Virtual Environments Search Results

News: Is FireChat the Future of the Internet?

As you already know, Hong Hong has been rocked in recent weeks by protests against their Beijing overlords. Promised free and fair elections, Beijing has reneged on this promise and is now telling Hong Kongians (that's what they're called, aren't they?) that they will only be able to vote on Beijing-selected candidates. All that is interesting from a political perspective, but from a technological perspective, the more intriguing story is how the protesters are communicating. Faced with their...

How To: Stay Anonymous on Your Nexus 7

When browsing the web, you may not be quite as anonymous as you think, especially if you are using public WiFi. The easiest way to stay as anonymous and safe as you are going to get, is to use a VPN (there are a number of great free ones). In this tutorial, we will show you how to set up a VPN on Android, and how this protects you.

How To: Clever Chemistry-Based Cures to Common Kitchen Conundrums

You probably already know that cooking involves a ton of chemistry. Bread rises because of the reaction between the flour and leavener, and the delicious crust on your steak is formed by the Maillard reaction. Understanding the chemistry going on behind the scenes is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your food—it's much easier to fix a problem when you know what's causing it.

How To: Really Auto Adjust the Brightness of Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2's Screen

If you're constantly going from dark to brightly lit areas, you've probably noticed that the stock auto brightness feature on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 doesn't work that well. Either the screen is really dim and unreadable, or it's just way too damn bright. Sure, you can disable auto brightness, but then you have to manually adjust the brightness all of the time for that perfect comfort level. This isn't really all that bad of an option, but don't be surprised when you see this: However, the...

How To: Kill or Keep Away Flies & Other Small Pests with Homemade Sticky Flypaper

Despite being disgusting, houseflies are actually beneficial to humans in a few ways. As scavengers, they help the environment by eating rotting organic matter, and make great food for pet tarantulas. Regardless of the advantages to their existence, having them in your home can be infuriating. There are countless sprays, traps and devices made to kill or deter the little pests, one of the most common being flypaper that hangs from the ceiling. These sticky strips are incredibly easy to make a...

How To: Chat with NASA Astronauts Live from the International Space Station on February 22nd

Inhabiting the microgravity environment on the cusp of the world's atmosphere has to be filled with some of the most unique experiences in the world. Astronauts eat, sleep, and work just as we do, except that their lives are filled with the added dangers of extreme temperatures and possible life-threatening malfunctions, all while being 240 miles up in the sky. Well, now's your chance to ask a handful of astronauts anything you ever wanted to know about life on the International Space Station.

How To: Install Windows 8 Preview on Your Mac from a Bootable Flash Drive

With the release of Windows 8 right around the corner, if you plan on buying it (or just want to see what it's all about), it's a good idea to take advantage of the free trial before you shell out any money. If you're an Apple user who doesn't have a deep-seated disdain for Microsoft products, this tutorial will show you how to install the Windows 8 preview to try it out on your MacBook. First things first, you'll want to download the Release Preview on Microsoft's website (make sure to save ...

How To: Compress a video file using the VirtualDub application

This quick video will show you how to compress a video file. To compress a video file you will need software called Virtual Dub. Open Virtual Dub and open a video file you want to compress. Click on Video Compression Choose the video codec named Xvid, and click on Configure. Select AS@L5 and Single Pass. Click on the target button, select 300kb. Go to Audio Compression. Select MPEG layer 320kb stereo sound. Save as an AVI. When it's finished the file will be on your desktop.

How To: Massage data in Houdini 10

Get a crash course on HScript Expressions, Variables, and Attributes in Houdini 10. If you don't even know what this means, then you probably need to check this video tutorial series out. Understanding how to massage data in Houdini is key to giving yourself the creative edge and allowing you to unleash mind-blowing visual effects. This 18-part video series covers a variety of simple yet essential weapons in your arsenal including Global, Standard and Custom Variables to Math and String Modif...