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Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.

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Bounce – Website annotation is a great way of sharing websites when you want to say something about specific parts of a site. You can leave comments anywhere on a webpage through website annotation thereby fully expressing yourself. Bounce is one site that lets you easily perform this task. Read more: Bounce: Tool For Marking & Annotating Websites.

		FamilyShield – is a great free service that provides protection from phishing schemes. But that is only its secondary object; the primary objective is to block all types of adults websites and save your children from viewing them online. Read more: FamilyShield: Block Adults Websites & Other Malware.
		Anti-Theft For Mobile – There are a number of phone apps that provide great security for iPhones and Android based smartphones. There are 3 basic features these security apps offer: the ability to know where your phone is when lost, the ability to remotely lock your phone and the ability to remotely wipe all of your phone’s data. Read more: Anti Theft For Mobile: Recover Lost/Stolen Cellphone & Protect Your Data.
		Wordgames – If you love smart online games, then you should check out Wordgames. This website is a collection of fun word games and puzzles including popular ones such as Crossword, Sudoku, Hangman, and Typing. There are also more complicated word challenges that you can play here. Wordgames features a new game every week. Read more: Wordgames: Comprehensive Collection Of Fun Word Games online.
		MyJobChart – If you are a working parent then you’ll agree that managing daily household chores and getting kids to do simple tasks is not easy. Before you give up, you might want to try My Job Chart. It’s a nice online tool that introduces a reward-based chore tracking system for kids to get them involved in some daily household work. Read more: MyJobChart: Manage Daily Household Chores With Family.

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These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

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It is one thing to play a fighting game like Street Fighter where you battle out computerized opponents. In time, you eventually learn the tricks and techniques of the computer, and you can usually conquer the opponent once you get enough practice in. But when you’re playing other real players who, like you, have been practicing their moves and tactics for some time, the level of excitement and competition multiplies.

I used to be a major video game player, until I had a family and then only turned to video games in times of high stress. It is usually now an outlet that I use when I just need to set my work down and forget about the world for a while. So, I was very excited to stumble across a very cool fighting game online this month called Hero Fighter that I could install and play right on my laptop.

We’ve covered a number of places where you can play fighting games online at MakeUseOf before. Simon previously covered three pretty cool games including Manga Fighter for kids, the Lost Saga, and of course the very cool Toribash fighting game. Hero Fighter is a bit different than these in that it’s an arena game with no real plot other than taking out your opponent using whatever means at your disposal. And it’s a very cool way to relieve stress.

Hero Fighter is a desktop download for Windows, and it includes a second add-on “Room Server” that’s packaged up with the install. When you launch the game, you’re presented with the option to either start playing immediately in single-player mode, or you can connect to a network game.

I wanted to warm up a bit, as it’s been quite some time since I’ve had time to play fighting games online. After clicking on the key settings and adjusting them to my preferences, I clicked on Start Game. After setting up myself as player 1 and adding the computer opponent, game play (in easy mode) started up.

The first thing I noticed about gameplay is the quality of graphics. The background, objects and all of the scenery are well done, and the effects of hitting objects, like logs or rocks, are realistic. I also thought the soundtrack was pretty cool too. After a few swings, the computer apparently got pretty fed up with me and went into a full charge, as you can see here. A couple more swings of my hefty sword and he was down for the count. I was victorious in my very first round, and feeling pretty good about myself.

Feeling pretty confident, I went back to the main menu and chose network mode. Connecting is pretty easy, you just select the official room list first and you’ll see a list of available servers.

I was thinking there wouldn’t be anyone online because it’s so late here, but then glancing at the list I remembered that we’re talking a global gamer world here. There were a few folks online in Hong Kong and Germany – and people coming online and offline constantly. After browsing down the short list of servers available this late at night, I decided to join the folks over in Hong Kong to show them what a western boy is capable of.

A few things that I noticed about network play is that your latency is heavily dependent upon the location of the server you choose – so try to stick to your own country if possible. However, even playing on a Hong Kong server wasn’t too bad. Game play was relatively smooth, even with six players hacking it out against each other.

The moment I entered the battlefield with these seasoned gamers from Hong Kong, I immediately entered into a charge against an unsuspecting player that had just run off-screen to the lower right. Now, if you look up and to the right of me, there’s this innocent looking red-headed girl holding a huge spear. Well, she wasn’t eyeing me because she thought I was cute. Within about four strides, she was all over me, and within five or six swipes of that spear, I was flat on my back – game over. So much for that!

One thing that I can tell you about this game is that it is easily one of the most addictive network fighting games that I’ve ever played. The controls aren’t overly complicated – it’s basically four directions, guard, attack and jump. The secret is practicing with getting the timing and placement just right. The game is so intuitive and easy to learn, that a few rounds with the computer in single player mode, and before long you’ll be battling out in tournaments as well as the best of them.

Have you ever played Hero Fighter? What do you think of it? Do you play of any other fighting games online that are as good or better? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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When most apps in the iTunes store cost from $0.99 to $2.99, you don’t really think twice about purchasing a few apps every now and then. But when you actually watch the figures accumulate, you could be surprised to see just how much money you’re spending.

The list below includes a variety of completely legitimate ways to get your hands on some paid iPhone apps for free. None of these methods require that you jailbreak your phone – but some of them do require a little bit of patience. From websites that send you notifications when an app’s price has dropped, to websites which feature one free app a day, you’ll find a few tips and tricks on how to get all your favourite paid iPhone apps for free, without spending a cent.

Free App Alert

FreeAppAlert is a great website that you can visit on a daily basis, or better yet, receive a daily email listing all the newly free iPhone apps for that day. The email contains links to view the app on the FreeAppAlert website, or on iTunes. Each app listing is accompanied by the information you would read about the app on iTunes.

AppMiner

If you’re on the go and would prefer a convenient way to keep up with price changes in the app store, AppMiner [iTunes link] is a great way to do just that. Browse apps by category, or by the top rated apps. In each category you can view either the apps that have dropped in price but are still paid, or by those that have become free.

Each app is accompanied by the description and screenshots from iTunes. From there you can launch the App Store on your iPhone to download the app by clicking Get it. You can also see what other people have said about the app by searching for it with the Buzz button, share the link via email, watch the app for price changes or see more apps by the same developer. One way in which AppMiner sets itself apart from other apps of this kind is the use of push notification. You can search the app store for any paid app you like and add it to your watch list. If any changes occur to the app’s price, you will be instantly notified.

AppShopper

AppShopper lists all the changes in prices in the app store, including those that have gone from paid to free iPhone apps. You can narrow your results by iPhone/iPad apps and by categories.

You can also choose to list only the popular apps. Signing up for a free account gives you the added benefit of listing which apps you’ve already bought, and those on your wishlist. This gives you an easy way to keep track of the apps you want to snag for free, and you will receive notifications when their prices drops.

You can also browse the Top 200 iPhone apps, which can be further narrowed down by category or by paid/free apps. Each App listing is accompanied by all the information that you would read about the app on iTunes. Other sites that deserves a mention offering a similar service are Apptism and 148Apps.

FuelMyApp

FuelMyApp offers a slightly different method for getting paid apps for free. The catch is that you have to actually buy the app first. You will then be given 72 hours to review it on iTunes, after which you will receive a refund through Paypal. In order for FuelMyApp to work, however, it needs several elements – the most important of which is developers who are willing to add their apps to the site. Currently, the selection is quite limited. The site also enters a slightly grey area where it may seem that the reviews are being bought, although in theory, whether you give a positive or negative review, you should be refunded.

OpenFeint & FreeAppADay

There are also several sites that offer one free app a day, so check back with them on a daily basis to get iPhone apps for free. OpenFeint offers one free game a day.

FreeAppADay also promotes one app a day, some of which are free for just that one day.

Giveaways

Another way to get paid apps for free is to keep on the lookout for giveaways. We have all sorts of giveaways right here on MakeUseOf, which have included iPhone apps in the past.

AppSafari has ongoing daily giveaway competitions which you can enter by following their Twitter account and tweeting about the daily free app.

They also have a list of promo codes for various apps, which is updated every few days.

Another way to get promo codes is by leaving a comment on the latest giveaways at AppGiveaway, and get yourself in the running for some free apps.

If you’re looking for some free iPhone apps that are just as good as their paid counterparts check out the following articles:

• The Best Free Alternatives To Top Commercial iPhone Photography Apps
• 5 More Free Alternatives to Top iPhone Photography Apps
• 8 iPhone Games You Won’t Believe Are Free

Do you have any tips on how to get paid iPhone apps for free?

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Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For more cool websites and web app reviews subscribe to MakeUseOf Directory.

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jsdo.it – Coders and developers, particularly ones who are not very experienced, can encounter frustrating coding problems that seem to be dead ends. If you are in a similar situation, you should stop fretting and head on over to jsdo.it. jsdo.it is a free to use website aimed at helping web developers with their day-to-day coding problems. Read more: jsdo.it: Write Code, Share It & Get Help From Other Experts.

		PilotHandwriting – If you love beautiful handwritten letters, and are tired of typing emails in those default fonts which look dull and uninspired, then you could try this innovative web based tool called Pilothandwriting. It enables you to type emails in your own handwriting on the computer. Read more: PilotHandWriting: Type In Your Own Handwriting & Email.
		BuddyFox – It can be quite time wasting to keep shifting from your web browser window to your instant messaging client’s window. But because of BuddyFox you can now seamlessly integrate instant messaging with web surfing, without any window switching. Read more: BuddyFox: Firefox Based Instant Messaging.
		MyFav.es – Browser startpage users who like to keep it simple will instantly fall in love with MyFav.es. MyFav.es (derived from “my favorites”) is a minimalist start page website that delivers great functionality in its simple design. If you do not know what a startpage is, it is a collection of web shortcuts shown in a thumbnail view. Read more: MyFav.es: Create Minimalist Start Page With Favorite Website Icons.
		FunnyFacebook – Unless you are living in a faraway cave, you probably have a Facebook account and are busy updating your status all the time. How would you like to update your Facebook status via your dream mobile phone – a BlackBerry perhaps? And no, you don’t need to spend a fortune buying that phone just to boast about it on Facebook. Read more: FunnyFacebook: Customize Facebook Status Update.

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These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last couple of days. If you want us to send you daily round-ups of all cool websites we come across, leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.

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It’s time to say thanks to MakeUseOf’s friends who, once in a while, tip us great story ideas, help out on different projects and in some cases offer their services at discounted prices. Thank you, guys!

ShrinkTheWeb – Website Screenshot Thumbnail Service

Ever wanted to add website screenshots to your website? In my professional opinion ShrinkTheWeb is one of the best services for that, both in terms of performance and pricing. The free account gets you a whopping 250,000 impressions with nearly no delay. See it in action in our daily Cool Websites and Tools series.


 

Walyou – Cool Gadgets for Geeks

Walyou is a fun blog covering all sorts of new cool gadgets and other stuff every geek is likely to find entertaining. Everything from world’s largest Gunny Bears to E-hookah gadgets. Make sure to check them out.

TwitHawk – Real-Time Keyword & Location Based Marketing On Twitter

There is no doubt about the fact that Twitter has proven to be a successful marketing medium for many companies. If you have millions of dollars to spend then you can hire social media marketing experts to take care of everything, but what if you want to market a small or mid-size business on Twitter? TwitHawk is a great service that lets you do exactly that.


 

rade | eccles – iPhone Application Development

The perfect iPhone development team, rade | eccles managed to put our iPhone app together in record time yet exude professionalism and dedication every step of the way. Our collaboration wasn’t happenstance. We would make the same decision all over again. Our only recommendation for an iPhone developer – rade | eccles.


 

TrueKolor – Affordable Quality Logo and Banner Design

If you’re looking for a cheap, original and quality logo or banner, check out TrueKolor. We often contact these guys when we need a logo or a banner made, some of the stuff they did for us listed on their portfolio page. Highly recommended.


 

Thank you, guys!

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