ToanInfo Blog - Sharing Useful Information

How to root and install Google Play for Nokia X

2014-03-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

As you may know, Google Play and other Google Apps (Gmail, Google Maps, ...) are not available on Google X and therefore you cannot access and install apps from Google Play. Fortunately, it's rather easy to root Nokia X and install Google Apps.

First, download and uncompressed following files and copy uncompressed files and folders into Nokia X storage.

1. Framaroot & explorer: fshare, mediafire.
2. GApps for Nokia X: fshare, mediafire.
3. Extra apps (maps + launcher): fshare, mediafire.

Steps:

1. On Nokia X, go to Setting > Security and check "Unknown Sources" so that you can install downloaded apps to your Nokia X.

2. Install Framaroot and explorer apps which you copied into Nokia X storage.

3. Run Framaroot and choose Gandalf to root your device. After about 3s, your device is rooted and has SuperSE

4. Using Root Explorer to copy files in "3. NokiaX_Gapps" into /system/app

5. Change permissions for all copied files. Press and hold on a file and set rw-r--r-- as its permission as shown in following figure:

6. Restart your device and enjoy:

Specs comparison Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony XPERIA Z2, LG G Pro 2 and HTC ONE

2014-02-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

Samsung has just announced its flagship Galaxy S5 at Mobile World Congress.

Well, here is how it stacks up against others.

	Samsung Galaxy S5	Sony Xperia Z2	LG G Pro 2	HTC One
Starting price	N/A	N/A	N/A	Free (on-contract)
Known Dimensions	5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 inches (142 x 72.5 x 8.1mm)	5.78 x 2.89 x 0.32 inches (146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2mm)	6.22 x 3.22 x 0.33 inches (157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3mm)	5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inches (137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3mm)
Weight	5.11 oz (145 g)	5.57 oz. (158g)	6.07 oz. (172g)	5.04 oz. (143g)
Screen size	5.1 inches	5.2 inches	5.9 inches	4.7 inches
Screen resolution	1,920 x 1,080 (432ppi)	1,920 x 1,080 pixels (424ppi)	1,920 x 1,080 pixels (377ppi)	1,920 x 1,080 pixels (468ppi)
Screen type	Super AMOLED Full HD	Triluminos Full HD (IPS)	Full HD IPS	S-LCD3
Battery	2,800mAh (user removable)	3,200mAh	3,200mAh (user removable)	2,300mAh (non-removable)
Internal storage	16 / 32GB	16GB	16 / 32GB	32 / 64GB
External storage	microSD (up to 128GB)	microSD (up to 64GB)	microSD	None
Rear camera	16MP, LED flash, OIS,	20.7MP, LED flash, OIS	13MP, LED flash, OIS+	4MP, LED flash, UltraPixel, OIS
Front-facing cam	2.0MP	2.2MP	2.1MP	2.1MP
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	1080p
NFC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	v4.0	v4.0	v4.0	v4.0
SoC	2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800	2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801	2.26 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800	1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
GPU	Adreno 330	Adreno 330	Unspecified	Adreno 320
RAM	2GB	3GB	3GB	2GB
WiFi	802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-band	802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-band	802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-band	802.11a/ac/b/g/n, dual-band
Operating system	Android 4.4	Android 4.4	Android 4.4	Android 4.4
Standout features	Fingerprint scanner, heart rate sensor, Ultra Power Saving Mode, IP67 certified, 4K video	IP58 certified, BRAVIA screen tech, Exmor RS camera, 4K video	KnockCode, Backside buttons, Mini view, Multi Window	UltraPixel camera, Zoe, BoomSound, BlinkFeed

Show network signal strength in number for iPhone

2014-02-14T16:27:00.000-08:00

A small trick helps you to check your network signal with number instead of signal icon. It should be helpful when you are in areas having weak network signal. To display signal strength number, dial *3001#12345#* and press Call:

iPhone will open Field Test app and signal strength will display on the top-left corner of your phone. The signal strength is measured in dB. The higher number shows the better signal strength and the maximum signal value is 0.

To display signal in number as default, press and hold Power and Home buttons at the same time until iPhone is shut down. Then, turn on the phone again to see the signal strength in number.

In the case you want to restore to previous setting, open Field Test app and press Home button to return the the home screen.

How free mobile apps earn money?

2014-02-13T20:06:00.000-08:00

There are several ways developers use to earn money from their free apps:

Publish free and paid versions:

It's quite common that developers publish their apps in two forms: free and paid. Paid versions are usually come with Pro or HD in their names. In free version, the authors can put a link to the paid version on iTunes or Play Store.

The free version acts as a "decoy". If users are satisfied with an app, they can buy a Pro version for more features. The main advantage of this method is that free apps tend to be downloaded 10 times more than paid apps.

Money Lover, for an example, is an app published in free and paid versions. The free app has been downloaded 600.000 times, in which about 7000 users decide to buy the paid version (~$5 USD) and $35.000 goes to author's pocket.

In-App Purchase

Optional purchase inside apps is a good way to earn money compared to selling apps with cheap price (e.g. $0.99). 49/50 apps having highest revenue in USA App Store belong to this category. For instance, on average Clash of Clans earns $3.000.000 USD per day in 2013 with In-App Purchase.

Ads

Displaying banner ads in apps is also a common way to earn money in free apps. To earn money with this method, yours apps should have a a lot of traffic. Flappy Birth is supposed to earn about $50.000 USD per day from more than 50k downloads.

Two big ad systems are iAds (Apple) and Admod (Google). On average, authors receive $2 USD for 100 downloads.

CPI (Cost per Install)

This is a quite new method to earn money with mobile apps. Users will see some "pop-up" in games or apps about "Install Now" for other apps. Usually, $0.8-$3 USD is paid for 1 app installation from CPI companies.

Funds

You can also try to raise funds for your apps from donors. If you have a nice idea, you can find funds from companies. In return, you can add companies' logos or names in your apps.

Remove ads in Flappy Bird mobile game

2014-02-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Although the game has been withdrawn from sale on Apple App Store and Google Play, many people still play it on their phones. This post doesn't tell you how to play this game and gain high score but how to get rid of ads as I guess some people may feel bothersome because the ads keep displaying while playing.

You can remove the ads easily by turning on "Airplane mode" before playing. Without Internet connection, the ads won't appear anymore and you can enjoy the game more :-) In the case you still see the ads in Airplane mode, restart the app.

Countdown timer using google

2013-08-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

If you need a stopwatch, you can use the one inside Google search. All you need is go to Google homepage and input "set timer for n minutes". You will see a stopwatch with basic buttons such as stop and reset. Of course you can use other units, e.g. hour or second, instead of minute. This stopwatch also plays a sound when the countdown ends.

Unlock bootloader for HTC Android smartphones

2013-04-27T18:21:00.001-07:00

Unlocking bootloader is an important step to uproom an HTC Android smartphone. Fortunately, we have same process to unlock bootloader for all HTC Android phones.

Important: You will lost all data and apps installed by you, you should backup your phone first.You may also lost phone warranty!

Steps:

1. Go to http://www.htcdev.com/ and create your HTCDEV account.

2. Download Fastboot Files. Uncompress it to C:\fastboot.

3. Go to http://www.htcdev.com/bootloader/, choose "All Other Supported Models" > click "then begin unlock bootloader"

4. Click on OK or Next button in dialog messages.

Steps 1-4 help you to activate Fastboot mode. In C:\fastboot folder, hold Shift and right click and choose "Open command window here" to open CMD.

5. In command window, type: fastboot oem get_identifier_token
You will see several characters, copy text from <<<< Identifier Token Start >>>> to <<<<< Identifier Token End >>>>> and paste to htc webpage and click Submit.

Done! Check you email to receive Unlock_code.bin file.

After having Unlock_code.bin, click on the link in your email or perform following steps:

1. Copy Unlock_code.bin file to C:\fastboot.

In C:\fastboot folder, hold Shift and right click and choose "Open command window here" to open CMD.

2. In command window, type "fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin" (without quote)

3. You will see a confirmation message on your phone. Using volume and power buttons to confirm (choosing Yes). If you don't receive the confirmation message, do again.

Good luck!

12 awesome keyboard shortcuts for gmail

2013-04-26T18:32:00.002-07:00

You need to activate the shortcut keys in your gmail first. Access you Gmail, click on the Setting icon on the top-right corner, then choose "Genera" tab and turn "Keyboard Shortcuts" on. Finally, click "Save Changes"

1. "c"

Press "c" to compose a new email.

2. "g" then "a"

To view emails including draft ones, press "g" then "a" ("g"=go, "a"=all mail).

3. "e"

Press "e" if you don't take any actions (e.g. reply) on an email after reading it. The email will be sent back to "All Mail".

4. "r" or "a"

"r": reply, "a": reply all.

5. SHIFT + "u" or SHIFT + "i"

Shift + "u": mark an email as unread VS Shift + "i": mark an email as read.

6. "TAB" then "ENTER"

To send an email after composing.

7. "g" then "c"

To go to your contact list. "g" = go, "c" = contacts.

8. "g" then "i"

Go to inbox ("i": inbox).

9. "k" or "j"

"k": go to newer dialog in inbox, "j": go back to previous dialog in inbox.

10. "n" or "p"

"n" (new): go to newer email in inbox, "p": go back to previous email in inbox.

11. "o"

Open the newest email or selected email.

12. "z"

To undo.

Some shortcuts are already available and you dont need to turn "Keyboard Shortcuts" on to use. For example, Control (or Command on Mac) + Enter to send mail; Control (or Command on Mac) + Shift + c to add CC; Control (Command on Mac) + Shift + b to add Bcc.

Using Yahoo Messenger - shortcut keys

2013-04-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

Some useful shortcuts for users using Yahoo Messenger:

MESSENGER

Ctrl + shift + F8 : My Disaplay Image
Ctrl + shift + P : Preferences
Ctrl + shift + D : Sign out to Mobile device
Ctrl + D : Sign out
Ctrl + Q : exit

CONTACTS

Ctrl + shift + A : add a contact
Ctrl + H : Show online contact
Ctrl + tab : Show messenger list

ACTIONS

Ctrl + M : send message
Ctrl + L : Call computer
Ctrl + H : Call a phone number
Ctrl + T : send SMS
Ctrl + Y : send email
Ctrl + shift + C : send contacts
Ctrl + shift + M : send messenger list

HELP : F1

Others

Alt+A Open my Account web page.
Alt+C Show the Call menu off of the split drop down menu control.
Alt+D View/Edit Contact Details.
Ctrl+Shft+L Alt+E End Call.
Alt+H Alt+R Hold/Resume.
Ctrl+L Alt+L Call PC/Call Back.
Alt+M Mute/Unmute.
Alt+S Save to Address Book.
Ctrl+M Send an IM.
Ctrl+T Send a Text Message.
Ctrl+Y Email.
Ctrl+K Call a Telephone Number.
Ctrl+N Start a Conversation.
Alt+V Volume (In the Volume window: Up and Down arrow keys and Home and End keys change the volume instantly, Enter and Esc close the Volume window.

Download 9 Mac software free (worth $131)

2013-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

MacUpdate now gives away 9 Mac software:

1. Backblaze: backup data online. Free 3 months ($15)

2. Grappler ($20): download music and movie on Internet

3. Color Strokes ($3): photo editor with wonderful color mixing

4. LightFrame ($30): add frames to your photos

5. Photo Batch ($15): batch photo processing (auto contrast, rename, rotate, ...)

6. Video Rotate ($3): edit and rotate videos

7. Data Guardian ($20): 448-bit data encryption/decryption

8. MacCleanse ($20): clean your Mac

9. SnapNDrag ($6): screen capture utility with 1 key press

It takes less than 1min to register. First, go to https://deals.macupdate.com/freebundle/affil/8055, click "Create Account" and provide your basic information. Then, go back to previous page and choose "Add to Cart" to buy the free package. Finally, download software and serials.

Source: 9to5mac, MacUpdate

Orange Backup: backup Nandroid to cloud with 1 click

2013-01-10T15:04:00.001-08:00

Nandroid backup is a backup of a running ROM (OS, configurations, personal data, apps) of an Android device. Nandroid backup is very important for users who update ROM frequently.

Usually, to create a Nandroid backup, you need to use ClockWorkMod or TWRP Recovery. However, this approach is rather time consuming. Now with Orange Backup, you can create a Nandroid backup and save it to cloud storage easily.

This app only runs with rooted devices having busybox v1.2 or later installed. With this app you can create Nandroid backup on the fly and you don't need to restart you devices. The progress is simple with clear instructions. You can also set back-up schedule with this app. In addition to Nandroid backup, the app also provides some other features: uninstall or freeze apps and talk killer.

You can download Orange Backup for free on Play Store:

Root Android smartphone easily with SuperOneClick

2013-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Rooting is an important step to gain root access to your Android smartphones with super-user ability. You then can modify files in system folders, install custom ROMs or customise your devices. This post shows you how to root your Android devices with SuperOneClick.

Note: We are NOT responsible if you brick your device. You should read this entire guide before attempting any of the following.

Steps:

1) Download the latest version of SuperOneClick and save to your computer.

2) Connect your smartphone to your computer via USB port, turn on "USB Debugging Mode" (in setting) and unmount SD card.

3) Install SuperOneClick on your computer. If you have Samsung devices, choose "Samsung captivate" tab. Choose "Universal" tab for other devices.

4) Click Root and wait. The progress may take several minutes to complete.

5) Finally, restart your device.

Tutorial video

List of devices that can be rooted by SuperOneClick

Acer Liquid Metal
Dell Streak
HTC Magic (Sapphire) 32B
HTC MyTouch 3G
HTC Bee
LG Ally
LG G2X
Motorola Atrix 4G
Motorola Charm
Motorola Cliq
Motorola Droid
Motorola Flipside
Motorola Flipout
Motorola Milestone
Motorola Pro +
Nexus One
Samsung Captivate
Samsung Galaxy 551 (GT-I5510)
Samsung Galaxy Portal/Spica I5700
Samsung Galaxy S 4G
Samsung Galaxy S I9000
Samsung Galaxy S SCH-I500
Samsung Galaxy Tab
Samsung Galaxy 5
Samsung Transform M920
Samsung Vibrant
Sony Ericsson Xperia X8
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
Sony Xperia Arc
Sprint Hero
Telus Fascinate
Toshiba Folio 100

Download Adobe Creative Suite 2 for free!

2013-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Adobe introduces a special promotion event that you now can download the whole Creative Suite 2 for free without any requirements.

Creative Suite includes all necessary software for editing photo, video, web, ... CS2, which was released in April, 2005, contains Photoshop CSP (9.0), Audition 3.0, Acrobat 3D 1.0, Acrobat Pro 8.0, Illustrator CS, InCopy CS2, InDesign CS and Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0.

The free CS2 is compatible with Windows (XP or later) and Mac OS X (only v.10.2.8-v.10.3.8, PowerPC® G4 or G5 processor). Therefore, Mac users must run Snow Leopard or earlier and install Rosetta to run CS2.

Download Adobe CS2 (free)

Simple way to record Gtalk, YM, Skype call without using third-party apps

2013-01-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Following steps show a simple way to record calls with Gtalk or other chatting programs (Yahoo Messenger, Skype) without installing and using third-party software:

1) Plug headphone to your PC, right click on Volume icon and choose "Recording devices" from pop-up menu

2) The Sound dialog appears, choose "Stereo Mix" from the list. If you cannot find it, right click on empty space of the list of devices and choose "Show Disabled Devices"

3) Right click on "Stereo Mix" and choose "Enable"

4) Click Properties in Playback tab of Sound Dialog to open "Speaker Properties" dialog

5) Go to Level tab, maximize the volume level and click OK

6) Open Sound Recorder program in Programs > Accessories > Entertainment. When you make a call with Gtalk or other chatting programs, click Start to record. Click Stop if you want to stop recording and finally save the file for later use.

Useful software for Mac OS X

2013-01-04T17:59:00.001-08:00

Here is a list of good programs for Mac OS:

1. Office software iWork: Pages, Keynote, Number

Pages

Pages is a good alternative of Microsoft Word on OS X. With Pages, you can add comments for paragraphs or sentences. Pages also supports a lot of beautiful templates.
Download Pages (9.99 USD)

Keynote

This is "Powerpoint" program from Apple. It provides many beautiful effects for presenting.
Note: Keynotes effects may not work well after being converted to Powerpoint.
If you have iPhone, you can use remote control with Keynote Remote app.
Download Keynote (9,99 USD)

Numbers

It is similar to Microsoft Excel. It supports many kinds of graphs.
Download Numbers (9,99 USD)

All software in iWork are integrated with iCloud. You can edit files with iPad and iPhone.

Of course, you can download the famous Microsoft Office for Mac OS (148,99 USD).

2. Note software - Evernote

It is the best cross-platform app for taking notes. The notes can be syned and edited on iOS, Windows Phone, Android, Blackberry OS. With Evernote, you can attach photos and audio files easily.
Download Evernote (free)

3. Task management - Wuderlist

Wunderlist 2.0 has good interface and data sync. You won't miss a task again because tasks are synced seamlessly to iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Android or Blackberry OS devices. With labels, folder, list, you can manage tasks easily with Wunderlist.
Download Wunderlist (free)

4. Chatting software - Adium

Adium supports many kinds of chatting accounts (Yahoo, Facebook, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, ...) and therefore you don't need to download many apps to your computer. It also has a easy-to-use and beautiful interface. All emoticons of Yahoo Messenger can be displayed with Adium.
Download Adium (free)

5. Download management software - iGetter

A must-have app for OS X because it downloads apps, games and video very well. You can also use this app in web browsers. It also allows users to select Internet network to optimize download speed.
With the free software, you may need to wait about 10s every time you run it.
Download iGetter (free)

6. Searching - Alfred

You may use Spotlight to run an app. However, Alfred is a better app to find and run application on your Mac. You can input any query (such as ph for photoshop) in to Alfred to find app. It also supports searching on Google, Amazon or Wikipedia in a simple way.
Download Alfred (free)

7. Cloud service software - Google Drive, Dropbox, SugarSync, SkyDrive (free)

With these services, you can store, view and edit files on any devices. On OS X, Dropbox runs very well and it is integrated with gallery on iOS. When you capture an image on iPhone, the image will be sent directly to Dropbox and you can view on Mac easily.
Download Google Drive
Download Dropbox
Download SugerSync
Download SkyDrive

8. AppDelete

You can remove any app with AppDelete. It can find and delete any files related to the removed app. To delete an app, just drag-drop it to AppDelete icon.
Download AppDelete (3,99 USD)

9. Photo editor - Photoshop, GIMP, Paint FX

Photoshop CS6 and GIMP are 2 powerful software for editing photos. You can also use Paint FX for some basic photo editing functions.
Download GIMP (free)
Download Paint FX (2,99 USD)
Download Photoshop CS6 (700 USD)

10. Feed reading - MixTab

There are many good news reading apps out there (Reader, Feeds, FeedBoard, ...). I prefer MixTab due to its beautiful interface. It manages information with tabs and fully suports trackpad on mac and therefore you can read news easily. You can also share news via Twitter or Email.
Download MixTab (free)

11. SopCast

If you want to watch sports, use SopCast. It is stable and provides high quality videos.
Download SopCast (free)

If you think more apps should be added to this list (e.g. Parallels), please add in the comment.

(tinhte.vn)

Get free Ann Video Converter Pro (end Jan 20, 2013)

2012-12-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

Ann Video Converter is a good software to convert video between formats. It supports all popular video formats (WMV, MPEG, AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DVD, VCD, SVCD, MOV RM, MP4, RMVB...). You can also convert your video to a MP3 file with this software.

Ann Video Converter also supports some simple video editing functions (cut, crop, watermark, change brightness, add title, ...). It costs 39USD but now you can get it for free.

First, go to http://www.annvideo.com/promotion.htm and copy the Register Code:

Then, click "Get it Free" and "Download Now" in the next page. After installing the program, you can activate it with the Register Code above.

And enjoy

Free PC Tools Privacy Guardian license

2012-12-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

PC Tools Privacy Guardian is a security software that can clear browsing history, cookies, passwords, temp files, ... It costs 19.99USD to use for one year (maximum 3 personal computers). However, you can get the latest version for free:

Company: PC Tools (Symantec)
License: free from PC Tools
Size: 15.9MB/Windows XP/Vista/7/8

To register a free license, go to http://www.pctools.com/privacy-guardian/offer/ and input your name, address and email.

Check your email from do-not-reply@pctools.com with title PC Tools Privacy Guardian License Information.

Save License name and License code to activate the software later. Click on the link to download the latest version. In the installation progress, input License information into the dialog "Before we get started..."

With only 6 minutes, this software can free more than 1.4GB space for your PC.
(ref: xhtt.com.vn)

Bring Windows Programs (Games) to Linux

2012-12-06T19:41:00.001-08:00

Some Windows users don't want to move to Linux because they cannot run their favourite Windows programs. However, "PlayonLinux" (http://www.playonlinux.com) provides us a great solution to install and run Windows programs on Linux as native Linux programs, i.e. program icons are placed on the desktop. PlayonLinux is developed based on Wine with a simple interface for installing/removing applications. On Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Linux Mint..., you can install PlayonLinux in Software Center/Manager. A simpler way is to open Terminal and run the command:

sudo apt-get install playonlinux

Run PlayonLinux, you can see its interface:

PlayonLinux installs each application to a virtual drive stored in ".playonlinux/wineprefix". In Configure, you can find virtual drives on the left and each virtual drive has it own settings, registry and frameworks.

You can install more frameworks, such as .NET, DirectX, Adobe/Air, in "Install packages" tab.

You can also set Render engine in Display tab.

To install a new Windows application, click Install button and follow steps:
1) choose an app

2) install
3) specify a new virtual drive or select from available ones

4) choose setup file to install

5) create shortcut for this app

That's it!

If you encounter problems with heavy apps or games, you can find more information at http://appdb.winehq.org/

You can play some heavy Windows games e.g. Diablo III and Skyrim on Linux:

(ref: tinhte.vn)

5 free software to customise your mouse cursor

2012-12-03T16:47:00.001-08:00

1. CursorFX:

http://www.stardock.com/products/cursorfx/downloads.asp

- 13 categories of cursors

- quickly change to the default cursor with "Ctrl + Shift + C"

- many effects and sounds for mouse actions

- easy to change size and color of cursors in "Settings"

2. RealWorld Cursor Editor:

http://www.rw-designer.com/cursor-maker

- generating cursor files (.cur or .ani) from images (GIF, PNG, BMP, JPG)
- many tools for drawing and editing
- compatible with all Windows versions

3. AniTuner:

http://www.gdgsoft.com/anituner/

- easy to create, edit and covert .ani files
- simple and easy-to-use interface
- you can preview and export to different file formats (Animated GIF, Adobe Flash, Clip AVI, Bipmap Strip)
- compatible with all Windows versions

4. Change Cursor:

http://www.rw-designer.com/change-cursor

- the default cursor can be replaced with any .cur or .ani files on your computers
- thousands of free cursors from the web to select
- you can change cursor directly in the software
- supporting 32 and 64-bit Windows

5. DotMouse:

http://download.cnet.com/DotMouse/3000-2317_4 10068477.html?tag=main;dropDownForm

- you can create new mouse cursors from GIF images
- 20 free built-in cursors

Format your USB drive with exFAT to use with both Windows and MacOS

2012-07-20T03:51:00.001-07:00

One of annoying problems that MacOS users may face is MacOS cannot read NTFS USB drive and, therefore, it’s rather difficult to transfer data between Windows and MacOS. To write data to NTFS USB in MacOS, we need to use some commercial programs such as Paragon NTFS. If we format USB with HFS+ of MacOS, Windows cannot read them and we need to install MacDrive program. To solve this problem, you can format your USB drive with exFat (Extended File Allocation Table) so that it can be read and written by both MacOS (MacOS 10.6 or later) and Windows.

Format with exFAT in Windows

exFAT is recommended to use for USB drive but it can also be used with your portable hard disk. In MacOS, to format with exFAT, in Disk Utility, Erase your drive with exFAT.

Format with exFAT in MacOS

Note: some devices (e.g. TV) cannot read exFAT format, check your devices before formatting.

Tips for Google Drive

2012-05-26T18:27:00.001-07:00

Following tips will help you use Google Drive with both PC and web browser more efficiently.

Add Google Drive to “Send To”

You can add Google Drive to Send To context menu so that you can send files to Google Drive more easily. First, run Windows Explorer and input APPDATA%/Microsoft/Windows/SendTo in the address bar. Then, right click on Google Drive folder in Favorites and drag it to Send To folder. Finally, choose Copy Here in the context menu.

Note: if you drag and drop using left mouse button, only a shortcut is created in Send To instead of content.

Encrypt sensitive files

Google Drive is good place to store important files. However, we should be careful with files containing sensitive information. Hence, before uploading these files, make sure that you encrypt them with a password. If your files are stolen, they cannot be read.

There are many methods to encrypt files. One of simplest ways is to create a encrypted file store. You can use a free program (e.g., 7-Zip) which supports encryption and saves to a file store (e.g., .7z). Remember your password or save it in a safe place.

You can also use BoxCryptor application to create a encrypted drive to store your files. To sync with Google Drive, you need BoxCryptor and a password to access.

Change location of folders

You can move folders to Google Drive to sync user data among computers. To change location of documents, images, video and sub-folders, right click on the folder and choose Properties. Now you can change the location in Location tab.

Empty Trash

You can access to Trash of Google Drive to empty or delete files permanently by clicking on More > Trash on Google Drive web.

Restore previous versions

Google Drive stores previous versions in 30 days or 100 modifying times. You can access to previous versions by right clicking on a file on web and choosing Manage Revisions. You also can delete previous versions to free space.

Connect iPhone with Microsoft Office 365

2012-05-19T03:32:00.001-07:00

After some simple steps, you can use Office 365 services (email, calendar, SharePoint Team Sites, Unified Communication US, …) from your iPhone.

Your can find email settings of Office 365 in Outlook > Outlook Web App > Options > See All Options > Account > My Account > Settings for POP, IMAP, and SMTP… These settings are important to connect your iPhone to Office 365. You can also change security settings, such as pin lock, mobile security, encryption and remote wipe, in Mail > Option > My Organization.

The Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync in iOS which is used to push email, calendar and contacts can be used to connect iPhone to Office 365 and to sync calendar, email and contacts between iPhone and Office 365.

First, in iPhone, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account. Choose Microsoft Exchange in the next screen and, then, input your email, name and password. The Domain box is left blank.

Next, iPhone with get necessary server information from Exchange Online server. If it fails to retrieve this information, you need to input server information of Exchange Server which can be found in your Office 365 Account page manually. Finally, you can choose which contents you want to sync with Office 365.

Check and remove botnet Flashback for your Mac

2012-04-08T17:17:00.001-07:00

More than 600000 Macs have been infected botnet Flashback. To check your Mac, follow simple steps below:

Run Terminal (find it in Application/Utilities or search in Spotlight), and input 3 commands:

- defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

- defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

- defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

If the results are as follows, congratulation! your Mac hasn’t been infected.

- The domain/default pair of (/Users/jacqui/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist

- The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist

- The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist

In the case, you Mac is infected, don’t worry, you can remove it by following the guide from www.f-secure.com

Manual Removal Instructions

1. Run the following command in Terminal:
defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment

2. Take note of the value, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

3. Proceed to step 8 if you got the following error message:
"The domain/default pair of (/Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info, LSEnvironment) does not exist"

4. Otherwise, run the following command in Terminal:
grep -a -o '__ldpath__[ -~]*' %path_obtained_in_step2%

5. Take note of the value after "__ldpath__"

6. Run the following commands in Terminal (first make sure there is only one entry, from step 2):
sudo defaults delete /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
sudo chmod 644 /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info.plist

7. Delete the files obtained in steps 2 and 5

8. Run the following command in Terminal:
defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

9. Take note of the result. Your system is already clean of this variant if you got an error message similar to the following:
"The domain/default pair of (/Users/joe/.MacOSX/environment, DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES) does not exist"

10. Otherwise, run the following command in Terminal:
grep -a -o '__ldpath__[ -~]*' %path_obtained_in_step9%

11. Take note of the value after "__ldpath__"

12. Run the following commands in Terminal:
defaults delete ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
launchctl unsetenv DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES

13. Finally, delete the files obtained in steps 9 and 11.

14. Run the following command in Terminal:
ls -lA ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

15. Take note of the filename. Proceed only when you have one file. Otherwise contact our customer care.

16. Run the following command in Terminal:
defaults read ~/Library/LaunchAgents/%filename_obtained_in_step15%ProgramArguments

17. Take note of the path. If the filename does not start with a ".", then you might not be infected with this variant.

18. Delete the files obtained in steps 15 and 17.

Don’t forget to run Software Update to update to the latest MacOS.

How to upload arbitrary files to iCloud

2012-04-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

iCloud provides you 5GB free for each Apple ID. However, it’s rather difficult to use the free storage because Apple only allows to upload document files. If you want to upload other file types, you can follow the steps below.
First, compress the file (or folder) you want to upload to iCloud. In Windows, right click on the file (or folder) > Send to > Compressed, e.g. to compress file CamStudio20.zip:

Then, open iCloud in browser, log in with your Apple ID and choose iWork.

Rename CamStudio20.zip to CamStudio20.zip.ppt if you choose Keynote (or .doc if you choose Pages). Choose Yes if Windows asks whether or not you want to change file extension.

Click on the icon on the top right corner and choose Upload.

Browse to the file and upload.
Done!

How to increase Dropbox storage to 23GB

2012-03-26T01:24:00.001-07:00

If you have an Android smartphone, you can increase Dropbox storage to 23GB free for 2 years by using Dropbox apk.

1. Delete Dropbox app on your Android smartphone (if available) and download the Dropbox 23GB apk to your phone or SD card. Then, install this app.

2. Click on “Continue to Dropbox”, click “Next” and log-in with your Dropbox account (register a free account here if you don’t have one).

3. After a few minutes, you will have 23GB in your Dropbox!

And you will receive an email from Dropbox:

Enjoy!