I learnt about it on Twitter, yesterday evening: Yahoo! is shutting down Delicious (formerly known as del.icio.us). I never was a heavy user of this online bookmarking tool, but I was surprised to see a service that has been around for more than 7 years go down so suddenly. Delicious will always be remembered as the first service to use the term 'social bookmarking', and one of the first ones featuring tags to organize bookmarks.

So now that Delicious is closing, what's next? What will happen to all the bookmarks you've saved along these years? The first thing you should do is, obviously, export them to an HTML file - a format accepted by many other bookmarking services, and which will enable to import them again once you've chosen a proper replacement. Luckily, exporting Delicious bookmarks is really easy:

1. Login to your Delicious account and go to Settings.

2. Select the Export/Backup Bookmarks option under the Bookmarks menu.

Delicious will save your bookmark collection as an HTML file and will also give you the option to include tags and notes.

As for Delicious alternatives, there are a bunch of online bookmarking services you can use. Here are just a few of them:

Diigo - Probably one of the most popular alternatives to Delicious. After creating your account, head to the Tools section where you'll find a special feature to import all your bookmarks from Delicious.

Evernote - This is not just a bookmarking service, but that's one of the things you can do with it. Evernote just published a post on their official blog, explaining how to import Delicious bookmarks into their service.

With the advent of Google's new Chrome Web Store, you have lots of extension options with which to deck out your Chrome browser. Now, installing one of them can benefit your favorite non-profit organizations too.

Google's Chrome for a Cause is an extension that counts the amount of tabs you open in Chrome every day. From now until December 19 Google will donate to certain causes based on the number of tabs you've opened each day. The extension is free, and it's a great way to give back without technically giving anything at all -- except page views and some of your spare time, of course.

At the end of each day, you'll be given the option to donate the tabs you've opened to various causes. It's up to you to choose how many tabs go to each of your chosen causes. It's simple, easy, and even fun. Why not give it a try? The holiday season just got a little cheerier, thanks to Google.

If you've had a Tumblr account for any great length of time, you've probably noticed a bunch of tiny, four second video clips showing up on your dashboard. Regular Tumblr users tend to post these little animated images to express emotions or to respond to something they've reblogged. These are GIFs.

You can make your very own GIF in one of two ways. The first option is to edit a video clip down to about three or four seconds with an editing program and then convert it. Unfortunately, this often requires software that could be costly and also takes time to learn how to use. The second option is much simpler -- and it's free to boot.

Simply find a set of pictures you'd like to use. Generally between three and five will do the trick. A lot of Tumblr GIFs are made from popular television show clips. An easy way to make your own is to search for episode screencaps of your favorite television show and save a few to your computer directly. You can also use any personal pictures you've taken.  Here are the four I used:

There are a number of different online GIF-making programs you can use without even having to download anything to your computer. For this example, I used Gickr.  All I had to do was upload those four pictures to Gickr, and decide on a GIF speed.  In a matter of seconds, my GIF was created:

Easy, right? And Gickr's just one of many sites where you can create custom GIFs for free. Some others I came across even had additional features that could come in handy, depending on how you want to use your newly created moving image.

MakeaGif, for example, allows you to choose whether to have your image continuously loop throughout the uploaded pictures or simply have it run one time through. Picasion lets you pick what size you want your GIF to be. And gifninja even lets you convert a video to GIF format if you don't want to search out pictures. Now, thanks to web applications like these, making your very own GIFs for your Tumblr page or any other occasion couldn't be simpler.

We have to innovate, we enjoy it, so let’s do it!

With the release of Opera 11, I talked to co-founder Jon Von Tetzchner to find out what makes the company behind this innovative browser tick. Back in 2005, Jon had proclaimed he would swim the Atlantic if Opera 8 got a million downloads in four days, so I asked him where he stood with Opera 11.

Do you have any plans to swim the Atlantic again?

When we had this competition thing, it was about getting one million downloads in four days, and now we have that in a single day! So from that perspective I would probably have to swim back and forth to the states multiple times just to cover that. I think I’ve had my swim, it was cold and it  would be even colder now!

Opera 10 was very innovative, what are the biggest developments in 11?

For Opera 11 we’ve taken a different approach. We’ve looked at what are the most important things for our users. What do they like best that we can improve on? And then we’ve looked at the things people are saying they would like to have.

So, for the first part, speed is important, Opera Turbo is important, and we made a smaller installer. But then we looked at tabs. A typical Opera user has around ten tabs open at any one time, and keeping track of these can become difficult, so a better organization is a benefit and this is why we’ve come up with tab stacking. We did the precursor of tabs back in 1994, with multiple windows inside one window, and we’ve been gradually improving this and I think tab stacking is an important improvement for anyone who has a lot of tabs.

Mouse gestures are a very popular feature in Opera, and we’ve made them easier to use in Opera 11, and more accessible to new users.

Turbo is very popular with people who have slow connections, and we’ve made it more efficient. The most user requested feature we’ve added is extensions.

MTV has unveiled an interesting looking new online music discovery service called Music Meter. The service trawls social media web sites for emerging bands and musicians.

Music Meter tracks social media sites, looking at increasing numbers of comments written about individual artists to see who is growing in popularity. Users can checked out music videos and 30-second song samples of artists on the Music Meter site. A Rhapsody tie-in allows people to subscribe to listen to unlimited, unrestricted tracks. Android and iOS versions of Music Meter are on their way in January.

Once upon a time, MTV was a great champion for upcoming artists, before its programming schedule got crammed full of reality shows and celebrity spin-offs. So it’s refreshing to see the corporation investing in a new service like this.

Do you enjoy shopping but despise dealing with throngs of customers and pushy sales people? Me too. By the time I've gathered up enough clothing to want to try on, I'm already wishing I could head home. Especially during the holiday season, shopping can easily become more than a little stressful.

Luckily, for people like us there's Polyvore. Hundreds of different clothing designers' products are available at your fingertips on this site. You can mix and match shirts with pants, shoes, purses, and hair accessories. When you're done, choose an appropriate background for your chosen attire to get an even better idea of how the outfit will look. You can even save your favorite collages on the profile of your Polyvore account. Then others can opt to "like" your collages or leave an appreciative comment if they so choose.

This is great for people who want to avoid the rush of the holiday shopping season or, in the alternative, compare prices between clothing brands. Polyvore even allows you to purchase products directly from their site if you're comfortable buying without trying on. And, since you can connect to Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger, the ability to share your unique fashion ideas with friends and family is only a quick click away.

Monty Python may be one of the best loved comedy names, but they've had a pretty turgid time when it comes to video games. From Virgin's poor 1990 effort for 8 and 16-bit computer systems to Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, a 1997 PC adventure game that garnered very average reviews, it seems no one has been able to catch the absurd genius in code.

Facebook is the next platform, where Zattikka are creating a social selection of mini-games based on the classic comedy series. The Guardian have a preview of one of these games, Camelot Smashalot, a kind of Flying Circus version of Angry Birds.

And guess what? It's decidedly average, just dull gameplay with Python samples slapped on top. Of course, this is just a beta test, so there's probably room for improvement, but I'm not very hopeful: The Ministry of Silly Games is shaping up to be a thoroughly uninspired selection of comedy flash games.

You can sign up for the beta testing here, and play the Guardian's preview here.

One of the most anticipated releases of the year is Google Chrome OS and Google have provided a few more tantalizing details of what to expect.

The Google Chrome Press Conference in San Francisco last week revealed some interesting features including a Chrome OS Web Store where users will be able to download software and applications.

Netbooks running Chrome OS will also be available early next year from manufacturers Acer and Samsung.

Larry Magid of Mercury News saw the OS in action at the conference and reports that users can expect super quick installation times based on your Google account info that will put Windows and even OS X to shame:

When you first get the machine, you enter your Google account information, which is all the operating system needs to configure your machine. And if you change machines or use someone else's, you can log on with your credentials and have immediate access to your data, which is stored in the "cloud" on Google servers.

The other good news is that some applications, including Google Docs and Spreadsheets and even some games, will also run when the machine is not connected to the net and then sync data when you reconnect.

Best of all, Google Chrome OS will be completely free. All we need now is an official release date but judging by the increasing amount of information Google are teasing us with, it looks imminent with early 2011 a good bet. Until then, don't forget to check out our video review of the source code version of Google OS.

Google's Chrome browser just got a little cooler. In recent months, lots of hype has surrounded browsers like Rock Melt and Flock that integrate social networking sites into side bars. In an apparent move to keep pace, Google just introduced Cortex, an extension for Chrome.

Google claims that Cortex is the fastest way to share content on the internet with friends and family. After a quick test run of the extension, I'm inclined to agree. This is saying something indeed, as browsers like Rock Melt have made it especially easy to share content without ever having to actually log into sites like Twitter or Facebook by browser.

After installation, the Cortex extension requires just one simple click to begin sharing content. From there, a click wheel will appear, allowing you to share the web page you're viewing on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Instapaper. You can even pick specific Facebook friends with whom to share the content and add a personalized message on any of the interfaces. And as claimed, sharing on Cortex is super fast. What's not to like?

The holidays are fast approaching. Unfortunately, not everyone has the option to visit their loved ones during this time. Long-distance calls can get expensive, especially if you have a lot of people with whom to connect. As a consequence, people are increasingly turning to free video chat programs like Skype to call their loved ones on special occasions.

For those who are new to video calling, here are some simple tips you can implement to improve the quality of your call.

Sound Quality:

If you hear your voice echoing or repeating what you've already said over the feed, there's an easy way to fix this. Usually what's happening is the receiving computer on your loved one's end is bouncing your voice back to your own PC. Wearing headphones during your call is a quick and easy way to fix any echo or voice repetition difficulties you're having. Virtually any set of headphones will do, so there's no need to go out and spend lots of money on a professional headset, by any means.

Google has announced eBookstore, the new online ebook store powered by the giant, just in time for the holiday season. It’s not just another website where you can buy ebooks; the Google eBookstore is already one of the largest ebook collections in the world, with more than three million titles available since day 1 – including the latest bestsellers from the NY Times and the classics we all should read at some point in our lives.

The Google eBookstore has been launched with quite a different perspective than similar businesses like Apple iBooks or Amazon Kindle books. “We designed Google eBooks to be open,” says Abraham Murray, Google Books Product Manager. And certainly they are. These ebooks are bought online and stored in the cloud, in a private personal library with unlimited ebook storage accessed with a password, just like you use Gmail.

Google eBooks can be read on multiple devices and synced across them, from desktop computers to netbooks, including tablets, smartphones, and ereaders. The files are downloaded in ePub/PDF format, which makes them compatible with a large number of devices – but leaves others , like the Kindle, out of the list.

You can buy new ebooks from the Google eBookstore itself or from any other of Google’s independent bookseller partners. There’s no official statement about the price, as Google will let editors decide that for themselves – together with the use of DRM in their titles.

The Google eBookstore is currently only available in the US, which leaves Europeans looking forward to the day when it works on the other side of the pond. It’s certainly an interesting third competitor in the ebook market (besides Apple and Amazon), taking a different approach and launched at a perfect time: just in the middle of the holiday shopping frenzy.

Calling all Android phone owners: start warning your friends and family that you'll soon stop all contact with them - World of Warcraft is coming to Android! Or at least, so it seems from this video, which demonstrates the addictive MMORPG running on an Android device, via GameString.

GameString is a new service that will allow you to play 3D games from your PC remotely through your browser. As pocketnow.com reveals, GameString  will also enable a "streamlined UI overlay" optimized for touchscreens, to allow gamers to play games from a host machine on their phone.

Other interesting features of the new GameString platform include the ability to broadcast live gameplay from your PC to streaming services such as Justin.tv. It will also let you invite other users to play your games remotely. According to its site, there are still 44 days left until the Beta launch of GameString, but you can sign up to use the service for free as soon as it becomes available.

The latest version of social networking browser Flock has just been released for Mac with some interesting changes. I took it for a test-drive to see how Flock 3.5 performs.

Flock is a web browser which was originally based on Firefox but has been best known for broad integration with a wide range of social networking sites. Flock 3.5 however sees it changed considerably under the hood. Gone is the Firefox base in favor of a Chromium one which is interesting considering the recently released RockMelt has also based itself on Chromium and aims to steal the social networking par excellence crown from Flock. However, Flock beats it in the social networking stakes offering integration with LinkedIn, Flickr, and YouTube compared to just RockMelt's Facebook and Twitter.

K.O.L.M. is a cute platform adventure about a lost robot, who wakes up not knowing where he is. His 'mother' is there to guide him through the challenging rooms, where he will find robot upgrades necessary to complete the game.

The presentation of K.O.L.M. is really slick, with some great simple effects that really make the game stand out. There are some pretty tricky parts, requiring some pixel perfect jumping, but it's worth persevering. Fans of the original Metroid series will like this, and it's atmospheric enough to draw anyone into its robot world. Play K.O.L.M. here. The game requires Flash.

[via IndieGames]

Groupon has been around since 2008, and has been growing in popularity, especially in the US. Featuring a new deal every day, Groupon targets the specific market you live in and offers a great price on merchandise and services. What makes it really stand out is that the deal descriptions are written in catchy, often humorous ways and it offers a mobile app for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch so you can even check out deals while on the go.

Right now, the biggest Groupon news has been the myriad of rumors that Google intends to buy it. Until it’s confirmed by either company, however, they remain just that: rumors. What is currently tangible news, however, is that Groupon has recently gone international.

With its acquisition of European clone, Citydeal, Groupon has truly become an emerging company to watch with an international presence. In the span of just a few short months, Groupon has gone from only offering daily deals in cities throughout the United States and Canada to adding a whole slew of new cities, this time in Europe.

There are now cities with available deals in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Spain, to name just a few. The deals work in largely the same way as they do in the United States: Groupon contracts with local businesses to offer deals, usually ranging from 40-60% off market price. A certain number of Groupon users must purchase the deal in order for it to be valid and usable. Once that number has been hit, "the deal is on," as Groupon puts it. You can either print off the coupon online or else simply bring in an electronic copy to be scanned at the applicable business.

This is great news for anyone who travels internationally. As long as you have an internet connection and are in a country where Groupon does business, you can get your daily deals right on your computer or mobile device. Not only is it a great way to save money, it also allows you to experience local business services at a hugely discounted rate. Time to schedule that next European vacation!