Sharing Data .. . Byte by Byte

Apple to push Beats Music to all iPhones and iPads

2014-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

According to a report by the Financial times, Apple is planning make the Beats Music app a part of its iOS software, pushing the app to all "hundreds and millions iPhones and iPads" in early 2015.

The innovative music streaming app brings ad-free access to over 20 million songs, which one can listen on demand or download to play offline.

This news may have been expected after Apple purchased Beats Electronics, the parent company of Beats Music, for $3 billion earlier in May this year. The company better known for its headphones, released the Beats Music app in January, in the US to compete with Spotify, Rhapsody and other music streaming services.

The Financial Times claim that Beats Music will be integrated within the iOS software as early as March 2015, to sway Apple iTunes's users to try the streaming service and charge for monthly subscriptions using the Apply Pay payments technology.

Thus far Beats Music has only been available to US subscribers, however Financial Time's suggest that the service will be launching globally and rebranded under the iTunes label.

Spotify's recent growth of more than 50 million active users with 12.5 million subscribers paying, has sparked speculation that Apple plans to compete in the music streaming industry in 2015 and beyond.

Sale of music downloads in the iTunes store has been on the decline in 2014, as admitted by Apple in October, following a report by Wall Street Journal that sales had dropped year-on-year globally at between 13% and 14%.

Recently, Taylor Swift pulled her entire music catalogue from Spotify as she claimed that the amount received from royalties undervalued her work. This is causing artists to reconfigure the value of streaming services.

Tech news site Recode claimed: “Among the things Apple wants is a new pricing structure that would allow it to sell the service for less than the $10 level it’s at now". Apple is rumoured to be making licensing deals with labels to enter the market with competitive prices.

App of the Week: Screen Dimmer

2014-09-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

Download Link

Platform: Android
Price: Free
Function: Reduces screen brightness below built-in brightness settings for dark environments.

I and 80% of people who own mobiles, fiddle around with my phone under the covers just before going to sleep. Setting your screen brightness at its lowest still feels like you're staring at the sun and after a while your eyes feel strained and your head starts to buzz. This app applies a filter on your phone and also has a timed option.

Top features:

Variable opacity
Scheduling.
Disable the button's backlight.
Automatically toggle the app with the sunset/rise to use Screen Dimmer at night. [Pro]
Choose the apps to launch when Screen Dimmer starts. [Pro]

Any recommendations for "App of the week" or do you disagree with this weeks choice? Leave a comment and share your opinion. You can share this post using the buttons below or in the right sidebar. Follow by email to stay updated and thank you for reading!

App of the Week: Sign

2014-07-18T09:13:00.003-07:00

Download: Paid / Free

Platform: Android
Price: Free Lite / $1.99 Full
Function: Speed dialing & direct messaging by drawing "signs" on screen.

I came across this app a few years ago as a free app of the day on the Amazon Appstore. It was very unique and I really enjoyed it. Basically you can make a heart on your phone's screen and it will start ringing your mom. You can assign different "signs" for an unlimited number of people. The sign you choose is entirely upto you; it can be a number, a letter, a symbol or a just a scribble. There's no restrictions. Signs can also be assigned to text messages. The free version has the same functionality as the full version, except you have a limited number of signs.

Top features:

Use Sign even when other apps are open
Works with WhatsApp
Call without looking at the screen
Works with Voicemail passcode input
FAST - call/text any contact in seconds
Advanced misdial prevention features

How to Open an Android Phone or Tablet with a Forgotten PIN Password

2014-07-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Recently my father absent-mindedly locked his Samsung Galaxy S5 with a PIN code and forgot the code. In other devices, a "forgot password" option shows up where you can unlock the device by entering your Gmail password, but the option wasn't available in this case. It was a tense few minutes having to imagine all his pictures, notes and saved files gone. (This is where one stresses the importance of backing up files!) Luckily, the Android Device Manager proved to be a star and unlocked the device in seconds.

Note: This method only works for devices signed into your Gmail account and connected to the internet.

1. Log into the Android Device Manager at:

https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager

2. Go to the Lock option.

3. Enter a new password, confirm it and then lock the device. The password will reset on your device instantaneously.

4. Enter the new password in your device and viola! your device will open up as it normally does.

Leave a comment and share your opinion. You can share this post using the buttons below or in the right sidebar. Follow by email to stay updated and thank you for reading!

App of the Week: Photosynth

2014-07-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

Download link

Function: Captures 360° panoramas

Platform: iOS

Price: Free

Microsoft took a 360-degree turn on panoramas by introducing Photosynth in 2008. This is one of those things which words can't describe you just have to see it (check out mine below!). Google replicated this feature in the form of Photosphere which it introduced in the Nexus 4. Photosynth also hosts a community where you can search, explore and see amazing 360° images of different locations in the world. You can share the image with friends and family but unless you upload it to the community publicly, the app will send a flat stitched image.

Top Features include:

Zoom, pan, and rotate your panorama in any direction with the immersive viewer.
Search and explore panoramas from the Photosynth community to discover new amazing interactive images.
Your panorama images can be saved to the camera roll.
Share photos to Facebook, Twitter or through email.

5 Free iOS Apps for Instagram Lovers!

2014-06-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

1. PixlrExpress+

Download
This app is jam packed with a ton of features and options. It amazes me how it remains free without ads or in-app purchases. None of the free collage makers in the App Store can match up to the customizations in this app. There are plenty of collage frames and you can tweak its thickness, colour and roundness with a slider. It also includes:

17 Adjustments
Borders
87 Filters
343 Overlays
Text with a range of fonts & colours
Stickers

Pixlr Express Screenshot

2. Squaready

Download
Instagram can be quite annoying when it comes to its square cookie-cutter. Photos which you don't want to crop can be resized to fit into a square using Squaready. You can change the background colour to add an extra something to the photo.

Squaready on iPhone

3. PicPlayPost

Download
Make video collages using this app. It can be a bit confusing to use at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll love how it keeps your posts unique and different. You can make a video collage, a picture collage or a combination of the two. The last one is quite popular.

My attempt at a video-photo collage

4. Flipagram

Download
Ever caught in a dilemma where you've got lots of good photos and you simply can't choose "a few" good ones? Flipagram basically makes a slideshow of your photos in the form of an Instagram video and background music from your library. Unless you can pay $1.99, a watermark in the form of the Flipagram logo appears in your videos. An alternative is the Everlapse app.

Popagraph on iPhone

5. Popagraph

Download
This app is pretty unique in what it does, which is to make your subject "pop". You can apply filters to the background or to the subject itself, add frames to contain the background and even add text. It's pretty easy to use and fun experimenting with.

Leave a comment and share your opinion. You can share this post using the buttons below or in the right sidebar. Follow by email to stay updated and thank you for reading!

Nokia X Review

2014-06-25T04:30:00.001-07:00

Nokia is hands down the best phone manufacturer in terms of hardware. Even Siri has admitted that the best phone is Nokia's Lumia! The windows operating system inherent in Nokia smartphones is excellent but what it lacks is the thousands of apps available on iOS and android. By combining android apps with an interface similar to Windows, Nokia X is the solution to what is keeping Nokia back from gaining a larger market share in smartphones.

SPECIFICATIONS:

HARDWARE:

Have you heard about that Brazilian policeman whose phone saved him from a bullet? Yeah, that was a Nokia. The company has a legacy for building durable and sturdy phones and the same applies here. The back case is made of a kind of tough plastic and you have a choice of six bright colours to choose from. The interchangeable case is great for keeping the phone looking fresh and new as it covers the entire phone and its buttons, excluding the screen. The case is so tightly attached, that we found it difficult to open and insert the SIM card.

On the right side, there are hard volume keys and a power/lock button. At the bottom of the front there is only one soft back key. The device is quick to charge, taking less than 2 hours to fully charge through the micro-USB port. A headset is included within the box which can be plugged into the 3.5 mm audio connector.

APPS:

Nokia Store on Nokia X

The Nokia X does allow the installation of android apps but you can not download via the goldmine of android apps, Google Play, without "rooting" your phone which in turn voids the warranty. People have complained about the lack of Google apps but you honestly don't feel the absence. The Nokia Store is pre-installed hosting a variety of apps but missing many notable ones including Whatsapp. To download these apps (without rooting) you can download third party app stores. 1Mobile Market is a good choice and has exactly the same interface as the Play store but it does not automatically update apps. I used a combination of 1Mobile and the Amazon Appstore.

PERFORMANCE:

Considering its low RAM, I was not expecting it to be amazingly fast but its performance exceeded expectations. It performs well and doesn't lag with heavy use. Games run well and the phone is quick in opening apps. Surprisingly, there is no task manager and neither is there a direct multi-tasking button. You can download task managers to track and kill open apps but it is disappointing to not see one by default. Instead there is a fastlane which serves the dual purpose of displaying notifications and recent apps, and can be quickly accessed by swiping to the left of the menu. Dual SIMs are supported which is quite handy in a country like Pakistan where SIM cards are cheap and you can get a broader network coverage and reap the best of packages from two networks simultaneously, although it can affect battery life.

Nokia X Fatslane

CAMERA:

Picture captured by Nokia X in direct sunlight

A 3.15 megapixel (with no flash) can be found at the back with a range of features, like

Auto and Manual White Balance settings
Active toolbar
Still Image Editor
Face recognition
Auto Exposure
Center weighted auto exposure

There is no front camera but you can still make video calls through Skype.

KEYBOARD:

The default keyboard is wonderful and very nice to people with big thumbs. It has word recognition, next word prediction, swype and includes upto 30 languages including Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Italian and more.

You can download other keyboards from an app store, but I did not find it necessary.

VERDICT:

For the cheap price of Rs.13,000 you can not get a better deal. It has an excellent body, processor, interface and audio quality. I would definitely recommend this to first-time smartphone users who do not have past experience and specific app requirements. If you can shell out an extra Rs. 4,600 then get the Nokia XL which features a 5 MP camera and a larger screen. Or wait for the release of the Nokia X2 which seems to be an upgrade on the Nokia X. However, current users are upset about Whatsapp not functioning properly and considering that it is a staple for all those living in South Asia, Nokia must resolve this issue quickly.

Note: At the time of writing Whatsapp is no longer running smoothly on the Nokia X; the app asks for an update (which is not available) and will not open. You can receive messages and with some skill navigate to its home screen from where you can send a message. When contacted, Whatsapp has said that due to hardware limitations the device is no longer supported.

On twitter @NokiaPakistan had this to say:

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App of the Week: Download Accelerator Plus (DAP)

2014-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Download link

Platform: Windows
Function: Enables faster downloading

This app was a huge favourite of mine back in the days of dial-up and still is, now that the entire family (including Grandma on her iPad!) is hogging up the internet speed. I mostly use it for videos and large files which would otherwise take ages and lots of patience. Statistically it downloads files 2-4 times faster than your normal speed and you really do feel the difference. What I like best about it is the continuity; your downloading does not pause even for a second and the speed stays constant rather than go up and down. A pause and resume feature is also included which can be quite handy. It's quite simple to use; you can either copy and paste the download link into the program or use its built-in browser to navigate to the file location online and download directly within the program.

Top Features:

Accelerated download speeds
Pause & resume files while downloading
Integrated download function within Microsoft IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Netscape.
Built-in browser
Downloads videos directly from Youtube, Dailymotion, Metacafe, etc.
Converts online videos to MP3 audio files
Preview videos while downloading them
Anti-virus check on files being downloaded

The What, Which and Why's of Cloud Storage

2014-03-25T09:53:00.001-07:00

What is Cloud Storage?

Simply put, its a space on the internet where you can save your files. Imagine it as one big invisible hard drive present in all of your devices: phone, laptop, tablet, Xbox, kindle, etc.

Why use Cloud Storage?

For starters you don't have to worry about physical storage. I know of a neighbour who lost his flash drive containing all his tax documents and financial details; a friend's brother who forgot his external hard drive in a taxi loosing precious data and software under development for a project. I too have sheepishly lost the CD's holding the first two years of my niece's life in pictures (something my mom will never forgive me for!). In short, life would be much much simpler if we didn't have to remember where we put every little thing.
Cloud storage can't help you remember forgotten stuff, but it can help by storing all your files and documents in one place you'll never forget. All it requires is logging into the service from any computer and device and viola, all your data is right in your hands. It doesn't matter where you are, or whose computer you're on; all you need is your username and password.

Which Cloud Storage?

Today there are so many services available to back your files up online. Dropbox is undoubtedly one of the most popular and oldest of them all. Although it offers a measly storage space of 2 GB for free users, its popularity lies in the wide range of applications and websites it syncs with, and the fact that through simple methods like referrals and liking them on Facebook you'll get bonus space. [I did have a bad experience with it about six years ago when I backed up some photo albums, but when I checked on that account a few years later I found that Dropbox no longer remembered who I was. I did pen an angry letter to them but got no response there either, and had no choice to open a new account and stick with them until Google Drive came along. Although I still like its mobile app much better than Drive's.]

Windows 8 and Hotmail users must be quite familiar with Microsoft's Onedrive (formerly known as Skydrive). It is very conveniently tied into all Microsoft products like MS Office and Windows for the PC and mobile. Google pretty much throws Drive at you if you have a Gmail account or an android device. I'm not very fond of its mobile app, but I can't argue with the 15 GB and automatic backup of all my documents edited and sent online. Mega is unarguably the best choice if you want to backup everything for free with a whooping 50 GB free for new users. An upcoming and first choice for many businesses is Box, which prides itself on its secure encryption of files, but it's file size limit can put a damper on things if you're uploading large files like home videos and movies.

You may even be using cloud storage without realizing it. iPhone and iPad users use iCloud to sync photos, contacts, notes and more between different Apple devices. Amazon's Kindle lets readers read their books from any web browser through the Kindle Cloud Reader and has an amazing feature of syncing the page you last read across devices through Whispersync which (surprise surprise) is also a form of cloud storage.

For a comparison of the top five cloud services, refer to the table below:

Dropbox vs. Drive vs. OneDrive vs. Mega vs. Box

What's your favourite service to use and why? Are there any good ones I've missed. let me know in the comments or share this post using the buttons below or in the right sidebar. Follow by email to stay updated and thank you for reading!

15 iPhone and iPad Apps Students will love to use in Class

2013-12-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

As a student I have loved using my smartphone and tablet both in and outside the classroom, especially when studying last minute right outside the examination hall. It's just so handy having all your needs in one place and saving so much time and energy, to do other important stuff like catching up on GOT. These apps will help you in so many ways and make life simpler for you, but one thing they can't do is study for you. Tough luck, you're on your own there.

1. Evernote:

Download free

How can a list like this start without mentioning Evernote. I'm sure most of you have heard and used this app by now; if not, (a) stop reading (b) download it here now and then (c) come back and see what other cool apps I'm about to show you.

Evernote has taken the simplicity of jotting down a note onto a whole different level. It has great options to help organize your notes into notebooks, by adding labels and sorting them by dates and location. You can take a photo of your scribbled notes and it'll transcribe it into text for you.
It has great formatting tools to give your notes a more polished feel, and that's why you can type entire letters and assignments on to this app complete with bullet points and a bold red headline.

Evernote Notebooks iPhone App

All of these features are great, but what makes this app fantastic is that you can access it everywhere; via apps on your smartphone, tablet, laptop and online from your friend's computer. I've often used this to take notes (or discreetly write articles for my blog) in the classroom and sync unfinished papers between devices.

2. i-Clickr PowerPoint Remote:

Download Free or Paid($9.99)

I love this app. As a business student, I was required to deliver 2-3 presentations a semester. I would make and practice it to perfection, but my biggest hassle wasn't the speaking part, rather it was coordinating the slide's timings with the person sitting next to the laptop. This app is such a blessing, as it allows you to control your presentation from afar through your phone or tablet and has plenty of additional features. It can record your presentations (slides and your voice audio) into a movie, let's you share a PDF version via e-mail, view slides and slide notes during presentation, and also possesses an on board clock, real-time annotations and an alarm system.

In order for it to work, a program is required to be installed on the computer displaying projecting your presentation. The setup is small hassle, but its worth it at the end of the day. The lite version works for only 15 slides.

i-Clickr Powerpoint Remote

3. Subject- Specific Dictionaries:

QFINANCE Dictionary of Business and Finance ($3.99)
The Law Guide
Medwords Medical Dictionary ($0.99)
German English dictionary

I think this goes into the list without saying why its important. When you're studying a certain field of education then subject-specific dictionaries are the best. In class my friends would score brownie points with our teachers by checking the definitions of business terms asked, under their desks. When choosing between subject dictionaries in the Appstore, look for those with offline access. The best ones in Business, Law, Medicine, and German are mentioned above. My favourite English dictionary which includes synonyms and offline access is Merriam-Webster.

The Law Guide iPhone App

4. Pocket:

Download free

Pocket is perfect for saving webpages. It captures articles, videos or websites you want to check out later, in a smart and easy-to-use layout. This is especially helpful for students when gathering online content for class research, which you want to use or read later. You can save class readings onto your device to read later at the bus stop. The best part is that it is deliciously fast and allows for offline viewing. The second best part is that it syncs across your phone, tablet, and computer so you can view it anytime on any device, without an Internet connection.

5. Cloud Storage:

Dropbox
Google Drive
Skydrive

Cloud storage is the floppy disk of today, only its invisible. From the many services to choose from, the most popular is Dropbox followed by Google Drive and Microsoft's Skydrive (if you don't know what all this means, stay tuned for an explanatory post coming up on cloud storage by subscribing via email on the right).
I'm sure you use it already to backup files and photos, but its golden purpose in college lies in the one click transferring of files between your computer and smartphone. Assignments, class readings, presentations, notes... you name it; just drag and drop the file into the dropbox/drive folder on your computer, and you can pick up from where you started on your phone and work offline.

6. Smart Writing Tools - 7notes

Download Free or Paid ($7.99)

This handwriting app can be very useful when taking notes in the classroom on your iPad. Typing may be simpler, but we all know how auto-correct turns technical terms into a mumbo jumbo of text. 7notes is the app of the future which converts your iPad or iPhone into digital paper. You can write notes by hand, and it can convert your handwriting into digital text accurately (premium version only), which you can then save as editable notes or email it to a friend or yourself.
It lets you vary the colour and thickness of the pen, and easily switch between the keyboard and pen. It is easier to use on either an iPad or if you have a stylus pen. You can also send an old-fashioned handwritten note to a friend via SMS, Facebook or Twitter, as well as store to online services like Dropbox and Evernote.

Smart Writing Tools 7note iPhone App

7. OCR Application:

Download Prizmo ($9.99)
LEADTOOLS OCR Application (Free)

OCR applications are used to convert printed text from a book, magazine or article into digitized text. They are very useful in transcribing passages out of books or that useful article from the magazine you just found at the dentists. Of the many to choose from, Prizmo has the best results and sharing options. But it is pretty pricey and so you can download the free LEADTOOLS app which does a good and quick job with the occasional hiccup. It has a good set of options and is very easy to use, requiring no internet connection to work.

LEADTOOLS OCR Application for

8. Dragon Dictation:

Download here

Here's a useful dictation app for those with slow typing speed (or the ultra lazy). Dragon Dictation is great for typing up long passages of text. I often use dictation applications when having to write pages of "my own words" out of books or webpages and this is my go-to app for the iPhone. This app requires a working internet connection to work; it would've been better if it could work offline, if you're on a data plan or not in Wi-Fi range you can always use the Window's own built-in narrator application on your laptop. iPhone users who possess their own virtual assistant in the form of Siri can order her to type up short memos for you.

9. Quickoffice

Download Free

This free app from Google lets you create and edit Microsoft® Office documents, spreadsheets and presentations on your Android phone and tablet. Your files automatically backup in Google Drive allowing you access from any device. It can also be used to open and view PDF files.

10. Calculator:

The stock calculator app in the iPhone and iPad has all the basic and most of the advanced computations needed in class. For those who don't know, if you hold your phone horizontally in landscape mode your basic calculator turns it a scientific one. You can also access more functions by pressing the 2nd button located left most on the second row.

iPhone Stock Calculator

11. Textbooks!

Apple's iBooks
Amazon Kindle

Amazon and other services are continuously adding textbooks to their libraries, but even so not all your textbooks are available online. Now and then, I would find a book online and loved having them on my tablet and, for the others I owned in paperback I would scan certain chapters using the handy app (item #12) below and add them to my library within the Kindle app or iBooks. Furthermore, you can highlight text and add notes at any point in the book. Most of all you'll enjoy the search feature; it is ten times more useful than an index. You can also find cheap or free textbooks on apps like eTextbooks for the iPad and Boundless Textbooks.

12. Studyblue Flashcards

Download here

As the name suggests, STUDYBLUE is an app which lets you create flashcards with text, pictures or audio. The online search feature gives you access to millions of other flashcards available online. Furthermore it offers quizzing, tracking for study session progress, messages to your classmates and more.

13. Wolfram|Alpha

Download here ($2.99)

An app to answer all your mathematical and factual questions in math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and much much more. This beats Google by giving you a straight-up answers to complex mathematical formulae and in-depth reports on almost every topic imaginable.

14. CamScanner - Phone PDF Creator

Download Free or Paid ($4.99)

CamScanner is an intelligent document management solution, which basically turns your smartphone into a scanner. So no need to buy that fancy new HP scanner you were eyeing if you've got a good camera-phone. It is the perfect fit for those who want to scan, sync, edit, share and manage various contents on all devices and lets you quickly scan documents with optimum quality. The bonus features of the paid (ad-free) version are extracting text from documents, 10GB of cloud storage, higher quality scans and no watermarks.

15. Khan Academy:

Download Free

The official app of Khan Academy features video lectures from the popular website, which can be viewed and downloaded onto your phone for offline viewing later. For those unfamiliar with Khan Academy, you'll find this website and app pretty useful in understanding topics which books and teachers aren't able to help you with. For free you can learn about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. It's good for those moments when you hit a roadblock when studying, and in revising concepts.

Khan Academy Video Playing iPhone App

Bonus: 16. My Grades and Homework

Download here ($0.99)

A great app to keep track of all your grades and assignments, as well as calculate your current grade or GPA for you. It comes packed with lots of customizable features and allows you to backup your data to Dropbox for added protection.

Also view our list of 15 Favourite Android Apps Students will love to use in Class.
Kindly leave a comment and share this post using the buttons below or in the right sidebar. Follow by email to stay updated and thank you for reading!

15 Android Apps Students Will Love to Use in Class

2013-12-18T05:54:00.001-08:00

1. Evernote:

Download here

How can a list like this start without mentioning Evernote. I'm sure most of you have heard and used this app by now; if not, (a) stop reading (b) download it here now and then (c) come back and see what other cool apps I'm about to show you.
Evernote has taken the simplicity of jotting down a note onto a whole different level. It has great options to help organize your notes into notebooks, by adding labels and sorting them by dates and location. You can take a photo of your scribbled notes and it'll transcribe it into text for you.
It has great formatting tools to give your notes a more polished feel, and that's why you can type entire letters and assignments on to this app complete with bullet points and a bold red headline.
All of these features are great, but what makes this app fantastic is that you can access it everywhere; via apps on your smartphone, tablet and computer and online (from its website) through your friend's computer. I've often used this to take notes (or discreetly write articles for my blog) in the classroom and sync unfinished papers between devices.

Further more, as a privileged android user take advantage of placing widgets on your home screen to make the app more accessible and easier to use. You have to download a separate app, Evernote Widget, to get the whole range of widgets (makes no sense to me either) but its worth the extra space.

2. Presentation Remote:

Download here

I love this app. As a business student, I was required to deliver 2-3 presentations a semester. I would make and practice it to perfection, but my biggest hassle wasn't the speaking part, rather it was coordinating the slide's timings with the person sitting next to the laptop. This app is such a blessing, as it allows you to control your presentation from afar through your phone or tablet. It connects both devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and works seamlessly allowing you the freedom to stray away from your laptop, switching slides from the palm of your hand. It also has a built-in timer.

3. Subject- Specific Dictionaries:

Medicine Dictionary
Law Guide/ Dictionary
English German Dictionary
Merriam-Webster English Dictionary

I think this goes into the list without saying why its important. My favourite English dictionary which includes synonyms and offline access is Merriam-Webster. But when you're studying a certain field of education then subject-specific dictionaries are the best. In class my friends would score brownie points with our teachers by checking the definitions of business terms asked, under their desks. When choosing between subject dictionaries in the Play store, look for those with offline access. The best ones in Law, Medicine, and German are mentioned above.

Image taken from app description in Play Store

4. Pocket:

Download here

5. Cloud Storage:

Dropbox

Google Drive

Skydrive

Cloud storage is the floppy disk of today, only its invisible. From the many services to choose from, the most popular is Dropbox followed by Google Drive and Microsoft's Skydrive (if you don't know what all this means, stay tuned for an explanatory post coming up on cloud storage by subscribing via email on the left).
I'm sure you use it already to backup files and photos, but its golden purpose in college lies in the one click transferring of files between your computer and smartphone. Assignments, class readings, presentations, notes... you name it; just drag and drop the file into the dropbox/drive folder on your computer, and you can pick up from where you started on your phone and work offline.

6. Mobile OCR:

Download: Free or Paid ($4.12)

A handy app to convert all your handwritten notes into regular computerized text - image to text. For those more comfortable jotting down notes by hand in class or the slow typers, this app will help bring you the dark side. Typed notes can be immensely useful; you can make notebooks in Evernote and organize your notes by tags. Searching a particular word from all your notebooks takes less than a second. Most of all, it saves space and is great for travelling. All of your notes available on your phone, tablet or laptop, backed up and always available.

Image taken from Lifehacker

7. ListNote Speech/Text Notepad:

Download Free or Paid ($4.99)

Here's a useful dictation app for those with slow typing speed (or the ultra lazy). Listnote is great for typing up long passages of text for you and then let's you further organize those notes or ideas by category and colours. I often dictation applications when having to write pages of "my own words" out of books or webpages, but I usually fluctuate between the Android keyboard's own built in voice command and Listnote. If you can afford to shell out $200 go for the Dragon Naturallyspeaking app on PC and its companion app on Android.

8. QuickOffice:

Download here

9. RealCalc Scientific Calculator

Download Free or Paid ($3.25)

Math is everywhere when studying, you'll need this.

10. Studious

Download here

I wish I had found this app sooner. I have been the joke of the class with many thanks to my phone singing pop songs during lectures. For the forgetful student whose Mum loves to ring during school hours, this app will save you the dirty looks from your teacher by automatically turning your ringer to silent for class, according to your timetable. You can also add notes and set homework and test reminders.

11. Books!

Play Textbooks
Amazon Kindle
Amazon and Google Play are continuously adding textbooks to their libraries, but even so not all your textbooks are available online. Now and then, I would find a book online and loved having them on my tablet and, for the others I owned in paperback I would scan certain chapters using the handy app (item #12) below and add them to my library within the Kindle or Aldiko app. Furthermore, you can highlight text and add notes at any point in the book. Most of all you'll enjoy the search feature, it is ten times more useful than the index.

12. Studyblue Flashcards

Download here

Image taken from app description on Google Play

13. Wolfram|Alpha

Download here ($2.99)

14. CamScanner - Phone PDF Creator

Image taken from app description on Google Play

15. Khan Academy:

Download Free or Paid ($1.99)

The unofficial app of Khan Academy features video lectures from the popular website, which can be downloaded onto your phone and saved for offline viewing later. For those unfamiliar with Khan Academy, you'll find this website and app pretty useful in understanding topics which books and teachers aren't able to help you with. For free you can learn about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. It's good for those moments when you hit a roadblock when studying, and in revising concepts. This app just about does the job on your phone, but it still needs much work to be done on it. In some ways you may be better off accessing the website from your desktop, but its worth a try.

If you enjoyed this list, please subscribe via email using the box in right sidebar and leave a comment below. Don't forget to check back in for more tips, tricks, reviews and lists!

Tablet vs. Laptop: Which device is for you?

2013-12-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Things were much simpler when a mobile was a portable telephone, and a computer was simply a computer. The advent of smartphones in 2007 blurred the lines of functionality between phones and computers, but when tablets were added into the mix the lines quickly faded away.

Tablets, simply put, are mobiles with a bigger screen. The most popular is unarguably the Apple's iPad, followed by the Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Asus's Nexus 7 & 10*. When the iPad was first announced, I thought it would never catch on considering Microsoft's failed attempt with the Microsoft Tablet PC a couple of years before, and because I couldn't imagine needing it, when I had a smartphone with exactly the same operating system and a portable laptop. But times have changed, and society demands that having an tablet in your house is as necessary as a TV.

If you're on a budget (say $500?), you can afford both a laptop and a tablet from a good manufacturer. But by sacrificing a tablet, you can shell out more money on a laptop and get faster RAM, a bigger screen and higher processing power. But if you can afford both, then go for it as both have their own uses and practicality.

In this article, I weigh the pros and cons of Tablets and Laptops in different situations. Depending on your needs you can get a pretty good idea on what device will suit you. You won't be using your tablet/laptop for one purpose only, and so you should pick one according to your lifestyle and secondary needs.

Portability:

iPad (10") and Nexus 7 (7")

Both devices are meant to be portable. But when it comes to size and weight, you'll definitely find the tablet more easier to carry around with you.

Tablets come in two different sizes: 10 inches and 7 inches. Apple has the iPad 2 and the iPad mini; same goes for Asus with the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10. Personally, I would recommend the seven inches tablet for those interested in frequently taking their tablet out with them for a breath of fresh air. I truly enjoy the compact and manageable size of my Nexus 7, as it fits easily into all of my bags and it doesn't look big and awkward when carrying it solo.

A laptop is also portable, but generally they're heavy and you can't take them with you places without a bag. You can get light-and-thin laptops like the Apple's MacBook Air or the Lenova's Ideapad Yoga, but they are expensive and cost more than $1000.
Recommended: Tablet

Battery:

Some laptops have a longer charge time than others, and the same goes for tablets. Longer running laptops with standard batteries can on average last up to 7 hours when continuously used; low budget laptops, on the other hand,will give you 2-3 hours of continuous use. Tablets are not meant to be turned off and are always in standby mode with the Wi-Fi on, because of which they are designed to last longer. A tablet generally can last at least two days on a single charge with minimal use, but this varies model to model. The table below depicts the average battery life of five of the best tablets and the best laptops as rated by cnet. Tablets last longer!
Recommended: Tablet

Standard Battery lives taken from official websites of manufacturers.

Work:

Many of your work applications have been brought to tablets and smartphones, but with limited functions. Laptops and computers still enjoy the complete package because they have powerful processors and app designers have more flexibility.

The most popular applications in working spaces are those of the Microsoft Office suite: of which the most popular are Ms Word for typing documents, Ms Powerpoint for designing presentations and Ms Excel for calculating spreadsheets. As a smartphone user, you may be aware that these documents can also be edited on your phone and tablet using popular formatting and editing tools, through apps downloaded. Microsoft has released an official app known as Office 365 for iPhone and Android, requiring a paid subscription. Over the summer Google has also released an app, Quickoffice (which is now included as a stock app in the new Kit Kat update) and Apple also released iWork for iPads and the iPhone. Impressive as these apps are, they still lack all the features and formatting tools available on the PC. If you type documents and use the other office tools frequently, I would suggest that you stay far away from the tablet. Although there are improvements in these apps by the day, there is still a long way to go before developers can bring that level of functionality to tablets and phones.

Recommended: Laptop

Games and Kids:

With popular games like Angry Birds and Temple Run, we tend to perceive tablets and smartphones as gaming devices. There are tonnes of free and paid games to choose from on your tablet; the same goes for laptops. Rather laptops are able to run more intense, action packed games which are also played on the Xbox and PlayStation. Anybody who has played AAA video games on a console like Call of Duty, knows that there is a world of difference between PC games and tablets.

If you have kids, you'd be looking for something which will keep them entertained and yet remain useful to you. Both devices can entertain equally well. Laptops offer thousands of free online flash games and you can also buy educational CD's. Games like Angry birds can also played on your desktop on Chrome. Kids will find tablets easier to handle, but rest assured they can just as easily manage laptops.

Recommended: Laptop

Books:

If you are an avid book reader, tablets will be a welcome replacement to your mountain of books. Before indulging into the Kindle, I would read on my laptop because new books aren't easily available in my region and I could get the latest ones online. I've also replaced certain textbooks, by scanning pages and saving them onto my tablet to save space when I'm on the go. I even use my tablet in place of books lying within the same room, like my Holy Quran; it's easier to make bookmarks and notes and I never have to make any effort in marking the last page read before closing the book.

Recommended: Tablet

Data Transfer:

Most of the top leading tablets lack a USB socket and SD Card capability. These means you'll have to rely more on cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive for transferring your files and photos between devices. But it can be especially cumbersome when transferring files from your camera or a friend's USB drive. If its very important to you, tablets like the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, the Acer Iconia A500, and the Toshiba Thrive come fitted with a USB socket or you can also buy a port adapter for your devices, like the camera connection kit for iPad.

Recommended: Laptop

Price:

Tablets are cheaper than laptops- with the exception of the iPad.

Recommended: Tablet (duh)

Startup time:

This is a point of consideration for those who need to access their devices immediately. This depends upon the purpose of use; those who plan to use it for taking notes in the classroom and displaying data in business meetings, you will need something which can be accessed at a moment's notice. For you, the tablet is preferable. Some of the reasons why families just need to have that one "family iPad"in the house is for quick email checks and those I need to Google something right now moments. A tablet beats a laptop with faster start up time, because of its convenient standby mode and advantage of not needing to set it up.

Recommended: Tablet

Students:

As a student myself, I can confidently tell you that a laptop is what you need. It encompasses all those neat, convenient features of a tablet and gives you more control and flexibility with your work- which you will need. Laptops tend to be more stable and durable, and if something goes wrong there's more support in the faces of friends and IT guys, available around you. If you can afford both, great, go for it; but if you're looking for one in particular, then laptop it is. There are tons of student-friendly apps out there, and they're just as easily compatible on a smartphone.

Recommended: Laptop

Taking Pictures:

Both devices come fitted with front facing cameras of mediocre quality, meant for video conferencing. Pricier tablets do, however, have rear-fitted cameras with acceptably good quality. Either way these devices are not meant to capture events visually, no matter how many people you see capturing Mickey's dance at Disneyland with an iPad.
Recommended: Neither

Productivity:

Tablets have many attractive apps to help organize your life and make the most of your time away from home. Many of these apps like Evernote and Remember the Milk are, unbeknownst to many, also available on your desktop computers. You can either install the programs from their official websites or easily use them through Google Chrome by downloading them from the Chrome Web Store.

Tablets are primarily designed around these apps, making them easily accessible and giving apps more options to pester you into finishing your homework. Considering the size and portability of a tablet you'll be more likely to have it on you when grocery shopping or to review your presentation on the bus to work.

Recommended: Tablet

Instagram Direct: Send private photos and videos to followers

2013-12-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Today, Instagram released an exciting new update to Android and iOS launching an unanticipated new feature: Instagram direct. Instagram for iOS version 5.0 is available at the App Store, and Instagram for Android version 5.0 is available in Google Play.

Instagram direct lets you send photos and videos in a private message to a friend or to a group of people. What makes this different from your standard photo messaging apps is the included Instagram filters, which you can apply on your photos and videos. You can also comment and like (<3) the photo/video within the message. This leaves room for fun group chats on a photo depicting an inside joke.

Direct messaging has notably been absent from Instagram, which has been frustrating for people with large followers to communicate with their fans, causing them to resort to using third party apps like Kik Messsenger and BBM. Instagram direct is surely like rain to those stranded in the Sahara desert; now enabling those who've amassed large armies of followers to personally correspond with their favourites and plan their next attack.

Instagram has also changed the app design, although keeping the layout and filters unchanged. The design has a new camera icon and has subtly moved from its traditional blue tp inducing more black into the app.

Amazon Kindle Review

2013-12-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

Amazon Kindle Display

The Amazon Kindle with a 6 inches display was released in 2012, and is the simplest Kindle released to date without a keyboard or touch screen. It was unveiled alongside the Kindle Fire and the Kindle Touch (now upgraded to the Kindle Paperwhite) and was an upgrade from the Amazon Kindle Keyboard. It is sold with and without special offers, accounting for a price difference between the two models.

SPECIFICATIONS:

DISPLAY:

The Amazon Kindle features its traditional 6 inches monochrome screen harbouring its winning E-ink pearl technology, which is designed to replicate a page minimizing the brightness and strain of a screen. This model does not feature a back light (available in the Kindle Paperwhite), which may require you to either sit by a lamp or buy a cover with a built-in light from Amazon which is roughly, equal in price to the Kindle itself. Amazon has, however, brought improvements in the page turning speed and a noticeable difference in the refreshing time of the E-ink when the display is changed.

Amazon Kindle 2012 Display

BUTTONS:

Amazon Kindle Buttons

The Kindle has retained its page turning buttons on both sides, absent from its touch screen brothers. Personally, I find them very comfortable and preferable to page swiping gestures on touch-screens. For navigation and text selection, a 5-way controller button is present at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, four tiny round buttons for the keyboard, home, options and to turn back are also present alongside the controller. The slide power button has been replaced with a simple push button at the bottom of the device, emitting a green light when ON and orange when charging.

Kindle-Pencil Comparison

HARDWARE:

Weighing less than 200 grams, the Kindle is incredibly light, portable and slim. It easily fits into your bags and large jacket pockets. It is smaller than the Kindle Keyboard, and more sturdy than a tablet. The black design may look stylish but I have no kind words for it as it easily shows fingerprints and smudges. The backside of a slightly used Kindle, looks like a scarred war hero from imprints made when handling.

EASE OF USE:

The fact that my technology-ignorant mother is besotted by the Kindle, is hard evidence that it is very easy to use. You can manage and buy books online through the built-in Kindle Store, without ever needing to connect it to your computer.
Using a USB 2.0 connection, transferring files to your Kindle is easy using the 'drag-and-drop' method with windows explorer, requiring no new program to be installed.

SPECIAL OFFERS:

Amazon Kindle with Special Offers Screensaver

For those tight on a budget, opting for a Kindle with special offers can save $20. Amazon has been considerate in ensuring the best reading experience, and so there are no ads whatsoever when reading. The only time you'll notice them is when your device is off or when selecting a new book.
The special offers (or as we like to call them - ads) appear either when the screen is turned off, replacing the screensaver, or as a banner at the bottom of the home screen. The only drawback is that because the ads need Wi-Fi to refresh; it will continually use it draining the battery. And even if you've manually turned the Wi-Fi off, the Kindle will turn it back on again later.
If you do eventually grow tired of the ads, you have the option to shell out an extra $30 and remove the ads without changing your Kindle or fiddling with any technical settings.

EXTRA FEATURES:
The Kindle can also display notes and documents formatted in pdf or plain text in .txt (to convert downloaded books of other formats to the Kindle format without any conversion program, click here). A web browser is also included within the Kindle; good for the occasional Google search when you have no other device in hand. The black and white browser has slow connectivity, one-window browsing, no flash and is hard to navigate, so you can not expect to web surf on it.

BATTERY LIFE:
The Amazon website boasts of 4 weeks of battery with the Wi-Fi turned off. However, when tested the special offers edition, the battery only lasted a week with the Wi-Fi continuously on (as the Wi-Fi can not be turned off for long, without it turning back on itself). It charges quickly within one and a half hour.

VERDICT:
This model of the Kindle is perfect for a low budget eBook reader. Packed with the best of Kindle's features at a very affordable price. For anyone upgrading from the previous generation Kindle Keyboard, they should bypass this model and opt for the Paperwhite. Accessories of the other models do not fit on this, and users of the mp3 feature in the Kindle Keyboard will sorely miss its absence. Going for the special offers edition, is as good as buying the fully priced one, as you'll enjoy the same reading experience and functionality on both. Many users will eventually want to buy the lighted cover, which is a whooping $60. Cumulatively, it equals the price of the Paperwhite, so you're better off going for that if you know you'll be needing the light.
All in all, I'd give it an 8.5/10 for bringing the ultimate Kindle experience at a great price, but it looses a star for not bringing any new features.

Read on:

Convert pdf, lit or epub to
Kindle format without
a conversion program

iPad 2 vs Kindle Fire

Kindle Keyboard Review

Get Free Social Network Buttons on your Blog

2013-12-07T01:50:00.000-08:00

Download a social media icon pack. You can search for them in Google or get some free here.
Extract the icons of the social networks you want (in .PNG format), onto a folder in your computer.
Go to your blog's homepage and create a new post.
Name it whatever you want to, but do not publish it. Instead, directly save the post.
Switch to HTML mode.
Click on the Insert Picture icon () in the formatting bar; browse and select the icons you saved in step 2. Insert all of them together and make sure you've selected all of them.
Switch back to Compose mode, and align the icons in the center keeping the icons in original size (if they are stacked on top of each other vertically, and you want them in a single line horizontally then press delete after each icon for them to line up).
Press each icon and then click Link from the formatting bar (if nothing happens, repeat the step). Enter the link to the corresponding social website for each icon into web address. If you are entering an email address, you can enter that in the email address option within edit link.
After doing this for all the icons, switch back to HTML and copy all of the coded text. Save and exit the post.
Go to the layout section in you blog, and click on add a gadget from the sidebar. Find and select HTML/Javascript.
Paste your copied text into content. You can add a title like "Connect with us" or leave it blank if you wish. Click save and then close the window. You can re-position this gadget on your blog.
Click Save Arrangement and preview your blog to see them neatly arranged in the sidebar.

If the icons are bulging out of your blog, then you can either adjust the widths of your blog in the Template> Customize> Adjust Widths section or you can redo this method but with smaller icons.

If this post managed to help you, kindly leave a comment and follow us on our social networks by clicking on our fancy social media buttons on the side ;)

Android Kit Kat 4.4 on the Nexus 7

2013-12-04T17:48:00.003-08:00

Typing "Kit Kat release date" into Google had become a weekly routine for me these past few months. At long last, my patience was rewarded when my Nexus 7 had an exciting new icon in the notification bar marking a new system update. Despite some initial hangups in downloading the firmware, the installation process went smoothly.

To keep myself surprised for a change, I had kept myself in the dark about Kit Kat's new features. So when my tablet rebooted after the update, surprised I was. After witnessing the drastic new changes in iOS 7 a month before, Kit Kat fell way below my expectations. New icons, layouts and settings were soon apparent after some digging around but my usual excitement on new android updates was somewhere in space crashing into Mars.

Below is a list of changes found on the Nexus 7 running Android Kit Kat 4.4:

Android Kit Kat 4.4 Logo

Colours:

The first noticeable difference in the interface after the update, is that the electric blue icons and writing have been replaced by off-white. As evident by the iOS 7 and the new minimalist web design Google is sporting these days; white is the new black.

Colour Change in Kit Kat 4.4

Emoji:

The long-beloved expressive and fun emoji keyboard native to iOS users has now made its debut on the Android platform. Although the emoticons do not look exactly the same, they do manage to replicate the same emotions.

Printing:

You can now print photos and documents directly from within, without the need of any external apps. These are compatible with wireless printers (hp print service plugin is pre-installed for hp ePrint printers). It also gives the added options of saving the file as a PDF or to Google Drive or GoogleCloud printing using any other device, having Chrome installed.

Nexus 7 Printing Menu

OK Google:

The list of commands in Google Now has been greatly improved upon. By saying "OK Google", you can do the usual voice search or command your device to send a message, schedule an appointment, make a note, play a movie or song, get directions and so on. Pretty similar to what Apple's Siri does, including a robotic female voice which reads the results out loud.
Google Now was updated when my device was running Jellybean, before the update, so this may not be a Kit Kat exclusive feature.

Google Now

And if you keep silent after saying "OK Google", the app will display a list of commands you can dictate using Google Now.

Google Now Voice Commands

Location:

A new permanent addition to the quick settings bar is Location. It displays apps currently using your location and monitors their battery use. If you are using an app which is accessing your location, like checking into a restaurant on Facebook, the location icon will also appear on the top right corner.

Play Newsstand:

This app has been launched to replace and combine Currents and Play Magazines. It displays non-book content: this comprises of both online reading material (blogs, newspapers) and paid magazine subscriptions, all within one app.
This app is also able to offer more customized offers by learning your reading preferences from past history. To celebrate its release on the 20th of November, Play Newsstand is offering free and discounted magazines.

Play Games:

This social gaming app has been released during the summer, but in this update it has become a stock app. You can track your achievements, compare scores with friends and discover new games. You can download it from Google Play for any device.

Clock:

The stock clock app has been redesigned, making the time-related options more easier to switch between. Also, when setting the time for a new alarm, you are now faced by a new circular style time selector.

Android Kit Kat 4.4 Stock Clock and Alarm Selector

An new feature in the stock app is the option to dismiss an alarm before it rings, via the notification bar.

Android Device Manager:

Google has finally installed anti-theft tracking software within the new update; Normally third-party apps have helped do the trick. Using the Android Device Manager, you can now track your device if lost or stolen via the web. It not only shows you on a map where it is, but also gives you the option to ring, lock or erase all data from it.

ASUS Nexus 7 Review

2013-01-21T11:56:00.001-08:00

So I have officially entered the tablet era. I was looking for something cheap yet powerful. After my last bad experience with a cheap android phone, I promised to never compromise on price again. However this time I could due to the amazingly low price of $200 on ASUS and Google's joint venture of the Nexus 7 tablet.

PROS: CONS:
Great Price No expandable storage option
Durable and comfortable material No back camera. Low res front camera
Quad Processor for relatively cheap price
New updates are received in time

SPECIFICATIONS:
Operating System : Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Processor: Quad-Core 1300 MHz NVIDIA Tegra 3
Display: 7 inches IPS LCD
Resolution: 1280 x 800 ( 216 ppi )
Memory : Option of Internal 8 GB, 16 GB & 32 GB (No SD Card slot)
Wireless Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi

PERFORMANCE:
Having a quad core processor I was expecting the Nexus 7 to be blazing fast with zero lags. However I am slightly disappointed by it's performance. It does have a few seconds lag when opening the home screen, and does have those occasional freeze ups. Heavy duty games like NFS Most Wanted perform well if other applications are closed, even then it does freeze up in loading. However it does a great job in multi-tasking and its a joy switching between apps with absolutely no delay. Overall I'd give it's performance a 9/10 rating.

BODY:

When buying the Nexus 7, I didn't expect it to be my new constant companion because of it's large size. Boy, was I wrong; The 7.8 by 4.7 inches tablet easily fits into all of my purses and thanks to its scratch-less screen and back cover, I didn't feel the need to buy a cover and waste effort to the thought put behind it's superior design. The Gorilla Glass screen is thick, scratch resistant and has a quick touch response. It's back is made of a soft rubberish material which is comfortable to hold for hours due to its smoothness despite a grainy look. What I like about it is that it doesn't dirty easily or show any signs of wearing out soon.

CAMERA:
In cutting down on the price, ASUS has provided only one front-facing camera having 1.2 megapixel. It has a yellowish glow and gives a grainy image indoors. It's only purpose being for video calling, is apparent by the absence of a camera app. However you can easily download a free app to access the camera from the Google Play store here.

PORTS:
1 micro-USB Port
1 3.5mm Headphone Jack
4 pin connector (Meant to be used for the utilization of Nexus 7 accessories; So far only the official dock can be connected through this.)

BATTERY:
With intense use (6+ hrs a day), the battery will last for a day. However with moderate use, you can stretch it to two days. As with all other devices, it's battery life depends on the intensity of the apps you use. I can easily squeeze in a half hour of reading after the low battery warning.

SOFTWARE:
After it's initial setup, the Nexus 7 will prompt you to download and install the latest software updates. Currently it is running on Android OS 4.2.1.
Being the flagship device of Google, you will find the unmodified version of Android, saving you from those pesky pre-installed apps or an uncustomizable interface.
A list of new apps that came pre-installed on the Nexus 7 are:

Chrome (web browser)
Currents (Publications optimized for tablet)
Earth
Google + & Messenger +
Play Books, Magazines, Movies & TV and Music
Google Wallet

The Nexus 7 is also the first device to introduce Google Now. It opens up by swiping your finger up from the bottom of the screen, displaying a search bar, and "cards". These cards are based on your Google search. I've really enjoyed this feature while travelling: It displays my upcoming flight and status, and when travelling to a new country, it displays the updated currency exchange rate, the time back home, attractions nearby and local events. A card also appeared notifying me of my amazon delivery and a direct link to track it. On a daily basis it displays the weather and time to work (including traffic).

VIDEO CALLING:

I frequently use Google Talk and Skype for video calling. The call quality is pretty bad for some reason, in both apps. At first I blamed it on my internet speed, but after some tests I can confirm that is not the case. The video of the other caller isn't clear, and the audio is a nightmare, you literally can not understand a word, and have to spend half the call making sense of broken words. I'm extremely disappointed by this, as I was looking forward to replace my laptop for calling. I'm not sure if this is a defect in my model, or the entire product line.

CONCLUSION:
This is quite literally the best android device you can get for $200. What it majorly lacks in is a good camera, poor call quality and most importantly no expandable storage. No SD card seems like a huge omission but I believe the reason for not doing so is because by providing the Play apps, one is able to access their movies and music through cloud storage. However, not everybody wants to buy their media all over again from the Play store.

10 Hottest new Android Games

2012-05-11T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of ten NEW games for android, which are smoking up the charts.

1. Temple run

Download Free
Category: Arcade and Action

This chart topper from the Apple app store has finally made its way to android. It's very addicting and you can get lost in it for hours. It's controls are pretty easy to get used to, just swipes and slightly tilting your phone for the coins. The children love it & others play in competition with their friends & family for the highest score. Personally, I didn't really go crazy when I first tried it, but later on when it became a matter of who can make the highest score, I got right back into it and got sucked into the addiction.

2. Angry Birds Space

Download : Free / Paid ($0.99)
Category: Arcade & Action

What makes this version of angry birds different? It's been cleverly designed, bearing in mind all things "spacey" like gravity and space cosmos to give the game an authentic "angry birds in space" vibe. Plus it now has:

• Three brand new birds- Click here to be introduced
• Brand new superpowers bombs, lasers, ice blast
• Zero-gravity space adventures
• Trick shots using planets' gravity
• 60 new levels & hidden bonus levels

The paid version is simply ad-free with the same features.

3. Draw Something

Download: Free / Paid($0.99)
Category: Brain & Puzzle

This is seriously fun, and has everybody hooked. In this game, you're given a word to draw which your opponent has to guess from a choice of 12 letters. What has really attracted the young & old is no time limits, so you're free to take your turn at leisure. It has been developed by omgpop.com, after the success of their popular online game: Draw my Thing.
The paid version is ad-free and also offers three bonus features including more hours and words.

That's my best drawing of fangs :p

4. Where's my Water?

Download: Free / Paid($0.99)
Category: Brain & Puzzle

This is a physics based puzzle game. It is kind of on the same lines of cut the rope, but instead of gravity you'll be tackling water, which you have to direct to give Swampy the alligator a shower. You will work with taps, pipes, fans and scratch away mud to find collectibles.
The free version offers up to 25 levels whereas the paid version has over 200 levels!

5. Ninjump

Download Free
Category: Arcade & Action

Tap-tap-tap. This game is easy as that. Avoid obstacles and enemies by jumping between the two walls, and catching upgrades on your way up. Pretty simple, free and compatible with most phones.

6. Mega Jump

Download Free

Category: Arcade & Action

This game is so easy and enjoyable cute. Jump higher and higher with coins and power ups, until you reach the final stage.

7. Cut the Rope: Experiments

Download Paid ($1.00) / HD($2.00)
Category: Brain & Puzzle

Cut the Rope is back with more levels, commentary from the professor & a new story line. You will also play with old favorites like bubbles, whoopee cushions, and automatic ropes in addition to new tools like rockets, suction cups, and projectile rope-darts.
For $2.00 you can get the HD version of the game, which is preferred for tablets.

8. Flick Golf

Download ($1.12)

Category: Sports Games

I think the developer describes this game best : No clubs. No rules. Just flick, spin and curve your shots to try and sink that perfect hole in one. Watch out for the usual hazards: bunkers, trees, sand... and of course the wind!

You get to choose from many courses, a quick game or opt for a world tour.

9. Wordsmith

Download Free / Paid($2.49)
Category: Brain & Puzzle

This game keeps me up at night, distracted through classes and craving for more. It's has a format similar to scrabble featuring in-game chat, player profiles, score preview & customizable turn time-limits. But what really makes this app stand out from others is its awesome community. The app has a shortcut to its Facebook page where you can request new games or just whine about the weather & still receive a pat on the back!
This game is also offered on the iPad and iPhone.
The paid version is ad-free, can play up to 60 games simultaneously (the free version has up to 8 games) and has extended player statistics.

10 Best Google Chrome Apps

2012-02-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

Google Chrome apps are just like apps on your phone. Easy to install and fun to use. You can browse through thousands of apps categorized in the Chrome Web Store. They appear on the new tab page of Chrome. Here's a list of 10 of the best apps for Google Chrome.
[Note: I haven't included games in this list. I plan to do a seperate list for those soon, so stay tuned!]
For Best Google Chrome "Extensions" click here.

1.The Weather Channel
Download here

A simple click of the app gives you the current weather conditions as well as predictions for the week, or the next couple of hours. You can also save up to nine locations(with nicknames) to refer to at a glance. Detailed forecast provides temperature, a radar map, sky conditions, wind speed/direction, humidity, dew point, barometric pressure, visibility, and a UV Index.

2. Hipmunk
Download here

This app is brilliant when it comes to planning trips. In minutes, it'll give you information about the best flights & hotels at your destination.
Although I'm no traveler, I still enjoy this app when thinking about imaginary trips.The flights are arranged according to either prices, agony, duration and timings.

Flight Listing

The hotels are shown as points on a map, complete with rates and reviews. They can also be sorted in a list by price, reviews and distance.

Hipmunk also allows for tabbed browsing, so you can go through several flights and hotel listings at a time.

Plus it also has live chat help. Although, you won't be needing it.

Hotels

3. Earbits Radio
Download here

In the mood for some new music? This app streams ad-free music, similar to a band/artist of your choice. It has no membership requirement. You can also chat with others online.

4. Google Dictionary by Google
Download here

I think the title says it all. This dictionary gives you definitions from lots of websites and synonyms. Either by Double-clicking any word (a small pop-up bubble displays the definition). Or by using the toolbar dictionary. It retrieves these definitions online because of which its response time depends on your internet speed.

5. Pixlr-o-Matic
Download Here

This app is easily my favourite. It's amazing with transforming photos into vintage retro snaps. You can add three layers to alter your photo by adding filters, lightning and borders. You can do this to an existing photo or directly from the webcam.

Having fun with Pixlr-o-Matic

6. Read Later Fast
Download here

This is pretty handy when you want to read or refer to some online article later on. The app saves the page, making it accessible to you offline. A click of the app will open up your articles pretty quickly.

7. Aviary's Image Editor
Download Here

This app is an image editor with over 30 rich editing tools, which works with layers similar to photoshop. It can be used for basic editing upto complicated manipulation of photos. It's amazing how it has all these great features, packed into your browser.

8. Tweetdeck
Download here

This app opens up your Twitter, Facebook, inbox and more all in one window. Further more, you get a pop-up notification bubble for any new notifications on your social networks.
Although the viewing space feels cramped, my favourite feature of tweetdeck would be updating your twitter and Facebook at the same time. Also the pop-up notifications are pretty cool.

9. PsykoPaint
Download Here

Got some pretty cool brushes and styles to work with. Either on an existing picture or a new one.

10. Remember the Milk
Download Here

This is not your average to-do list app. Having an app available on your phone, email, outlook; it syncs constantly across all platforms. It's remarkable features help make the experience fun by things such as organizing by tags/dates/priority, share with friends & search.

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Pottermore Screenshots

2012-01-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

I had written a complete review and had uploaded some screenshots of Pottermore here, in September. To provide a glimpse to those who hadn't been able to get inside via the magical quill. I was surprised to still get many views on those screenshots. So after revisiting pottermore, I discovered that pottermore is still in beta mode and hasn't opened to all as was originally planned in October 2011.

So here are some more screenshots for those who are interested and a video at the end of the sorting, wand picking and the nooks and corners of pottermore.

Click on the images for better quality.

Charms class

Some NEW content from J.K Rowling: "The Original Forty"

Harry's Special Delivary: The letter tells him he's been selected for the team and the nimbus two thousand is a gift

Casting Spells

Chapter 12: Mirror of Erised

Catching the snitch gives you 150 house points!

Christmas at Hogwarts

Nicholas Flamel

Hooded Figure

Apothecary

Thought I'd update the house points from my last post

How to recover lost Wi-Fi password saved on your PC?

2011-12-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

This tutorial will help you recover your forgotten Wi-Fi password, as long as it's still saved in your computer. If you're on windows 7 (with administrator access) you don't need this program; just scroll down to see how to retrieve your password.

With a Program: Wireless Key View
1. Download WiressKeyView by clicking here.

2. Extract it (by right-clicking the file and selecting Extract here)

3. Open wirelesskeyview.exe and you'll see all your saved wireless networks and their passwords.

For Windows 7:
1. Go to Network and Sharing Center

2. Click on Manage Wireless Networks on the left side

3. Double-click on the network whose password you've lost

4. Click on the Security tab.

5. Check the box next to Show Characters

6. The text that shows up in the Network Security Key is your password.

This article is owned and copyrighted by http://greenfridge.blogspot.com

Shorten your Blog Posts by adding "Read More" Link

2011-12-02T04:26:00.001-08:00

Quick loading time for your website is crucial in retaining visitors. Almost 75% of Internet users do not return to sites that take longer than four seconds to load. So adding the read more link to the posts on your homepage can help save time, by minimizing the length of your blog posts and not loading all images. (Skip to the bottom to see a preview)

>This method will apply automatically to ALL of your blog posts on the homepage. If you want to be in control of where & when you want to add the Read More function, click here.

1. In your blog options, click Template on the left side of your screen.

2. Cick on Edit HTML

3. Check the box next to Expand Widget Templates

4. Now find, <data:post.body/>. ( You can find that by pressing Ctrl +F and pasting in this code into the find box.)

5. Replace it, with:
<script type='text/javascript'>
summary_noimg = 430;
summary_img = 340;
img_thumb_height = 100;
img_thumb_width = 120;
</script>
<script src='http://blogergadgets.googlecode.com/files/excerpt.js' type='text/javascript'/>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>
<div expr:id='"summary" + data:post.id'><data:post.body/></div>
<script type='text/javascript'>createSummaryAndThumb("summary<data:post.id/>");</script>
<span class='rmlink' style='float:right'><a expr:href='data:post.url'>Read more</a></span>
</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'><data:post.body/></b:if>

6. Click on Save Template. And you're Done!

Preview:

I initially really liked this layout, but when this applied to my gallery and contact pages, I had to remove it because by shortening those pages, the full post simply wouldn't open up after clicking the "read more" link. So I'm back to manual Jump breaks.
You can always change back by reversing this method.

This article is copyrighted and owned by http://greenfridge.blogspot.com

What is Rockmelt?

2011-11-29T09:11:00.001-08:00

For a while now, I've been noticing that a fraction of my blog visitors use Rockmelt as their browser. So when I googled it, I came upon it's homepage, saw this picture and instantly installed it.

So what is Rockmelt?
It's an Internet browser having the same layout as Google Chrome with additional features which enhance the Facebook experience. Because it's integrated with FB, it's called a social media web browser. Apparently there was one before called Flock (which is no longer available), but Rockmelt is really catching on. You can add the same extensions & apps from the Chrome Web Store, because it's built upon the same open source project (chromium) as Google Chrome.

Features:
Facebook integration:

Facebook notifications are directly located on the upper left side of the browser.

On your right side you have a panel for chatting with your FB friends.

Hovering over a friend's photo gives you their recent activity.

Apps:

On your left side you can build up "apps" from your favourite websites. These apps give you instant updates and let you browse through the latest stories in a pop-up balloon.

View Later:
When browsing, you can save a webpage to "view later" by simply marking the clock icon in the address bar. This feature was already available in Google Chrome by installing the extension: Read Later Fast which had the added bonus of viewing saved webpages in offline mode.

Search bar
Looks like the firefox search bar, but not as useful as that. Your search results open up in this small little pop-up, and the first search result automatically starts to load. Also this search is confined to only one search engine.

Share the webpage that your're viewing and comment on it, before posting.

Silence mode

Hides all of the sidebars and the facebook notifications, as well as turns your offline for chat.

This article is owned and copyrighted by http://greenfrudge.blogspot.com

Dell Inspiron 14R (N4110) Review

2011-11-27T07:44:00.001-08:00

Dell Inspiron 14R N4110

SPECIFICATIONS:
CPU Speed : Intel Core i5-2410 2.3GHz 3MB L3
Display: 14" HD WLED True Life Display(1366 x 788)
Memory : 2GB DDR3 RAM
Optical Drive : DVD Super Multi Double Layer Drive
Hard Drive Capacity : 500GB SATA Hard Disk
Operating System : Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

PROS: CONS:
Spacious keyboard; Soft keys Weight at 5.2 punds
Great performance Black colour easily looks dirty.
SWITCH: easy option to change look of laptop
Metallic Body

PERFORMANCE:
Having an Intel Core i5 processor, you'll feel the speed difference from the moment you turn it on. I compared the starting up and closing down time with an Intel core i3 to find a noticeable difference. Having a a difference of 15-20 sec in starting and 10 sec in closing time. I've also done some serious video editing and conversion on this, with zero crashes or freeze ups.

Dell Inspiron n4110 Keyboard

BODY:
The Dell Inspiron 4110 has a metallic black body which makes it strong enough to take an accidental fall. The metal body however adds to the weight. When I compared it with my 15.6" hp in plastic (2.0 kg), it was heavier at 2.5 kg! Despite having a smaller screen. But because of its small size it's still easily portable. The interior is all metallic black and has a reflective edge to it. However the black looks unclean, becasue fingerprints and dust show up very easily. A single dust particle is obvious.

KEYBOARD:
I have completely fallen for the Dell's keyboard. The keys are so soft and don't even make the slightest sound when you type. They're also set apart making the keyboard very spacious and in between them there is plastic layer, so as not to let dust go under the keys and gather there.

SWITCH:
This model in the inspiron line has the option to change your laptop lid with optional interchangeable lids. So you can personalize your laptop with SWITCH by Design Studio. Click here to view the range of available lids. From basic colours to intricate designs. It's a great option if you want to personalize your laptop frequently with no hassle.

PORTS:

1 x USB 2.0
2 x USB 3.0
1 x HDMI v1.4
1 x USB 2.0 with E-SATA & Power Share
1 x network connector 10/100
1 x VGA Port
Audio jacks (1-line out, 1 Mic-in)

The n4110 has four USB ports on each side: left, right, back. Having two USB 3.0 ports is a major plus, because all new hardware & external storage devices are being produced with USB 3.0 connections, for faster transfer of data. There is also a USB 2.0 eSATA port.

Dell Inspiron n4110 Speakers

SPEAKERS:
The 14R supports an SRS premium sound system. There are two speakers located on the front edge of the base when turned over. These aren't exactly in the best of positions, because when placing the laptop in your lap, you're likely to block the speakers sound.

BATTERY:
When fully charged, it can run up to 4 hrs 30 mins. And yes, that's good.

SOFTWARE:
Dell did pack in a lot of software beforehand. Most NOTICEABLY is the Dell stage, which gives easy access to your photos, videos, music. It pops open on your desktop when you startup. Dell also offers online storage.

Additionally there is also McAfee SecurityCenter (30-Days Trial) & Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 .
CONCLUSION: The Dell Inspiron is a great laptop for it's price and you won't be disappointed. The idea of changing your lids with just a push of a button is great for personalizing and making your laptop stand out. The Intel Core i5 processor also adds for a smooth experience.

This article is owned and copyrighted by http://greenfridge.blogspot.com

My 5 Favourite Blogs to Follow

2011-11-24T09:33:00.001-08:00

Reading blogs is a great way to speed up time and keep you smart. Here's my list of the top five blogs I love to follow, and how I choose to follow them.

1. Lifehacker
Lifehacker curates tips, tricks, and technology for living better in the digital age.
Its hard to specify in one word what exactly Lifehacker writes about; they write about technology, stress, cooking tricks, DIY tips, mobile apps and ways to integrate gadgets with your housework. Each article is more interesting than the last. I follow lifehacker by facebook and email, and enjoy reading articles saved in my inbox when I've got free time (and no internet).

2. Time Magazine
Breaking news, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews

There are so many articles and sections on TIME, that it's pretty overwhelming when you visit the site. So I follow TIME via twitter, which tweets selective articles on hot topics. Just reading the tweet keeps you connected with whats currently going on in the world. There's also a mobile app for android, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad.. in which I like the "lists" and "most read" sections best.

3. Techcrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites
This website is more focused on NEWS about developments and enterpreneurs in technology and hot-and-upcoming products. They also interview startup companies and review hyped up new gadgets. Additionally they have a giveaway every few weeks, so keep your eyes open for that. This is the blog to follow if you want to stay connected with whats happening on the behind-the-scenes of the internet.
I follow Techcrunch by facebook, and visit the website once in a while.

4. The Huffington Post
Offers syndicated columnists, blogs and news stories with moderated comments.
There's only two words to descibe this website: "Online Newspaper". It has articles, coulmns and different sections like politics, business, entertainment.. Exactly as you'd expect in a newspaper.
I follow this via twitter, so that I get selective articles in my timeline.

5. People Magazine
The #1 Celebrity Site for breaking news, celebrity pictures and star style.
I know that this doesn't fit in with the rest of the blogs, but being a girl I can't help following celebrity news and style. This website is great for checking out for the latest updates. I follow this via twitter, which tweets in more of a breaking news style. It also has an iPhone app.

This article is owned and copyrighted by http://greenfridge.blogspot.com