July 2016

7/30/2016 03:35:00 pm 3

5 Best Free Video Calling Apps for Android


With the introduction of faster mobile data networks such as 3G and 4G technology, video calls has become a popular way to communicate with someone through mobile devices. It lets you see the other person that you are calling.
If you have an Android phone with front facing camera and are on 3G/4G or Wi-Fi network, then you can easily make video calls for free. In order to make a free video call, you need to have a video calling app installed on your phone. The following are some of the best free video calling apps for Android.
  1. Skype – Free IM & Video calls
    Skype is undoubtedly one of the best video calling app available on all major platforms including Android. Most of you may have familiar with Skype which has been around for a long time.
    The app supports both the front facing and the rear camera for absolutely no charge. You can make video calls on your Android phone using Skype to Skype. Apart from video calling, you can also make voice calls and phone calls to landlines and other mobile numbers using Skype credits at a very cheap rate.
    Other Skype features:
    • Send and receive instant messages for free.
    • Send photos, videos and files of any size for free.
    • Share your special moments with free and unlimited video messaging over Skype.



Line is one of the most popular instant messenger apps, which has over 380 million users worldwide and is available on all major mobile OS platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.
The app has now support video calls that allow you to communicate face to face with your friends and family. That video calls will be supported over both Wi-Fi and 3G networks and users can also switch between video and voice anytime during the call.
The interesting feature of the Line is that you can add friends in various ways such as shake it together to add the friend or exchange your ID via QR code.
Other Line features:
  • You can update your friends about what you’ve been doing lately using text, photos, movies, stickers and even location info.
  • You’ll find hilarious and fun stickers featuring famous characters from all over the world!


Oovoo is another great app that allows you to video chat with your friends and family using high quality video and audio. The app is available on almost all mobile platforms as well as desktop OS.

Just like the other apps, Oovoo allows you to send text messages, make voice and video calling for free using 3G, 4G or Wifi connection. It also integrates with Facebook and Twitter, so you chat with your friends using the social networks. The best part about the app is that it allows group video chatting with up to 12 people simultaneously.
Other Oovoo features:
  • Video and photo messaging.
  • Fab 5 – put your five best friends on speed dial!
  • OoVies™ – video status messages that you display on your profile or send to friends!
  • Full-page profile screen featuring your ooVies, profile pic, and more!
  • Colorful, creative filters for in-call video and video recording.

This is the official Yahoo! Messenger for Android. If your workmates, friends or family are using the Yahoo mail service, then this is definitely your best choice for making video call on your Android phone. Like the Skype, Yahoo! Messenger also allows free voice calls, IMs and international phone calls at cheap rates. You can also send photos, videos, and chat with your Facebook friends with this app.
Other Yahoo! Messenger features:
  • Free international SMS
  • Chat with Windows Live friends

Tango is also one of the best video calling app for Android. It provides high quality video & phone calls for FREE. Unlike other video calling apps, Tango does not require you to sign in, making it easier for you to communicate with your friends and family.
Tango also focused on social networking where you can send personalized messages with fun animations, share photos and even challenge your friends in games during calls. This app is available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone.
Other Tango features:
  • Listen & share songs clips powered by Spotify
  • Edit your photos & share with friends
  • Find all your pictures & videos in a central photo gallery
  • Play a mini-game or share photos during a call

These are some of the free Android apps which we think are the best for making video calls. Though you can download them for free, but using them will eat up a lot of your data plan. So, beware of your data limit or use them over Wi-Fi only.
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7/17/2016 03:58:00 pm

Top 10 New Features of Android M


Google has announced the Developer Preview of the next version of its Android operating system, Android M, at Google I/O 2015 in San Francisco. However, they did not announce which pastry or dessert it will be named after yet.
At the conference, Google senior VP of Products Sundar Pichai said that the Android M operating system will concentrate more on improving the stability and usability of the platform. There will be a lot more emphasis on the quality of the platform rather than a radically new look.
While not a major overhaul, it has some new features that make it worth getting excited about. Here are some cool new features you can expect to see in Android M.

     Chrome Custom Tabs




Android M delivers an improved web experience with Chrome Custom Tabs. This new feature will let you included chrome web view within a particular app,so you don't need to switch to the chrome browser on your phone, the chrome broswer will run stop your app,in case your clock on any link within the app, chrome features such as automatic sign-in saved passwords, auto-fill will work on the apps seamlessly

     Android Pay




Android M will also come with Android Pay, a Google’s new mobile payments system designed to make the checkout process easier and faster.Burke said that Android Pay will be available at 700,000 stores across the United States, and will work at any payment terminal equipped with NFC. To use it, all you’ll need to do is just unlock the phone and place it in front of a NFC compatible POS terminal.

     Fingerprint Support




Google will “standardize support” for fingerprint scanners on phones running Android M. The new functionality will allow fingerprint scanners to be used not only to unlock phones, but also to make purchases using Android Pay.Of course, your device will need a hardware fingerprint scanner to begin with, but with Google’s full support, expect to see these appear on many more devices in the future.

     Google Now on Tap





With the release of Android M, Google Now will become more contextually aware than ever. Now, you’ll be able to get contextual information on anything you have currently running on your phone screen. So if you’re watching a video on YouTube, simply hold down on the home button to find out more information about someone in the video.
Other additional Google Now improvements include the ability to say ‘OK Google’ wherever you are in the Android operating system.

     Doze mode




Android M will feature a new function known as Doze to improve device standby time. This feature uses the device’s motion sensors to detect when a device has no activity for a period of time and will automatically shut down some process so apps that use a lot of power doesn’t drain your battery. Since it is in the Doze stage, the system can still get activated by alarms and high priority notifications. According to Google, this feature has helped increase the standby-time on the Nexus 9 by almost two times over the Android 5.0 Lollipop.

      App Permissions




Currently, you have to accept all permissions when you install an app, but with Android M, you can decide which permissions that you want to allow or revoke, based on when those particular functions are used.
For example, you can give WhatsApp access to your camera, but not to your microphone if you wish. You can even modify the permissions granted to apps at a later date in your Settings and see which apps have that permission granted.

      App Links





Android M also make it easier to link from one app to another without having to land on a web page in-between. Android M’s new app links use a special verification method to ensure that app-specific links go to the right place. For example, clicking a Twitter link in an email will take you right to the Twitter app, instead of the Twitter web page that you’re probably not logged into.

      Direct Share






Android M has a new feature called ‘Direct Share’ which lets you share content to your most frequent contacts or apps with a single click.
Your Android will learn which app you share content to the most and place it at the top of the list, so if you share photos to the Facebook app a lot, it will be at the top. Direct Share also lets you share content to specific people that you contact the most, so they are placed directly in the share sheet instead of having to hunt them in the contacts list.

     Simplified Volume Control





With Android M, Google has simplified the volume controls. The new simplified volume control will let you independently change ringtones, media, or alarm volume, directly from the volume rocker.

Auto App Backups

Another feature that Google introduced in Android M is the ability of the OS to automatically backup app data to Google Drive, so if you accidentally deleted app, you can now download it again and it will be set up like it was before. Until the final version of Android M is released, Google is limiting the backup size of per app to 25MB, though this space is not counted towards the free 15GB storage space offered in Google Drive.
Like previous versions of Android, the final release is expected out later this year but you can download the developer preview now if you have a Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, or Nexus Player.
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7/15/2016 03:46:00 pm


How to Backup Everything on Rooted and           

Non-rooted Android Phones



How to Backup on Non-rooted Android Phones



1. Backup apps, contact, and phone settings

For users who want to backup your phone without using third party apps, you can use Google account to backup your apps, contact, settings, etc. To do it, go to Settings -> backup and reset. Make sure ‘backup my data’ and ‘automatic restore’ options are checked, and on the ‘backup account’, select the Google account to which you’d like to sync your data. Then go to your Google account and check all the ‘sync’ options available. Now, your data will be restored whenever you set up your phone with that same Gmail account.






If you prefer to use third-party apps, I recommend My Backup. This is a lite version of MyBackup Pro, which is a paid version of the app. This app is by far the most easy-to-use backup app for non-rooted device. You can backup your phone data to SD card or to cloud service at no extra cost.

2.    Backup photos, music, and videos

As Google does not have a native backup service for photos, music and videos yet, so you’ll have to backup them manually by copying it to your computer or external hard drives.

3.    Backup text messages

If you’re just concerned with your SMS messages, you can use a free app called SMS Backup+ to backup your text messages in the cloud. The app will automatically backup your SMS, MMS and call log entries to Gmail and store them under a new label ‘SMS’.

    How to Backup on Rooted Android Phones

If you’ve rooted your phone then you can easily backup your apps, text messages, settings, etc, by using a backup app. In this case, I recommend you to use the Titanium Backup app. It is the most powerful Android backup app available in the market today. In addition to backing up the data to SD card, it can also backup to the cloud service like Dropbox, Box and Google Drive. Here’s the quick tutorial:
  • Download and install Titanium Backup app here.
  • Once installed, launch the app and press ‘Allow’ once a Superuser Request window pops up in your phone screen.
  • On the top of the screen, select the ‘Backup/Restore’ tab.





  • The backups are stored in the ‘TitaniumBackup’ directory on your SD card.
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7/15/2016 03:38:00 pm , ,

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Tips, Tricks and

 

Hidden Features


Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the sixth major update for Google’s mobile OS. As a major update, Android Marshmallow brings many new features with a lot of bug fixes and changes. However, many of the features are hidden deep in the menus and behind settings that even experienced users wouldn’t tap on. If you’re using device running Android Marshmallow, the following tips and tricks will help you get the most out of it.

    Google Now on Tap

Google Now on Tap is one of the best features in Android Marshmallow. It offers quick information on whatever you’re looking on your smartphone. There’s no need to close apps or copy and paste phrases anymore. Once it’s enabled, you can bring up Google Now on Tap from any app, simply by selecting text and long-pressing the ‘Home’ button. If you’re looking for this feature, go into Google Now -> Settings -> Now cards and you can enable or disable ‘Now on Tap’


    Grant App Permissions Individually

App permissions is another top features of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The new feature lets users manage each of the app permissions individually. To access app permissions, go to Settings -> Apps and tap an individual app to see its permission. Change the switch for the permissions that you want to grant or revoke the permission. You can also view a list of permissions to determine whether you have granted particular apps. Just go to Settings ->Apps, then tap the overflow menu in the top right corner. Now go to Advanced App Permissions.



    Play Android Marshmallow Easter Egg

Like last year’s Lollipop Easter Egg, the Marshmallow Easter egg is a Flappy Bird lookalike. This time, though, Google has added a multiplayer feature. To open it, go to Settings ->About Phone. Then tap the Android version repeatedly until you see the Marshmallow (M) icon appear in the center of the screen. Tap on the “M” logo to turn it into a Marshmallow with antenna. Then press and hold on the Marshmallow until the game screen loads.


     Enable System-UI Tuner
System UI Tuner is a hidden feature in Android Marshmallow 6.0 that allows you to customize quick settings and status bar shortcuts. You can also turn on demo mode of the device with system UI tuner.
To enable the System UI Tuner, pull down the notification panel and long-press the cog at the top next to the battery indicator. Hold it down until it begins to spin and a message will pop-up saying “Congrats! System UI Tuner has been added to Settings.



    Show Battery Percentage in the Status Bar

Android Lollipop has enabled you to show the battery percentage on the status bar using a third-party app. With Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Google has tweaked things a bit and no longer requires the use of a third party app to enable this hidden battery percentage. Instead, it has tucked the option inside the hidden System-UI tuner. Just tap ‘System UI Tuner’ from the main Settings page, and toggle the switch of ‘Show Embedded Battery Percentage’ to turn the feature ON.


    Exclude Certain Apps from Doze mode

Doze is a new feature in Marshmallow that is designed to increase your battery life by putting your device to sleep when it has been idle for a certain amount of time. The feature is fully automated and you can’t decide when to turn it On or Off. But you can exclude certain apps from the Doze feature.
To do it, open ‘Settings’ app and select ‘Battery’. Then tap the ‘three dots’ in the top right corner and tap ‘Battery optimization’. Tap the ‘downward-pointing arrow’, then tap ‘All apps’ from the menu that appears. You can now select the apps that you don’t want optimized for Doze mode.

    Disable Notification Peeking

Android Lollipop introduced a new type of notification called “heads-up notifications” or “peeking”. Instead of showing a scrolling message in the status bar, the heads-up notifications allows notifications to pop up over the top of your display
This feature is enabled by default in Android Marshmallow, but you can choose to disable the heads-up notifications on a per-app basis. Just open the ‘Settings’ and tap ‘Sound & notification’, then Tap ‘App notifications’. Tap the name of the app you no longer want to see heads-up notifications. Next, toggle ‘Allow peeking’ to OFF.


     Uninstall Apps from Your Home Screen or App Drawer
Android 6.0 Marshmallow allows you to uninstall apps on your home screen or in your app drawer. To do it, simply long-press the app and drag the app icon towards the ‘Remove’ or ‘Uninstall’ option at the top of the screen.
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7/12/2016 08:59:00 pm 2

5 Best Free Parental Control Apps for Android



Kids are becoming web-savvy these days. They play games, learn vocabulary and do math exercises – all online. But some of those kid-friendly web sites they go may be opening doors to the adult contents that parents don’t want them to see. Currently, one of the most used media for kids to go online are mobile devices, both smartphones and tablets.
To make sure that your children are using Android device in the way they are supposed to, you need to install parental control apps. With a parental control app installed, you’ll be able to monitor his or her online activities to ensure that your child is safe.
Some of these apps allow you to put restrictions of online websites they can explore, monitoring of their call usage or text, select the apps that your kids are allowed to access, and the time they are allowed to spend on their devices.
The following are some of the best parental control apps that help you keep track the activities of your kids and protect them from the Internet’s bad side

1. Kid’s Shell

Kid’s Shell is an excellent parental control app for Android. This app is designed to make a parent’s smartphone or tablet safe for children. With this app, you can create a safe environment by selecting application that your kids are allowed to run on your device. Thus, your kid will not be able to call anyone, write a text message or open any other app than those approved.
You can gather all application your children like in one secure place. They will not be able to click on ads and make in-app purchases. There is no opportunity for a kid to leave a shell, so you can rest assured that your restrictions work. The app is protected with a password for this purpose.
Other Features:
  • Locked Home button
  • Math password for Parent mode and Exit.
  • Up to 48 aproved applications on a workspace.
  • Optimized for Tablets and Phones.





2. Family Time Parental Control

FamilyTime is a powerful parental control app that lets parents monitor and manage how their children use their Android devices. This app has two versions; one for kids and the other for parents.
These two separate versions allows parents to manage their kid’s screen time remotely without being snoopy. Parents can access their dashboard from both smartphones and laptops. From the dashboard, they can view reports of their child’s contacts, call logs, bookmarks, installed apps, location-history, Web history, and a number of other options. You can easily customize and make different settings for each of your child add profiles and change settings any time. You can also remotely lock their phone at anytime so that your kids can not use their smartphone.
Other features:
  • App Blocker – Remotely block unwanted apps and games on your children’s Android phones & tablets!
  • Limit Screen Time – You can limit screen time on child’s phone during dinner and bedtime or define custom rules.
  • Track SMS – Remotely monitor all text messages sent and received by your children on their mobile devices.
  • View Activity Reports – FamilyTime lets you view the phone activity reports of your children from this parental control App. You can view their location history and other phone usage info even on the go!
  • SOS/Panic Alerts – Receive SOS Alerts from your children with full location details.
  • PickMeUp Alerts – Get PickMeUp Alerts from your children with complete location info when it’s time to pick them up.



3. Kids Zone Parental Controls

Kids Zone is another best parental lock that allows you to create a profile for your child on your smartphone or tablet. In the profile, you can choose app that you allows your child to use. You can add an unique wallpaper for your kid to enjoy and set a secret password to prevent him or her from changing restrictions.
With Kids Zone installed, your children will be unable to install apps or make in-app purchases. The app also provides parents with an ability to apply time-outs. You can specify time during which your child can use your device. As soon as the time is over, your kid has no access to the gadget.
In addition, you can block phone calling, text messaging and prevent them from accessing the Internet.
If you upgrade to the Pro version, the app gives you the ability to create individual profiles for each of your kids. Moreover, a quick-to-call feature will become available to you. It means you will be able to quickly unlock the phone to take an incoming call.
Other features:
  • Create a custom PIN required to unlock your device & the app’s preferences.
  • Can remove default PIN so Teens can’t unlock the device.
  • Kids Zone analyzes apps on your phone for kid-friendly apps.




4. Screen Time Parental Control

As the name suggests, Screen Time is an app that lets you manage the time your kids spend on your Android phone or tablet. You can keep track of all the apps and games accessed by your kids and also the time spent on each of these apps. You can also block certain apps which you feel your kid should not be accessing at certain time. For example, you can block only games at bed time but still allow readings apps. Screen Time also allows you to set time limits on selected apps.
Screen Time Parental Control also has a unique incentive feature, which will grant additional time when a task is completed, such as a chore or homework assignment.
Other Features:
  • Pause & Play – Use your phone or tablet to pause your child’s device or give Bonus time.
  • Time Limits – Set a daily time limit on the apps you want to restrict.



5. Kids Place – Parental Control

Kids Place is an app lock with unique parental control. It comes with parental controls and child lock feature that protects your personal data and restricts kids to apps you have approved. Kids Place app also prevents children from downloading new apps, making phone calls, texting or performing other actions that need payment. It also includes convenience features for parents such as auto app restart, useful for small kids who accidentally exit launched apps.
Apart from that, it’s also capable of blocking phone calls and disabling all wireless signals. When you install and use the app for the first time, you have to first set a PIN for security purposes.
Other features:
  • Add custom wallpaper to customize your child’s experience while in Kids Place.
  • Can restarts apps accidentally stopped by small children, allowing parents to stay focused on their own tasks.
  • Timer feature to lock Kids Place after specified amount of time.
  • Support Multiple User Profiles.



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