This Week's Top Downloads

Every week, we share a number of downloads for all platforms to help you get things done. Here were the top downloads from this week.Third-Party Apps That Are Better Than the Official Counterparts Services like Twitter, Dropbox, YouTube, or Wikipedia love to release official apps for their services. More often than not, third-party developers swoop in to make better apps to access those services than the official ones. We want to collect together...

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LocalCast Streams Google Drive Videos to Chromecast for Free

We've written about AllCast before, which allows you to stream content from your Google Drive to a Chromecast. Localcast is an ad-supported, free alternative.You'll need to add the Google Drive option after downloading the app to your Android device. Before you stream content, an ad will appear on your Android device. It's a little annoying, but if you don't want to pay for the full version (or the more feature-filled, but $4.99 AllCast), it's a...

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Check Your Potential Boss' References Before Starting a New Job

When you apply for a job, many employers will check your references to make sure you are a good fit. Have you ever thought about checking the references on your employer, in particular your future supervisor? Next time, give it a try.Psychology Today has some tips on how to watch out for a bad boss at a job interview, but checking references before accepting a job is brilliant:"Check LinkedIn and social media for news and comments on the company...

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Get Roadside Assistance from Your Credit Card or Insurance Company for Less

Many of us have a membership in an auto club for roadside repair assistance, and we renew every year without thinking about it. However, you might already have access to this service for less money through your credit card or insurance company.Although you get certain other benefits with an auto club like discounted travel, if your goal is simply roadside assistance, check with your credit card company first. American Express has these services...

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Group Temp Jobs Together on Your Resume to Show Stability

If your job history has been unstable due to multiple temp jobs, some companies may be reluctant to hire you for fear you'll quickly move on. According to CareeRealism, you can avoid this by bunching your temporary jobs together on your resumeBy listing these jobs as one work experience, you show that you've been consistently working and developing skills rather than just hopping from job to job. They advise:"Rather than listing out every period...

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Batch Delete Photos in iOS from the Moments Section

In most areas of iOS' Photos app, you can only delete photos one at a time. What a pain. However, if you go to the Moments section, you can actually delete photos in batches.Before you delete anything, backup the photos you want just in case. Then, go into the Photos app, switch to the Moments section, and select all the photos you want to delete by checkmarking them. Then click the trash icon and delete the photos.How to quickly delete photos and...

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Deal with Difficult People by Understanding Those Qualities in Yourself

When people annoy us, it could be they remind us of what we don't like about ourselves. Dumb Little Man has a test for determining this and ultimately changing those qualities in yourself.They suggest examining exactly what is bothering you about the other person. Then, using a technique called projection recall, reflect upon yourself as if the other person were a mirror. Look at that annoying quality in the other person, such as not listening,...

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Top 10 Incredibly Useful Windows Programs to Have On Hand

Some apps are essential, and you use them every day. Everyone knows their names: Firefox, VLC, 7-Zip, and so on. However, there's another class of app that gets less attention: the apps that are insanely useful to have in your back pocket on the rare occasions you need them. Here are 10 of our favorites.10. Speccy Maybe you've forgotten what kind of RAM you bought, or want a quick glance at your CPU's temperature. Speccy scans your machine and gives...

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Learn to Decipher the Blue Screen of Death and Troubleshoot Your PC

Although the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) has changed a bit in Windows 8, Windows computers still crash. Those messages have a bunch of cryptic phrases and numbers, and they aren't very helpful. Maximum PC has a guide deciphering BSOD.Each BSOD has certain key elements as Maximum PC explains:Error Name There are many parts to a BSoD, but the most important is right at the top. The actual name of the error is presented in all caps with an underscore...

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Create Public Accountability to Ensure You Complete a Task

If you find yourself having a hard time completing your tasks, Katie Dwyer of HackCollege recommends a few ways you can use others to force you to be accountable.When you're the only one in charge of getting something done, it can build up a lot of pressure. Dwyer has a few tips for outsourcing some of that pressure and pushing yourself to get things done:Announcing you won't be using/checking social media for a certain amount of time. (And then...

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Show Up Early to Meetings to Get to Know Your Co-Workers Better

When you've started a new job, it can be hard to get to know everyone there. John Brandon from Inc. suggests showing up early to every meeting so you have some free time to talk to people.Being the new guy or gal doesn't have to last long if you follow Brandon's advice:Arrive early at a meeting and force yourself to get to know your co-workers. It's amazing how a little free time can force even the most introspective among us to open up a little....

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"Everything Good Proceeds from Enthusiasm"

It's easy to get creatively stuck on things. Often our response is to try and sit back and wait for something to happen. Musician Brian Eno reminds us that doesn't work. You need to get excited and find that inspiration.Eno's point is that sometimes the best motivation is your own desire to see something through:Everything good proceeds from enthusiasm. The sense of "I really want to know how this turns out" will drive you on through many long...

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Convert Handwritten Notes to Digital Text for the Best of Both Worlds

With the world's obsession with apps and smartphones, it's easy to forget how a simple handwritten note is sometimes the easiest way to jot down your thoughts. Luckily, you can still get the benefits of a searchable, syncable database with handwritten notes and get the best of both worlds.Handwriting Isn't DeadIf you need to make a note of someone's phone number, it makes perfect sense to type it directly into your phone rather than using paper...

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Ask Yourself "Would I Do It Tomorrow?" Before Agreeing to Invitations

We all get invited to do all kinds of things. Whether it's a dinner party or an invitation to speak on a panel, Slate suggests you ask yourself if you'd to it tomorrow before you agree to it.The idea here is pretty simple. We agree to do stuff we don't actually want to do in the future because it's far away. We think we'll have time to get everything in order, but more often than not, that's not the case. Slate's suggestion is pretty straightforward:Anytime...

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Deadspin Take The Sports Knowledge Test Given To Wannabe ESPN Employees | Gawker Working at Vice Med

Deadspin Take The Sports Knowledge Test Given To Wannabe ESPN Employees | Gawker Working at Vice Media Is Not As Cool As It Seems | io9 The Weirdest And Silliest Virtual Reality Sex Scenes Of All Time [NSFW] | Jalopnik Unmasking The Columbia River's Mysterious Stealth Boats...

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Turn a Crate into a Bike Rack and Shelf

If you have a wooden crate available, you can make a nifty bike holder complete with a shelf for your helmet or other stuff.The picture above, posted by Kelli B, pretty much says it all. (If you're concerned about scratched from the wood, you could probably just cover the holes with some foam or other soft material.)Kelli B bike shelf | Sightline Daily via Homedit...

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