Damien Oh, Author at Make Tech Easier

How to Set Up Motion Detection Webcam in Ubuntu

Don’t you hate it when people use your computer without your permission? f your laptop comes with a webcam, you can easily set up motion detection software to find out who is using your computer when you are not around. This article will show you how to set up a motion detection webcam in Ubuntu.

How to Automatically Take Screenshots In Ubuntu At Regular Interval

It is easy to take a screenshot in Ubuntu, but what if you want the system to take a screenshot automatically at a regular interval, say every 5 seconds? Here is a quick way you can take screenshots in Ubuntu at regular interval.

How to Enable Appindicator in Gnome Shell

One of the good things about the Unity desktop is the appindicator feature that provides quick access to key parts of your application. For those who are using Ubuntu, but have replaced the Unity desktop with Gnome Shell, one of the frustration is that the appindicator does not work in Gnome Shell. Luckily, with a simple extension, you can now get those appindicator icons to work in Gnome Shell.

How to Change System Language in Ubuntu

When you first install Ubuntu on your computer, you have the option to change the system language to your preferred language. However if you have set English as the default language and later wish to change to another system language, there is an easy way to do so in the System Settings. Here is how you can change the system language in Ubuntu.

How to Configure The Tabbed Inbox In Gmail

Google has recently introduced the new tabbed inbox in Gmail which will auto-sort your emails into various tabs and help you to be more productive. This new tabbed inbox interface is not activated by default. This article will show you how you can activate and configure the tabbed inbox in Gmail.

How to Record Terminal Session in Ubuntu

If you are a frequent terminal user, you may come across situations where you need to debug the code or copy the output of a script for future reference. Here is one way that you can use to record terminal session in Ubuntu to obtain the log file of all the input commands you have entered and their outputs .

Two Useful Apps to View CPU Info in Linux

If you are a Linux user, how can you view the CPU info in Linux? CPU-G and I-Nex are two useful apps that can help you out.

How to Keep SSH Connections Alive In Linux

For those that need to work constantly on SSH, it can be very frustrating when the system cut you off after a period of time. This article shows you the method to keep SSH connection always alive until you disconnect it.

Accessing Facebook Messenger From Linux Desktop

If you are looking to access Facebook messenger from your Linux desktop, linuxmessenger is a “Facebook-like” desktop client that you can install in Linux

How to Amplify Your Smartphone Speakers with Household Items (Infographics)

There are times when you have some killer tunes bumping on your phone, but a stereo docking station is nowhere to be found. With a little improvisation, you can easily amplify your smartphone’s speakers using common items from around the house.

WPS Office: A Microsoft Office Clone For Linux

Do you love the Ribbon UI in Microsoft Office so much that you will try all means necessary to install MS Office in your Linux machine? If this is the case, WPS Office is the one for you.

A Review of UbuntuKylin: The Official Ubuntu Distro For The Chinese

Do you know that there is a Ubuntu distro specially for the Chinese? Ubuntu Kylin is the official Chinese Ubuntu distro and it comes with features targeted at the Chinese market. China would probably be its biggest market, but any Chinese in the World will be able to use it, and love it too.

How to Create A PDF With Fillable Forms in LibreOffice

You may also have seen PDF files that come with form that you can fill in. In case you are wondering how you can create a PDF file with fillable form, here is one easy way you can do so, and it is free of charge.

Open a Bigger Compose Window in Gmail

By default, when you are composing an email in Gmail, it will popup a compose window at the right bottom corner of the window. A quick trick is to press “Shift” while clicking the Compose button. This will open a bigger Compose area in its own window.

Scan Barcode Using Google Search App in Android

Open the Google Search app in Android and tap the “Mic” icon. Next, tap the Menu button and select “Search with camera”. Take an image of the barcode/qr code and it will take you to the URL embedded in the barcode/qr code.

How to Disable Bluetooth During Bootup in Ubuntu [Quick Tips]

When you boot up your Ubuntu laptop, the bluetooth adaptor is always enabled by default. This is show you can disable the bluetooth module during boot up.

Samsung MV900F Smart Camera review

Samsung is capable of producing good smart camera as well. We have got our hands on the Samsung MV900F Smart Camera and it is pretty amazing.

How to Tweak And Perfect The Unity Desktop With Unity Tweak Tool [Linux/Ubuntu]

Unity Tweak Tool is a configuration tool for the Ubuntu Unity Desktop. It brings all the settings together in a single place so you can access them easily.

You Will Surely Have A Corrupted WordPress Database Issue. Here Is How You Fix it

WordPress, like any other database driven application, is very prone to having the corrupted database issue. This article shows you how to recover from the issue and get your site back up working again.

BlackVPN TV Router: Always-On VPN Connection to Access Blocked Content From USA

If you are one of those people who love to access blocked content from USA, then this BlackVPN TV router is suitable for you.

How to Adjust The Cursor Speed in Mac [Quick Tips]

If you are using Mac and find that your cursor is moving too slowly when you press the Left/Right arrow button, here is how you can adjust the cursor moving speed.

How to Read Emails in Plain Text in Different Email Clients

Most email clients render your emails in HTML mode by default, but there are times when you just want to read the emails in plain text. Here are the ways to read emails in plain text in different email clients.

How to Compose A New Email Directly From Your Browser [Quick Tips]

Regardless which email client you are using, when you need to compose an email, you will always need to switch to your email client and click the “Compose” button. Here is a neat trick for you to compose a new email directly from your browser.

How to Generate A New Sources List For Ubuntu

The “sources.list” in Ubuntu is an important file that contains all your software repository information. What if, on a fresh install of Ubuntu, you discover that your “sources.list” is empty? Or you need to change the whole repository to one that is specific to your country? Here is how you can generate a new sources list file easily without being a Ubuntu expert.

How to Easily Add and Receive Reminders On Your Desktop in Ubuntu

There are many ways to set up a reminder. If you are using Ubuntu, you can make use of indicator-remindor to easily add and receive reminders on your desktop.

Easily Backup and Restore Your Windows With Handy Backup

Are you looking for an easier way to backup, restore and synchronize your files and folders in Windows? Handy Backup is a simple, yet useful backup application for Windows and yes, we have a giveaway for it. Read on for more detail.

Check For Broken Link In Your Website From Linux Desktop

A broken link is a killer for any website and it should be eliminated at all cost. The bad thing is, it is easily said than done. If you are running a website with more than a thousand articles and every post contains at least 3 links, how are you able to find out which particular link is no longer working?

3 Hidden Features Of Gmail For Android That You Ought to Know

We often feel that the Gmail for Android app is not as good as the desktop Gmail, but if you dig deep enough, you will find plenty of hidden features that can make it as good as the desktop version. And here are 3 hidden features of Gmail for Android that you ought to know.

How Secure Is the App Locker For Android?

If you think the app locker for Android can help to secure your phone, check out these exploits first before making your conclusion.

How to Configure Screen Brightness in Ubuntu

Adjusting the screen brightness in Ubuntu is easy, but to fully customize is not. Let’s see how you can easily configure the screen brightness in Ubuntu.

How to Enable Hybrid Suspend in Ubuntu [Quick Tips]

“Hybrid Suspend” in Ubuntu allows you to first suspend your computer and if it is not restored after a while, will go into hibernation by itself. This is an effective way to save battery power and electricity bills. Here is how you can enable Hybrid suspend in Ubuntu

How to Show More Than 30 Custom Fields In WordPress [Quick Fix]

The custom field dropdown list in WordPress only show up to 30 values. If you need it to show more than 30 custom fields in the list, here is the fix.

How to Recover From The “File Not Found: Grub Rescue” Boot Up Error [Linux, Quick Tips]

Sometimes, when you install a new Linux distro in your PC and you didn’t set the boot flag correctly, you will often end up with a unbootable machine with a “File not found: Grub Rescue” boot error message. This happened to me while I were installing the Ubuntu 12.10. Here’s how you can fix it.

Tiny Core Linux: A Barebone Linux Distro That Boots Very Fast

Linux is good for almost everything. If you are running a small project that doesn’t require a full Linux distro, Tiny Core Linux is one small barebone Linux distro that boots very fast and comes with options for you to customize it to suit your needs.

How to Add Two Factor Authentication to LastPass

If you are using LastPass, you will know that your LastPass account is only as strong as your master password. Here is how you can enable two-factor authentication for your LastPass account to enhance its security.

How to Increase Virtual Hard Disk Size in Virtualbox

However, if you are using it as frequent as me, you will find that the 20GB of storage space get filled up very quickly. If you are looking to increase the virtual hard disk size, here is how you can do it.

How to Set A Live Wallpaper In Ubuntu With Slidewall

While there are many wallpaper changing app for Linux, most of them are similar, do their job (changing the wallpaper) well and don’t seem interesting enough to warrant a review here. Slidewall is yet another wallpaper changer that comes with support for live wallpaper. It is pretty cool, I must say. Check it out.

How to Easily Translate A Page In Firefox

Firefox doesn’t come with a native translation tool, If you are a Firefox user, here are several extensions that you can use to easily translate foreign text to your own language.

How to Access exFAT File System in Ubuntu

Linux doesn’t provide native support for the exFAT file system. If you want to mount your exFAT external hard drive, here is how you can do so in Ubuntu.

How to Install And Use WhatsApp On Your Windows PC

If you are a iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows Phone user, you might be familiar with the WhatsApp application that allows you to chat and send free SMS with your friends. It is such a useful app, to the extend that it has completely replaced my default SMS app. WhatsApp is tied to your mobile […]

Is Calligra A Great Alternative to LibreOffice?

LibreOffice may be the most popular open-source Office Suite around, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other good open source office suite that you can use. If you are looking for a simpler, yet equally powerful office suite for your Linux system, Calligra might be a good alternative to LibreOffice (or is it?) Let’s check […]

How to Install And Configure Samba In Ubuntu For File Sharing

Samba is a useful service found in most Unix and Linux system that allows you to share file and print services with another computer, particularly a Microsoft Windows client. In Ubuntu, while the Nautiilus File Manager comes with a series of connection protocols to access files from a remote server, it doesn’t turn the machine […]

How to Remove Unused Shortcode From Posts [WordPress]

In WordPress, if you have used plenty of plugins, you will surely come across a few that require you to put a shortcode in the post (like [shortcode_1]) for it to work. Using shortcode may be a good way to add functionality to your site, but when you deactivate the plugin, the shortcode in your content don’t get removed and it will appear in the frontend in its unprocessed form. Here are some ways to remove unused shortcode from your site.

How to Create Your Own Mobile Browser Without Any Coding Skill [Android]

While most smartphones come with a default browser app that allows you to surf the Web on your mobile, it is often simple, ugly and doesn’t feel personal. What if you want to customize the browser app and you have no (or little) coding skill? Here’s one way you can create your own browser app […]

How to Kill An Unresponsive SSH Session [Quick Tips]

If you have login to a remote SSH session before, you will know that there are times where the SSH session become unresponsive. it could be due to a break in the Internet connection, or that you were away and the session timeout. Whatever the reason is, when the SSH session becomes unresponsive, all the […]

How to Download Zip Attachment From Gmail in Android

If you are using the latest Gmail app on your Android phone, you will know that it comes with one limitation: it doesn’t allow you to download and view zip attachment. For emails with any other form of attachment, such as image files, word documents etc, you can easily view/save them to your phone. However, […]

How to Delete Old Files In A Folder Automatically In Linux

If you have a habit of storing all your temporary files on your desktop (or any other folder) and forgot to remove them later, you will find that your computer get messed up easily with tons of files that you have no use for. Once that happens, cleaning up your computer becomes a tedious task […]

How to Install LEMP Server In Ubuntu

A LEMP server refers to a server running Linux, Enginx (Nginx), MySql and PHP (or Perl/Python). It is similar to the popular LAMP server except that the underlying web server is managed by Nginx instead of Apache. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install LEMP server in Ubuntu 12.04. Nginx vs Apache […]

How to Easily Convert A Spreadsheet to HTML [Quick Tips]

You probably have done a lot of work on Excel or other spreadsheet application and you want to convert all of them into HTML document so you can place it on the Web. What should you do? This may seems like a simple question with obvious answers, but plenty of people are still having difficulty […]

How to Switch A Tab to Incognito Mode Easily in Google Chrome

While Google Chrome comes with an Incognito Mode that allows you to browse privately, most of us are still using the normal mode and only switch to the Incognito mode when necessary. This may be a good solution for full private browsing session, but If you come across a website/content while browsing and only wanted […]