Home Blog Page 32

Download EWT Android App 0.1 Beta

0

Join us today as we officially release our first Android App: You can now stay updated with every activity on Elites World Technology, read technology news, reviews and how-to (s), simply by clicking the EWT icon on your Android device.

EWT Android App 0.1 Beta is currently in beta mode, however, does not pose any risk to your device and completely safe to use on any Android device. This beta version is intended to gather our reader feedback in order to enable us improve the user’s experience on Android devices, hence, your feedback and suggestions will be gladly appreciated.

Participate

To participate in making EWT Android App better,  you need to download and install EWT Android App on your Android device. Locate and run the application from your programs and leave your feedback in the comment section below. DOWNLOAD EWT ANDROID APP 

Use 2go, BBM & Whatsapp on your Windows PC or Mac

2
Although future generations of PCs are likely to be operated on Android OS with Lenovo’s latest invention, Windows PC and Mac users can still enjoy Android apps without installing Android OS.

Bluestacks is a free software that allows you to use your favorite Android apps on a Windows PC or Mac. You can download apps like Angry Birds Space, 2go, Whatsapp or BBM to Go directly into Bluestacks, or sync the apps from your phone using the Bluestacks Cloud Connect Android app.

Using Bluestacks is similar to using an Android tablet: It works a bit like a widget. When clicked, the BlueStacks App Player will display the ten apps that have already been pre-installed and application suggestions which can be installed using Google Play Store. You can install more application by clicking on More below the big + sign. Bluestacks can be viewed in minimized or full screen.

Download Bluestacks

To download Bluestacks, proceed to Bluestacks download page, click on the download button that fits your OS description. The Download Now link will download a small installer file to your desktop. Remain online and double-click the installer to proceed with the actual download.

Please note that Bluestacks is currently in beta stage: Beta or prerelease software is not intended for inexperienced users, as the software may contain bugs or may potentially damage your system. I strongly recommend that users exercise caution and save all mission-critical data before installing or using this software.

I have personally tried this software on Windows XP, Windows 7 & Windows 8, the performance is great and it is worth trying!

Download Connectify Hotspot PRO v3.7.1.25486 Full Version – Free

0

If you are searching for older versions of Connectify Hotspot PRO, I bet you have a good reason for that and if you are thinking what I am thinking, then, you are at the right place: This file contains the full version of Connectify Hotspot PRO in .iso format. After downloading, simply extract its content with winrar before running ConnectifyHotspotInstaller.exe.

What will Connectify do for me?

Connectify Hotspot PRO converts your PC into a hotspot. Allowing you to share internet from your PC to other devices and PCs through WIFI.
Some of the features of this program include:

  • Custom Hotspot Name
  • Secured Hotspot
  • Sharing Mode
  • Firewall

You have full control over your wireless network all the time, so you will know exactly who is connected to your server. Among its advanced features, Connectify enables you to explore shared resources from the devices that are paired with your system.   DOWNLOAD CONNECTFY

BBM for Android and iOS is here – Download and Review

1

In the days of featured phones, Nimbuzz was the go-to guy when it comes to instant messaging. That was a long time ago, though. Smart phones has come to stay and WhatsApp and BBM for Android and iOs decides the rules in this new world. As you already know, the official Blackberry Messenger has long been available in the Google Play Store. A lot of BBM app (camouflage) has been uploaded to the Play Store ever since the smart phone company (Blackberry) was sold.

[Further Reading: Use 2go, BBM & Whatsapp on your Windows PC or Mac]

To save you the stress of going through a wasted day searching for the official BBM application in the Google Play Store, I have uploaded the official BBM Android app on this page.

BBM for Android
BBM for Android

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is also now available in an iOS version so that you can communicate between BlackBerry, Android and iOS devices.

BBM for iOS
BBM for iPhones and iPads

BBM allows you to send free messages, photos, voice memos, to participate in group conversations and much more.

Description

It is no understatement to say that BBM ruled the world of mobile instant messaging for the longest period, but that was on BlackBerry devices. However, the official version of BBM for BlackBerry is now here for Android. Get the free BBM Android and iOS app and continue in the old habit of pinging with your friends and family.

You can also use multiple BBM accounts on one Android phone by following our multiple accounts tutorial.

Chat with friends on Android, BlackBerry and iPhone:

After getting your PIN code, i.e. your BlackBerry Messenger ID, the application will let you communicate with your friends without restriction.

Blackberry Messenger lets you send messages, voice memos, photos, and files. It also informs you as soon as your messages have been received and read by your contacts. The BBM application is permanently enabled and connected so that you don’t need to open the app to get notifications.

  • BBM is always on and always connected – no app to open
  • Know when messages have been delivered (D’s) and read (R’s)
  • Share photos, files, documents, voice notes and more
  • See when contacts are responding to your message
  • Emoticons for every mood and emotion let you express yourself

BBM lets you protect your privacy.

BBM for Android and iOS gives you absolute control on your privacy:

  • As a user, you chose how to share your information – BBM uses PINs instead of phone numbers or email addresses so that it’s more private and you always control who can contact you
  • You chose your contacts – 2-way opt-in means you have control over who is able to message you

BBM Android app allows you to Chat and Share with many at once:

With Blackberry Messenger groups, the messaging app lets you share images, lists, and meetings with members of a group (up to 30 individuals). As for multiple chat, it’s useful to get in touch with multiple friends at the same time, and you can make use of a whole range of emoticons to send in your conversations.

BBM also provides functionality for sending bulk messages. With the option to broadcast messages, you can easily send a message to several BBM contacts simultaneously.

  • Groups – BBM groups help you share pictures, lists and appointments with group members. You can even be in a group with people who aren’t part of your own BBM contact list.
  • Multi-person chats – Invite multiple contacts to have a chat together.
  • Broadcast messages – Send a message to multiple BBM contacts at one time.

Create your own BBM profile with BBM for Android and iOS

Finally, Blackberry Messenger lets you create your own profile using your avatar (picture or animated GIF) and gives you the ability to post statuses. You can change your profile by clicking on your avatar.

  • Post a profile picture using images, pictures or even animated pictures (GIFs).
  • Update your status to let people know what you’re up to or how you feel

A BlackBerry 10 interface


With Blackberry Messenger, BlackBerry seems to want to provide a similar experience on all platforms. The interface of the application is the same for all versions and imitates the BlackBerry 10 style and codes. On Android, the interface seems slightly out of place; for example, you’ll notice the presence of a “previous” button that duplicates the one offered on the screen of the Nexus or many other Android devices. BBM features are nevertheless easy to access, thanks to a list of tabs at the bottom of the interface.

Good news for Android as well as BlackBerry users

The arrival of Blackberry Messenger is good news for Android users but perhaps even more so for BlackBerry users. If the latter were only able to use the application with those friends who own a BlackBerry, they might not have had many contacts on their BBM list.

As for the application, Blackberry Messenger proves to be quite comprehensive, with a range of good features comparable to those found on competing applications like WhatsApp, LINE, and Viber. It only lacks VoIP and a more flexible interface.

Support for Android 2.3.x added

The most recent update of BlackBerry Messenger adds support for Android 2.3. At last users of the Gingerbread flavor of Android can chat via BBM on their device. This means that millions of people with lower-end devices will have access.

Changes

  • Support for Android 2.3.x added: The most recent update of BlackBerry Messenger adds support for Android 2.3. At last users of the Gingerbread flavor of Android can chat via BBM on their device. This means that millions of people with lower-end devices will have access.

Download BBM for Android and iOS

The official BBM iOS app may be installed directly from the Apple store. Initially, it was tricky to get the app on the play store but in recent times, the Android app has been made available. If somehow you managed to find yourself using a BlackBerry device, the app is still available on the BlackBerry App World.

You can install BBM for Android directly on your phone or download the .apk file.

Google’s Santa Tracker Returns with Chromecast-ready Android App

0

After spending the last 11+ months maxin’ and relaxin’, Santa and his elves are back in full swing. Yes! Santa Tracker is here again and better than ever!


Following Microsoft’s NORAD touch-friendly Santa Claus web tracker, Google is set to shower it’s Christmas blessings: The search giant’s latest Santa Tracker centers on an updated Android app (launching mid-December) with Chromecast TV streaming support — you’ll soon get to follow St. Nick from the comfort of your living room.
If you’d prefer to keep tabs on him from the web, the company is promising both daily game and scene updates as well as a refreshed Chromecast-ready web extension to help you see how things are progressing. Just like last year, you can head to the Christmas Village website to keep an eye on how things are going up north.

“To join in the flurry of preparations for Christmas Eve, visit the Village every day through December 24. You’ll have the chance to join the elves as they catapult presents and race with reindeer—and you’ll be able to send holiday wishes to friends and family from Santa himself. The elves make a little more progress each day, so be sure to stop by the Village to see the latest.” https://www.youtube.com/embed/0qrFL0mn3Uk

There are tons of fun things to do to pass the time; an Android app is expected to roll out any day now.

NORAD and Microsoft Launches a touch-friendly Santa Claus web tracker

0

Engadget – NORAD’s Santa Claus tracking has officially entered the tablet era. The defense agency has teamed up with Microsoft on an updated web-based tracker that’s designed for touch-friendly browsers, including Internet Explorer 11.
The new site lets you follow St. Nick by spinning a WebGL-powered globe with your finger, and you can even call NORAD through Skype to get the sleigh’s latest position. You won’t have to wait until Christmas Eve to have fun, either, as Microsoft promises a daily dose of games, movies and music. Those who want to surveil Santa can visit NORAD’s page today, while Windows 8 and Windows Phone users can also grab native tracking apps through their respective stores.

Features of the Next Generation USB – Connector will Fit both Ways

0

According to an article on PCWorld: The next version of the USB connector will accept the plug either way up, the USB 3.0 Promoter Group said Tuesday.

The USB Type-C connector, initially intended for USB 3.1 and 2.0 devices, will be a complete redesign, the group said. It will be similar in size to the USB 2.0 Micro-B plug found on most modern cellphones, and will support scalable power charging. In comparison, the USB 3.0 Micro-B plug is wider than that for USB 2.0 devices.

The new connector will also be tailored to work well with emerging product designs and will scale for future USB bus performance, said the group, whose members include Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, Renesas Electronics and Texas Instruments.

Following a lead set by Apple with the Lightning connector used in the iPhone 5 and newer iPads and iPods, the USB Type-C plug and socket will fit either way up, avoiding fumbling to find the correct orientation,
the group said.

The Type-C USB connector is meant to be used to deliver power, data and video across all devices without the need for another connector, the group said. It will however not work with existing USB plugs. The specification will define new-to-existing cables and adapters to allow users to use their existing products, the group said.

The new USB connector needs to follow the design trends in terms of size and usability, the group said, adding that the Type-C connector lays the foundation for future versions of USB. It will also enable an entirely new “super thin class” of devices, it added.

The Type-C specification is up for industry review in the first quarter of 2014 and a final specification is expected to be published by the middle of next year. Participants in the review process will be sent a copy of the 0.7 draft of the connector specification.

Maybe It is time to quit Windows XP

2

You really, really need to dump Windows XP. No, really. Windows XP was great, and many users still love the operating system, but…it’s more than a decade old. At the rate technology evolves, that makes Windows XP a near-relic. Although it may still appear to work fine, the mantra of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t really apply to Windows XP. It’s broken in many ways, and when Microsoft officially stops supporting it next April, it really will be broken.

You don’t even need to upgrade to Windows 8. Windows 7 would be fine. Whether you or a stubborn holdout you know still needs convincing, these three reasons should do the trick.

1. Productivity

From a 10,000-foot view, Windows XP seems productive enough. It runs the applications you need it to run. It checks email. It surfs the Web. When you take a closer look, though, the newer versions of Windows have features that help you work more efficiently.

The Aero Snap feature makes moving and organizing windows simple by letting you just drag them to the edge of the display.

Aero Snap, which appeared in Windows 7, makes maximizing, minimizing, and organizing windows as simple as dragging them to the edge of the display. You can drag up to maximize, drag down to minimize, and drag to the left or right to snap the window to the respective half of the display. When you first start using Aero Snap, it seems like a novelty with little real value, but it quickly becomes second nature. After using Aero Snap for awhile, you’ll discover that it streamlines your work, and you’ll regret all the time you spent dragging windows here and there in XP.

Windows 8 has another feature that can save you even more time. File History is similar to the Time Machine function in Mac OS X. It scans your files every hour and stores copies of the incremental changes over time. If you accidentally overwrite a crucial presentation, or you decide to scrap your changes and want to go back to the way things were a few hours ago, it’s easy to restore a file from any point in the history.

Another timesaver in Windows 8 is Automatic Maintenance. Managing the little things that keep your PC tuned and optimized—like defragmenting your storage, antimalware scans, updating the operating system, and performing diagnostic tests—can be tedious. Automatic Maintenance takes care of all of those things for you while you sleep.

Windows 8 can automate many tasks to keep your system updated and optimized.  

Once you get used to the features in Windows 7 or Windows 8, you’ll wonder how you got by without them for so long.

2. New technology

Using an operating system that’s more than a decade old can also paint you into a corner when it comes to the peripherals and devices you can use with it. As new technologies are developed, they’re generally engineered with the latest operating systems in mind, and unlikely to be supported on Windows XP.

USB 3.0 is a prime example. Most USB 3.0 devices will still work—in a technical sense—with Windows XP because they’re backward-compatible. However, they will fall back to USB 2.0 compatibility and transfer data at about one-tenth of the potential speed of USB 3.0. Also note that even USB 3.0 is getting long in the tooth and will eventually be replaced by even faster technologies that Windows XP will not be able to take advantage of.

Whether you’re looking at wireless printers, Bluetooth keyboards, or 4K monitors, it will be challenging if not impossible to find drivers and support to make new technologies work with Windows XP.

3. Security

This is the big one. Windows XP is inherently more risky even now, and when Microsoft stops supporting the venerable OS next April, your PC will be virtually defenseless.

Just last week, Microsoft released a security advisory warning users about a zero-day vulnerability in Windows XP. The flaw is reportedly being actively exploited in the wild, but it doesn’t affect the newer versions of Windows.

Security experts believe that cybercriminals may already be hoarding Windows XP flaws, waiting hungrily for the expiration of Microsoft support. At that point, there will be no more Patch Tuesday security bulletins, and no patches or updates from Microsoft to address critical security concerns in Windows XP. It will be open season.

Tim Rains, director of Trustworthy Computing for Microsoft, has warned Windows XP users of another potential concern. Attackers often wait for a vendor to release a patch and then reverse-engineer it to discover the flaw and craft an exploit to take advantage of it. Once Microsoft support for Windows XP expires, malware developers will reverse-engineer Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Windows 8 patches and then verify whether those same flaws exist in Windows XP. In many cases, they will—and there will be no patch available to protect Windows XP.

Volume 15 of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report found that Windows XP systems were infected at more than six times the rate of those running 64-bit Windows 8.  

The most recent Security Intelligence Report from Microsoft shows that when exposed to a similar volume of potential threats, Windows XP SP3 has a malware infection rate nearly double that of Windows 7, and a whopping 650 percent greater than 64-bit Windows 8. Windows XP systems are more likely to be compromised than ones running newer versions of Windows, the effects of the compromise are typically more insidious, and eradicating the threat and resolving a malware incident takes longer.
It was great fun, but…

Windows XP was an awesome operating system. It was arguably the single best version in the history of the operating system. Windows 7 is a worthy successor to the Windows XP legacy, though, and Windows 8.1 is a tremendous operating system as well. Also, by clinging to Windows XP, you’re missing out on new features and technologies that could help you work more efficiently and simplify your life. Even if that doesn’t sway you, though, the reality is that Windows XP is going to be a security nightmare when support ends, and continuing to use it will be impractical—if not impossible.

All Hail iPad – Your New Sheriff

0

The ‘wonder’ Apple technology has ensured that it’s thief will not go uncaught. Last week saw the house of Mr. Tunde Makhinde, a Lagos based Nigerian visited by some robbers who took his iPad among other things. Little did they know that the iPad will eventually turn out to be the nail to their coffin: The tech whiz had activated the tracking device on his iPad, and within a matter of days, had gone with law enforcement agents to catch the thieves red handed.


Recently, an amazing app, Find my iphone, was used to track down a stolen iPad and the man who allegedly took it from underneath a family’s Christmas tree in the US. The victim on the ‘Find my iPhone’ app that sends out a signal to the device.Using his computer, the victim was then able to locate the iPad on a map, and alerted police to its whereabouts – just a few houses away.

Even the burglar who broke into Steve Jobs’ house was caught last year two weeks after the crime thanks to the technology in one of the late Apple founder’s own inventions. He might never have been caught if he hadn’t logged onto iTunes on one of Jobs’ personal iPads. Investigators say they were tipped off about the perpetrator when one of the stolen devices connected to Apple servers.

What if…?

‘But I am no tech whiz!” you might say. That doesn’t matter. How smart would smart technology be if it can’t holler at its owner when it gets stolen? There are simple ways to be two steps ahead of the thief. The ‘Find My iPhone’ application can be used if an Apple device is stolen or misplaced. It does not come installed but can be downloaded for free.

The user then signs in with their unique Apple ID.a device goes missing, the owner can activate the app on a computer. Signals ‘ping’ the device and its whereabouts can be seen on a map online.can then choose to display a message on its screen, play a sound for two minutes at full volume, lock the device or erase all of its data.can be used on iPhones, iPads, Apple computers and iPods.

iOS 7 includes a new feature called Activation Lock, which makes it more difficult for anyone to use or sell your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch once it’s gone missing or has been stolen. And it starts working the moment you turn on Find My iPhone in iOS 7. Turning off Find My iPhone or erasing your device requires your Apple ID and password. And your Apple ID and password are required before anyone can reactivate it.

But what happens if you find your device on a location you can’t reach? Go for second best-initiate a remote wipe to delete your personal data and restore your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac to its factory settings. With iOS 7, Find My iPhone can continue to display your custom message, even after your device has been erased. And if you do retrieve your device, you can restore it from your iCloud backup. iCloud is not just for backup, it can help you find your apple device on the map. If one of your Apple devices goes missing, iCloud can help you figure out where it is. Just sign in at iCloud.com or use the Find My iPhone app to see your missing iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac on a map.

How to erase YouTube clutters with AdBlock Plus

0
The introduction of AdBlock Plus add-on has brought about some level of sanity to the nature at which most pages are being rendered. The popular browser add-on is set to extend it’s tentacles a little beyond the blocking of online ads (except for the whitelisted ones) to bringing sanity to popular social networks.

You Tube of late, has been really annoying; prompting ABP’s editorial pen to introduce YouTube Customizer site, a feature that helps you banish all the bits of the video site that annoy you, while keeping the ones you enjoy.
YouTube Customizer site allows you to control which youtube component you want your browser to render. If you’re generally annoyed with the current state of YouTube you can block everything but the video you’re watching. The list of banished items includes comments, suggested videos, featured and recommended videos in the end screen, the sharing tab in the description, in-video annotations, and channel recommendations.
Just for the record, that’s a breathtaking list of YouTube cruft and dumping it all may be a step too far for most of us. What good is YouTube, after all, if you can’t waste the afternoon following an endless stream of recommended videos.

Instead of blocking everything, ABP includes options to only block comments, or only suggestions and recommendations, or only the sharing tab and in-video annotations.

Getting Started

To get started, make sure you have AdBlock Plus installed on your browser. If you do not have the add-on installed on your browser, simply download it by clicking on your browser link below.
Next, just visit AdBlock’s YouTube customization page to start blocking YouTube’s various “features.”
You could also block some mixture of the above—for example, blocking comments and annotations but leaving recommendations intact. If you have any YouTube pages open after you add AdBlock’s customizations you may have to refresh the page for your changes to take effect. And if you ever want to return YouTube to the data buffet it once was, check out ABP’s instructions on how to remove your customizations.
Note that your changes only work on the browser where you have AdBlock Plus installed and first added the YouTube filters.

How to Install Third-Party Windows 8 Themes

0
When it is down to the customization of your Windows PC, it goes beyond the changing of icons and wallpaper. Windows 8, 7, XP and those before them, allows you to install custom themes of your preference, however, due to the fact that most of the themes developed by third-parties developers may contain malwares which are harmful to your PC; Microsoft has disallowed the ability to install themes from third-parties developer, hence, this tutorial.

With this tutorial, you will be able to install any third-party theme on Windows 8 PC, however, it is essential to only install themes from trusted websites and developers (Check out 25 best themes for Windows 8 from trusted developers).

Image

Among our numerous contenders, Ultra UXTheme Patcher stands out as the best Windows 8 Themes application program. All you have to do is install it on your system and it will automatically modify the required items.

Once you have installed the program you can then use any custom Windows 8 themes on your PC . Just download any custom windows 8 themes  and copy it over to this directory in your windows PC:

C:WindowsResourcesThemes

Note: Some themes might require a few additional instructions to install . Check the description of the themes  for any addition instructions .

25 Best ‘Free’ Elegant Windows 8 Themes

0

Bill & Microsoft has made many structural changes by implementing Metro UI and Start Screen in Windows 8. But the PC side of Windows 8 has not seen any dramatic changes except the removal of Start Menu and Aero Glass Transparency feature. Windows 8 like Windows 7 and others before them, has a lot of customization features that helps you define an entirely new look for your Windows PC .

Sometimes, the quest for customizing the desktop look can consume a lot of time; so you don’t have to actually customize your windows 8 PC, rather you can download many custom windows 8 themes and use them on your windows 8 PC (Check out 25 best themes for Windows 7)  .

Most of these windows 8 themes are the products of talented artists/developers who make these themes available as a free download for everyone . But like most windows programs , windows 8 themes download from un-trusted sites might contain malware in them . So it is always advisable to download windows 8 themes from reputed sources only .

As a tradition that has been laid by the predecessors, Windows 8 does not allow the installation of third-parties themes by default, hence, it is recommended you read How to Install Third-Party Windows 8 Themes before you proceed to the next section of this article.

Image

In this article, we shall consider the top 25 most-outstanding Windows 8 themes you can apply on your desktop.

1) Space Blueberries 4.8

Image

Theme Name: Space Blueberries 4.8
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Space Blueberries is an awesome Windows 8 theme which has dark shadowed visual style and has design tweaks.

2) Base for Windows 8

Theme Name: Base for Windows 8
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Link6155

DOWNLOAD

Description: Base for Windows 8  is pixel perfect quality Windows 8 Dark Theme which offers a nice set of Metro Icons and dark style skins.  

3) Work for Windows 8

Theme Name: Work for Windows 8
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Work is one of the best Windows 8 theme which has glowing dark interface. It gives you breathing space while working on multiple documents.  

4) Snow Leopard glass

Theme Name: Snow Leopard glass
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Sagorpbd

DOWNLOAD

Description: Snow Leopard glass is an elegant Windows 8 theme with clean and simple layouts. Quite an ideal theme for ‘simplicity’ fans.  

5) Incomplete VS

Theme Name: Incomplete VS
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Sinopt

DOWNLOAD

Description: Incomplete VS is a simple theme but cute Windows 8 desktop theme with red & black color scheme.

6) Snowy V 3.0

Theme Name: Snowy V 3.0
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Carborunda

DOWNLOAD

Description: Snowy is a nice Glossy Windows 8 Theme which supports all colors of Windows 8. Snowy has the Minimalistic design and looks soft for eyes.

7) WhiteDior

Theme Name: WhiteDior
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Ridkurn

DOWNLOAD

Description: WhiteDior is a nice Minimalistic Windows 8 Theme With icon sets and skins.

8) Win 8 – Thrives

Theme Name: Win 8 – Thrives
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Another good work by Neiio. The Win 8 – Thrives Window 8 theme is made up of basic color scheme and attractive layout.

9) Aero8 Glow

Theme Name: Aero8 Glow
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Mrgrim01

DOWNLOAD

Description: Aer08Glow is a port of the default Windows 7 theme with a few modifications. This theme has glow on the caption buttons and 2 styles: one with square corners and one with rounded corners. To use this theme with rounded corners you have to enable Aero Glass Transparency in Windows 8.

10) Chromium

Theme Name: Chromium
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Reymonvisual

DOWNLOAD

Description: Transform your Windows 8 system  to Google’ Chromium OS Style.

11) Simplex RC

Theme Name: Simplex
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Link6155

DOWNLOAD

Description: Simple Windows 8 theme which features a new frame, search & address bar, taskbar, and various of other changes.  

12) Glow Dark

Theme Name: Glow Dark
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Seahorsepip

DOWNLOAD

Description: It won’t be long before darkness falls: The Glow Dark Windows 8 theme lightens your way amidst of darkness.  

13) Windows Classic Vs

Theme Name: Windows Classic Vs
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: xXiNightXx

DOWNLOAD

Description: Begin from the beginning with Windows Classic Vs: Windows 8 theme. Bring back the old memories of older Windows!

14) Win Blue n Red

Theme Name: Win Blue n Red
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: S4r1n994n

DOWNLOAD

Description: Be greeted by the sweetness of the rising sun every moment your PC is booted. Win Blue n Red Windows 8 theme is the perfect blend for ‘red’ in ‘blue’, with a perfect ‘black’ to see off the dark sides.

15) Different Touch 8

Theme Name: Different Touch 8
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Sagorpirbd

DOWNLOAD

Description: Different Touch 8 is a dark Windows 8 theme with clean surface, cute icons and soft to the eye.  

16) White Update

Theme Name: White Update
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: s4r1n994n

DOWNLOAD

Description: Enough cannot be said on this exclusive Windows 8 theme: “Experience”, they said, “it’s the best teacher”.  

17) Mild 8

Theme Name: Mild 8
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: dIzzEE94

DOWNLOAD

Description: Gentle, easy-going, and low temper is the true definition of this Windows 8 theme. Cut your edges clean and enjoy the cool atmosphere.  

18) Gray8 new red

Theme Name: Gray8 new red
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: gsw953onDA

DOWNLOAD

Description: Darkness has overshadowed light! The new ‘red’ brightens the appearance of your Windows 8 theme. Gray8 new red is an easy going theme with boundless customization.

19) Twentythirteen

Theme Name: Twentythirteen
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: sand-and-mercury

DOWNLOAD

Description: Twentythirteen is a new Goddamn visual style for your bullshit Windows 8 RTM desktop.

20) Abisso

Theme Name: Abisso OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Ezio   DOWNLOADDescription: Abisso is one word for ‘true transparency’: The Windows 8 theme has a clean dark background with blue color scheme.

21) Elune

Theme Name: Elune
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Elune is an easy going Windows 8 theme with full support for Windows 8 auto-colorization features.

22) duMBaSS Windows 8 themes

Theme Name: duMBaSS Windows 8 themes
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Get kicked in the ass with this amazing Windows 8 theme.

23) Ourea windows 8 themes

Theme Name: Ourea windows 8 themes
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Gradually drift away from the original look of Windows 8. With Ourea windows 8 themes; the future is in your hands.

24) Alduin Windows 8 themes

Theme Name: Alduin Windows 8 themes OS Version: Windows 8 Artist: Charleston2378   DOWNLOADDescription: This list cannot be completed without the inclusion of the beautiful work of Charleston. Alduin is a Windows 8 minimalistic theme with deep dark background.  

25) Nimbus

Theme Name: Nimbus
OS Version: Windows 8
Artist: Neiio

DOWNLOAD

Description: Closing our list of top 25 elegant Windows 8 themes today is: Nimbus. This theme has an extra-ordinary layout that allows you to choose from various color schemes and background.

New: Save your Message Attachments on Google Drive via your Gmail Interface

0

Today, Google officially announced the release of a new update for Gmail users. The new update is set to allow users to view and save attachments to Google Drive directly from their mailbox.

For those of you who are yet to use  Google Drive: It is a product that grants Google account owners free cloud service, that allows you to store upto 5GB data(s) in your free Google account and unlimited data for premium Google accounts.

According to a statement by Scott Johnston in the Google official blog ” The next time you open an email with attachments, you’ll see new previews of the files at the bottom of the email, from photos and videos to spreadsheets and PDFs.”
image
With the new Gmail interface, you can now access your email attachments from any device such as your mobile phone and tablets and save them in your Google Drive, hence, making them accessible via any other device, anywhere, anytime.

The new Gmail also let you navigate through multiple attachments right through your inbox and of-course read and even search for a particular phrase.

How to Save your Attachments to Google Drive

To save your attachments:

  • Hover on the attachment preview
  • Click on the Google Drive icon that appears when you hover on the attachment.
  • Choose or create a folder for your attachment and click done
image

If you wish to save the attachment directly to your device, simply click the arrow icon (See image above).

“This new attachment experience is available on desktop and will be rolling out over the next week. If you’re one of the more than 120 million active Drive users, you know that saving your files to Drive lets you get to them from any computer, phone or tablet. And if you aren’t taking advantage of Drive just yet, give it a try with your next Gmail attachment.” Scott added.

Say Hello to Google Helpouts

0
It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

It’s been a long time coming, we have always known that somewhere at the middle, Google is just going to introduce a freelancing site. And yes! Google, yesterday officially announced their latest product called “Helpouts” .

 

Helpout according to Emily Wood, is the new way people can get help from anywhere at anytime from real people at their own convenience.

He wrote on Google official blog: “Help might be a quick answer to a problem you’re having right now, like how to fix your garage door, or how to remove a computer virus; or it might be guidance completing a project, like building a deck. It might be learning a new skill, like how to speak conversational French or how to draw cartoons; or it might be general advice on how to improve your fitness or your writing (I could use this right now).”

Google Helpouts, is believed to be another freelancing site to find professionals with adequate qualifications to help you out with any problem you are having at the moment. “With Helpouts, you can choose who you get help from based on their qualifications, their availability, their price, their ratings and reviews. You can connect instantly or book in advance. You can get help from individuals or from brands you already know and trust, like Sephora, One Medical, Weight Watchers, Redbeacon (a Home Depot company), and Rosetta Stone. Once you’re in a Helpout, you can do more than just talk—you can share your computer screen, collaboratively edit a presentation, or record your Helpout. And if the experience doesn’t meet your expectations, we offer a full money back guarantee.” Emily Wood added.

You can watch the video above, to see how Google Helpouts works.

Ultimate Guide to Jailbreak iPad, iPhone and iPod with Sprint

0

Before we proceed to this topic proper, I will like to explain what jailbreaking your device means.Naturally, Apple’s rules for AppStore are way too limiting. Some apps are not allowed to be listed in the AppStore since they break one or more of Apple’s rules. These rules keep control of the device platform in Apple’s control. Some of these rules include: patching system files such as SpringBoard, allowing apps to run in the background, running apps out of the “sandbox”, and simply doing things Apple decided that they don’t want you to do often for reasons to their benefit, not yours (such as tethering).

Jailbreaking is not unlocking! It is risk free and totally legal. Everything that works before jailbreaking continues to work after. Jailbreaking only adds features. Jailbreaking is risk free and cannot void your warranty. You can simply restore in iTunes at anytime to get back to a factory state. You are not alone, many people are doing it.

If you ever consider jailbreaking your Apple’s iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch then Sprint should be your prominent choice. It offer the most easiest and quickest jailbreak  ever as Sprint takes the process to a whole new level compare to what other software like JailbreakMe has to offered. After you follow the step below to jailbreak your iDevice you will have the ability to install unapproved, third-party applications which are unavailable in the Apple’s iTunes App Store.

What You Need to Know about Spirit Before Jailbreak

Spirit is an untethered jailbreak for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch on firmware 3.1.2, 3.1.3, and 3.2.
Your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad must be activated.
Your device must not be stuck on the Connect to iTunes logo or emergency call screen.
It will work on any version of iTunes 9 (including 9.1.1).
Spirit will not unlock your iPhone.
If you are currently using a tethered jailbreak, you have to restore in order to use Spirit.
Do not upgrade if you unlocked your iPhone 3G or 3GS (if you have the SHSH blobs for 3.1.2, you can restore to it).
While Spirit is stable for all devices, your iPad may act a little funny due to packages that have not been updated for it yet.

Step by Step Jailbreak Instruction

  • Download the jailbreak application from Sprint.
  • Connect your iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch to your PC using USB cable.
  • Back up your iDevice to your iTunes library, and sync it. (make sure that your iTunes revision is at least version 9)
  • If you are using Windows 7, Right Click on Spirit.exe and Select Compatibility mode to “Windows 98/ME”.
  • Now double click the Spirit.exe and click on “Jailbreak”.
  • In a few seconds your iDevice will reboot and you will be presented with jailbroken “Cydia” icon on your springboard, See Screenshot below. From here, you have access to all the unapproved, third-party applications.

Congrats, you have just jailbroke your iPad / iPhone / iPod Touch using Spirit.

Error and Troubleshooting

Windows Vista or Windows 7 users may get the error code c0000005 while performing the action. To avoid this error, you have to run Spirit.exe in compatibility mode. Follow the step as below:

  1. Right click on Spirit.exe and select Properties
  2. Select the compatibility tab
  3. Check the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” box and select Windows 98 / Windows ME

Note: Spirit is not a “carrier unlock” which allows the iPhone to be used with carriers other than AT&T. It is a jailbreak only. Source: iPhone Download Blog

How LG Pimped Motorola in Building Nexus 5

0

Google’s Nexus phones have become irrelevant for all but the most ardent Android fanboys. Although the Nexus program was launched three years ago to show off the very best that Android has to offer, Google’s newly announced Nexus 5 doesn’t push the envelope as much as earlier Nexus phones.

Google is stuck between a rock and a hard place: Its hardware partners don’t want to innovate when building the company’s Nexus phones; they want to save all the cool stuff for their own brands. But Google can’t just use its Motorola division to build cutting-edge phones with exciting new features without burning bridges with Samsung, LG, Sony, and HTC. Those guys are already trying to build their own ecosystems and Google doesn’t want to push them even further over the edge.

More of the same

In terms of hardware alone, Nexus 5 doesn’t seem like a bad phone—its high-end specs ensure it will be relevant for at least a year. But it’s essentially identical to recent phones released by Samsung and LG. In some ways the Nexus 5 is an inferior product because LG, which built the handset for Google, released its own phone with all the same hardware but more software enhancements. Under the hood, the Nexus 5 is a stripped-down version of the LG G2, just like the Galaxy Nexus was a stripped-down version of the Samsung Galaxy S III.

Nexus 5 (left) and LG G2 (right)

The biggest draw of Nexus phones is that they get timely Android updates directly from Google, but the market has shown that most people don’t really care about that. Ever since Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, most of the updates to Android have been minor tweaks that don’t deliver much in the way of new, consumer-facing features. Instead, Google has slowly started spinning off key components of the OS to the Google Play Store as standalone apps. So, as long as you bought your Android phone in the last year or two, you’ll still have access to the latest version of Gmail, Maps, and Google Now.

Indeed, without any killer, exclusive features, you have very few reasons to buy a Nexus 5. Unless you’re a developer who needs constant access to the latest version of Android, or insist on buying an unlocked phone, the Nexus 5 is no better than any of the other high-end phones already released this year. In many ways it’s just another Android phone, and would fade into obscurity if it weren’t for the big, bold NEXUS on its back.

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the companies Google partners with to make Nexus phones are reserving all the coolest features and innovations for their own branded handsets. Of course Google owns Motorola, but has held back on using its acquisition to build its Nexus devices for fear of upsetting its hardware partners. But maybe it’s time to start playing favorites.

Time to use Motorola

Motorola and Google collaborated on the Moto X, one of the most innovative phones available. Note that it’s not a “Nexus,” even though the OS bloatware and customizations are minimal—it’s rocking nearly stock Android. The kicker? You can get it on pretty much any carrier and there’s a developer version available for people who want it. The Moto X deserves the title of Nexus more than the Nexus 5, as it introduced a lot of the Nexus 5’s ostensible innovations first. (Take, for instance, touchless controls.)

The Moto X is one of the most innovative phones ever released.

In releasing Nexus devices via its Motorola arm, Google could more directly shape the Android experience. It could dictate all aspects of the phone, creating cutting-edge new hardware features to go hand in hand with new Android software features. KitKat introduces a lot of under-the-hood improvements that allow it to run better on low-end hardware, but manufacturers will continue to cram as many processing cores as they possibly can into their phones in an effort to win an imaginary specs war, making the optimizations almost meaningless. So Google could build a phone showing that you don’t need a quad-core processor and 2GB or RAM to run simple apps without lag. And your battery wouldn’t be eaten up due to poorly written radio drivers.

It would essentially be the Apple approach to making smartphones, an approach that’s proven to work and often leads to a better device. And if Google decided to compete directly with Samsung and others via Motorola, it would push the other Android manufacturers to make better phones and set the bar for Android devices—just like the Nexus One was originally intended to do. Microsoft is trying a similar tactic by purchasing the devices division of Nokia, while Google lets its $12 billion Motorola purchase go to waste.

We’re never going to see a truly revolutionary Nexus phone again until Google decides to take a stand against the other Android smartphone manufacturers. The more the company attempts to placate Samsung, HTC, LG, and Sony, the more meaningless the term “Nexus” becomes. It’s time for Google to drive Android forward with a more holistic hardware-and-software approach, and make Nexus mean something again.Adapted from PC WORLD

Apple & Microsoft-Backed Rockstar Consortium Battles Google and Samsung Over 7 Nortel Patents

0

Well, at the moment, it does look like a ‘never ending’ war between this two parties. “The Rockstar consortium is an organization backed by Apple, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Ericsson and Sony. It purchased patents off of the defunct telecommunications company Nortel in 2011, in a bidding war with Google.

Now, the consortium has filed suit against Google, ASUSTek, HTC, Huawei, LG, Pantech and ZTE over those patents. The suit was filed in a U.S. District Court of Eastern Texas today.

“Google placed an initial bid of $900,000,000 for the patents-in-suit and the rest of the Nortel portfolio. Google subsequently increased its bid multiple times, ultimately bidding as high as $4.4 billion,” the filing states. “That price was insufficient to win the auction, as a group led by the current shareholders of Rockstar purchased the portfolio for $4.5 billion. Despite losing in its attempt to acquire the patents-in-suit at auction, Google has infringed and continues to infringe the patents-in-suit.”

Google famously bid some not-so-random numbers before the end, including ‘pi’. The suit also involves a licensee of the ‘Associative Search Engine’ 6,098,065 patent, NetStar, Inc.

The other patents are US 7,236,969, 7,469,245, 7,672,970, 7,895,178, 7,895,183 and 7,933,883. They’re mostly fairly dry stuff related to database searches, relevance in advertising presentation and data sorting, but exactly the kind of stuff that makes Google’s special sauce work. We can’t speak to the strength of the patents, but they certainly appear to be relevant.” said techcrunch on their website, “Google lost out in a heated bidding war against Rockstar and went on to acquire Motorola, a move that many attributed to a patent grab, but that was also about hardware in a lot of ways.

Notably, HTC has a cross-licensing agreement with Apple on some patents, but apparently not these. News of the suit was first reported by Reuters today.”

Google App Indexing Can Improve your Search Results -Tech Crunch

0
A report ot techcrunch has explained how Google’s Search Results Can Deep-Link To Your Android Apps. Read the details below:

 

“It should be clear by now that there’s much more at play in Android 4.4 KitKat than some early reports alluded to, and one of the more interesting (to me, anyway) tidbits managed to escape the early leak treatment.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Here’s how it works. Say you’re using the Google Search app to dig up some dirt on that Ender’s Game movie that doesn’t look very good. If you happen to have the IMDb app installed on your device while you search, you’ll be treated to an info card in that results stream that includes an “Open in app” button. Give it a quick tap and the IMDb app will spring to life and immediately direct you to its Ender’s Game listing.

Naturally, the feature isn’t just limited to showing off movie details — so far the full list of supporters includes Allthecooks, AllTrails, Beautylish, Etsy, Expedia, Flixster, Healthtap, IMDb, Moviefone, Newegg (yes!), OpenTable, and Trulia.

The way Google sees it, the move is all about providing these companies with a choice. If they think their mobile interfaces are enough to keep users engaged, they can simple go about their business. But if they already have an Android app (or are in the process of building one) that can do a better job of engaging with its users, a little extra work to implement those deep links may be well worth it.

It’s not hard to look at this as a move to bolster Android app development, either. There’s little doubting that Android is a global force — which may be only compounded by the fact that Android 4.4 KitKat may drive device sales in developing markets by bringing a more advanced feature set to cheap hardware — and in many cases the Google Search app is going along for the ride. That means that with any luck, huge swaths of the global Android community will be searching for stuff using the Google search app and seeing those deep-linked “Open in app” buttons when they’ve got the right apps installed. Tell me that’s not a compelling reason for a company to develop an Android app if they haven’t already.

Despite the buy-in from all those app partners, it’ll be some time before users like me will actually start getting those results in the wild. Google is testing the feature with those previously listed partners, but the updated cards that will display that information won’t actually roll out until some time in November.”

A report ot techcrunch has explained how Google’s Search Results Can Deep-Link To Your Android Apps. Read the details below:

 

“It should be clear by now that there’s much more at play in Android 4.4 KitKat than some early reports alluded to, and one of the more interesting (to me, anyway) tidbits managed to escape the early leak treatment.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Here’s how it works. Say you’re using the Google Search app to dig up some dirt on that Ender’s Game movie that doesn’t look very good. If you happen to have the IMDb app installed on your device while you search, you’ll be treated to an info card in that results stream that includes an “Open in app” button. Give it a quick tap and the IMDb app will spring to life and immediately direct you to its Ender’s Game listing.

Naturally, the feature isn’t just limited to showing off movie details — so far the full list of supporters includes Allthecooks, AllTrails, Beautylish, Etsy, Expedia, Flixster, Healthtap, IMDb, Moviefone, Newegg (yes!), OpenTable, and Trulia.

The way Google sees it, the move is all about providing these companies with a choice. If they think their mobile interfaces are enough to keep users engaged, they can simple go about their business. But if they already have an Android app (or are in the process of building one) that can do a better job of engaging with its users, a little extra work to implement those deep links may be well worth it.

It’s not hard to look at this as a move to bolster Android app development, either. There’s little doubting that Android is a global force — which may be only compounded by the fact that Android 4.4 KitKat may drive device sales in developing markets by bringing a more advanced feature set to cheap hardware — and in many cases the Google Search app is going along for the ride. That means that with any luck, huge swaths of the global Android community will be searching for stuff using the Google search app and seeing those deep-linked “Open in app” buttons when they’ve got the right apps installed. Tell me that’s not a compelling reason for a company to develop an Android app if they haven’t already.

Despite the buy-in from all those app partners, it’ll be some time before users like me will actually start getting those results in the wild. Google is testing the feature with those previously listed partners, but the updated cards that will display that information won’t actually roll out until some time in November.”

A report ot techcrunch has explained how Google’s Search Results Can Deep-Link To Your Android Apps. Read the details below:

 

“It should be clear by now that there’s much more at play in Android 4.4 KitKat than some early reports alluded to, and one of the more interesting (to me, anyway) tidbits managed to escape the early leak treatment.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Tucked away toward the tail-end of Google’s Nexus 5/KitKat presentation was a mention of a feature called App Indexing that should get companies (and the Android app developers that work for them) a little worked up. That’s because Google has developed a way to deep-link to the contents of an app from within a user’s Google search results with a feature it calls App Indexing.

Here’s how it works. Say you’re using the Google Search app to dig up some dirt on that Ender’s Game movie that doesn’t look very good. If you happen to have the IMDb app installed on your device while you search, you’ll be treated to an info card in that results stream that includes an “Open in app” button. Give it a quick tap and the IMDb app will spring to life and immediately direct you to its Ender’s Game listing.

Naturally, the feature isn’t just limited to showing off movie details — so far the full list of supporters includes Allthecooks, AllTrails, Beautylish, Etsy, Expedia, Flixster, Healthtap, IMDb, Moviefone, Newegg (yes!), OpenTable, and Trulia.

The way Google sees it, the move is all about providing these companies with a choice. If they think their mobile interfaces are enough to keep users engaged, they can simple go about their business. But if they already have an Android app (or are in the process of building one) that can do a better job of engaging with its users, a little extra work to implement those deep links may be well worth it.

It’s not hard to look at this as a move to bolster Android app development, either. There’s little doubting that Android is a global force — which may be only compounded by the fact that Android 4.4 KitKat may drive device sales in developing markets by bringing a more advanced feature set to cheap hardware — and in many cases the Google Search app is going along for the ride. That means that with any luck, huge swaths of the global Android community will be searching for stuff using the Google search app and seeing those deep-linked “Open in app” buttons when they’ve got the right apps installed. Tell me that’s not a compelling reason for a company to develop an Android app if they haven’t already.

Despite the buy-in from all those app partners, it’ll be some time before users like me will actually start getting those results in the wild. Google is testing the feature with those previously listed partners, but the updated cards that will display that information won’t actually roll out until some time in November.”

Review: Android 4.4 KitKat & Why it Matters

0

The speculation sourounding  Android 4.4 KitKat can finally be put to rest. While users and developers are allowed to have their  opinion, you need to base your criticism or appluas on a good ground and the contents below could prove an avenue for such ground.

Just incase you haven’t heard, Google has pulled the curtain on Android 4.4 KitKat on Thursday, announcing the new mobile OS will appear first on the forthcoming Nexus 5 handset, which goes on sale for $349.

While we weren’t expecting a hefty update, some of the features announced in KitKat—like the newly revamped interface and new messaging features in the Hangouts app—were on our wish list. Other features, like optimization updates to help KitKat run on low-end phones, simply remind us that Google is still battling all the issues that lead to device fragmentation.

Regardless, let’s walk through some of the key features of KitKat and what you can expect when you finally get your hands on the new OS (whenever that is, because as we know, Android updates can take a long time to roll out).

A better phone dialer

No more surprises: Google will provide info to let you know who is calling you.

You wouldn’t expect an overhaul of a dialer application to be a marquee feature, but Google has achieved the near impossible. When you’re in the dialer interface, now you can type just the first few letters of who or what you’re looking for—whether it’s a business or a friend—and the dialer will immediately bring it up. You won’t have to venture into Contacts for this essential information.   If this search functionality sounds familiar, that’s because some manufacturers already offer this feature in their own version of the Android dialer. Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, for example, helps you find the name of the person you want to call by letting you key in the first few letters of his or her name on the number pad. So perhaps the bigger news isn’t that Google overhauled its dialer applications, but that it’s looking to what third-parties are doing to give consumers what they want.   KitKat also provides a novel form of caller ID, fetching the location information of unknown numbers that call you to provide a better glimpse into who might be calling and where they’re located. This is an especially helpful addition when you consider the number of telemarketer calls that aren’t routed through an 800 number.

Fabulous interface makeover

That navigation bar will look translucent, which should prettify the slightly doldrum Android interface.

Stock Android doesn’t have to be plain and simple. As some developers posited in our Android retrospective, KitKat includes a slightly revamped interface design. You’ll see better use of screen real-estate in applications that utilize the new “immersive” full-screen abilities, like Google Music and Books. And the new navigation bar is now translucent, so your wallpaper won’t be cropped by a colored menu bar. KitKat also sports a new condensed font.   Unfortunately, these interface changes won’t necessarily be exposed on non Nexus devices—meaning pretty much the entire universe of Android hardware. You’ll still be held hostage to whatever interface the manufacturer wants you to look at if you’re not using the developer edition of a phone.   It’s unclear how these design changes could affect interfaces like HTC’s Sense or Samsung’s TouchWiz UI, but we’re not holding our breath for substantial KitKat additions to those UIs. Third-party manufacturers will likely continue to push interfaces that match their brand, and for companies like Samsung that means gaudy icons and blue everything.

Never carry cash again

As leaks suggested, Android 4.4. KitKat will enable Google Wallet right off the bat—without the need for your carrier’s approval. And because Android is actually storing your payment information within KitKat, you won’t have to rely on NFC security elements to make a transaction.   But that’s not all: Not only will you be able to manage your credit card information from within the Settings panel and more easily pay for items anywhere NFC and Wallet is supported, but you’ll also be able to send money to friends without annoying transaction fees.   Google enabled the payment settings from within the OS to help people on Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T take advantage of its Wallet offerings, as those three carriers have banded together to use Isis as the default NFC-payment platform. We won’t know more about how Wallet works in KitKat until we physically have an Android 4.4 device in our hands, but at first glance the update looks like a win.

Okay, Google Now

Launch Google Now any which way.

How you access Google Now varies from phone to phone. Do you hold down the home button? Do you swipe up from the bottom of the screen? Do you shake your phone vigorously while shouting at it? Hoping to simplify things a bit, Google has put Google Now front and center by adding it to the Home screen. Now, instead of entering in some variable command, you can just swipe from left to right to quickly access Google’s handy service.   The new OS also supports launching Google Now by saying, “Ok Google” while on the homescreen. It should be a helpful feature if your hands are tied up, or you would rather dictate than type. It’s kind of like the Touchless Controls on the Moto X, but with a few more hoops to jump through. Unfortunately the functionality is currently limited to the Nexus 5, so your current phone probably won’t get the feature. (But your next phone might!)

Also, Google Now can now access apps when it exposes information in its search results. Let’s say you’re looking for a particular restaraunt. Not only will you get the usual Google results, you could also get an invitation to book a reservation via, say, the OpenTable app. This function has to be supported on the app level, but suggests an exciting new expansion of Google’s digital assistant.   Indeed, by enabling easier access to Google Now, third-party manufacturers like Samsung won’t be able to hide it behind its own proprietary services. (Ever try to get to Google Now on a Galaxy S 4, only to be defaulted to S-Voice?) Google just wants you to stick with it for all of your queries.

Hangouts

You can chat with your friends through SMS in the Hangouts app.

Finally! A few days ago, Google updated its Hangouts app to let you send both SMS, MMS, and chat messages from one application. It’s the right idea, but Google is merely playing catch-up, since Apple released the all-encompassing Messages application in iOS 6 over a year ago. Google wrote in its official blog post that its intention for combining all the communication functionality into one was for added convenience.

Faster Android for aging phones

Okay, so maybe your hardware isn’t exactly top tier compared to the ones running quad-core Snapdragon processors and massive amounts of memory. Google understands your plight and has introduced a new way for manufacturers to take advantage of all the latest Android features without the typical slow downs that plague most aging hardware.   It’s called Project Svelte and it’s designed to make KitKat run smoothly and efficiently even on low-end devices with as little as 512MB of RAM. As a result, Kit Kat uses 16 percent less memory than its predecessor, Jelly Bean, and there are additional features that allow developer to disable any features that use up more memory than needed.   This may help developers make apps for low-end devices, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all old hardware will be able to run KitKat. Not even the Galaxy Nexus will be eligible for an update, and that device is barely a year and a half old. However, the under-the-hood improvements should help the current generation of devices handle applications a bit better, like the now-aging Nexus 7 and Nexus 4. This means an overall smoother Android experience if you’re running those devices.

Under-the-hood enhancements

You may not reap the benefits of some of the other features just yet, but that’s because they’re intended for developers to embed into applications.

There’s some weird irony in the phrase “Stay fit with KitKat.”

If you walk to work everyday, you might appreciate that Google introduced a nifty new low-power step detector that enables you to track the number of steps you walk in a day without having to leave the screen on. Developers can also take advantage of system-wide captioning abilities that can display closed captions for various content, which is a nice enhancement for the hearing impaired—and when you want to watch a video but don’t headphones nearby.   As for that printer collecting dust in the corner, if it’s Google Print-compatible you can now send documents directly to it with the built-in cloud print functionality. Android apps can print anything over Wi-Fi or from cloud-hosted services. You can also discover any available printers, change paper sizes, and choose specific pages to print.   Article Credit: PC World

Native MySQL Connection Using Google Cloud SQL

0
The article published about hosting your files on google drive prompted a mix reaction between webmasters and app developers, a few of the readers hinted at the lack of MySQL support in Google cloud server.

A report on tech crunch has confirmed that Google Cloud SQL now supports native MySQL connections, a move that is intended to make it easier to integrate third-party applications. With the support, native MySQL apps can be plugged into Cloud SQL, allowing the customer to leave system administration and management for Google.

Through MySQL Wire Protocol, the standard connection protocol for MySQL databases, Google maintains that CloudSQL allows for low latency connections for applications running on Google Compute Engine and Google App Engine. Customers can use popular tools such as MySQL Workbench, Toad and the MySQL command-line tool to manage Cloud SQL instances. It also supports standard drivers, such as Connector/J, Connector/ODBC, and Connector/NET.

The native connectivity also means that data can be replicated with control over managing and deploying cloud databases. For example, Google notes in its post that data can be replicated between Cloud SQL and on-premise databases — including Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2.

The support demonstrates how connectors like MySQL Wire Protocol will help create transparency between cloud services and any on-premise application. It’s a service that should attract those looking for the level of managed services that Google provides.

Google is starting to offer features that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has had for a few years. While Google launched the core of its CloudSQL service in June, AWS launched its MySQL service in 2009 and in 2012 began offering support for Oracle Database.

Then there is the pricing. According to the InfoQ blog, AWS RDS is “cheaper than corresponding Google Cloud SQL pay-per-hour options, but one needs to consider other costs such as data storage and transfer fees, etc.”

The article published about hosting your files on google drive prompted a mix reaction between webmasters and app developers, a few of the readers hinted at the lack of MySQL support in Google cloud server.

A report on tech crunch has confirmed that Google Cloud SQL now supports native MySQL connections, a move that is intended to make it easier to integrate third-party applications. With the support, native MySQL apps can be plugged into Cloud SQL, allowing the customer to leave system administration and management for Google.

Through MySQL Wire Protocol, the standard connection protocol for MySQL databases, Google maintains that CloudSQL allows for low latency connections for applications running on Google Compute Engine and Google App Engine. Customers can use popular tools such as MySQL Workbench, Toad and the MySQL command-line tool to manage Cloud SQL instances. It also supports standard drivers, such as Connector/J, Connector/ODBC, and Connector/NET.

The native connectivity also means that data can be replicated with control over managing and deploying cloud databases. For example, Google notes in its post that data can be replicated between Cloud SQL and on-premise databases — including Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2.

The support demonstrates how connectors like MySQL Wire Protocol will help create transparency between cloud services and any on-premise application. It’s a service that should attract those looking for the level of managed services that Google provides.

Google is starting to offer features that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has had for a few years. While Google launched the core of its CloudSQL service in June, AWS launched its MySQL service in 2009 and in 2012 began offering support for Oracle Database.

Then there is the pricing. According to the InfoQ blog, AWS RDS is “cheaper than corresponding Google Cloud SQL pay-per-hour options, but one needs to consider other costs such as data storage and transfer fees, etc.”

The article published about hosting your files on google drive prompted a mix reaction between webmasters and app developers, a few of the readers hinted at the lack of MySQL support in Google cloud server.

 

A report on tech crunch has confirmed that Google Cloud SQL now supports native MySQL connections, a move that is intended to make it easier to integrate third-party applications. With the support, native MySQL apps can be plugged into Cloud SQL, allowing the customer to leave system administration and management for Google.

Through MySQL Wire Protocol, the standard connection protocol for MySQL databases, Google maintains that CloudSQL allows for low latency connections for applications running on Google Compute Engine and Google App Engine. Customers can use popular tools such as MySQL Workbench, Toad and the MySQL command-line tool to manage Cloud SQL instances. It also supports standard drivers, such as Connector/J, Connector/ODBC, and Connector/NET.

The native connectivity also means that data can be replicated with control over managing and deploying cloud databases. For example, Google notes in its post that data can be replicated between Cloud SQL and on-premise databases — including Oracle, SQL Server, and DB2.

The support demonstrates how connectors like MySQL Wire Protocol will help create transparency between cloud services and any on-premise application. It’s a service that should attract those looking for the level of managed services that Google provides.

Google is starting to offer features that Amazon Web Services (AWS) has had for a few years. While Google launched the core of its CloudSQL service in June, AWS launched its MySQL service in 2009 and in 2012 began offering support for Oracle Database.

Then there is the pricing. According to the InfoQ blog, AWS RDS is “cheaper than corresponding Google Cloud SQL pay-per-hour options, but one needs to consider other costs such as data storage and transfer fees, etc.”

Sponsored