How to Find Anything Online: Become an Internet Search Expert

By learning how to research, you can quickly and fairly easily become knowledgeable about just about anything. And with the Internet, almost anything you could ever want to know is at your fingertips. You just have to learn how to access it.

It’s all there, online, for free.
Here are the techniques I’ve used to find pretty much anything online.
Start with Wikipedia
Whenever you try to learn something new on the Internet, start with Wikipedia. A wealth of information is there, covering practically every subject in an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand format.

The main reason to start with Wikipedia is that it gives a good overview of most topics.Sure, any given page is bound to have some inaccuracies (as is the case on most user-generated websites), but most of the content is generally reliable. And when the accuracy of certain information is questionable, it’s usually tagged as such.


First of all, read the introduction to the page. This is where you’ll usually find a quick description of the topic, along with alternate and related terms.
Skim the content to find the parts of the article that you need to know about most. Some articles are short and don’t have a list of contents. Others are several thousand words long. Reading the entire thing is usually unnecessary.
 

Next, check the references and related resources. The references is a great place to get in-depth information on your topic. These links often include scholarly journals and articles and other respected sources.
The related sources section includes external links to in-depth information. These websites often include professional associations and organizations devoted to the topic as well as general websites with good topical information.

Move on to Google


When researching something, I always open a new window in Firefox. For each link I visit in a Google search, I open a new tab so that I can  keep my original search results page open.
And if I click on additional links on pages that I have opened, I don’t have to go back through 10 or more pages to return to my original search.

Go Multimedia

Text isn’t the only educational content on the web. Video, podcasts and slideshows are out there to explain pretty much anything you can  imagine.

The advantage of so much multimedia content being available is that it caters to people with different learning styles.




While many of the videos focus on broad concepts rather than the nitty-gritty, they’re still a great resource to expand your horizon. And the lectures are given by leaders in their fields, so the information is generally reliable.

Check Out Free Educational Resources
A ton of colleges are now putting their course materials online, accessible for free.

 
You’ll also find purely web-based open education initiatives that cover subjects you might not find at a traditional college. These free courses offer a ton of organized information on any given subject.
Some colleges offer their lectures in audio and video format. Princeton, for example, offers some of its lectures through iTunes, as does the University of Virginia, Duke, Emory, Yale and Stanford.






Look for Tutorials

Good-Tutorials offers up tech-related tutorials, covering CSS, Flash, HTML, Photoshop, PHP and more. Tutorials are categorized and searchable.

Use Tools Available to You

Google Notebook is a free online note-taking app that lets you create an unlimited number of notebooks and save notes, web pages and other information in a single place, accessible from anywhere. You can organize your notes by adding tags to them, as you would with Google Bookmarks.

Specialized Websites
 
These collections can speed up your research, and they sometimes include only reliable websites. Here are some to get you started.
Arts

If you’re looking for information on art, whether museums, individual artists or art movements, Art Cyclopedia is the place to go. It lists 9,200 artists and has 140,000 links from 2,600 different art websites.
IMDb is a database of movies and television programs, dating as far back as film itself.



BioMed Central publishes 200 open-access peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals. And you can search all 200 of them on the website.

History and Humanities
You can learn just about anything with the resources and techniques mentioned here. As you research more topics and become accustomed to learning in this manner, learning new things will become easier.
Pretty soon, you’ll be able to gain a working knowledge of practically any subject after just a couple of hours of research.A

The key to using Wikipedia as a source, though, is in how you make use of the information. You have to pay attention to a number of things on a Wikipedia page aside from the main content.

Just skip to the sections that are relevant to you.

Once you’ve built a good foundation through Wikipedia, move on to a Google search (or whatever search engine you prefer).

Having read a bit on Wikipedia, you should know the main terms and keywords associated with the subject you’re researching. Start your general search with these terms.

Some people learn well by reading. Others learn better by hearing an explanation or seeing a demonstration. And still others learn by doing (which is where step-by-step tutorials—either video, audio or text—come in handy).

If you learn best by watching demonstrations, then head on over to YouTube, Odeo, Vimeo or any of the many other video websites and start typing the keywords that you found on Wikipedia.

Make sure, though, whenever you deal with user-generated content to verify the information against reputable sources.

One often-overlooked resource for videos is the archive from the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences.

TED videos are available for free on the official website and cover (as you might expect) technology, entertainment and design.

MIT offers its entire catalog as open courseware, with lecture notes, resources and syllabi. Other two- and four-year colleges are following suit.

In fact, iTunes has an entire section devoted to educational podcasts called iTunes U. Non-educational organizations are also represented, including the Library of Congress and Wall Street Journal.

The educational podcast market isn’t monopolized by iTunes, though. Odeo has an education category with 466 channels and more than 67,000 episodes. Participating colleges and universities include Oxford University, the University of Melbourne and MIT.

Depending on your topic, you may be able to find tutorials. For pretty much any practical skill (and a whole lot of unpractical ones), you can find an online tutorial that teaches you how to do it.

You can find tutorials through search engines (just add “tutorial” or “instructions” to the end of your keyword search). You can also find them on these websites:

Instructables is a general tutorial website that offers step-by-step instructions on projects in categories such as arts, crafts, food, kids, music, outdoors and pets. Every tutorial has photos and/or diagrams to illustrate the process.

eHow offers categorized instructions and tutorials created by users. They include both text and video tutorials on a variety of topics, including law, health, food and drink, electronics and computers.

WikiHow is a user-editable how-to manual that covers a ton of different topics. Because of its wiki format, tutorials and instructions are constantly being improved.

The Tuts+ Network offers tutorials on a variety of tech topics, including Photoshop, web design, Flash and photography. Its tutorials are split into separate blogs based on topic and are written by experts.

Tutorialized offers tech tutorials for a variety of software programs, including Photoshop, GIMP, Flash, Blender and Illustrator.

A ton of tools are out there to make online research a bit (or a lot) easier.

Some help by organizing your sources, others let you save snippets of pages for later reference, and others do pretty much everything you could ask for from a research app. They make tracking your research and organizing it for later reference a much easier process.

Zotero is a Firefox add-on that acts like a research assistant. It lets you collect links and whole pages, organize them into folders and tag them. It even generates a “Works cited” list from them. You can jot down notes on anything you save, which makes it much easier to remember why you included it in the first place or to remind yourself later how you ended up using it.

Zotero has a ton of features. It automatically captures citations; it cites from within MS Word and OpenOffice; it accesses your library from anywhere; it searches PDFs and notes instantly; and it lets you create group libraries.

It’s also compatible with thousands of bibliographic styles, so when it comes time to create a “Works cited” list, you don’t have to spend hours reformatting the whole thing. The best part is that Zotero is free and open source, so you can extend and modify it to meet your needs (or find others who have already done the work).

Wired-Marker is a permanent highlighting tool for Firefox. You can highlight sections of a web page to refer to later on. It’s a great app if you want to be able to easily refer to a specific section of a website that you’ve bookmarked. Wired-Marker is itself also a bookmark organizer.

iCyte is a note-taking and bookmarking app that works with Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 and 8. It saves any pages that you highlight or bookmark, so that even if the page changes or is deleted, you still have the original version. You can save sections of a website or the whole thing. You can also invite others to join your projects, share information and access information that others have shared.

Similar Web is a great Firefox extension for finding websites related to the one you’re on. There’s also a web-based version for people who don’t use Firefox. The add-on is particularly useful if you’re on, say, Odeo and want to see other websites that offer podcasts.

Notefish is an online note-taking app that lets you custom-save content from any pages on the web. You can organize and share pages based on a specific subject. The app has many customizable features, including ones that let you annotate and color your notes. The downloadable Firefox add-on helps you use Notefish more efficiently.

Diigo lets you highlight and share pages all over the web. You can add sticky notes to pages for later reference and can access notes from your computer or iPhone. Saved pages can be organized with tags or lists. You can create groups to share resources for a project, and you can even enforce tagging rules among group members to keep things organized. Free  and premium accounts are available (educators get a free premium account).

Concierge is a Safari plug-in that replaces the browser’s bookmark management scheme with an easier-to-use bookmark and information management tool. You can bookmark links and save links from email, Address Book cards, and folder and file links from Finder. It puts all of your relevant information in one place.

Information overload is a common problem when researching a new subject online. Great Summaryhelps combat the problem by summarizing the content of a web page, document or section of text for you. It identifies key topics on a page and presents relevant information without duplicating content.

EagleFiler is an information management app for Mac OS X that lets you archive and search PDF files, word-processing documents, images, web pages, mail and more. It has a three-pane interface similar to that of most email programs. Files are stored in a universal format, so they’re accessible from any application. Files can be encrypted, and you can add notes, tags, labels and meta data to them.

When you download something in Safari, no record is kept of where it came from. This can be a problem if you need to refer to it in a “Works cited” list or just want to know where to get similar content.

DownloadComment adds a note in the file’s Spotlight Comments field with the URL of the original file.

HistoryHound lets you search the content of every web page and RSS feed that you’ve visited recently in Safari, as well as any bookmarked page. It ranks results by relevance. It’s a great way to track down information in resources that you’ve already discovered.

Reference Tracker is an app for Mac OS X that lets you store documents in one place for later reference and citation. It automatically creates a “Works cited” list in Harvard, APA, MLA or Chicago/Turabian format. It has built-in search and one-click referencing of web pages (in Safari or Firefox) and email (from Apple Mail).

Selenium is a research application for Mac OS X that combines a browser, PDF manager, word processor, bibliography manager and outliner in a single window. Research is much simpler because you don’t have to switch back and forth between different applications.

Evernote is an online note-taking application that lets you save just about anything, from notes to images to web pages. And it stores everything online, so you can access your notes from anywhere. There’s even an iPhone app.

Springnote is a free wiki-based online notepad. You can create personal or group notebooks and access them either online or through the iPhone app.

Specialized online libraries exist for a ton of different subjects. Anything from language to science to technology to history has its own dedicated resource library somewhere on the Internet.

You can search by cast member or title. Individual listings include all previous and upcoming roles. Movie results include cast and production crew, plot synopsis and other production information (often photos).

Medical and Scientific

The Internet History Sourcebooks Project collects public domain and copy-permitted historical texts in one place. The collection includes ancient, medieval and modern texts, as well as ones of specific groups, regions and religions.

Digital History offers historical texts and resources from American history. It is run through a partnership with a variety of educational and historical organizations, including the University of Houston, the Chicago Historical Society and the National Park Service. It has resources for researchers and teachers, including multimedia resources.

The Perseus Digital Library is a resource of mostly historical texts from Tufts University. The digital collection includes material from Greek and Roman, Renaissance and 19th-century American history.

Project Gutenberg offers public domain books and written material for free. The collection includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry and is both searchable and browsable. Most of the content dates to the 19th century and earlier.

General and Scholarly

Intute helps individuals find the best websites on which to conduct their research. You can search or browse by category. It even offers free training on using the web for research and education.

Infomine is a search engine for scholarly resources. The categories, which are browsable, include the following: bio, agricultural and medical sciences; business and economics; cultural diversity; e-journals; government info; maps and GIS; physical sciences, engineering, computer science and math; social sciences and humanities; and visual and performing arts. It also includes general reference and advanced search functionality.

The Librarians’ Internet Index is a searchable directory of content from all over the Internet, broken  down by category. It includes only reputable websites, making it easier to trust the information you find.

The IPL is another collection of resources from all over the web, broken down by category. The collections are targeted at children, teens, adults and educators. The collection covers art and the humanities, social science, law and government, computers and much more.

Find Articles from BNET lets you search articles from a wide range of consumer and trade magazines and newspapers. The articles are searchable and browsable by category.

The Library of Congress offers a ton of information, including digital collections. Its online collection includes history, performing arts, legislative information and international resources. It’s a particularly good source of government information, because its THOMAS system lets you search the full text of congressional records, bills and more.

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Prettiest Towns in United States

These beautiful towns are not only thriving economically, they’ve also got all you could want in a place to raise a family: plenty of green space, good schools, and a strong sense of community.

 

 

 

10. Edgartown, Massachusetts

 

Edgartown is a town located on Martha’s Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the county seat of Dukes County. Widely known as an exclusive enclave for the affluent and famous, the island is at its most charming in Edgartown, the largest and most expensive community on the Vineyard. Meticulously maintained Victorian sea captains’ houses and a beguiling collection of shops and galleries sit near the harbor. “Stroll about its manicured streets with some home-made ice cream from Mad Martha’s (a local institution since 1971) and you’ve got the makings of a perfect day,” says Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director at Fodor’s.

9. Key West, Florida

Closer to Cuba than it is to the mainland United States, Key West exudes a laid-back and casual vibe that is different than almost any other town in the country. It’s a place that marches to its own (usually steel) drummer. Take the kids dolphin-spotting, charter a boat to snag a marlin, or just relax on the beach beside crystal blue waters. And getting there is half the fun: the 127-mile Overseas Highway is the only road in or out to the mainland, and there’s no road in the country like it. If that’s not enough, Key West is also home to the only National Park that is accessible only by boat, Dry Tortugas National Park, where the snorkeling, diving, or just exploring are unparalleled.

8. Longview, Washington

 

Not even the port industry that clusters around the Lewis and Clark bridge can block the scenery of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most charming towns. “It is one of the only, if not the only planned community in the west at the time,” says Foster Church of “Discovering Main Street: Travel Adventures in Small Towns of the Northwest. “It was planned by a wealthy lumber magnate who decided to build two lumber mills in this location because it was close to the Columbia River.” He needed 14,000 workers to help run his two mills, so in 1921, he built a city that could house up to 50,000 people. Today, the town retains its old town lumber mill feel, and is home to the well-planned but serene beauty of Lake Sacajawea Park, which Foster says is “one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen.”

7. Athens, Georgia

 

A university town that enjoyed a small measure of renown in the ‘80s and ‘90s, thanks to a fertile music scene which gave birth to the B-52s and R.E.M., among others. Athens is earning a more recent reputation as a post-industrial success story. Old factories have been rehabilitated and now house galleries and boutiques, but though the manufacturing may have left, the town still holds onto its identity with pride. “It has kept ruthless development at a minimum,” says Jason Cochran, editor-in-chief of Frommer’s.com. “You can still find avenues of those stately old Georgia mansions that the best towns retain. So you’ve got this vibrant blend of slouching red-brick warehouses and bold Greek Revival mansions.”

6. Tarrytown, New York

 

Tarrytown’s rich history, including being a throughway on the Underground Railroad, name-dropped by Washington Irving in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and, later, one of the preferred Upstate getaways for New York’s rich and powerful, is visible wherever you go in this Hudson River-side town. Lyndhurst, the widely-regarded robber baron Jay Gould’s castle-like mansion in town, is toured by throngs of visitors every year. The town has played host to recreational and cultural options aplenty, including the famous (and former, running from 1971 to 2006) Tarrytown Film Festival, which was more of a film salon hosted by noted ‘70s and ‘80s film critic, Judith Crist.

5. Fort Benton, Montana

 

Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. A portion of the city was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. Established in 1846, a full generation before the U.S. Civil War, Fort Benton is one of the oldest settlements in the American West. Founded as a fur-trading post in 1847, the town flourished well into the 1860s, when the Gold Rush cash was flowing back eastward. The railroad would eventually put the brakes on the town’s growth, however, but not before Fort Benton earned a reputation as the sort of place where disagreements were regularly settled with sidearms. “Jesse James and all the other characters used to have shoot-outs on these streets and you can relive it all on Main Street today,” says Andrew Evans, National Geographic Traveler’s Digital Nomad.

4. Breckenridge, Colorado

 

In a state known for its charming alpine ski towns, Breckenridge stands out both for its stunning vistas, charming streets, family-friendly vibe and – most importantly, for many visitors – unsurpassed proximity to a wide variety of world-class ski options. With giant peaks, more than 150 trails, North America’s highest chairlift, and a wide variety of options for everyone from the shakiest of beginners to the most jaded back-country daredevils, Breck really does have something for everyone. Though the town really comes to life from November through early April, there’s still a lot to do during the warmer months, from hiking to fishing to mountain biking.

3. Gatlinburg, Tennessee

 

With its charming, quaint old buildings in the centre of town, its dramatic mountain backdrop and the only ski resort in Tennessee, Gatlinburg has become a popular tourist destination for regional fun-seekers. Located on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg benefits from its location as a tourist draw and reinforces it with attractions such as an aerial tramway, an aquarium, white-water rafting, hiking, and even a haunted house. But let’s not kid ourselves: as pretty and irresistible the town is, the real draw in this part of Tennessee is the nature. “The wildflowers around Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are absolutely spectacular in the spring as they burst with wild-flowers at their peak,” says Zain Habboo, National Geographic’s director of travel.

2. Camden, Maine

 

Camden is a famous summer colony in the Mid-Coast region of Maine. Similar to Bar Harbor, Nantucket and North Haven, Camden is well known for its summer community of wealthy Northeasterners, mostly from Boston, New York and Philadelphia. “It’s like a movie set. In fact, it has often been a movie set.” Camden retains a certain salty grit and allows more of its working-class roots to show — though, like many New England seaside villages, the residents are more likely to be affluent these days. “Where the mountains meet the sea,” boasts the town, and indeed one of the best ways to see Camden is from a perch high above the harbor on nearby Mt. Battie. The white sailboats pepper the water in Penobscot Bay, and the waterside seafood beckons. Visit during September’s peak leaf season for an autumnal fireworks display of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples.

1. Newport, Rhode Island

 

Known for being the city of some of the “Summer White Houses”. Like a town stuck in time but with the occasional hole in the space-time continuum to allow for modern touches, Newport, with its stunning harbor and bevy of old homes, is the quintessential New England town. Newport’s fame began as a 19th century summertime visitors’ magnet of a town, and it still reliably draws in clusters of visitors, both for the daytime shopping, eating, and sightseeing options. At night, one of the town’s many music festivals or varied collection of bars draws in local students and stalwart party goers for good times that can run late and loud. But the town itself is chief among American small towns in the category of most well-preserved colonial homes and Gilded-Age mansions – a testimony to its tony residential reputation, and to its history as the summer destination of choice from 1953 until around 1963. It is also the location of an important collection of naval training centres.

Sources Forbes &  realestate.msn

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Best European Cities to Visit in 2016

Europe is a fabulous, bustling continent, full of culture, quirkiness and charisma. It is home to many extraordinary countries with fantastic cities that you simply cannot miss out on.

10. Berlin, Germany.

This city has been underrated because of the disputes Germany has had, but rest assured, the city is one not to be missed. The hot summers and freezing cold winters attract many a tourist but the city itself is the main attraction. From the Berlin Wall to the Brandenburg Gate, the story of Germany is beautifully carved into the architecture of this marvellous city. The nightlife is a big hit with tourists as well, causing quite a stir across Europe. Berlin is simply unmissable for travellers of all ages.

9. Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Danish capital is definitely a great destination for the typical traveller. The old style city is beautiful, complete with a picturesque coastal view of the quaint little city, renowned worldwide for its beauty, tranquility and serenity. Copenhagen is bursting full of gorgeous gardens and intriguing castles, but it is the historical mysteries the really puts this city on the map. The Danes are home to some fantastic museums, monuments and architectural delights to interest everyone. From The Little Mermaid to the Nyhavn, Copenhagen is not to be overlooked.

8. London, England.

The British capital is an energetic, hyper active city, full of lights and laughter. You can enjoy shopping experiences that are unforgettable with the likes of Oxford Street fulfilling all your dreams. Buckingham Palace is a fab view for all the monarchy lovers while the Tower of London is a great place for anyone wanting a frightening history class. The traditional English food with afternoon tea is a hilarious experience for any foreign traveller. From the fashion industry to the blissful reality that is London, you will be sure to love your English adventure.

7. Athens, Greece.

This beautiful city is a superb city for any new traveler. It hosts a wide range of things to do, especially if you love history, like me. From the Parthenon to the Acropolis, the ancient Greeks were centuries ahead of their time and their wondrous architecture still stands today. Tours of the city are common as well with taxis and shuttle buses being the main means of transport. For the more traditional travelers, there is a wide range of stunning beaches to visit and soak up the sun. Greece is a travelers must.

6. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Dutch capital is bursting full of character, charm and beauty. From cycles along the colourful streets to a ride along the canal, it truly is a gorgeous city. You can explore wonders such as the Anne Frank House to the Vondelpark and beyond. This vibrant, quirky city has to be a hit with any traveller. The Rijksmuseum is a fantastic opportunity to submerse yourself in an interesting history lesson while the Artis Zoo is fantastic experience for everyone. Amsterdam is top of the class in best European cities.

5. Dublin, Ireland.

The Irish capital is a fantastic city, full of fun and laughter. It is full of exciting things to do, especially for the pub-goers from hundreds of puns to a tour around the Guinness factory. The streets are packed full of vibrant music from buskers and is stuffed full of great items for all the family. The city hosts lots of fabulous restaurants for you to enjoy which a classy view of the River Liffey. The Irish will charm you into one of the best holidays of your life.

4. Paris, France.

This marvellous city has been a hit in Europe for centuries. From the towering Eiffel Tower, to the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe, Paris is a city full of surprises around every corner. The French are famed for this fabulous food and womanising attitude and is a must for anybody wanting to go on a romantic break. Sitting on the river Seine, Paris is one of the most breath-taking cities Europe has on display, and it must be a first on your European road trip.

3. Budapest, Hungary.

The Hungarian capital has become increasingly popular in recent years, with its natural charm and historical significance making it a must for any interested traveller. The old city vibe is swarming in this magical city. From historical buildings and museums to fun tours on bicycles and Segways, there’s a side to Budapest that everyone can explore. It has been made very prominent to in recent times after George Ezra’s hit song ‘Budapest’. The many speciality museums are becoming a hit with travellers as you can now explore what it was like living in a Jewish country during World War Two. This marvellous city has so much to offer and has to be a must in everyone’s bucket list.

2. Rome, Italy.

Italy’s capital is home to some of the most brilliant wonders Europe has to offer from fantastic food to amazing architectural wonders to the cheeky Italian charm, there is a Rome for everybody. Rome has been cited as they most beautiful European city, which also hosts the world’s smallest nation, the Vatican City. From the amazing Colosseum and Pantheon to the many churches and tours, this city is a place you have to visit.

1. Kraków, Poland.

Poland’s hidden gem is one of the greatest cities ever to appear. This amazing city is a must for any traveller, of all ages. From the dazzling Main Square, complete with St. Mary’s Basilica to the enormous shopping malls, it truly is spectacular. The quaint little streets offer many fun items and there are tours in the city and to places like the notorious Nazi camp, Auschwitz. This astonishing city is one of the best Europe has to offer with its vibrant personality and illustrated history. Kraków, in one word, is majestic.

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video libraries for free and without registration.

 RefSeek's guide to the 25 best online resources for finding free educational videos. With the exception of BrainPOP and Cosmeo, all listed sites offer their extensive video libraries for free and without registration.

http://www.refseek.com/directory/educational_videos.html

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Best Screenshot Apps for Android

The two-button combo for screenshots is easy but what if our smartphone has a fragile lock or volume button, we wouldn’t want the buttons to break, would we? Along with that, we sometimes need editing tools for doodling, arrows, boxes etc.. to point out something in screenshots before we can post them on social networks. There are a number of screenshot apps on the Google Play Store that not only allow you to take screenshots with ease, they also bring some cool additional features.
We tried many apps on the Play Store and here are the best screenshot apps for Android (in no particular order):
Note: Most of the screenshot apps on Android come with various triggers to take screenshots. Not every trigger will work on all smartphones due to access or hardware limitations. 

Best Screenshot Apps for Android

Screenshot Easy

Screenshot Easy is a very popular Android app for taking screenshots with ease. The app has a very simple UI, which works well with Android’s Material Design UI guidelines. There are various triggers in the app, which lets you take a screenshot. You can choose to take a screenshot through an overlay button, which keeps floating or using a button in the notification center or by shaking your device. The app also lets you set your hardware camera button to take screenshots and that’s if your smartphone has a hardware camera button. If the app is running in the background and you take a screenshot the conventional way, it detects that and opens the screenshot in the app for your editing needs.

 

When it comes to the editing features, it lets you crop your screenshots, ZIP it or print it. You can also change existing colors in a screenshot to the one you like. There are options to show date & time on screenshots and save the images in PNG or JPG format. Other features of the app include themes, support for locale & tasker plugins. Moreover, the app is available for free on the Play Store.
Install: (Free)
Compatibility: Android 4.0 and up.

Screenshot Ultimate

Screenshot Ultimate is not the best looking Android app out there but if you want a ton of features in a screenshot app, Screenshot Ultimate won’t disappoint you. It has the most number of triggers to take a screenshot and you might find some of them to be really convoluted. You can take screenshots through an overlay button, notification bar button, shaking your device, power connect/disconnect and more. There are advanced triggers like audio trigger (blow into your device’s mic to take screenshot), interval (set time period to automatically take screenshots), cronjob (set when to take a screenshot in a specific app), proximity (put finger on proximity sensor to take screenshots), intent (tasker & locale support) and more.



Along with the various triggers, the app lets you make adjustments to your screenshots, change formats and more. There are also editing features like draw, crop, add text, rotate, mirror, effects and more. It also lets you share images directly to Imgur. The good news is Screenshot Ultimate is available for free on the Play Store.
Install: (Free)
Compatibility: Android 2.1 and up.

Screenshot Snap

While the Screenshot Snap app doesn’t really bring any intuitive methods to take a screenshot, it makes up with its diverse editing features. The app detects a screenshot being taken and loads it up on the app. You can then edit the screenshot on the go and share it quickly. You can doodle on an image with the pencil or paintbrush tool and you can also insert arrows, boxes, text and more.



The app brings you the option to save images in PNG or JPG, increase or decrease image quality. Screenshot Snap is available in a free version but it is limited when it comes to features and the ads can be a little annoying. The paid version of the app brings some cool stamps, blur tool, cloud uploading and removes ads.
Install: (Free, Paid $0.99)
Compatibility: Android 4.0 and up.

Perfect Screen Shot

Perfect Screen Shot is another cool screenshot app, which stands out due to its unique features. The app feels smooth in operation and it embodies Android’s Material Design UI, if that’s a deal breaker for you. While the app does not take screenshots for you, it detects when one is taken and opens the app with the screenshot right in front. It lets you frame your screenshots inside a device’s frame and you can edit the colors, background and more. There are various options to edit the frames and you can add glare, shadows & blur to the images. You can get frames of various devices ranging from Nexus devices such as Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X to Galaxy S6 Edge, One M9, Moto G and more.



The free “Classic” version of the app is pretty limited when it comes to the number of frames and editing features. The paid “Ultra” version brings you 3D frames, various editing options like background color, custom background images, optional blur and more.  You can also choose to edit your screenshots without a frame, if frames are not really your thing. The app also lets you import screenshots from any cloud storage services that you use like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox etc.. To sum it up, Perfect Screen Shot is a cooler way to share screenshots and those screenshots certainly do look better inside a device frame.
Install: (Free Classic, Paid Ultra $1.99)
Compatibility: Android 4.0.3 and up.

Capture Screenshot

Capture Screenshot is very similar to Screenshot Easy but Capture Screenshot is a great screenshot app in its own right. The app is fast and is designed beautifully, so full marks to the developers on that front. It brings you various triggers like overlay button, notification shade button and shake to capture. Once you click the “Start Service” button, the app starts running in the background and detects whatever screenshots you take.



Once a screenshot is taken, Capture Screenshot lets you crop, draw, rotate, invert, add text and more. It also brings a number of filters like Boost, Grayscale, Gamma, Hue, Vignette etc.. There’s ability to save screenshots in PNG or JPG image formats. Along with that, the app brings you themes and you can choose the color you like for the app to give it a personalized look. While the free version of Capture Screenshot packs in most of the features, the “Pro” version removes ads and brings more filters.
Install (Free, Pro version $3)
Compatibility: Android 2.3 and up.

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Websites to Download Creative Commons Music For Free

If you’ve wondered where many of those YouTube videos get their background music from, you’ve come to the right place. Music with Creative Commons licenses are music compositions written, produced and shared by people who do not charge anything when you use their music for your own use, commercially or non-commercially.

Basically, they make the music and keep ownership and copyright of it and you get the permission to use it for your videos, film or small multimedia productions, as long as you credit the creator properly.

There are many sites out there that house music with Creative Commons licenses, sites where you can download music for free (and legally). These sites make it very easy for you to use, all you have to do is pick an audio clip you like and save it as an MP3, and there you have it, your free music download.

Jamendo

Jamendo has more than 350,000 audio files on their database, which includes music in a few different languages and from different countries. Its advanced search will help you narrow down what you’re looking for on their large database.

There is also a ‘Radio’ option where you can listen to music like on a radio channel based on genre. By registering and logging in, you can save personal favourites to your account.

Freesound

Freesound is a collaborative database for Creative Commons Licensed sounds. This database here is filled with sound effect such as ambient noises, synthesized sounds and sounds produced by musical instruments.

Browse, download and share sounds on Freesound; you can also upload your own audio clips to their database after registering for an account on the website.

ccMixter

Music on this site can be downloaded and shared with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Clips here focus on instrumental samples that are mainly used for remixes on DJ music. There is a wide variety of samples to choose from, which can be sorted by tags that describe the audio clips.

Kompoz

Kompoz is an online community that prides in collaboration between artists from all over the world. Artists post their clips on the website where anyone can download it and use it for their own productions. They can also add their own instruments or creative mix to the original clip and upload it on the website again.

As more people collaborate on the original clip and the clips after that, it will eventually become a creative collaboration of multiple musicians.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a very popular website where famous artists share their new tracks to the world. There is a section under Creative Commons license where you can download other people’s tracks. You can stream the available clips and it takes just a simple click to get the MP3 file without any registration.

Note that some tracks however require you to ‘Like’ their Facebook page before you can download their clips.

BeatPick

On BeatPick, you have a music player kind of interface where you can listen to any song on a list. To download any song from the website, you’ll have to register for an acoount. Most of the clips are instrumental, with very little vocal input.

The clips also come with descriptions of what it sounds like, which can be useful to match to whatever the theme your clip is.

Restorm

This is a website mostly used by indie artists who want a platform to sell their music to the public and have their works licensed under their name. You too can do the same, or download some of their free selection of music just by creating an account.

The full songs available on the website can be streamed to help you decide if you want to download it. Some of the artists also have songs in their native language not just English.

Musopen

Musopen is a website where you can find free music from individual instruments in an orchestra: violins, cellos, violas, etc as well as a combination of instruments. It caters to the genre of quieter music like classical music or jazz.. Best of all, you can also download sheet music.

You can also browse music by sorting it by composer, instrument and even the period of time the music clip resembles.

Vimeo

You might recognize Vimeo as a place only for videos, but it also offers free music which you can use as long as you give credit to the original artist. After clicking download, your download will start and a pop-up window will appear with the details of the clip’s title, artist and website.

For example, when using a music for a YouTube video, you would use those details and place it at the credits of your video or video description.

ArtistServer

ArtistServer has over 11,000 MP3 downloads by more than 10,000 artists and you can be one of those artists too when you sign up with them. They have clips of many genres for you to choose from which you can download for free.

It is also possible to preview the entire clip before making your selection and downloading it.

Audiofarm

Audiofarm has a wide selection of genres to choose from, uploaded by ordinary people who want to share their music. You can easily download any song you like by clicking the download link – no registration needed.

The full song can even be played while browsing for one that fits your needs. By registering, you can upload music for other people to download.

iBeat

If you’re a DJ or anyone else looking for some free beats and loops, iBeat has a wide database of clips which are free under Creative Commons licensing. The beats available come in a variety of genres such as rock beats, hip hop beats and even acoustic or electronic beats. No registration required.

CCTrax

CCTrax is a directory of free music. It has a database of Creative Commons license music for music lovers. Plenty of awesome sound track albums are available for free download here, like Alexander Saykov, Baumfreun, Stiver and more.

JewelBeat

On JewelBeat, you search through free background music and sound effects with keywords. These free background music clips can be used for whatever video production you are making. The audio clips here are mostly instrumental and consist of short loops. Besides the free selection, there is also a $0.99 selection that you can choose from.

Audionautix

Clips found on Audionautix are released under Creative Commons license 3.0 – you can use the audio clips available even for commercial purposes so long as you credit the Audionautix website. Clips are named to what the artist feels it should resemble; you can preview the clip by clicking it and if you like it, right click the clip and select ‘save target/link as’ to save it to your desktop.

FMA

FMA stands for Free Music Archive which has a wide selectionof high-quality, legal audio downloads. It works like a music station where you browse for clips and if you like the clip, you can add it to your music player. You also can opt to download the full clip. You can use the music player and download the clips without registering for an account.

Purple Planet

Purple planet is the creation of two people, Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey, who let you use their music for free. You can use any of their audio clips on online videos so long as you link to their website at the description of the video. Their style of music falls under effects that accompany a horror, dramatic or mysterious scene.

Incompetech

Incompetech hosts a wide variety of royalty free music. You can browse their selection by genre or feel. "Feel" would include things like: Action, Relaxed, Intense or Humorous; you can select a combination of ‘Feels’ and it will check its database for selection matches. Clips can be played on the website and instantly downloaded as well.

Bump Foot

Bump Foot originates from Japan and focuses mostly on techno, trance beats and electronic dance music. You can download the files and use it for your own non-commercial work as long as you give attribution to them or the featured artist.

There is no way to stream music as there are only download links avalable on the site. You don’t need to register for an account to start downloading.

More

1. CASH Music – CASH Music is a non-profit organization that hosts digital tools for musicians and labels to share their music. The digital tool allows for uploads and downloads of songs and sharing is made easy.
2. Josh Woodward – This work of a single person, this site features more than 180 songs that are free for download, sharing and use. Do give this generous man attribution if you use his clips in your productions.
3. PacDV – This is a small database of free audio clips organised by mood or emotion such as: Warm, Loving, Serious or Lonely.
4. SampleSwap – SampleSwap is also a forum for other musicians. When a clip is uploaded, the floor is upon for discussion about the clip, as well as a free download.
5. DanoSongs – This is also a one-man wonder site. You get to use his wide variety of self-made clips, arranged by genre such as soundtrack, pop/rock band and even techno/electric.
6. Public Domain 4U – This website has a wide selection of genres of free music you can download. The genre leads to another website which houses the album and description of the album. You can download your tracks there without registration.
7. Orphan Songs – This website is created by Carl-Otto Johansson who is a musician who writes and records his own music. He uploads his two albums and a few tracks licensed under Creative Commons for public use.
8. Sonnyboo – To use songs from this website, you have to credit the owner and writer of the songs, Peter John Ross. The song selection he has ranges from Jazz to

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