Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Withycombe
Monday, October 29, 2012
iPhone Tips and Tricks That Are Easy to Do and Set Up
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Withycombe
Sunday, October 28, 2012
How cell phone cameras ruin real moments
On a recent episode of Leo Laporte’s podcast This Week in Tech, panelist Dwight Silverman spoke briefly about a concert featuring David Byrne and St. Vincent. Prior to the performance, Byrne told the audience that smartphone photography was encouraged, but that they should put down their iPads.
As anyone who has ever seen a 10-inch screen held aloft in a concert can attest, iPads can be a severe distraction, making Byrne prescient as ever. However, I don’t think he goes far enough. As great as ubiquitous camera access is, we might all be better off if we used our camera phones less often. Here’s why – whether you’re at a concert or just out for a walk in the woods.
It distracts others
Getting close to one of our favorite performers can make us want to document that experience. But no one wants an iPad screen blocking their view. Concerts are best enjoyed when there is little inhibiting the interaction between performers and audience. An iPad between you and the performer on stage will be a significant impediment to appreciating a performance. Bravo, David Byrne, for dissuading the inconsiderate from ruining things for the rest of the audience.
I would actually encourage him to go further, and ban all mobile devices. Phones may not be as large a disruption as a tablet, but they are a distraction nonetheless. Plus, where do you draw the line? “Phablets” like the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 make the distinction so difficult, it would be far better to simply ban them all.
It distracts you
Not only is shooting video at a performance going to distract others, it will distract you as well.
Shooting video also prevents you from physically engaging with the performance. If you go see The Hives, you will want to dance or jump around far more than you will want to have a camera in your hands. Trust me.
Audio is better
Nobody wants to see that grainy cell-phone video that you shot from the 40th row. Bootlegging communities for bands like Phish and The Grateful Dead indicate that someone may want to hear an audio recording, though. In that case, you will need better microphones than those in your smart phone.
his can add a lot of overhead, and most non-photographers don’t have good workflows to get it done. For example: Why do I have a photo of the last pork tenderloin sandwich I had when last in Indiana? There was no reason to take it in the first place. Now it is a useless piece of digital clutter. Plus, it made my phone greasy when I took it, and now I really want a pork tenderloin sandwich — both big negatives.
It makes us worse people
Yes, your friend’s compound fracture is fascinating in a horrifying sort of way, but I might be better off if I didn’t have opportunities to see things like that online. There would be a lot less fodder for /r/wtf (not to mention even less-savory sub-Reddits) if we didn’t all have decent-quality phones in our pockets. And that’s to say nothing of the feelings of the injured party.
We may be at our very worst as a species when we’re rubber-necking for a longer glance at the suffering of others. Ubiquitous camera access feeds this behavior directly, as we take more time to get photos and personally appreciate them later, and vicariously, as we encourage others to enjoy another’s pain with us. Sites like Reddit make this even worse, as the most gruesome injuries will also be rewarded with viral attention.
If we were more restrained with our camera phones, perhaps there would be a little less celebration of the terrible things around us.
Conclusion
David Byrne would never get away with banning cell phones from his performances. The uproar would be too great. This one has to be on us.
The next time you are at a concert, put down the camera phone. Focus more on the performance and you might just enjoy it more. If you are hiking or camping, leave your phone in your pocket. Don’t miss the point of the whole endeavor. And, for goodness sake, if you happen to be at the scene of an injury, accident, or tragedy, have some decency and don’t snap a shot to share online. We might just all be better off.
Source: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/stop-instagramming-and-get-a-life-how-cell-phone-cameras-ruin-real-moments/#ixzz2AcBsf2LU
Saturday, October 27, 2012
The King of Fighters 2002
The King of Fighters 2002 brings the series back to its roots by retiring the strikers and swapping the excessive features from the past three games for an enormous selection of characters. Now nothing stands between you and your opponent as you battle for dominance!
The King of Fighters 2002 is a 2002 competitive fighting game produced by Eolith and Playmore for the Neo Geo. It is the ninth game in The King of Fighters series and the second one produced by Eolith and developed by SNK Neo Geo (formerly Brezzasoft). The game was ported to the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and the Xbox. The PS2 and Xbox versions were released in North America in a two in one bundle with the following game in the series, The King of Fighters 2003.
NONA returns to do character artwork, as he has since the previous installment.
SNK Play more has produced a remake titled TheKing of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match for the PlayStation 2, which has been released on February 26, 2009 in Japan. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released on November 3, 2010.
KOF 2002 discards the 4 VS 4 "Striker Match" format used in the previous three games in the series and returns to the 3-on-3 Battle format originally used in the series up until KOF '98.
The game also revamps the Power Gauge system into a format similar to the one used in KOF '98. Like previous games in the series, the Power Gauge is filled as the player attacks the opponent or performs Special Moves during battle. The number of Power Gauges the player can stock up increases by one with each member of the team, with the first member of the team being able to stock up to three Power Gauges, while the third member can stock up to five. A single Power Gauge stock can be used to perform a Counterattack and Evasion technique while guarding an opponent's attack, use a Super Special Move, or initiate the MAX Activation state.
During MAX Activation, the player's offensive and defensive strength is increased for a short period and can cancel any attack into another. In this state, a Super Special Move can be used without consuming a Power Gauge stock. There are also MAX Super Special Moves, which are Super moves that can only be performed during MAX Activation with one Power Gauge stock, and MAX2 moves that require two stocks.
Source http://muhammadniaz.blogspot.com/2012/10/TheKingofFighters2002.html
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Wolverton: Microsoft's Surface tablet no iPad, but better than other rivals
I found a lot to like about Microsoft's new Surface tablet.
It's generally a pleasure to use. It has innovative features. And it appears to be well-built. For Microsoft's first effort at designing a mass-market computing device, it's a remarkable achievement, and it rates at or very near the top of the 10-inch tablets that compete with Apple's (AAPL) iPad. It's also a much easier device to understand and use than rival tablets based on Android, and unlike those tablets, it runs Office.But as might be expected of a first-generation gadget, it also has numerous shortcomings, and because of those, I can't recommend it over the iPad. For the same $500 base price, Apple's tablet is simply better.
At first glance, the Surface looks unremarkable. It's a black slate with a glass screen, much like many of the other tablets on the market. It has a thin case with sharp edges that looks more like a utilitarian office device than something that will excite design fetishists.
But look closer and you'll find some nice features. Unlike many of the iPad's competitors, its case is made of magnesium, not plastic, so it feels solid. It has a unique kickstand that folds out of its back allowing you to prop it up on a table. And it has a full-size USB port and an SD card slot, allowing users to transfer files from external drives and cards.
For its new tablet effort, Microsoft designed a version of its Windows 8 operating system to run on ARM processors, the low-power chips that underlie the iPad and nearly all other competing tablets. Thanks to its ARM chip, the Surface is as thin as the big iPad and only slightly heavier. And like the iPad, it's ultra quiet, because it doesn't have a fan.
The new version of the operating system, dubbed Windows RT, looks a lot like the versions of Windows 8 that will run on traditional PCs. It has the same "Metro" start screen with "live" application tiles that offer up-to-date information, including the current weather and snippets from your latest email messages. And it has a version of the traditional Windows desktop.
I'm not a fan of the Metro start screen on traditional PCs. But the interface, which you navigate by swiping, tapping and pinching, was made for a touch-screen device like this. Some of the gestures take getting used to, but for the most part interacting with Metro is natural and easy.
One compelling feature in the Metro interface is the ability to split the screen between two applications. So, for example, you can play "Cut the Rope" while continuing to monitor your email. It's not the same thing as actually having windowed applications, but I'm not sure you need that feature on a tablet, and the screen-split feature is one you don't get on the iPad or on the typical Android tablet.
Another cool feature about Surface is that unlike the iPad, it supports multiple users. So you and your family members can share the device without having access to each other's email.
The Surface comes with a nice collection of built-in Metro apps, including a photo gallery, a maps application, email and calendar programs and different news readers. But what is likely to be the most attractive to Windows users is that Surface ships with versions of some of the core Office programs, including Word and Excel.
Those Office programs look and work just like the Office applications that run under traditional Windows. In other words, Microsoft hasn't redesigned those applications, so you can easily interact with them on a touch screen. Fortunately, the company is offering covers for the Surface that include keyboards and trackpads to navigate the desktop and the Office programs more easily.
For all that there is to like about Surface, though, it does have several notable shortcomings. Its screen resolution is significantly less than that on the new iPad.
Similarly, its cameras are lower resolution than the ones on the iPad, so the pictures you take with it will be noticeably fuzzier. And the Surface lacks both an intelligent assistant feature like Siri and the ability to transcribe speech to text.
But its biggest shortcoming is the number and range of applications available for it. Although the Surface runs Windows, it won't run any traditional Windows programs other than ones it comes with, and even among those, it's missing Outlook. The only programs you can add to the Surface are those designed for its new Metro interface and offered through Microsoft's new Windows Store -- and that offering is relatively slim right now.
So, the Surface is a compelling tablet with a lot of potential, but unless you're dead-set against an iPad, it doesn't yet measure up.
Source:mercurynews
Friday, October 26, 2012
best way to make e money at home
there is a 14 way to how to make e money at home try it today
1. Money is an idea. In other words, money is what you think it is. It's whatever your own reality is telling you that it is. If you think having a lot of money is evil or a topic you should not talk about then that's the kind of relation you'll have towards money. If you think money is fun to acquire and you love talking about how to get better at it, then that's the role it plays in your life. I'm not saying one relationship towards money is better or more accurate than another. That's entirely up to you to choose. But make sure it really is a choice and not something that you automatically accept as being true based on what you were brought up to believe that money is.
2. Money is exactly as important as you make it. Continuing on the previous insight it's again a question of your own context. If you think money is an unimportant part of your life, then becoming rich is not important either. If handling money in a productive way is important to you, then financial abundance is a logical and natural goal to achieve. However, there's a difference between being broke and not wanting to become wealthy, and being broke and not knowing that you have the power to become wealthy. Everyone has the potential to make a shift in their relationship towards money.
3. Money does not make you rich. Money has the power to make you both rich and poor. Being rich, poor or middle-class is a question of mind-set. The way you handle money simply shows what kind of a mind-set you're equipped with. A perfect example of this is when somebody acquires a great sum of unexpected money. Poor people will just end up poorer and rich people will end up richer.
4. Money does not solve money problems. This is closely linked to the lesson above. There are certain people I definitely would not lend money to because I know it would make more damage than good - for both of us. The person would only get further in debt and have an even poorer mind-set, I would suffer from having my money jeopardized and our relationship might suffer in the end even though the initial intention is of a good nature - to help a friend in need. Giving money away simply does not help, but giving advice that proactively eliminate money problems in the first place is easier and a more productive way to help.
5. Everyone has money problems. The poor, the middle class, the rich, the government, the church, the old, the young, all the companies, everyone has money problems. Simply having or not having money is not free from responsibility to think things through. It's just a question of which problem you rather have - the problem of no money, or the problem of too much money. Different financial situations simply have different degrees of money problems. Having more money in contrast to having less money is usually much less urgent and problematic to deal with.
6. The lack of money is the root of all evil. This statement is much more accurate than the statement that money is the root of all evil or even that the love for money is the root of all evil. Think crimes, riots, insecurity, emotional instability, selling drugs and weapons, poor health care, ignorance due to poor education and much more. People have to address their primary needs to live, and the more basic they are, the easier the leap is to give in on their values and break the law.
7. The link between money and happiness. Money alone does not dictate happiness or unhappiness. There are happy and unhappy rich people just as there are happy and unhappy poor people. However, unexpectedly not having any money would make me unhappy and unexpectedly getting more money would make me happy. But these are temporary feelings and have nothing to with the overall happiness towards life as a whole. Therefore, it's pointless to generalize rich people as unhappy or even relatively unhappy compared to their wealth and make this notion stop you from becoming rich. You alone choose the level of happiness and the general opinion about this issue is nothing else than what you think that other people are thinking.
8. Money is not linked to personal values. Having a lot of money or having very little money does not relate to what kind of values a person has. But, money has the power to take those values from within and out into the daylight. It has the power to reveal a person's true nature and intentions once the bets are getting higher. The tough thing about it is that if the values and intentions are bad, they might not show up until it's too late. Accordingly, a truly good-natured person might not show their worth either until the money sums are getting really significant.
9. The more money you get, the more money you end up giving. If you think being rich is seen as hoarding money and being greedy, then remember that it can't be taken into the afterlife. It does not matter how much money you make during your lifetime, every single penny will be passed on to others sooner or later. The richer you are, the more money you keep circulating out from your expense column into someone else's income column. Eventually it will all go into other people's pockets, but that's not as important as the lessons you can give in life or lessons you can give on how to handle money.
10. Money comes to those who know how to handle it. This is a question of education. The better your education about money is, the more it will flood into your life. The school system does not teach it and whatever you think is right is what your family has passed on to you. It's up to you how financially literate and intelligent you want to become. People knew the very basic laws of how to handle money as far back as 4000 to 6000 years ago in Babylon and they are just as valid today.
11. Money does not have to require effort. You can generate income both from trading your time and effort for it as well as not trading your time and effort for it. This is the concept of either working for money, or having your money work for you. But, you can do both until you've reached the point where you don't have to work for money, a.k.a. reaching financial independence. It's also important to note that people who are financially free don't automatically equate as being either productive or unproductive towards society. Being free from having to work for a living can both mean that such a person is now doing no service to others as well as being actively involved in helping others 24/7 to the best of their ability.
12. Money has the power to give both security and freedom. Sometimes I stumble upon the concept that freedom and security are each others opposites. I'm not saying that this statement is incorrect, but I want to emphasize that money, or more specifically financial independence has the power to give both security and freedom in life. There's the freedom of doing what you want as well as the financial security of not being concerned of how to get along and stretch your pennies.
13. More money does not mean you have to work harder. With most of the lessons gone through, this is a bit of a summarizing statement to the previous ones. It's the 'working for money' model of reality that enforces the notion that in order to get more money, you have to work harder. It states that the income is directly proportional to how much you labor. One step past this is to start skewing that proportional scale to a greater leverage, but the ultimate step is acknowledging that generating income might not need any form of labor or effort at all.
14. Money is infinite, not limited. This statement is to bust the myth of fixed resources. More money to you does not mean less money to others. Money and wealth grows and expands for every minute and becoming wealthier is not just about receiving other people's money, it's also about creating more money and abundance all together in the world. Destroying things of value is what eats up wealth while creating assets is what feeds more wealth.
Source:Article Source:
A Look at the New iOS 6 Features
iOS 6 Video Review: A Look at the New iOS 6 Features
In Sept, Apple upgraded its iPhone OS with a new release that is more of an evolution than revolution, but did offer a handful of improvements and new features. Some of the important key features in the iOS 6 upgrade include a more intuitive Siri, the ability to use Apple's FaceTime video conferencing over 3G as well as shared Wi-Fi networks, more flexibility in taking and sharing digital photographs, and the addition of the PassBook digital wallet.
On the flipside, some features were also included in the release that seemed to be not quite ready for primetime, such as the Apple Maps app that replaces Google Maps on the iPhone.
TechnologyGuide assistant editor Mike Wall spent some time with the new OS and filed this video report on what works and what still needs some work in Apple's iOS 6.
Welcome to the first look of iOS 6 for iPhone. So, the iOS 6 upgrade is kind of strange. It doesn't really have that many unique features it's bringing to the table. Of course, there is the notorious Apple Maps, which has already been criticized numerous times for being inaccurate, and it certainly does have those flaws.
Unfortunately, it's really tough for us to show that to you because it's really just a bunch of different minute inaccuracies. It's not like these overarching problems can easily be highlighted. In our area, specifically, when I was testing out iOS 6, it actually worked quite well. That's not to disregard that there are some serious problems with this application. If you want to find out everything that's wrong with it and what you should be concerned about, be sure to check out our full review where we highlight in more detail what's wrong with Apple Maps.
Kind of getting past, though, just Apple Maps and talking about iOS 6 in its entirety, it actually brings a lot of what you would want to an upgrade. I think the most understated thing that this brings to the table is increased performance.
Everything that you're going to do on your iPhone is going to feel faster and it's going to feel smoother. Launching applications is much faster. There are almost no load times now. Using specific apps, such as Twitter, there's a noticeable difference. When I used to use Twitter, I'd wait a while to kind of update my tweets. It would take a long time for them to load. But now even if I have 100 tweets or even more in my backlog, I simply just swipe my finger and instantly they're all there.
Also, going to websites and stuff like that from Twitter is much easier. So, using things like that and Facebook, in particular, are going to feel much smoother. But really, across the board in all applications, the device just feels cleaner, smoother, and has more utility. Honestly, the experience just feels better, and I think that's probably the major thing of what anybody should be looking for in an operation system upgrade.
So one of the new functions that comes with iOS 6 is pretty welcomed as it actually allows Siri to interact with all the apps that you have on your phone. So, if you wanted to launch Pulse, for instance:
[Speaking to phone: Launch Pulse.]
Siri reply: It doesn't look like you have an app named Pulse.]
Of course, Siri still has the terrible speech recognition that she does, but try one more time. [Speaking to phone: Launch Pulse.]
There you go, nice and easy. I can instantly get into anything. If you're hands-free it's a lot easier to do than simply clicking. Additionally, Siri will also be able to access certain types of information on the fly, such as sports games, movie times, and even help you make reservations at restaurants. While this isn't a great depth of information, these nice little features actually come in handy.
[Speaking to phone: What was the score of the Packers game?]
Siri reply: The Packers lost a close one to the Seahawks yesterday. The final score was 14 to 12.]
It doesn't really capture everything that happened in that game, but still you can see you get the basic information rather quickly.
Okay, so in the same light of a photo stream, users will also be able to take panoramic pictures. Again, this is something very simple, but it is quite satisfying, and it's a feature that they didn't have before. So, while Android has had it for a while, it's still a joy to have and I think iPhone users will be happy to have it.
Source:brighthand
How to Block Caller ID Spoofing
Caller-ID spoofing is the process of changing the name that comes up on another person's phone when you call them. Caller-ID spoofing software can change the Caller-ID that appears to anything the user wants. One good way to block such practices is to use a service that reveals the true number of the caller.
Instructions
1 Visit a website like Traumatically.2 Click on "Try Trap call Free."
3 Click on "Start free trial." Fill out your information in the boxes once the next page loads. Click "Create Account."
4 Deny a call that you get that may be caller-ID spoofed. Trapcall will then send you the true number of the caller.
Source: ehow
How to Protect Your Smartphone From Viruses
Tips
1
Open attachments on your phone with the same caution as you do on your computer. This includes attachments in emails and in MMS messages. Don't open attachments from people you don't know. Also, don't open attachments from a contact if the message looks suspicious. Your contact's phone or computer may be infected with a virus that is emailing or messaging itself to everyone on his contact list, including you.
2
Watch for suspicious links sent through email or text messages. Never click on questionable links. Like attachments, these may be sent by people you don't know who are posing as individuals on your contact list. If you are suspicious about a link sent to you by a contact, email or text message the sender to ask if he sent the message. He may not know his phone or computer is infected by a virus that is sending messages to his contacts.
3
Download apps only from legitimate app stores, and read the reviews before buying to make sure there is no buzz about a virus attached with the app. The Malicious Mobile Threats Report finds that as the demand for apps increases, so does the proliferation of viruses, particularly spyware. Viruses can transfer through any type of application, including gaming apps, fake anti-virus apps, fake financial-tracking apps and social networking apps.
4
Practice safe memory card use. Never share your memory card with another cell phone. An infected memory card can spread a virus to each phone it contacts.
5
Set the Bluetooth option on your phone to the undiscoverable setting. Some viruses penetrate phones through a Bluetooth connection. This attack is especially tricky; you need only walk by an infected Bluetooth device while your phone is discoverable, and the virus can transfer to your phone. The first documented Bluetooth virus, the Cabir virus, which arrived in 2004, didn't harm your phone or steal valuable information, but it ran the phone battery down quickly by constantly trying to discover nearby Bluetooth connections through which to spread. Current Bluetooth viruses are more malicious; they steal contact information and disable phones.
Third-Party Apps
6
Protect your iPhone from malware and other virus infections with anti-virus apps. Choose from a handful of well-known and trusted anti-virus software providers, as some viruses present themselves as inexpensive or free virus software from unknown companies. SmrtGuard Solutions' Snap Secure app and the Lookout Mobile Security app from Lookout Inc. both protect your iPhone from viruses while backing up your important data and allowing you to track or wipe your iPhone if it's lost or stolen. McAfee Enterprise Mobility Management from Trust Digital is designed for business environments with multiple mobile devices, including iPhones. Snap Secure, Lookout Mobile Security and EMM are all free downloads at the iPhone App Store. Intego created the Virus Barrier iOS software specifically for the iPhone and iPad to scan for and block any viruses from transferring to your computer when you connect the mobile device to it. Virus Barrier can be downloaded from the App Store for a small fee.
7
If you own an Android-powered phone, download anti-virus from reliable suppliers to protect your personal information. The Kaspersky Mobile Security app offers find-and-wipe services as well as virus and spam protection. In addition to standard virus scans, Norton Mobile Security can lock your phone to protect personal data during a virus attack or if the phone is lost or stolen. The Bullguard Mobile Security app protects against viruses, identity theft and online fraud, and it offers parental controls, a basic backup and SIM card protection. All these apps are available for download from the Android Market.
8
Add anti-virus protection for your BlackBerry with Bullguard Mobile Security, which offers a user-friendly online interface that allows you to manage your virus protection and back up information from your phone or your computer. Also useful is SmrtGuard's Snap Secure app for handy information in addition to virus protection; the app warns how new apps may affect your privacy settings and leave your device vulnerable to virus attack. The app also provides BlackBerry users with Personal Guardian service, with which you create a panic button that sends out a text message or phone call with your location. The NetQin Mobile Security for BlackBerry app provides two levels of protection: one local for your phone and one cloud based. It offers real-time virus scanning and a backup of all your data. Download Snap Secure from the BlackBerry App World. Bullguard Mobile Security and NetQin Mobile Security are available for download at the developers' websites.
9
Even if your Windows computer is protected with anti-virus software, you still need a separate mobile app for your phone. Find Windows Mobile virus protection with the Kaspersky Mobile Security app, which offers a full range of protection not available in its BlackBerry and Android apps. These additional features include data encryption and parental controls. In addition to virus protection, the Bullguard Mobile Security app offers a spam filter and firewall protection with its Windows Mobile apps, which are not offered with its Android and BlackBerry versions. NetQin's NQ Mobile Security for Windows Phone app offers anti-virus scans and data backups as well as private and safe-browsing capabilities. NQ Mobile Security is available from the Windows Phone Marketplace. Kaspersky Mobile Security and Bullguard Mobile Security can be downloaded from the developers' websites.Source: ehow
The Age of Facebook, Politics and Broken Friendships
The Age of Facebook, Politics and Broken Friendships
With the presidential election on the horizon, you've probably seen your share of Facebook political arguments and sloganeering lately. After a few too many barbs, taunts and arguments, you may have even unfriended or hidden some particularly contentious Facebook friends, because you're sick of the bickering and name-calling.
The good news: the election is in two weeks, and the in-fighting over candidates may die down after. The bad news: Facebook's growing political influence means that people will continue to use the site as a soapbox for some time to come.
Rules of Polite Society: No Longer Applicable
Politics and religion have always been controversial subjects -- everybody's mom has said more than once never to discuss the two topics in public. But Facebook puts a fine line on what's public and what's private, and many who use the social network don't have much of a filter when it comes to what they think and what they say in polite society.
The resulting arguments aren't just simple exchanges where people agree to disagree with each other. They're testing social media relationships and breaking up even offline friendships as people passionately defend the candidate and issue of their choice. But, do those arguments accomplish anything beyond hurt feelings, depleted friends lists and the possible loss of real-life friendships?How the Arguments Start
It doesn't take much to begin a political argument on Facebook -- often, just a simple statement of any political opinion and a few related comments are enough to get the ball rolling. With a political season as contentious as this one, and with a race that's running neck-to-neck, according to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal, it should come as little surprise that people are worked up over this election.
The contentious political climate is also dovetailing with a change in the way people are communicating on Facebook. What used to be a selective space of light-hearted status updates, TMI and pictures of babies and kittens is now a public forum for engagement, complete with in-depth discussions. And as the nature of Facebook interaction changes, people use it to debate the issues that are important to them, including politics, said Laura Simpson, global director of McCann Truth Central, to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
McCann in September conducted a survey about social media and politics and found that Facebook users think of the site much differently now than they did four years ago.
"Facebook is evolving into more of a debate space for issues," Simpson told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Before, it was a much more personal record, or archive, of your social life. Now, there are [updates about] weddings and babies, but you'll also see political views and videos about topics that people feel passionate about."
It can be compared to the soap boxes of old, when people gathered on street corners to hear others shouting out opinions or speeches. Those messages only reached a limited number of people, but in contrast on Facebook, a user can get his or her message to thousands of people within seconds, without leaving the comfort of their homes -- and without the dangers that come from angering people face-to-face.
Meanwhile, the very immediacy of Facebook lends itself to heated arguments as well. In person, two people might slow down and think before they speak, but on Facebook, you're only limited by how fast you type, and thousands of people can see even the most argumentative post before you've had a chance to delete it.
Mobile technology also makes it easy and quick for users to update their political arguments. With most people accessing the Internet through their cellphones, the days when users had to wait until they got home to shout out their viewpoints, denying a contentious poster a bit of a cooling-off period and time to think about what he's saying are gone.
Facebook's user interface also makes it difficult to get rid of what you've said, even if you want to. Users can now edit their own comments, but if you've made the initial post that starts a political argument, you can't go back and edit it to better reflect what you wanted to say.
More people seeing and commenting on their friends's posts is fueling arguments exponentially, and could make a difference on Election Day.
Who Argues and Why Does It Matter?
As annoying as the political posts are, they can make a difference in how people vote. According to a Pew Research Center survey, more than 66 percent of social media users go online to post thoughts about civic and political issues, react to others' postings and to press their friends to act on issues and vote.
The Pew Center found more than a third of social networking site users say the sites are important to them in keeping up with political news, and several admit that people's political postings can sway their minds on issues or candidates.
Of course, not everybody is posting political commentary. One in six users say they've posted about politics, says Pew, but of the other users who don't post political content, about one-fifth say they don't because they're worried they will upset or offend someone.
Those fears are very valid, Joseph Burns, a professor of communication at Southeastern Louisiana University told Businessnewsdaily.com.
"Political punditry has become so prevalent -- and sometimes so mean -- that people are being 'unfriend\' until the election is over," said Burns.
Burns, who conducted his own survey, asked 24 of his friends, half Democrats and half Republicans, about their political postings. Most said they posted to point out falsehoods, correct media stories they thought were wrong and to share their personal opinions. More than half said they believe their posts will affect how others cast their ballots.
"My friends who believed they were having an effect said they hoped to encourage people to follow their lead," Burns said. "A number generally agreed with one friend's statement that 'You can sway people's voting decisions based on good, factual discussions.' They wanted to bring to the table an angle that others may not have considered or to 'strike a chord with those who may not agree but are open to interesting ideas.'"
How Politicians Benefit
Political arguments, just like fights over religion, are subjective and have no clear winner. One person's beloved leader can be another person's worst fear.
But while people argue, they're getting politicians' messages out there, including quoting their speeches, referring to their websites, and otherwise giving them free publicity through word of mouth.
Tech-savvy campaigns already use social media to mobilize their volunteers and sway voters over to their sites. One way is through targeted ads, which work through cookies based on people's "likes." Liking someone's comment on Medicare, for instance, can prompt a series of targeted campaign ads to appear on the side of the page on your next click.
Politicians also depend heavily on social media to spread the word about their campaigns. Romney and Obama have strong Facebook and Twitter presences, as do their wives, letting supporters feel like they have a close, personal connection with the candidate of their choice.
The Burns poll revealed Democrats who use social networking sites say the information they gather there is important when deciding political issues, but the Republican Party also increased its online presence this year to satisfy the party faithful and sway people who remain undecided.
Organizations also seed content to Facebook to keep the political campaign going. They know Facebook users pay more attention to people's updates than political ads, so they create content such as photos, video and statuses that can be picked up and quickly go viral.
How to Get Around the Arguments
The election is just a few weeks away, but it's likely the arguments will continue to escalate, particularly since the candidates are in a dead heat.
But those stuck between wanting to see a Facebook friend's new baby and also putting up with their constant postings about the evil of whatever political party she hates will tread a fine line between maintaining a friendship and unfriending that person online and in real life.
Some unfriend political posters, because they don't want to fight about posts and they don't like how people are calling each other names. But it may be easier -- and you may be able to preserve your real-life and online friendships -- by using Facebook's privacy settings to hide would-be pundits, who won't know they're hidden from your wall. By using the privacy settings, users can ignore the political arguments without losing friendships that they may have had in real life for several years.
Meanwhile, if you're the one posting all the political statements and then sitting back and enjoying the fireworks, your own reputation may be harmed. People who rarely socialize with Facebook friends offline find themselves making assumptions about people from their posts, and people who post incessantly about one topic -- even if it's not political -- risk sounding obsessed and annoying.
In addition, people who argue without keeping tight privacy controls on their pages can risk their bosses or business associates seeing their names associated with political viewpoints they don't subscribe to.
And Burns, in his survey, found that most of the respondents say they plan to stop posting about politics after the election, so if you can hold out until a few weeks after the results and outcry -- whichever way the vote goes -- dies down, you may be able to preserve your sanity, plus your lists of connections.
Just remember, it's only two more weeks of earnest campaigning, and then the election will be all over with -- just in time to debate those deadbeat, no-count, cheating, lying, criminal idiots that everyone else (but not the poster) put into office.
Source: mobiledia
Thursday, October 25, 2012
How to Transfer Media to Your Android Phone
Method 1: Kies Air—Wireless Transfer
Works for: Music, photos, recorded videos, other files—non-DRM protected content only
Overview: Kies Air makes it simple to transfer and manage multimedia content, text messages, bookmarks and more between your mobile device and a PC or Mac when they share the same wireless access point or router.
Why this way is great: Kies Air doesn’t require any additional software to be installed on your computer or mobile device while providing a powerful and intuitive tool for managing your content.
Requirements:
Windows
Internet Explorer 7 or higher
Mozilla Firefox 3.5 or higher
Google Chrome 9.0 or higher
MacOS
Safari 4.0 or higher
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
Step-by-step Instructions:
1. To connect to Kies Air from your Samsung device, touch Applications > Kies Air > Start.
2. If not already connected to a Wi-Fi® network, you will be asked to connect, or (if available) turn on your device’s Wi-Fi hotspot capability. Note: Your Samsung device and computer (PC or Mac) must be on the same Wi-Fi network in order to connect.
3. Kies Air will display a URL. Enter that URL in your computer’s web browser.
4. On the Samsung device, touch Allow to grant access to the device.
5. Download or manage files from the web-based interface on your computer’s browser.
6. Touch Stop on the handset to end the syncing session.
Method 2: Drag & Drop—USB Wired Transfer
Works for: Music, photos, recorded videos, other files—non-DRM protected content only
Overview: Just plug your device into your computer using a USB cable, adjust some settings and start dragging and dropping files and folders.
Why this way is great: This method is great when you’re used to working with files and folders or just have a few files that you want to move.
Requirements: USB Cable that shipped with your Samsung device or a USB Cable that fits both your computer and Samsung device.
Note: The method described below applies to newer Samsung smartphones like the Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). For device-specific instructions, visit samsung.com/support and click Mobile. Search for your specific device and instructions for USB connecting.
Step-by-step Instructions:
1. Attach your Samsung device to your computer (PC or Mac) using the USB cable. If this is the first time you’ve connected your device to your computer, it will install the necessary drivers on your computer.
2. On your Samsung device, touch Applications > Settings > Wireless and network > USB utilities.
3. Remove the USB cable from you Samsung device.
4. On your Samsung device touch “Connect storage to PC.” You will see a warning: “USB utilities / Connect USB cable to use mass storage.” Insert the USB cable into your Samsung device while the message is still on the screen. Do not touch “Cancel.”
5. The screen will change to “USB mass storage” with a picture of a green Android and a message that says “USB connected.” Touch “Connect USB storage” at the bottom.
6. Your Samsung device is now connected to your computer. The device’s internal storage will appear on your computer as an external drive. If you also have a microSD card installed, this will show up as a second external drive.
7. You can now drag and drop files directly from your computer or iTunes to your device. You can create folders on your device as necessary to organize your files. Your device will automatically index these files and make them available in your media player.
8. IMPORTANT NOTE FOR MAC USERS: Before you disconnect your device from your Mac, you must eject the disks on your Mac, just as you would eject any disk or flash drive. After the drives have been ejected, touch “Disconnect storage from PC” on your Samsung device.
9. When you’ve moved all of the files you need to, disconnect the USB cable.
Method 3: DoubleTwist—USB Wired Transfer
Works for: Music, photos, recorded videos, playlists—non-DRM protected content only
Overview: Manage and sync your iTunes music, photos and videos with this popular and lightweight software. It’s easy to use and completely free. Also supports wireless sync with the Air Sync client ($4.99 on Google Play).
Why this way is great: This method not only syncs your media, but also your playlists and track ratings.
Requirements: Visit doubletwist.com for additional details.
Step-by-step Instructions:
1. Download DoubleTwist from Google Play on your Samsung device.
2. On your computer (PC or Mac), use your browser to go to doubletwist.com, and use the link to download DoubleTwist. Follow the installation instructions.
3. Follow the instructions on the app on your device and the computer to set up synchronization between DoubleTwist on your computer and Samsung device.
4. NOTE: If DoubleTwist has trouble recognizing your Samsung device when it is attached to your computer’s USB port, follow the instructions below to connect your Samsung device as a storage drive. Once complete, try the synchronization process again.
a. Attach your Samsung device to your computer (PC or Mac) using the USB cable. If this is the first time you’ve connected your device to your computer it will install the necessary drivers on your computer.
b. On your Samsung device, touch Applications Settings > Wireless and network > USB utilities.
c. Remove the USB cable from your Samsung device.
d. On your Samsung device touch “Connect storage to PC.” You will see a warning: “USB utilities / Connect USB cable to use mass storage.” Insert the USB cable into your Samsung device while the message is still on the screen. Do not touch “Cancel.”
e. The screen will change to “USB mass storage” with a picture of a green Android and a message that says “USB connected.” Touch “Connect USB storage” at the bottom.
Method 4: Google Play Music—Wireless cloud service
Works for: Music—non-DRM protected content only
Overview: Google Play stores all your music purchases and up to 20,000 songs from your personal collection for free. Listen on the web and your mobile devices without the hassle of wires.
Why this way is great: This method stores all of your content in the cloud and makes it available to stream or download to almost any device. It also plays music already loaded on your device, and allows you to purchase new tracks.
Requirements: Visit play.google.com/music for more details.
Note: Streaming music is only available through the Google Play Music app and not the native device Music Player. For devices that do not have the Google Play Music app pre-installed, it may be downloaded from Google Play.
Step-by-step Instructions:
1. On your computer (PC or Mac), use your browser to go to play.google.com/music/.
2. In the upper-right corner of the Google Play Music page, click on the “UPLOAD MUSIC” link.
3. From the “UPLOAD MUSIC” tab that appears, click on the “Download Music Manager” link.
4. Follow the instructions to upload your music to Google’s Music cloud. This process will take some time and will vary depending on the number of songs you choose to upload. You only need to complete this initial upload once. This initial upload process could take a few days, continuously uploading, or even longer, depending on how much music you have and the speed of your Internet connection.
5. Once your music has been uploaded, open the Google Play Music app on your Samsung device. Touch Applications > Play Music.
6. NOTE: You must be logged into a Google account to use Google Play Music. The first time you open the app, you will be asked to select your Google account.
7. Google Play Music may take a few minutes to synchronize your playlist to your Samsung device. Once your music appears, you can start playing.
Source
Apple iPhone full guide
1. Simple introduction about iPhone
Screen resolution: 320 by 480 pixels (160 ppi),Operating system: OS X
GSM Quad-band (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Wireless data
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) / EDGE / Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Battery: Talk Time: Up to 8 hours; Standby Up to 250 hours; Internet Use Up to 6 hours; Video Playback Up to 7 hours; Audio playback Up to 24 hours.
iPhone Supported Video format:
H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;
H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats;
MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
iPhone Cost: $59.99 a month for 450 minutes of talk time, $79.99 for 900 minutes and $99.99 for 1,350 minutes along with unlimited data service. There also is a $36 activation fee. Customers can pay extra for plans to get more talk time or text messages. Several family-style plans also are available, ranging from $80 a month for 700 shared minutes to $120 for 2,100 shared minutes.
Full iPhone Demo Guide: Apple - iPhone - A Guided TourFor more iPhone info: IPhone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia2. How to rip DVD and IFO to MP4 for iPhone
Step1. Download "Aimersoft iPhone Converter Suite", install and run it. For Windows Vista user, you may have to run this program as Administrator, right click the program shortcut and click "Run as Administrator".
Step2. Run the DVD to iPhone Converter. Load your DVD by clicking "Load DVD" button, you also can load IFO file from your hard drive by clicking "Load File" button.
Step3. Click the drop download list to select the Audio and Subtitle you want, you also can change the output location. A regular DVD movie has several titles, such as MTV DVD, by default, this software will merge all the DVD chapters into one video clips, you can check the click box before the title list to select any DVD clips you want to rip.
As format: This software supports three Apple products: iPhone, iPod and Apple TV. It can rip DVD to MP4, M4A; it also can rip audio from DVD to MP3, AAC. Just select "iPhone Video MPEG-4 (*.mp4)"
After you finish the settings, click "Start" button to start the conversion.
3. How to convert AVI, MPEG, FLV, WMV, MOV, ASF, MP4, DAT, RM, RMVB, MPG, 3GP to MP4 for iPhone
1. Click "Video to iPhone Converter" to load the Aimersoft Video to iPhone Converter. Then click "Add" button to load video files. This software supports batch conversion, so you can add several video clips at one time.
2. The operation is similar with DVD to iPhone Converter, this software can join several different video clips into one file, if you want to join video, just check the box "Merge into one file". You also can customize the resolution, video bit rate, encoder, frame rate, audio bit rate, channel, etc in the setting panel by clicking the "Settings" button. The program also lets you create a profile and save it, then you can use different settings for each video clips.
3. Click "Start" button to start the conversion after you finish the settings.
Tips:
1. This software provides rich video editing functions for you to trim, crop and edit DVD movie. Click the "Crop" button, and then you will see a pop up window (See the figure below). There is a frame in dashed line around the movie video; you can drag it to cut the black edges.2. You can click the "Effect" button and customize the brightness, saturation, contrast, volume, etc . You can even apply special effects such as "Emboss", "Negative", "Old film" and "Gray" by selecting an effect from drop-down list.
3. This software can capture pictures from DVD movie, there is a small camera icon below the preview windows, click it when you preview the movie, it can save picture as JPEG and BMP.
How to rip DVD and convert video to iPhone with Cucusoft iPhone Converter Suite?
1. Download Cucusoft DVD to iPhone + iPhone Video Converter Suite, install and run it. Click "Open DVD" button to load DVD file from your DVD drive or hard drive.
2. Click on "Setting" and go to menu "Subtitle" to select the subtitle and select the audio.
3. The converter will automatically detect the main movie of your DVDs, it will popup with below window to let you make a decision, just keep the setting of "Record from movie start point" and output file size setting, the default setting is the best for good quality and compact output file size, click "Yes" to start ripping DVD to iPhone video files.
Run iPhone Video Converter and click "open file" to load videos. Then click 'Output' and choose the path where you want to save your video files. Click 'Convert' to start converting video to iPhone MP4 video.
For more iPhone converters, you can refer this iPhone Converter review:
DVD to iPhone Converter review
Wondershare(win): http://www.dvd-ripper-copy.com/iphone-converter-suite.html
Videora(win): http://www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/iPhone/
SUPER(win): http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html
handbrake(mac): http://handbrake.m0k.org
Imtoo(win): http://www.imtoo.com/dvd-to-iphone-suite.html
Xilisoft(win): http://www.xilisoft.com/dvd-to-iphone-suite.html
Lenogo(win): http://www.lenogo.com/dvdtoiphoneconverter/index.htmTrouble shooting:
To convert RM/RMVB real media files to MP4, you may have to install Real player:
http://www.real.com/freeplayer4. Where to download free video and rip CD to MP3 for iPhone
1. iTunes store: $0.99 for one song, $9.99 for one movie, $1.99 for one TV show. Just install iTunes and visit the iTunes store.
2. Limewire is fast and popular file sharing freeware working on Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Through the P2P (peer-to-peer) network, you can free download various files by its category or keyword searching.
3. Other stream video website such as video.yahoo, Myspace, etc. here is a list of free stream video website
here is a guide to show you how to download stream video with vixy.net : Online FLV Converter : Download online videos direct to PC / iPod / PSP. It's free!KeepVid: Download videos from Google, Youtube, iFilm, Putfile, Metacafe, DailyMotion!and Firefox.
step by step guide download free youtube, google, yahoo video to computer for free
the download stream video is flv file, if the free online flv converter couldn't deal with it, you can use trySUPERorAimersoft iPhone Video Converter, and they can convert flv video to any format you want.
4. Rip your own CD to MP3 for iPhone; iTunes can help you to do that. Install and run iTunes, click "Edit -> Preference -> Advanced -> importing tab" to change the "Import Using" to MP3 Encoder, you can also customize the audio bit rate here. Then click OK and put your CD into your disc drive, iTunes will automatically recognize that you've loaded a CD. Now you can either choose individual songs for import by checking only the tracks you want and un-checking all the rest (all songs are selected for import by default). Simply click the Import button on the upper right corner of iTunes and let the software do the job. All of the selected files will be encoded into MP3 digital music files and saved in your iTunes music directory by Artist and Album. (If you're not sure where to locate your files, you can find out by going back to the "Edit -> Preferences -> Advanced tab". Here you can see the default iTunes Music folder location.
Transfer music and video to iPhone
You need iTunes version 7.30 or later to sync music and video to iPhone.If you don't have iTunes yet, you can download free from here.
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
If you already have iTunes, just create a play list; drag your music and video to the list (set your
iTunes to "manually manage music and video"), connect your iPhone to computer via USB cable, then click iTunes "File -> Sync iPhone", Done.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Law
Exploring The Many Benefits Of Changing Your Desktop Wallpaper
People spend so much time on their computers or laptops these days that they don't seem to worry about the television anymore. Some stay on the computer a lot because of their work. But others just love to hang around in the cyber world even more than in the real one. They spend hours and hours each day surfing the net, playing games, or just loitering in social networking sites. Of course, there are also those who run businesses online so they have a legitimate excuse for their addiction. The only problem is that spending too much time in front of the computer or laptop can lead to a lot of eye strain. So how do you remedy this?
Apart from the usual medical tips that you should take a few minutes off for every hour you spend in front of the computer, there is also another way to ease your eye strain. This is choosing a soothing desktop wallpaper or background so that you can still sit in front of it without stressing your eyes. There are so many kinds of high-quality desktop wallpapers you can choose from that can soothe and stimulate your visual senses. For example, try nature photos in bold, beautiful colors that will make you feel as if you're really sitting near a waterfall or lying on the grass. Landscapes are good, too, particularly movie scenes of beautiful places like the city of Paris or cherry blossom festivals in Japan.
Now this is not the only benefit you can get out of a great, high-definition desktop wallpaper. Did you also know that just changing your wallpaper can actually change up the look of your computer or laptop as well? Even if it isn't really a new unit, you can still make it appear attractive by switching your desktop wallpaper for a more eye-catching one. Anyone wanting to use your laptop will be intrigued at the lovely images. And of course, you also feel better about it yourself! Moreover, changing your background also allows you to explore your creativity. How is this so? Well for one thing, lots of people these days have taken to making their own wallpapers for their desktops. Using simple Photoshop programs, it's pretty easy to blend images to create better ones. Or, you can really make your own from scratch.
Last but not least, changing your desktop wallpaper has been proven to reduce stress, not just on your eyes. Take for example if you're feeling really depressed. It won't help if your old wallpaper sports gloomy colors or scenes of gore and despair. Just by picking a new one that showcases happier and more hopeful images can initiate a difference in your mood. If this doesn't convince you, why don't you try it out sometime. For example, if you're feeling particularly irritated, why not put up a wallpaper of that celebrity crush or lead singer in that band you've been drooling over for practically forever. Somehow, you will feel even just the slightest change of mood for the better!
You can download hd wallpaper with different themes like nature, movies, sports, and more for free from numerous sites online.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edgar_Pharo
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edgar_Pharo
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Android tips
How to Switch between Open Apps
When running an app, you can minimize it by simply tapping the Home icon. Getting back to it is not just one click on the task bar like the way you do in Windows. But the Android way is pretty straightforward too.Tap the Recent Apps icon to reveal the apps that you recently opened. (Note 2)
Slide down to see more recent apps.
Tap a screenshot from the list to instantly switch to the app.
Note 1: You can clear the recent apps from the list by swiping them sideways one by one.
Note 2: On Android 2.x, touch and hold the Home button to reveal recent apps.
How to Close a Running App
The Android system doesn't need you to close a running app for every instance. But in some cases you may need to force stop an app that's misbehaving, or like playing a game, you may need to actually close the app in order to start a new level rather than continuing the last. Here are the steps to follow:Run the Settings app and tap Apps under DEVICE.
Select the app you want to close.
Tap the 'Force stop' button and tap 'OK' to confirm.
How to Set and Clear a Default App
In Android, you can set a file to open with a certain program by default as you do in Windows. For example, if you have installed an image viewer such as QuickPic, the system will ask you to select an app when you try to open an image file (See the screenshot).To set a default app to open the file, check 'Use by default for this action' before you tap that app.
The next time you tap an image file, it will always open with the app you've selected without asking you again.
What if you need to clear the default app?
Run the Settings app and tap Apps under DEVICE.
Choose the app you do not want to launch by default.
Tap 'Clear defaults' under LAUNCH BY DEFAULT.
How to Uninstall an App
Installing apps from the Google Play store to your Android device is convenient, likewise removing them is pretty straightforward.Tap the All Apps icon on the tray and select the Apps tab on the top.
Touch and hold the icon of the app you want to uninstall.
Drag and drop the app icon over the Uninstall icon then tap 'OK' to confirm. (The Uninstall icon appears only for the app that can be uninstalled from the system.)
Alternatively, you can run the Settings app, tap Apps under DEVICE then select the app you want to uninstall from the list.
How to Add and Remove Icons from Home Screens
When you install an app, the system often adds an app icon on your home screen. This icon works as a shortcut to run the app. In case you need to manually add an app icon or a widget icon yourself, it's pretty easy.Tap the All Apps icon on the tray.
Select the Apps or Widgets tab on the top.
Touch and hold the icon you want to create a shortcut.
Drag and drop the icon on a home screen you like.
To remove an icon from your home screen:
Touch and hold the icon of apps, widgets or shortcuts until the Remove icon appears on the top.
Drag and drop the icon over the Remove icon.
Note: On Android 2.x, you can add a shortcut icon by touching and holding an empty location of a home screen or press Menu then tap 'Add'; On Android 3.0, touch the customize button at the top right of a home screen to add a shortcut icon.
How to Re-arrange Icons
When you install new apps to your Android, the system stacks up the icons automatically without asking you to select a home screen. But you can subsequently re-arrange the icons on the home screens and on the tray.Touch and hold any icon on your screen for a second.
Drag the icon to a different spot on the screen, or even to or from the tray, except for the permanent "All Apps" icon.
You can also drag an icon to the left or right edge of the screen until it starts sliding, then drop the icon to another screen.
How to Create, Rename and Remove Folders
Other than the apps on the tray, sometimes it's difficult to quickly look for an app to open if you have many icons spreading across a few home screens. Why not create a folder to group similar apps together? It's much easier than you might think.Touch and hold any icon for a second.
Drag the icon over the top of another. The system then automatically groups two app icons in a folder.
Touch the folder, then tap "Unnamed Folder", key in a name for the folder and tap "Done".
You can rename a folder at any time—tap a folder then tap its name to rename.
While the system auto creates a folder for you, it does the same to removing a folder automatically—tap a folder to expand it, then clear all grouped items inside the folder—just touch and hold, then drag them out from the folder one by one.
Note: Older Android system doesn't support this feature, but you can rely on a third-party app such as GO Launcher EX to achieve almost the same effect.
How to Type Faster with Multiple Spaces
Instead of typing a period at the end of each sentence and follow by a space, you can tap the space bar twice to get the same result.
How to Type Special Characters
If you often need to switch between the on-screen Alphabet and Number keyboards just to type a comma in a sentence, then why not check out below to find out more?While on the Alphabet keyboard:
, (comma) => touch and hold the Full-stop key (.)
' (single quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the single quotation mark (')
" (double quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the double quotation mark (")
Turn caps lock on/off => double-tap the Shift key to lock, single-tap to unlock.
Special letters not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation (See the screenshot).
Need just a digit or symbol from the Number keyboard? => touch the ?123 key and slide to a digit or symbol key, and you're back to the Alphabet keyboard automatically.
While on the Number keyboard:
Symbols not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation, or tap the #\< key to find out more.
Often type an equation? => touch and hold the #\< key, tap a sign and you're back to the Number keyboard when you release the #\< key.
Need just a letter from the Alphabet keyboard? => touch the ABC key and slide to a letter key, and you're back to the Number keyboard automatically.
How to Cut, Copy and Paste
This looks simple but can be tricky sometimes when you use different apps. In general, these steps can be used in Email or some other apps:Double-tap or touch-and-hold to select a word.
Drag the handles to adjust the area if needed, then tap Cut or Copy.
Tap an insert point, and drag the handle to adjust it if needed.
Select Paste (Hint: tab the handle when the 'Paste' button doesn't appear).
Note: When working in a web browser such as Android's Browser, use touch-and-hold to select a word since "double-tap" has been used to enlarge or reduce a webpage.
How to Turn Off Auto-Correction
When you're typing through, the system checks your spelling and suggests a few words. Unless you've selected one of them, the highlighted suggested word overwrites your word when you finish typing it followed by a space, punctuation mark or return character. If you feel that's annoying, you can turn off Auto-Correction.Open the app Settings and select 'Language & input' under PERSONAL.
Tap the Quick Settings icon next to 'Android keyboard'.
Select 'Auto correction' under TEXT CORRECTION.
Select 'Off' to turn off 'Auto-Correction'.
Note: As an alternative, whenever a word is replaced not to your liking, you can tap the Delete key immediately after which and the system returns the word you've typed.
How to Lock Screen Orientation
The Android screen switches to either the portrait or landscape view in response to the way you hold the device when you run certain apps. What if I want to lock the screen orientation to one view so that the screen doesn't rotate to another? Easy.Run the Settings app.
Tap Display under DEVICE.
Uncheck "Auto-rotate screen".
Your screen will then lock to the portrait mode. To unlock it, check the above option.
How to Print Screen
Where’s the PrintScreen button when you need to take a screen shot of your Android device? Instead of using one button, try a combination of two:Press and hold down the Power and Volume-down buttons simultaneously.
Open the Gallery app, and you can see your screenshot already saved in the Screenshots album.
Note: Older Android system doesn't support this feature, but it has a more complicated way to take screenshots using Android SDK such as this without rooting the device.
How to Select Wallpapers for your Android
You can easily select a wallpaper from a collection of a few in your system and set it as wallpaper for your Home screens.Touch and hold an empty location of a home screen.
Choose either Gallery, Live Wallpapers or Wallpapers from the pop-up menu.
Select an image and set it as wallpaper.
Alternatively, you can run the Settings app, then go to DEVICE > Display > Wallpaper, and continue with the step 2 above.
How to Access Notifications
At the top of your screen, you will see notifications which report calendar events, alarms, incoming mails or other ongoing events. Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the list of notifications, then swipe up from the O-sign to hide it.Depending on the notification type, you can swipe a notification sideway to dismiss it, or tap the X-sign to dismiss all from the list.
To access a notification, tap it and you're taken to the related email, reminder, message or app. The notification then clears automatically from the list where applicable.
Note: When you slide down from the top of the screen, you can also see this Quick Settings icon. Touching this icon is equivalent to running the Settings app.
Source
windows 8 best tricks
Windows 8 is coming, and the recent Consumer Preview showed it's very different to what's gone before.
Out goes the Start menu, in comes the new touch-oriented Metro Start screen, new apps, new interface conventions - even experienced PC users may be left feeling a little lost.
Don't despair, though, help is at hand. We've been investigating every part of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, uncovering many of its most important tips and tricks, so read our guide and you'll soon be equipped to get the most out of Microsoft's latest release.
1. Lock screen
Windows 8 opens on its lock screen, which looks pretty but unfortunately displays no clues about what to do next.
It's all very straightforward, though. Just tap the space bar, spin the mouse wheel or swipe upwards on a touch screen to reveal a regular log in screen with the user name you created during installation. Enter your password to begin.
2. Basic navigation
Windows 8 launches with its new Metro interface, all colourful tiles and touch-friendly apps. And if you're using a tablet then it'll all be very straightforward: just swipe left or right to scroll the screen, and tap any tile of interest.
On a regular desktop, though, you might alternatively spin the mouse wheel to scroll backwards and forwards.
And you can also use the keyboard. Press the Home or End keys to jump from one end of your Start screen to the other, for instance, then use the cursor keys to select a particular tile, tapping Enter to select it. Press the Windows key to return to the Metro screen; right-click (or swipe down on) apps you don't need and select Unpin to remove them; and drag and drop the other tiles around to organise them as you like.
3. App groups
The Start screen apps are initially displayed in a fairly random order, but if you'd prefer a more organised life then it's easy to sort them into custom groups.
You might drag People, Mail, Messaging and Calendar over to the left-hand side, for instance, to form a separate "People" group. Click the magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to carry out a "semantic zoom", and you'll now find you can drag and drop the new group (or any of the others) around as a block.
Right-click within the block (while still in the semantic zoom view) and you'll also be able to give the group a name, which - if you go on to add another 20 or 30 apps to your Start screen - will make it much easier to find the tools you need.
4. Simplified Start menu?
The Windows 8 Developer Preview had a very basic Start menu which you could access by swiping from the right side of a touch screen, or moving the mouse cursor to the bottom left corner of the screen. This has changed a little in the Consumer Preview: now you need to right-click in the bottom left corner (or hold down the Windows key and press X) for a text-based menu which provides easy access to lots of useful applets and features: Device Manager, Control Panel, Explorer, the Search dialog and more.
5. Find your applications
The Win+X menu is useful, but no substitute for the old Start menu as it doesn't provide access to your applications. To find this, hold down the Windows key and press Q (or right-click an empty part of the Start screen and select All Apps) to reveal a scrolling list of all your installed applications. Browse the various tiles to find what you need and click the relevant app to launch it.
6. Easy access
If there's an application you use all the time then you don't have to access it via the search system, of course. Pin it to the Start screen and it'll be available at a click.
Start by typing part of the name of your application. Windows 8 Consumer Preview makes it more difficult to access Control Panel, for instance, so type Control.
Right-click the "Control Panel" tile on the Apps Search screen, and click "Pin to Start".
Now press the Windows key, scroll to the right and you'll see the Control Panel tile at the far end. Drag and drop this over to the left somewhere if you'd like it more easily accessible, then click the tile to open the desktop along with the Control Panel window, and press the Windows key to return you to the Start screen when you've done.
7. Shutting down
You've finished your first Windows 8 session, and would like to close your system down - but with no Start menu it's not exactly obvious how this can be done.
It's easy enough when you know the secret, though. Just move the mouse cursor to the bottom right corner of the screen, click the Settings icon - or just hold down the Windows key and press I - and you'll see a power button. Click this and choose "Shut down" or "Restart".
Some of the tricks available in previous versions of Windows still apply. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del, for instance, click the power button in the bottom right-hand corner and you'll be presented with the same "Shut down" and "Restart" options.
And if you're on the desktop, press Alt+F4 and you'll be able to choose Shut Down, Restart, Sign Out or Switch User options.
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