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Facebook’s New Feature Wants You to Revisit Your Old Memories

Asif Ahmed
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0
Facebook’s New Feature Wants You to Revisit Your Old Memories

Facebook_On_this_Day

Facebook recently updated their app which now includes a feature that shows you posts you made on the same date in last few years. It even lets you share those with friends.

When you open Facebook on your smartphone to check-in to a place when hanging out with friends, or you just want to check out what your friends are up to,the last thing you want to see is an embarrassing post you made several years ago. As if the happy Facebook lives of your friends were not enough to hate your own.

A few times I tried this feature, it brought a few embarrassing posts I am not proud of sharing in the first place, let alone re-sharing it.

FB_Screenshot_02

The feature is not new and Facebook has already been testing it on their Desktop site since last few years and now they have moved their experiments over to the movie where the majority of their active users are.

While there could be some people who would love this feature of sharing amazing life events from the past, I see it as a desperate attempt to increase more engagement inside the app.

Fortunately, there is a way to turn the notifications off so that you still can use the Facebook without worrying too much about the past.

It is not the only thing Facebook is implementing in their App, they recently made their other product, the Facebook Messenger, open to third party developers to do more things than sending big ugly Smileys to each other .

9 Things You Should Know About the Upcoming Windows 10

Anwer Khan
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0
9 Things You Should Know About the Upcoming Windows 10

Every year or two, Microsoft pulls up its socks and starts prepping up for their next version of OS. This year, they will be releasing the Windows 10 after previous year’s Windows 8.1. Even though the there is a lot of time for the released, we came up with a list of things that would be nice to know if you are interested in Windows 10.

1. Windows 10 will run Modern Apps in the Desktop View

Moren_Apps_WIndows10

So, now the modern apps can be launched in the desktop view, people who hated those full-screen apps on their 22 inch monitors will love the ability to utilize their screen and still run the modern apps they liked.  Another improvement to that is the Office Suite will be universal, meaning a single app that lets you work on PC, Tablet or Mobile.

The apps will be touch friendly and optimized run one any platform. The Office apps will be preinstalled on Windows Phones and Tablets, which means they will be free to use on those devices.

2. Windows 8.1 users will be able to Upgrade for Free, even the Pirated ones.

Yes, Windows is going to get aggressive in getting the market share even at the cost of giving their paid product to the pirates for free, but one thing Microsoft is making clear is that it will not offer support to the people who do not own a genuine Windows 8.1 (which was given as a free upgrade to the genuine Windows 8 users)

3. You can Try Windows 10 Today

Even though Windows 10 will be available by the end of this year, you can still use the Technical preview of the OS. It’s not the final product and has flows, all the drivers might not work, it may restart without warning to save your work.

But you can see most of the things that will be shipped with the final version. Sign up for the Insider Program today and follow the steps to upgrade your PC.

*Make sure you install it on a spare machine to arrive losing important data or work.

4. The Start Menu is Actually useful now

StartMenue_Windows10

Windows 8 was criticized for not having a start button, then Microsoft listened, and brought it back in Windows 8.l, but it was still not what it used to be, and acted as a toggle button between the Modern UI and Desktop View.

The Start Button in Windows 10 Actually brings the start menu in the Desktop view. You can still maximize it to cover the entire screen in case you are one of those 15 people who liked seeing live tiles in the Modern UI

5. Windows 10 will come with a New, Refreshed Browser

Project Spartan

Rumors were floating on the web in the last part of 2014 that Microsoft is working on a new browser, it turned out to be true when Microsoft introduced Project Spartan to the world in an event in January this year.

Microsoft would still be keeping their Internet Explorer and also have another browser (Currently named Spartan) in the Windows 10. Not sure why they are confusing users again with two browsers, as Windows 8 also consumed users with Internet Explorer for the Modern as well.

6. Windows 10 Brings the Hologram Technology

Windows 10_Holograph_Technology

It’s the technology that will bring the apps out of your PC and you will actually be able to interact with them. Previewed at an even in January, Microsoft released a video showing a man wearing Microsoft HoloLense and interact with the 3D apps. It’s cool and makes you feel that the future has arrived.

7. Windows 10 Brings Cortana to the PCs

Cortana is Microsoft’s Siri for Windows Phones, or maybe a little prettier than that. It’s the Digital assistant which is making its way to the PCs, to let you do stuff and stay organized on your PC as well. It’s one step closer to the tighter integration between Windows Phone and PC.

8. Windows 10 is Aiming for a Unified Experience on Any Device

So, the universal apps, ability to run Modern apps in the Desktop view and integration of Cortana into the Windows OS is a sign that Microsoft wants you to have the same experience on every device and Windows is on it;s way to achieving it.

9. Folder and File icons get the Flat Design  

Windows_Explorer_Windows10

Considering how much Microsoft loves the Flat design, it was obvious. The Flat UI can be seen everywhere in the Windows 10. The folder and file icons are flat. Everything looks and feels fast. The Windows explorer becomes more usable as I found its showing recent folder more accurately.

19 Best Resources for Twitter Users to Make the Most of it

Asif Ahmed
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0
19 Best Resources for Twitter Users to Make the Most of it

Resources

Twitter is the place where you can speak your mind freely, its a completely different experience than Facebook, to which many people compare it with. Twitter is using by all kinds of people, Movie people, Sportsperson, Politicians, Media People, Artists and big companies. And then there are millions of people talking about things that are happening in real life.

Twitter is using by all kinds of people, Movie people, Sportsperson, Politicians, Media People, Artists and big companies. And then there are millions of people talking about things that are happening in real life.

It’s your time to be on Twitter and make the most of it, you can find things people are talking about, you get to know things directly from the people you like. It is also the place where you will find the most sarcastic, humorous, factual tweets. In short, you become an aware person if you use twitter properly.

We bring you some of the best resources you can use to make the most of Twitter.

Web Based Twitter Clients

Twitter.com

Twitter homepage

I hated using Twitter’s website to use Twitter few years ago, but the site has improved a lot, it’s fast and most colorful, thanks to the shared photos and videos by people I follow. You get to see more information on a single page, like the notifications, tweets by people you follow, trending topics, who to follow etc.

Tweetdeck  (Multiple Accounts)

Screenshot 2015-03-26 at 3.34.23 PM

If you run multiple accounts on Twitter, like one personal, one for your business, or a parody account, Tweetdeck is the best tool for you that you can use directly in the browser.

It has few advanced features which are great for businesses, for example, you can search for tweets for a particular term and filter the tweets according to the number of RTs and Favourites it has got. Add terms, related to your brand, to columns and you are good to go.

HootSuite (Multiple Accounts)

A similar service like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite does a little more than what Tweetdeck offers, It’s also a marketing tool with a premium version that lets you add over 50 accounts from various social networks, not just Twitter. The free version lets you add three accounts to

The free version lets you add three accounts to it, but offers post scheduling, monitoring post performances and ability to share any page on the web in a click with their tool called Hootlet.

The premium account starts at $9.99/month

Desktop Based Twitter Clients

Twitter for Windows

Twitter_WindowsApp

You would be surprised to know that there is an official app for Windows OS as well, for the Modern UI. Windows 10 lets users run Modern apps inside the desktop environment, So grab this app for your Windows PC.

Twitter for Mac

Twitter_MacApps

We won’t get any points for telling you that there is a Twitter app for Mac as well. In fact, there are lots of them, but Twitter for Mac should be preferred.

If you are using any other OS on your Desktop, I am sorry, we did not test any app for other OSes, but you can still use all the web-based Twitter clients or simply Twitter.com as it now brings a richer experience.

Twitter Clients for Smartphones / Tablets

Twitter for Android

The initial versions of Twitter app for Android were not up to the mark, that was the reason play store is filled with so many third party apps for better Twitter experience on Mobile. But it has improved a lot over the last few years. It’s both clean and fast to tweet fast and read tweets from others.

Talon for Android ($3.99) (Multiple Accounts)

I have been suing Talon from last few months and it has replaced the Official Twitter for Android for me. Talon offers design customization, in-app browser for quickly opening the page from a link, Images from Instagram, Videos from YouTube can be viewed directly in the timeline. If you install Talon for Android, you can also install this skin to get the look and feel of Android 5.0.

Tweedle for Android (Multiple Accounts)

Tweedle has almost the same functionality as Talon has, but with a difference in look and feel. Plus there is a free (ad-supported) version for it also. It’s you personal preference which one you want to use. as both the Apps support multiple accounts.

Twitter for iOS

The praise for the official Twitter app for iOS is same as of Android, the app is currently the way to tweet.

Twitterrific for iOS

Twitter_iOS_Apps

A simple app if you just want to tweet and read the tweets done by others.

Echofon for Twitter 

Echofon, like Twitterrific, is free and a simple app if you are simply looking to share tweets and read. perhaps, that is what you want. Don’t you?

Design Header Covers for Your Twitter Profile

Header Covers are something that give a unique look to your profile. All the active users are already using this feature to make their profiles stand out. You too can jump in as it’s better than never.

TwiterCovers.com

TwiterCover

TwitterCovers.com offers ready to upload designs. I browsed through many different sites that offer ready to upload Header covers for Twitter, but none came close to what TwitterCovers.com has to offer.

Design with Canva

Canva_Twitter_Header

If you are feeling creative and want more control over the design, Canva is the place, Now, it’s totally different from designing a cover in Photoshop or any other photo editing app, Canva has the right dimensions needed for the header cover.

Cover is a collection of beautiful images and you can put any kind of text on it, or use any photo you want. It’s as easy as drag n drop.

Dimensions for Custom Twitter Headers

[su_expand height=”200″]

Twitter_Headers

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I found this neat graphic at LouiseM.com that helps to design the exact size Twitter headers so that it can look good on any device. If you are very passionate about they way your twitter profile should look, this will help you.

Manage Followers, People You are Following, and Who to Follow

Far far in the list, we told you the best Twitter client for you, tools to make your profile look beautiful and now it’s time to follow interesting people, know your existing followers and get more of them.

Crowd Fire App (Formerly JustUnfollow) 

CroudFireApp

The app is now more than just an app to follow/unfollow people on Twitter. It also supports another Social Channel, Instagram, but, it is still one of the best tools for Twitter users to manage their Account efficiently.

It has an amazing feature to copy the entire list of people who are following a particular person. It’s just too much fun to use the app.

SocialBro

SocialBro

If you are using Twitter for your business to promote your brand, you might be interested in getting more data about your Twitter account. SocialBro is exactly that, your bro for social media measurement for Twitter.

You can sort your list of followers by the number of followers they have and when was the last time they were active, when it the time when your followers are most active and more patterns. It will also tell you which is the best time for you to tweet so that it gets maximum eyeballs. This data is gold for business and brands.

A few more resources to share voice, video or longer tweets.

Twitter limits you to have you say in less than 140 characters, most of the time it’s enough to say what you want. But you can also share longer tweets.

Most of the tools that let you tweet more than 140 characters at once, post your text on their site and share the link on Twitter. If you are okay with that, then I would suggest you to use Tumblr, which is a mix of microblogging and blogging, plus their Mobile app is the best for this.

Similarly, if you want to do video or voice tweets, you can use other service and share the link on Twitter. Soundcloud is great for voice and there is Twitter’s very own Vine, which lets you record 6 second videos and post them.

Want to share longer posts? YouTube is there. You get the idea right?

I hope you will benefit from this list, if you know someone who can benefit from it, please feel free to share this post using the sharing buttons. Thank you. 

How to Activate WhatsApp Calling Feature

Asif Ahmed
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0
How to Activate WhatsApp Calling Feature

Whatsapp_Calling

Update: The feature is now being rolled out to every Android user, without asking anyone to call you to active it. Enjoy.

So, the most rumored WhatsApp calling feature is finally being rolled out to the users Worldwide.

I got the feature a few weeks ago when it was rolled out for a brief period of time.

Getting this calling feature is a bit tricky so please follow all the steps if you want to get this feature.

Go to whatsapp.com  and tap the download button, it will take you to the respective app store where you have to update your App. The updated version is 2.11.561 as of writing.

WhatsApp_Screenshot

Now the tricky part starts here, you have to actually get someone to call you who already has the calling feature enabled, For example, I already had the calling feature and asked my friends to update their app and gave them a call via the App.

If you haven’t got anyone to call you, it’s time to make new friends please have patience and wait for anyone from your contact list to give you a call. Alternatively, you can use the comment section below to ask/offer help regarding getting calls.

I am not sure for how long the roll out is going to happen this time around, but it is clear that WhatsApp is still testing the feature as we haven’t got any official statement regarding the release of this new feature.

The new feature is currently rolling out for Android & Blackberry users only. Update for Windows Mobile and iOS will follow on a later date.

5 Apps to Utilize Your Mobile More Efficiently for Work

Asif Ahmed
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0
5 Apps to Utilize Your Mobile More Efficiently for Work

mobile_efficiency

We live in a world of multiple screens, thanks to the bigger screen mobile phones, we can do most of the stuff on our mobile, for example, searching for something, music, videos, cricket scores and yes instant messaging.

But we still need our Desktop computer for serious work and sometimes we need to move things on our Laptop and Mobile. Here is how we can do it using these 5 apps.

1. Using AirDroid for Moving Files between PC and Mobile

airdroid

Airdroid is an incredible app that lets you connect your Mobile to your Laptop over Wi-Fi. Moving files between both the devices is fast. You can keep your Mobile connected to your Laptop and send the files you may want to check out later.

2. Using PushBullet to push Notes & Links to the Mobile

pubshbullet

PushBullet is an app I have been using a lot lately, It is helpful for sending links and a piece of text to your mobile so that you can check it out later. The Good thing about Pushbullet is that you don’t need to go through all steps to connect your Laptop to your Mobile.

Install the Chrome extension on your Laptop and the App on your Android mobile. It is the fastest way to send a photo, document, note or link to your mobile.

Plus, it also notifies you when there is a notification on your mobile phones, e.g a call or a message or battery low warning.

3. Using Pocket App for reading Longer Articles Later

pocket

We discover tons of amazing articles during the day when we are working on our PC, it is not wise to read all of them doing the work hour but we don’t feel like letting it for either. So We can use Pocket App for saving such articles so that we can read them later on our Mobile Phones.

4. Using Google Docs on Your Mobile

gdocs

MS Office was the choice of my office suite until I bought Chromebook as my travel machine, I am now using Google Docs (1, 2, 3) for documents and other office files. The best thing I liked about it is that I can access them from my Mobile phone as well, It makes the purpose of my Smartphone more meaningful as I am using it to compliment my work.

5. Using Google Chrome for Android

gchrome

Finally the Google Chrome for Android has made my web browsing on Mobile pretty smooth, Keep it synced with the Chrome on other devices and you can have all your bookmarks, login credentials, form     data on your mobile. It makes life a bit easy when you don’t have to put the long passwords on the websites you use.

It also gives you access to the opened tabs in Google Chrome on your Laptop. So, if you have to step out of your office, you can still access those open tabs from your Mobile. How awesome is that.

Now there are thousands of app available in the Play Store, but I consider these 5 a must have apps on your mobile phone if you want to make the best use of it for your work. Try them out.

Micromax Is Beating the Competitors Just by Copying Them.

Anwer Khan
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0
Micromax Is Beating the Competitors Just by Copying Them.

MIcromax

I heard about Micromax for the first time in late 2008, the not so techie people in my group used to talk about that Chinese phone which had a battery life of over one month. I can’t comment whether or not the phone actually lasted for a month, but people used to appreciate that a lot.

That was also the time the market was flooded with Chinese phones. They were of different shapes, sizes, colors, and features. Few even had features of a TV, yes, A Television.

At the time when the ability to store more MP3 songs in mobile phones was the latest technology and the internet on mobile was still catching up in India despite the launch of iPhone over a few months ago, this new Micromax looked similar to the Chinese mobiles in the quality as well as features. People even thought it was just another Chinese phone.

After testing the market with their mobile phone having long lasting battery life, they started bringing in more mobile phones, most of them were similar to Samsung phones but half the price.

For example, Samsung S3850 Corby a phone from Samsung priced at around Rs 7,000/- was very similar to Micromax Z505 Psych priced at Rs 3500/-. ([su_lightbox type=”image” src=”http://techtippr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Low-end_Samsung_Micromax.jpg”]click for visual comparison[/su_lightbox])

By the end of 2009, Micromax started giving tough competition to Samsung, which indulged in its own battle with Nokia for the number one spot. The story of Nokia is also an interesting one, but let’s keep it for some other day.

Samsung was seeing a space in the high-end mobile phones it could fill, it picked up Android as the OS for it’s smartphones and flooded the market with mobiles phones in all the prices ranges. Rs 9,999/-, Rs 10,999/-, Rs 15,999/- name the price and there is a Samsung phone in the market.

Back to Micromax, they were now a known name and it was time to part away this Chinese company tag and promote the company as an Indian brand. They brought in Celebs like Ankhay Kumar to promote their phones and a new tagline, ‘Nothing Like Anything.’ and now they have Hugh Jackman on board to promote the brand and give it an international touch.

By the end of 2009, Micromax started taking on Samsung in the mid-range smartphone segment after beating them in the budget segment phones. Micromax’s first Android mobile, Micromax Andro A60 launched in 2010 and it has a range of Android smartphones by the end of 2011.

Micromax was once again giving a tough competition to Samsung by copying them once again in offering too many choices to the consumers.

In 2014, Micromax surpassed Samsung to become the mobile phone manufacturer shipping the most number of phones in a single quarter in India1

Chinese companies had started making a comeback in India, but this time promising quality devices, especially the mobile phones from Xiaomi and OnePlus.

These companies were offering phones with good quality and specifications and way cheaper than Samsung and other companies like HTC, LG were pricing their flagship phones were selling for.

Cheap pricing was the forte of Micromax, it was the selling point of their phones. These new Chinese companies like Xiaomi and OnePlus were threats to the market share of not only Samsung and other big companies but also Micromax.

Micromax, which already had so many phones under Rs 10,000/-, started a new line of phones under the brand of Yu, Micromax Yureka was the first phone competing Xiaomi’s Redmi Note.

Micromax_Yureka

Going after Xiaomi, Micromax not only copied the strategy to offer high-spec phones at a very low prices, but also copied the naming, promotion and sales of their devices.

Xiaomi had their phones under the branding of Mi, making their phones available via Flipkart in flash sales on a particular day, 2PM every Tuesday

Micromax has their phones under the branding of Yu, making their phones available via Amazon.in in flash sales on a particular day, 2PM every Thursday.

With Yureka, Micromax also tried to take on OnePlus by Partnering with CyanogenMod, a custom software version of Android OS OnePlus was using for it’s smartphones. Micromax went to court to ban the sales of OnePlus phones in India as the exclusive deal made Micromax the only company that can sell mobile phones powered by CyanogenMod.

Micromax is now number one company in India, it has further extended its business to Tablets, Datacards and TVs.

[su_scheduler days_month=”1-19″ months=”2″ years=”2015″]

[su_note]Click Here to Register now and do not forget to Buy it on 19th February at 2PM.[/su_note]

[/su_scheduler]

Tips and Tricks for Making A Chromebook More Usable

Asif Ahmed
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0
Tips and Tricks for Making A Chromebook More Usable

With a lot of benefits comes a lot of limitations, like you can not use a software like Photoshop or Microsoft Office, but that doesn’t mean you can not get your work done.

In this post, I am listing few tips and tricks which will help you make Chromebook a little more efficient.

1. Use Writebox for distraction-free writing.

Writebox

Assuming that you will use Chromebook for a lot of writing, Wirebox is a chrome app that will help you write long form content with easy, without the needs for an internet connection. And whatever you write in it gets automatically saved locally. You can also add Dropbox or Google Drive to save things in the cloud.

2. Use the next tab of your chrome browser as a Notepad.Notepad_Chrome

Just a few days of using the Chromebook, I felt the need of a notepad to note down something or make some edits in the code snippets. Surely there is Google Keep and Docs installed but it takes few seconds to open them.

A simple hack would enable your next tab as a notepad. Just type in this in the address bar and you are good to go ⤵

data:text/html, <html contenteditable>

 

[su_note]Bonus tip: Bookmark that tab to the bookmark bar so that it’s just a click away the next time you need it.[/su_note]

3. Scroll up and down like you do on Mobile phones.

Twi_Finger_Scrolling

Chromebook has a bunch of gestures to perform a particular action, like a two finger scroll will let you scroll up/down the pages. But it’s little weird to use it. [su_highlight]Go to touchpad settings under Device in Settings and enable Australian Scroll[/su_highlight], it will be little natural to use the two finger scroll gesture.

4. Use timesaving multi-finger gesture.

Multiple_Finger_Gestures

Among other finger gestures there is a three finger gesture that lets you switch between tabs, just swipe three fingers to the left or right to switch between the chrome browser tabs. Swipe the three fingers up and you can see all the active windows which help you switch between the apps. Definitely saves some time.

5. Increase the storage of your Chromebook

SD_Card_Slot

Photo Credit: Forty Something Gee

Usually, all the Chromebooks have a storage capacity of 16GB out of which around 10GB is available for the user. But there is also an SD slot in the Chromebook, just put a 32GB or 64GB or even a 128GB SD Card and you have more storage to carry your movie or music collection with you.

These are all the tricks I am using to make the most of it. Chromebook is the fastest way to get started with your work, it has no software installed that is not important to me. I stays on longer than my previous Laptops and I using it everywhere for my everyday computing.

I am currently using HP Chromebook 14, you can click here read the full review.

Can We Use Mobile Phones for Writing Long form Content?

Asif Ahmed
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0
Can We Use Mobile Phones for Writing Long form Content?

Writing_Mobile

I love tech, and I love making the most out of it. And then I write about it here. Producing content is not my main focus on this blog, but I loved to add me two cents now and then, this like one.

I have been reading many people looking for the ultimate device that enabled them to get their job done from anywhere. We have tablets, ultra-lightweight notebooks, and even third-party products to compliment mobile phones that can help us write a little faster than we do, using the touch screen keyboard.

I read this article on Mac Stories By Federico Viticci, where he blogged about his experience of using iPad Air 2 as his main computer. I have recently started using a Chromebook as my main machine, but I still can not think of completely shifting to a mobile-based OS for my full-time work.

Wanting to experience the workflow, I decided to use my mobile phone for writing a post to get an idea if it can be used for writing long-form content or not.

Here are the results

Below is the raw content that has been typed on the mobile phones. It’s not much (just 522 words), and there are few typos as well. It will give you an idea of mobile phones can be used for writing or not.

Battery status: 61%

Time: 10:53pm.

Start

Back in 2007, when I started blogging, smartphones were no very common. Perhaps the smartphones were not smart enough to perform more than one task at a time.

Articles were written on PC or Laptop. Then came the time when netbooks become) popular, these were low-powered mini-laptops that have longer battery life slightly, and we’re easier to carry around.

They made a good machine to write articles. Still, They were more of a liability, as people had to carry such machines just for writing didn’t make much sense because by adding just a little more space, they could carry their primary computer (if that happens to be a laptop).

Then came the trend of my f tablet pc, which ran on a mobile os and had a bigger screen.

Many third-party party manufacturers came with Bluetooth and USB keyboards that could be connected with these tablet pc and can be used as a laptop without compromising on the compactness of the device.

Now is when we see many smartphones emerging in the market with better specs, and apps like SwiftKey have made it possible to use smartphones for full-fledged writing.

Many manufacturers make creative keyboards for smartphone users to make typing fast and efficient, just like typing on a laptop.

Finished.

Battery: 53%

Time:11:10pm

Started

Battery: 13%

Time: 2:04pm

On such dedicated keyboard’s review, I read on Gizmodo, which reviewed as a terrible thing to type on. I’ll link the review here.

I haven’t tried it, but I agree with the writer about the tiny keys as I’ve tried a similar one myself.

I’m currently using SwiftKey, and I can type pretty nicely without much trouble and typos.

Typing on mobile isn’t pleasing as it is on PC with bigger keyboards, but it certainly helps to utilize time like this when you are taking some rest after lunch or dinner.

So using Google docs for your writing is great, as you can put together an article on the way using your Mobile phone, considering you have SwiftKey enabled on it.

I still have to try that brilliantly designed mini keyboard for mobile before replacing SwiftKey with it, but for now, it’s SwiftKey.

Finished

Battery: 7%

Time : 2:14pm

Start

Battery: 50%

Time: 11:32pm

This is the fourth and last part of this post I am writing using a mobile phone. There is not much useful information in this post other than showing you the ability to write long documents like this using your phone.

Here are few things I did to make it more effective.

I installed Docs app on my phone from the Play Store.

Used a dark template to write posts, more like Darkroom, which helps in less consumption of battery on the phone.

I am used to the SwiftKey keyboard, which gives amazing predictions to complete a sentence just like this one right now.

That’s it. We are done with this article on mobile.

Finished

Battery:48%

Time : 11:39pm

Update from 2021: I am currently using iPhone 12 Pro Max as my primary phone. It is a huge phone with big screen. Cameras are better for taking photos and videos, but I am also using it for writing long articles. You can check out my experience of using it for writing long articles.

These Apps are Helping Me Make the Most of Chromebook

Asif Ahmed
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0
These Apps are Helping Me Make the Most of Chromebook

I am writing this article with the assumption that you already know about Chromebooks and how they work.

I own a Chromebook, and these apps are helping me do everything I do on a traditional computer with a Windows or Mac-based OS.

Word Processing/Office Documents

My purpose of using a computer is to work with files like PDFs, Spreadsheets, and Word Documents for which I have been relying on MS Office (or related office suites like Open Office, Libre Office, etc.) for most of it, and I now use Google Docs for it.

I was already using Google Docs for working on files where I needed to collaborate with my team members, but now it’s fully Google Docs, and I haven’t come across a single issue with it.

Using Google Docs for all my work has enabled me to access it from my mobile phone as well, and I am using my phone to make edits and proofread blog posts, which has saved time.

The Good thing about Google Docs is that it works in offline mode so that you can write even when you are not connected to the internet.

Photo Editing / Creating Screenshots.

Another important part of my work is working with a lot of images; I have to create many screenshots and edit images to use on my posts and tutorials.

It was the sole reason for the dilemma in switching to Chromebook, I used Photoshop and SnagIt for that purpose, and it was an amazingly fast workflow on Desktop.

Moving to Chromebook, I thought my workflow will slow down because of the lack of great tools.

I started using a combination of Pixlr Editor and PicMonkey for editing and creating images and Nimbus for creating screenshots. After one week of using this combination and I can perform this action much faster than on my Desktop.

The downside of this combination is that it works when connected to the internet. Still, I am connected to the internet almost every time as I have to take screenshots of websites or look for relevant creative commons licensed photos on Flickr or any other site.

Watching Videos or Listening to Music.

For the last few years, the primary source of my entertainment has been YouTube. I hardly watch TV as YouTube lets me watch my favorite TV shows anytime I want to.

If I have to give it in numbers, the hours I spend watching TV and YouTube will be 1 hour of TV and over 50+ hours of YouTube every month.

I haven’t faced any problem continuing this trend after switching to Chromebook. Mostly all the Chromebooks have only around 10GB of storage left for the users.

You can not put your Video and Music library, but you definitely can put your favorites and watch them whenever you want. So many music streaming services that let you enjoy music without having to download them saving you space.

Instant Messaging and Communicating

I mostly try to ignore using instant messages while working, but I have allowed my team to message me anytime they want via Hangouts.

So, there is no problem with that when I am using Chromebook. Google Duo works great for doing video conferencing.

I have a few clients and partners with whom I have to speak over Skype every week. Thankfully Skype is available for Mobile Phones, and it’s with me all the time, so I am not losing on this one.

WhatsApp has enabled Android/Blackberry and Windows Phone users to send/receive messages from Google Chrome using WhatsApp Web.

Playing Video Games

I don’t play games on PC, the only play games when I have to test the apps for the blog, so I can’t comment on how the Gamers will find Chromebooks useful.

Some games can’t be played even on Traditional PCs without dedicated graphic cards on them, and then some web-based games can be played in the browser.

Chromebook is just like any other PC for the games in the latter category, letting you play those games in Google Chrome.

After listing all the things I can do with the Chromebook, I want to list a few things I love about it.

It’s a machine I use to perform my full-time work, yet I don’t fear the Hard Disk crash and losing all my work. I don’t fear losing my Chromebook at all.

All my work is saved in the cloud, and I can continue working on any other device. I love this.

I love that I can start working in just 7 seconds after opening the lid of my Chromebook. I put it on standby without worrying about slowing it down over time.

I step out of my home with my Chromebook without having to carry the charger, at it gets me around 8 hours of serious work.

I understand that not everyone has a work requirement like I do, and not everyone would be working on a machine that does not have a notepad or basic computer programs.

But if you travel a lot and there is a web version of the software/service you use, and there is no problem with internet connectivity, Chromebook is something you can count on for your work.

Have questions like, Can you edit video on Chrome? Check out this FAQ page for Chromebooks.

HP Chromebook 14 Review, It’s the Best Chromebook for Productive Work

Asif Ahmed
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0
HP Chromebook 14 Review, It’s the Best Chromebook for Productive Work

Years passed and we saw some nice improvements in the Windows OS with the launch of Windows 8, it made the boot-up little faster and tried doing many other things that could stop users from moving to a much better Mac OS, but we didn’t get to read too many good things about Chrome OS.

2013 was the year when Chrome OS powered laptops, termed as Chromebooks, started to appear in the market. 2014 was the year when it finally started getting some serious traction. Of all the Chromebooks that are available in the market, HP Chromebook 14 is one of them and I am writing it’s review on this very same machine.

Though it’s 2015, and we are likely to see more Chrome OS powered machines than the previous year, the basic functionality of the Chromebooks remain the same among all.

Software

HP_Chromebook_14_1

If we have to talk about the Software part, it could be called an extension of the Chrome Browser in the literal sense. You can do all the things you do in the Chrome Browser, with an added functionality of the ability to work with your downloaded, local, and Google Doc files offline.

Apart from that, there is nothing to do, unless you are connected to the internet. Making it a machine for only those whose work requires the internet connected, which is mostly the case for people these days.

For designs and developers, it’s a complete no-no machine. But for those to write, create graphics with the help of online services like PicMonkey and Canvas.

Being a blogger, I have to do several things from creating blogs posts to monitoring traffic to sharing on Social Media to collaborating a lot, and Chromebook lets me do all these things without any compromises.

HP_Chromebook_14_5

I use Photoshop occasionally, but I was able to do the same task with the combination PickMonkey and Pixlr (both of them are a web app and require an active internet connection).

Apart from the work, even my daily entertainment comes from the Web, I watch YouTube a lot and do a bit of reading, and Chromebook handles this very well. Plus, it’s fast, like really fast, boots up in less than 3 seconds and I am working on my documents in within 10 seconds, and when I open it from standby, I hardly even notice the black screen.

I still use my Desktop for heavy Video Editing and Designing, but Chromebook has successfully become my travel machine replacing the Acer Aspire V5 131.

Hardware

The build quality of this Chromebook is very nice and it looks a premium device for its price. Mostly all the Chromebooks have 11.6 inch screen, HP Chromebook 14 has a 14 inch screen and looks relatively same as it’s younger brother (HP Chromebook 11), But, the bigger screen does not mean lesser battery backup. It easily stays with me for around 8 hours of daily work.

I am not a fan of the keyboards provided by HP in laptops, but I became used to it after a few days of struggle, moreover, Chromebook 14 does look big after using an 11.6 inch Laptop for months, but it certainly doesn’t look bulky at all. The Touchpad is big and thankfully does not behave badly when I accidentally touch it while typing on the keyboards. Supports the two finger scroll, two finger tap with added gestures like a three finger swipe down gives a preview of opened windows, three finger swipe left/right lets you switch between tabs. A bit fancy stuff but proves to be productive once you grow used to it.

HP_Chromebook_14_4

I have heard other people complaining about the display I did not find any problem with the screen display which has a 1366×768 resolution. As I have already mentioned in the review that I am not going to use it as a designing machine anyway, So, I don’t bother about the very high display screen for my daily computing needs, plus you are getting much more than the price you are paying for.

This machine houses a 16GB SSD with just 10GB usable, it’s the only part which will disappoint many, you can not keep your Movie or Music collection on it, but the good thing is that Google offers 1TB of storage with every Chromebook, so that might make you a little happy. For local memory expansion, there are two USB 2.0, one USB 3.0 and one SD card reader. There is also one HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio/mic Jack and a 1.3MP camera for Video Chats via Hangouts.

HP_Chromebook_14_3

Other specs like 1.4Ghz Processor with 4GB RAM make this machine run pretty smoothly, I opened almost 30 tabs, with YouTube video playing and I was easily able to switch between the tabs. They remained opened throughout the working hours and It was still very smooth to switch between the tabs, I did do that on my Desktop PC, I always start noticing a bit of lag after some time and have to kill a few tabs to keep working smoothly, but Chromebook handled everything very smoothly.

If we talk about a premium quality lightweight laptop that boots fast and runs over 8 hours on battery, we are talking about $1000+ price range, HP Chromebook 14 gives you all that in less than half of that price.

So, whether Chrome OS is suitable for your needs or not, it’s up to you do decide, but if you are looking for a really fast Laptop and will be working mostly inside a browser, and will be spending more time using it, HP Chromebook 14 is the most recommended Chromebook from our side because it gives you a little extra screen real estate with some comfortable typing for longer usage.

Key Specs of HP Chromebook 14

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Screen Display14 inch display of 1366 X 768 pixels
Processor1.4 GHz Intel Celeron Dual Core (4th Gen)
OSChrome OS, 64bit
RAM / Internal Storage4GB RAM / 16 GB SSD
Web CameraHP TrueVision HD Webcam for Hangouts and other video conferencing
Slots1 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI Port, 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
Battery4 cell / 8-9 Hours of Work time

[/su_table]

[su_table]

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[/su_table]

Open Google Drive Files Directly in Desktop Applications

Asif Ahmed
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0
Open Google Drive Files Directly in Desktop Applications

Almost every one of us does most of their day to day computing inside a browser. That’s why cloud computing is becoming more popular, as we can access our files from anywhere in the world.

However, we still would like to put our locally installed software to some use by editing and modifying the files we save in the cloud.

Dropbox is more in-line with such kind of workflow. But if you use Google Drive to save all your files, the good news is that it is now possible to open the saved files with the apps you have installed on your PC.

You don’t have to worry about converting the file to make it compatible, as it’s all done by Google. So, now you can open Word files in Microsoft Word, Photos, and other imaginary in heavy software like Adobe Photoshop.

It was one reason I didn’t put all my files in Google Drive and relied on workarounds to open Google Docs files in Microsoft office.

Google has been promoting cloud computing and has even launched Chrome OS, which helps people do everything right inside a browser; it is good to see that Google still cares for people who use other OS and wants to make their lives easy.

How to get started?

Install the latest version of the Drive app for Mac or PC and sync your files. Then, visit Google Drive in your Chrome browser (make sure you’re on the new Google Drive).

Finally, right-click on the file and select “Open with” to see a list of compatible applications on your computer that can open it.

For example, you can open a PDF file with Adobe Reader or a .psd with Photoshop, make your edits and save back changes to Drive, which will sync across all your devices and other collaborators.

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