Circles (a better way of grouping your contacts) and Sparks (a not very well integrated way of subscribing to topics).

Google+ was originally opened up to a select bunch of übergeeks, who in turn started to invite friends onto the service. Then Google closed the invites system. So now it seems you just have to wait....

...Or do you?

I tested this method found via a friend on Google+ and it worked. Firstly, you need to know someone who's already on Google+. Then, get them to create a new Circle - it doesn't matter what it's called. Next, have your friend add you to the Circle, which you can do by inserting an email address and then a name. Finally, send an update to that Circle, checking the 'Also email x people not yet using Google+' checkbox before sending the update.

If everything goes according to plan, you should get an email from Google+ that includes a link to view the new update. Clicking the link takes you to a page that allows you to join the service immediately.

Google is currently throttling the number of people who can join via this method. Therefore, it may not work all the time. But keep trying and you should get lucky soon.

If you don't know anyone who's already on Google+, leave a comment below and I'll do my best to invite you when Google relaxes invitation controls. I can't guarantee that everyone will get an invitation but I'll do what I can.

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How to prevent losing your work in Microsoft Word

How to prevent losing your work in Microsoft Word

Imagine this scenario: you’ve been slaving away all afternoon on an important document in Microsoft Word. Unexpectedly, the program crashes, or worse, you close out and forget to save one last time.

Don’t panic. Microsoft Word actually backs up your work regularly to prevent losing your document. The auto-save interval is usually set to automatically save your work every 10 minutes. How much of your hard work would be lost in that time span though? My guess is it’d be more than you’d like.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to tweak the auto-save settings in Word and set it to back up your documents more frequently.

Tweak your auto-save settings

This is a seriously simple process. Just click on the File button on the top of the Microsoft Word interface, then chooseOptions.

Click on the Save tab. Two lines down, you’ll see a “Save AutoRecover information every XX minutes” option with a drop down menu that lets you choose the number of minutes between auto-saves. Pick whatever time frame you think would be most beneficial to you, then click OK.

That’s really all you need to do to prevent losing your hard work.

Bonus tip: reverting to a previously saved version of the same document

The auto-save feature is good for ensuring timely and automatic saves of your documents but what if you deleted a document you realize you actually wanted to keep?

You can very easily revert to a previous version of your document with Microsoft Word 2010. As long as you don't actually close the document you're working on, Word will keep track of every version it auto-saves.

You can access these different versions from the File menu under the Info tab. At the very bottom of the center pane, you'll see a Versions section. From there, you can open older auto-saved versions in one simple click.

These two easy tips will save you considerable time and frustration when Word or your computer crashes. Have you ever lost an important Word document? What steps did you take to back it up?

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