Prakticality

Gmail Quick Fix

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 09:23:00 -0700

Emails should be easy to use.

There are little things that can be irritating, not catastrophic, but still frustrating. It’s the kind of issue where you expect a simple solution but can’t figure out how to fix it.

1. The Left Sidebar Collapses Unexpectedly

What happened? I was replying to an email and clicked "Compose," then suddenly, without warning, the left sidebar expanded. I didn’t even realize it was possible for the menu to unfold like that.

Solution:

To restore the left sidebar to its original state, simply click the 'three-line' icon (also known as the hamburger menu) next to the Gmail logo.

2. Archive Confusion

Personally, I don't fully understand the purpose of the 'Archive' function. I often mistake it for the 'Move to Folder' option. Both icons look similar, with the only distinction being the arrow symbol. This similarity can be confusing, especially when you're trying to organize emails quickly.

When this happens, I lose track of where the archived email goes. According to Google, it's located in the 'All Mail' folder on the left sidebar.

However, finding the 'All Mail' folder can be a hassle. It's not immediately visible on the sidebar; you have to scroll down and click 'More' (the arrow-down icon) to reveal additional options. Once you do, the 'All Mail' folder will appear.

Archive or Move To?

When organizing emails, I prefer using the 'Move To' option over 'Archive.' Why?

Using 'Move To' is much more convenient. It lets you send an email directly into a specific folder you’ve created. To access it later, you simply click on that folder—quick and straightforward.

In contrast, retrieving an archived email is more complicated. First, you need to make the 'All Mail' folder visible. Then, open the archived email and click the 'Move To' button to transfer it back to the Inbox. (By default, the 'Move To' button in 'All Mail' is set to Inbox.) This extra step makes archiving unnecessarily cumbersome.

The Digital Companion

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 17:55:00 -0700

Click to get 40% Off on Echodot

When the kids have grown up and flown the nest, it's eerie how much you miss the chaos: their endless questions, unmade beds, loud music, and the inevitable pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. When the house is spotless but filled with a lifeless stillness, that's when you realize that noise is better than silence. Suddenly, even the repetitive questions and constant complaints seem comforting—because at least someone was there to answer when you spoke.

For a fraction of the cost of your children’s whims, an artificial intelligence gadget can bridge the gap between silence and social connection.

A smart speaker offers more than just functionality; it can provide a sense of verbal companionship. With the knowledge of a thousand geniuses, it answers nearly all your questions, plays your favorite music, and can even pull up the tunes your kids loved—just say something like, "Play music for teenagers in the '90s." While it won’t do the dishes, it can help you order a dishwasher or even your favorite takeaway meal. Folding laundry? Alexa can’t lend a hand, but she’ll play “folding clothes” music to keep you entertained (yes, that’s a thing). It can handle countless digital tasks to keep you busy and stave off boredom.

Still, part of me wishes there was a way to tweak its artificial intelligence—maybe to mimic a three-year-old or even an endearingly clueless personality. Imagine the fun of dealing with a bit of mischief or a "dumb" response every now and then, just to keep life interesting!

This version streamlines your ideas, maintains a conversational tone, and strengthens the impact of your humor and insights.

The Cloud and the Chromebook

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Mon, 6 Jun 2022 04:46:00 -0700

See popular
Chromebook products

It seems like everything is moving to the cloud. Emails, CDs, DVDs, programs, apps, and even money have successfully transitioned into virtual existence, making their physical forms increasingly optional. Who needs real money anymore when it can be lost or stolen physically? Well, I still do—but handling physical cash often comes with its own headaches, like counterfeit bills and human error. The digital form of things promises convenience and fewer mistakes. Or is that just an excuse to justify humanity's growing reliance on impersonal systems?

Cloud computing has been around for years, revolutionizing the way we use technology. It has driven prices down, much like it did with laptops. Programs, applications, and security are now centralized, eliminating the need for physical discs or concerns about compatibility with your device. This shift has also led to sleeker, lighter devices with improved battery performance—devices can now last 8 hours or more, thanks to fewer components consuming power. It’s hard not to see the benefits.

The backbone of this cloud revolution is high-speed wireless internet. With its increased capacity to handle megabytes of data per second, even modest devices can perform tasks that once required powerful local hardware. This advancement has allowed companies to create faster, more secure, and more affordable devices—a win for consumers.

Take the Chromebook, for example, an all-cloud computing solution steadily gaining ground in a market dominated by Windows and iOS. Although still a "David" compared to these "Goliaths," the Chromebook’s popularity is growing, especially among students and budget-conscious users. Its low cost doesn’t mean compromising performance or reliability. It simplifies the user experience—no need to buy additional software or security programs. With apps

How to Reduce Image File Size in Chromebook

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 5 Jun 2022 07:31:00 -0700

I use free blogging platforms, which come with restricted data storage. To stay within these limits, I need to reduce every file to its smallest possible size. On top of that, I use a Chromebook, which has limited storage and application capabilities—unless you’re willing to spend extra on cloud storage or external memory drives.

To manage image sizes, I use the Chromebook’s native **Gallery** application. It’s easy to use: simply click on the photo you want to resize, and it will automatically open in the **Gallery** app. From there, you can adjust the file size to make it suitable for your storage and blogging needs.

This method is a straightforward way to optimize images without requiring additional software or tools.

In this example, I am going to reduce the file size of "walking with a stick" with 2.5MB size into a manageable chunk for my blog.

In the **Gallery** app, click the **Re-scale** button to display the image’s width and height settings.

Make sure the height and width ratio is locked before adjusting the values. Once you're satisfied with the size, click "Save As" if you want to keep the original photo, or simply click "Save" to overwrite the existing image with the resized version.

The image has been reduced from 2.5MB to just 288KB. This smaller file size makes it easier to upload and allows my blog's limited storage to accommodate more files.

How to Save Google Docs in Your Chromebooks' Drive

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:00:00 -0700

It's so easy in Windows. Once you're done, just click "Save", or use "Save As" to choose a location on your computer. The work is done—no hassle.

However, in Google Docs on a Chromebook, I find it a bit tricky. By default, it saves to Google Drive, meaning the file is stored in the cloud. Imagine that! Anyone with the link could access it, or it might even appear in a Google search.

To save a file to your Chromebook’s physical drive, go to the File menu, select "Download", and choose the file format you want to save it as (for example, .docx).

Then, navigate to the desired location under My Files (notice Google Drive is listed below). Name your file and click Save.

You need to download a Gmail document because it’s created virtually in the cloud, using an application that’s hosted online. Perhaps you could bypass this by setting the document to be available offline? I’m not sure yet, but I plan to experiment with it at another time.

Improving Chromebook's DIsplay

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sat, 21 May 2022 18:30:00 -0700

I’m starting to like my Chromebook. It’s fast and hasn’t disappointed me so far, especially since I mostly use it for browsing the web and watching Netflix. However, the monitor does have a limited viewing angle, and the colors can appear washed out. Given that this device cost me less than £150, I can’t expect too much, but I did make a few tweaks to improve the experience. First, I went to Settings, then Device, and selected Display. I moved the display size slider to 85% to reduce the magnification, which in turn allows the screen to display more pixels. I also enabled Nightlight and adjusted the slider to the right for a warmer tone. The result? A much more pleasant picture overall.

Chromebook Can't Go Online

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sat, 21 May 2022 15:55:00 -0700

This is my first time using a Chromebook. Straight out of the box, I plugged in the charger, and the device powered on automatically—no need to press any button. Since it requires an internet connection to work, I tried connecting it to my phone’s hotspot. The connection was established without any issue. However, when I opened the Chrome browser, it showed that I wasn’t connected to the internet. I clicked the Diagnose button, which confirmed that the device was connected to the hotspot, but it still indicated that it wasn’t connected to the internet.

A window popped up offering me the option to use the Chromebook as a guest. I clicked it, and the Chrome browser successfully connected to the internet. The issue with the guest account, however, is that it doesn't allow me to download or save anything. I then realized that I hadn't set up a proper account yet, so I restarted the device. When it powered back on, it prompted me to log in to my Google account. I assume this is part of the process for setting up an administrator account. After entering my Gmail and password, the device was ready to use and could access the internet. What confuses me is how I was able to log in when the device wasn’t connected to the internet at that time. Or maybe I just forgot that I did it earlier? Can anyone help clarify this for me?

Minding the Pennies

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Tue, 17 May 2022 14:34:00 -0700

In today’s climate, with prices rising on everything, we need to be mindful of every penny leaving our pocket. A penny saved here and there might not seem significant at first, but over time, they can really add up.

You might think we already have plenty of ways to save—store loyalty cards for groceries, vouchers for electronics, and discounts on certain days. So what more can we do to save even more?

The answer: Cashbacks.

Cashback companies reward us with cash when we shop at online stores they’re affiliated with. For example, a cashback company might be partnered with the grocery store where we already have a loyalty card. When we shop there, not only do we earn loyalty points from the store, but we also get cash back from the cashback company. It’s that simple—you get your usual perks, plus extra cash.

So, how much cash are we talking about?

It depends on the product you purchase and the cashback company you use. Below are some examples of what you can earn when you complete a purchase.

There are many more companies that reward our buying habits, including mobile phone providers, auction sites like eBay, supermarkets, airlines, pizza takeaways, and more.

To see a full list of companies that offer cashback for your purchases, click here!

Measuring Distance in Google Maps

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 18:16:00 -0700

Now that I use Google Maps frequently whenever I’m heading somewhere, I've started discovering functions by accident. These are simple features that can be really useful, especially when you're walking to your destination.

One of these features is the ability to measure the distance between two points. Interestingly, the ‘Measure Distance’ option doesn’t appear when the device is online, so you’ll need to turn off Wi-Fi or mobile data to use this feature.

Here’s how to do it:

Open Google Maps and zoom in for better accuracy.

Drop a pin at your starting point by tapping lightly on the screen to activate the red location pin.

From there, you can continue measuring the distance to your destination!

Notice the ‘measure distance’ menu appear when offline. When online, the menu is not available.

Tap the ‘measure distance’ to anchor the dropped pin to the starting point.

At this point, you can either go back online or stay offline.

Next, drag the map towards your destination and position the movable target circle over the location. You’ll see the distance between the two points displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen, for example, 0.383 mi.

This is the distance when travelled in straight line but it would be different in real situation when you follow the road or use different roads.

Here’s how to road map it.

Whilst dragging the map, place the first turn to the road you choose then tap the ‘plus button’ to anchor the first turning point.

Continue doing that every time you encounter a turn or a bend, until you reach the destination. If you make a mistake, just tap the ‘back’ arrow button at the top.

The measurement is expectedly increased to 0.522 mi as the road map follows one of the roads rather than a straight line. The more presses of the ‘plus’ sign makes the measurement more accurate.

If you know how to initiate ‘measure distance’ whilst online, please share it at the comments box. Thanks.

Bus Blues

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 24 Apr 2022 07:10:00 -0700

I can no longer afford to own a car, and it’s been years since I last drove one. So, I leave the driving to my chauffeur—the bus driver.

The beauty of having someone else drive you around is that you can do anything—enjoy the view, read a magazine, play games, talk on the phone, or even doze off. And you don’t have to worry about getting a parking fine or, worse, ending up in A&E. Although, not waking up at all would be a bigger concern!

Public transport saves you time and money on parking fees and eliminates the forehead-creasing stress of finding a parking spot.

Thanks to Google Maps and data providers, it’s now easier than ever to find which bus to take and how to connect to your destination. Everywhere is just a tap away.

I see people doing exactly that—tapping away at their phones while at the bus station, on the bus, and even while on the move. It’s dangerous when their focus is entirely on their device instead of the potential hazards around them. I used to do the same, collecting near-misses and “I’m sorry” moments.

I decided to change my approach and find a better way. Waking up the phone, entering the passcode, and finding the right route takes time and full attention.

So, I started using a quicker method—taking a screenshot of the route information. This way, I can easily access the details and keep track of my journey’s progress.

Of course, this still requires waking up the phone, entering the passcode, and scrolling through screenshots. So, I decided to try an “old school” method.

I use Google Maps to look up the details of my destination. To streamline the search, I set it to show only buses, which are cheaper than most other forms of transport.

By default, Google Maps shows all available transport options. Simply tap on the ones you don’t need to exclude them from your search.

I choose the ‘arrive by’ option in the query, as I find it to be a better choice for planning my journey.

I wrote down the relevant details on a sticky note, including the station name, bus number, and arrival times from the station to the connecting stop. I also included the stop IDs, all the way to the final destination.

Then, I stuck the note on the inside of my phone’s protective transparent cover.

Now, every time I need to review my route, I just flip my phone around to check my progress.

Old school can look pretty cool when you’re flipping your phone to check your route, while others are still waking up their phones, entering their passcodes, scrolling through photos, or searching the internet for route information.

Being Practical

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 17:25:00 -0700

Is it really necessary to replace our mobile phones with the latest model as soon as a new one is released? I can already sense those who can afford it nodding their heads. There’s nothing wrong with that, but is it ethical?

There’s an old saying, “Don’t fix it if it’s not broken.” So why replace it, or in marketing terms, “upgrade”?

People are naturally drawn to new things. A few tweaks to the camera or some added features in a new phone can make people stand in long queues to get the latest model. Marketing power words like XL, HD, 5G, or even "vegan-friendly" have conditioned consumers to think they need the newest version.

I remember many years ago, there was a concept for a modular phone. The idea was that individual components like the camera, Bluetooth, NFC, and so on could be added or upgraded, just like pieces of a Lego set. If a new camera was released, you could simply remove the old camera block and replace it with the new one. If a new feature came out, you could just find an empty block and fit it in. This concept was similar to how computers used to be, especially when they were primarily tower models.

Why didn’t this idea take off? Although it was a good concept, it turned out to be a bit of a hassle. Consumers don’t like complicated things—they prefer to buy, open, and use without too much effort.

There’s not much incentive to keep your old phone, aside from the obvious benefit of saving money for something else. The sad reality is that operating system providers eventually stop supporting older versions, and compatibility issues with new technology arise after about 4 years.

One possible solution could be for mobile and data providers to set up a “decreasing tariff” for customers who continue using their old phones. This would help reduce electronic waste. It may be bad for the companies, but it could be a positive choice for consumers. So why not consider providers that offer second-hand units, like Music Magpie, Envirofone, Giffgaff, or Voxi with refurbished phones? These often come with lower rental fees.

It might not be appealing to everyone, but this small change can save money and be friendlier to the planet. After all, phones are primarily made for calling, anyway.

How to Copy Articles From Flipboard

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 02:12:00 -0800

Flipboard is a useful app for mobile users who love to read. It kills boredom especially during long travels or waiting for transport that is taking forever to arrive. It is even more useful for researchers or copywriters who are looking for interesting story to work on, as the application can be modified to which topic it will show to the reader.

The only problem is, the mobile application does not allow users to highlight the text which makes it impossible to copy a portion or all of the text.

But there's a practical trick to do just that.

This post will show you how to get around this restriction, enable you to highlight the text that makes copying of the article possible,

On android device

1. Tap the menu button at he top right of the screen,
2. Select "view on web"
3. Long press on the text and position the slider to the desired position
4. Then press copy.

Now you can paste it to anywhere you want like in a document you are working or note. You can also share the entire article by pressing the share button next to the copy button and you can email the whole article without copying it.

On iOS device

5. Long press on the article until the built in menu shows then press "open in Safari".

6. Long press to select the information you need and press copy!

How to Watch Satellite Subscription Programs Free Of Charge

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sat, 24 Dec 2016 13:17:00 -0800

Entertainment comes with a price. Even the very basic of home entertainment using TV is not free. In my location we pay a license to own one and another subscription to top up the free to view channels to watch decent programs. And depending on the package, it could mean a hefty chunk of the monthly budget.

But with the high speed internet already available, coupled with gadgets and brilliant apps makers, it could mean some savings to your monthly entertainment budget for some popcorn during a marathon movie night.

Here's what you need and how to set-up.

An android tablet or mobile phone with at least OS 4.1 (Jellybean) or above. The latest is better. You can check the OS by going to Settings>General>About Device>Android Version

Using your android mobile phone, download the application at https://www.mobdro.com/ . Do not stray away from this site as the others will lead you to a never ending link of advertising. See screenshot of the site below and click download the app.

Once dowloaded and before hitting install, make sure that your device is authorized to install unknown applications by going to Settings>General>Security>and tick Unknown Sources

And also make sure that the minimum requirement Android 4.1 or above is onboard your mobile or tablet.Otherwise a parse error message will display and the installation will not be complete.

Successful installation will not ask you for additional setup and will work straight away. Now you can enjoy a wide variety of cable and satellite programs from movies to sports and other international channels for free.

Enjoy and merry xmas to all!

Quick Fix: Disappearing Subtitle on Apple TV

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 14:43:00 -0700

One thing I like about apple products is the flawless ability to connect to one another, especially the streaming of movies to a bigger screen using apple TV as a bridge. This makes a cinema experience from a rather small screen when viewed in a wider and with more powerful audio output. HD's are viewed as HD's, and stereo sounds as stereo sounds, thanks to the magic of airplay. The availability of subtitle adds more to the enjoyment specially when watching movies with foreign language.

Movie with subtitle

However on some sites, the subtitle disappears when streamed using airplay.

Whilst the sound and picture are perfect, the subtitle does not appear, even though it is available. Is this an airplay issue or the movie website's problem?

Airplay with iPhone

The good news is, there is a trick to get around this problem by using the mirroring function of airplay, as it outputs what you see in your phone in real time.

By a simple toggle of the mirroring button, the subtitle appears as it is intended by the website.

Why Third Party Cables Let You Down?

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 03:08:00 -0700

Have you bought a third party cable for apple products that does not work? And dismayed to find out that the item did not last very long or is not fit for what it is intended to do?

Lighning Connector
by Apple

I've been there, and this made me feel cheated and betrayed, not to mention the monetary loss instead of the expected savings I was aiming for. But because I thought all cables were equal, which is true at some point before IOS 7 update and newer apple phones taken over the shelves, I was enticed more to bet on the possible savings, only to find out that third party products are useless in the sense that they do not charge the device properly or could not handle data or the worst, can damage the device itself.

Why apple makes their accessories a propriety?

Making their own “product only compatible” is a clever method of maintaining the propriety of the essentials and other add ons and is also a form of protecting the company ‘s liability from the possible damage of other inferior products when used with their brand. Propriety tends to make a brand's prestige intact and unblemished, helping to protect it’s perceptive value among others.

Cheap third party cables show an error message in the screen about reliability or the product could not recognise the product, because it is not apple certified. If you have an apple product before the IOS 7 update, you might be wondering that this problem is not as common as they are now. This is not only about the operating system update but another clever method of apple engineers to incorporate an identifier chip within the cables. How did they do it?

The additional "chip" within.

In an article by gizmodo , Peter from Double Helix Cables found a little chip on an official Lighting cables. It is somewhat kind of an authentication chip used by other sophisticated accessories and first time that shown up in a basic accessory. And without this, the updated software in the iPhone or other apple products show the error message on the screen and depending on the conditions they programmed when it is not read or failed authentication, the device may fail to charge, may not transfer data or both. It may cause the device to become very hot and this can damage the device.

Controller Chip Image from Gizmodo

So, if you have these symptoms in using an unbranded cable, the best way to move forward is to invest in an authentic cable that gves you peace of mind that the product works, and guarantees that if something happens with the device whilst using the accessory, you can claim compensation to repair or replace the gadget.

And if you are out of budget or do not have an apple retailer around, there are also brands that has given the right and permission to make their products compatible to apple's. They pay for this so you may find it as the same price as the original.

Here are some pointers to look for.

Packaging

Apple encourages companies to join MFi programs to have access to the technology that they use for their accessories. In return they license them to use the MFi logo or Made For i(product) for their products. It could just be compatible for iPhone, iPod, iPad, or it could be compatible for all. You can distinguish the compatibility from the MFi logo in it's box.

MFi Logo

Serial Number

The use of serial number in apple products keeps tract of the batch of products for easier recall when things get problematic.This is imprinted in a specific location in an original cable which is according to apple support, has to be 12-digit after the "Designed....Assembled in....." writing thast starts about 7 inches from the USB connector.

Apperance

Apple products are known for their good aesthetic looks, from the device down to the essentials. Judging from the looks alone you can easily distinguish the authentic from the wannabees. To start with, look at the contacts inside the USB part, authentic product is gold plated, whilst silver plated are dodgy. Below is a collection of photo distinguishing the authentic and imitation product just by looking at the different parts of the cable.

Single, and smooth and rounded VS more than one piece, rough and squared contacts
size: 7.7 mm X 12 mm VS varying width, length and thickness
Grey/metallic faceplate insert VS white or black
Interlocks are trapezoidal VS right angle
Plate is flat, smooth and consistent VS grainy and rough
Insulator is uniform and flat VS nothces and indents

MFi Certified Brands.

Apple tend to make their cables boring in design in the sense that there is not much variety offered to different markets like suitablefor the young or old, from the adventurous and the homebodies. The MFi certification enabled accessory companies to address this issue by bringing out products that are as good as the authentic one but with such more flexibility in the sense of broader choice. Anker is one of the companies with a good product, design and variety.

For example you can have the standard length like the one below,

3ft Anker MFi Certified
Click for more colours

or if you have an application for a longer cable. You can also choose which color to suite you.

10ft Anker MFi Certified
see more sizes here

The Latest Craze Pokemon Go

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 09:55:00 -0700

fr Pokemon.com

Nintendo is making a comeback with the newest video game craze. And this time, it is no longer a propreity
to their nintendo player but encompasses popular flatforms like android and apple. After all it is more profitable to include neighbouring brands than enclosing it in the nintendo backyard which is just limited to proper gaming flatform.

How To Download

The game can be downloaded and played for free on both android and apple smartphones, although it is still too early to rollout the possibility of extending this to the remaining mobile systems. Just visit the google play or app store in your mobile phone to get it. Click here to visit and download Pokemon Go.

What To Watch Out For When Playing

fr Pokemon.com

The object of the game is to catch Pokemons by flicking a ball unto them when they become available on your surroundings. As the game uses your location to find pokemon in the augmented reality environment, your device should be connected to any internet gateway, 4g, 3g or wi-fi. Your device will vibrates to alarm you to get ready for the shot or chase.

If you tend to hide your phone away from view but couldn't resist playing the game, a bracelet (Pokemon Go Plus) like device can easily vibrate or light up as a warning of nearby catch or events.

fr Pokemon.com

One thing to watch out for is your data limit, as you may incur surcharges when you go beyond your data limit.

As the app uses your camera,, data connection, and location to play, not to mention that your screen needs to be turned on all the time when playing, you may need to know the nearest mains to charge your phone or could benefit from bringing along a portable battery pack or charger.

In this time of the year when the sun's brandishing it's power, a solar portable charger is not a bad idea.

And as this game encourges everyone to be looking everywhere, a near free public wi-fi area is a must. But in case this is not possible, a mi-fi device could be a fun saver for kids hunting far and wide, though it could be a wallet menace as it needs another data loaded simcard.

Warning Advisory

The game is still in it's infancy state so to speak, but it is proven to be so engaging that even grown-ups are not spared form it's snares. The playing of the game at the unappropriate places and activities has so far caused accidents and injuries. So please, if you are planning to play, do not do it whilst driving, crossing the road, or in places of worships or when silence is of much important. There is nothing bad in having fun but to cause other's inconvinience whilst having fun is not acceptable. And do not try to die whilst having fun, because that's stupid!!

Buy products in this article

mini-charger,

solar charger,

mi-fi,

Links

Pokemon official site here.

Reasons Why TV Patrol Online Episode is Late

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 15:20:00 -0700

I've noticed complaints flooding the "tardiness" of TV Patrol program segment at TFC.TV. I understand that paying sunscribers expect a better service, prompt delivery is one of them, and it is just natural that they get frustrated when they feel short changed in terms of being on time.

The customer service is honest to admit that the fresh content takes upto 3 hours to process before it is available to online subscribers. So the only solution to those who can not wait for this is to watch this in real time using DZMM's live streaming, if they do not mind the timedifference. Live content is available from the link is below Manila time.

http://tfc.tv/Live/Details/41725/dzmm-teleradyo

I am not siding, do not work or have no personal interest with ABS-CBN but I just like to share TV patrol online viewers several situations why they might not see the fresh version of the episode they are waiting for and what they can do to remedy this.

1. Not Updated Browser Cache

     This could be because of two things.

           1.A Internet connection

Intermittent or poor internet connection is obviously a reason why you can not get a fresh content. This will make the browser of your computer unable to update it's cache. So everytime you go to the page, the browser can not pull fresh content from the server but will work offline and use the old cache giving you the old page of the webpage eventhough in reality the webpage is already updated and the contents are in.

Save blowing your trumphet early and try checking your internet connection for issues. You can try to check your internet connection using this checker.

http://www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk/

If everything is OK, it could be a browser problem.

            1.B Browser problem.

Browser and web technology is ever so reliable than years ago, but we can not always be 100% sure about it. There are factors that influence their reliability, like spywares or viruses, and even addons that are being distributed by reliable companies. Sometimes they mesh up the cache and your browser will end up not giving you the fresh contents.

Solution to this is to clear the cache.

For Firefox, type or copy and paste
about:preferences#advanced
in the address bar. Click Networks(1) then Clear Now(2). Refer to screenshot.

For Chrome, type or copy and paste

chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

in the address bar. Make sure to tick Cached images and files (3)before clicking Clear browsing data(4) Refer to screenshot.

2. Website is Down

This is the most serious situation that you can not do anything about it. Site maintenance is one of the most common cause of this. But it can also a result of a virus, spyware, firewall, or your internet service provider, wrongly black listing the site. To determine if this is a site maintenance issue, try checking the response of the site using a website checker.

Use check it directly by cliking the prefilled TFC.TV link below.

http://www.isitdownrightnow.com/tfc.tv.html

It can show you if the site is reachable(5). In this screenshot, it is saying that it is up and running. You can also use the search(6) function to check other sites.

Below the test page is a message board where TFC subscribers post the date when they encountered maintenance problem..

Below is an example of a site which is down using this web checker.

No Signal, No Problem!

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 5 Jun 2016 12:55:00 -0700

Thuraya SatSleeve for iPhone/Android

Nothing can dispute the fact that the mobile phone are is the present swissknife of gadgets. It gives us everything, from telling the time to telling the future on what lies ahead, if we need to bring raincoats or sunshades. And not to mention being able to broadcast this info to our friends via SMS or video calls so that we could organise something like a barbecue party or just have a beer at a nearby bar.

But none of these functions would be possible in a dead spot area or to any barren place where the mobile cellsite can't reach. This makes the mighty phone lame or useless. Instances like this could make us recall that the mobile phone is not the present swissknife of gadgets after all. Or is it still?

If your line of work requires crucial continous communication signal then satellite communication device is an excusable purchase eventhough it costs an arm and a leg. Sometimes it is better to lose those than lose everything including our lives. Although this kind of phone has the edge in terms of connectivity, it shortchange by miles in functions compared to a mobile phone.

The SatSleeve

Luckily, there is a way to combine the perpetual connection of a satellite phone and the allrounder functions of a smartphone.The SatSleeve from Thuraya combines this features of the two devices so that there's no interruption of communication signal using satellite and harnesess the whole smartphone's features. In a nutshell, it gives the missing link of failed smartphone in a dead spot zone.

The SatSleve's signal is provided by satellites via a special sim card, and this signal can be transferred to any smartphone, iPhone or android, that supports wi-fi signal. The SatSleeve acts as the hotspot and the smartphone as the device. Although using this signal costs arm and leg, it could outweigh the possible loss in times of emergency.

Visit the latest price from amazon or read more details here.

The Resurrected Nokia

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 1 May 2016 13:05:00 -0700

Nokia was the king when mobile phones have started filling the pockets of the young professionals. Existing side by side with the bleeper, it was the cream among other brands like Erickson, Sony and others. Always the first to introduce new features and amassed millions of fans and followers, among all walks of life worldwide.

With the emergence of other highly competitive companies, it seemed that Nokia has raised both hands to concede and embraced the fact that they can no longer sustain their popularity as once the ruler of the mobile world, or maybe they just lay low for a moment whilst thinking of what other phones hasn't offered yet to the public.

image from
Image from
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/emulator/?dcmpid=bmc-src-bing

Microsoft shared the same fate with Nokia, once the "only" software and brand preference among technology users has hidden and buried itself to the unsuccessful products like the internet explorer and the windows variants of operating system. But the emergence of the Windows 10 seemed like the future of Microsoft, as the top operating system and it's new Edge browser will bring the once taken away prestige back to where it was before.

The question is, will the taking over or merger of Microsoft and Nokia can bring the spark back to the pioneer maker of mobile phones and make the top guns of today's mobile brands a run for their money? What are the features that users missed from other popular brands? Here are some reasons why it could.

1. Windows 10 onboard

Windows is making a comeback, not only in personal computing on operating systems but also from internet browser, email client, VOIP(skype), digital personal assistant and many more. Imagine getting all this on your laptop and synchronising it to your phone whilst on the go would mean more productivity for less work. This is also a great selling factor to people who like to work on familiar environment.

2. Simplicity

Big buttons(tiles) and intuitive menu are components of easy to use phone. Placing on calls, composing text and other messaging engagement can be a breeze with this design. Perfect phone choice for people who are just after the basics and surfing the net. But could be a let down to those who uses different apps a lot as Windows version might not still be out. This is not Microsoft's fault but the developers seem not having interest in making a Windows version yet.

3. Call handling

There are times that we are tied up to something that it is impossible for us to answer our phone or just really not in the mode of starting a conversation. This phone has the ability to send a customized message instead of the usual conversation, thus saves you from the impression of being a snob.

Image from
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/emulator/?dcmpid=bmc-src-bing.

4, Essential Application

The mobile flat form is flooded with millions of apps ready to download into your phone. In reality, we just need a handful of them and the rest are just a pile of rubbish lining up with the hope of being downloaded. Popular applications might not have a Windows mobile version but this should not disappoint users as there are many alternatives out there.

Even paid for applications has a better alternative. You can also try a paid app before deciding to buy. But to be honest, being minimalist in what we download to our phones is a good thing as the lighter the load, it is more beneficial to the phone's response time..

Image from
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/emulator/?dcmpid=bmc-src-bing.

5. Essential Features.

Windows phones will not shortchange you when it comes to features. NFC, bluetooth, LTE, Wi-Fi, hotspot host, biometric sensors, removable memory and other essentials too long to mention here are available depending on the model you choose. You can visit this link to get a glimpse of the top of the line Windows phone at the time of this post.

6. Price.

Majority of the Windows phone are not that pricey like the top brands. In fact the selling range is very flexible, it can accommodate users from A to Z budget. The good news is, even the lowest specification unit can be upgraded to have the trimmed down mobile Windows 10.

2 Things You Need to Add Wireless Charging To Your Smart Phone

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Wed, 6 Apr 2016 15:11:00 -0700

The advances in mobile technology is not just confined to it's performance and features, but also to it's practical and convenience usage. One of the greatest disappointments in having a gadget is it's inability to stay "up" all day because of limited battery power. Another annoyance is the cable to charge them, which could easily break or get misplaced. I wonder why we still need to buy a cable from an independent company to get a longer lasting cable. Can these mobile manufacturers just ship their products with sturdier ones? Or perhaps wireless charging as an standard?

Durable Metal Connectorss For iPhone

This type of charging a battery is not really new. It's been available since the first electric toothbrush has hit the shelves and it uses the same technology that mobile companies deploy in their top of the line flagships, the induction technology. This makes the new variants to enjoy wireless charging and free the owners from head scratching and aches because of broken or lost USB charger cables. Phones like the Samsung s6, Sony Z3 and Nexus 6 are just examples with this feature.

2 Things Needed for Wireless Charging

And if you own an older model phones or other phones that do not have this feature, you can enable this easily by just buying two items, an induction charging pad and a compatible adapter coil. In fact the only constraints of using this technology to your older device if the availability of the compatible adaptor coil, which can be embedded to a battery cover or in the form of a sticker.

1. The wireless receiver.

If you have a removable back cover, you can purchase a replacement cover with the built in wireless contraption on it. This is the easiest and more convenient contraption to enable wireless charging for your device. Compatible adapter cover comes in different variety for different phone models. Just make sure to check the model of the phone to the manufacturer's compatibility.

Wireless Charging Cover

For the non removable backs like iPhone, a sticker contraption is also available. This needs to connect to the lightning connector plug of the device as shown in the photo below.

Wireless iPhone Contraption

2. Docking Pad

Once you have set up the device with either the back cover or sticker, you're device is all ready to charge wirelessly with the help of the docking pad. There are several models of this, like single docking and multiple device docking. So if you have multiple devices that you want to charge wirelessly, a 5 device dock is available on sale.

If you are thinking this is expensive, it is not really, the best price for wireless charging pad ranges from £7 depending on the model. Available on the market also is wireless charging cover for iphone and corresponding compatible pad.

Wireless Charging Kit for iPhone

Although all USB charging devices can use wireless charging, manufacturers do not make a contraption for every model, specially the back covers. To avoid disappointment, the best place to look for is to search at Ebay with these key words "wireless charging receiver for " then type in the model of your phone.

Why You Will Like the iPhone SE

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 08:33:00 -0700

Life is a collection of changes and turns, going and coming back, and we need to adopt to it in order to survive. After all, these changes shape the world we live in and the things we need to live. After a while, apple turns around and re-shape their flagship phone into the previous version. This is a surprise specially to those who are following the trend of apple phones and expecting an iPhone 6C.

Is it because the sale of the enormous iPhone 6/S is disappointing? Or it's size fills the complaints box of people not used to handle bigger gadgets? Whatever the reason is, this turn around is focused on the users, it's functions and affordability.

Brief Specs and Expectations

The newest apple is the same in size and design as the old iPhone 5 with 4 inch- screen. Yet it behaves more like the iPhone 6S in terms of hardware. It sports the newest A9 processor, the same with the 6S, 2 GB of RAM, but obviously a lower capacity battery that can stay up to 13 hours. The back camera is also an 6S copycat at 12MP and 1.5MP front facing cam as the 6. Though it has a fingerprint sensor, it is not equipped with 3d touch which users say does not make any difference as they do not use this feature much.

With these specs and functionality, the iPhone SE is a price crash version of the 6S. Although it lacks the screen size the iPhone 6 users are enjoying, it balances the equation by better capabilities.

The iPhone SE has not hit the shelves yet but is ready to pre-order now.

CM Booster, Real Android Battery Saver

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 16:36:00 -0700

One of the persistent problems with mobiles is low battery. You can not do anything specially when you are out and do not have any chance or any way to charge your phone. In this situation, conserving the battery for emergency use is just the only option available. And even without using the phone, normally the battery is still trickling and discharging it's power like a timer counting down without the possibility of slowing down. But thankfully, there is a way of retarding the discharge of power with this "unexpected" free app.

The CM Speed Booster.

I used the word "unexpected" because conserving the battery is not it's major task. It is actually a booster to speed up the phone by releasing resources, deleting unwanted cache and tweaking the RAM. It's new feature, "the app standby", automatically lists apps that are wearing down the battery specially when the power percentage is in critical level and puts the phone into low bat mode. Although it does this automatically, it still needs your input to "hibernate" these apps into standby mode by forcefully quitting them.

After hitting the launch button of "hibernate idle apps" (1) and force quits all automatically chosen apps(2),

the application managed to keep the battery percentage to 12% for 8 hours(3). The figures are just impressive and for the first time I am seeing the effective conservation of battery without switching off the phone. Screenshot 4 shows the "plateau" state after the hibernate mode for idle apps is activated. Notice the steep drop when the phone is used.

Download CM Booster

CM booster can be downloaded from google play store by clicking here. This is a lightweight application compared to other similar programs and at the time of writing, it is advertisement free, meaning it will never use any of your internet connection, thus contributing to energy efficiency and saving data tariff, if you use mobile data to access the internet.

Why You Will Like the Samsung Galaxy S7

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:09:00 -0800

A new "world" has emerged adding to the collection of discovered galaxies on the Samsung's flagship mobile phone universe! Exciting and full of promise like a new born, would this newly discovered galaxy has the charisma to make us focus our spotlight and take a closer look? Or has the alluring quality that make our wallet come out of the pocket and splash every cash and card content to make a purchase?

The New Samsung Galaxy S7 Family:

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge 32GB UK SIM-Free Smartphone - Black

Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB UK SIM-Free Smartphone - Gold

One thing for sure, the S7 is a stunner. It is one of the most beautiful phone in 2016. With it's 5.1 inch size(5.5 inches for the edge), it fits comfortably on your hands and pocket. The curved shiny metallic-glass backing makes it slide easily in the back pocket so therefore, before accident happens, it is better to invest on a good case to protect this expensive gadget.

Accessories for S7

Caseflex Premium Samsung Galaxy S7 Case Genuine Leather Slim-Line Stand Wallet Cover With ID / Cash / Card Slots - Black

It features the always on screen, that allows to show the date, time and the remaining battery life which is helpful to know if it's time yet to charge the unit. It also notifies missed calls and messages. This feature saves you from turning the unit's screen on and off. Although it is always on, the battery is conserved because of the way the super AMOLED screen works. It only illuminates the needed pixels! And also, the battery is beefed up with a massive 3000mAh (3600mAh for the edge) power which doesn't let you down even when you use it for 24 hours or more.

The S7 also boasts 4GB of RAM that makes all tasks as fluid as possible, and more applications to run at the same time without noticing a lag or a drag in performance. Not to mention the 32GB native storage, you can now extensively expand its memory of up to 200GB. The removable storage and battery remained a strong point in owning a Samsung rather than the competition.

If you are up for crisps photos and selfies, it also upgraded it's camera to a 12MP rear and 5MP front facing snapper, coupled with a bigger sensor to accommodate more light specially when shooting in the dark. The work horse is also 30% faster than it's predecessor with the more powerful 2.3 GHz, Samsung Exynos processor. And good news to everyone, the bloatwares has been trimmed down to minimum, meaning there is less clutter of apps that you'll never use.

Ready to explore the new galaxy? See best and latest deals below.

Galaxy S7 £36per month.
Galaxy S7 edge £36 per month

Speed Up Android Phone Using Developer Options

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Sat, 6 Feb 2016 06:27:00 -0800

No doubt the android phone lags through time. It needs tidying up from time to time, as it seems like drawing it's last breath when it is not "cleaned" by a dedicated app cleaner. But even though how thorough it is being scrubbed every tidying up period, the phone is still so slow to process every taps.

The Developer Options.

Under the hood, the android phone has a built in diagnostic task meant for the developers and usually it is not enabled natively. This means the user needs to invoke this by pressing the build number (2) repeatedly until the prompt says it is alreadyenabled.(3). You can go to the buld number by going to settings and hitting "about device"(1).

Tweaking how to handle apps.

We like to be more productive and do many things at once. That's why many manufacturers lure users that this can be achieved by introducing multitasking, split screen and more RAM to handle the issue. But most of the time for a regular user, this is practically an unchartered map of how they use their mobile and just a hype to show off that this can be acievable but unpractical, because of very small screen. Plus the performance is affected.

So why not do things one at a time and leave an application when you start another one? This will save the resources to tackle the next task and not to allocate it with the previous ones. Here's how it is done.

Once enabled, go back to settings where the "developer options" can be configured(4). Enable it by sliding the button(5) to the right. Then scroll down at the very bottom ofthe page under "apps". Tick "do not keep activities"(6). Then go next to the "limit background processess" (7) and choose "no background processess"(8) before you exit!

This made the lag on my phone bearable and have not noticed any misbehaving application whilst this is enabled. If this affects any of the appication you use, it is easy to reverse the whole process by just disabling "developers options"(5).

How to Discreetly Read What's App and Messenger Messages

prakticality@gmail.com (Lakay) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 11:39:00 -0800

Messaging applications like face book’s messenger and what's up are not only helpful. They are making network providers a run for their money as they are free to send messages using the internet. As this is good news to users that they save money from using it, it can also be a source of anxiety to users who send them but most especially to the recipient.

Messages are meant not to be replied straightaway but using the internet to send it has a way of telling the sender that it has been read, somewhat making the recipient to reply at once or get the possibility of being branded a snob for not replying. But of course there's a way of getting around this dilemma, if you want to read the message unnoticed by the sender to avoid compulsory response.

Read messages whilst offline

The trick here is to read the messages whilst the device is disconnected to Wi-Fi or mobile data! How to do this? Make the messaging preview the messages on your locked screen. Messengers should have this feature on default but if you want to make sure here's how to check.

On Android

Open the messenger application and click the cog wheel icon (1) at the top right corner. Tap the notification and sounds (2) then tick notification previews (3). This will make sure that it will prefetch the message and displays it on the locked screen.

On iPhone

Go to settings, scroll down and tap the messaging apps (4), tap notifications (5) and make sure that notification is allowed and the message is to show on locked screen (6).

As the message is already downloaded, even if the phone loses its internet connection, the message will be retrieved from the phone's memory instead from the application's server. As the server will only know that the message is read when it is opened by the application, reading it from the notification centre or reading it using the application whilst the phone is offline will not send a read confirmation and will not tell that it has been seen from the sender's device.

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Links

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about:preferences#advanced

chrome://settings/clearBrowserData

No Signal, No Problem!

The SatSleeve

The Resurrected Nokia

1. Windows 10 onboard

2. Simplicity

3. Call handling

4, Essential Application

5. Essential Features.

6. Price.

2 Things You Need to Add Wireless Charging To Your Smart Phone

2 Things Needed for Wireless Charging

1. The wireless receiver.

2. Docking Pad

Why You Will Like the iPhone SE

Brief Specs and Expectations

CM Booster, Real Android Battery Saver

The CM Speed Booster.

Download CM Booster

Why You Will Like the Samsung Galaxy S7

Speed Up Android Phone Using Developer Options

The Developer Options.

Tweaking how to handle apps.

How to Discreetly Read What's App and Messenger Messages

Read messages whilst offline