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Speculation over the iPad 5 continues to grow

The buzz over the latest Apple iPad has been up and down over the last four months. With rumors of release dates changing on an almost weekly basis, we are still waiting for the big announcement. So, where do things stand right now?

From Apple

As is often the case, Apple are keeping their cards close to their chest and not letting any information out at the moment. There was plenty of speculation that the iPad 5 would be released in March of this year, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Most of that speculation came because it was a year after the iPad 4 was released, with many expecting a 12 month gap between the releases. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t have a particularly solid history of keeping to timetables, nor releasing things at certain times of the year, so all that speculation was for nothing. Here we are four months later and we are still waiting. Until they officially announce everything, we won’t hear a whisper.

Word on the Street

Much of the talk regarding the iPad 5 release date actually hinges on other Apple equipment. There is talk that Apple plan to try to release a number of new updated items at once. If this is accurate, we might have to wait even longer for the new iPad whilst they put the finishing touches on one or two other releases (rumoured to be the new budget iPhone and another tablet device) so they can release them together. Apple is great at creating big media events, so a triple-release of Apple products could be a huge event that takes place in time for Christmas. Combining the releases makes smart business sense and that’s one thing you can never fault Apple on.

Potential for Upgrades

One thing we do know about the iPad 5 is that, considering how long they are waiting to release it, they must have some interesting upgrades to show off. A simpler upgrade with a few tweaks would normally have been out in the shops by now, so hopefully this delay means we are getting something special this time. If it does come with plenty of new features, better battery life and other clear steps forward, there will be plenty people looking to sell up and upgrade. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to Sell your iPad and there, using various online traders, so you can use the cash to buy the latest version.

Industry Buzz

According to sources, the Chinese manufacturers of the new iPad 5 models are expecting to complete production of the stockpile by the end of August. This would seem to indicate a September release date worldwide. Other companies that work with Apple to make additional parts for the iPad are also believed to be getting everything ready for the end of August. Hopefully, this means that we shouldn’t have to wait much longer and we can certainly expect at least one and possibly even three new items in the stores in time for Christmas.

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Awesome Dating App Tinder for iOS Users Unveils on Android

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Smart Hacks for a Faster Android

So you have finally bought yourself an Android or may be upgraded for a budget smartphone to a high-end Jellybean 4.2.1 OS or something even sharper than that. An Android is much more maneuverable than the iOS and there is so much you can do to make it even better. Remember, smartphones are not called “smart” for nothing, so customize your Android to make it more productive and responsive to your needs. Loading up all the apps suggested by friends or online articles from the Google Play Store could slow down your Android’s speed dramatically, so be selective and prioritize what you want from your handset.

Here are some of the best hacks you can perform on your brand new Android toy to truly get your money’s worth out of it.

Update.Update.Update

Update your Android to the latest firmware as soon as you start using it. Google is continuously bringing improvements for every new released model of the Android OS. These updates are not just to keep you in-tuned with what’s new, they actually lend stability, higher performance speed and connectivity to your handset.

Remove the clutter

The more apps you have or further install in your Android, the more storage space it will consume and run background processes you might not even be aware of. This can slow down your phone dramatically. So avoid installing apps you may not have a long term use for, keep only the apps you need or which are really useful and uninstall the rest.

Get organized

‘Performance assistant’ is a great feature which was introduced in Android ICS to help users disable apps for the time being. Remember, disabling is different from uninstalling- uninstallation removes application files from the phone completely, while disabling will only remove them from the home screen and apps drawer, but you can enable them whenever you want.

Update Apps

Make sure you update your preferred apps on a regular basis. Get updates for them as soon as they become available on Google Play. Developers are working continuously to fix bugs and add features to the newer versions, so updating an app will help your phone to perform better.

Speedup with a memory card

Most people consider memory cards as an external storage space for their handsets. While it is true that memory cards increase the storage space of sets which don’t have much of their own, they are also capable of speeding up your phone’s performance. So always use higher capacity memory cards of class 6 or class 10 for your Android and enjoy better performance.

Know your widgets

Widgets are a mini-app continually running in the background, while an app is a software program which is installed into the Android for a specific purpose and runs only when needed. So make sure you don’t confuse one with the other. While some widgets are necessary for staying updated on weather, important dates, or for switching Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS on or off, having too many active widgets on your homescreen will slow down your Android and eat up your battery significantly. So keep your widget collection on the homescreen to a minimum.

Don’t overdress it

Most Androids come with almost mesmerizing live wallpapers. This could make you want to add more dramatic or scenic live wallpapers to your handset. But remember, that poorly made live wallpapers will increase the CPU cycle to run and drain the battery much faster.

Stop Syncing

It’s a great convenience to have all your data synchronized with Google servers. This way you get notified every time you receive mail, or notifications for updates or apps. However, it’s better to keep sync off for unnecessary services or have it on only when you need to transfer or upload data to Google servers. This will help preserve your battery life.

Don’t be so animated

If you haven’t noticed, everything about your Android is kind of animated. Notice how the homescreen fades off and then comes alive when needed or when you switch from one task to another?  Have a look at it by going to Settings > Developer Options > Window Animation Scale > Animation scale 10x. Now click on the Window Animation Scale again and watch it fade away in slow-motion

You can do the same with the Transition Animation Scale and in case you use your Android for a lot more than just calls, texts and emails, you probably should turn off all animations to help make your Android perform faster and smarter.

Secure for sure

Recently Google announced its decision to have Android apps and their updates available through Google Play Store only. This is great news for Android users as far as security is concerned, since according to Google’s updated Play Developer Program Policies, any app or update downloaded from Google Play cannot modify, replace or update its own APK binary code. So users can rest assured that seemingly benign app which turned out to have malicious Android spy codes are now a thing of the past, as long as you get your apps and updates from Google Play Store.

Finally, you also need to learn some knowledge about Android recovery. If some virus attacks cause data loss, you may need to know how to perform Android data recovery.”

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Four Awesome Android Apps For Kitchen Remodeling

One of the best ways to add value to your home, kitchen remodeling can give one of the most notable rooms of the house a modern look. This is particularly important when selling a home or replacing dated cabinetry, flooring and appliances – investments in the kitchen make the house much more appealing to those living in it and prospective buyers. With a world of technology at our disposal, a variety of smartphone applications have been developed to fetch valuable information for us on virtually any subject – including kitchen remodeling. In the following article, four mobile applications will be discussed that help users deal with various aspects of kitchen remodeling.

Kitchen Remodel How-To

The best way to begin any kitchen remodeling project is to first know what you are doing. The Kitchen Remodel How-To app for Android devices allows users to browse – in book-like format – various chapters on topics that pertain to kitchen remodeling. Whether it is countertop replacement, verification of contractors’ credentials or how to replace flooring and tiles, this app has a section that discusses it. Available for free on the Android Marketplace, home owners can benefit greatly through the use of apps like Kitchen Remodel How-To before the start of any kitchen remodeling project.

Kitchen Cabinets and Design

There is no doubt that kitchen cabinets may be the single most valuable entity in your kitchen, so a remodeling job often revolves around the renovation of them. The Kitchen Cabinets and Design app is available for all Android devices and is free to download. Users will be able to view dozens of different model kitchens and explore a variety of tips on how to achieve a modern design. Videos are also included of select kitchens in order to give you a “virtual tour” of some of the ideas you may wish to implement in your own remodeling project.

Kitchen Decorations

If you like those big, glossy magazines that are often available at design expos and furniture outlets, then you will love the Kitchen Decorations app for Android devices. Users can flip through hundreds of different kitchen designs and save the most desirable ones to their smartphones’ SD cards for later review. Interesting designs can also be forward to friends or a contractor via email, which can reduce the need for back-and-forth communication via phone and in-person meetings. Available for free, you can download the Kitchen Decorations app via the Android Marketplace.

Kitchen Remodeling Cost

So many home owners would like to remodel their kitchens, but they often do not know where to begin in terms of cost estimates. The Kitchen Remodeling Cost app is an excellent way for users to determine a ballpark estimate for their potential kitchen remodeling projects. Simply enter in a few basic details about your kitchen and current residence in order to be given an accurate estimate that can then be elaborated upon by a contractor in your area through the request feature built into the application. Currently available on the Android Marketplace for free, the Kitchen Remodeling Cost application can save home owners valuable time that they would otherwise spend on phone calls for cost estimates.

About the Author:  Gary Stark, has a keen interest in exploring mobile applications and resorts to guest blogging to share his thoughts on the useful apps. He is a part of the team at Alliance Floor Source Inc., a company that provides hardwood flooring installations in Toronto.

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Cloud Storage Apps your iOS Device will Love

Cloud-based applications are rapidly overtaking the mobile market, as they bring large amounts of storage space and excellent functionality to mobile devices. Their infrastructure is stored on remote servers, which saves a device’s disk space but still enables it to keep all the files you may need. This is why smartphones and tablets love the cloud and iOS platform is no exception. In times when Apple fans use more than a single iOS device, it has become an absolute necessity to have an app – or two – that will make your files constantly available to you.

Though cloud-based apps vary in purpose, some of the most popular ones are definitively cloud storage and syncing services, as they allow easy document management across multiple devices. Here are the top 4 among them:

iCloud

iCloud is definitively the first cloud solution an Apple lover will choose for data storage and backup. It is seamlessly integrated with other apps developed by Apple and provides easy sharing, syncing and upload. With the iCloud free account, you get 5GB of storage space to keep track of your documents, Photo Stream or iTunes. Once you send your files to iCloud, they are automatically synced with all the other devices you have the app installed on. Thus, you can have your whole personal cloud in a single folder and have it accessible all the time and from all your devices.

Dropbox

The leader in the ‘personal cloud’ space is definitively Dropbox, with more than 50 millions of registered users. Its main advantages are its intuitive interface and general ease of use, which are applied to the iOS app as well. Dropbox enables you to store different kinds of documents and share them with individuals via a web link, or with friends on your social network profiles. You can edit files inside the Dropbox app and have all the changes synced across your other devices in real time. As opposed to iCloud, with Dropbox you get only 2GB of storage for free, but you can always upgrade through Dropbox’s excellent referral program which provides both you and the friend you invited with additional 500MB for free.

Box

As opposed to the previous two apps, Box is rather oriented to people who use their iPhone or iPad for business. The Box app includes plenty of sharing and collaboration features, and offers 5GB of storage space for free accounts. It has special pricing plans for professional users and keeps working on enabling smooth business communication and file sharing among the employees. File sharing options within the app are designed to prevent sensitive business files get into the wrong hands. This is especially convenient for large organizations and teams of professionals, as they can set different file viewing and editing permissions and be sure no one outside the team or organization will be able to access them.

SugarSync

SugarSync for iOS is a neat app that has gone through a major redesign only few months ago, to bring its new simplistic interface to iPhone and iPod Touch, running the version 5.0 or later. SugarSync is frequently considered one of the major Dropbox alternatives, but it was often said to have quite a complicated interface. Luckily, SugarSync team has solved that with the version 2.0, so that the users can have a better experience with this feature-rich cloud storage app. SugarSync’s major advantage over most of the other cloud storage apps is the fact that it lets users upload the whole folders to the cloud and sync them with their other devices.

 About the Author:  Olivia Still is a blogger, technivore, marketing consultant, and cloud computing enthusiast. She is currently closely collaborating with Crucial Cloud Hosting Australia.

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How to Learn and Find Out about Android Apps

You have a brand new Android device. Maybe it is a Samsung S3 or Galaxy Note 2 (my personal favorite). Now it is time to get some apps; you have to promise me that you will get some apps. I have met a lot of folks who have a shiny new smart phones but when I ask them about what apps they saw, “I have not had time yet” or “how do you do that?”

The first place to start is in the marketplace. There are a number of them out there, such as Google Play, Amazon Apps, AppBrain, and Samsung. For these you can browse on your device or download the appropriate app and search on your Android device. With these app markets, you can read about the app, see screenshots, read customer reviews, and of course download it.

Another way to find the best Android apps is through app review websites, such as this fine site App Review Central (ARC). There are a huge number of app review sites on the web today so finding one should not be hard. App Review Central has started a new app review site directory where you can find some of the site ARC enjoys and recommends.

A good app review site should provide the following:

  • custom and unique reviews which give you specifics on the app
  • screenshots, videos
  • links to the market
  • rating system
  • information on new apps

One of the best ways to find out about apps is via word of mouth. Talk to your friends and family about the apps they use and why. Sometimes seeing the app in action on a friend’s device is even better than reading about it.  Now there are a lot of free apps out there so you can “try” them before shelling out any money but having someone there to explain the app could be invaluable.

Hopefully this post will give you some ideas and guidance on where and how to find apps to go on your new Android device. No matter which you choose, do not let your new smartphone go to waste. Start downloading!

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5 Android Apps For the Gardening Enthusiast

gardeningHere’s good news for all you green and plant lovers: we have compiled 5 Android apps for gardening enthusiasts. We have been searching the net to find out best Android apps to assist gardeners to make most of their investments (in terms of money, time, and resources) so that they could tend their well-loved gardens and plots effectively.

So, sit back and relax and watch your garden grow with these 5 Android apps for gardening enthusiasts:

1. Gardenate

Gardenate proves to a useful, handy, and practical tool for those who are into growing vegetables. The app gives you all the vital information you will require to start your own garden, along with detailed information, hints, and tips for for growing and tending green plants. Likewise, it also offers information on local planting guidelines for people living in U.S., U.K., New Zealand, and Australia. The best part of this gardening app is that it lets you note down best plants, successes, and failures. In addition, the app sends you notifications on predicted harvest dates so you will be ready for it.

2. Gardener

As a gardener, you may want to keep a journal about wide varieties of plants and plots to better manage and keep track of them. Sometimes, you may also want to show off an album of your beautiful garden to your friends, don’t you? Well, here’s an awesome app to let you do that! Gardener includes two major functionalities for every gardener: a logging features and a photo album to record every details of plants to keep track of all work done, and keep the pictures and their details of variety of green plants and blooms. In addition, the timeline feature of Gardener will let you view the progress of your plants and crops, and assist you plan and modify accordingly.

3. Master Gardener Pocket Guide

As the name implies, this guide goes right into your pocket. Become a gardening genius by learning more than 400 gardening terms and ideas via flash cards, quizzes, and dictionaries. This gardening Android app is perfect for beginners who want to get started with growing gardens, and best tool for experts who want to sharpen their knowledge, too. The pocket guide includes a feature that lets you record incorrect answers, via email, text message your friend a question, post quiz scores, among others. Isn’t it great tool for learning?

4. Landscape and Garden Calculators

No matter who you are – a hobbyist, a landscaper, or a DIY guru – you will never have to think about calculations again whenever you are out on your garden. This app will make everything look simple and easy, including making plans for your fences, plot sizes, ponds, and every other arrangement you will ever need to spruce up your garden or lawn.

Calculations are measured in English system. If you require keeping records, simply text message or email your calculations from the app. In addition, the GPS functionality will give you an accurate measurement of the distance between two points, instantly.

5. Garden Guide

This is all-in-one gardening guide you will ever come across in the net. Under the Crops and Techniques tab, you will get expert advice on best plant varieties, pest control, and boosting yields. Likewise, through the Resources section, you can access more information on gardening, like gardening guides, books, and products. Moreover, through the Mother Earth News tab, you will stay tuned-up to host of news and updates. Plus, there are plenty of attractive illustrations to make browsing a more enjoyable feat.

So, which of the 5 Android apps for gardening enthusiasts are you using today?

About the Author: Karen Carlat is a contributor for http://WebHostingReviews.ca where you can get some useful resources to choose the best host.