Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Best Android Apps of the week

The Android ecosystem gets more support and promotion artillery from its maker, Google. Recently, the Mountain View company has announced that they are starting the Android retail strategy in India, by opening a few Android Nation stores sometime later this year. Let’s have a look at the best new Android apps for this week.

Instagram (Free) 

instagram video android app 
At the recent Facebook event, the company now having control over Instagram has announced support for video, clearly rivaling Vine, a company that was also later acquired by an online mamoth – Twitter. Facebook also recently announced support for clickable hashtags, another feature copied from Twitter. Subsequently, because Instagram made this big change, its Android app has also been updated. You can now share 15-seconds videos and apply up to 13 filters to them.

Google Keyboard (Free) 


Have you been using too much of SwiftKey or Swype? Then what if you”ll try Google’s own keyboard solution that is now available for all Android users as an application. Google’s keyboard Android app will bring to your Android device the “Nexus typing experience”.
Its main features are the following:
  • Gesture Typing with dynamic floating preview
  • Voice Typing
  • Next-word suggestions and current-word completions
  • Dictionaries for 26 languages
  • Advanced keyboard layouts

Threema ($1.99) 

threema best android app 
There’s such a debate currently going regarding our online privacy, that most of us don’t even know what side to choose. Threema is a mobile messaging Android app that comes with true end-to-end encryption, so that only you and the receiver can reader the message. The app is developed by Swiss and its servers are also located in Switzerland. Besides sending messages, you can share images, videos, your GPS location; and you can also synchronize contacts.

Weaphones WW2: Firearms Sim ($0.99) 


Weaphones WW2: Firearms Sim is one of the most creative Android apps I’ve seen in a while. Basically, you get to interact with your Android device as if it were a real gun. Load, charge, clear and shoot with one of the guns. The game features authentic weapon mechanics and you will be pleasantly surprised by the “realistic fire, sound, smoke, flash & recoil effects. Have a look at the video to understand more on how it works.

Rockmelt (Free) 

Not so long ago, the iOS version of Rockmelt has been updated to version 3.0 and now the company has decided to release an Android version, as well. The Rockmelt browser on Android promises to provide a fast experience, rendering webpages, images and videos fast. You can also use it as some sort of a Reader application, because you can add the websites that you visit the most, thus personalizing the content you’re looking for. Even though the app is free, there are no hidden ads inside.

Mini Ninjas ($2.99) 

mini ninjas best android app 
I remember that Mini Ninjas was one of the last games I played on my computer and I had quite a lot of fun. So, if Mini Ninjas is similar to the game I played, then the fun you’ll get is guaranteed! You will play as one of the 4 Ninja heroes: Hiro, Futo, Suzume and Kunoichi to battle  with the Evil Samurai Warlord’s magical army. Rescue your Ninja friends from cages to earn Kuji energy and make Kuji magical spells for stunning attacks.

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown ($5.99) 

batman arkham city 
Since I was a kid, my favorite superhero was Batman. Even now I have T-shirts with him. Your job is, as always, to defeat the huge army of villains and henchmen. From time to time, you get to fight The Joker, Two-Face as well as an exclusive boss, the Deathstroke. The game is also optimized for top Android tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Transformer, Nexus 7, and more! You can customize your Batman with special skins and power-ups.

Baby Blossoms (Free) 

If you use your Android device to help you with your parenting, then you should find Baby Blossoms a place in your collection. It comes with baby blossoms some very important features, such as vaccination Tracker, growth Calculator, BMI Calculator/BMR Calculator, set reminders, nearby shops, nearby hospitals, baby names, parental tips and even a baby gallery where you can add pictures of your little one.

Quick Social ($0.99) 

How I love Android apps that are so simple, yet so needed by users all over the world. Quick Social is one such app. It allows you to tweet, share to Facebook or post to your Google+ account straight from Android’s notification drawer! The developers even warn users not to give it a 1 star rating if something doesn’t work, but rather to write to their email so they will fix the issue – quicksocial@lupine.cc.

Brink of Consciousness ($2.99) 


A puzzle game in our Android weekly list makes things seem normal again, right? In Brink of Consciousness you play as Sam Wilde who has to rescue his love Anna form the hands of an evil maniac. You will get to solve a lot of puzzles so if puzzle-adventure games are your thing, then you are definitely going to enjoy this one.

Tap the Frog HD ($0.99) 


Tap the Frog HD is one of those addictive games that you just can’t let go from your hand. Probably that’s why there are more than 15 million people playing it all over the world. During the game, you will help the Frog jump, paint and spacewalk his way until it reaches his sweetheart.

DigiCal (Free) 

DigiCal is one of the best Android calendar apps out there. It has some impressive visual details, such as Holo light, dark themes with 6 powerful digi cal best android app calendar views (day, week, agenda, month, text month and list) and 5 beautifully designed widgets (list, grid, day, day list and month). The app has a special relationship with Google’s services, as it has the following features:
  • Built-in location search via Google Places
  • Google Now (Android 4.1+) support

Where’s My Mickey? ($0.99) 

Where’s my Mickey’s name takes us to the popular Where’s my Water game. And, indeed, the games are somewhat similar, because they are part of Disney’s mobile game franchise. Of course, you will play with Mickey but you will be able to discover hilarious episodes with new friends, such as Goofy. Featuring brand new weather mechanics, you can “use wind, clouds and rain to maneuver through 100+ levels filled with fun challenges”.
Download APK 

Slydris ($1.99) 


Slydris is a puzzle game that has received a lot of positive reviews among dedicated gaming websites. Actually, it has been named by GameTrailers as iOS’ game of 2012. Now, it has been ported to Android and is one of those games perfect for playing while you’re waiting for somebody or standing in the queue, what I like to call “quick fun games”. There are three playing modes: Infinite Mode, Zen Mode and Survival Mode.

Sunset: Night Filter ($0.99) 

Using a smartphone before bed has always made many questions arise: will I manage to get a good sleep? Apparently, you can still get a good sleep if you dim the display and keep it a reasonable distance from your eyes. However, I still wouldn’t recommend doing that. But if you’re a late or night smartphone user, then maybe Sunset: Night Filter might help you out. As the description goes, “Sunset is a screen filter adds an additional layer of dimming color to help soothe your eyes during those extra dark hours”. It’s very important to protect your eyes and this creative app helps with that.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

captain here


How to Speed Up your Nexus 7 in a minute


If you want to improve the performances of your Google Nexus 7, but rooting your device isn’t what you want, then you should know that there are also “standard” ways that can be used for speeding up your Android based tablet. Of course these procedures will not have the same results as like updating with a custom ROM firmware, but at least you will have something to start with. Anyway, if you would like to learn more about how you can easily speed up your Asus Nexus 7, then follow and complete the present step by step guide.
According to those who have experienced speed issues with their Google Nexus 7, it seems that the problems had appeared gradually and especially after the new Android Jelly Bean OS was applied. It seems that the new apps and features are requiring too much from the Nexus 7 tablet and now the device is slower and lazier.
Now, as already mentioned, the best way to use when looking into improving the performances of an Android powered device, is to unchain its system for accessing the same. Well, this can be done by rooting the OS. Anyhow, by gaining root access the warranty will get void; therefore if you are afraid that something bad might happen with your tablet, then try to use other methods instead. Do take note that without rooting you cannot update your Nexus 7 with a custom ROM firmware, which is another procedure to perform when trying to speed up or improve the performances of your handset.

How to easily Speed Up your Google Nexus 7


Anyway, the methods explained below aren’t risky at all, so you have nothing to worry about. Actually you will make some general changes in order to bump the speed; you don’t have to download dedicated apps or tool, you just need to navigate through the settings of your device. Well, let’s get started.

Remove un-used apps and data so you can free up space

Similar with a computer, or notebook your Nexus 7 will be slowed down by the apps, info and data which is being stored on its internal storage memory. For example if your tablet has 16GB of internal storage but you fill up the memory with different stuffs so that in the end you will notice that only 3 GB or less of free space is left, the performances of your device will be slowed down. That’s why, if you uninstall or erase apps and data that isn’t actually necessarily for you, then you will notice how fast the speeds will be improved.
Now, don’t delete important files from your device as you can’t restore them afterwards. Make sure that you are removing only the old stuffs, like watched movies, old games and so on. Also, you can choose to do a hard reset, but remember to backup your data first (save the contacts, market apps, internet settings and everything else it’s important for you).

Use AOSP Browser

According to those who had experienced problems with the speed, it seems that on the Google Nexus 7 the best is to run and use the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) browser instead of Google Chrome or others. It’s true that the AOSP browser isn’t coming with many capabilities and options but if it will run smoother than Chrome, then why not to use it; or at least try it?
So, uninstall your current browser and instead install the AOSP one; unfortunately this will work only if your device is rooted, or unchained. Therefore, first of all use a suitable root guide that can be used on your tablet.

Deactivate Currents Sync along with Background Apps

Another way in which you can speed up and improve the user experience on your Nexus 7 is to disable the currents sync and the background apps.
This might not seem like an important measure, but Google Currents syncing is introducing a major lag on your device. So, if you haven’t done it by now, do deactivate currents sync and background apps on your tablet.
Well, that is what we think will help you when dealing with speed lags and heating issues. Those are only few ways that can be applied on your Nexus 7, so if you know extra ones, use the comments are from below and share your experience and thoughts with us. Also, stay close as further Android related tips, tricks and step by step guides will be developed by our team.

The Best Android Keyboards


Finding Your Type: The Best Android KeyboardsSpend any time using your phone or tablet and it’s hard to avoid using the keyboard. Whether knocking out a quick email or typing URLs into your browser, there’s a limit to what you can get done without having to type. And chances are that the keyboard baked into your copy of Android is nothing to write home about — there are few stock keyboards that really cut the mustard.
Sitting at my desktop or using my laptop, I’m a fairly accomplished typist — I’m probably not the fastest in the world, but I’m certainly faster than average. The same cannot really be said when I’m using my Android devices — touchscreens offer a completely different way of interacting with a device and it proves, on the most part, to be a slower form of typing. This is why I find myself on a constant mission to track down the perfect keyboard. If you’re on a similar quest, and whatever your preferred style of typing — one-handed, two-handed, gesture input, just a forefinger — this roundup of the pick of the crop should help you find a keyboard that suits you.

SwiftKey

A keyboard may seem like something you shouldn’t have to pay for, but this was the first of its ilk to tempt me into parting with some cash. SwiftKey does not disappoint; gesture support (or Flow) is impressively accurate as is word prediction. These two features combined found me flying through long passages of text in next to no time.
Swiftkey is still one of the keyboards I keep coming back to (I switch between this and Google Keyboard at the moment) and I often find that I only have to swipe the first word and the rest is accurately predicted — obviously this only works in certain circumstances such as standard SMS replies, I’ve not been able to train the app to write full reviews for me yet!
Swiftkey supports a large number of languages and has the handy option to have up to three enabled at the same time and easily switchable. The one disappointing feat is that there are separate versions for phones and tablets so you’ll have to make two purchases if you own both types of devices.
Price: $3.99
Google Play Link: SwiftKey
Developer: SwitftKey
Swiftkey's signature keyboard with Flow
Swiftkey’s signature keyboard with Flow

Kii

Kii is another swipe-friendly keyboard which prides itself on the fact that it borrows ideas from many of the other keyboards featured in this roundup. Skins are supported so there’s scope for changing the look of your keyboard to suit your mood or the lighting you find yourself in. There’s also more than one keyboard layout to choose from including an interesting split option which is ideal for thumb operation on a tablet.
What is irritating is that while the app is free, many of the features are available as in-app purchases — or at least uninterrupted use requires an in-app purchase. Voice support and rows of extra buttons are nice touches, but it is in terms of speed that Kii really excels.
Price: Free
Google Play Link: Kii
Developer: Kii Dev
Kii's split keyboard layout is useful on tablets
Kii’s split keyboard layout is useful on tablets

GO Keyboard

The GO development team are responsible for a number of extremely popular apps including the impressive GO Launcher.  It’s a shame to put a dampener on an otherwise great app, but there is a slightly beta-ish feel to GO Keyboard that is often found in many GO apps.
There are a massive number of themes to choose from to help with customization, as there are emoji, but many of them are garish, amateur-looking affairs. This feeling is not helped by badly worded descriptions and options that have clearly been poorly translated into English. However, switching between different keyboard layouts is little more than a side swipe away which is handy for anyone who works in more than one language — and there are dozens to choose from.
Price: Free
Google Play Link: GO Keyboard
Developer: GO Dev Team
Go Keyboard supports themes, emojis and several input methods
Go Keyboard supports themes, emojis and several input methods

Google Keyboard

One of the latest additions to the keyboard smorgasbord is Google’s very own offering. Lifted directly from devices such as the Nexus 7, this keyboard won over huge armies of fans long before it was made available to all Android devices. It is very hard not to love this keyboard as it feels like it really belongs in Android — as well it should be — and while it may not seem all that impressive, looks can be deceptive. Lurking beneath a rather plain exterior is arguable the best gesture typing available, in both speed and accuracy.
There may not be a massive number of options in terms of layouts and extra settings, but what is present works superbly and you’ll soon wonder how you coped with any other keyboard — that’s how I felt, at least, and I’m hard to impress. There’s also a very useful hidden feature that can be used to ape the likes of Text Expander and further reduce the amount of typing you need to do. When adding new words to your personal dictionary, it’s possible to add shortcuts — this means you can opt to automatically expand ‘brb’ into ‘be right back’, but there are endless other possibilities.
Price: Free
Google Play Link: Google Keyboard
Developer: Google
Google's own keyboard looks and feels at home on Android
Google’s own keyboard looks and feels at home on Android

Swype Keyboard

Swype is the original swiping keyboard. Where it led, countless others apps followed. Many have tried to copy it, but few have matched it and fewer still bettered it. Prediction levels here are staggeringly good and you don’t even need to be particularly accurate with your gestures as the app does a good job of interpreting what you mean based on the shape you draw. Two key strengths of Swype, and something that helps to improve its accuracy, are its ability to pick up word and names from your contacts, emails and other documents, as well as the fact that the dictionary is crowd-sourced.
The predictions dictionary is constantly updated with words that are trending around the world and this extends into next-word prediction – so you should find that you can enter the name of a brand new movie or TV programme very quickly. With voice recognition and a universal app suitable for tablets and phones — additional modes are available for tablet users — it’s difficult not to recommend Swype. If you’re yet to try it out, install it this instant to see what all the fuss is about.
Price: $0.99
Google Play Link: Swype Keyboard
Developer: Swype
Swype offers several layouts for phones and tablets
Swype offers several layouts for phones and tablets

TouchPal

Gesture-based or sliding typing, as you’ve probably noticed from this roundup, is becoming the norm. TouchPal looks to up the ante with its Curve feature which aims to make typing even faster by eliminating the need to swipe words in their entirety. Another time saving feature makes it easier to access numbers and symbols. Rather than tapping and holding a key to view a list of alternative options, you can instead swipe up or down for instant access.
Despite having no cost associated with it, TouchPal’s range of supported languages is wide and varied. To help with the personalization of suggestions and auto-completes, information can be imported from our address book and online updates ensure that a new supply of words is always available. Or course, there is the usual raft of skins available, but the key thing here is speed. TouchPal is undeniably fast – even though this does come at the expense of accuracy.
Price: Free
Google Play Link: TouchPal
Developer: TouchPal
TouchPal trades accuracy for speed
TouchPal trades accuracy for speed

Smart Keyboard Pro

As if to prove that swipe typing is not the only option for getting characters into apps, Smart Keyboard Pro takes a much more traditional approach to things. Everything is much more basic here, and the app closely resembles the look and feel of the iOS keyboard. This is by no means a bad thing but you are restricted to typing by pressing each character you want to enter.
For fans of old technology, Smart Keyboard Pro has a great feature – the resurrection of T9 prediction text input using a traditional phone pad layout! There are no fancy extras like next word prediction but it does win points for being highly customizable.
Price: $2.64
Google Play Link: Smart Keyboard Pro
Developer: Dexilog, LLC
Smart Keyboard goes old-school with its iOS look and functions
Smart Keyboard goes old-school with its iOS look and functions

Other Unique Options

Above are some of the highlights that are to be currently found in the Play store. You’ll probably have noticed that, while there are a few subtle differences here and there, for the most part these are keyboards that look and feel fairly similar to each other.

Minuum

One project that looks to disturb the norm is Minuum, which has been funded through Indiegogo and will initially be released for Android devices, with the possibility of iOS, Blackberry and Windows Phone versions to follow. The key aim of the project is to free up screen space by shrinking the keyboard as much as possible.
The look is unique. The tiny strip you use to type looks too small and fiddly to be usable – a standard keyboard has been compressed onto a single line – but by employing a combination of letter and word prediction, in the sample videos at least, Minuum appears to fare very well indeed. It is an outlandish design that will not be to everyone’s taste, but it is going to create a storm when it hits the Play Store.
Minuum's unique one-strip layout
Minuum’s unique one-strip layout 

ZoomKee

If you’re looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, ZoomKee is worth a look. There’s a clue in the name here, and the key selling point — although the app is actually free — is a zoom function. Tap a word that has been typed and it will be displayed in a larger view complete with a zoomed in keyboard. This has been done to make word editing easier, but it does mean that you have to be willing to slide the keyboard from side to side as it is not entirely visible in its magnified mode.
ZoomKee's signature zooming function
ZoomKee’s signature zooming function

Thumb Keyboard

Another keyboard of note is Thumb Keyboard ($2.35 from Google Play) which is available for phones and tablets and, as the name suggest, allows for quick thumb driven typing. At first glance it looks like nothing out of the ordinary, but there is an intriguing split mode that make it easier and faster to type with just thumbs and a personalized shortcut bar. There are different layouts for different sized screens but this is definitely a keyboard for fans of two-handed typing.
Thumb Keyboard packs a split layout and a nifty shortcut bar
Thumb Keyboard packs a split layout and a nifty shortcut bar
Do you have a favorite keyboard that we’ve missed? Have you found your perfect input app or do you find that you constantly switch from one to another? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Dota 2: The International

Dota 2: The International

The International returns once again this summer to Seattle with a five day Main Event, starting on August 7th.


The first team invited to The International are the returning champions, Invictus Gaming. Twelve more teams will be announced over the coming days. Just like in last year’s event, the winners of the East and West Qualifiers will each receive an invite. As you’ve probably noticed, that only adds to 15 teams. Right before The International begins, the Wild Card event will determine the final spot in a match between the runner-ups of each qualifier.
The West Qualifier will be hosted by GDStudio from May 13th through the 19th and the East Qualifier by BeyondTheSummit from May 20th through the 26th. All matches will also be available for free through DotaTV.
For those interested in attending in person, we will be providing more info soon.

PRICE MONEY
The International 3 now has the largest prize pool for any tournament in the history of eSports.

THIS IS YOUR TOURNAMENT  

The Interactive Compendium is a virtual passport that keeps you up to date with The International -- and gives you unprecedented access to the tournament as it develops. Compete with other fans for fun and bragging rights by predicting match outcomes and stats. Receive virtual item drops while watching matches. Best of all, have your say in assembling the 2013 All Star team: Vote for 10 of your favorite players from any team and the winners will play in a showmatch at The International.
As the tournament evolves, so too will your courier. Reveal new features for your courier by spectating The International matches, granting you new ways to customize its appearance and show off to your friends.
The $1.6 million prize pool for The International is now just the beginning. For every purchase of an Interactive Compendium, 25% of the price will go directly into the prize pool.



Micromax Canvas 4 Feature, Specs, Price in India

Here’s the complete details Micromax Canvas 4. Micromax Canvas 4 price in India and its features, specs are given below:

Micromax Canvas’s newest version, Micromax Canvas 4 dubbed as “Micromax A120 Canvas HD Pro”, the concept smartphone has been announced by the company and it is going to hit the retail stores pretty soon. In this article we will provide you a brief-up of the lineament of this much-hyped concept smartphone from Micromax.
You can also check the latest Micromax mobile phones price in India 2013 here.
Before going through the article, here’s a high-end gadget comparison between Samsung Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5 vs Nexus 4 vs Nokia Lumia 920 . Check here

Micromax Canvas 4 Features

  • Micromax Canvas 4 is a 5.5 incher phone with touchscreen (16M colours)
  • This smartphone, along with 2 GB of RAM, is powered with 2 GHz Quad-core Cortex A7 processor.
  • Micromax Canvas 4 boasts off 13 megapixel rear side camera with autofocus (touch to focus), complemented by other features such as 3.2 MP front facing camera.
  • This smartphone packs along the latest OS instalment of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean till date, which adds tons of new functionalities to the already-wonderful gadget.

Micromax Canvas 4 Technical Specifications 

  • Mobile Networks: 2G/3G/4G LTEMicromax Canvas 4
  • Dual SIM: Yes
  • Physical Dimensions: N/A
  • Weight: N/A
  • Screen: 5.5 inch capacitive multi-touch HD display.
  • Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Pixels
  • Videography: High Definition Video Recording with 1080p at 30 fps.
  • Rear camera: 13 megapixels, touch-to-focus function (autofocus), face & smile detection with dual-LED Flash. Also includes Geo-Tagging & Image stabilization.
  • Front Camera: 3.2 MP
  • Processor: 2 GHz Quad-core Cortex A7
  • Chipset: N/A
  • Graphics: PowerVR Series 5XT
  • Internal Memory: 8 GB (Expandable through MicroSD Card upto 64 GB)
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Speed: N/A
  • Wireless connectivity: Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
  • NFC: Yes
  • Wireless Charging: N/A
  • Wi-Fi Especial features: Wi-Fi Hotspot, Dual-Band
  • Connectivity: 3.5mm headphone jack, USB 2.0
  • Mobile OS: Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean
  • Mobile Internet: HTML5 mobile browser
  • Voice quality: Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • Audio/Video: Supports all foremost audio/video formats
  • Battery: Li-Ion, 3000 mAh
  • Radio/FM: Yes, with recording
  • Navigation: Digital compass, GPS/A-GPS (via Google Maps application)
  • Voice Recognition: Yes
  • Sensors: Barometer, Proximity, gyro sensors, Accelerometer
  • Colour options: White, Black
  • Other features: MP3/ WAV/ eAAC+ player, MP4/ WMV/ H.264/ H.263 player, Organizer, Document viewer, Image/ video editor, Google Search, Maps, Gmail, Voice memo/ dial/ commands, YouTube, Calendar, Picasa, Google Talk, Predictive text input, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync.

    Micromax Canvas 4 Final Review

    This Android based smartphone has a smooth and beautiful design with wider and thinner than its predecessors. With its screen and such exciting features, you’re not only buying a phone but also a fully capable pocket-tablet merged in a single hardware. A highly recommended android beast for those who just can’t get enough of whatever they already possess.

    Micromax Canvas 4 Release Date

    Micromax Canvas 4, dubbed as “Micromax A120 Canvas HD Pro”, is likely to get released on 30 June, 2013 in India. However, its prebooking will be starting from 30th June, 2013.

    Micromax Canvas 4 Price in India

    Official Price of Micromax Canvas 4, dubbed as “Micromax A120 Canvas HD Pro”, for India is not yet announced by the company. However it may cost you around ₹20000, which is a good buy, considering the best-in-line hardware specs it comes with.