The University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Android Hardware Operating System

Samsung Galaxy S5 Review

Recently I dropped my phone ansamsung-galaxy-s5d ended up having to get a new one. After a few hours of research and looking through the Black Friday discounts I settled on the Samsung Galaxy S5.

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Operating System

These figurines are better than you

A simple, yet extremely complex, stand up figurine has been released by Nintendo, showcasing some incredible artificial intelligence for their new game title to the existing series: Super Smash Brothers 4 for Wii U, a crossover fighting game, meant to all-star Nintendo’s many iconic characters, as well as 3rd party characters. These figurines have been labelled as “Amiibo”, a statuette of the characters within the game.

A set of Amiibos juxtaposed.
A set of Amiibos juxtaposed. From the left, the characters and their game of first appearance are Marth (Fire Emblem), Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong), Yoshi (Super Mario World), Link (Legend of Zelda), Pikachu (Pokemon), Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Fox McCloud (Star Fox), Mario (Donkey Kong), Samus Aran (Metriod), Villager (Animal Crossing), Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros.), Kirby (Kirby’s Dream Land), Pit (Kid Icarus), Wii Fit Trainer (Wii Fit).
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Security

Passwords, Security, and Beyond: Keeping a Password Secure

Last time, we went over the best ways to create secure passwords, so now we’ll finish it up with keeping those new shiny passwords secure. By keeping them secure, we mean that it will be difficult for anyone to gain access to it, while you, the user, can easily access it. But before we get down to the details, it’s best to first realize that there will never be a 100% fool proof way to keep all of your passwords secure forever- there’s no guarantee regarding digital security. So there’s really no point to going to extremes and keeping all of your passwords in a super secret vault in your basement with the only key buried in the backyard in an unmarked location. But rest assured, with a few relatively simple steps (and some healthy paranoia) you can significantly reduce the risks of losing the element of security with your passwords.

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Android Apps iOS Linux Mac OSX Web Windows

Stream services for TV and Movies

From cable-cutters to college students, nearly everybody is interested in video streaming services. You may be tempted to use torrenting software to get your TV shows and movies, but this software is notorious for landing people with copyright violation notices and occasionally some hefty fines. There are many legal alternatives to torrenting software, and I will discuss them here.

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Operating System

Android File Managers

android-file

If you have a droid and have needed to move or edit files on it, you know that this is one of the things droid does not do well. Fortunately, as with most other parts of droid that need improving, there’s an app for that! Several dozen to be precise, but I’ve picked a couple of the most popular to address in this post.

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Operating System

Introduction to Adobe Illustrator: The Basics

Adobe Illustrator contains a wide variety of tools and features, and has somewhat of a steep learning curve. The best way to learn Illustrator is to start at the very beginning.

Start a new workspace by going to File > New

Here, you will choose the size of your document, the number of art boards, and other options such as color mode; all of which can be revised later. Common screen sizes for mobile devices can easily be found through a quick search, as well as dimensions and guidelines for Facebook cover photos.

Screen Shot 2014-08-04 at 11.37.03 AM

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Linux Mac OSX

Getting Started with ZSH

If you’ve ever used a system shell before (the Terminal application on Mac’s and most Linux OS’s), you know how powerful they can be. If you haven’t, the system shell (also called the command line), is basically another method of controlling a computer. Just as you normally open programs, edit documents and manage files, the same can be done in a shell. However, all will be done using only text called commands. The simplicity and elegance of the shell is why it’s loved by many.

Bash