Use Windows 8 Reset or Refresh options instead of Doing a Complete Reinstall

Have so many issues with Windows 8 that you need to reinstall it? There’s a simpler way: Use Windows 8’s Reset or Refresh options instead. You know the moment, that moment when you realize that your operating system has such problems that there’s only one solution: wipe it out and start from scratch by reinstalling it. 

                            A full reinstall is a tremendous, time-consuming headache, because you have to copy all your data somewhere, wipe your hard disk, reinstall Windows, and then restore your data. It’s rare that you’ll get it exactly right. And that assumes that you even remember where your Windows installation disc is. Windows 8, for the first time in Windows history, gives you a much better way. It introduces two related new features that let you essentially reset Windows 8 to the state it was in when you first installed it. 

                        The two new features are called Reset and Refresh. Here’s what they do, and the differences between them: 

Reset

 This option puts your PC in the condition it was in to either when you first started it —if it came with Windows 8 on it—or when you first installed Windows 8. It wipes out your data and any apps you installed and puts your PC back into its original, pure Windows 8 state. It’s a much simpler option than doing all that yourself manually. You won’t even need your Windows install disc. (More on that later in this hack.) It’s the PC equivalent of the “Restore to Factory Default” feature you’ll find on many smartphones. Think of Reset as the nuclear option. 

                               Windows 8 erases and formats your hard drives, installs a fresh copy of Windows, and then starts into that new copy of Windows. There’s even an option when you do a Reset for not just reformatting your hard disk before reinstalling Windows, but writing random patterns to every sector on the hard drive so that data, such as personal data, can’t be recovered. You might use this alternative if you’re giving away, selling, or recycling your PC. 

Refresh 

                              This feature reinstalls Windows, but doesn’t wipe out your data, settings, or any Windows 8 native apps you’ve installed. (It does wipe out your Desktop apps, but there’s a way to tell Refresh not to wipe them out, as you’ll see later in this hack.) Your hard disks aren’t erased or formatted. When you sign into the reinstalled Windows, your data will be there waiting for you, as will your settings and Windows 8 native apps. To Reset or Refresh your PC, press Windows key+C and select Settings→Change PC Settings→General. Scroll toward the bottom of the screen ( See Figure ) and on the right side, you’ll see separate sections for Refresh and Reset. 

              The Refresh section reads “Refresh your PC without affecting your files,” and the Reset section reads “Remove everything and reinstall Windows.” Click “Get started” in the appropriate section. Then just follow the simple prompts. 

Note: When you perform a Refresh, you won’t have to go through the normal initial Windows 8 Welcome and setup screens that walk you through to configure your settings and user account. That information is included already as part of the Refresh. With a Reset, however, you’ll go through all those screens.

                             
 Create a Custom Refresh Point

 Mostly, you’ll use the Refresh option, because you want to continue to use your files and apps. But there’s a problem with Refresh: although it keeps all your data and your Windows 8 native apps, it wipes out your Desktop apps. If, like most people, you mainly use Desktop apps, this is not a good thing. You can, however, create a custom refresh point that takes a snapshot of your system, and then uses that snapshot to refresh your PC. 

              Part of that snapshot includes your Desktop apps, so when you refresh your system after creating one of these custom refresh points, your Desktop apps will be back waiting for you. How does it do that? First, a little bit of background. When Windows 8 is first installed, the system creates and stores a refresh point. When you refresh your system, it uses that refresh point as the baseline for the refresh. But because that refresh point was created before you installed Desktop apps, it doesn’t include information about them. When you create a custom refresh point, information about those apps is included, so they’ll be on your system. 

             To create a custom refresh point, first create a new directory where you want to store it. The refresh point will be named CustomRefresh.wim. After that, run an elevated command prompt—that is, a command prompt with Administrator rights. To do it, right-click the lower-left edge of the screen and select Command Prompt (Admin). Then type the following in the command prompt:  recimg  /createimage <directory>

               where <directory> is the name of the directory you’ve just created. When you do that, Refresh will use the image in that directory instead of the one created during Windows 8’s initial installation to perform a Refresh. The recimg command gives you quite a bit of flexibility in creating and using Refresh points. What if you decide you want to create a new custom Refresh point because you’ve installed new apps, and want them as part of the Refresh? Simply create a new directory, and run the recimg command using it as the place to store the Refresh point. But recimg can do more as well. If you have multiple directories with Refresh points, you can tell Windows 8 which is the current one that it should use for doing a Refresh. To do all that, and more, you’ll need to know all of recimg command line options.   

See the Table Below

    

How to Speed Up Boot Time in Windows 8

   
Shorten the time it takes for your desktop to appear when you turn on your PC. No matter how fast your PC boots, it’s not fast enough. Here are several hacks to get you right to your desktop as quickly as possible after startup.

 Hack Your BIOS for Faster Startups 

When you turn on your PC, it goes through a set of startup procedures in its BIOS before it gets around to starting Windows. So, if you speed up those initial startup procedures, you’ll make your system start faster. You can speed up your startup procedures by changing the BIOS with the built-in setup utility. How you run this utility varies from PC to PC, but you typically get to it by pressing either the Delete, F1, F2, or F10 key during startup. You’ll come to a menu with a variety of choices. Here are the choices to make for faster system startups: 

Quick Power On Self Test (POST) 

When you choose this option, your system runs an abbreviated POST rather than the normal, lengthy one.

 Change Your Boot Order

 If you change the boot order so that your BIOS checks the hard disk first for booting, it won’t check any other devices, and will speed up your startup time.

 Boot Up Floppy Seek 

Disable this option. When it’s enabled, your system spends a few extra seconds looking for your floppy drive—a relatively pointless procedure, especially considering how infrequently you use your floppy drive.

 Boot Delay 

Some systems let you delay booting after you turn on your PC so that your hard drive gets a chance to start spinning before bootup. Most likely, you don’t need to have this boot delay, so turn it off. If you run into problems, however, you can turn it back on.

Customize Which Apps Show their Notifications on the Lock Screen in Windows 8

One of Windows 8’s niftier features is that it displays notifications on the Lock screen from certain apps—email, social networking, calendar, and more. That way, if you want a quick rundown of what you need to know, it’s right there for you. You don’t even have to log into Windows 8; just check out the Lock screen. Maybe you don’t want to see updates from your social networking sites, but do want to see the current weather, or information from another app. Customizing exactly what shows up on your Start screen is a breeze. Press Windows key+I, and then select Change PC Settings at the bottom of the Settings pane. From the right side of the screen that appears ( See Figure )

     Select Lock Screen. Down at the bottom-right of the screen, you’ll see icons of the apps that automatically display notifications, with some plus signs to the right (See Figure).

 Click a plus sign to reveal a list of apps that can display notifications. Simply pick one and it will display alerts and other information on the Start screen.

 Note: When you click a plus sign, you’ll see both the apps that already display notifications, as well as those that don’t. If you choose one that already displays its notifications on the Start screen, nothing new happens—the app still displays notifications, with no change.

How to Change the Lock Screen Image in Windows 8

 The Lock screen is mostly controlled via a single settings screen. To get there, press Windows key+C to display the Charms bar, and select Settings→Change PC Settings→Personalize→Lock Screen. A screen appears, shown in Figure , that displays your Lock screen image at the top. Just beneath it are other Lock screen images you can use. Click any one of them to make it the new Lock screen image. To find other images you can use for the Lock screen, click the Browse button and browse through your pictures. Select the one you want to use, click Choose Picture, and you’ll make it your new Lock screen image.

How to Disable Windows 8 Lock Screen

Tired of being forced to click through Windows 8’s lock screen before you get to the Start screen? Here’s how to bypass it. 

                                        Boot your PC or wake it from sleep, and you go straight to Windows 8’s lock screen, which looks more like the screen you’d expect to see on your smartphone than on a PC. It tells you the time and date, and a variety of timely information—meetings taken from your calendar, updates from social networking sites, an indication of your power level, email notifications, and other similar information. 

                                      That’s all very nice, but if you’re on a PC, you probably want to get straight to work. And that means getting to the Start screen faster. If you like, you can bypass the Lock Screen.

Note: If you’re using a Windows 8 tablet, you may find the Lock screen more useful, since you may want to glance at your calendar or social networking sites while you’re on the go.

                  To do it, you use the Local Policy Editor. Launch it by pressing Windows key+R to open the Run bar, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter or click OK. The Local Policy Editor launches

                             Go to Computer Configuration→Administrative Templates→Control Panel→Personalization. Double-click the “Do not display the lock screen” entry, select Enabled, then press Enter or click OK. Exit the Local Policy Editor, then reboot. 

            The new setting should take effect immediately. The next turn you reboot or wake your PC, you won’t see the Lock screen. Instead, you’ll go straight into logging into Windows 8.

                   The Local Policy Editor comes only with Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise. But you can still turn off the Lock screen in any version of Windows 8 by using a Registry hack.  In the Registry Editor, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization and create a DWORD called NoLockScreen. Change its value from 0 to 1, exit the Registry Editor, and exit and restart Windows 8. (Note: If you don’t find the Personalization key, you’ll have to create it before creating the NoLockScreen DWORD.)    

How to See and Reuse the Most Recently Typed Commands in Ubuntu

The command line includes a powerful history feature that can make life much easier. To see the recently typed commands, type history. This simply dumps to the screen a hidden file in your /home directory called .bash_history where up to 1,000 commands are recorded. Because this list will scroll off the screen when listed, it’s a good idea to pipe the output into a text reader, such as less:

 $ history|less 

                                To reuse one of your commands, at the command prompt type an exclamation mark ( !; known as a bang in bash-speak) and then the number alongside the entry in the history list. For example, on my system, I noted when viewing the history list that the command cp /etc/fstab ~ /Desktop was command 591. To use it again, I typed !591 at the command prompt. If you ever need to simply repeat a command you’ve just used, type two exclamation marks— !!. 

To actively rifle through your command history, hit Ctrl + r and then start typing the command in which you’re interested. The prompt will “autocomplete” as you type. To use the command, hit Enter . To edit it before using it, hit Esc , and then make your changes. 

                     Hitting the up and down cursor keys will also let you move through the most recently typed commands. Just hit Enter when you find the one you want to reuse.

How to Set Any Picture as Wallpaper with a Single Click in Ubuntu

The easiest way of setting your own picture as a desktop wallpaper is to click and drag the image to the desktop using the middle mouse button (if the image is already on the desktop, then click and drag it a few inches to the left/right). On most modern mice, the middle mouse button is the scroll wheel, which also doubles as a third mouse button. On the menu that appears when you release the button, click Set as Background. 

                                        If that sounds a little too unorthodox for you (it can be hard to use the middle mouse button), you can also use Synaptic to install the nautilus wallpaper package, which adds a simple Set as Wallpaper option to the menu that appears when you right-click an image file. After installation, you’ll need to log out and then in again before the option becomes visible.

How to See the iTunes Track in the Dock on Mac OS X Lion

Here’s a handy little tweak for the Dock that will cause a pop-up window to momentarily appear each time iTunes begins playing a new track (see Figure above). It’s so useful that it’s hard to believe it isn’t activated by default or is at least an official preference option. But it isn’t. 

Quit iTunes if it’s open, then open a Terminal window (Finder >Applications >Utilities >Terminal) and type the following:

 defaults write com.apple.dock itunes-notifications -bool TRUE;killall Dock 

Then start iTunes and try playing a track. Neat, eh? The pop-up fades away after a few seconds.
                                 
 To add the iTunes icon to the pop-up window, type the following into a Terminal window: 

defaults write com.apple.dock notification-always-show-image -bool TRUE; killall Dock 

To deactivate the pop-up at a later date, quit iTunes again, then open a Terminal window and type the following two lines:

 defaults delete com.apple.dock itunes-notifications 
 defaults delete com.apple.dock notification-always-show-image;killall Dock


 Need any help, Please comment.

Enjoy ........................... 

What’s New in Mac OS X Lion?

Apple has been busy: Lion adds more than 250 new features to Mac OS X! But it’s not the quantity of features that impresses — it’s the quality. Let’s check out some of the more prominent Lion goodies:  

Accessibility

 Features in Lion are unmatched. VoiceOver (a utility that allows your Mac to speak to you) now supports 23 languages. There is also built-in support for 80 braille tables. 

 FaceTime video calling

You can now talk to your favorite pals with a true video phone using your Mac and FaceTime.  

AutoSave

Applications developed with AutoSave automatically save any changes you make to your documents. There’s no longer any need to constantly press Ô+S to save your files after each change. 

 Lion is now distributed online

You can download the entire Mac OS through the Mac App Store and install with just a few clicks.  

Full-screen applications

You can run many of your applications in full-screen mode, which cuts down on external distractions and keeps you focused. 

 Recovery mode

You no longer need discs to reinstall or restore Mac OS X because Lion includes a built-in restore partition on your hard drive. Just press Ô+R during a restart to boot into Recovery mode.  

Launchpad

This literally launches all of the apps on your Mac. You can see most (if not all) of them with a click of your mouse or a swipe of your trackpad. You can also organize your applications into folders, a process with which iPhone and iPad users are already familiar.

  Mission Control

 Mission Control allows you to see everything that’s happening on your Mac in one window.  


Multi-Touch gestures

 Multi-Touch gestures make your Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, or your laptop trackpad absolutely rock! Properly orchestrated finger swipes instantly scroll through web pages, open Launchpad, zoom in, and much more.  

Versions

 Lion saves versions of all of your documents once an hour while you work. You can browse between versions of your documents if you mistakenly remove an item and need to restore it. You can restore parts of older versions or you can restore the entire document. Lion saves only the information that has changed from version to version so your hard drive space won’t be eaten up with duplicate information.  

Resume

Resume allows you to open an application in the exact same state you left it when you last closed it. Any windows that were open, any palettes that were on-screen, and even the position of the cursor, remain exactly as they were when you last used the application. You can also restart your Mac, and any applications or windows that were open before you restarted are restored upon reboot.

Stylish Facebook like box pop up with timer

Providing updates from facebook is always a great way to engage the visitors on your blog/ website . So it's important to get the attention of your visitors towards your like box. 

                                                   Well guys, Checkout this awesome facebook like box widget with timer which you and your readers will like and get attracted. If you want to add this widget to your blog just follow this simple steps.

1.Go to Blogger > Layout
2.Click on 'Add a Gadget'
3.Choose HTML/Javascript
4.Copy Paste the code given below inside it.

<!-- Facebook POPUP LikeBox With Timer Code Start -->

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.8.2/jquery.js"></script>

<style type='text/css'>

#exepopup{background-color:#fff;position: fixed;top:50%;z-index:9999;display:none;padding:0px;left:50%;border:10px solid rgba(82, 82, 82, 0.7);-webkit-background-clip: padding-box; /* for Safari */background-clip: padding-box; /* for IE9+, Firefox 4+, Opera, Chrome */-webkit-border-radius:8px 8px 8px 8px;-moz-border-radius:8px 8px 8px 8px;border-radius:8px 8px 8px 8px;width:400px;height:360px;margin-left:-200px;margin-top:0px;overflow:hidden;}#exepopup span{font-size:20px !important;font-weight:bold !important;}#exepopup h1{background:#6d84b4 url(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKn8M0Vo66Ts4B8I7yDzdUQ_Afwf7YAwA_CPpJN8pQh0pzhBdCO6lYqt-n0NrI0ZU8G0gA__22T7DVsSUVzbHtj_yx8WyjOldgQ6WW06VJlMx5LwdbOi4gbdpFxmRYjdgqOr7JTIhT3A/s1600/aktechz-fb-lock.png) 98% no-repeat;border:1px solid #3b5998 !important;color:#FFFFFF !important;font-size:20px !important;font-weight:700 !important;padding:5px !important;margin:0 !important;font-family:'"lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif !important;overflow:hidden !important;}.exepopupdata{font-size:12px !important;font-weight:normal !important;height:265px !important;padding:1px !important;background:#fff !important;border-bottom:2px solid #ddd;overflow:hidden !important;}#exepopupfooter{text-align:left;background:#F2F2F2 !important;height:56px !important;padding:10px 10px 10px 10px !important;overflow:hidden !important;}#exepopupclose{float:right;background-color:#eee !important;border:1px solid #ccc !important;color:#111 !important;font-weight:bold !important;padding:5px 8px 5px 8px !important;text-decoration:none !important;display:inline-block !important;font-family:'"lucida grande",tahoma,verdana,arial,sans-serif !important;outline:none !important;position:relative !important;font-size:18px !important;margin:1px !important;}#exepopupclose:active{top:1px;left:1px;}</style>

<script type='text/javascript'>

jQuery(document).ready(function() {

function exepopupfunc() {

var sec = 10

var timer = setInterval(function() {

$("#exepopupfooter span").text(sec--);

if (sec == 0) {

$("#exepopup").fadeOut("slow");

clearInterval(timer);

}

},1000);

var exepopupwindow = jQuery(window).height();

var exepopupdiv = jQuery("#exepopup").height();

var exepopuptop = jQuery(window).scrollTop()+50;

jQuery("#exepopup").css({"top":exepopuptop});}

jQuery(window).fadeIn(exepopupfunc).resize(exepopupfunc)

//alert(jQuery.cookie('sreqshown'));

//var exepopupww = jQuery(window).width();

//var exepopupwww = jQuery("#exepopup").width();

//var exepopupleft = (exepopupww-exepopupwww)/2;

var exepopupleft = 500;

//var exepopupwindow = jQuery(window).height();

//var exepopupdiv = jQuery("#exepopup").height();

//var exepopuptop = (jQuery(window).scrollTop()+exepopupwindow-exepopupdiv) / 2;

jQuery("#exepopup").animate({opacity: "1", left: "0" , left: exepopupleft}, 0).show();

jQuery("#exepopupclose").click(function() {

jQuery("#exepopup").animate({opacity: "0", left: "-5000000"}, 1000).show();});});

</script>

<div id="exepopup">

<h1>Join Us On Facebook</h1>

<div class="exepopupdata"><iframe src="http://facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fzgamerxs&amp;width=400&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;show_faces=true&amp;border_color=%23fff&amp;stream=false&amp;header=false&amp;height=250" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:400px; height:250px;" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></div>

<div id="exepopupfooter">Please Wait <span>10</span> Seconds...!!!<a href="#" id="exepopupclose" onclick="return false;"></a></div></div>

<!-- Facebook POPUP LikeBox With Timer Code End -->

Customisations

Change red text with your desired time, green text with your slogan and zgamerxs with your facebook page  username.

5. Now click on save button.

Have any problem, please comment.

That's All ....

Enjoy ................

Awesome Colorful Newsletter Box Widget for Blogger

Providing updates from feedburner is always a great way to engage the visitors on your blog/ website through email. So it's important to get the attention of your visitors towards your email box. 

                                                                Well guys, Checkout this beautiful colourfull newsletter box widget which you and your readers will like and get attracted. If you want to add this widget to your blog just follow this simple steps.

 1.Go to Blogger > Template

2.Click on 'Edit HTML'

3.  Now press Ctrl + F and search for ]]></b:skin> tag and paste below codes above it.



.newsletter_box{display:block;width:1006px;position:relative;height:130px;background:#FFF 30px 29px no-repeat url(http://i.imgur.com/5zAio.png);border:1px solid #E0E0E0;margin:20px auto}.newsletter_header{background:url(http://i.imgur.com/59wbz.png) repeat-x;height:18px}.newsletter_box .news_title{display:block;width:190px;height:30px;font-size:22px;color:#929083;position:absolute;top:46px;left:148px;font-family:Segoe UI}.newsletter_box p{display:block;width:262px;font-size:13px;color:#929083;position:absolute;top:28px;left:315px;line-height:18px;border-left:5px solid #ebebeb;padding:10px 0 10px 25px}.newsletter_box .newsletter_form{display:block;width:325px;position:absolute;top:22px;right:35px}.newsletter_box .newsletter_form label{display:none}.wpmlerror{display:block!important;width:150px!important;position:absolute!important;top:30px!important;left:100px!important;text-align:left;margin:0!important;padding:0!important}.feedbutton .button{display:block;position:absolute;right:-5px;top:17px;font-size:12px;font-family:Tahoma;border:0;padding:8px 15px}.feedbutton input{color:#FFF;background:#00a5f0}.feedbutton input:hover{color:#FFF;background:#F06;-webkit-transition:ease-in .3s}.feedbutton input:active{color:#FFF;background:#A5E919}.feednewsletter input.emailfield{width:210px;background:#EDEDE5;display:block;position:absolute;right:95px;top:17px;border:0;padding:7px} 



4. You have pasted the css successfully, Now just click on

 save template. Now it's time to add the html.

5.Go to Blogger > Layout

6.Click on 'Add a Gadget'

7.Choose HTML/Javascript

8.Copy Paste the code given below inside it. 

<section class="newsletter_box  round-me" id="gonewsletter"><div class="newsletter_header"></div><section class="news_title"><strong>NEWS</strong>LETTER</section><section><p>Sign up with your email to get updates about new posts on how to's tuts and other articles.</p></section><section class="newsletter_form"><div class="feednewsletter"><form action="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify" method="post" target="popupwindow" onsubmit="window.open('http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=zgamerx', 'popupwindow', 'scrollbars=yes,width=550,height=520');return true"><input type="text" name="email" class="emailfield" /><span class="feedbutton"><input type="submit" value="Subscribe" class="button" /></span><input type="hidden" value="zgamerx" name="uri" /><input type="hidden" name="loc" value="en_US" /></form></div></section></section>

9. Now click on save button.


10. Just change zgamerx with your feedburner username.

That's all

Enjoy .............

          

How to add beautiful labels widget to blogger

 Add a beautiful labels widget to Blogger . To add this widget just follow this simple steps.

1. Go to blogger layout.
2. click on Add a gadget.
3. Choose html/java script
4. Add the following code.

 <style type="text/css">
/*<![CDATA[*/
.label-size{
 margin:0;
 padding:0;
 position:relative;
 }
 .label-size a{
 float:left;
 height:24px;
 line-height:24px;
 position:relative;
 font-size:12px;
 margin-bottom: 9px;
 margin-left:20px;
 padding:0 10px 0 12px;
 background:#FF6600;
 color:#fff;
 text-decoration:none;
 -moz-border-radius-bottomright:4px;
 -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius:4px;
 border-bottom-right-radius:4px;
 -moz-border-radius-topright:4px;
 -webkit-border-top-right-radius:4px;
 border-top-right-radius:4px;
 }
.label-size a:before{
 content:"";
 float:left;
 position:absolute;
 top:0;
 left:-12px;
 width:0;
 height:0;
 border-color:transparent #FF6600 transparent transparent;
 border-style:solid;
 border-width:12px 12px 12px 0; 
 }
.label-size a:after{
 content:"";
 position:absolute;
 top:10px;
 left:0;
 float:left;
 width:4px;
 height:4px;
 -moz-border-radius:2px;
 -webkit-border-radius:2px;
 border-radius:2px;
 background:#fff;
 -moz-box-shadow:-1px -1px 2px #FF6600;
 -webkit-box-shadow:-1px -1px 2px #FF6600;
 box-shadow:-1px -1px 2px #FF9900;
 } 

.label-size a:hover{background:#555;}
.label-size a:hover:before{border-color:transparent #555 transparent transparent;}
/*]]>*/
</style>
<a href="http://www.zgamerx.blogspot.com" title="Get everything free" ><img src="http://img1.blogblog.com/img/blank.gif" /></a>

5. Click save button.

Note : You must have  default blogger labels widget added on your blog. This code will transform your labels widget  to this style.

Don't edit any part of this code or the widget will not work.

That's All 

 enjoy...

SAMSUNG GALAXY S 4 FULL REVIEW

The complete guide to what you can expect from the follow up to the world’s biggest-selling smartphone.

“Crammed with features that redefine what we expect from our smartphones”

It was seen as the most threatening answer to the iPhone yet, and as all of those who have got hold of Samsung’s much-hyped handset will confirm, there is little in the way of disappointment with the Galaxy S4. With a launch event in New York that many believed was taking on Apple on its own territory, the South Korean company pulled a blinder, producing a new device that one survey suggested was on the wish-list for a whopping 25 per cent of iPhone owners. Although we wouldn’t wish to keep up the Apple  comparisons, it is clear how far the Cupertino giant is starting to fall behind – its iPhone 5’s biggest selling point was a larger screen; the underlying operating system largely remained the same. Samsung’s new baby – which will likely outsell Apple's flagship.

What’s new in the Galaxy S4?

S Translator 

It’s not quite real time translation, but if you speak into your phone it  can translate it into another language as soon as you stop talking. Get the person you’re holding a conversation with to do the same and you can understand the response, letting you have a full conversation without language barriers.

Air gestures

 There are times when you can’t touch your phone to make or  receive a call or send a text. When driving or if your hands are full of paint after a decorating session, make use of air gestures and Smart Call Accept.

Air View

 Similar to Air Gestures, Air View is not unlike the mouse-over effect  you’ll be familiar with on your PC. Hover your finger over a specific item and you’ll get a small preview of that item – contact details will be briefly expanded to reveal more information, or thumbnail images will blow up to give you a better look.

Thinner with better processor

 The S4 is only 7.9mm thick. It is 137mm tall  and 70mm wide and this is an improvement on the S III, even  though the screen is an extra  third-of-an-inch larger from corner-to corner. There are two versions of the  phone with top-notch processors in  both, with the Snapdragon version supporting 4G.

 Sensitive screen 

Not quite a first for smartphones but the extra sensitivity given  to the screen to enable the handsfree gestures also means the device  can be used when you’re wearing  gloves. It’s only a minor point, yet for  those of us in colder countries it is  likely to become the kind of feature we take for granted.

 Dual camera

 The S4 enables you to capture photos or videos using the  rear-facing 13-megapixel camera and the two-megapixel front-facing  camera. Most interestingly of all, you can use both at the same time, letting the person behind the camera appear in those family snapshots after all. Gimmick or genius? Only time will tell.

Innovative camera features 

The camera app is packed with  interesting features. The most interesting is Drama Shot, which can shoot a burst of up to 100 images  in four seconds, then create a composite of the action shown  within them. There’s also Sound and Shot, which adds real audio to your  still photos, and Story Album, a feature that can turn your images into a rich album of information.

 Smart pause 

The phone knows what your eyeballs are doing. Look away from a playing video and the video will pause. Look back again and it will start playing once more.

 Smart scroll 

The S4 recognises how you hold your device, and the way  you are looking at it, and will subsequently scroll text-heavy pages accordingly. Coupled with the stay awake feature first introduced on the S III, the device moves into fully hands-free operation for eBook and  webpage reading.

  Group Play

 If you have lots of friends who own  Galaxy S4s you will be able to connect them together for the Group Play function. You can combine the speakers on multiple devices for vastly improved audio output, or join them for a session of  multiplayer gaming online. All wireless, of course.


Need for speed 

Will your S4 processor have four or eight cores, and does it matter? 

" It beats all the competition on all platforms by some margin"

The Galaxy S4 will be available in two different variants, with different processors in each. The I9500 model will feature Samsung’s own Exynos 1.6GHz octa-core processor, while the I9505 will have the 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 CPU (the same as used in the new HTC One, albeit clocked faster).  The octa-core processor is quite interesting, and since more cores have been adopted by spec enthusiasts as a good thing, would appear to be more desirable than the Snapdragon variant. 

                               However, it’s not quite as simple as that. First, the octa-core CPU might actually be more accurately described as a dual quad-core CPU – rather than a straight eight cores – it features four cores for high-power functions and four for low-power usage, with the aim of finding the perfect balance between performance and battery life, so speed  improvements over the Snapdragon may be  negligible and nonexistent. Secondly, the Exynos processor doesn’t currently support 4G LTE networks, meaning the Snapdragon variant has greater future proofing.

                                                                The phone will launch initially in the UK with the Snapdragon processor, and be compatible with 4G networks, although it is widely rumoured that the Exynos version will be available in due course. Most other markets with established 4G networks will also have the Snapdragon offering at launch, with some markets having both. Early benchmark tests of the Snapdragon variant of the S4 put it way ahead of the competition. 

                       Primate Labs, the company behind the Geekbench benchmarking software, has analysed the initial tests of the processor and found that it beats all the competition on all platforms by some margin. This includes the iPhone 5 as well as last year’s Galaxy S III. Primate Labs founder John Poole commented on his company’s blog: “It’s clear that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be the fastest smartphone available when it is released in April. What’s not clear is how the Galaxy S4 will handle the increased power and cooling requirements that generally come with faster processors.”



Screen test

What is a PenTile matrix screen, and is it any good?

The Samsung Galaxy S4 features a stunning five-inch, 1080p AMOLED display, with a pixel density on a par with the Sony Xperia Z, considerably higher than on the iPhone 5, and bested only by the HTC One, which packs the same resolution into a 4.7-inch panel.  However, display aficionados may be disappointed to discover the S4’s screen uses a PenTile matrix, which some argue actually reduces the effective resolution. Where the pixels on a traditional display are created from red, green and blue subpixels, a PenTile display most often uses a red, green, blue, green subpixel arrangement, just two subpixels per pixel. 

                               The extra green pixels can potentially result in a green tint on the display, while the presence of a third fewer subpixels could be interpreted as meaning the display technically has a lower resolution than is reported. PenTile displays are used in AMOLED screens for reasons of power and lifespan. Blue subpixels require more power to achieve the required brightness levels, which in turn can reduce their lifespan. Halving their number reduces the amount of power needed, and so ensures they last longer as well.  Whether this matters now is questionable. It is generally agreed that at a pixel density below 230ppi, the PenTile matrix is clearly visible to the eye and is therefore much less desirable. At much denser levels, such as the 441ppi on the S4 you’ll have to look very closely indeed to discern them.

EXPANSION OF GALAXY

How the Galaxy and Android have grown together

 

If you liked this review, share it.

The scare over malware

Security has long been one of Android’s most pressing issues. What is the truth about malware? Where is it found? And how can you avoid it? We set out to separate fact from fiction.

In its latest Mobile Threat Report, computer security company F-Secure paints a depressing picture for Android users. During 2012, 79 per cent of all viruses  for mobile platforms were aimed at the Android platform, up from 67 per cent in 2011. What’s more, things appear to be getting worse. In the final quarter of 2012, another 96 new families of Android malware appeared, compared to an average of 47 threats in each of the previous quarters.

                                  In a sense, the targeting of Android isn’t particularly surprising – after all, it is the most popular mobile operating system. However, the threat does appear to be  more than we might expect for Android’s 69 per cent  market share during 2012. Does this mean that Android is more vulnerable to attack than other mobile platforms? Not necessarily. 

                                    According to F-Secure, a more likely explanation is that malware writers invariably turn their attention from those operating systems such as Symbian that are in decline to those that are seeing massive growth – and that matches Android’s description. Not only is the threat to Android on the increase but the nature of that threat is changing. During the last 12 months, 66 per cent of all Android malware took the form of Trojans and many had a financial motivation. 

                                             Unlike the viruses that have plagued PCs for years, a Trojan looks like an ordinary application so it’s deliberately installed by the user. But whereas most apps ‘do exactly what it says on the tin’, Trojans pack a punch you weren’t expecting. Increasingly, that nasty surprise is that it ends up costing you money. One common trick is to send texts to a premium rate number that is owned by the virus writer. It then deletes all records from your smartphone so that you don’t realise what’s been happening until you receive your next bill and get a horrible shock. 

                                    While there’s no way you can fully protect yourself from Trojans – other than never installing apps, that is – according to antimalware vendor Kaspersky, one of the best ways is to avoid installing apps from suspicious websites. While dodgy apps on the Play store have been reported (eg Find and Call which appeared in 2012 and was quickly removed), in the main, Google takes its responsibility to protect users seriously and this is very much the exception rather than the rule.

  Top tips for avoiding malware

1. Stick to installing software from offi cial Android markets such as Google Play or one from your phone operator. While it can be fun to install new software, and it may be tempting to install a game you discover via Facebook, it’s not always the best idea. 

2. Even when using official markets, exercise caution – truly ‘free’ applications are rare. Many free applications attempt to pay for themselves using ads, and those ads  can sometimes link to scams. Always check all of the  developer’s apps and if you see too many similar ones, it’s a sign that negative feedback has caused the developer to ‘rebrand’ his spammy code. Free apps that are really worth installing will have genuinely positive feedback that’s hard to fake.

 3. Use your screen lock so your jealous other half doesn’t install a spy tool on your phone.

Android platforms to replace the PC?

What exactly is Ubuntu for Android? And does it mean that our phones and tablets can replace PCs for good?

According to its developers, the Ubuntu operating system could be the next step in getting our Android platforms to replace the  PC entirely. Ubuntu is a free and open-source operating system, based on Linux, that has an estimated 20 million users, worldwide. While this is a tiny number compared to the 1.25 billion users of Microsoft Windows, the de facto standard operating system for the PC, Ubuntu is, nevertheless, a heavyweight desktop operating system and it’s coming to Android.

                            Ubuntu for phones was recently announced by its developer Canonical Ltd and will be available, as an alternative to Android or Windows, later this year. A version for some tablets is already available, but only if you’re prepared for it to overwrite Android. Of more interest to Android users, though, is Ubuntu for Android which enables both Android and Ubuntu to run on the same multicore handset at the same time. 

                               Because both operating systems share the same Linux kernel this doesn’t involve the emulation or virtualisation techniques that, traditionally, have allowed one operating system to run inside another. As a result, Android and Ubuntu will both run at the maximum speed allowed by the processor.

                                          Canonical doesn’t envisage you using Ubuntu as an alternative to Android when you’re on the move. Instead, you’d use Android as normal when you’re out and about and then, when you return to the home or office, you plug your phone into a docking station that will give you access to Ubuntu with the added convenience of a keyboard, mouse and full-sized screen. Not only that but the two operating systems can share address books, emails, text messages and the like, thereby eliminating the need for synchronisation. 

                                         Richard Collins, product manager at Canonical, sees all this as a significant development. “Ubuntu for Android is really  important to giving users of high-end Android  smartphones a fully embedded native Ubuntu PC experience”, he said. “This is a PC capability in every sense, meaning that when the Android phone is docked to a desktop monitor, the user has exactly the same set of Ubuntu services that would run on normal PC hardware.

                                             You are effectively carrying your PC in your pocket.” However, David Ludlow, editor of Computer Shopper, the UK’s highest circulation PC monthly, isn’t too sure. “The ability to dock your phone and seamlessly switch to a desktop environment on a  monitor sounds brilliant for people on the move, as it  lets them carry around a complete personal system”, he agreed. “However, a phone can’t compete with the power, flexibility and storage of a full PC or laptop, so I don’t expect Ubuntu for Android to offer anything other than niche appeal for now.”


STAY TUNED FOR MORE ......

What can you expect from android's Key Lime Pie?

Android 5.0 is fast approaching, but what does the industry want to see from Google’s latest OS update?

The yearly Google I/O developers conference always brings with it a certain sense of excitement and this year’s event is no different.  Every year, the latest Android operating system update is announced and following its dessertfocused path, this time around the event on May 15  in San Francisco will see the unveiling of what is  expected to be called Android 5.0, Key Lime Pie (the  version number itself is largely irrelevant and does  not necessarily correspond to the size of the release previous 0.x version updates have often included  radical changes to the way the platform performs, as  well as introducing lots of new features). 
                                      
                                           Google does  a fairly good job at keeping the details of each update under wraps, but that doesn’t stop the internet rumour mill from going crazy, and with that in mind, we’ve spoken to various people inside the industry to see what they want, and expect to see, featured within the latest update. Colin Adams, president of Andromo App Maker says: “As a user, I’d like to see continued speed improvements in Key Lime Pie, like we saw with Project Butter in Jelly Bean. It really makes the whole experience feel faster.

                         There have been rumours about Project Roadrunner for a while now, with talk of improved battery life as well. The addition of better/ smarter power-saving modes and profiles would also be a nice addition.” Adams continues: “As Android developers, we’d love to see some new user interface ideas, along with compatibility libraries so we can use them on older versions of Android. Anything that makes it easier to make use of the latest features in 5.0 while still supporting older versions makes our lives easier – and results in better apps for everyone.”

                                       Building off the success of Jelly Bean is key for Google to get right, as Project Butter is still the best way to enjoy the Android experience, and is still a much better option than the likes of third-party custom skins from Samsung, HTC and Motorola. But where can Google build off the design and features that made Jelly Bean the most revolutionary Android  update yet? Brian Geary, a developer for AndPlus,  thinks that maybe Google should look elsewhere for inspiration.

                               “I’d like to see Android take a look in to Windows Phone and how that operating system integrates with social networks like Twitter and Facebook, and figure a way to seamlessly integrate that functionality into KLP. Where Jelly Bean made huge steps in the redesign of Google’s OS, I would like to see similar steps be taken in KLP but this time in terms of user experience.”

                                    But Key Lime Pie most certainly shouldn’t just be about new ground-breaking features and Google should make it of paramount importance to use Key Lime Pie as a platform for fixing the problems that have littered Android 4.0 and 4.1, and also use it to continually develop the plethora of features we’ve already got access to, in particular Google Now, as Geary explains: “I’d like to see Google Now really expand its usability in KLP too. 

                              Everybody knows what Siri is, but it seems like very few people are talking about the power of Google Now, which in my opinion is way more powerful than Siri in many ways.” Another area that Google needs to consider is that Key Lime Pie needs to be adapted to cater for the new breed of smartphones. Massive screens and bigger processors are certainly the future of our beloved devices, but Key Lime Pie could make a huge stride in helping consumers with their monster phones.

When will you get your slice of the pie? 

Ten months after Jelly Bean was first announced only around 16% of Android users have devices running the OS, while around 40% are still running Gingerbread from back in 2010. We’d expect all new devices from this year to get an update, as well as the flagship devices from 2012 as well. As always it will be the Nexus devices that are first in line, with devices possibly as old as the Galaxy Nexus getting the new OS within days of its launch.


Stay tuned for more ............

How Do You Make Searching Eyes?

Imagine yourself driving on a winding country road in a sparsely populated part of the country. Th e night is inky black—no moon, no street lights. Suddenly, a dense fog encircles you and your car stalls. You pray there is a house in the distance so you can call for help. You get out of the car, squint your eyes, and search intently through the thick fog for any sign of light. 

                       You have now have executed Step One of Searching Eyes. Step Two: Finally you see the distant headlights of a car coming your way. At last, help. Your face relaxes and a slight smile softens your lips. The first phase of the expression gives people the impression that you are evaluating them not in an unfriendly way, but thoughtfully. Then, when they see the second phase, they will interpret your expression as contemplative acceptance. Therefore, they value it all the more.

                                                     
  How to Use It in Business

 Searching Eyes is an effective tool in the corporate world. It demonstrates contemplation behind your final approval of an individual or even of an idea someone has just presented. It puts you in the superior position of evaluating them. Hold the expression for as long or as short as the situation demands. Women, because people sometimes view us as too accommodating, this Little Trick is an especially powerful professional tool for us. It combats that weaker image and makes you appear more authoritative. Resolve to use it in certain situations, most particularly when dealing with old style male managers.   

  How to Use It Socially

 When you are meeting potential friends, definitely tone down the first phase of the expression to just a flicker. However, showing a brief second of Searching Eyes before your warm “hello” makes you look more heartfelt and genuine. After that, be sure to keep good eye-friendly contact when communicating with that person.

How to Use It for Romance

 Gentlemen, Searching Eyes unquestionably has an interesting effect on women as you’ve seen from my experience with the captain. When used appropriately, it can to make her anxious to win your approval. Conversely, women, if you plan to use Searching Eyes on a potential romantic partner, tread gently. Most men fear rejection and will interpret it as such. Make Step One exceedingly brief before granting him your smile of acceptance.

REMEMBER THIS LITTLE TRICK  

“Assess” Them with Searching Eyes

 Whenever you deem it appropriate—whether you are judging an idea, a business proposal, or a person— momentarily give a slight scrutinizing expression. Then, if and when you are ready to seal the deal or win their warmth, morph it into a slight smile of acceptance. They now feel they have “won” your approval. Of course, to make them feel that your approval is, indeed, a prize they’ve won, you must come across as a confi dent individual, someone who is confi dent in his or her own skin.  Here’s how to prepare for that—before you even meet them!

STAY TUNED ! FOR MORE