Fly the World

Free Android and iOS Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:36:00 +0000

Trey Ratcliff, the famous photographer is making his photo app "Photo Voyages of Trey Free" for Android available for free today. It has more than 100 hd photos which you can either browse in Smartphones or in Tablets or in Google TV. Plus you can use any of the photos as a Wallpaper in your phones. The Premium version of the app is even better costs only $0.99 has more features and photos included in the app.

There is a photography book in Amazon for free, "Photo Hack", offers lots of lessons to take great photos in different places.

iTunes has Bingo Heaven game app free today.

Also, checkout free Kindle books for your smartphones.

Recently Added Free Kindle Books From Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:07:00 +0000

Amazon adds free books on a daily basis, some of them are free for everyone and others are free for Amazon Prime holders. These are the books that are free as of today. I am not sure how long they will be free, so hurry before it is too late. Before you purchase check the price to make sure it is free.

For more free books check this Amazon link.

Free for Everyone in the US:

Hannah's Blessing - Collette Scott

Love in a Small Town - Betty Jo Schuler

Always the Baker, Never the Bride - Sandra D. Bricker

Highland Sanctuary - Jennifer Hudson Taylor

A Time for Peace (Quilts of Lancaster County) - Barbara Cameron

The Wary Widow (The Wetherby Brides, Book 3) - Jerrica Knight-Catania

Quick & Easy Family Dinners Cookbook - Gooseberry Patch

Finders Keepers - Catherine Palmer

Instant Self-Hypnosis: How to Hypnotize Yourself with Your Eyes Open - Forbes Robbins Blair

5-minute Recipes - Instructables Authors

A Previous Engagement - Stephanie Haddad

Free for Prime Members Only:

Chicken Recipes To Die For - Heather Richardson

Past Imperfect - John Matthews

Think and Be Happy: 365 Empowering Thoughts to Lift Your Spirit - Shadonna Richards

The Ninth Step - Barbara Taylor Sissel

Organized Simplicity - Tsh Oxenreider

How to Cook Healthy & Natural Snacks (Cheap, Easy & Incredible Natural Recipes) - Catherine Reynolds

Sweet Tea and Secrets (An Adams Grove Novel) - Nancy Naigle

Breaking TWIG - Deborah Epperson

The River - Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many - Heather Wardell

Schooled In Lies (Kendra Clayton) - Angela Henry

Weight Watchers Points Plus Crock Pot Recipes Cookbook (Weight Watchers Points Plus Recipe Collection) - Elizabeth West

The Enemy We Know (Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mystery) - Donna White Glaser

30 Delicious Refrigerator Cake Recipes - Lori Burke

Weight Loss for Wimps: Lose Your Belly Fat, Look Younger and Get Healthy, Sexy and Thin - Kevin C. Myers

Raditaz: A good alternative for Pandora Radio Android App

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:22:00 +0000

I am using Raditaz, looks like a great radio app for Android like Pandora.

Some of the main features are the following:

- 13 million songs. Yes, 15 times the number of songs that Pandora (900,000) has.
- Raditaz is Free.
- No ads. Because we work in a basement we can afford to do this.
- Discover music using tags, trending and our mapping features.
- No limits on listening.
- Over 200 professionally curated stations (ex. Country, Rock, Hip Hop, Rap, 2010 hits etc.).
Use tags to organize your music and to discover new music. Tag by event (birthday party, graduation, xmas party), by location (home, work, gym, school), or tag it with your favorite artists.

You can create as many stations as you like just like Pandora premium app only Raditaz app is free for now.

The sound quality is great so far. The streaming is very good without any hiccups. Check it out if you have an Android smartphone.

It is also available for iOS for iPhones at this iTunes link here.

Art is in simple things even in Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:03:00 +0000

While manholes are not paid much attention in cities, in fact it looks like an eyesore in the street, whereas in Japan it is considered an art. It makes the streets even more polished with this art. Buddha will be impressed with it, who likes to see beauty even in small and trivial things.

"In Japan, due care and attention is paid to every element of urban design and the humble manhole is no exception. Best, when visiting this country, to look down occasionally. What you see may surprise and perhaps delight you. The beautiful mosaic design for a manhole in the city of Kamakura above, shows that even the most functional of objects can have artistic merit."

More manhole cover arts pictures follows:

Photos via Kuriositas.com.

Philantroper now accepts Google+ and Twitter accounts for donations

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

Philanthroper.com, a charity organization, allowed only Facebook accounts to donate funds at their site. Now they accept Google+ and Twitter accounts in Philanthroper also.

Before I used Facebook account to sign in to the site, others complained that they were unable to use other accounts such as Google's and Twitter, now they are solved with this new update. But there is no way to combine what you donated with Facebook account before and with this new sign-in option. Hope they will add this later option soon.

Ad: Chromebook - Don't need to take your files anywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:39:00 +0000

Funny ad from Google's Chromebook, this one shows how good is their storage system.

Tiny Flashlight + LED - Flashlight Android app works with just a phone shake

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Tiny Flashlight + LED is one of a number of flashlight apps that are available in Android Market, but this app seems to have a brighter light than others plus it has an option to start the flashlight program without fumbling for the keyboard to type in our password-protected phones.

Once you install the app, go to the app's settings and go to "LED Light" and in the "Shake on Lock Screen" option and set it to "ON" option. Now you can start the app by just shaking the phone.

In HTC Droid Incredible, I had to set the "Shake: Sensitivity" setting very high to make it work, but still it is much better than typing the words and numbers in the dark.

Plus, it has more flashlight options in the main screen as shown in the video.

Via Droid Life.

How to fix Shockwave Flash crashing problems in Google Chrome browser and PC

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:24:00 +0000

The frequent flash browser crashing problem you will likely face if you are using Google Chrome browser. This is due to the following reason, there are two flash programs installed in the computer one by the Windows and one by Google Chrome. While flash installed by Google Chrome is installed automatically, Windows flash update is not frequent. The conflicts between the two causes repeated crashes in the browser.

To fix this problem use the following steps from Lockergnome.com.

1. Open a new tab and type: "about: plugins" without the quotes
2. Go to "Flash" and click "Details" on the right top side
3. You will see two or more Flash versions (one installed by Chrome in browser and the other installed by Windows)
4. Disable the Flash installed by Chrome browser (usually stored in the computer in the following folder ...AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\17.0.963.38\gcswf32.dll)
5. Restart the browser

Video: Mazzy Star - Blue Light

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

A great song "Blue Light" from Mazzy Star band.

Lyrics:

There's a blue light
In my best friend's room
There's a blue light
In his eye

There's a blue light, yeah
I want to see it
Shine

There's a ship
That sails by my window
There's a ship that sails on by

There's a world under it
I think I see it
Sailing away
I think it's sailing
Miles crashing me by
Crashing me by
Crashing me by

There's a world
Outside my doorstep
Flames over
Everyone's hot
Don't you see them shining
I want to hear them
Beating for me
I think I hear them

Waves crashing me by
Crashing me by
Crashing me by

Lyrics from Sing365.com.

How to Start Microsoft Office Programs without the Splash Screen?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:40:00 +0000

If you have Microsoft Office 2010, you will know how annoying the startup screen is, it will flash for a minute or so and load the addins in the background before it starts. To avoid this startup screen, Lifehacker.com provided this following tip also Microsoft has a similar tip:

1.) Right-click on the desktop and go to New > Shortcut
2.) In the box, type one of the following, depending on which program you want the shortcut to activate (these commands are for Microsoft Office 2010):

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\WINWORD.EXE" /q
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\EXCEL.EXE" /e
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\POWERPOINT.EXE" /s

3.) Hit Next, Enter a name for the shortcut (like "Microsoft Word 2010"), and hit Finish.
4.) Repeat the process for the other two programs, if desired.

For Windows 64 bit systems, use the same shortcuts as above but change the file location from "Program Files" folder to "Program Files (x86)" folder.

This tip should also work fine in Windows XP, the location of the file will be different, so you can browse and point to that specific Word, Excel or PowerPoint program.

Ad: The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Volkswagen had a nice Star Wars themed commercial "The Force" before, now they have added another good one with the dogs for their upcoming car release in 2012.

How to fix "iPad keyboard not responding" error?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

I was trying to type in my iPad2 touch keyboard in Dolphin HD browser, but nothing happened, I tried restarting, same error happened. Then I found a fix in the internet, one user said the "Bluetooth" might be set to "ON". When it is set like that, the iPad assumes we are typing from a Bluetooth wireless keyboard. When I checked the settings, I found out that was the case. I had accidentally set the Bluetooth to "ON", though I don't use any wireless option with iPad.

After I fixed this problem and restarted the browser, I was able to type like before.

So, check the "Settings" --> "General" --> Go to "Bluetooth" and set it to "Off" and restart the browser or any app you want to type on.

Free Kindle Ebook: Pictures of the Mind: What the New Neuroscience Tells Us About Who We Are by Miriam Boleyn-Fitzgerald

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:57:00 +0000

Pictures of the Mind: What the New Neuroscience Tells Us About Who We Are (FT Press Science) eBook by Miriam Boleyn-Fitzgerald is free in Amazon today. It has 5-star reviews. The book is about the following:

Over the past decade, a revolution in medical imaging has allowed researchers to scan the brain of subjects in situ, while setting their minds to an assigned task. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are revealing, among other discoveries, that the brain of some apparently vegetative patients can be active; the brain's ability to heal and grow well beyond what was previously believed; and the various centers of different behaviors and skills. Physicist and science writer Boleyn-Fitzgerald addresses brain injury, addiction, memory, meditation, and more with summaries of recent research, cogent explanations of what scientists are learning, and plentiful references. Fascinatingly, she illustrates how "knotty questions about morality, blame, and punishment provide abundant raw material for brain researchers," who can assess, for instance, "whether 'normal' brains are wired for altruism and cooperation." Boleyn-Fitzgerald writes in a clear voice, making scientific data engaging and accessible for anyone with an interest in the study of neurology, mindfulness, or behavior.

Via Fatwallet.com.

How to make an animated GIF appear live in a Google+ Post?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Recently I tried a GIF image like above in a Google+ post, the animation didn't show up until one had to click through a picture. Many of the followers didn't understand the relevance of the picture until they had clicked it, which seemed like an additional step. I didn't know the reason why the animation didn't work, until a Google+ user, Archer Rehcra suggested the following tip:

The maximum size for an animated GIF that will activate in a Google+ stream is 400 x 300 pixels. If you have a larger file size then you can resize them here at http://www.online-image-editor.com/, which allows you to save the file in your computer after resizing.

Thanks Archer.

For other websites like Facebook, check the website picture terms, they should state the picture requirements.

Also, read how to create an animated GIF file from this LockerGnome article.

Login to your Gmail account in Public computers Safely with Google's QR Code

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:08:00 +0000

We are all worried about logging on to public computers or in our friend's computer because of keylogging (Keystroke logging) problems. Using the below method you can log on to your Google accounts page in your friend's or in a public computer safely without leaving any password signature in that computer.

1. Go to http://accounts.google.com/sesame, it will create a unique QR code as above picture.
2. Scan the QR code generated with your Android phone/iPhone/iPad/Windows Phone/BlackBerry Phone.
3. Google will then ask you whether you want to give permission logging your Google account in a public computer.
4. Once you give the permission, the window in Step 1 will quickly log you to your Google account without having to type the username or password.
5. Once you finish browsing, you can then log off from the computer without leaving your security password details in that computer.

I tested it works great without a hitch.

Photo of Google generated QR Code from Ghacks.net.

Update: Google has disable this phone based login method for now, it claims they have a better method than this and will be available to public soon.

Get Candy Shipped From Japan Twice a Month

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:37:00 +0000

Bonton Ame candy from Japan

For Japan lovers and candy lovers, this is a great offer. You get surprise candy twice a month, directly from Japan for $24 a month and is shipped worldwide.

Chelsea Butter Scotch

For more information go to Candy Japan.

Via +Matt Cutts

How to remove phone storage error or 'low on space' error in Android Phones?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:05:00 +0000

If you have Google+ and have an Android phone, you are more likely to see the above phone storage error. I had this problem for the past few months and tried various hacks (rooting, task killer option, deleting apps, and others), nothing seemed to work until I found this tip from Jody Sawyer's Google+ post.

The solution or workaround is as follows:

1.) Create a new Gmail account (or use your other Gmail account).
2.) From your computer use the Gmail account you have in Android and export the contacts. To export contacts, go to Gmail --> Click "Contacts" --> Go to "More" --> Click "Export" and select "The Group" as shown in the picture below and scroll down and choose whatever group you like, here I chose "My Contacts" instead of choosing "All Contacts" which includes contacts from the Google+ followers. The exported file should be in .csv format so other Gmail accounts can use the exported contacts.

3.) Now logon to your other Gmail account (New or existing account) and go to "Contacts" --> Go to "More" --> Click "Import" and choose the file that was exported in step 2.
4.) Go to your Android Phone --> Open "Settings" --> Go to "Accounts & Sync" --> Go to "Manage Accounts" --> Select the old Gmail account and disable "Sync Contacts" option.
5.) After step 4 go back once and select the new Gmail account and select "Sync Contacts" option.
6.) Wait for a few minutes or some time and restart the phone, you will see the "low on space" error gone.

Now you can browse your phone and add your favorite apps without any major concern.

Image of phone storage error from Askstudent.com.

Infographic: Bill Gates better than a Batman

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Bill Gates is better than a Batman? It appears to be so Bill Gates and his organization have donated more than what the US has donated to the foreign countries in the previous year it seems. Via Frugaldad.com.

How to add Multiple Days or Weeks Repeating Tasks in Google Calendar?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:53:00 +0000

In Google Calendar, there is a way to repeat tasks every day, every week, every month and every year. But is there a way to set up recurring tasks say for example a task repeating the first and third week of the month? The answer is yes. Also, this post will answer the question to how to add an event every first (second or third or fourth or in some cases the fifth) week of the month.

First let us find a solution for the first question. Let us use the example "Payday first and third Friday of the month"

Click any part of the event window and add "Payday first and third Friday of the month" and click "Edit event" if you want to fine tune the hours or if you want to set it for all day etc., and click save. This will enable a repeating event, every first Friday and every third Friday of the month.

You can do the same way for a repeating event second and fourth Friday, just enter "Payday second and fourth Friday of the month" and click save.

For the second question, to set a repeating monthly task falling on the weekday of any of the four weeks, let us use an example "second Wednesday of the month".

After you add an event with the phrase "second Wednesday of the month" Google Calendar adds the every second Wednesday of the month like before.

Ad: History of Johnnie Walker Whiskey - Keep Walking

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:39:00 +0000

It is a long video but a great ad for Johnnie Walker whiskey sums up the history well. Robert Carlyle, Scottish actor did this video in one single take. "Keep Walking" is their mantra and they have done well for more than a century in business.

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How to Conduct Meetings Efficiently like Google, the Larry Page way

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Larry Page, co-founder of Google, took over CEO job from Eric Schmidt last year. Since then the meetings in Google are conducted very efficiently according to Kristen Gil, VP of Google Business Operations. She said in Think Quarterly magazine, they found a wide discrepancy in the effectiveness of their meetings.

"One of our first observations was that many meetings weren’t working as well as they should. A well-run meeting is a great thing; it empowers people to make decisions, solve problems, and share information. But badly-run meetings are a demoralizing waste of time. We didn’t want our employees to waste either time or energy, so we gathered input and made some recommendations to help make meetings more effective."

So, Larry Page and Google changed the meeting setup as follows:

Every decision-oriented meeting should have a clear decision maker, if the condition not met then there should be no meeting.
The meetings should not exceed more than 10 people for an effective meeting.
Every person in the meeting should give inputs or not attend.
Everyone should be present at the start of the meeting, no delays because of their absence.
Any decision shouldn't wait for a meeting to be implemented, but if it is a critical decision then a meeting should be scheduled before implementing.

Since the changes were implemented, they have made number of important decisions such as the introduction of Google+ and the unbelievable number of features they have added ever since they started it last year.

Instead of attending the meeting just for the sake of it, I hope everyone follows this or similar rules to improve the effectiveness of a meeting.

Remove Clogged Bathroom Sinks with Drano Snake Plus

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

One of my friends had the bathroom sink clogged up and they asked me what kind of tool or cleaning solution is good to solve it. I suggested a snake drain kind of tools and one of them is Drano Snake Plus, which is a good tool to use and is very effective in solving bulk of the clogging problems. It is a long rod with barbs (like needle barbs), it is sufficient to remove most of the gunk from the drain pipes.

Drano Snake Plus also has a special gel in the package that loosens up the trash inside. It is priced at $11 + shipping.

The main features are:

18 inch long flexible tool contains a unique barb design that loosens gunk and build-up that is caught within the pipe
Single use 16 oz drano pro concentrate gel is a thicker formula with more active ingredients than max gel, which allows it to cling to the clog better and penetrate it to dissolve it away
Formulated safe on all pipes and plumbing fixtures

I used it few years ago with a similar tool but without the gel and it worked fine, but for tougher jobs use of the gel would be an ideal solution.

If the above method fails to solve, then you can call the local plumbers.

Do you use this method or other type of tools to solve this problem?

Opt-Out from Credit Card and Insurance Offers with Optoutprescreen

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:11:00 +0000

Are you tired of receiving endless credit card application offers and insurance offers from companies? Then you can get rid of them with a simple opt-out form from Optoutprescreen.com.

Optoutprescreen.com offers the following benefits:

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Consumer Credit Reporting Companies are permitted to include your name on lists used by creditors or insurers to make firm offers of credit or insurance that are not initiated by you ("Firm Offers"). The FCRA also provides you the right to "Opt-Out", which prevents Consumer Credit Reporting Companies from providing your credit file information for Firm Offers.
Through this website, you may request to:

* Opt-Out from receiving Firm Offers for Five Years - (electronically through this website).

* Opt-Out from receiving Firm Offers permanently - (mail Permanent Opt-Out Election form available through this website).

* Opt-In and be eligible to receive Firm Offers. This option is for consumers who have previously completed an Opt-Out request - (electronically through this website).

* If you choose to Opt-Out, you will no longer be included in firm offer lists provided by these four consumer credit reporting companies. If you are not receiving firm offers because you have previously completed a request to Opt-Out, you can request to Opt-In. In doing so, you will soon be among the many consumers who can significantly benefit from having ready access to product information on credit and insurance products that may not be available to the general public.

It asks for your full address and name including the Social Security Number, the last one you can omit if you don't want to share it with them.

After you click the Optoutprescreen link, you will have three options to choose from "Opt-In", "Electronic Opt-Out for Five Years", and "Permanent Opt-Out by Mail". This step is very important if you want to opt out then choose the third option to permanently opt out of the offers.

I found this information in Ramit Sethi's book "I Will Teach You To Be Rich".

Foreign Language App for Android: MobiLearn Talking Phrasebook free in Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:22:00 +0000

Google Translate app for Android is a very good translation app to use if you travel frequently overseas, but the only problem is it needs a data connection, which becomes expensive overseas. MobiLearn, another translation app for Android, on the other hand works fine offline as well. It is not as comprehensive as Google Translate but gives a list of expressions and their translations in French, German, Italian and Spanish languages. Today, MobiLearn premium app is free in Amazon.

Some of the main features of MobiLearn are:

See and hear phrases in 5 different European languages
Learn over 400 common expressions
Repeat phrases over and over for help memorizing
Use Autoplay to immerse yourself in another language
Developed by professional teams of native speakers

Amazon.com: MobiLearn Talking Phrasebook, English-French-German-Italian-Spanish

Edit Microsoft Office Documents in iPad with CloudOn

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Veerabadran) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:13:00 +0000

CloudOn is an iPad app for documents editing, is currently available is a free download in iTunes. If you are looking for a good program to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, then you can use CloudOn to edit them. CloudOn also enables us to open documents from DropBox and edit as well, so you can keep the documents synced at all times. There is however, no Google Docs open and sync options.

Here are the main features of CloudOn:

-Use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint on your iPad to create or edit documents.
-Rename, delete and manage documents with your Dropbox account
-Display, edit or create charts, change formatting, spell check, insert comments, into any Word, Excel or PowerPoint files
-Track changes while reviewing Word documents
-Use pivot tables and insert formulas in Excel workbooks
-Display and edit animation or transitions in PowerPoint presentations
-Present in full PowerPoint mode (not in PDF)
-Open files directly from your iPad email accounts or Dropbox account
-Automatically save documents to avoid losing changes

The download link for CloudOn in iTunes is here.