TechSource

10 Things We Want in Ubuntu 13.10 (Saucy Salamander)

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:13:00 +0000

Ubuntu 13.04 wasn't a big release. Apart from stability improvements, application updates, and performance tweaks, Raring Ringtail didn't get the same amount of attention as Ubuntu's previous releases did. That said, the distribution did lay the foundation for a bigger release, which is expected to come out this year and that is Ubuntu 13.10.

Christened Saucy Salamander, Ubuntu 13.10 is expected to bring along some major, awaited features to the Ubuntu desktop. Though we'll have to wait till October to get our hands on this one, our wish list for the release is already ready.

1. Better, Stable, and Useful Scopes

The new Smart Scopes feature has already arrived in Ubuntu 13.10 daily builds. Giving users the ability to search from various Internet sources, Saucy's Scopes will put information of tons of sources at the user's fingertips. With the aim of turning the Dash into a desktop-based search engine, Canonical has a lot of hopes banking on this new feature. The only thing we want from Shuttleworth is that he ensures that these features are as stable as possible. Considering the high standards that Ubuntu is setting after each release, users expect nothing but the best from the open-source operating system.

2. Social from the start

One thing that disappointed many users was the exclusion of Gwibber from Ubuntu 13.04. Since the app was busy being revamped, the default desktop lacked a social element. Ubuntu 13.10 should focus on tightly integrating social features into the desktop. This means not just including the Friends app in the default application set, this also means allowing users to share their photos, screenshots, and music files right from the desktop. So, for example, if I open a photo in GNOME Image viewer, there should be a functionality to share that image on Twitter, Facebook, or Flickr. Probably, adding a couple of social buttons to the toolbars won't be such a bad idea.

3. Even faster

Though Ubuntu 13.04 was blazing fast, speed freaks like us won't be satisfied with anything but the best. We want faster booting, faster shutdown, and pretty much everything else to be blazing fast.

4. WUBI (or something better)

WUBI was a great way Windows users could try out Ubuntu without having to know much about the installation process. Though Ubuntu's installation is dead simple these days, WUBI does seem like a better, safer option for Linux neophytes. While there is nothing wrong with bringing WUBI back from the grave, providing users with something even better than the installer would be a great idea. A revamped WUBI maybe?

5. Support for rolling releases

Though there are a few people against this move, a rolling release seems like the best way forward for the desktop. Not only will users get fewer bugs, they'll also get to use the latest stable versions of their favorite applications without having to upgrade the whole desktop.

6. New icon set and new wallpaper

Though Ubuntu 13.04 brought along some small changes to the default icon set, a completely redesigned set of icons is what Ubuntu needs for this release. Furthermore, instead of flipping the same wallpaper in 4 different directions for every release, Ubuntu could think about using new wallpaper as its default.

7. Minimize to click

I don't know how Canonical missed this one but every time I try to click on an application's icon in the launcher, instead of minimizing, nothing happens. It's about time they baked this small but much-needed functionality into the next release.

8. More Indicator Applets

Including a few more indicator applets on the menu bar won't be such a bad idea since it lets users do much more than what they can do with normal menus.

9. A better lock screen

The current lock screen is nothing but a simple box that lets you input your password to get back to your desktop. Ubuntu should consider revamping this feature completely and focus on building something that is at par with or better than what Cinnamon Mint's lockscreen has.

10. Consistent menus

Be it locally integrated menus, a traditional menu bar, or something entirely new, let's hope that Ubuntu 13.10 will have a consistency across all the applications as far as menus are considered.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Top Android Apps for Managing Mobile Data Usage

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 05:56:00 +0000

These days our smartphones let us do much more than just send a text or make a call. These pocket-sized gadgets have transformed themselves into little computers that we can carry around anywhere we want. They let us send emails, browse social networks, upload photos and do much more. Needless to say, they can let you do pretty much everything that you do on an Internet-enabled computer.

Having said that, these powerful features come at a price. Often times, even a task as simple as uploading a photo ends up emptying a major chunk of your mobile Internet data. Mind you, 3G and 4G cellular data connection can be pretty expensive and one has to be careful not to use too much data at once. So, the big question is, how does one take full advantage of a smartphone's features while not paying exorbitant mobile data charges?

Thankfully, the answer to the question lies in the Google Play Store. There are a lot of Android apps that work intelligently in the background to help you save precious data. So, if you're looking for an application that allows you to save mobile Internet data, and of course your money, here's a list of the best data-saving apps in the Play Store:

My Data Manager

My Data Manager is a simple yet powerful application for keeping an eye on your data usage. The application is easy to setup and can track app time and usage pretty accurately. Once it has collected enough information about your usage, it will show you a visual chart of your data usage that helps you understand which app consumed the most data. My Data Manager also lets you setup usage alarms that alert you whenever you've exceeded the data limits.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Onavo Count

Onavo has to be the best data-saving application out there in the Play Store. The app, once installed, keeps a close eye on your data usage and promptly warns you when you're about to exceed the limits. One of the best things about Onavo is that it lets you set data caps in your own currency. So, for example, here in India, I can set Onavo to follow my data plan that costs around 249 ₹. Then, the application counts how much data I've already spent and how much is remaining. What's more, Onavo also smartly turns off your data once you've reached bandwidth limits. It identifies data hogs and restricts them to Wi-Fi so that you won't get an exorbitant data bill for uploading a couple of photos to your favorite social networking site.

DOWNLOAD HERE

dodol Phone

With over 11 million downloads, dodol is an app that comes with one of the cleanest UIs as far as data-saving apps are considered. dodol is packed with nifty features and shows your usage in neat charts that are easy to understand. Another great thing about it is that it also supports widgets for your homescreen.

DOWNLOAD HERE

3G Manager

This is a simple application that saves your data by disabling 3G whenever your screen is locked. Other than that, this app also supports disabling data whenever Wi-Fi network is connected. What I personally like about this application is that it lets you specify reconnection time. This means that you can set the app to connect to the network at specific intervals so that you won't miss out on important mail notifications. Though not loaded with too many features, 3G Manager is a great choice if you're looking for something simple that just does the job.

DOWNLOAD HERE

3G Watchdog

3G Watchdog is a simple application that monitors your 3G data usage and warns you are about to exceed the data limits. Once installed, the application runs quietly in the background showing you a status icon in the notification bar. If the status icon is green, you're good to go. If it turns orange however, you'll have to be careful with your data usage as you might exceed the usage limits. If you have exceeded the limits, the icon will then turn red. Apart from notifying you of your usage, the application also presents detailed reports that let you understand how much data was uploaded and downloaded from your device in a single day, week, and a month. Though not as feature-rich as Onavo, 3G Watchdog is a great choice if you're looking for a decent data-saving app.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How Firefox Can Beat Google Chrome

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:08:00 +0000

Earlier, Firefox was the reigning champion of the web. With the unrelenting and selfless efforts of many developers and volunteers from around the world, Firefox was on track to become the best and most popular browser on the Internet. After all, the Internet needed something better than Internet Explorer, and Firefox was exactly that. In fact, despite Internet Explorer having a major market share, Firefox's popularity was soaring every day.

What's more, if you look up the definition of Internet Explorer on Urban Dictionary, you'll find this hilarious result: "A simple Windows XP tool which allows the user to browse to Mozilla.com and download Firefox, a web browser."

Undoubtedly, Firefox was all set to become the champion of the web. However, soon, things were about to change.

Enter 2008. Google releases its brand new browser. And boy, it takes the web by storm. Based on open-source technologies, this new software became ubiquitously known for its amazing speed. Yes, it was faster, more stable, and more feature-laden that Firefox. Soon, it took over Firefox to become the most popular browser for the Internet. According to Wikimedia statistics, 44.06% of its visitors are using Chrome, followed by 22.08% Internet Explorer users, and 18.17% Firefox users.

Integrate: One of the great things Firefox did was that it came up with an extension that completely integrated Facebook into the browser. Not only could you access your Facebook notifications from the toolbar, you could also chat with your friends no matter which site you're on thanks to the Messenger sidebar. Firefox can step things up a notch by integrating other popular services like Gmail and Google Plus into the browser. This is something that Chrome doesn't provide (yet) and could help the open-source giant draw in many users.

Not look like Chrome. Please don't: Tech sites are inundated with the news of the latest Australis update that will present a newly designed Firefox to its audience. Though looks good, in fact better than the previous version, this update does make it look like.. well.. uhmm.. Chrome. Now, I understand that Firefox is trying to keep up with the competition here, but, honestly, the designers could do much better than that. That said, I don't mean to imply that having a design that's inspired by Chrome is a bad thing. In fact, it's good that they took some of the major elements from Chrome. However, in that process, Firefox seems to be losing its real identity. After the update, it would be hard to distinguish between the two sparring browsers.

Aim for speed: Chrome is still speedier than Firefox. I'm not talking about speed as in the speed with which the browser loads pages. I'm talking about the speed with which you can do any task in the browser. This is my personal experience that in Chrome it just takes a lot less time to search for something than in Firefox. Firefox has two different elements: one is the address bar and one is the search bar (also known as the awesome bar). And, it is due to this that people find it slower to search in Firefox than that in Chrome. Maybe Firefox should think of combining the address bar and the search bar. If reports are to be believed, the Australis update does just that. Let's hope that they go with it.

Focus on Apps: “Maybe we shouldn’t even call it a browser anymore,” said Mozilla’s VP of Firefox engineering Jonathan Nightingale. And he's right. It's not a browser, it's almost an operating system. Most of the tasks that are used to be done by operating systems before are now done by browsers. In fact, Google created an OS based on a browser that’s simply called Chrome OS. Firefox, I think, should realize this as early as possible. If they want to succeed in the browser race, they'll have to come up with applications that are better than what we have on Chrome. In fact, they should aim for applications that are cross-platform, easily installable, and are perfectly integrated with the desktop. Apart from a chosen few applications, even Chrome's app space isn't that luring. Firefox could tap that opportunity and evolve into something that is more than just a browser.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Best Alarm Clock Apps For Android

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 07:58:00 +0000

Having trouble waking up in the morning? Does your regular alarm clock fail to wake you up? If that's the case, then it might be a good idea to turn your smartphone or tablet into an alarm clock. Thanks to Google's openness towards the Android platform, you can now install apps that ensure that you'll wake up no matter what.

Some apps will wake you up with the pleasant chirping sounds of the birds while others manage to do so by forcing you to solve a complex math problem the moment you open your eyes. No matter what kind of sleeper you are, a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper, these Android apps will wake you up no matter what.

So, if you're looking for some good alarm clocks for your Android device, here's a list of the best in the category:

Alarm Clock Xtreme

I used this app for a while when I had to wake up way earlier than I was used to. Never, for a single day, did this app fail to wake me up. What makes Alarm Clock Xtreme so effective that it understands that the moment you wake up, you're a bit lazy and are not in the mood to do any complex tasks. But, if you are made to do some complex tasks early morning, your brain will get activated and you won't feel sleepy anymore. Following this simple logic, Alarm Clock Xtreme either makes you solve complex math problems or makes you enter some captchas the moment you wake up. This sets your brain in motion and you don't feel as sleepy anymore.

As far as the snooze button is concerned, this app handles things a bit differently. Instead of hitting the snooze button like in a normal alarm clock, you can choose to complicate things a bit. In other words, for snoozing the alarm clock you can make yourself shake the phone or make yourself solve math puzzles.

Overall, I consider this one of the best alarm clock apps that is out there in the Google Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Alarm Clock Free

This app, apart from being a good alarm clock, also doubles as a beautiful digital clock. Once installed, you'll be able to use your smartphone as a bedside clock that displays the time using a gorgeous-looking green LED. As far as the main function of the application is concerned, and that is waking you up, Alarm Clock Free supports multiple alarms, fade-in sounds, and super-sized alarm clock buttons. Another great thing about this app is that it also manages to wake you up even when your phone is in silent mode.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Alarm Clock Plus

Another feature-laden alarm clock app is Alarm Clock Plus. The app comes with features like shake-to-snooze, volume fade-in, and repeating alarms. Apart from the usual features, Alarm Clock Plus stands out from other apps by providing features that are guaranteed to wake you up even if you're a deep sleeper. The app can be set to launch a specific music track when you wake up or even flash the flashlight if you wake up at 3 in the morning. Furthermore, if you are a perpetual snoozer like me, this app will help you wake up by making you solve complex math problems. Another cool feature about Alarm Clock Plus is that it lets you set alarms for naps. This functionality is similar to a countdown timer thus making it easier to set an alarm if you're taking a short siesta.

DOWNLOAD HERE

DoubleTwist Alarm Clock

Definitely the most beautiful app on the list, DoubleTwist Alarm Clock serves as a minimalistic-yet-powerful alarm clock for your Android device. Once installed, you can set the app to use either of the two clock modes: flip clock and analog clock so that you can set the device on your nightstand right before you sleep. When it comes to actual alarms, DoubleTwist lets you set alarms in four modes: Time, Sleep Cycle, Quick Nap, and Sunrise. These modes are designed so that you sleep according to your optimal sleep cycle. There are also other features like multiple alarms, recurring alarms, and the ability to set custom labels to your alarms. Overall, it is an effective yet beautiful application that does what it says.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How to Disable Guest Session in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:47:00 +0000

Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) came up with a lot of improvements. Firstly, it addressed the many problems that slowed the interface down, thus making the desktop run faster than ever. Moreover, it also brought along some decent changes to the default application set and the kernel. Though not groundbreaking in any way, Ubuntu 13.04 pleased its many fans that were waiting for some much-needed improvements to their favorite desktop.

Having said that, not all changes were welcomed with open arms. Much to the dismay of Ubuntu loyalists, some important features were removed. That's why, in our earlier article, we discussed how to get back those missing features without having to revert back to Ubuntu 12.10.

Talking about changes to the default installation, one of the things that bugs many people (and me personally) is that the Guest session is enabled by default. The Guest session allows you to use your Ubuntu desktop as a kiosk so that other people can temporarily use your desktop even if they don't have an account on your computer. As good as it sounds, the Guest session might put your computer at risk by allowing some unwanted users to access your computer. This vulnerability, though nothing worrying if you're using the computer at home, can let people use your computer by simply clicking the "Switch user" option on the login screen.

Thankfully, you can change the default settings and remove the Guest session by following these given steps. And, if you want the Guest session back, follow the whole article as we've also covered steps on how to revert back to the original settings.

Removing Guest Session

To get started, open the terminal: Either you can search for the word "terminal" in the Dash or you can use the Ctrl+Alt+T combo.

Then, either type in or paste the following command:

sudo /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -l false

Once you press enter, it will ask for your root password. If you don't know what your root password is, then contact the system administrator.

Now, once you're done, simply restart your computer. Or, if you don't want to restart your computer, enter the following command in the terminal:

sudo restart lightdm

Restoring Guest Session

Though many people don't use the Guest Session that often, it can be useful in certain situations. For example, if you have guests or family members coming over who want to use your computer while you're away, you can let them do that without compromising your privacy. In other words, they will be able to use your computer without creating a separate account.

To re-enable the guest session, which you disabled before, you'll have to open the terminal again. You can do that by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. Then, all you have to do is type in or paste the following command:

sudo /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -l true

Once you're done, you can restart your computer. Or, you can simply restart lightdm using this command:

sudo restart lightdm

Google Glass: The End of Privacy?

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:55:00 +0000

A year ago, Sergey Brin showcased a futuristic piece of hardware that could literally change the way you see the world. Every techie was excited because let's face it, no other technology rivals a pair of Internet-powered glasses that can let you make calls, take pictures, search the web, and much more. What's more, you won't have to carry a smartphone in your hand every time.

At present, journalists are busy churning out articles after articles debating whether Google Glasses are a privacy threat or not. Further dampening the excitement of a Google-lover like me comes the news of Google Glass bans that are surfacing in many places across the United States. Casinos and cafes have already banned the futuristic eye-wear and more bans are expected to follow. So, is the advent of this new technology already putting us into a 1984-esque environment wherein our every move is watched? That’s maybe a gross exaggeration, but aren't these new technologies doing more good than harm?

Google Glass: A Marvelous Modern-day Invention

Despite what the critics and the privacy paranoids say about Google Glass, it is, indeed, a marvelous piece of technology. Without using your hands, you can now search the whole web, take pictures, shoot a video, send an email...whoa...a few years ago an iPhone app looked like a modern marvel. Another great thing about Glass is that developers can create app for this eyewear, thus making it even more lucrative for people who swear by web applications. Overall, Google Glass promises to be the next big thing after Android. And yes, if it takes of very well, who knows, we might have a Microsoft and Apple killer on our hands.

But wait...what about our privacy?

Google Glass and privacy...these two words have been mentioned hand-in-hand a lot these days. As modern as the technology seems, Google Glass is definitely a privacy threat. Imagine a stranger walking into a cafe and taking pictures of you without you knowing it. That would definitely turn any person off. The power that Glass gives a normal person is mind blowing; however, this can also lead to an active misuse of the technology.

Not just cafes, many places are banning this technology for being too intrusive. The very fact that a piece of eyewear can see and record everything that a person looks at is scary for many people. Every time you see a person opposite you wearing such a device, it's natural to feel a bit cautious since everything you do might be watched.

That said, many people have claimed that the Google Glass privacy scares are nothing but exaggerations. Famous blogger Robert Scoble is a huge proponent of the technology and he doesn't mind seeing a widespread adoption of technology. At this stage though, it would be wise to wait till Glass gains a significant market share. Then and only then the privacy issues can be discussed.

Other Issues:

Apart from issues with privacy, Google Glass may also cause some other problems. The eyewear can let people cheat in casinos, exams, and many other areas. Also, a recent New York Times article stated that Google Glass might actually be potentially dangerous. The reason behind this is that it may not allow its users to see something that is utterly obvious thereby causing accidents.

Moreover, having a conversation with a person using Google Glass might seem a bit awkward. You're looking into the person's eyes while he or she is intermittently looking up thus leaving you a bit confused and uncomfortable.

Conclusion:

Despite what many critics say, Google Glass is a revolutionary product. Whether it gets the recognition it needs is another story, but it surely has got everyone excited. Also, it has ushered in a new era wherein tech products are becoming an integral part of our daily lives. Google Glass, despite its privacy issues, is something that should pave way for other products that will let us further integrate our lives with technology. Overall, Google Glass is a potential privacy breach, but it's also something that marks a dramatic shift in how we see the world.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Android Earphones

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Thu, 30 May 2013 11:04:00 +0000

These days almost all Android smartphones come with earphones that let you listen to music and answer calls as well. These headsets usually come with minimal features that are only useful to picking up the calls, pausing the music, and ending a call. However, since the world of Android isn't limited in any way, your headset can also be tweaked to make sure that you can do as many things as possible without touching your phone.

The following article guides you through ways in which you can make the most out of your Android earphones, be it wired or wireless:

Maximize the Functionality of any Earphone Using Headset Button Controller

Headset Button Controller is an app that I personally use on my smartphone to make sure that my headset (wired) can play, pause, fast forward, and rewind songs without me having to take my phone out of my pocket. What I love about this app is that it lets you assign different clicks to different functions. So, one click is play/pause, two clicks fast forward and so on. You can also set a long press in such a way that it opens an app. On my phone I've set it to open Google Now so that I can do quick voice searches while on the train or bus. Another important feature in this app is the ability to set different profiles for different players. So, if you have an Audiobook player on your phone, you can configure a different set of actions for each button press. Similarly, you can create your own personal profiles for each player. Overall, this is a must-have application if you want to make the most out of your smartphone's earphones.

Use a Philips Headset for Your Android Smartphone

Though Phillips doesn't make Android phones, they are known for their excellent-quality earphones. However, even though these headsets might be suited for an MP3 player, they don't work as well for functions like taking calls, changing volume, and changing tracks, in other words, functions that let you control your Android phone. Thankfully, though, you can use your headset as if it's a native headset by installing the following app.

Philips Headset is an app that optimizes your phone's sound depending on its model number. So, for example, you're using the Philips SHE7005 headset. The app will automatically change the sound profile so as to optimize itself to match with the headset. Moreover, the app also lets you control your music, calls, and other compatible functions using the buttons on your headset.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Best Android Word Games That Will Help Boost Your Vocabulary

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Tue, 28 May 2013 03:14:00 +0000

These days, reading books doesn't seem to be the only way to ameliorate your vocabulary. You can also play a lot of word games that will not only make you learn new words but also help you have fun while doing it.

On Android too, there are plenty of word games you can play that will help you improve your vocabulary. Following is a list of the best games in that category:

Words With Friends

Words with Friends is a crossword-like game that has a social element to it. Rated as one of the best mobile word games, this Zynga title brings the familiar crossword puzzles to your smartphones. The game involves players taking turns trying to form words and garner the maximum points at the same time. Once started, you are matched up with a player on the Internet. You can then play and chat with that player at the same time. Sometimes, however, the opposite player doesn't have enough time to continue the game. In that case, you can start a new game with another player and keep having fun. In all, you can start up to 20 such games. One of the best things about this game is that you don't have to be in front of your phone 24x7 in order to play the game. Whenever it's your turn, the app notifies you using your phone's notifications.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Scrabble

Scrabble, as the name suggests, is the familiar word-based board game ported to your smartphone. It lets you play the game in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and even German. Once installed, Scrabble lets you connect with your friends on Facebook and play with them head-to-head. Also, while playing, you can chat with them using the inbuilt chat client that is replete with emoticons and chat icons. The application also includes a Scrabble Teacher, which helps you improve your scores by giving you useful tips.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Hanging With Friends

If the aforementioned Words with Friends seems a bit monotonous to you, then this next app will help spice things up. Hanging with Friends by Zynga is a free game that lets you play the classic game of hangman along with some great features. Once installed, Hanging with Friends presents you with cute characters that are stuck in a dangerous situation. Your job is to save them out of that situation by simply using the power of your vocabulary. Much like Words with Friends, this game is also based on turns. Once you start a game, you can chat with your opponent. And, if you feel that you need to practice your skills more, you can start up to 20 more games at once.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Angry Words

Loaded with a nicely designed interface, Angry Words is an asynchronous, cross-platform multiplayer game. You can play either with your friends or choose to battle against a random opponent on the Internet. Unlike other apps on the list, Angry Words doesn't have any limits on the number of simultaneous games you can start.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Wordfeud

With over 20 million users, Wordfeud is also one of the top word games the Play Store has to offer. Loaded with some interesting features, this game is a tile-based puzzle game that tests your vocabulary against players from around the world. The game consists of a 15 by 15 tile board on which you can score points by creatively placing the tiles from your rack. You can earn bonus points for completing a word on a tile that was marked as Double Letter, Double Word, Triple Letter, or Triple Word. Also, you can play against your friends by searching for them right through the application. And, if you get tired of a single game, you can launch up to 30 games at once.

DOWNLOAD HERE

How to Install Missing Quantal Features in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:01:00 +0000

Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) didn't get as good a response as the previous Ubuntu release (Ubuntu 12.10 ‘Quantal Quetzal’) did. One of the main reasons for this was that Ubuntu 13.04 came with features that weren't as exciting as its previous iterations. However, that doesn't mean that Raring wasn't worth upgrading. In fact, if you are a Quantal user, switching to Raring is highly recommended as the release packs in many improvements to the Unity interface, and yes, a whole new set of wallpapers as well.

Apart from changes to the Unity interface, Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) also brings along new applications and also some changes to old ones. Though the novelty of the bleeding edge is enough to seduce any user, some changes with the interface and applications may not please a long time Ubuntu lover. Thankfully, though, with some quick commands, you can get back your old features thus giving you no excuse not to upgrade to Ubuntu 12.10 ‘Quantal Quetzal’.

Get Back GKSU in Ubuntu 13.04

Not all of us love opening the terminal to enter a command. Many users use the good old Alt + F2 combo to execute commands. Moreover, it was also an easy way to install apps or execute system commands, which otherwise required opening the terminal. All you had to do to execute a system-level command was to prefix "gksu" before a command and then execute it. With Ubuntu 13.04, however, "gksu" was removed from the release, thus making it difficult to execute root-level commands without opening the terminal.

In Ubuntu 13.04, you can get back gksu by simply typing in one command. To do that, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type in/paste the following text:

sudo apt-get install gksu

Once you're done, you'll be able to use gksu to execute any command.

Get the Missing Social Element

In Ubuntu 13.04, you won't find your beloved social app Gwibber anymore. Since during the release, the app was being rewritten from scratch, it wasn't included in Raring. However, that doesn't mean that you have to use the web browser to tweet how awesome TechSource is. Instead, you can use the newly redesigned Gwibber to connect with your friends. The app, since it's rewritten, is now called Friends and you can install it by typing in the following command:

sudo apt-get install friends-app

Get Back the Old Nautilus

Raring also included the latest version of Nautilus, that is version 3.6. It included some useful features like monochrome icons, new path bar, dynamic navigation buttons, and search-as-you-type functionality. However, as exciting as those features might seem, Nautilus also cut down on some features that many long time Linux users used to swear by. Thankfully, though, you can get back the old Nautilus by simply installing a patched version of the file explorer.

Now, as easy as the below mentioned commands might seem, it is important to note that the patch is not stable and might even break your system. So, proceed carefully and use this patch only if you absolutely need the old Nautilus on your system.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/experiments
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
killall nautilus

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

7 Most Elegantly Designed Android Apps

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:26:00 +0000

Ever since Google started focusing on design, its flagship product Android has become one of the biggest names in the industry. Earlier, it was Apple who was the frontrunner in terms of design, but soon Android caught up and disrupted the competition. That said, Android isn't yet the most beautiful phone OS around. Thanks to the ever-growing fragmentation and the plethora of customizations out there, the only thing that makes Android beautiful is its pure vanilla design that is found in Nexus 4. Otherwise, Android is still battling head-to-head with other superbly designed phone operating systems like Windows Phone and even Blackberry 10.

Despite the surging competition however, Android has millions of apps to boast of, which itself, puts it way ahead of its archrivals. Though the elegant design won't be found on all Android devices, you will, instead, find some apps that surpass the expectations of the usual Droid-hater. These beautifully designed apps remind the consumers about the dominance of Android thus making it the best mobile OS around. So, if you want to spice up your smartphone with apps designed to perfection, here's a list of the 7 most elegantly designed Android apps:

Flipboard

Flipboard is a free application that turns your smartphone or tablet into a beautiful magazine. Combining news, articles, and social media updates from multiple sources, this app is an amazing blend of old-school news consumption and modern-day social sharing. One of the most interesting features about Flipboard is that, unlike other applications, it doesn't have a HOLO-themed layout. Yet, it manages to stand out among the crowd with its carefully crafted design.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Feedly

My personal favorite, Feedly is a service that reached peak popularity when Google decided to shutter its news-reading service Google Reader. Bringing magazine-style articles to your desktop, mobile, and tablets, this service makes it easy to consume and share the latest happenings on and around the Internet. Once installed, Feedly lets you read news in a neatly spaced, clean layout that will definitely make any iOS fan jealous of your phone.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Pocket

Many times we come across articles that we don't have time to read. Instead of wasting time skimming through them in a rush, Pocket lets you save those for reading later. Designed using the HOLO layout, Pocket presents your unread article in a neatly organized layout. Instead of presenting your unread articles in a list -- which many apps do, -- Pocket gives you a visual view of all your unread stuff be it on videos or articles.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Quotes

Quotes is a free application that lets you track your investments in a beautiful HOLO-themed layout. Focusing on visually representation of data, Quotes makes it easy for you to quickly glance at your portfolios.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Calculator & Converter Free

If you're a hardworking engineer who finds it hard to carry around a calculator all the time, this next app might come in handy. Designed to near perfection, Calculator & Converter, does what its name suggests: it lets you calculate, convert currency, convert units of measurement, calculate mortgage, and even calculate tips. What stands out, though, is the neat, big, bright HOLO-themed layout.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Google Plus

We've talked a lot about Google Plus in the past. This social network is known for its high level of engagement, strong focus on photos, and seamless integration with other Google Products. The Google Plus app for Android brings all those features to your smartphone and more in a gorgeously designed application. The Google Plus app, once installed, will let you browse your Plus feed in a layout that only a few applications can match. Once again, well done Google.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Any.do

Any.do is a TODO application that I personally use to get things done. One of the best things that I found about this application is that it lets me add my tasks in a nice, clean, HOLO-themed layout. This makes it stand apart from other applications like Astrid (now a Yahoo! product) and Remember the Milk!. Once installed, you'll be able to plan your day, add calls as tasks, and even sync them with an online account.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How to Backup Android Apps to the Cloud Without Rooting

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:49:00 +0000

With the huge surge in the amount of Android devices being released every year, it is natural that droid fans like us would be tempted to upgrade our devices. Though buying a new smartphone or tablet is exciting, there are some little hiccups that are associated when moving your apps to your new device. One of the biggest hiccups is, of course, that of backing up your installed applications.

Every time you use your device to play a game, write e-mails, or even send a tweet, the application data is saved on your device. However, when you move to a new tablet or smartphone, you might be able to install all your previous apps, but you won't be able to get back your saved data. So, if you're a real-time strategy game fan for example, moving to a new device will force you to lose all your progress.

Thankfully, though, there are some simple solutions that will help you fully backup your Android apps to either your SD card, or to the cloud. And, no need to worry. This method is completely safe, free, and doesn't require rooting at all. So, if you're looking for a simple solution to backup your Android apps, read on.

Step 1: Install Helium on Your Android Device

Install Helium on your Android smartphone or tablet by going HERE.

If you want to backup your apps to the cloud, you'll need to buy the Premium version HERE.

Step 2: Install Helium Desktop

Since this application is cross-platform, you can install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux as well. Simply click on the icon found on their website that corresponds to your desktop OS and install the software. For Linux users, the software comes in the form of a shell script. So, if you will need to use the command line for this one.

Step 3: Connect and Backup

Connect your Android device to your computer. Then from the Helium app, select the applications you'd like to backup. Once you're done, you can either backup the apps to the cloud or you can restore it from a previously taken backup. When it comes to cloud backup, the premium version of the app can backup your apps to Box.net, Google Drive, and Dropbox. You can set backup schedules and Android-to-Android sync.

If, however, you're using the free version, you can backup the apps to your SD card and then to your PC. From there, you can drop the data to your Dropbox or your Google Drive and have it sync up directly to the cloud. Though this process might be a bit tedious, but in the end you'll have a perfect syncing solution for you without any cost.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

8 Reasons Why Ubuntu Users Should Try Out Linux Mint

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:25:00 +0000

Ubuntu is moving in all directions lately. They are making sure that they find themselves on tablets, smartphones, and even on televisions. With the high amount of efforts being put in to make Ubuntu the best product in the FOSS community, there have been some polarizing decisions that have managed to alienate a few longtime Ubuntu users. Ever since the decision to switch to Unity was taken, there have been many Linux users who don't find Ubuntu as user-friendly as they used to back then. There have been forum wars, IRC battles, and a bunch of irksome blog posts about usability--or lack thereof-- of Ubuntu. However, as time progressed, Ubuntu has matured quite a lot and has managed to regain its top spot as one of the most user-friendly distributions in the FOSS world.

Having said that, Ubuntu isn't the only user-friendly distribution around. There are many distros like Fedora and openSUSE that cater specially to end-users. One of the best distros to target this user base is Linux Mint. Mint has managed to achieve widespread popularity despite not being backed by any big company. Moreover, many Linuxians consider Mint to be a better option when compared to Ubuntu. So, what it is that's so special about Mint that manages to attract so many users? If you're thinking about the question whilst staring at your Ubuntu desktop, here are a few reasons why you should switch to or at least try out Linux Mint.

More Choices

Linux Mint offers two desktops: MATE and Cinnamon. This makes sure that the users have as many choices as possible. As opposed to Ubuntu, which enforces a completely modern desktop to every user, Mint actually gives you the choice of going with either a modern desktop or a more traditional desktop.

The All-familiar Desktop

Linux Mint offers a default desktop interface that puts users very much at home. Keeping in mind that many of the Mint users are migrating from other operating systems, Mint keeps a user interface that is simple, fast, and elegant. Ubuntu users won't encounter many difficulties switching to the default Mint desktop.

A Better Ubuntu

Linux Mint, being based on Ubuntu offers all of the Ubuntu goodness, that too in a nice, fresh, and user-friendly package. Ubuntu's popularity encourages a lot of application developers. If, let's say you were to download an application like Steam or Dropbox for Ubuntu, you can easily install it without any compatibility issues. The same, however, cannot be done on any other distribution.

Rich, Fresh Artwork

Linux Mint's artwork is something that is admired by many users. Not only does Mint provide a fresh set of wallpapers, it also provides excellent themes that make the desktop look stunning. One of the best things about Mint is that overall; you'll find that the desktop isn't too flashy or overdone. The design is quite simple yet attractive.

Customizable

As compared to Ubuntu, you'll find that Linux Mint is quite customizable. You can download themes and even create your own themes. Apart from themes, Mint also lets you change the position and the size of the panels.

GNOME 3 Done Right

Though Mint has a desktop that sticks to the traditional paradigms of the desktop, it is still backed by some of the latest features. The desktop itself is built with GNOME 3 putting it at par with other modern desktop.

Not Mobile-Oriented

Both GNOME 3 and Ubuntu are desktops that focus heavily on the desktop-mobile convergence. Even though they are elegantly designed, Ubuntu and GNOME 3 have managed to draw away many users who believe that a desktop should look like a desktop and nothing else. Mint has ensured that it doesn't alienate these users and provides them with a desktop that is not mobile oriented.

The Latest Applications

Linux Mint comes pre-installed with all the latest applications. You'll find Firefox, Thunderbird, and yes, the latest kernel in every release. Moreover, you'll also find that Mint can play MP3s and other restricted formats right out of the box. This makes it a complete desktop operating system.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Sony Xperia Z vs. HTC One

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:22:00 +0000

I strongly believe the world knows that there’s a smartphone war going on today. I still remembered the time when the only strong rival or model in terms to smart devices are those coming from Apple, and the rest are equal on the ground. However, things have changed and the top companies outside Apple are almost greater if not equal to the said competitor, having their own flagships ready to soar the ocean of guts. Among these companies are Samsung, Sony, and HTC.

The release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 was said to be phenomenal because of the tons of features, the latest specs, and of course, the looks. Known for its Super AMOLED display, which, though not up to par with Apple’s Retina display, is so good, almost everyone at that time wanted it on every device they bring. However, it’s admissive to learn that not everybody loves the brand itself, hence other companies star in this matter. HTC, on one side, is said to be good for a very rich user experience and a lovely interface, while Sony excels on multimedia experience and gaming offers because of the reputed PlayStation brand.

Today, I am going to reveal to you the possible truths to help you decide which would be the best iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6) killer among Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z, and HTC One. Enjoy reading along, as I have categorized the comparison for your convenience and reference.

Brand Trustworthiness

The brand, for me, is the biggest thing to consider when comparing between products. Brands are usually reputed based on years of experience and expertise, user experience and feedback, product identity, manner of advertisements, and even remarkable people and stores.

Samsung, firstly, gains the trust by being a highly reputed electronics manufacturer based in Korea. Samsung has been existent for decades now, and while they did not start as a cellphone manufacturer, they were already good for appliances especially TVs. Their entry to the world of mobile phones started very well also, and their growth is never to be questioned.

HTC, on the other hand, started in 1998 and was among the first ones to introduce wireless handheld devices and even the touch-enabled ones. Being based in Taiwan, its growth together with their products was not really widely known especially to the western countries. Also, part of their start was associated with their Windows products, which later expanded to Android and other systems.

The success of Sony, ultimately, started during World War II when the founders started a radio repair shop. Interestingly, for all these decades, the growth of the company may seem to be slow and ‘draggy,’ meaning, they tend to develop based only on available technologies. However, this must not distract you because of how reliable their products are which include the famous PlayStation. Today, Sony owns a wide selection of multimedia networks across the globe, and continues to excel in providing quality consumer electronic devices.

Design and Form Factor

Form comes in next to brand because this is the most picturesque factor to identifying a business or brand. Form can be considered and studied based on aesthetics, build quality, materials, ease of use, and even physical metrics.

At only 7.9mm thick, Samsung gains a very respectable body in its new S4 model. Moreover, for such a depth, and in relation to its 5-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S4 wins the prize of being the one to cater the smallest body for a big screen. The S4 also weighs 130 grams for its 136.6mmx69.8mm body, making it also win as the lightest smartphone for a 5-inch display. The S4 also features almost bezel-less display, and though limited in color availability, is built with fine metal materials.

The HTC One, on the other hand, weighs a little further at 143 grams, but is the thickest of the three at 9.3mm. Measuring 137.4x68.2mm, the HTC One is a little narrower but slightly taller than the S4.

Sony’s Xperia Z is but the sleekest smartphone design at least for me, and its metrics lies in between the other two at 7.9mm thin but the tallest at 139mm. The Xperia Z is also the heaviest among the three at 146 grams, but at least, it features a water-resistant body and a very premium build.

The aesthetics can be hardly equated because it is too subjective. But based on my comparison, both HTC One and Xperia Z have a design much reminiscent of the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S4, nevertheless, has the most unique design among the three., though you might want to know that the Xperia Z has a glass body.

Display Quality

This is usually noted as the ‘crowning glory’ of devices especially smartphones. The display factor is usually contrasted based on resolution, pixel density, brightness, color reproduction, viewing angle, and material used.

The Galaxy S4 features a Full HD (1920x1080p) Super AMOLED Display. At 441 pixels per inch for the density plus the coveted AMOLED display, the S4 produces a very vivid representation of data, up to its almost-edge-to-edge screen. Being Super AMOLED, the S4 also has the richest color representation among the three, though such ‘richness’ may still be subjective as a lot according to my reviews have said the colors are somewhat overly saturated if not too vibrant.

While the HTC One has the same full HD resolution, the One rather wins the crown among the three in terms to pixel density at 469ppi (higher than the iPhone 5). This is even made more fantastic if you’d learn that such pixels are all made compact into a 4.7-inch display. While the bezels in the S4 are narrower, the One also has its own narrow bezels to make the display ‘float.’

Being a 5-incher also, the Xperia Z is said to have the world’s sharpest display. Though still at full HD for the resolution and with a pixel density of 443ppi, the Xperia Z features a display product right from the highly respected BRAVIA Engine of Sony’s line of TVs, making colors more vivid and brighter than expected. Lastly, there’s also the OptiContrast and Direct Touch technology, making blacks truly black and contents live up to the surface.

Features / X Factor

Features are usually brand-specific, hence one feature in a particular brand cannot be found on another with a different brand. Features are those that facilitate life and its properties, and mostly it comes with what people have known as ‘bloatwares.’

Samsung Galaxy S4: Dual Shot, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Story Album, Drama Shot, Samsung Hub, S-Translator, ChatON, SmartPause, AirView/AirGesture, Samsung WatchON, HomeSync, S Health, Adapt Display, Adapt Sound.

HTC One: BlinkFeed, Dual Frontal Speakers, HTC UltraPixel camera, HTC BoomSound, HTC Video Highlights. HTC Sense TV, HTC Sense Voice.

Sony Xperia Z: HDR Videos, IP55 & IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, glass fibre polyamide, One-touch (NFC), STAMINA mode for Battery, MH-EX300AP headset, Xperia Care, Exmor RS for camera, SmartTags, Sony Media Apps (Walkman, Album, Movies, PlayStation Mobile).

Hardware and Specs

This category includes system information, the CPU and GPU for processing tasks and apps including games, the RAM for multi-tasking, storage, other noticeable hardware parts such as camera, battery life, and connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy S4, being a bit later in release and announcement, is expectedly having the biggest and the most stable specs so far. The S4 comes with an Exynos 5410 Octa 1.6GHz processor (two quad-core processors), PowerVR SGX544MP3 for the GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16-64GB of internal storage (expandable up to another 64GB), 13MP camera (LED Flash, AF, HDR, dual shot) and 2MP front camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot, BT 4.0 (with A2DP and EDR), 4G LTE, mono speakers only, and NFC. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is loaded with 2600mAh battery and utilizes Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, the latest and the most stable version of Android so far.

Probably the first among the three to have been released, the HTC One is not short with the good specs as well. While only using Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the One has a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad core processor at 1.7GHz, an Adreno 320 GPU, same 2GB of RAM, internal storage starts at 32GB, no SD card expandability, 4MP Main Camera (AF, LED Flash, HDR, IS, dual shot), 2.1MP front camera with HDR, dual-band Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Hotspot, BT 4.0 with A2DP, 4G LTE (market dependent), NFC, dual stereo speakers, and the lowest battery capacity at only 2300mAh.

The Xperia Z of Sony boasts of its display as the top hardware it features, followed by the said durable body construction. The Xperia Z has a quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor clocking at 1.5GHz, the same Adreno 320 for the GPU, 2GB of RAM, standard 16GB of internal storage (up to 32GB expandability), 13MP Camera (AF, LED Flash, HDR, IS, continuous AF, video light, dual shot), 2.2MP front camera, 2330mAh battery, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, BT 4.0 with A2DP, 4G LTE, NFC, mono speakers, and an Android 4.1.2 platform.

Verdict

All of the three devices we tackled today come with decent build quality, while the Xperia Z makes the clear distinction because of a fully laminated display to a weather-sealed body. As for the aesthetics, the Samsung Galaxy S4 wins in being uniquely designed, while the beauty of the other devices is inevitable as well.

The winner in terms to display can be hard to identify as well, but all of them feature full HD resolutions and superb pixel density. However, the HTC One has the least features for the display when compared to the other two.

For the features, the Samsung Galaxy S4 takes the crown for being an all-around smartphone that even caters to the healthy side of the users. Samsung also has a lot of features that interacts very well with the users such as enhanced gestures and eye-detections. On the other hand, HTC gains strength on the One’s dual stereo speakers, making it a star when listening to music, though Sony still takes the medal for being the best multimedia device among the three. HTC’s One also takes advantage of its ‘Sense’ features, though this may not be a parallel to the package offered by the S4.

For the specs, clearly the Samsung Galaxy S4 has all the modern hardware specs making it a ‘prototype’ for the next generation of smartphones. However, the other two competitors take their own gain in terms to camera and multimedia experience such as the speakers and microphones. The S4 also has been reported to have the ‘best gaming experience’ based on some surveys, but the Xperia Z takes the advantage of being more TV-friendly. Perhaps for the hardware, the biggest losing point goes to HTC One particularly because it does not have an expandable storage.

Written by: Wilson Sy, TechSource's certified gadgets correspondent.

Best Collaboration Tools Linux Has to Offer

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:16:00 +0000

Working in teams seems to be a challenge for many enterprises. They have to always ensure constant communication and collaboration between their employees. Lately, many collaboration tools have come up making communication not only easier, but also more effective. You'll find many groupware applications for Windows and for the web as well. In fact, most of the popular collaboration tools are either online or on Windows platform.

As the rise and dominance of Linux continues, many of those companies that rely heavily on collaboration are finding it difficult to switch to the free world. For them over-reliance on either Windows-based or web-based tools is often a big bottleneck when it comes to making the switch. This situation, however, can easily be dealt with by simply promoting the amazing repertoire of collaboration tools Linux world has to offer.

So, if you're lamenting about the lack of groupware tools in the penguin land, here are some of the best collaboration software for Linux:

eGroupWare

Designed for enterprise customers, eGroupWare is a web-based suite of groupware tools. Once deployed, it allows hosting of collaborative applications like group calendar, address book, project management, e-mail, accounting, and inventory. Licensed under GNU GPL, eGroupWare will let you create, manage, and visualize projects and sub-projects. Moreover, it will also let you actively set budgets for staff members. With the modern versions of this tool, you'll be able to sync calendars with multiple devices including your iPhone.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Citadel

Designed to be a worthy replacement to MS Exchange, Citadel is an open-source groupware system. Equipped with plenty of powerful features, this tool is known for its ease of use, high performance, and excellent documentation. One of the most important offerings of this neatly designed groupware service is calendar and instant messaging both of which are designed in a neat, modern UI. Moreover, Citadel also supports push notifications, a feature which few applications in its genre offer.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Horde

Horde is an open-source, enterprise-ready collaboration suite. Once deployed, you'll be able to manage and share calendars, tasks, and notes with your co-workers. The Horde suite of applications includes calendar application (called Kronolith), contact manager (Turba), and a task manager (Mnemo). One of the best features about Horde is that it has a very easy-to-use customizable interface. Users can select from up to 25 different themes to spice up their user experience. Also, Horde supports a variety of databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Zimbra

Zimbra, once acquired by Yahoo!, is still one of the most popular groupware tools for Linux. With fully featured support for group messaging and email, Zimbra is known for its ease of use and high compatibility. The groupware is compatible not only with Microsoft Outlook but also with Apple Mail and Novell Server Edition. Once deployed, you'll be able to synchronize your mail, contacts, and calendar items with the ZCS server.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Kolab

Part of the KDE suite of applications Kolab is a fully featured suite of applications that are designed for collaboration. Completely open-source, Kolab provides full integration with the KDE desktop environment. It also supports Microsoft Outlook and its proprietary plugins. Once installed, you'll be able to access a global LDAP address book that houses all your contacts.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Open-Xchange Server

Open-Xchange Server is a software stack that allows seamless collaboration between employees using calendar, contacts, and task management functions. One of the best features about Open-Xchange server is that it supports proprietary environments like Apple iSync and Microsoft Outlook. However, to gain full support, you'll need to install commercial extensions.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Whenever it comes to deploying any new technology, especially if it lacks proper professional support, there are bound to be some risks. It is always a good idea to stick to software and tools that have reputed professional support. In the aforementioned list, there are tools that have either good support or nicely written documentation. If you find it too risky to switch to a Linux-based software right away, you'll need to stick to web-based tools for a while.

Best Android Apps For Baseball Fans

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:58:00 +0000

Baseball is a game that is quite popular not just in America but in other countries as well. While some people play this sport for competition, many simply prefer to sit at home and watch it. If you are an ardent baseball fan, you know how hard it is to keep up with the latest scores. Moreover, in your downtime, you tend to miss some of the best things the game has to offer. Thankfully, though, there are some great Android applications that won't let you miss out on the game for even a single minute of your life.

So, if you are a baseball fanatic and are waiting to swipe your finger across the screen of your Android device, the following applications will whet your appetite for now:

9 Innings: 2013 Pro Baseball

This free game lets you have a realistic baseball experience whenever you have some free time to spare. With officially licensed MLB teams, the app is possibly the closest you can get to a baseball field (with your mobile phone of course). With stats of over 1,400 players on different 30 teams, this simulation game lets you play against 16 teams through friendly, league, home run derby and special modes. Overall, this is one of the best baseball games out there for Android.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Baseball Superstars 2013

Designed with cute characters that remind you a little of anime cartoons, this next baseball game lets you actually hold the bat and shoot the ball right out of the park. With HD graphics and point-based reward system, Baseball Superstars 2013 is a free baseball game that can also be played online with your friends.

DOWNLOAD HERE

ESPN Fantasy Baseball

Whenever I'm not writing articles like these, I usually spend my time dreaming about owning a baseball team. Though my dream is yet to be realized, I can still get a whiff of how my dream might look like by playing this next game. ESPN Fantasy Baseball is a fun application that lets you manage your fantasy team right from your smartphone. You can build teams, buy players, handle contracts, and much more. So, the next time you are unsure whether to buy a baseball player or not you can just pull out your phone, check the player's stats and make a quick decision.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Sporting News Pro Baseball

If you are tired of missing out on your favorite games, then this next app will help you calm your "score anxiety." So, instead of chatting up with that shady-looking stranger just to know what the score was, all you have to do is pull out your smartphone, open this application, and curse your team for performing so badly. The application presents news, scores, stats, game recaps and schedules in a neat manner along with the ability to customize the app so as to reflect scores of your favorite team.

DOWNLOAD HERE

6-4-3 Baseball Scorecard

If you are a hardcore baseball fanboy or fangirl, this is THE application to have. 6-4-3 Baseball scorecard gives you a feel of a completely real scorecard as opposed to normal plain score tickers. The way this application comes handy is when you are hosting a baseball game and you want to make it as professional as possible. Once installed, a simple baseball game with your friends becomes a professional competition thanks to this app. 6-4-3 can also be used by baseball coaches for scoring their teams. One of the best features that I personally love is the ability to send play-by-play updates to Twitter.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Official Rules of Baseball

Playing baseball with your friends is quite fun. However, that fun turns into an altercation when one of your friends decides to invent his or her own baseball rules. While those fights usually don't break friendships, they can be quite a disruption in the game. Thankfully, however, you can always use this application anytime you want to refer to any rule of the game.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Highly Recommended Linux Applications for Photographers

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sat, 04 May 2013 01:56:00 +0000

While our Windows-using friends boast of tools like Photoshop and Lightroom, we, as Linux users, often find it difficult to find the right tools for specific tasks. One of the most popular reasons why Windows and Mac are still ahead of Linux is that photographers need certain tools for their work that are only available on Windows or Mac.

That said, this doesn't mean that you have to stick with Windows or Mac if you're a photographer. Linux too, these days, offers a variety of tools that will benefit photographers. These tools provide almost as many features as their Windows counterparts. So, if you're a photographer tired of excuses to not switch to Linux, here are some of the best photography applications Linux has to offer.

GIMP

GIMP undoubtedly is the best tool out there that photographers can use. GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program is an image retouching and editing tool that runs across all the major platforms. GIMP is one of the most mature and stable programs the free software world has seen. First released in 1996, the cross-platform image tool is written in C and GTK+.

GIMP can be used for many purposes. For photographers, GIMP provides a lot of handy tools like paintbrush, pencil, and ink tools that help them in editing images. There is also a clone tool that helps photographers make changes for distance. Overall, GIMP is the one-stop alternative to Photoshop.

To install GIMP on Ubuntu, type in or paste the following command in your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

sudo apt-get install gimp

If you're using any other distro, you can download the software from their website itself.

Shotwell

What good are your edited photos if you don't have a tool to organize them? Shotwell is a free software that lets you organize your photos and also share them across social networks. Once installed, you'll be able to import your photos, organize them, and even edit them. Though the editing options are limited to simple touch-ups like rotate, crop, red-eye reduction, Shotwell, does prove to be a handy tool for photographers. Another great thing about Shotwell is that it can help photographers share their work directly to Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, and Facebook, without opening those sites. Shotwell comes pre-installed with Ubuntu; however, if you want to explicitly download it, here's the link of the website.

digiKam

The KDE suite of applications is one of the most underrated sets of applications. One of those applications happens to be an amazing tool for photographers known as digiKam. Designed for simplicity, this easy-to-use photo management application boasts of a lot of useful features. Not only can you organize, edit, and touch-up your images, you can also add amazing filters to the software thus making your photos look a bit funkier. One of the most things about this app, however, is that it provides a neatly written e-book that you can read to get to know the software better.

Darktable

Darktable serves as an amazing tool for non-destructive editing. Once installed, you'll be able to crop and rotate images, tweak exposure settings, adjust colors and contrast and much more. There are tons of interesting features in this application that make it the perfect tool for professional photographers. As powerful as it is, Darktable won't be that much of use to you if you're just getting started with photography.

Entangle Tethered Camera Control and Capture

Entangle is a very useful utility that lets you take photographs with a digital camera that you can completely control using your Linux desktop. Acting like a remote control for your DSLR, all Entangle needs you to do is connect your camera to the desktop/laptop, launch Entangle, and start shooting pictures. Once connected, you can control the camera's shutter, live preview a scene, and also download shot photos simply by sitting on your computer. Entangle is written in GTK-3 and can be installed in Ubuntu by typing in the following command:

sudo apt-get install entangle

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Facebook's New Home on Android: Will it Help Google Kill iOS?

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:00 +0000

A while ago, Apple had everything. It had the best maps; it had iTunes, it even had the most important feature that Android didn't have -- social integration. The way Facebook and Twitter blended perfectly with the rest of the phone operating system was a great example of Apple's quality and commitment towards making an amazing product. You could now post a tweet or a Facebook status update by simply clicking a button. This left Android a little behind its archrival Android. Though Android had the official FB and Twitter apps available in its Play Store, social integration built-in, that too from the moment you boot your device, was something that made your smartphone look even cooler.

Things changed quickly, however, once Zuckerberg announced the long-awaited Facebook Home for Android. This Android homescreen replacement not just integrated your smartphone with Facebook, it turned the whole device into a living breathing FB feed. Many Facebook fanatics loved the app; however, only a few Droiders preferred to use it. Soon, criticism about its privacy and stability started to emerge. However, as criticized it might have become, Facebook Home soon became a sign of Android's dominance. It was a big sign telling Apple that crowds are no longer flocking to their closed garden. Apple’s dominance is almost over.

Having said that, the role of Facebook Home in Google's journey towards smartphone dominance is still unclear. Is it useful or is it harmful? Let's take a look.

How it May Help Google

While the very idea of having photos of your friends pop up on your screen might be revolting to some, Facebook doesn't consider it to be the case. Facebook, taking full advantage of Android's openness, is making sure it becomes a core part of the phone. The social network site is used by millions and millions of users, many of them iOS fanatics. If, in case, an iOS user spots a Facebook Home ad, he or she might go for it and switch to Android giving Google a brownie point. Also, many people might choose to buy an HTC First giving Android the dominance over Google. Facebook Home, in short, becomes probably the richest promoter of Android.

How Facebook Home Might Work Against Google

There is difference between integration and a complete home screen takeover. What Facebook is doing with this feature is that they are taking away Android's identity from the device and making it as a Facebook phone. Though Samsung, LG, and other manufacturers do customize Android, Facebook Home is the farthest anyone has gone when it comes to customizing the open source operating system. So, when a new user goes to buy a phone, he or she has 3 major choices: 1. An iPhone. 2. An Android phone 3. A Facebook phone

Another problem this creates is that it further fragments Android, which is already criticized for being too fragmented. While Google is making decent efforts to unify the Android experience, Facebook Home seems to be heading in another direction. Furthermore, Facebook Home might actually be the beginning of more such homescreen takeovers that will further fragment Android.

The third problem that somehow affects Google negatively is its ongoing efforts to create a better social network. While Facebook still remains the king of social networks, Google's very own Google Plus seems to be gaining more and more crowds each day. Google too has a great strategy to convert users to Google Plus by integrating the social network tightly with its flagship devices like Nexus 4. This again, hampers Google’s plans to dominate in the social networking field.

Conclusion

Though Facebook Home hasn't been welcomed warmly by Android users, it still remains an important milestone in Android's progress. This, unfortunately, also augments some problems Android has been facing for years. As to how Google will handle this remains to be seen, but, whether it succeeds or not, Facebook Home surely will create some healthy and unhealthy disruptions in the Android ecosystem. What do you think?

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

7 Android Apps That Will Help You Lose Weight Fast

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:15:00 +0000

One of the most common New Year's resolutions is that of losing weight. This is the time people invest their hard-earned money in diet books, gym membership, and protein shakes. Unfortunately, though, most people fail to stick with their resolutions as they lose the motivation to do so. Even though they go on a strict diet, they often resort to overeating as they fail to monitor what they eat. This doesn't help at all when losing weight, no matter how much you exercise.

Luckily, our very own Android device can become a weight-loss companion and coach in no time thanks to some great weight-loss applications that are available for this platform.

Noom Weight Loss Coach

Noom Weight Loss Coach is a free Android application that gives you daily tasks so that you can reach your weight-loss goals one step at a time. Motivating as well as educating the user about their food habits, Noom pushes the user to make healthy, positive changes into their lifestyle. Once installed, you get a free, personalized weight-loss plan along with a detailed food log for those who love to watch what they eat.

DOWNLOAD HERE

MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter

MyFitnessPal is one of the best food-logging applications out there for Android. With an accurate calorie-counter and a community to push you towards your goals, this free app has everything you need to lose those extra 10 pounds. The best part about MyFitnessPal, as compared to other food-logging applications, is that it comes with a database of over 2 million kinds of food thus leaving you without excuses.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Endomondo Sports Tracker

If you are an outdoors person the Endomondo is an app that will come in handy. This free application uses GPS to track your location and provide you feedback during your workout. You can monitor the performance of your workout and then post them on your Facebook timeline. Another cool thing this app comes with is that it allows your friends to give you short pre-recorded pep talks so that you keep motivated towards your goals. Endomondo is more suited for those who like to do cycling, hiking, and running a lot.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Adidas miCoach

Adidas miCoach plans to be your personal sports coach. With real time in-ear voice coaching, this free app is suited for any activity be it cardio or strength training. The app also tracks your shoe usage and informs you about your daily workout routine.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Libra Weight Manager

Libra Weight Manager is a free app that lets you track your weight-loss progress in a simple way. With zoomable charts and easy data entries, all this app requires you to do is enter your weight and your weight loss goals. Furthermore, the app also lets you visualize your diet plan on an easy-to-read chart.

DOWNLOAD HERE

BMI Calculator

BMI Calculator is a simple tool that helps you calculate your Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Height Ratio. For starter, the Body Mass Index is an index for human body fat on the basis of an individual's weight and height. Thus, it is an important stat when it comes to your overall weight-loss goal.

DOWNLOAD HERE

My Diet Coach

The Diet Coach is a free app that motivates you towards your weight-loss goals. By giving you constant reminders about your goals, and also by showing you motivational photos, this app helps you push the extra mile when it comes to weight loss. The app is independent of your diet plan and works for almost anyone. There is a pro version of the app that comes with a diet and meal planner; however, we recommend using it as a simple motivational tool in combination with any of the aforementioned food-logging apps.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How to Save YouTube Videos for Offline Viewing in Android

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:29:00 +0000

YouTube, once just a simple video-sharing site has bloomed into a full-fledged entertainment hub. The Google-owned project has aided revolutions, spread knowledge, and yeah, made us laugh with some amazingly funny videos. YouTube allows its users to like, share or comment on a video, thus viewing videos much less passive as compared to television. The most important feature, though, is that the site is completely free for anyone and everyone in the world. You can watch Gangnam Style as many times as you like without any restrictions.

That said, sometimes, you wish you could take the video offline and watch it on some other device. Or, if you have a friend with a flaky Internet connection, you could hand him or her over your saved YouTube videos on a USB thumb drive. These things, however, aren’t that easy because of YouTube’s policies that prevent users from saving or downloading their videos. Thankfully, though, developers have come up with really nice workarounds for this restriction. We have already showed you how to download YouTube videos on Ubuntu, and also using the Linux terminal to download YouTube videos. Now, as we move towards the mobile version of Linux, that is none other than our very own Android, it’s time to learn how to pocket your favorite videos on the go.

How to Save YouTube Videos for Offline Viewing in Android:

TubeMate is by far the best way to grab videos off of YouTube. It is a free app that lets you browse, search, view, and of course, download videos. Since it violates Google’s policies, it cannot be found on the Play Market, and thus, you’ll have to download it from their website. Before installing, though, you’d have to change a few settings here and there on your smartphone.

Firstly, go to the ‘Settings’ menu on your Android phone. Go to ‘Security’, and from there enable the option that says ‘Unknown Sources’. This will enable you to install applications from sources other than the Play Store. Yes, we know that it’s a bit insecure; however, if you’re too worried then you can disable the option once you’re done installing TubeMate.

Once enabled, from your smartphone’s browser go to http://m.tubemate.net/ and download the app from any of the links on the site. Install the app, and then it will show up in the menu. To start downloading videos, simply open TubeMate and start looking for videos you would like to download.

The interface is the same, as you’d find on m.youtube.com except that there would be a green arrow allowing users to download the video. You can grab the video in FLV, MP3, or MP4 format and even in HD formats (if your phone is capable of playing it). To play the videos, I’d recommend using MXPlayer as it recognizes most of the videos downloaded from YouTube.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Most Highly Recommended Books About Ubuntu Linux

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:45:00 +0000

And back we are with a list of some great books about Linux. Though this time, unlike our earlier post, we’ll be focusing just on Ubuntu.

Ubuntu, which is the most popular Linux distro around, has been one of the principal reasons that Linux ever took off as a mainstream operating system. Before Ubuntu, Linux was almost inaccessible to the so-called ‘normal user’. And, even though Ubuntu, now, is as easy to use as Windows, or even Mac OS X, underneath those glossy icons and helpful tooltips lays a system that is so powerful only few people manage to understand.

Ubuntu is, for the normal user, a system that they can load on to their pen drive or compact disc and fire away. And while they use it mainly to rid themselves of the Windowsy nightmares, rarely do these users understand the full potential of Ubuntu. So, if you’re one of those people, or let’s say you happen to know such folks, do consider buying or gifting them some of these amazing books about Ubuntu:

Ubuntu Unleashed

Just installed Ubuntu and don’t know where to begin? Oh planning to recompile the kernel are you? In any case, Ubuntu Unleashed has got you covered. Written by Matthew Helmke, the book 888-paged book covers Ubuntu from beginning to end. And not only that, this book will also teach you a lot of other things too.

The book starts off with rudimentary topics like installation, post-install configuration, and basics of the desktop. The first two sections will cover everything you need to know if you’re just starting with Ubuntu. From the third section on, the book starts touching upon more complex topics like system administration, user-management and networking. Don’t worry though, you’ll find ample examples and diagrams explaining each topic in detail. Even for descriptive topics like cloud computing you’ll find detailed but easy-to-understand diagrams. One thing I love about this book is that despite being so detailed, you’ll find screenshots even for some basic steps like installation and user management. In the final parts of the book Helmke covers programming. Though he doesn’t go much deep into it, there is enough coverage to get you started with coding.

GET IT HERE

Beginning Ubuntu Linux

Beginning Ubuntu Linux is a good starter book for anyone who’s curious about Ubuntu, or even Linux in general. Published by Apress, this book will teach you everything you need to know about the Ubuntu operating system. Unlike the aforementioned Ubuntu Unleashed, Beginning Ubuntu doesn’t dive into the installation directly; instead, this book first runs you through a list of reasons you should be using Ubuntu. Then, the author goes on to explain Linux, its history, its relationship with GNU and more. In short, it’s a great way to educate soon-to-be Linuxiens about the system they’ll be using in future.

Being new, Beginning Ubuntu Linux also touches briefly upon concepts like Chrome OS and cloud computing. Once the introductions are over, the author guides you nicely through the basic installation steps. Here, you’ll find screenshots for even what Linux pros consider as ‘simple’ tasks. To make sure readers get it right, the installation chapter starts with a detailed explanation on how to make space in Windows before moving to Linux, that too with proper description and screenshots. From then on, you’ll learn everything that is there to be known about Ubuntu step by step.

Though most of the book is spent teaching Linux users how to get basic things done (installing software, using LibreOffice, etc.), its final chapters do touch upon some more complex things like backup, task-scheduling, and using root. At the end of the book there’s a nice little guide to the BASH shell that includes a nice, tabulated list of all the essential commands. What I love about this book is that it doesn’t tell you to RTFM, it just guides you slowly through each and every step assuming you’re learning it all for the first time. (In fact, there’s even a short section explaining how to read man pages). So, if you’re a seasoned Linux pro, this book isn’t for you, but if you are an evangelist, this book will definitely help you convert many Mac and Windows users to the bright side.

GET IT HERE

Official Ubuntu Book

The book starts off with a small introduction to Ubuntu, FOSS culture, the community, and some history of the operating system. From that point on, it dives into the basics like installation, usage, and configuration. Though it mainly sticks to basics, there is a chapter about Ubuntu Server too.

The book, when compared to two of the aforementioned Ubuntu-related books, is a bit different; mainly so because it focuses very deeply on Ubuntu. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to see things like Ubuntu Code of Conduct, Launchpad, and other Ubuntu-related projects in there. Moreover, there’s a whole chapter on the often-ignored Kubuntu.

Of course, the book, at the end, dabbles a bit into some relatively complex things like the command line; but overall, the book is super friendly for desktop neophytes. Though you won’t get to know much about ‘how it all works’ and stuff, you’ll definitely be able to use Ubuntu like the way it was meant to be used. If you have someone completely new to Ubuntu, I’d suggest giving him/her this book along with Beginning Ubuntu Linux.

GET IT HERE

Some other worthy mentions:

Ubuntu Linux Toolbox

This is a relatively short book that will teach you to use Ubuntu like experts. It covers the basics too, but it mainly focuses on how to use Ubuntu using commands.

Ubuntu Hacks

This book is a collection of 100 tips and tricks teaching you how to install, configure, and customize Ubuntu. Though it covers a lot of expert stuff, it’s still very accessible to relative newcomers.

Top Android Apps For Photographers

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:09:00 +0000

Though photography is just a means to capture memories, for some, it's a complete passion. Photographers spend hours waiting for that perfect shot that captures more than just the moment or the event. Often times, a camera isn't the only tool a photographer needs. They need plenty of editing tools like Photoshop, Lightroom etc.

That said, carrying those tools everywhere isn't possible. Thankfully, there are a few great Android applications that fill in that need by letting them edit, upload, and touch-up their photos on the go:

Flickr

Flickr is a popular image-sharing site that is used by many photographers from all over the world. You'll find some of the most beautiful photos being uploaded to the site. Flickr for Android is an app that allows you to upload all your photographs to your Flickr account. One of the biggest advantages of uploading your photos to Flickr rather than any other site is that Flickr is a community of photographers. There are thousands of photography groups wherein Flickr users share their inputs on other users' works.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Posing w/ Ken Gehring

You have the best models for photography but don't know about any good poses? Don't worry; this free app will help you out. Posing by Photographer's connection gives as many as 50 posing ideas for singles as well as couples. Created by famous photographer Ken Gehring, this app is useful even for non-photographers who want to pose better for photo shoots.

DOWNLOAD HERE

500px

Though Flickr is still the dominant photo-sharing network, a new kid on the block is here to threaten its legacy. 500px, a premium photo social network, lets you showcase your best photography skills to your friends and to the world. If you're a photographer, you can browse the app for inspiring photos and slideshows. One of the best things about this service is that it lets you follow photographers so that you can get enough inspiration. Another advantage 500px has over its competitors is that it lets you get instant feedback for your work. And, any moment you get a feedback, you get a push notification to quickly access it.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Photographer's Connection

Photographer's connection is a free application that lets you stay in touch with other photographers. Once installed, you'll have access to the photography site along with the ability to view inspirational photos for your work. The application also lets you connect to other social networks like Facebook and Pinterest.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Posing App

If you are shooting a model who doesn't know how to pose, then this app might come in handy. With over 244 poses that work in any model scenario, this free application gives you a reference guide or a "cheat sheet" whenever you run out of ideas for poses.

DOWNLOAD HERE

AfterFocus Pro

AfterFocus Pro is a great application for creating DSLR-style edited pictures. Once installed, you'll be able to apply cool background-blurred pictures to your unedited photos and upload them to Facebook or Twitter. One of the best features of this app is that the focus area is quite easily selectable. In other words, you don't have to put a lot of effort into editing the photos. The app automatically recognizes the focus area and shows the pictures to you.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Pixlr Express

This is my personal favorite. Pixlr Express is a powerful photo-editing app that lets you apply beautiful filters to your images almost instantly. Once installed, all you have to do is import your photos, apply the filters, and see the magic. In contrast to Instagram, the application comes with a lot of interesting user-created filters that make the images look beautiful with a touch of a button. Definitely worth a try even if you're not a photographer.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Best Screen Capture Tools for Ubuntu

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 02:31:00 +0000

If you frequently write tutorials and manuals for helping other users, screen capture tools are something you can't do without. Be it capturing a small section of your desktop or capturing a whole video for a tutorial, screen capture makes it easy for you to show your desktop to the world. These recorded tutorials can be posted on sites and even YouTube for helping other users out with their problems. Screenshots and screencasts can also be used for demonstrating a new software to users so that they get a good preview of what they're going to download or buy.

That said, there aren't many screen-capturing apps for Ubuntu as there are for Windows and Mac OS X. Needless to say, you'll have to stick with the ones that are stable and are free of any bugs whatsoever. Ubuntu users can download these apps and start recording their desktops right away. So, without much ado, here are some of the finest apps available for screen capturing that are best compatible with Ubuntu.

Shelr

Though many of the screen-capturing applications focus on capturing the whole screen, it becomes difficult to record tutorials that are focused on explaining things on the command line. For example, if you are teaching your audience programming or shell scripting putting focus on the terminal might work but you won't get a clear picture of the window. Shelr is a free application that helps you address that problem. It is a tool specially designed to record activity from the command line and command line only. Furthermore, once installed, it also lets you publish your screencasts to shelr.tv.

To install, type in the following command in your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

sudo gem install shelr

To start recording, type in the following command:

shelr record

Shutter

Shutter is a free application that blends perfectly with the Ubuntu desktop. Fitting nicely in the indicator menu, Shutter not only allows you to take screenshots of your desktop, it also lets you edit and annotate them. Once installed, this free application can help you take screenshots of menus, windows, and even parts of the desktop. You can then use Shutter's edit tool to annotate the screenshots or even blur parts of the screenshot to protect your privacy.

Install:

sudo apt-get install shutter

GNOME screenshot tool

Gnome-screenshot is the staple tool if you want to take simple screenshots and nothing else. Already installed by default in Ubuntu this tool can be accessed by simply pressing the Print Screen button on your computer's keyboard. The Print Screen button will take a screenshot and a small window will pop up asking you where to save it.

RecordMyDesktop

RecordMyDesktop, as the name says, lets you record your desktop and save it in the form of videos. Available both as a GUI tool as well as a command line tool, this free application lets you capture and encode videos at the same time. One of the best features of this screencasting application is that it is available in two frontends: Qt and Gtk. Written in Python, the app can thus be used natively on KDE as well as GNOME desktops. While the recording takes place through PulseAudio, the app also lets you record audio via ALSA, OSS, and JACK audio server.

If you're a command-line junkie then there is a command-line version of this app that you can install right away. This will give let you take screenshots by simply entering a command.

To install the application, type in or paste the following commands in your terminal window (Ctrl + Alt + T):

sudo apt-get install gtk-recordmydesktop

sudo apt-get install recordmydesktop (this will install the command line version)

Tibesti

Though this is an unstable application, it is one of the only screencasting applications that blend perfectly with the Ubuntu desktop. It allows you to record your desktop to multiple output formats, such as WebM, Ogg Media, Flash and several types of Matroska-based formats. Furthermore, Tibesti also logs your screencasts to Zeitgeist thus letting you search your screencasts using the Dash. The project isn't currently being maintained but will definitely work for you if you are looking for something that goes well with your desktop.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ackondro/tibesti
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install tibesti

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

How to Make Your Android Phone Look Like Ubuntu Phone

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:52:00 +0000

We've already talked a lot about the Ubuntu phone OS in our previous articles HERE and HERE. The open-source OS designed for medium-end phones is a beautiful work in progress. Though criticized for not having many apps and lacking manufacturer support, Ubuntu Phone OS still is one of the most beautifully designed operating systems around. I think it is even better than Android and iOS in terms of look and feel.

With slick menus and swipe-navigation features, the Ubuntu Phone OS puts heavy focus on providing a solid user experience. One of the most prominent features is its Unity desktop-like sidebar that lets you access all your favorite apps with just one finger. While other operating systems make you long press or press buttons to multitask, switching between apps is a breeze on Ubuntu OS. However, as enviable as the features are, Android users are a bit hesitant to try it out on their smartphones, especially since it’s still a work in progress. Thankfully, though, you can get the best of the Ubuntu Phone OS features right now by installing a few apps on your Android smartphone.

Wallpaper

Ubuntu Live Wallpaper Beta is a free application that puts the gorgeous-looking Ubuntu live wallpaper onto your lock screen. The app, once installed, integrates perfectly with your system background and shows a background just like the one you see on Ubuntu's lock screen. The app shows a beautiful-yet-functional circle at the center surrounded by an aubergine gradient. In the circle you'll see the current date and time. What's more, the application also lets you show battery stats on the wallpaper itself.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Lock Screen

If you are a GO launcher user, this application will give you a good taste of how Ubuntu Phone OS looks. The app comes with support for Ubuntu Phone OS wallpaper, the animated circle, digital clock, and lock screen, which are enough to make your smartphone look like a complete Ubuntu-phone clone. To install the app though you'll need the latest version of Go Launcher EX and, of course, the app itself. Once that is done, you'll have to open Go Launcher and choose the theme from the menu.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Sidebar

If making your smartphone look like Ubuntu Phone OS wasn't enough, you can try making it work or function like Ubuntu Phone. Glovebox is a free application that lets you have the apps sidebar feature just like the one in Ubuntu Phone OS. Once installed, you will be able to switch between different applications just by swiping your fingers from the left. The app also lets you personalize the applications in your sidebar thus giving you more control over the look and feel of your Android smartphone. That said, the application doesn't give you a complete Ubuntu-like look to the sidebar. So, if you are not too concerned about making a complete or consistent Ubuntu clone, I think this app is more than great for you.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

Best Download Managers For Linux

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 14:58:00 +0000

Downloading huge amount of files using your web browser can be quite tedious. Many times downloads are interrupted and sometimes, you'll find that they are slower than usual. One of the worst things, however, when it comes to downloading files using web browsers is that the moment you close the browser or lose the connection, all your downloaded effort goes to waste. This is where download managers come in handy. These small applications are responsible for ensuring that you have an uninterrupted download that can be resumed anytime you want. Moreover, apart from giving you the core features, these tools also let you download your favorite content via proxy and FTP as well.

Though there is an abundance of download managers for Windows, its open-source counterpart doesn't have that many applications to boast of. There are only a few applications in this category; however, unlike Windows, these ones don't come with any spyware or funky toolbars that get installed the moment you install the software. These apps simply do the job.

jDownloader

jDownloader is an open-source, platform independent, download management tool that is written totally in Java. The application offers uninterrupted downloads, Captcha recognition, automatic decompression along with many other features. The application works across all platforms be it Windows, Linux, or Mac and needs only Java Runtime Environment for it to work.

FatRat

FatRat is an open-source download manager that is written in C++ and Qt. Once installed, the application will let you have uninterrupted HTTP as well as FTP downloads. With support for SOCKS5 and HTTP proxies, the application can let you download any file you want from anywhere. Another great feature about this app that I personally love is that it supports BitTorrent. This means that you can search for your favorite content on popular torrent sites and start downloading right away. What's more, you can also download stuff from RapidShare using the software.

Wget

Wget is still my favorite download-management application. Simple and easy to use, this command-like software lets you download anything without any interruptions. With support for HTTP, SFTP, and FTP protocols, the application lets you download most of your files uninterrupted by simply a single command. If you are not a big fan of command-line tools, you can also install the graphical frontend for the tool known as GNU Wget.

MultiGet

Written in C++, MultiGet is an easy to use GUI downloader for Linux. The application, once installed, lets you download files via HTTP, FTP along with support for proxy. One of the most unique features about this application is that it comes with support for P2SP. This means that while downloading, the application will fetch files from multiple locations (servers) and then combine the data into one single file. This, according to the developers, significantly speeds up your downloads.

KGet

KGet is KDE's download management application. Once installed, it lets you download files and restart a download whenever it is interrupted. You can see whether a download is current or pending and can download files straight away from Konqueror (KDE's web browser). This integration with Konqueror is what makes this application perfect for KDE users. Furthermore, there is also a metalink support. This means that you can paste multiple links and begin your downloads.

Note: If you're a Firefox user, you can integrate KGet with your browser by installing the Flashgot extension for Firefox. Once installed, you'll be able to download all files in Firefox via KGet.

Tucan Manager

Tucan Manager is a free file-sharing and download-management application that works across Windows, Mac, and Linux. The open-source tool supports Captcha resolution, downloading from multiple hosts, and premium user accounts. As far as the UI is concerned, the application's interface is quite straightforward and lets you add downloads with a click of a button. Unlike other applications, Tucan is slim and lightweight and can work perfectly across any platform you're on.

Axel

Axel is more of a download accelerator rather than a download manager. Almost similar to wget, axel can use multiple mirrors for downloading a single file. This, in turn, significantly, speeds up your downloads. Another great thing about this application is that it has no dependencies whatsoever and is extremely lightweight.

How to Optimize the Performance of your Android Device

noreply@blogger.com (jun auza) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:23:00 +0000

Android users often complain of their smartphone or tablet being slower than their Apple counterparts. Many Android devices suffer from lags, slowdowns, battery drains and countless other problems. The reason for this, mainly, is that sometimes the hardware isn't good enough for the operating system to run on.

From my personal experience, I can attest to the fact. As soon as the new Jelly Bean upgrade came out, I installed it on my Nexus S device. Remember that Nexus S was the device that was the first smartphone to use Gingerbread OS and it has been a long time since its release. So, after being blown away by the amazing features that Google Now had to offer, I started seeing some lags and slowdowns. In fact, the moment I upgraded, I noticed that my smartphone wasn't as fast as it used to be. After googling up a bit, I found that the Jelly Bean OS was too heavy for my poor old Nexus S device. Things like these usually make me want to hit Google right in the head.

Anyways, after being disappointed by the recent upgrade, I started looking for ways to speed up my grudgingly slow device. Thankfully, Google was my friend again as I came across some great applications that helped me optimize the performance of my device. Though I haven't managed to make my Nexus S as fast as the latest Samsung Galaxy S4, its speed and battery life have significantly improved. Here are some tips that helped me speed things up:

Clean Master

Clean Master is an application that works like CCleaner does for Windows. It cleans up all the unnecessary files that slow down the performance of your Android device. Few of the features that work great are History Eraser, Task Killer, and Privacy Manager. The history eraser lets you clean up all the old files with one single click. This also means you get to clean cache files and residual files at once. Another feature that I love is the task killer. This will let you clean up all the background tasks that are hogging the system memory.

Finally, if you want a quick boost to your device, the application also lets you drop a quick boost widget onto your homescreen so that you can quickly kill all unwanted tasks without having to open the application. Clean Master is free and works perfectly on non-rooted smartphones.

NQ Mobile Guard

Mobile Guard is another free application that not only boosts your phone's performance, but also your battery life. The app has four battery-saving modes that you can choose from depending upon your need to save the battery and your overall usage. This app too provides one-click optimization for your smartphone along with virus scanning. If that wasn't enough, Mobile Guard also comes with a dedicated network manager and file manager. Overall, the app can act as your one-stop optimizer. If, however, you're in need of simply a task killer, you can opt for an app like Super Task Killer.

JuiceDefender

JuiceDefender is a dedicated battery-saving application for your Android device. This free application lets you save your battery life by killing tasks and services that are not required. For example, the app shuts down 3G when you aren't using the phone. However, it smartly turns it on every few minutes so that you won't end up losing on important messages. The smart app is free to download with some more features available for paid users.

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.