Cover, the smartest lockscreen app on Android

Cover, a brilliant lockscreen app that offers users the right app, at the right time. The app learns user's behavior patterns and understands whether he or she is driving, at the office or at home, and automatically loads shortcuts to the most suitable apps on a device's lockscreen so that they are at the user's fingertips. So for example, at work, the calendar, LinkedIn and Email could be in the screen, while in the car, Google Maps is front and center. At home, it could be the sports results, Facebook and Twitter. Cover can even adjusts the phone's settings according to the context like, it turns off the ringer while at work or disable the ability to make and receive calls altogether while driving.

Since its initial announcement in October last year, the app is still in beta form. According to the company, Cover has undergone over 100 minor improvements and alterations including the addition of tutorials and greater customization. Another data shows that, an average smartphone owner has 41 apps installed on their handset, and that doesn't include the third party apps that are pre-installed by manufacturers and network operators. And as the number of apps continues to grow, trying to find the right one, in a hurry, will getting more and more difficult, especially for owners having devices with smaller, 4-5 inch screens as it is too difficult to swipe between 6-7 screens and finding the app. Cover will perform the job like an Assistant, silently. If you are an above average android user, Cover is a must-have.

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Xiaomi MiPad launched, Powerpacked with a 5core processor

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has once again amazed the world with the launch of their new tablet, the Xiaomi MiPad. The 7.9 inch tablet is powerpacked with a 2.2 Ghz Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and 2gb of RAM along with a 2048x1536, 324ppi high definition retina display, 8mp Sony camera (rear) and a 5mp front camera and a superb 6700mah LG battery powering the tab. Available in 16GB and 64GB variants, its memory can be  expanded with external SD card upto 128GB. It also houses a set of stereo speakers at the back. In short, with MiTab, Xiaomi is offering Apple iPad like features at the price of a normal Android phablet. Priced at around 14000, No details regarding its launch in global market is revealed.

Pros -

1. High Definition display with 324ppi
2. High resolution camera (manufactured by Sony)
3. Tegra K1 processor (5 core)
4. 2 GegaBytes of RAM
5. Budget friendly

Cons -

1. Lack of autofocus
2. No flash

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Increase your battery backup without using any battery-saver apps in Android

Google’s Android is the largest installed mobile OS in the world. Its devices also sell more than Windows, iOS and Mac OS combined. Its a low-cost and customizable OS which makes it preferable among manufacturers. It is an Open Source platform based on Kernel Linux and is used by many major mobile/tablet manufacturers including Samsung, HTC, LG, Sony and Microsoft Mobile(Nokia) recently. Android phones range from budget phones like Samsung Galaxy Star, Micromax Bolt Series, Motorola E, Nokia X etc to high end smart phones like Galaxy S5, Xperia Z2, HTC M8 and so on.

Android smartphones are equipped with high quality graphical display, 3G/4G connectivity, Wireless Fidelity, a good amount of RAM, Multitasking capability and many other features that requires a lot of battery backup, thus draining the battery soon. This is the main drawback of Android. There are hundreds of battery saver apps available in Google Play Store for reducing the battery usage in your phone. These apps can help you save your battery to a great extent, but still it depends on the usage of the phone.

Here are some important  measures you must follow apart from using battery saver apps. These tips are provided by CheetahMobile, the developers of the popular Clean Master app.

TIPS FOR REDUCING THE BATTERY USAGE IN YOUR ANDROID -

1. Disable automatic time zones/time and the clock manually otherwise your device will  l constantly be requesting location/time data and its almost entirely unnecessary.

2. Reduce the push frequency of email/weather/social media.

3. Disable Wi-Fi/Data while playing offline games which present ads, for many apps they will be unable to push you ads during gameplay without a connection.

4. Try to charge the battery before it falls below 20 per cent, it's not good to run them completely dry.

5. Use the official chargers for your devices, an aftermarket charger may not charge at the correct voltage or have other deficiencies.

6. Charging via a power outlet is often times much more effective than charging via USB.

7. When you are done with an app try to actually shut it down instead of pushing it to run in the background.

8. Try to avoid playing graphically intense games while charging.

9. Switch off or use flight mode in places where the network is weak.  

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Free Recharge for Line Users in India

Social Messenger app LINE is launching Free Talk Time promotion once again to recreate the frenzy from the first edition. Starting from June 1,users can earn points every day by sending messages or stickers on LINE and gain up to 111 INR worth of free talktime on their mobile phone. The promotion would run for the whole month and this time the offer is bigger and better.
LINE is one of the most used messenger, available for almost all major operating systems. The offer is available for all prepaid and post-paid users of iOS and Android platform, with no restrictions from telecom service providers. LINE aims to free everyone from the burden of spending more to talk more. This offer is all about talking more for free. To redeem the Free Talk Time through LINE, the user need to send at least one message or sticker to a LINE friend every day and receive free talktime points. Each day is a milestone and with each milestone the Free Talk Time increases. In just 25 days, users can earn as much as Rs.111.

"The first leg of Free Talk Time exceeded our expectations. LINE users were blown away by our offer and we saw a huge number of users redeeming the offer every day. With every campaign we are getting a considerable number of active users on board and this testifies that our research is paying off. Our mobile messaging business is growing in India and we would continue to offer our users innovative options to experience the LINE app and extend usage beyond simple chat." said Daman Soni, head of LINE India in a press conference.

LINE also provides a chance to get exclusive deals by creating a dynamic market place through its platform. Along with messages on the go, the users have an option to shop from their favourite brands on a special price exclusively on LINE. Recently LINE has also released localized character stickers designed and created by famous Indian artistes and illustrators. The sprawling offering has made LINE a truly engaging and huge success in India. Till date, LINE has reached more than 440 million users worldwide, and more than 18 million users in India, competing firmly with Whatsapp, Wechat, and other giants.

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How to Create your own Wi-Fi hotspot and share your Internet over other Wi-Fi enabled Devices

Having a WiFi connection at home is cool. But having a WiFi connection without paying for an external WiFi modem sounds even more cool. As u know a WiFi connection enables you to access internet wirelessly on your WiFi enabled mobiles, tablets, laptops etc. Now most people have access to internet in their PCs(broadband or a dial-up connection) and smartphones.  Many pay for their internet separately for each devices. As a way to reduce your expense on internet, the data you access on your PC can also be shared to your smartphones, at no cost. The below mentioned applications will help you to do so.

Requirements-

*A WiFi enabled PC/Laptop with a decent internet connection.

*A smartphone/PDA that has WiFi.
*Any one of the below mentioned software.

Virtual WiFi router

Virtual WiFi router turns any WiFi-capable PC into a WiFi  router that shares the internet connection to other devices wirelessly. It has a simple and friendly user interface which makes it easy to use. The application can be minimized into the tray. It runs on almost all Windows platform.
Download (Official)

Thinix

Thinix works by creating a virtual hotspot using wireless adapter in your windows pc. It allows you to pay for one internet connection and share that for all your devices which has a WiFi. It has a built-in WPA2 encryption, pin code protection and auto key generation. Compaitable with win7,8. The shared WiFi is secure and temporary if u use the PIN code protection and auto-key generation feature.
Download (Official)

[Control Windows Media Player without touching your Computer]

Connectify

Connectify transforms your laptop into a real WiFi hotspot, sharing any available internet connection to others. It is the best and most used one. It can also act as a repeater for your home router because it re-broadcasts the home WiFi. It displays all connected nodes so you can view all connected devices to your connectify hotspot. It has a free and paid version for download. In free version you have no option to change the SSID(default ID is ‘Connectify Hotpot’).
Download (Official)

mHotspot

mHotspot is a completely free software for which performs the same as others. You can connect upto 10 devices at the same time and set your desired name as SSID. The application size is just 400kb  and has an in-app internet selection. mHotspot is available for both Windows and Android.
Download (Official)

Connec8

Connec8 can’t compete with the friendly GUI of others because It follows a command line interface. But comparatively it’s the best. It has all the features I said above and moreover its totally free. If you are okay with its interface, I personally recommend, simply go for it.
Download (Official)

[Lock your PC with just a Pendrive]

All the above ones does the same job. For serious use I recommend Connectify. In my case I use Connec8. Apart from the bad user interface, it satisfied all my needs.

Comparison

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10 Free Apps for Photo Editing on the Move

Editing photos is like applying finishing touches to a painting. Photographs often don't look as good as they could unless you apply that finishing touch. Since most people use their smartphones to take pictures, we have shortlisted the best photo editing apps that you can use on-the-go to take your photography to the next level.

1. VSCO Cam (iPhone, Android)

VSCO (pronounced visco) Cam started out as a paid app but went free last year. It is one of the best photo editing apps on iOS and Android if you want advanced controls. VSCO Cam has a great collection of filters, which are better than those on Instagram. While some filters are free, you'll have to pay for many others. Don't let this dissuade you from trying the app, as the free filters are good enough for most people.
VSCO Cam's editing tools include brightness, contrast, saturation, tint, crop, rotate, sharpness, highlights, shadows, among a few others. As evident, it has enough tools for professional photo editing.
However, beginners will take some time to figure out how to use VSCO Cam because the app relies on icons and code numbers instead of words. For instance, filters have names like B1, X1, etc., which may be hard to remember initially. All editing tools are icons (sharpness is a triangle, saturation is a rectangle with a gradient, etc.) and it may take you a little while to go through all the tools and find what you need.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android

2. Snapseed (iPhone, iPad, Android)

VSCO Cam has almost everything you'll need, but it isn't yet available on tablets. If you want a great photo editing app for the iPad, Snapseed is a good choice. Snapseed's interface is intuitive. Once you add photos to the app, select manual tuning and swipe upwards or downwards on the picture. This shows you different variables such as contrast, saturation, etc. Select any one and simply swipe towards the right to increase its value or in the opposite direction to reduce it.
This app is walking the tightrope between ease of use and advanced functionality. So far, Snapseed has got the balance just right. For power users, Snapseed has the selective adjust feature. This lets you change contrast, etc. on any part of the photo, without editing the whole picture. Snapseed's filters range from great (Grunge, Retrolux, Vintage) to average (Drama, Black & White). VSCO Cam has a better variety of tools, but Snapseed makes it easier to access all of its tools.
Snapseed is available for iOS and Android.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android

3. Adobe Lightroom (iPad)

Lightroom and Photoshop are the reasons behind Adobe's iron grip on the desktop photo editing market. Lightroom for iPad isn't good as a standalone photo editing app, but it shines when used in conjunction with Lightroom for Windows or Mac. This means that you will need an Adobe subscription (around Rs 2,000 per month) to make the most of this iPad app.

If you are a subscriber or don't mind getting a subscription, Lightroom for iPad lets you synchronise edits between your desktop and iPad. The problem is that Lightroom for iPad lacks the advanced editing tools that are cherished by those who use the desktop app. If you want to make a quick edit, or apply a preset effect, Lightroom for iPad saves you the trouble of returning to your desktop. Lightroom is one of the few apps that support RAW files, which might appeal to those who use DSLR cameras. For those who want advanced editing options, Adobe's Photoshop Touch is a better (paid) alternative on the iPad.

Click here to download for iPad


4. Instagram (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone)

Apart from being one of the world's most popular photo communities, Instagram is a fast, hassle-free photo editing app. Its filters are adequate for most people, but not for power users. If you are into black-and-white photography, you might want to try other apps because Instagram's filters aren't the best.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone


5. Pixlr Express (Android, iOS)

Autodesk's photo-editing app Pixlr Express is quite useful when you want to remove unwanted spots or marks from photos. Whether it is dust on your camera's lens or flash burning out a small portion of the image, Pixlr Express is a good app for image correction. Available for both Android and iOS, Pixlr Express has easy to use tools, which help you touch-up images quickly. It has enough tools for power users too, coupled with Photoshop-like effects such as pencil, poster, sketch and halftone, among others.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android


6. Flickr (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone)

Like Instagram, Flickr has a great community of photographers. Unlike Instagram, however, Flickr has advanced editing tools, which is better for enthusiasts. Another advantage is that Flickr doesn't restrict you to square photos. Its built-in filters are fairly good too. The only major negative is that Flickr's Windows Phone app isn't as good as iOS and Android variants.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone


7. Photo Editor by Aviary (Android, iOS, Windows Phone)

If you are a Windows Phone user, Photo Editor by Aviary is one of the best apps for tweaking pictures. Although the app still works well, you should know that its developers stopped updating the Windows Phone version last year. This app - under active development for iPhone and Android - also makes it easy to add text, drawings and stickers to your photos. Apart from these, it has all basic editing tools such as filters, effects, crop, rotate, etc. It doesn't have much in the way of advanced options, but that shouldn't be a problem for casual users.

Click here to download for iOS
Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for Windows Phone

8. Repix (Android, iOS)

If you like pretty apps, then both Repix, and the next app in the list, will appeal to you. Apart from great design, Repix has some cool filters, basic editing tools (brightness, saturation, etc) and even effects such as flares and posterize. If you want more filters or effects, you can purchase those through the app.

Website


9. Litely (Android, iOS)

Litely is similar to Repix, but it has fewer features and is easier to use. You can easily apply preset effects to any photo. A two-finger swipe shows you a before and after view of the picture. This makes it easy to see how an edit has changed the picture.

Website


10. Photo Studio (BlackBerry 10, Android)

BlackBerry users don't have access to many great photo editing apps. However, Photo Studio is a fairly good option for those using BlackBerry 10. It is a simple image editor that lets you take pictures and apply effects and frames to those. Although its collection of filters is better than those on Instagram, the app lacks advanced editing tools, apart from one that lets you correct RGB levels. This means that those who want fine control over their images will be disappointed. Photo Studio also lets you make collages and apply sketch effects to your photographs.

We hope that these apps helped you make your photographs look professional. In case we missed any of your favourite editing apps or if you liked our choice of apps, please leave a comment to let us know.

Click here to download for Android
Click here to download for BlackBerry

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How to Root & install Google PLAY Store in Nokia X Android Phone

Android is android and for all those who wanted to install the Google Apps Package and root the all new Nokia X Android Smartphone can now do the same. While Nokia unveiled 3 new android Smartphones which were Nokia X, Nokia X+ and Nokia XL in the recent Mobile World Congress event. The rooting has been achieved for Nokia X android device which will allow users to side load the Google PLAY Store and also other android apps like Google Now launchers etc. So after checking out the detailed list of quick pre requisites, you can now proceed on to check on what are the instructions with which you can apply the update.

Quick Pre Requisites:

·         Don’t use any PC tools for backing all the data present in your Nokia X Android Smartphone.

SMS – Currently there is no automated way to backup SMS
Contacts – Sync with the Outlook application,
Images, Songs, Videos, Files – Copy to internal / External SD Card,
APN and MMS Settings – Note down from the path “Applications > Settings > Wireless and Network > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names”

·         Enable the USB Debugging Mode in your computer from the path “Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging”. Also, the minimum battery life should be a minimum of 40% or else there is a risk of device getting Turned Off in the middle of firmware update.

·         For applying this custom ROM firmware, you need to make sure that your Note 3 is rooted. To check whether your Galaxy Note 3 Android phone is rooted or not, you will have to check the same from Root Checker app.

Procedure to Root Nokia X Android Phone:-

• Download the Rooting APK, Google Apps APKs in your computer and place the same in your Nokia X Android phone. After downloading the zip package, all you need to do is to unzip to get the APKs.

• Connect your device to the computer with the help of original USB cable and place the APKs in your device.

• With the help of file manager app, head over to the placed APK and tap on the same to follow on screen instructions and root your Nokia X android Smartphone.

• Up next, head over to the Google Apps APKs which you have placed in the device to /system/app and change permissions for this files in the device.
• Up next, you need to install the Google Apps Package which you have earlier placed in the device.
• Now, all you need to do is to just open the Google Play Store app in your Nokia X android phone after which it will ask you to add your Google Account.

Download Rooting APK here

Download Google Apps APKs here

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