Month: July 2011

Categories
Android Mobile

Top 10 most popular and useful Android Applications

Today Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in market. According to the survey, over 50% Smartphones in market feature Android as their operating system. Thousands of developers across the globe have been fascinated by this Linux Kernel-based mobile OS, which has ultimately resulted into richness of Android Application Market. Let us take a look at 10 of the most popular and useful Android applications.

1.  Layar

Imagine a situation where you are roaming in completely unknown city but curious to know about inch about the city. Layar is best application for you in such conditions. This application provides 3D view of the surrounding through your phone while providing vital information like Wikipedia information or tweets related certain things and much more. With increasing power of processors and camera, the application is set to hit the summit of popularity in near future.

layar for android

2. Google Maps

Human beings love to travel and Google has decided to help you in situations where you crave for tourist guides. With android version of Google Maps installed one can easily track down route to destination. This app supports voice recognition GPS that makes things even easier. It also tells latitudes and locations of your friends eliminating fear of losing them while exploring dense forests.

Google Maps

3. SwiftKey

Everyone is not comfortable with typing on touchscreen Smartphones. But no more, thanks to SwiftKey. A revolutionary version of Android on-screen keyboard; SwiftKey adds smartness to your device. This app is loaded with loads of features that also include text prediction facility. It not only predicts current word one is typing but also guesses next one. Scrutinizing your writing style, app predicts words more accurately as time passes.

Swiftkey

4. Smart Battery Monitor

Though Android comes with in-built battery indicator, the facility fails to show in-detail report of battery life. Smart Battery Monitor is very important application for such scenario. The app shows details like Battery level, its status, battery type and technology and most importantly battery temperature. All the data is represented in percentage format.

Smart Battery Monitor

5.     K-9 Mail

If you find Android Email client boring, as most of do, you might want to check out this fully customizable app; k-9 mail. This app provides you all the functionality as that is provided by Android email client. In addition, it allows full customization including changes in appearance of the browser. One can also change gesture and view options as per own taste.

K9-mail

6. SlideScreen

One uses Smartphone more for checking out emails, status updates, tweets and likes rather than editing files. SlideScreen is an application that creates several rows on your home screen, which provide you with recent updates on the websites you choose. Scrolling up and down through stack of rows reveals more updates and sliding particular message row to right marks that update “as read” preventing it from appearing again on your screen.

SlideScreen

7. Yoo Ninja Plus

Yoo Ninja Plus is one of the best time-killers available in Android Market. You have to perform very simple task of taking player to the next level dodging darts and jumping over the holes.    This gravity based game comes with a story mode making things more interesting and fun!

Yoo Ninja Plus

8. Nimbuzz

This all-in-one chat client was expected to make to the list of top 10 android applications. Considered as only cross platform chat client loaded with enormous features is must have app for chat loving Android users. Nimbuzz supports services like GTalk, Facebook, Skype and much more.

nimbuzz

9. Evernote

Evernote application is useful for all the students using Android. This app works excellent as reminder tool allowing you to store images, recorded voices and notes. One can apply different sorting criteria like date to arrange notes accordingly. Sharing feature makes this application even more useful as one can share his/her important notes with fellow classmates. Users are provided with storage of 500 MB and that’s too ads free!

evernote

10. Hi-Q MP3 Recorder

Hi-Q MP3 Recorder has turned out to be very useful for teachers. It allows user to record audio for ten minutes. Quality of recorded version is much better than default recorder offered by Android. Gain settings allow user to change intensity of the sound while recording.

Hi-Q MP3 Recorder

It ends us with the list of Top 10 Android applications. Apart from these 10, there are many other applications in Android market that one can find useful and possessing similarity to his/her taste. So what is your list of Top 10?

Categories
Gadgets Laptop

HP Pavilion dv6t- Review, Specifications and Pricing

If you are looking to buy a decent laptop today, you have enormous amount of options now. Thanks to the competition among the manufacturers. In the fray, HP has decided to satiate user’s multimedia desires with their new addition to Pavilion series; the dv6t. The dv6t notebook is housed with Intel’s Core i series processor and excellent multimedia offerings. Let us take a look at the technical specifications and notable features of HP Pavilion dv6t.

Catchy Design and Comfortable Keyboard

Sporty look of dv6t pulls users towards it. Brushed aluminum lid with glassy finish makes the notebook look regal. Dark umber finished lid and the thin silver speaker panel sits nicely between the aluminum hinges. Considerable spacing between keys and wide palm rest allow users to type rapidly avoiding silly spelling mistakes.  Another considerable improvement is the function keys for adjusting volume, brightness etc are now the Direct action keys, that means you do not need to keep holding the Fn key.  The touchpad, which allows multi-touch gestures, is comfortable to roll fingers on.

Fingerprint Reader – Unique Feature by HP

If you find typing passwords for logging into sites that you frequently use is boring task, HP has offered you solution with its Fingerprint reader. Though this feature is not alien to world, to have it in multimedia notebook is unique. One can log into sites like Facebook with swipe of finger. The notebook features HP SimplePass that permit users to generate one time passwords for financial sites like PayPal.

Display and Audio – Primary Muscles of dv6t

HP Pavilion dv6t is made for excellent multimedia experience. Thanks to vivid LED display and Beats Audio, notebook stands strong on all expectations. 15.6” LED display with 120 degree viewing angle offers ultimate viewing experience. Beats audio adds to the excitement of watching action packed thrillers by allowing users to hear hidden background sounds in the playback.

Power Packed Performer                          

HP Pavilion dv6t features one of the best configurations possible these days. Notebook is excellent performer in its class thanks to second generation core i processors from Intel. Thanks to the memory capacity of gadget, one can run different applications at a time with all of them running smoothly as of butter.

Pavilion dv6t features switchable graphics that are primarily used to maintain power consumption while device is not plugged in to direct supply. In addition, these graphic cards make wonders for gamers running high graphic demanding games without any hiccups. With moderate frame rate on different resolutions, dv6t performs best in its class.

Pricing

HP pavilion dv6t is available for $769 with company configuration. However, economical version of the device is also available in market that houses Intel Core i3, 500 GB hard disk, 4 GB RAM and Intel HD 3000 Graphics. Latter one doesn’t come with switchable graphic card facility. Let us take a look at technical specifications of the gadget.

Technical Specifications of HP Pavilion dv6t

> Processor: 2.4 GHz 2nd Generation Intel® Core i5-2410m
> Operating System: Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
> Display: 15.6” LED HD anti-glare display (1920 x 1080)
> Graphics: Intel HD 3000 Graphics Card, AMD Radeon HD 6490m
> Memory: 6 GB DDR3 RAM (expandable up to 16 GB)
> Storage: 640 GB SATA clocked at 7,200 rpm
> Multimedia: High end Beats Audio, 4 speakers, HP TrueVision HD Webcam
> Communication: 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
> I/O Ports: 4 USB ports (2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0), HDMI, RJ-45, VGA port
> Input Devices: keyboard, Touchpad and Fingerprint Reader
> Security: HP Recover Manager, HP CloudDrive
> Power: 65 W AC for Intel and 90 W AC for Radeon (approximately 5 hours)
> Design: Plastic body with glossy finish
> Dimensions: 14.8 x 9.7 x 1.2 inches
> Weight: 5.8 pounds

The dv6t notebook from HP is certainly a “beast” when it comes to multimedia usage. With its incredible power and graphics capability, it is hard to say no to it. So if you are looking to buy a multimedia notebook, just grab it without a second thought.

Categories
Gadgets

Technology goes waterproof to protect beach-going gadget heads

Waterproof mobile phones, MP3 players, cameras and Bluetooth headsets are appearing at beaches all over the country this summer after technology retailer Expansys launched its Expansys Summer Essentials range.

While the gadget market has exploded in recent years with the launch of popular devices such as smartphones, sophisticated MP3 players and tablet computers, users have often run into difficulties in summer time when trying to use their new toys by the beach, at the poolside or at music festivals and in parks.

Water damage has claimed the lives of many an expensive gadget in the past, but a new selection of waterproof devices launched by UK retailer Expansys promises to make drowning gadgets a thing of the past.

Anthony Catterson from Expansys said: “Our new Summer Essentials range answers the call from the many thousands of gadget lovers who want to be able to relax with their favourite gadgets in the outdoors this summer, without the worry of water, sand or weather damage. Many people in the UK own technology that has become an indispensable part of their lives, so why should they have to stop using it when summer rolls around?

“The new range includes a number of waterproof gadgets that will survive being dropped in the pool, soaked by a spilt cocktail and even thrown into the sea!”

Leading the range is the Lavod AquaCube LFA-296s waterproof MP3 player, which is fully functional in up to three metres of water, making it the ideal music player to take with you when you go for a swim in the pool or head out for a surf. Both player and accompanying headphones are fully waterproof up to three metres and, with 4GB of memory, there’s room for your entire music collection on there.

Amongst the most popular items in the new Expansys range is the Waterproof Smartphone Case. With smartphones playing such a fundamental role in the organisation and enjoyment of day-to-day life for so many people, the risk of water damage on a summer holiday simply isn’t worth the risk. The Expansys Waterproof Case protects smartphones in up to six metres of water, as well as protecting against dirt and dust, and comes in black, pink and yellow designs with 16 individual sealing points.

Waterproof camera cases and Bluetooth headsets are also available, as well as a full range of ultra-portable versions of popular household gadgets, such as computer hard drives, video cameras, wireless routers and battery packs.

Mr Catterson added: “We’ve got everything that a British holidaymaker needs for the summer, from satellite navigation systems for car journeys and travelling on foot, to portable hard drives, flip cameras, and even mobile cinema systems.”

This is a Press release from Expansys.

Categories
Social Media

Tips on using Facebook Effectively

Have some people become obsessed with their Facebook profile. Have they become their own brand and social media marketing entity? Have we all fallen into the trap of thinking we are something important to the rest of the world and we must invest in hours of personal online marketing? Here is a no-nonsense look at how to interact on Facebook.

Facebook is the core of social media marketing, but how many of us really know how to use it? How much are all of your friends actually paying attention to what you are doing on it? How much are you interacting with others on the site, or are you really just reading whatever is put in front of you? Getting attention on Facebook takes some special skills, it also takes some other abilities. Here is a look at how to get more involved with others on Facebook. Let’s face it, you are after attention yourself.

Use your likes

While we all want to be the wittiest person ever, most of the time it is hard to come up with something more entertaining than an eight year old. Your next option is to use your like button. This is an easy way to interact with others and make them feel good at the same time. Whether you like it, them, or not, does not really matter, they will feel that you have given them some positive attention.

Upload photos as much as possible

Just like a picture speaks a thousand words, photos give you a whole essay of material you could not possibly write. It would be great if I could come up with something interesting everytime I opened the site, and it would be something that attracted attention. Just like most of us, I can’t. The next best thing is to upload photos. Everyone likes to look at photos, it is just the way people are. Photos give a visual dimension to your existence, and this adds more to your personality online. Words are wonderful for conjuring up provocative thoughts, but photos and videos lay it all out there for others to see. Do your best to select only those photos and videos where you look fantastically fabulous or completely ridiculous. Either one will intrigue.

Comment on photos

Looking for somewhere to say something, and not sure what to say. Other’s photos will always give you something of interest to say. More importantly, because it is them you are talking about, and it is plain to see for everyone else, you will get a reaction every time.

Be yourself

Facebook is your personal online marketing tool. Perhaps you are not that interesting in the first place. Perhaps, what is more important, is those who care about you. Don’t try too hard to impress. Just be yourself. If people out there are not interested in you, it is time to find friends who do. Don’t take your Facebook profile too personally. Those who like you will like you anyway. Those who added you just so they could add another number to their total friend count, are not your friend anyway. Just because someone has more friends on Facebook, does not mean they have more influence. The quality and amount of interaction with that network is what really makes the difference.

Categories
Internet

iVPN: the best VPN service provider

Couple of weeks back I was in dearth need of a VPN service and while doing my research, I came across numerous VPN service provider. None of them were fulfilling my requirement, in a sense they were not offering what I was looking for. Just then one of my friend suggested me this VPN service called iVPN. I went deeper into their site and got in touch with their customer service to clarify few of my queries and guess what ‘” I found exactly what I was looking for”. This review is based upon my personal experience with iVPN service for last couple of weeks.

For those who are not sure what exactly is a VPN, let me take this opportunity to define it. A Virtual Private Network or a VPN (in short) is a secured way of connecting to a private network (LAN) present in a remote location through an unsecured public network like Internet. You can use VPN service to connect to your office network from your home which majority of us do. But the VPN service comes in handy in many other ways too.

The speciality of iVPN:

If you go with the enormous amount of VPN service provider available in the Internet you will find many loopholes in the service and most of the time you have to pay a hefty price as your security might be compromised. Some of them are such a waste that you will neither get security nor the speed and do not ask about the worst customer service. generally when we look for a VPN we primarily consider the security and speed. So without this the service is a waste.

The iVPN offers the best security as it is built with most secured Open Source software available today like OpenVPN, IPSec and freeRADIUS. (Most of other providers use insecured protocol like PPTP where data can be sniffed easily). The traffic between the client machine and iVPN network is encrypted with AES 256 bit encryption.

IVPN offers maximum speed as they offers very low subscribers ratio and offer premium bandwidth through their Gigabit network. Hardly ever your connection will be dropped.

Apart from this they offers maximum privacy as they do not collect any personally identifiable information except the mail ID. Backed by all this they have a fantastic support team who are always ready to help.

Signup and Setup:


In order to start using the iVPN service you need to signup to iVPN as a subscriber. You have the flexibility to pay monthly, quarterly or annually. They also have a very attractive pricing plan with a reducing price for increased duration. If you want to try the service before buying, they offer a 7 days risk free trial without any obligation.

The signup process is fairly simple and takes less than 30 seconds as they do not collect any information apart from the mail ID and password. After signing up, you will receive an email with setup instructions and the Username and Password to connect to the iVPN network.

Depending upon the type of protocol you will be using like an OpenVPN or IPSec, you will need to download the client program and configuration file. I prefer OpenVPN as it is slightly faster, more stable and can pass some firewall restriction which IPSec cannot.

For OpenVPN, the downloader is available here and the ones for IPSec/L2TP are available here. You can also follow the extensive step by step tutorials for setup by visiting the iVPN knowledge base.

Once you download the client for the type of connection, double click on the installer to start installation and proceed with the default options.

I would advice to use the automatic setup scripts for configuration available in the download page as manual configuration is too complicated and making something wrong will not allow you to connect.

This iVPN has served my purpose and I am overall quite happy with the service and I would rate them 8.5 out of 10.

If you happen to use the service of iVPN or any other VPN service provider, do not forget to write your opinion through comment.