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What is BitCoin? How Does it Work & Why it’s Going High So Crazily?

Asif Ahmed
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0
What is BitCoin? How Does it Work & Why it’s Going High So Crazily?

That’s actually too many questions at once but we will try to answer them anyway.

If you are not living under a rock (which, obviously you arent, if you are reading this article) you might have already, read, seen and heard a lot about the Bitcoins and their amazing growth of value in the last few weeks.

Just to give you some numbers, here is the value of 1BTC since the year it was founded.

  • January 2010 – A user auctioned 10,000 BTC for just $50 (but no buyers were found)
  • March, 2010 – 1BTC = $0.003
  • March, 2011 – 1BTC = $1.00
  • December, 2011 – 1BTC = $2
  • December, 2012 – 1BTC = $13
  • April, 2013 1BTC = $266
  • November, 2013 – 1BTC = $1000
  • March, 2014 – 1BTC – $500
  • March, 2015 – 1BTC = $200
  • March, 2016 – 1BTC = $500
  • March, 2017 1BTC = $1200
  • May, 2017 – 1BTC = $2000
  • September, 2017 – 1BTC = $5000
  • November, 2017 – 1BTC = $7300
  • 5th December, 2017 – 1BTC = $12000
  • 8h December, 2017 – 1BTC = $18000

So if you notice the growth, it went crazy in December 2017 which also made me write this article.

It is being talked about a lot everywhere I go, my Facebook timeline is filled with the so-called experts telling people to invest or not invest in the BitCoins.

And the funny thing is, no one ( or the majority of them) really knows what the Bitcoin actually is, how it works and why it is going up like crazy?

While I am no expert at this new digital currency, I spend a good amount of time reading articles, and watching videos from the very start.

So What is BitCoin?

Technically it is a combination of codes that is saved in a Computer or a Smartphone. (more explaining to this can be found further in the article)

It can be considered as a hybrid of Gold or any sort of materialistic asset that has a value which is not set by a particular organization.

Whereas the Fiat Currency, or in simple terms, the currency we use, like the USD, the Indian Rupee or any other, has a value because a Government Organization has put a value on it.

Why it’s Value going so high day by day?

While I (and many others) compared it with Gold. it’s even better than that, because, unlike Gold, BitCoins can be brought into existence till a particular date.

Whereas it is uncertain how long the Gold can be mined from Earth. So there is a market Cap on Bitcoin which makes it even rare and the value will only go up in future.

There are some analysts who believe that the value will go up as high as $100,000 in next 10 Years, and, looking at the current scenario, it can reach that point pretty quickly.

One Interesting thing is that 1BTC can be break up to 10 decimals, meaning you would be able to spend even 0.0000000001 BTC, so in future, if the value ever reaches what it is estimated right now, smaller amounts still could be used for transactions.

The Benefits of using BitCoins

One of the major benefits, or perhaps the reason why it was started in the first place, is the Remittance of money.

Because it is a decentralized currency, which is not governed by any financial institution, the BitCoins can be sent to anyone in the world for a fixed amount of fee.

Unlike with the real currencies where Financial Institutions charge a percentage for the transactions and also, the International transactions take days to complete.

And you also don’t need a bank account or any sort of thing to do the transactions. You just need to download a wallet where the Bitcoins can be saved.

The other benefit of Bitcoins is a bit off in favour of the merchants, as its transactions are irreversible. Because there is no third party involved, the transactions can not be reversed once sent, the only way to get the money back is if the receiver agrees to send back.

The Cons of using the BitCoins

The last point mentioned above might as well be a con of using the Bitcoin but this reduces the frauds merchants face on a daily basis where the benefit of the doubt is mostly given to the buyers.

The Bitcoins are saved locally on your device, and if the device gets stolen or you lose it, you lose BitCoins unless you have the backup phrase, which is a string of words that identify your bitcoin address.

Each Bitcoin wallet is given a BitCoin address, and that’s the only thing needed for the transactions, there is no Name required, no address or any sort of proof that is required in a case of transactions with Fiat Currency.

And because of this nature of Bitcoin, some experts worry about its use in illegal activities.

How do more BitCoins come into existence?

As I mentioned above that it is certain how many Bitcoins can come into existence, when there is no particular body that controls or regulates it, how do more BitCoins come into existence?

This is where Miners come to the scene. When BitCoin transactions are done, they are monitored by Computers connected to the Internet, the purpose of these computers is to solve some complex mathematical problems to validate the transactions. These computer operators are called Miners. More explanation about the existence of BitCoins is here.

The more powerful the computer is, and the faster the internet is, the faster the transaction is going to be validated, and with each successful validation, the Miners get rewarded in the form of BitCoins.

But Mining Bitcoins is not that easy and it surely doesn’t make you a millionaire, if a Powerful computer works for 24 hours a day, it might take thousands of hours for earning a piece of BitCoin.

When I looked up for a clearer answer to this question, There are some analysts which take about getting one block in 98 years, One block is 25BTC, So even the most powerful computer might take a couple of hours to mine 1 Bitcoin.

Samsung Has Developed A Battery 5x Faster Charging Speed & Takes 12 Minutes for Full Charge

Asif Ahmed
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0
Samsung Has Developed A Battery 5x Faster Charging Speed & Takes 12 Minutes for Full Charge

If we compare Mobile phones of today with the Mobile phones of the Last year, there is so much advancement in every department, but one thing has remained the same, at least for the last few years.

And that is, the Battery. The smartphone makers want to address this issue, but with the slimness of the phone is one of the competing factors, no one wants to risk it by thicking their smartphones for more battery, instead, they brought Fast charging abilities.

So if they couldn’t pack in more power, they let you charge is faster, which helps a bit. Usually, with fast charging capabilities, the Li-ion Batteries take one hour to charge

But it’s still a lot of time,  and this is what Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has been trying to address. And it seems they have been quite successful at it.

According to the Samsung’s report, they have developed “graphene* ball,” a unique battery material that enables a 45% increase in capacity, and five times faster-charging speeds than standard lithium-ion batteries.

That means your phone’s batteries can be charged in just 12 minutes, and that too with 45% more power storage.

“In theory, a battery based on the “graphene ball” material requires only 12 minutes to fully charge. Additionally, the battery can maintain a highly stable 60-degree Celsius temperature, with stable battery temperatures particularly key for electric vehicles,” reads Samsung blog.

Another thing mentioned by the Samsung blog is that during the whole charging process, the temperature of the battery is stable at 60% which can be marked as safe for Mobile phones.

Lithium-ion batteries, that were commercialized in 1991 are seen everywhere, in several portable electronics and not a just mobile phone, we even have dedicated power banks made of Lithium-ion batteries.

And now even the electric cars are becoming mainstream. So this new Battery technology can greatly benefit other industries and not just Mobile phones.

But before you get too excited, the technology won’t be available to the general public for quite some time.

We have been hearing news about the success of such developments in the Lab but nothing really came out to get commercialized. I think maybe 2020 will be the year when we’ll see Smartphones having such magical batteries that can be juiced up in just a few minutes.

Until then, you can either buy these battery heavy Smartphones or simply buy a good power bank from Amazon.com.

Rapoo 6100 Bluetooth Wireless Ultraslim Keyboard Unboxing & Quick Review

Asif Ahmed
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Rapoo 6100 Bluetooth Wireless Ultraslim Keyboard Unboxing & Quick Review

Seems like I found the perfect Keyboards I was looking for a long time, the Rapoo E6100 is an Ultra Slim Keyboard which can be connected via Bluetooth. Meaning If I had something like that earlier, I wouldn’t have bought a new Keyboard, you’ll know why later in this article.

Most of my time is spend on Laptop, and I have got accustomed to the compact laptop keyboards, and my the Laptop I am using from last few years is MacBook Air, which has got really nice keyboards.

Which means the bar is quite high when it comes to searching for the perfect keyboards for myself.

I have been using the Logitech MK240 Keyboard from last few years. But recently it stopped working, thanks to my naughty kids who played with the dongle and destroyed it. (see that’s why if it was Bluetooth, it would still be working)

Here is the video of quick review

So the reason I bought this keyboard is that I use my MacBook Air with an Extended Monitor (24-inch Slim IPS LCD Monitor from LG). 

So basically it lets me keep working on the things I am working from my office, more screen real estate is quite productive.

Another reason is that I am kind of hooked on to the MacBook Air Keyboard So I rarely boot up my Windows PC.

The Rapoo 6100 keyboard is pretty much like the Macbook Air Keyboard, for many people the fn key on the extreme left might be a deal breaker but for Macbook users it’s a plus.

You also get a similar type of key travel on this keyboard. Though not as much and you might have to spend some time to get used to it. Partly because of the spaces between the keys, there is not much, but it’s really not an issue in the long run. 

It can take some time to get used it but once you do, it’s going to be a lovely experience typing on this slim keyboard.

How to Connect it to MacBook

Since Rapoo E6100 is a Bluetooth keyboard, it frees up one USB slot on your machine since there are only two on the Macbook. 

Connecting the keyboard to a macbook is just like connecting to any Bluetooth device.

  • First you need to turn on the keyboard which can be done from the bottom of it, and then press the tiny bluetooth button for a few seconds.
  • A red LED light will blink for a few times meaning the device is now discoverable,
  • Find the Bluetooth device from your computer and Pair it up, type the code on the keyboard which is flashing on the computer.
  • After that you may have to press few keys as per the instructions on the screen for mapping the keys correctly for the Mac.

And after that you are good to go, from there on, it simply connects instantly when the keyboard it turned on.

How to Connect it to Windows PC

Connecting to the Windows PC is also quite similar to Connecting it to the Macbook Air,

Note: Most PCs don’t have bluetooth inbuilt so you can purchase a Bluetooth dongle. I have an old Bluetooth 2.0 and this Keyboard connected without any issues, however, I would recommend Bluetooth 4.0 which you can buy from Amazon for as low as $6. (look up on Amazon.com)

  • Just make the Keyboard discoverable,
  • Find and Pair it with your PC
  • You get the code that you need to type on the Keyboard and it’s done.

One thing to keep in mind though is that it can’t be used symentanousley with a PC and Mac. i.e, If you pair it up with another Device, you’ll have to manually connect it again to the first device. 

So this was my initial impressions for this ultra slim keyboard that’s perfect for both Mac and PC with it’s minimalistic look.

I’ll perhaps do a long-term review of it once I use it enough to give you more information. 

In case you can’t wait to buy it, you will find the best buy links below

📌 Best Buy Links

★ Amazon US ➜ http://tippr.in/2BywsRZ

★ Amazon India ➜ http://tippr.in/2zRuL56

How to Fix Download Pending Error in Google Play Store : SOLVED!!

Asif Ahmed
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0
How to Fix Download Pending Error in Google Play Store : SOLVED!!

It’s really annoying when your smartphone doesn’t act smart and let you install an app you need the most. It happens with everyone.

The simple solution is to simply download the .APK file of the particular app.

But then, Installing Apps from sources other than Play Store is a risky business.

Here is an easy solution to this problem. The problem is caused by the Play Store when it fails to allocate space for the new app.

What you can do in such situation is Clear the Data of Play Store and Launch it again, you’ll be setting it up like you do for the first time you Set up your phone.

And the problem will most probably. gone.

Here is a video of the same

If this does not fix your problem

Then, it might be possible you are running an older version of the Play Store, and for this, you’ll have to install it from other sources, like, download its apk file and install it on your phone.

Since download APKs from other sources is pretty risky, I’ll try to give you some trustworthy links from where you can download it.

Search for Play Store apk on APK Mirror 

Another possible issue could be

Because of the storage, the smartphone storage these days is pretty easy to fill up. And if it’s the case, you might find yourself in this situation of not being able to Install apps.

So you need to clear some space for the new apps, here is an awesome app you should use for this.

Again, since Play Store is having issues, you need to download the APK file for ES Explorer, use APK Mirror.

Search for ES Explorer apk on APK Mirror

Read Every Damn Issue the iPhone X sers are Facing Right Now

Asif Ahmed
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0
Read Every Damn Issue the iPhone X sers are Facing Right Now

So it’s been a few weeks since the fanboys got their expensive toys (well this kind of rhymes as well)

I am talking about the iPhone X, with a price tag of over a thousand dollars, it is indeed an expensive toy.

Several users have been reporting weird issues with their iPhone X units, some seeing green lines on the sides of the phone’s display and some of them are facing Cold Weather Freezing

So what is the ‘Green line of death’ issue?’

Some users who bought the iPhone are seeing a green line on their phone’s display. A Twitter user tweeted photos of their iPhone showing the green line which is clearly visible.

This issue seems like a hardware problem and the only fix is to get it replaced by Apple, which is also what we recommend if you are paying so much for a device, you should be getting a new one since this is only with a few phones that can be the faulty ones.

What is the Cold Weather Feezing problem in iPhone X?

This one is quite unique, it came into limelight when someone posted about it on Reddit that the iPhone X’s keyboard and the touchscreen do not work in cold weather.

This is what he said, 

I’ve noticed that my iPhone X screen becomes very unresponsive as soon as I step outside. It literally takes 2 seconds from going inside to the cold outdoors and my screen stops being very responsive. I try swiping on websites and it doesn’t register my finger.

It’s very noticeable. Is anyone else having this problem?

Edit: possible other explanation might be the drastic changes in light that are causing problems.
Edit2: looks like some people are having issues while others are not. Might be different colors/sizes of iPhones that were affected. Can we get Apple to investigate?

There were over 160+ comments on the post, most of them from the iPhone users themselves talking about this issue,

One such comment is, 

This doesn’t work for me FWIW. I’m currently in Switzerland where it dipped below 0 Celsius. It’s only going back inside that fixes it properly.

It does get better if you wait 5 minutes in the cold. Swipe gestures are worse than tap gestures, locking and unlocking doesn’t seem to have any effect.

iPhone X users reporting Crackling Speakers

Some iPhone X users are having issues with the speakers of their phones, a crackling sound is coming out from it.

A similar issue emerged in iPhone 8 several weeks ago which was fixed by the iOS 11.0.2 update pushed in October.

The crackling sound is often heard when you are listening to some music at full volume or there is some moister in the speakers, but the crackling sound is happening in iPhone X even at 505 volume.

Perhaps a software update will fix the issue like it did on iPhone 8.

What’s up with the FaceID Glitch?

Several users have also reported that the FaceID doesn’t work often times.

There is a warning sign that appears on the screen which read something like this,

“A problem was detected with the TrueDepth Camera. Face ID has been disabled.”

The issue itself is addressed by the Support page on Apple.com,

“Using diagnostics in iOS, we’ve detected an issue with your TrueDepth camera that might cause it to not function as expected. This won’t prevent you from using your iPhone X, but you won’t be able to use Face ID, Animoji, and some other features using the front camera until your iPhone X is serviced,” says the page.

Apple is advising its customers to take their phones to the Apple Authorized Service Providers.

So some of these issues seem like a hardware issue where the only solution is to get it replaced by Apple, while some can be fixed by a software update.

So do you own an iPhone X? are you facing any of these issues? well, get it replaced ASAP.

We are hoping that no other issue emerges for the iPhone X users and they can enjoy using their phones like other people. :-)

Google Prompts is Much Faster and Better Way for 2-Step Authentication Based Logins

Asif Ahmed
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0
Google Prompts is Much Faster and Better Way for 2-Step Authentication Based Logins

Google has introduced a faster way to use the two-step verification method for your Google accounts, you can now log into your account without having to wait for an SMS or input a long security code.

It shows where the Prompt is sent, You can remember the device, and you can even Resend dit

The two-step verification was a slap in the face of hackers who go access to your accounts by guessing or stealing your password by means of phishing or with the help of keyloggers.

It has worked quite well in tightening the security of your accounts and I still strongly recommend doing it.

It was Google that first introduced this method where an SMS would be sent to your Mobile number which you had to input on the device you were trying to log in.

The method pretty much is adopted by every website where the data is crucial.

Even though it adds a bit of security layer to your account, there are times when you have to log into your account but there is no SMS, it has happened to me several times that I had to wait as much as 30 minutes for the SMS to pop up on my Mobile.

And then typing the security code is also quite troublesome for some people.

Google has got a new system in place for their two-step verifications, and that is Google Prompts.

Google Prompt is faster and you really don’t have to input any code or wait for the SMS.

the Google Prompt you get on your Android Device

You simply get a notification on your Andriod phone, you have to tap Yes, and then you get logged in automatically. It’s pretty neat and saves a couple of seconds every time.

A couple of seconds might not be a lot of time you are saving here, but when you do it multiple times you will know how helpful this new system is.

Plus there is no waiting for the SMS or having to rely on your Mobile Operator to the delivery of a code that will let you access your Google account.

Google Prompts works for every Android phone that has an updated Google Play Services. Which most of you might already be having.

Mozilla is Ready to Take on Google Chrome with Firefox Quantum, Its 2x Faster and Takes 30% Less RAM

Asif Ahmed
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0
Mozilla is Ready to Take on Google Chrome with Firefox Quantum, Its 2x Faster and Takes 30% Less RAM

Firefox, which is known as the best browser for techies and enthusiasts is ready to take on Google Chrome with a totally revamped browser. They are calling it Firefox Quantum.

Firefox was my default browser for a very long time, even after Google Chrome was launched.

But eventually, I moved to Google Chrome because of it’s faster speed, ability to continue working on the Mobile device and of course the extensions.

I am sure this is the story many will relate to. And it seems that Firefox was kind of okay to be behind Google Chrome for initial days since they really didn’t push themselves too hard.

But from last few years, Mozilla has been working hard by introducing so many cool features to the browser and revamping the look and feel of it.

And with this new update, Firefox is hopefully ready to gain back its place, at least this is what the Firefox fans think about.

A lot of work has been done to make it faster, consume fewer resources on your Computer and also look good and refreshing.

A new CSS engine has been written from the ground up adding capabilities to leverage the new technologies that are coming in the Computers.

Mozilla claims that it is 2x faster than it was last year and consumes 30% less memory than Google Chrome. (this part is really exciting since everyone is sick and tired of Google Chrome eating up a lot of resources on the Computers)

With Firefox Quantum, Firefox is at version 57 and is about to be released soon.

The beta version of Firefox is currently available to try. In fact, Firefox has already done a speed test coming it with Google Chrome, you can see below.

Let me remind you it’s the Beta version they have compared, and it will be pretty exciting to see how it is compared once it is released, which seems to be pretty soon.

You will be able to download Firefox Quantum from this page.

 

18:9 Aspect Ratio Smartphones is the New Standard Since 2018, Here’s why

Asif Ahmed
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0
18:9 Aspect Ratio Smartphones is the New Standard Since 2018, Here’s why

So the year 2017 is close to an end, (or maybe it ended already if you are reading this in 2018)

We saw a lot of smartphones coming out this year, all the next generations of the established flagships, be it the most recent, Apple’s iPhone X (read 10, not x) or be the LG G6, or Samsung Galaxy S8. All the phones have one thing in common, which is a display of 18:9 aspect ratio with extremely thin bezels.

So, this was the Hot thing in 2017, All Screen Bezelless screens and a new aspect ratio of 18:9 instead of 16:9.

So what up with the new aspect ratio and why it matters?

We all have been using the smartphones with 16:9 aspect ratio from a long time, it is, in fact, the best aspect ratio to have on a Smartphone. All the Videos we watch are in the 16:9 aspect ration, meaning the videos full up the entire screen and do not leave black borders on the sides or at the bottom.

Smartphones have been getting bigger over the years and have reached to its maximum a person can handle, I own a 6.4-inch smartphone and I see a lot of people who won’t prefer this size.

So the new technologies have enabled smartphone manufacturers to get rid of the home button and get rid of that thick chin and use the space for more screen real estate.

So the phones have got more screen vertically, to keep the 16:9 aspect ratio, they need to be wider as well, which, again, most people would not appreciate, hence the 18:9 aspect ratio.

And 18:9 is actually 1:2, which means the width of the screen is twice the height of it, which definitely looks taller when you hold in the hands, but more screen can be helpful for a lot of tasks, like more icons on the home screen, more reading space when you browse websites of social media profiles, fewer scrolls and much more.

Best Smartphones with 18:9 Aspect Ratio screen available in the market

Now, the year 2017 saw a lot of phones with this new aspect ratio, and thankfully there are a few affordable ones as well. Hopefully, more will come in 2018.

iPhone X (19.5:9)

It’s the most recent one, and perhaps the most expensive one as well. Apple has been launching the iPhone since 2017, so 2017 was its 10th-year anniversary, so Apple launched this special phone the iPhone X along with its regular yearly upgrades the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

Buy iPhone X in India

Buy iPhone X from Amazon Worldwide

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus (18.5:9)

Samsung’s yearly upgrade of their Flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus was also among one of the first smartphones with this new aspect ratio.

Apart from this, the phone has so many new and exciting things that make the smartphone one of the best devices of 2017 you can buy.

Buy from Amazon India

Buy from Amazon Worldwide

Samsung Galaxy Note (18.5:9)

Another amazing device from Samsung, the Note 8, is also on the list for this new aspect ration and an all screen front. The Galaxy Note series has always been a niche market and was also one of the first smartphones to bring a larger display.

The new advancements in tech and other phones increasing their screen sizes, the phone is not looked upon as a niche device anymore. But it’s still recognized as the best phone for business and creative people.

Buy from Amazon India

Buy from Amazon Worldwide

Google Pixel 2 XL (18:9)

Image Source

Google’s second generation of the Pixel Series, that made an entry in the market last year, it’s larger variant the Pixel XL 2 gets the new and trending 18:9 aspect ratio.

Though the phone is being highly criticized for a lot of bugs and issues it’s customers are facing on the phone.

Google claims it has the best camera in a mobile phone, which is not surprising when you see the price tag of this device comes down to over a thousand dollars

Buy in India

Buy from Amazon Worldwide 

LG G6

It’s almost 2018 and Surprisingly, LG is still playing along with the big shots and flagships. In fact, it’s kind of a trendsetter since it was the one that brought the 18:9 aspect ratio screen first in the market and called its phone FullVision.

Buy from Amazon.in

Buy from Amazon.com

LG Q6 and Q6+

Currently, LG Q6 is perhaps the only device from a popular brand that priced under Rs 15000 ($230) and you also get a bigger variant (with 5.5-inch screen) of the phone, LG Q6+ that’s available for Rs 18000 ($250)

Buy LG Q6 from Amazon.in

Buy LG Q 6 from Amazon.com

Oppo F5

Image Source

Oppo, the OEM is known for bringing selfie centric phones, has also brought in a phone with 18:9 aspect ratio screen and unsurprisingly, it is aptly marketing it’s phone as being able to capture more of you, because, well, you can see more of you on their 18:9 aspect ratio screen.

And also, the front camera is 20MP and the rear camera is 16MP because Selfies are more important. Among other things, you get a 6-inch screen, 3200mAh battery

Oppo F5 is available on Amazon.in for Rs 19,999/- Check here

OnePlus 5t

OnePlus’s 6-monthly refresh of their Flagship Killer, OnePlus 5 has already created a lot of hype for being the bezel-less all screen display phone, it’s already leaked how it is going to look and it clearly makes it to the list even before it’s launch that is 16th November.

The OnePlus 5t has everything OnePlus 5 had, specs-wise, but comes with a new design and a new aspect ratio.

The new aspect ratio has enabled OnePlus to put a 6-inch display screen in OnePlus 5t which is also the case with all other 18:9 aspect ratio phones.

Good thing is, OnePlus 5t will be priced similarly to OnePlus 5. Its price will go down making room for its upgrade, the OnePlus 5t.

Buy from Amazon India

Buy from Amazon Worldwide 

So this is the list of best smartphones with an aspect ratio of 18:9 you can buy right now, more will be added to the list if it’s a worthy phone. 

How to Add Background Music to Instagram Stories Without Downloading any Music

Asif Ahmed
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0
How to Add Background Music to Instagram Stories Without Downloading any Music

Yes, you read it right. You can directly add background music to your Instagram Stories that too without downloading any song.

Now, I’ve been using the Instagram Stories from last few weeks and I am kind of glued to it. I have been using it a lot, and I’ve learned some things that I would like to share with everyone so that everyone can make better stories.

While we are here, I’ve shared some cool Instagram Tips & Tricks to grow your Instagram profile, You can read that one as well. 

So, continuing with this post….

The videos in Instagram stories have a limit of 15 seconds, and only the videos that are shot in last 24 hours will be shown if you want to upload them.

Or, you can shoot the videos directly, which a lot of us do who want to share the moments they are living right at that particular time.

Now, a lot of might be aware that you can very well edit videos and add background music to it in a video editing app.

But you can also add the background music when you are recording directly from Instagram stories.

How does it work?

Well, when you record the video directly from the Instagram Stories, it also lets you record the audio coming from the Smartphone itself, it can be notification sound or the music played.

So, what you can do is, play the song in the background and it will be added to the stories.

Using Soundcloud for Any Background Music

Now, not all the songs you want to use will be in your Playlist, and for that, you might think you have to download the music.

This is where the SoundCloud app comes in. It is like YouTube, but for Audio, where users can upload their own music, favourite songs etc. So, when you search for a song, there is 99% possibility that it will be on SoundCloud.

And the best thing is, Soundcloud plays the music in the background just like your music player.

So, what you can do is, search for the song you want to use in your Instagram Story, and then, Time it, in a way that you get the part of the song you want in the Stories and record it.

Not the greatest tip but it sure saves a bit of your time and still lets you post stories with any type of music you want, without even downloading it.

Here is the video where I explain it

You can also Subscribe to Techtippr YouTube Channel. 

Free Up Space on Your Mobile Phone using Google’s File Go App

Asif Ahmed
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0
Free Up Space on Your Mobile Phone using Google’s File Go App

Google has made available an (unreleased, at the time of writing) app called Files Go which helps Android users clean up their devices to free up some space. The app was previously.

It was available in Google Play store earlier last week but was pulled back by Google, and now this it has been made available again, though Google specifies that it is an unreleased version or a beta version.

The reason for making the app available might be the leaked APK file that was available on various websites already.

What does the app do exactly?

Well, most of the smartphones these days come with an unbuilt Smart Manager or Space Manager that lets you manage space on your Smartphone.

But of the time, these smart managers aren’t really that smart. I can say that because I let one such smart manager clean up space automatically and it ended up removing some important files that It shouldn’t have deleted.

Google’s File Go is somewhat the same, letting you manage space on your Smartphone smartly.

Even though Google calls it a beta app, I went ahead and tried the app just for this post, and in my short period of using the app, I did not find the uniqueness about the app.

It’s just like any other app, in fact, I am using the ES Explorer, which also has the similar feature for managing the media files smartly along with its core feature of being an amazing File Explorer.

Like most of the smart managers, Files Go app also arranges the Files according to their size, Duplicate files, Files from WhatsApp folder, Junk Media and Temporary files etc along with a direct button to Free up the space it is taking.

In the settings area, the options you find also are pretty common which almost every smartphone has inbuilt.

Apart from the storage management, it also lets you access files according to the file type, like Images, Videos, Audio, Documents, Downloads & Received Files.

And the app also lets you send and receive files to or from other devices respectively. Trying to receive a file turned on the Bluetooth which is also visible in the image above. So, the file transfer is done via Bluetooth.

Currently, I am using EF Explorer for Space Management and Accessing Files, it is probably the best app for this purpose. And I’ve also been using ShareIt from time to time for Sending or Receiving Larger files (though I still prefer Dual Flash Drives).

So I think Files Go app isn’t really that great, but again, it’s unreleased and maybe in future, we will see something nice so that it can deserve to be installed in our phones, but for now, it’s really is not of much help.

I may be wrong, and you may try it yourself, here is the link.

➤ Install from Play Store

Best MIUI 9 Features that Makes it Better than Stock Android

Asif Ahmed
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0
Best MIUI 9 Features that Makes it Better than Stock Android

So a couple of days ago, Xiaomi had released the most awaited MIUI 9 for their devices. And we reported that it started rolling out recently.

For those who don’t know, MIUI is Xiaomi’s Custom ROM built with heavy customizations on the Android OS, which brings more feature to it over the Stock Android.

If you own a Xiaomi device is still wondering what new the next version of MIUI is going to bring, here is a list of feature that makes it the better than the Stock Android.

All New Image Editor

Xiaomi Brings new Image Editing Options for photos under the MIUI 9. You can now remove a part of photo easily with just a few taps. You can to go the Gallery App, go to a particular photo and tap on Edit.

2X Faster App Loads

Xiaomi takes app optimizations to a whole new level with its MIUI 9 update, the app loads feel really fast. They have worked on resource allocations which let the current Apps use more resources for better performance.

A New Video App

Another new thing that came in MIUI 9 is the new Video App which groups video from belonging to the same TV show. It also lets you download subtitles if available.  The app supports an extensive range of formats to play natively on the device, AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, MPG, FLV, RM, TS, ASF, and 3GP.

You Can Favourite A Theme for MIUI 9

One thing that’s commendable for Xiaomi is the ability to apply themes that completely change the User Experience, and one can personalize their smartphones using them.

Now in MIUI 9, you can add the themes to your Favourite since the button has been introduced so that you keep a collection of your favourite themes handy.

A New Silent Mode /  DND Modes

One can now silent their phones or select the DND Mode. They can now select the time until they want the phone in Silent mode.

All this can be done by pressing the Volume down button. Keep it pressed to activate the silent mode then select the time you want to keep the phone silent.

Split Screen / Run Two Apps at Once

Image Source: MIUI Forum

Though this feature was introduced in Android 7.0 (Nougat) natively, Xiaomi had kept it hidden in their MIUI 8.xx versions (even when it was based on Android Nougat) though I wrote about how it can be enabled for MIUI 8.2 or above users.

You don’t need to use a third party app anymore for this feature and I think Xiaomi has implemented it nicely so that people can easily use two apps at once.

List of Xiaomi Phones to get MIUI 9 Update

Here is a full list of phones who will eventually get the MIUI 9. For some, it has already been rolled out and some would be getting it anytime soon. Check whether yours on the list or not.

  • Mi MIX 2
  • Mi Note 3
  • Mi MIX
  • Mi Note 2
  • Mi Note
  • Mi 5
  • Mi 5s
  • Mi 5s Plus
  • Mi 4i
  • Mi 4
  • Mi 3
  • Mi 2
  • Mi Max
  • Mi Max 2
  • Mi Max Prime
  • Redmi Note 3
  • Redmi Note 4
  • Redmi Note 4X
  • Redmi Note 5A
  • Redmi Note 2
  • Redmi Note 4G
  • Redmi 4
  • Redmi 4X
  • Redmi Y1
  • Redmi Y1 Lite
  • Redmi 3
  • Redmi 3S
  • Redmi 3S Prime
  • Redmi 2
  • Redmi 2 Prime

How to Fix 100% Disk Usage Issue in Windows 10?

Asif Ahmed
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0
How to Fix 100% Disk Usage Issue in Windows 10?

Are you a Windows 10 user? if yes, have you ever faced this issue of your Computer disk being used 100%?

If the answer to both the questions is yes, then you might find this post useful as we are mentioning all the possible fixes for such issue.

Now 100% disk usage means your Computer is being used to its full potential, you are running some resource intensive tasks

But all if you are running is Media player trying to watch your favourite TV show you just downloaded and your Computer is still using 100% of the disk, then there is surely an issue that needs to be addressed.

Generally, we find these stats by pressing Ctrl + Delete + Enter all at once which opens the task manager, where you can see the CPU process, RAM usage and the Disk Usage.

I’ve faced this issue many times that my RAM usage was at around 40%, CPU at 2% but the Disk usage is 100%.

What could be the reason?

Your Computer runs hundreds of processes at once, so finding the culprit is pretty tough, but mostly the applications like Google Chrome, Skype, Adobe Software have earned a name in being problematic when it comes to PC performance in Windows.

If we talk about Google Chrome alone, it runs separate processes for each of the tabs, meaning the more the tabs the more work your Computer has to do.

And in some cases, if you have Chrome apps installed, they keep running in the background even when you are not using the particular Chrome app.

I’ve written some Good guides on how to keep your Computer or how to keep Google Chrome from sucking your Computer’s resources. You can give them a read if you want to know more about how to control recourse on your PC to keep it running faster.

You can also manually disable the services that are running such as Spooler, but then it will stop your Printer from functioning properly.

The 100% disk usage can also be caused because of a malware that has been injected into your PC while downloading a software from an untrusted source, apparently, more serious issues can happen if you do that, like the Ransomware attacks that were in the news lately.

Finding the Culprit and Fixing the 100% Disk usage issue

You can find the culprit from the Task Manager itself, under the processes tab, click the Disk Usage column and arrange the numbers in descending order, which will show you which processes is actually taking more than usual.

Fix 100% Disk Usage caused by Google Chrome

Like I said earlier in the post, if it’s because of Google Chrome, you can keep the number of tabs minimized and only keep the ones when are required.

Also, you can restrict Chrome apps from running in the background and only run when they are launched.

You can turn off / disable ‘ Use a Prediction service to load pages more quickly’ found under Privacy and Security section under the Advanced section of Chrome Settings.

Fix 100% Disk Usage by Upgrading to Solid State Drive (SSD)

There might be a dozen of technical things going on in your Computer that is causing your PC, some of them quite technical even for me as well, but Upgrading to an SSD would surely solve your problem.

You can get them for like $50 for 128GB and keep your OS installed on it, and use the Hard Disk to store files. The speeds of SSDs are so far that it won’t reach 100%, at least mine never did so far.

I’ve done this recently and it has been quite an amazing experience using the Windows PC. Not just the 100% disk usage was gone, the Bootup time of the PC was greatly reduced.

Here is a little helpful article if you are looking to upgrade from HD to SSD

Also Read, Why Your PC is Running Slow?

How to Prevent Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (or Any Other) Phone from Exploding

Anwer Khan
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0
How to Prevent Your Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (or Any Other) Phone from Exploding

Yes, you read it right, this is the need of hour when we hear the news of Mi Phones exploding here and there, we want to educate the non-techies so that can prevent this from happening.

Why only Xiaomi Phones? Why not others?

Pardon for putting Xiaomi in the headline, there is no scientific evidence that only Xiaomi phones explode, recently a Jio Phone also exploded, (and a Samsung last year) If the article could have a second headline, it would be,

How to Prevent Your Smartphone from Exploding

So, if you own any other phone which is not from Xiaomi, you too might also find this post useful ( do share with other friends as well). So, this is how to prevent your phone from exploding.

Why Do Phones Explore?

Phones explore because they Lithium-Ion batteries in them explode. And they explore because of two main reasons.

A short circuit, caused by dropping or the phone, swelling or the better because of some manufacturing fault, or cheap batteries not manufactured according to the standards.

Or by Overheating, which can be caused by a Bad circuit on the phone itself or by a faulty charger.

No matter how many tests these Mobile phone manufacturers would do in the labs, there will always be a chance that some units might come as faulty, it could be a fault in the battery or the wiring or anything that would cause excessive heating issues.

Overheating is the biggest culprit

Normal heating, like while playing a game or doing some recourse intensive tasks, is not an issue, any computing device gets heated when used to its full potential. We are talking about overheating because of the higher voltage chargers or the faulty ones that are not cheap/ unbranded.

Stop using high voltage chargers

These days even the mid-range smartphones come with Fast Charging Capabilities, but phones from Xiaomi, like the Redmi 4 or Redmi Note for still don’t support fast charging. But that does not stop the third party mobile accessories manufacturers to supply Chargers with higher voltage.

A higher voltage charger might charge your phone’s battery faster, but it can heat it up like crazy.

Stop Using Unbranded Chargers

Now, I am not blaming every unbranded charger for causing the batteries to explode, there might be some good chargers with Voltage within the limits for a battery, but they are not coming from known brands means they might not have been tested and could be faulty, which means, they can cause your phone’s battery to explode.

So, always use the Charger that comes with your phone, or invest in a good brand Charger (you can check these on Amazon.com (for US Readers) or Amazon.in ( for Indian Readers).

I hope you find this post useful. Like us on Facebook to keep getting useful tech-related information like this.

Featured image source: XDA Developers Forum

You Can Now Use Third Party Gmail Add-Ons on Both Web and Mobile

Asif Ahmed
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0
You Can Now Use Third Party Gmail Add-Ons on Both Web and Mobile

Emails are the lifeline of any business be it online or offline, it is the center of your workflow.

If you use Gmail for handling your emails, then here is a good news for you. Google has launched Add-Ons for Gmail that can be added to your Gmail and used on both Web and Mobile.

There have already been Add-Ons available for Gmail in the form of Chrome Extensions that enhance the email workflow.

But now you can install Add-One for the Gmail itself that would work on any browser as well as on Mobile (Android for now).

The Add-Ons can be installed from the G-Suite Marketplace,

or by clicking on the Gear icon on the top right-hand side of the Gmail (on the web) and clicking on ‘Get Add-ons’

The Availability of Add-Ons is pretty limited right now, but you can still install apps like Trello, Asana, Teamwork.com, Form Publisher  Smartsheet, AppSheet etc.

Even though I have moved to Inbox by Google completely and don’t use Gmail for Web or Android, I thought to test one of the Add-Ons, Trello to see how it works.

I am a Trello users and I like the idea of turning my Emails into a To-Do list. But the Add-On did not work for me as advertised.

After reading a few reviews on the Add-on it seems it requires more work to make it usable.

I did not use any other Add-On right now so I can’t say if they work well or not but the Idea of using Add-Ons natively without being bound to use a particular browser sounds fun.

Maybe in future, we will have more Add-Ons that can perform some cool things right inside the Gmail so that we don’t have to waste time on switching between the apps to do a certain task.

Announced by Google on October 24th, 2017 (link)

Bad Rabbit Ransomware Attack – Here’s What You Should Know About it

Anwer Khan
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0
Bad Rabbit Ransomware Attack – Here’s What You Should Know About it

After the horrific Wanna cry Ransomware attack a few months ago, it seems there is a new kind of Ransomware that has been getting identified as Bad Rabit Ransomware.

On 24th October 2017, the Kaspersky lab reported it as a new Ransomware epidemic on the rise. Several companies have publicly claimed that their systems are affected in several countries.

What exactly is the Bad Rabbit Ransomware?

It is one of those Spywares that takes your Computer on hostage and asks you for a ransom to give you back the access else it deletes all the files on the system.

About the Bad RabbitRansomeware, it has been circulating when the victims are redirected to darknet from an injected news website. The users are then prompted to install the malware which is disguised as Adobe Flash Player.

After the malware is installed, all the files on the system get encrypted, and the victim is asked to pay 0.05 Bitcoin (Approx $280) to gain back the access to files.

After the Computer is infected the screen is flashed with the information to make payments along with a timer that gives 40 hours to make the payment, after the time lapses, the Ransome amount goes higher.

How many have been affected so far?

Most of the targets have been located in Russia, but some of the attacks have also been seen in other countries, like, Ukraine, Turkey and Germany.

Overall there are almost 200 targets that have been identified so far.

Interfax Ltd. a major new company from Russia has tweeted that their systems have been affected and another report claims that Odessa Airport has also been hit. A more technical account has been posted on Securelist

How to Stay Safe from the Bad Rabbit Ransomware?

The best advice would be to stay away from fishy websites, and do not download anything from untrusted sources.

Apart from this, Security researcher Amir Serper has tweeted a Vaccination for Bad Rabbit, which says,

I can confirm – Vaccination for #badrabbit:
Create the following files c:\windows\infpub.dat && c:\windows\cscc.dat – remove ALL PERMISSIONS (inheritance) and you are now vaccinated. :)

Source / Featured Image: Kaspersky Lab 

This App is a Lighter Alternative for Data Hogging Facebook and Messenger Apps

Asif Ahmed
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0
This App is a Lighter Alternative for Data Hogging Facebook and Messenger Apps

There is no point in guessing that you too use Facebook on a regular basis, around 1.5 billion people use it after all.

But we all know what kind of data hogger the Facebook’s official app is.

The Android app installer package itself is more than 50MB, meaning every time you have to update it, which is as frequent as every other day, you have to spend your data on it.

And when you are not updating it, the app still consumes a lot of data by throwing in a lot of Videos that autoplay.

And not to forget the Promoted stories that appear every once in a while.

For someone who has a Flagship phone in their pocket and a good data plan it won;t really matter, but for people with Mid to Low range smartphones, having such data hogging apps on the phone can affect the smartphone experience.

Thankfully Facebook has alternatives to offer, like the Facebook Lite app, which is meant for low-end smartphones and for data sensitive consumers.

While the Facebook Lite app is a cool official alternative to the Offical Facebook app, you still need the Facebook Messenger, unless you go for the newly released Facebook Messenger Lite app.

But then you still have to keep two apps on your phone.

Unless you look for alternative apps from third-party developers.

Like this app called Fella for Facebook, I tried recently.

Fella for Facebook is a paid app, and it’s one of the top grossing apps in the Paid Apps section.

The Good thing is, it’s available for just Rs 10, or maybe it’s a limited time offer.

So the app is clean and really lightweight, the Android App package is just under 2MB.

Simply install and log in and you are good to go. After you are logged in, it really feels like a Native app with some really nice features that better your Facebook experience.

Things You can do inside Fella fo Facebook

  • Customize the Colours and Fonts
  • Bring the Navigation bar to the bottom,
  • Download Videos Directly to the Phone (though it raises piracy issues)
  • Enable Text Selection (you can copy text unlike in the Native Facebook app)
  • Reply to Messenger messages directly from the app.
  • Disable AutoPlay for Videos
  • Disable Images

So the Good thing about this app is the ability to customize the look of Facebook. I mean you obviously might have got bored of the plain blue colour of Facebook.

And when you can customize every corner of your smartphone, why not Facebook? Perhaps you want to backgrounds to be all Black (for those late nighters), maybe the fonts should be a little bigger, or different. Fella lets you do it all.

The other good thing about Fella for Facebook is that it lets you directly download the videos on your Phone unlike the ‘Save Video’ feature in the Offical Facebook app that does not allow you to share the video outside of the Facebook app.

Saving it to your phone means you can share the video on WhatsApp or any other way.

Despite all the good things about Fella for Facebook, an official app is always going to provide a better experience, but having an alternative to it does not hurt at all. Plus you can add so many new features to enhance your experience.

Or, if you own a smartphone with less storage and RAM, switching to this app will result in a drastic change in the performance of your phone since you will be able to free up more than 100MB from your precious App Storage.

➤ Install from Play Store  

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