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Thursday, May 30, 2013

TechSource: How to Get the Most Out of Your Android Earphones

TechSource: How to Get the Most Out of Your Android Earphones

How to Get the Most Out of Your Android Earphones

Posted: 30 May 2013 04:04 AM PDT

These days almost all Android smartphones come with earphones that let you listen to music and answer calls as well. These headsets usually come with minimal features that are only useful to picking up the calls, pausing the music, and ending a call. However, since the world of Android isn't limited in any way, your headset can also be tweaked to make sure that you can do as many things as possible without touching your phone.

The following article guides you through ways in which you can make the most out of your Android earphones, be it wired or wireless:


Maximize the Functionality of any Earphone Using Headset Button Controller

Headset Button Controller is an app that I personally use on my smartphone to make sure that my headset (wired) can play, pause, fast forward, and rewind songs without me having to take my phone out of my pocket. What I love about this app is that it lets you assign different clicks to different functions. So, one click is play/pause, two clicks fast forward and so on. You can also set a long press in such a way that it opens an app. On my phone I've set it to open Google Now so that I can do quick voice searches while on the train or bus. Another important feature in this app is the ability to set different profiles for different players. So, if you have an Audiobook player on your phone, you can configure a different set of actions for each button press. Similarly, you can create your own personal profiles for each player. Overall, this is a must-have application if you want to make the most out of your smartphone's earphones.



Use a Philips Headset for Your Android Smartphone

Though Phillips doesn't make Android phones, they are known for their excellent-quality earphones. However, even though these headsets might be suited for an MP3 player, they don't work as well for functions like taking calls, changing volume, and changing tracks, in other words, functions that let you control your Android phone. Thankfully, though, you can use your headset as if it's a native headset by installing the following app.


Philips Headset is an app that optimizes your phone's sound depending on its model number. So, for example, you're using the Philips SHE7005 headset. The app will automatically change the sound profile so as to optimize itself to match with the headset. Moreover, the app also lets you control your music, calls, and other compatible functions using the buttons on your headset.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:02 PM 0 comments

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 05/30/2013

HowtoForge Newsletter 05/30/2013
================================

*** Version 1.4 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5; Date: 02/22/2013).

Version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5 (Date: 02/22/2013)
Author: Falko Timme
373 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


*********************************************
*********************************************


ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


*********************************************
********************************************


*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* How To Use Multiple PHP Versions (PHP-FPM & FastCGI) With ISPConfig 3 (Ubuntu 13.04)
* Installing Apache2 With PHP5 And MySQL Support On Debian Wheezy
* Secure ISPConfig 3 And Services With GoDaddy Signed Certificate On CentOS
* nginx: How To Set A Connection Limit For Search Engine Bots Gone Wild (Especially Bingbot)
* Setting Up A Subversion Repository On Linux

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How To Use Multiple PHP Versions (PHP-FPM & FastCGI) With ISPConfig 3 (Ubuntu 13.04)
====================================================================================

Since ISPConfig 3.0.5, it is possible to use multiple PHP versions on one server and select the optimal PHP version for a website. This feature works with PHP-FPM (starting with PHP 5.3) and FastCGI (all PHP 5.x versions). This tutorial shows how to build PHP 5.3 and PHP 5.4 as a PHP-FPM and a FastCGI version on an Ubuntu 13.04 server. These PHP versions can be used together with the default PHP (installed through apt) in ISPConfig.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-use-multiple-php-versions-php-fpm-and-fastcgi-with-ispconfig-3-ubuntu-13.04




Installing Apache2 With PHP5 And MySQL Support On Debian Wheezy
===============================================================

LAMP is short for Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP. This tutorial shows how you can install an Apache2 webserver on a Debian Wheezy server with PHP5 support (mod_php) and MySQL support.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/installing-apache2-with-php5-and-mysql-support-on-debian-wheezy




Secure ISPConfig 3 And Services With GoDaddy Signed Certificate On CentOS
=========================================================================

Let's set up a signed certificate from GoDaddy for the ISPConfig control panel, Pure-FTPD, Postfix, Dovecot, phpMyAdmin, and Squirrelmail. Don't forget to replace pluto.example.com with your own FQDN throughout this entire section!

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/secure-ispconfig-3-and-services-with-godaddy-signed-certificate-on-centos




nginx: How To Set A Connection Limit For Search Engine Bots Gone Wild (Especially Bingbot)
==========================================================================================

As a server administrator you might know this problem: you have done everything to optimize your server and it's working really well, and along comes a stupid search engine bot (like Bingbot) and hits all your vhosts at the same time with hundreds of connections, making your server load go up. Of course, you don't want to completely block the bot (unless you don't care about that particular search engine), so you can use robots.txt and/or nginx to control connections of a search engine bot to your server.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/nginx-how-to-set-a-connection-limit-for-search-engine-bots-gone-wild-especially-bingbot




Setting Up A Subversion Repository On Linux
===========================================

In this tutorial I'll explain how to setup a subversion repository for PHP Javascript development. The SVN repository will be used by multiple users using an SSH key to logon to the server. All users will use the svn system user but we'll use the SSH key to identify the user. A pre-commit hook will be used to validate the PHP and Javascript to comply with coding rules.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/setting-up-a-subversion-repository-on-linux


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
=======================

*** New! We now accept RBS WorldPay payments in addition to PayPal. ***

For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Get priority support in the ISPConfig 3 Priority Support forum (http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=35).
3. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
4. Download the results of our tutorials as VMware images (where available) (a list of downloadable VMware images is available here: http://www.howtoforge.com/list-of-downloadable-vmware-images).
5. Download our tutorials as PDF files.
6. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
7. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
8. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

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Best Regards,

Your HowtoForge Team
Email: info@howtoforge.com
URL: http://www.howtoforge.com

To unsubscribe or update your records, click here: http://newsletter.howtoforge.com/howtoforge/user/update.php?email=matrixunix.ubuntu@blogger.com&code=d8531959c7da2982ec3a7f8f82a13961

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Posted by z0ltrix at 1:22 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

TechSource: Best Android Word Games That Will Help Boost Your Vocabulary

TechSource: Best Android Word Games That Will Help Boost Your Vocabulary

Best Android Word Games That Will Help Boost Your Vocabulary

Posted: 27 May 2013 08:14 PM PDT

These days, reading books doesn't seem to be the only way to ameliorate your vocabulary. You can also play a lot of word games that will not only make you learn new words but also help you have fun while doing it. 

On Android too, there are plenty of word games you can play that will help you improve your vocabulary. Following is a list of the best games in that category:



 Words With Friends

 Words with Friends is a crossword-like game that has a social element to it. Rated as one of the best mobile word games, this Zynga title brings the familiar crossword puzzles to your smartphones. The game involves players taking turns trying to form words and garner the maximum points at the same time. Once started, you are matched up with a player on the Internet. You can then play and chat with that player at the same time. Sometimes, however, the opposite player doesn't have enough time to continue the game. In that case, you can start a new game with another player and keep having fun. In all, you can start up to 20 such games. One of the best things about this game is that you don't have to be in front of your phone 24x7 in order to play the game. Whenever it's your turn, the app notifies you using your phone's notifications. 

DOWNLOAD HERE
  

Scrabble

 Scrabble, as the name suggests, is the familiar word-based board game ported to your smartphone. It lets you play the game in English, French, Italian, Spanish, and even German. Once installed, Scrabble lets you connect with your friends on Facebook and play with them head-to-head. Also, while playing, you can chat with them using the inbuilt chat client that is replete with emoticons and chat icons. The application also includes a Scrabble Teacher, which helps you improve your scores by giving you useful tips.



Hanging With Friends

 If the aforementioned Words with Friends seems a bit monotonous to you, then this next app will help spice things up. Hanging with Friends by Zynga is a free game that lets you play the classic game of hangman along with some great features. Once installed, Hanging with Friends presents you with cute characters that are stuck in a dangerous situation. Your job is to save them out of that situation by simply using the power of your vocabulary. Much like Words with Friends, this game is also based on turns. Once you start a game, you can chat with your opponent. And, if you feel that you need to practice your skills more, you can start up to 20 more games at once.



Angry Words

 Loaded with a nicely designed interface, Angry Words is an asynchronous, cross-platform multiplayer game. You can play either with your friends or choose to battle against a random opponent on the Internet. Unlike other apps on the list, Angry Words doesn't have any limits on the number of simultaneous games you can start.



Wordfeud

 With over 20 million users, Wordfeud is also one of the top word games the Play Store has to offer. Loaded with some interesting features, this game is a tile-based puzzle game that tests your vocabulary against players from around the world. The game consists of a 15 by 15 tile board on which you can score points by creatively placing the tiles from your rack. You can earn bonus points for completing a word on a tile that was marked as Double Letter, Double Word, Triple Letter, or Triple Word. Also, you can play against your friends by searching for them right through the application. And, if you get tired of a single game, you can launch up to 30 games at once.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:03 PM 0 comments

Friday, May 24, 2013

TechSource: How to Install Missing Quantal Features in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

TechSource: How to Install Missing Quantal Features in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

How to Install Missing Quantal Features in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

Posted: 23 May 2013 11:01 PM PDT

Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) didn't get as good a response as the previous Ubuntu release (Ubuntu 12.10 'Quantal Quetzal') did. One of the main reasons for this was that Ubuntu 13.04 came with features that weren't as exciting as its previous iterations. However, that doesn't mean that Raring wasn't worth upgrading. In fact, if you are a Quantal user, switching to Raring is highly recommended as the release packs in many improvements to the Unity interface, and yes, a whole new set of wallpapers as well.

Apart from changes to the Unity interface, Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) also brings along new applications and also some changes to old ones. Though the novelty of the bleeding edge is enough to seduce any user, some changes with the interface and applications may not please a long time Ubuntu lover. Thankfully, though, with some quick commands, you can get back your old features thus giving you no excuse not to upgrade to Ubuntu 12.10 'Quantal Quetzal'.


Get Back GKSU in Ubuntu 13.04

Not all of us love opening the terminal to enter a command. Many users use the good old Alt + F2 combo to execute commands. Moreover, it was also an easy way to install apps or execute system commands, which otherwise required opening the terminal. All you had to do to execute a system-level command was to prefix "gksu" before a command and then execute it. With Ubuntu 13.04, however, "gksu" was removed from the release, thus making it difficult to execute root-level commands without opening the terminal.

In Ubuntu 13.04, you can get back gksu by simply typing in one command. To do that, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type in/paste the following text:

sudo apt-get install gksu

Once you're done, you'll be able to use gksu to execute any command.


Get the Missing Social Element

In Ubuntu 13.04, you won't find your beloved social app Gwibber anymore. Since during the release, the app was being rewritten from scratch, it wasn't included in Raring. However, that doesn't mean that you have to use the web browser to tweet how awesome TechSource is. Instead, you can use the newly redesigned Gwibber to connect with your friends. The app, since it's rewritten, is now called Friends and you can install it by typing in the following command:

sudo apt-get install friends-app


Get Back the Old Nautilus

Raring also included the latest version of Nautilus, that is version 3.6. It included some useful features like monochrome icons, new path bar, dynamic navigation buttons, and search-as-you-type functionality. However, as exciting as those features might seem, Nautilus also cut down on some features that many long time Linux users used to swear by. Thankfully, though, you can get back the old Nautilus by simply installing a patched version of the file explorer.

Now, as easy as the below mentioned commands might seem, it is important to note that the patch is not stable and might even break your system. So, proceed carefully and use this patch only if you absolutely need the old Nautilus on your system.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/experiments
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
killall nautilus


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:02 PM 0 comments

Thursday, May 23, 2013

[HowtoForge] Newsletter 05/23/2013

HowtoForge Newsletter 05/23/2013
================================

*** Version 1.4 of the ISPConfig 3 Manual ***
=============================================

The next update of the ISPConfig 3 Manual is available in PDF format (version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5; Date: 02/22/2013).

Version 1.4 for ISPConfig >= 3.0.5 (Date: 02/22/2013)
Author: Falko Timme
373 pages

The manual can be downloaded from these two links:

http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-3-manual/
http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual


*********************************************
*********************************************


ISPConfig Monitor App for Android Phones
========================================

With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed; these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.).

Download/Usage
==============

For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/ .


*********************************************
********************************************


*** HowtoForge Now Has Its own Facebook Page ***
================================================

We at HowtoForge are proud to announce that our new Facebook page is now available under http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge. As most of you probably have a Facebook account, we want to use this additional channel to post updates and get feedback from you. Therefore we would like you to "Like" our page, share it with your friends, post comments, etc.

http://www.facebook.com/howtoforge
********************************************************************


New HOWTOs:
===========

* The Perfect Server - Debian Wheezy (nginx, BIND, Dovecot, ISPConfig 3)
* Using Solr With TYPO3 On Debian Wheezy
* Using Solr With TYPO3 On Debian Squeeze
* How To Configure Apache To Use Radius For WiKID Two-Factor Authentication On Ubuntu
* Securing SSH On Ubuntu Precise With WiKID Two-Factor Authentication
* Functions In PHP

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Perfect Server - Debian Wheezy (nginx, BIND, Dovecot, ISPConfig 3)
======================================================================

This tutorial shows how to prepare a Debian Wheezy server (with nginx, BIND, Dovecot) for the installation of ISPConfig 3, and how to install ISPConfig 3. ISPConfig 3 is a webhosting control panel that allows you to configure the following services through a web browser: Apache or nginx web server, Postfix mail server, Courier or Dovecot IMAP/POP3 server, MySQL, BIND or MyDNS nameserver, PureFTPd, SpamAssassin, ClamAV, and many more. This setup covers nginx (instead of Apache), BIND (instead of MyDNS), and Dovecot (instead of Courier).

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect-server-debian-wheezy-nginx-bind-dovecot-ispconfig-3




Using Solr With TYPO3 On Debian Wheezy
======================================

TYPO3's default search extension called "Indexed Search" is fine for small web sites, but if your web site is bigger (> 500 pages), it is getting very slow. Fortunately, you can replace it with a search extension that uses the ultra-fast Apache Solr search server. This tutorial explains how to use Apache Solr with TYPO3 on Debian Wheezy.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/using-solr-with-typo3-on-debian-wheezy




Using Solr With TYPO3 On Debian Squeeze
=======================================

TYPO3's default search extension called "Indexed Search" is fine for small web sites, but if your web site is bigger (> 500 pages), it is getting very slow. Fortunately, you can replace it with a search extension that uses the ultra-fast Apache Solr search server. This tutorial explains how to use Apache Solr with TYPO3 on Debian Squeeze.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/using-solr-with-typo3-on-debian-squeeze




How To Configure Apache To Use Radius For WiKID Two-Factor Authentication On Ubuntu
===================================================================================

This document describes how to add WiKID two-factor authentication to Apache 2.x using mod_auth_radius on Ubuntu 12.04 Precise. It is recommended that you consider using mutual https authentication for web applications that are worthy of two-factor authentication. Strong mutual authentication means that the targeted website is authenticated to the user in some cryptographically secure manner, thwarting most man-in-the-middle attacks. The use of cryptography is key. While some sites use an image in an attempt to validate a server, it should be noted that any man-in-the-middle could simply replay such an image.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-configure-apache-to-use-radius-for-wikid-two-factor-authentication-on-ubuntu




Securing SSH On Ubuntu Precise With WiKID Two-Factor Authentication
===================================================================

SSH offers a highly secure channel for remote administration of servers. However, if you face an audit for regulatory or business requirements, such as Visa/Mastercard PCI, you need to be aware of some potential authentication related short-comings that may cause headaches in an audit. In this document we are going to demonstrate how to combine two-factor authentication from WiKID on Ubuntu. This document will also serve as the basis for additional tutorials because many services on Linux use PAM for authentication.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/securing-ssh-on-ubuntu-precise-with-wikid-two-factor-authentication




Functions In PHP
================

Functions are considered to be a complicated topic in programming and many newbies think it will cost them a hand and a leg to master them. But mark my words and mark them well - functions are your friends and they are one of the easiest and most effective things in programming to learn.

You can find the document here:
-------------------------------
http://www.howtoforge.com/functions-in-php


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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You can now support HowtoForge by becoming a subscriber:

HowtoForge Subscription
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For a monthly fee of 5 EUR or 25 EUR for half a year, you can become a HowtoForge supporter and help us cover our costs (servers, bandwidth, etc.) and support ISPConfig development. In return, you receive the following benefits:

1. Download the ISPConfig 3 Manual (from http://www.howtoforge.com/download-the-ispconfig-3-manual).
2. Get priority support in the ISPConfig 3 Priority Support forum (http://www.howtoforge.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=35).
3. Access the whole HowtoForge web site without any ads.
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6. View our tutorials as printer-friendly pages.
7. You will be marked as a "HowtoForge Supporter" in your forum posts.
8. Plus, you support the ISPConfig development.

If you have the free VMware Server or Player installed, you can import our VMware images and start playing around with the results of our tutorials immediately. It's a great way to track down problems with your own setup or simply to save time. ;-)

More details can be found on http://www.howtoforge.com/subscription.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 1:12 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

TechSource: 7 Most Elegantly Designed Android Apps

TechSource: 7 Most Elegantly Designed Android Apps

7 Most Elegantly Designed Android Apps

Posted: 21 May 2013 07:26 AM PDT

Ever since Google started focusing on design, its flagship product Android has become one of the biggest names in the industry. Earlier, it was Apple who was the frontrunner in terms of design, but soon Android caught up and disrupted the competition. That said, Android isn't yet the most beautiful phone OS around. Thanks to the ever-growing fragmentation and the plethora of customizations out there, the only thing that makes Android beautiful is its pure vanilla design that is found in Nexus 4. Otherwise, Android is still battling head-to-head with other superbly designed phone operating systems like Windows Phone and even Blackberry 10.

Despite the surging competition however, Android has millions of apps to boast of, which itself, puts it way ahead of its archrivals. Though the elegant design won't be found on all Android devices, you will, instead, find some apps that surpass the expectations of the usual Droid-hater. These beautifully designed apps remind the consumers about the dominance of Android thus making it the best mobile OS around. So, if you want to spice up your smartphone with apps designed to perfection, here's a list of the 7 most elegantly designed Android apps:


Flipboard

Flipboard is a free application that turns your smartphone or tablet into a beautiful magazine. Combining news, articles, and social media updates from multiple sources, this app is an amazing blend of old-school news consumption and modern-day social sharing. One of the most interesting features about Flipboard is that, unlike other applications, it doesn't have a HOLO-themed layout. Yet, it manages to stand out among the crowd with its carefully crafted design.



Feedly

My personal favorite, Feedly is a service that reached peak popularity when Google decided to shutter its news-reading service Google Reader. Bringing magazine-style articles to your desktop, mobile, and tablets, this service makes it easy to consume and share the latest happenings on and around the Internet. Once installed, Feedly lets you read news in a neatly spaced, clean layout that will definitely make any iOS fan jealous of your phone. 


 
Pocket

Many times we come across articles that we don't have time to read. Instead of wasting time skimming through them in a rush, Pocket lets you save those for reading later. Designed using the HOLO layout, Pocket presents your unread article in a neatly organized layout. Instead of presenting your unread articles in a list -- which many apps do, -- Pocket gives you a visual view of all your unread stuff be it on videos or articles.



Quotes

Quotes is a free application that lets you track your investments in a beautiful HOLO-themed layout. Focusing on visually representation of data, Quotes makes it easy for you to quickly glance at your portfolios. 



Calculator & Converter Free

If you're a hardworking engineer who finds it hard to carry around a calculator all the time, this next app might come in handy. Designed to near perfection, Calculator & Converter, does what its name suggests: it lets you calculate, convert currency, convert units of measurement, calculate mortgage, and even calculate tips. What stands out, though, is the neat, big, bright HOLO-themed layout.



Google Plus

We've talked a lot about Google Plus in the past. This social network is known for its high level of engagement, strong focus on photos, and seamless integration with other Google Products. The Google Plus app for Android brings all those features to your smartphone and more in a gorgeously designed application. The Google Plus app, once installed, will let you browse your Plus feed in a layout that only a few applications can match. Once again, well done Google. 



Any.do

Any.do is a TODO application that I personally use to get things done. One of the best things that I found about this application is that it lets me add my tasks in a nice, clean, HOLO-themed layout. This makes it stand apart from other applications like Astrid (now a Yahoo! product) and Remember the Milk!. Once installed, you'll be able to plan your day, add calls as tasks, and even sync them with an online account.



Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:04 PM 0 comments

Sunday, May 19, 2013

TechSource: How to Backup Android Apps to the Cloud Without Rooting

TechSource: How to Backup Android Apps to the Cloud Without Rooting

How to Backup Android Apps to the Cloud Without Rooting

Posted: 19 May 2013 07:49 AM PDT

With the huge surge in the amount of Android devices being released every year, it is natural that droid fans like us would be tempted to upgrade our devices. Though buying a new smartphone or tablet is exciting, there are some little hiccups that are associated when moving your apps to your new device. One of the biggest hiccups is, of course, that of backing up your installed applications.

Every time you use your device to play a game, write e-mails, or even send a tweet, the application data is saved on your device. However, when you move to a new tablet or smartphone, you might be able to install all your previous apps, but you won't be able to get back your saved data. So, if you're a real-time strategy game fan for example, moving to a new device will force you to lose all your progress.

Thankfully, though, there are some simple solutions that will help you fully backup your Android apps to either your SD card, or to the cloud. And, no need to worry. This method is completely safe, free, and doesn't require rooting at all. So, if you're looking for a simple solution to backup your Android apps, read on.


Step 1: Install Helium on Your Android Device

Install Helium on your Android smartphone or tablet by going HERE.

If you want to backup your apps to the cloud, you'll need to buy the Premium version HERE.



Step 2: Install Helium Desktop

Since this application is cross-platform, you can install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux as well. Simply click on the icon found on their website that corresponds to your desktop OS and install the software. For Linux users, the software comes in the form of a shell script. So, if you will need to use the command line for this one.


Step 3: Connect and Backup

Connect your Android device to your computer. Then from the Helium app, select the applications you'd like to backup. Once you're done, you can either backup the apps to the cloud or you can restore it from a previously taken backup. When it comes to cloud backup, the premium version of the app can backup your apps to Box.net, Google Drive, and Dropbox. You can set backup schedules and Android-to-Android sync.



If, however, you're using the free version, you can backup the apps to your SD card and then to your PC. From there, you can drop the data to your Dropbox or your Google Drive and have it sync up directly to the cloud. Though this process might be a bit tedious, but in the end you'll have a perfect syncing solution for you without any cost.


Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

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Posted by z0ltrix at 12:02 PM 0 comments
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