Ever since Google started focusing on design, its flagship product Android has become one of the biggest names in the industry. Earlier, it was Apple who was the frontrunner in terms of design, but soon Android caught up and disrupted the competition. That said, Android isn't yet the most beautiful phone OS around. Thanks to the ever-growing fragmentation and the plethora of customizations out there, the only thing that makes Android beautiful is its pure vanilla design that is found in Nexus 4. Otherwise, Android is still battling head-to-head with other superbly designed phone operating systems like Windows Phone and even Blackberry 10.

Despite the surging competition however, Android has millions of apps to boast of, which itself, puts it way ahead of its archrivals. Though the elegant design won't be found on all Android devices, you will, instead, find some apps that surpass the expectations of the usual Droid-hater. These beautifully designed apps remind the consumers about the dominance of Android thus making it the best mobile OS around. So, if you want to spice up your smartphone with apps designed to perfection, here's a list of the 7 most elegantly designed Android apps:

Flipboard is a free application that turns your smartphone or tablet into a beautiful magazine. Combining news, articles, and social media updates from multiple sources, this app is an amazing blend of old-school news consumption and modern-day social sharing. One of the most interesting features about Flipboard is that, unlike other applications, it doesn't have a HOLO-themed layout. Yet, it manages to stand out among the crowd with its carefully crafted design.

DOWNLOAD HERE

My personal favorite, Feedly is a service that reached peak popularity when Google decided to shutter its news-reading service Google Reader. Bringing magazine-style articles to your desktop, mobile, and tablets, this service makes it easy to consume and share the latest happenings on and around the Internet. Once installed, Feedly lets you read news in a neatly spaced, clean layout that will definitely make any iOS fan jealous of your phone. 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Many times we come across articles that we don't have time to read. Instead of wasting time skimming through them in a rush, Pocket lets you save those for reading later. Designed using the HOLO layout, Pocket presents your unread article in a neatly organized layout. Instead of presenting your unread articles in a list -- which many apps do, -- Pocket gives you a visual view of all your unread stuff be it on videos or articles.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Quotes is a free application that lets you track your investments in a beautiful HOLO-themed layout. Focusing on visually representation of data, Quotes makes it easy for you to quickly glance at your portfolios. 

 DOWNLOAD HERE

If you're a hardworking engineer who finds it hard to carry around a calculator all the time, this next app might come in handy. Designed to near perfection, Calculator & Converter, does what its name suggests: it lets you calculate, convert currency, convert units of measurement, calculate mortgage, and even calculate tips. What stands out, though, is the neat, big, bright HOLO-themed layout.

 DOWNLOAD HERE

We've talked a lot about Google Plus in the past. This social network is known for its high level of engagement, strong focus on photos, and seamless integration with other Google Products. The Google Plus app for Android brings all those features to your smartphone and more in a gorgeously designed application. The Google Plus app, once installed, will let you browse your Plus feed in a layout that only a few applications can match. Once again, well done Google. 

DOWNLOAD HERE

Any.do is a TODO application that I personally use to get things done. One of the best things that I found about this application is that it lets me add my tasks in a nice, clean, HOLO-themed layout. This makes it stand apart from other applications like Astrid (now a Yahoo! product) and Remember the Milk!. Once installed, you'll be able to plan your day, add calls as tasks, and even sync them with an online account.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

With the huge surge in the amount of Android devices being released every year, it is natural that droid fans like us would be tempted to upgrade our devices. Though buying a new smartphone or tablet is exciting, there are some little hiccups that are associated when moving your apps to your new device. One of the biggest hiccups is, of course, that of backing up your installed applications.

Every time you use your device to play a game, write e-mails, or even send a tweet, the application data is saved on your device. However, when you move to a new tablet or smartphone, you might be able to install all your previous apps, but you won't be able to get back your saved data. So, if you're a real-time strategy game fan for example, moving to a new device will force you to lose all your progress.

Thankfully, though, there are some simple solutions that will help you fully backup your Android apps to either your SD card, or to the cloud. And, no need to worry. This method is completely safe, free, and doesn't require rooting at all. So, if you're looking for a simple solution to backup your Android apps, read on.

Install Helium on your Android smartphone or tablet by going HERE.

If you want to backup your apps to the cloud, you'll need to buy the Premium version HERE.

Since this application is cross-platform, you can install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux as well. Simply click on the icon found on their website that corresponds to your desktop OS and install the software. For Linux users, the software comes in the form of a shell script. So, if you will need to use the command line for this one.

Connect your Android device to your computer. Then from the Helium app, select the applications you'd like to backup. Once you're done, you can either backup the apps to the cloud or you can restore it from a previously taken backup. When it comes to cloud backup, the premium version of the app can backup your apps to Box.net, Google Drive, and Dropbox. You can set backup schedules and Android-to-Android sync.

If, however, you're using the free version, you can backup the apps to your SD card and then to your PC. From there, you can drop the data to your Dropbox or your Google Drive and have it sync up directly to the cloud. Though this process might be a bit tedious, but in the end you'll have a perfect syncing solution for you without any cost.

Ubuntu is moving in all directions lately. They are making sure that they find themselves on tablets, smartphones, and even on televisions. With the high amount of efforts being put in to make Ubuntu the best product in the FOSS community, there have been some polarizing decisions that have managed to alienate a few longtime Ubuntu users. Ever since the decision to switch to Unity was taken, there have been many Linux users who don't find Ubuntu as user-friendly as they used to back then. There have been forum wars, IRC battles, and a bunch of irksome blog posts about usability--or lack thereof-- of Ubuntu. However, as time progressed, Ubuntu has matured quite a lot and has managed to regain its top spot as one of the most user-friendly distributions in the FOSS world.

Having said that, Ubuntu isn't the only user-friendly distribution around. There are many distros like Fedora and openSUSE that cater specially to end-users. One of the best distros to target this user base is Linux Mint. Mint has managed to achieve widespread popularity despite not being backed by any big company. Moreover, many Linuxians consider Mint to be a better option when compared to Ubuntu. So, what it is that's so special about Mint that manages to attract so many users? If you're thinking about the question whilst staring at your Ubuntu desktop, here are a few reasons why you should switch to or at least try out Linux Mint.



More Choices

Linux Mint offers two desktops: MATE and Cinnamon. This makes sure that the users have as many choices as possible. As opposed to Ubuntu, which enforces a completely modern desktop to every user, Mint actually gives you the choice of going with either a modern desktop or a more traditional desktop.


The All-familiar Desktop

Linux Mint offers a default desktop interface that puts users very much at home. Keeping in mind that many of the Mint users are migrating from other operating systems, Mint keeps a user interface that is simple, fast, and elegant. Ubuntu users won't encounter many difficulties switching to the default Mint desktop.


A Better Ubuntu

Linux Mint, being based on Ubuntu offers all of the Ubuntu goodness, that too in a nice, fresh, and user-friendly package. Ubuntu's popularity encourages a lot of application developers. If, let's say you were to download an application like Steam or Dropbox for Ubuntu, you can easily install it without any compatibility issues. The same, however, cannot be done on any other distribution.


Rich, Fresh Artwork

Linux Mint's artwork is something that is admired by many users. Not only does Mint provide a fresh set of wallpapers, it also provides excellent themes that make the desktop look stunning. One of the best things about Mint is that overall; you'll find that the desktop isn't too flashy or overdone. The design is quite simple yet attractive.


Customizable

As compared to Ubuntu, you'll find that Linux Mint is quite customizable. You can download themes and even create your own themes. Apart from themes, Mint also lets you change the position and the size of the panels.


GNOME 3 Done Right

Though Mint has a desktop that sticks to the traditional paradigms of the desktop, it is still backed by some of the latest features. The desktop itself is built with GNOME 3 putting it at par with other modern desktop.


Not Mobile-Oriented

Both GNOME 3 and Ubuntu are desktops that focus heavily on the desktop-mobile convergence. Even though they are elegantly designed, Ubuntu and GNOME 3 have managed to draw away many users who believe that a desktop should look like a desktop and nothing else. Mint has ensured that it doesn't alienate these users and provides them with a desktop that is not mobile oriented.


The Latest Applications

Linux Mint comes pre-installed with all the latest applications. You'll find Firefox, Thunderbird, and yes, the latest kernel in every release. Moreover, you'll also find that Mint can play MP3s and other restricted formats right out of the box. This makes it a complete desktop operating system.

I strongly believe the world knows that there’s a smartphone war going on today. I still remembered the time when the only strong rival or model in terms to smart devices are those coming from Apple, and the rest are equal on the ground. However, things have changed and the top companies outside Apple are almost greater if not equal to the said competitor, having their own flagships ready to soar the ocean of guts. Among these companies are Samsung, Sony, and HTC.

The release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 was said to be phenomenal because of the tons of features, the latest specs, and of course, the looks. Known for its Super AMOLED display, which, though not up to par with Apple’s Retina display, is so good, almost everyone at that time wanted it on every device they bring. However, it’s admissive to learn that not everybody loves the brand itself, hence other companies star in this matter. HTC, on one side, is said to be good for a very rich user experience and a lovely interface, while Sony excels on multimedia experience and gaming offers because of the reputed PlayStation brand.

Today, I am going to reveal to you the possible truths to help you decide which would be the best iPhone 5 (or iPhone 6) killer among Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z, and HTC One. Enjoy reading along, as I have categorized the comparison for your convenience and reference.

The brand, for me, is the biggest thing to consider when comparing between products. Brands are usually reputed based on years of experience and expertise, user experience and feedback, product identity, manner of advertisements, and even remarkable people and stores.

Samsung, firstly, gains the trust by being a highly reputed electronics manufacturer based in Korea. Samsung has been existent for decades now, and while they did not start as a cellphone manufacturer, they were already good for appliances especially TVs. Their entry to the world of mobile phones started very well also, and their growth is never to be questioned.

HTC, on the other hand, started in 1998 and was among the first ones to introduce wireless handheld devices and even the touch-enabled ones. Being based in Taiwan, its growth together with their products was not really widely known especially to the western countries. Also, part of their start was associated with their Windows products, which later expanded to Android and other systems.

The success of Sony, ultimately, started during World War II when the founders started a radio repair shop. Interestingly, for all these decades, the growth of the company may seem to be slow and ‘draggy,’ meaning, they tend to develop based only on available technologies. However, this must not distract you because of how reliable their products are which include the famous PlayStation. Today, Sony owns a wide selection of multimedia networks across the globe, and continues to excel in providing quality consumer electronic devices.

Form comes in next to brand because this is the most picturesque factor to identifying a business or brand. Form can be considered and studied based on aesthetics, build quality, materials, ease of use, and even physical metrics.

At only 7.9mm thick, Samsung gains a very respectable body in its new S4 model. Moreover, for such a depth, and in relation to its 5-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S4 wins the prize of being the one to cater the smallest body for a big screen. The S4 also weighs 130 grams for its 136.6mmx69.8mm body, making it also win as the lightest smartphone for a 5-inch display. The S4 also features almost bezel-less display, and though limited in color availability, is built with fine metal materials.

The HTC One, on the other hand, weighs a little further at 143 grams, but is the thickest of the three at 9.3mm. Measuring 137.4x68.2mm, the HTC One is a little narrower but slightly taller than the S4.

Sony’s Xperia Z is but the sleekest smartphone design at least for me, and its metrics lies in between the other two at 7.9mm thin but the tallest at 139mm. The Xperia Z is also the heaviest among the three at 146 grams, but at least, it features a water-resistant body and a very premium build.

The aesthetics can be hardly equated because it is too subjective. But based on my comparison, both HTC One and Xperia Z have a design much reminiscent of the iPhone 5. The Galaxy S4, nevertheless, has the most unique design among the three., though you might want to know that the Xperia Z has a glass body.

This is usually noted as the ‘crowning glory’ of devices especially smartphones. The display factor is usually contrasted based on resolution, pixel density, brightness, color reproduction, viewing angle, and material used.

The Galaxy S4 features a Full HD (1920x1080p) Super AMOLED Display. At 441 pixels per inch for the density plus the coveted AMOLED display, the S4 produces a very vivid representation of data, up to its almost-edge-to-edge screen. Being Super AMOLED, the S4 also has the richest color representation among the three, though such ‘richness’ may still be subjective as a lot according to my reviews have said the colors are somewhat overly saturated if not too vibrant.

While the HTC One has the same full HD resolution, the One rather wins the crown among the three in terms to pixel density at 469ppi (higher than the iPhone 5). This is even made more fantastic if you’d learn that such pixels are all made compact into a 4.7-inch display. While the bezels in the S4 are narrower, the One also has its own narrow bezels to make the display ‘float.’

Being a 5-incher also, the Xperia Z is said to have the world’s sharpest display. Though still at full HD for the resolution and with a pixel density of 443ppi, the Xperia Z features a display product right from the highly respected BRAVIA Engine of Sony’s line of TVs, making colors more vivid and brighter than expected. Lastly, there’s also the OptiContrast and Direct Touch technology, making blacks truly black and contents live up to the surface.

Features are usually brand-specific, hence one feature in a particular brand cannot be found on another with a different brand. Features are those that facilitate life and its properties, and mostly it comes with what people have known as ‘bloatwares.’

Samsung Galaxy S4: Dual Shot, Group Play, Sound & Shot, Story Album, Drama Shot, Samsung Hub, S-Translator, ChatON, SmartPause, AirView/AirGesture, Samsung WatchON, HomeSync, S Health, Adapt Display, Adapt Sound.

HTC One: BlinkFeed, Dual Frontal Speakers, HTC UltraPixel camera, HTC BoomSound, HTC Video Highlights. HTC Sense TV, HTC Sense Voice.

Sony Xperia Z: HDR Videos, IP55 & IP57 rating for dust and water resistance, glass fibre polyamide, One-touch (NFC), STAMINA mode for Battery, MH-EX300AP headset, Xperia Care, Exmor RS for camera, SmartTags, Sony Media Apps (Walkman, Album, Movies, PlayStation Mobile).

This category includes system information, the CPU and GPU for processing tasks and apps including games, the RAM for multi-tasking, storage, other noticeable hardware parts such as camera, battery life, and connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy S4, being a bit later in release and announcement, is expectedly having the biggest and the most stable specs so far. The S4 comes with an Exynos 5410 Octa 1.6GHz processor (two quad-core processors), PowerVR SGX544MP3 for the GPU, 2GB of RAM, 16-64GB of internal storage (expandable up to another 64GB), 13MP camera (LED Flash, AF, HDR, dual shot) and 2MP front camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot, BT 4.0 (with A2DP and EDR), 4G LTE, mono speakers only, and NFC. The Samsung Galaxy S4 is loaded with 2600mAh battery and utilizes Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2, the latest and the most stable version of Android so far.

Probably the first among the three to have been released, the HTC One is not short with the good specs as well. While only using Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the One has a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad core processor at 1.7GHz, an Adreno 320 GPU, same 2GB of RAM, internal storage starts at 32GB, no SD card expandability, 4MP Main Camera (AF, LED Flash, HDR, IS, dual shot), 2.1MP front camera with HDR, dual-band Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Hotspot, BT 4.0 with A2DP, 4G LTE (market dependent), NFC, dual stereo speakers, and the lowest battery capacity at only 2300mAh.

The Xperia Z of Sony boasts of its display as the top hardware it features, followed by the said durable body construction. The Xperia Z has a quad-core Qualcomm APQ8064 processor clocking at 1.5GHz, the same Adreno 320 for the GPU, 2GB of RAM, standard 16GB of internal storage (up to 32GB expandability), 13MP Camera (AF, LED Flash, HDR, IS, continuous AF, video light, dual shot), 2.2MP front camera, 2330mAh battery, Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, BT 4.0 with A2DP, 4G LTE, NFC, mono speakers, and an Android 4.1.2 platform.

All of the three devices we tackled today come with decent build quality, while the Xperia Z makes the clear distinction because of a fully laminated display to a weather-sealed body. As for the aesthetics, the Samsung Galaxy S4 wins in being uniquely designed, while the beauty of the other devices is inevitable as well.

The winner in terms to display can be hard to identify as well, but all of them feature full HD resolutions and superb pixel density. However, the HTC One has the least features for the display when compared to the other two.

For the features, the Samsung Galaxy S4 takes the crown for being an all-around smartphone that even caters to the healthy side of the users. Samsung also has a lot of features that interacts very well with the users such as enhanced gestures and eye-detections. On the other hand, HTC gains strength on the One’s dual stereo speakers, making it a star when listening to music, though Sony still takes the medal for being the best multimedia device among the three. HTC’s One also takes advantage of its ‘Sense’ features, though this may not be a parallel to the package offered by the S4.

For the specs, clearly the Samsung Galaxy S4 has all the modern hardware specs making it a ‘prototype’ for the next generation of smartphones. However, the other two competitors take their own gain in terms to camera and multimedia experience such as the speakers and microphones. The S4 also has been reported to have the ‘best gaming experience’ based on some surveys, but the Xperia Z takes the advantage of being more TV-friendly. Perhaps for the hardware, the biggest losing point goes to HTC One particularly because it does not have an expandable storage.

Written by: Wilson Sy, TechSource's certified gadgets correspondent.

Working in teams seems to be a challenge for many enterprises. They have to always ensure constant communication and collaboration between their employees. Lately, many collaboration tools have come up making communication not only easier, but also more effective. You'll find many groupware applications for Windows and for the web as well. In fact, most of the popular collaboration tools are either online or on Windows platform.

As the rise and dominance of Linux continues, many of those companies that rely heavily on collaboration are finding it difficult to switch to the free world. For them over-reliance on either Windows-based or web-based tools is often a big bottleneck when it comes to making the switch. This situation, however, can easily be dealt with by simply promoting the amazing repertoire of collaboration tools Linux world has to offer.

So, if you're lamenting about the lack of groupware tools in the penguin land, here are some of the best collaboration software for Linux:


eGroupWare

Designed for enterprise customers, eGroupWare is a web-based suite of groupware tools. Once deployed, it allows hosting of collaborative applications like group calendar, address book, project management, e-mail, accounting, and inventory. Licensed under GNU GPL, eGroupWare will let you create, manage, and visualize projects and sub-projects. Moreover, it will also let you actively set budgets for staff members. With the modern versions of this tool, you'll be able to sync calendars with multiple devices including your iPhone.

Citadel

Designed to be a worthy replacement to MS Exchange, Citadel is an open-source groupware system. Equipped with plenty of powerful features, this tool is known for its ease of use, high performance, and excellent documentation. One of the most important offerings of this neatly designed groupware service is calendar and instant messaging both of which are designed in a neat, modern UI. Moreover, Citadel also supports push notifications, a feature which few applications in its genre offer. 

Horde

Horde is an open-source, enterprise-ready collaboration suite. Once deployed, you'll be able to manage and share calendars, tasks, and notes with your co-workers. The Horde suite of applications includes calendar application (called Kronolith), contact manager (Turba), and a task manager (Mnemo). One of the best features about Horde is that it has a very easy-to-use customizable interface. Users can select from up to 25 different themes to spice up their user experience. Also, Horde supports a variety of databases including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Oracle.

Zimbra

Zimbra, once acquired by Yahoo!, is still one of the most popular groupware tools for Linux. With fully featured support for group messaging and email, Zimbra is known for its ease of use and high compatibility. The groupware is compatible not only with Microsoft Outlook but also with Apple Mail and Novell Server Edition. Once deployed, you'll be able to synchronize your mail, contacts, and calendar items with the ZCS server.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Kolab

Part of the KDE suite of applications Kolab is a fully featured suite of applications that are designed for collaboration. Completely open-source, Kolab provides full integration with the KDE desktop environment. It also supports Microsoft Outlook and its proprietary plugins. Once installed, you'll be able to access a global LDAP address book that houses all your contacts. 

Open-Xchange Server

Open-Xchange Server is a software stack that allows seamless collaboration between employees using calendar, contacts, and task management functions. One of the best features about Open-Xchange server is that it supports proprietary environments like Apple iSync and Microsoft Outlook. However, to gain full support, you'll need to install commercial extensions.

Whenever it comes to deploying any new technology, especially if it lacks proper professional support, there are bound to be some risks. It is always a good idea to stick to software and tools that have reputed professional support. In the aforementioned list, there are tools that have either good support or nicely written documentation. If you find it too risky to switch to a Linux-based software right away, you'll need to stick to web-based tools for a while.

Baseball is a game that is quite popular not just in America but in other countries as well. While some people play this sport for competition, many simply prefer to sit at home and watch it. If you are an ardent baseball fan, you know how hard it is to keep up with the latest scores. Moreover, in your downtime, you tend to miss some of the best things the game has to offer. Thankfully, though, there are some great Android applications that won't let you miss out on the game for even a single minute of your life.

So, if you are a baseball fanatic and are waiting to swipe your finger across the screen of your Android device, the following applications will whet your appetite for now:

This free game lets you have a realistic baseball experience whenever you have some free time to spare. With officially licensed MLB teams, the app is possibly the closest you can get to a baseball field (with your mobile phone of course). With stats of over 1,400 players on different 30 teams, this simulation game lets you play against 16 teams through friendly, league, home run derby and special modes. Overall, this is one of the best baseball games out there for Android.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Designed with cute characters that remind you a little of anime cartoons, this next baseball game lets you actually hold the bat and shoot the ball right out of the park. With HD graphics and point-based reward system, Baseball Superstars 2013 is a free baseball game that can also be played online with your friends.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Whenever I'm not writing articles like these, I usually spend my time dreaming about owning a baseball team. Though my dream is yet to be realized, I can still get a whiff of how my dream might look like by playing this next game. ESPN Fantasy Baseball is a fun application that lets you manage your fantasy team right from your smartphone. You can build teams, buy players, handle contracts, and much more. So, the next time you are unsure whether to buy a baseball player or not you can just pull out your phone, check the player's stats and make a quick decision.

DOWNLOAD HERE

If you are tired of missing out on your favorite games, then this next app will help you calm your "score anxiety." So, instead of chatting up with that shady-looking stranger just to know what the score was, all you have to do is pull out your smartphone, open this application, and curse your team for performing so badly. The application presents news, scores, stats, game recaps and schedules in a neat manner along with the ability to customize the app so as to reflect scores of your favorite team.

DOWNLOAD HERE

If you are a hardcore baseball fanboy or fangirl, this is THE application to have. 6-4-3 Baseball scorecard gives you a feel of a completely real scorecard as opposed to normal plain score tickers. The way this application comes handy is when you are hosting a baseball game and you want to make it as professional as possible. Once installed, a simple baseball game with your friends becomes a professional competition thanks to this app. 6-4-3 can also be used by baseball coaches for scoring their teams. One of the best features that I personally love is the ability to send play-by-play updates to Twitter.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Playing baseball with your friends is quite fun. However, that fun turns into an altercation when one of your friends decides to invent his or her own baseball rules. While those fights usually don't break friendships, they can be quite a disruption in the game. Thankfully, however, you can always use this application anytime you want to refer to any rule of the game.

DOWNLOAD HERE

While our Windows-using friends boast of tools like Photoshop and Lightroom, we, as Linux users, often find it difficult to find the right tools for specific tasks. One of the most popular reasons why Windows and Mac are still ahead of Linux is that photographers need certain tools for their work that are only available on Windows or Mac.

That said, this doesn't mean that you have to stick with Windows or Mac if you're a photographer. Linux too, these days, offers a variety of tools that will benefit photographers. These tools provide almost as many features as their Windows counterparts. So, if you're a photographer tired of excuses to not switch to Linux, here are some of the best photography applications Linux has to offer.

GIMP

GIMP undoubtedly is the best tool out there that photographers can use. GIMP, which stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program is an image retouching and editing tool that runs across all the major platforms. GIMP is one of the most mature and stable programs the free software world has seen. First released in 1996, the cross-platform image tool is written in C and GTK+.

GIMP can be used for many purposes. For photographers, GIMP provides a lot of handy tools like paintbrush, pencil, and ink tools that help them in editing images. There is also a clone tool that helps photographers make changes for distance. Overall, GIMP is the one-stop alternative to Photoshop. 

To install GIMP on Ubuntu, type in or paste the following command in your terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T):

If you're using any other distro, you can download the software from their website itself.

Shotwell

What good are your edited photos if you don't have a tool to organize them? Shotwell is a free software that lets you organize your photos and also share them across social networks. Once installed, you'll be able to import your photos, organize them, and even edit them. Though the editing options are limited to simple touch-ups like rotate, crop, red-eye reduction, Shotwell, does prove to be a handy tool for photographers. Another great thing about Shotwell is that it can help photographers share their work directly to Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, and Facebook, without opening those sites. Shotwell comes pre-installed with Ubuntu; however, if you want to explicitly download it, here's the link of the website.

digiKam

The KDE suite of applications is one of the most underrated sets of applications. One of those applications happens to be an amazing tool for photographers known as digiKam. Designed for simplicity, this easy-to-use photo management application boasts of a lot of useful features. Not only can you organize, edit, and touch-up your images, you can also add amazing filters to the software thus making your photos look a bit funkier. One of the most things about this app, however, is that it provides a neatly written e-book that you can read to get to know the software better.

Darktable

Darktable serves as an amazing tool for non-destructive editing. Once installed, you'll be able to crop and rotate images, tweak exposure settings, adjust colors and contrast and much more. There are tons of interesting features in this application that make it the perfect tool for professional photographers. As powerful as it is, Darktable won't be that much of use to you if you're just getting started with photography.

Entangle Tethered Camera Control and Capture

Entangle is a very useful utility that lets you take photographs with a digital camera that you can completely control using your Linux desktop. Acting like a remote control for your DSLR, all Entangle needs you to do is connect your camera to the desktop/laptop, launch Entangle, and start shooting pictures. Once connected, you can control the camera's shutter, live preview a scene, and also download shot photos simply by sitting on your computer. Entangle is written in GTK-3 and can be installed in Ubuntu by typing in the following command:

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

A while ago, Apple had everything. It had the best maps; it had iTunes, it even had the most important feature that Android didn't have -- social integration. The way Facebook and Twitter blended perfectly with the rest of the phone operating system was a great example of Apple's quality and commitment towards making an amazing product. You could now post a tweet or a Facebook status update by simply clicking a button. This left Android a little behind its archrival Android. Though Android had the official FB and Twitter apps available in its Play Store, social integration built-in, that too from the moment you boot your device, was something that made your smartphone look even cooler.

Things changed quickly, however, once Zuckerberg announced the long-awaited Facebook Home for Android. This Android homescreen replacement not just integrated your smartphone with Facebook, it turned the whole device into a living breathing FB feed. Many Facebook fanatics loved the app; however, only a few Droiders preferred to use it. Soon, criticism about its privacy and stability started to emerge. However, as criticized it might have become, Facebook Home soon became a sign of Android's dominance. It was a big sign telling Apple that crowds are no longer flocking to their closed garden. Apple’s dominance is almost over.

Having said that, the role of Facebook Home in Google's journey towards smartphone dominance is still unclear. Is it useful or is it harmful? Let's take a look.



How it May Help Google

While the very idea of having photos of your friends pop up on your screen might be revolting to some, Facebook doesn't consider it to be the case. Facebook, taking full advantage of Android's openness, is making sure it becomes a core part of the phone. The social network site is used by millions and millions of users, many of them iOS fanatics. If, in case, an iOS user spots a Facebook Home ad, he or she might go for it and switch to Android giving Google a brownie point. Also, many people might choose to buy an HTC First giving Android the dominance over Google. Facebook Home, in short, becomes probably the richest promoter of Android.
 

How Facebook Home Might Work Against Google

There is difference between integration and a complete home screen takeover. What Facebook is doing with this feature is that they are taking away Android's identity from the device and making it as a Facebook phone. Though Samsung, LG, and other manufacturers do customize Android, Facebook Home is the farthest anyone has gone when it comes to customizing the open source operating system. So, when a new user goes to buy a phone, he or she has 3 major choices: 1. An iPhone. 2. An Android phone 3. A Facebook phone

Another problem this creates is that it further fragments Android, which is already criticized for being too fragmented. While Google is making decent efforts to unify the Android experience, Facebook Home seems to be heading in another direction. Furthermore, Facebook Home might actually be the beginning of more such homescreen takeovers that will further fragment Android.

The third problem that somehow affects Google negatively is its ongoing efforts to create a better social network. While Facebook still remains the king of social networks, Google's very own Google Plus seems to be gaining more and more crowds each day. Google too has a great strategy to convert users to Google Plus by integrating the social network tightly with its flagship devices like Nexus 4. This again, hampers Google’s plans to dominate in the social networking field.

Conclusion

Though Facebook Home hasn't been welcomed warmly by Android users, it still remains an important milestone in Android's progress. This, unfortunately, also augments some problems Android has been facing for years. As to how Google will handle this remains to be seen, but, whether it succeeds or not, Facebook Home surely will create some healthy and unhealthy disruptions in the Android ecosystem. What do you think?

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

One of the most common New Year's resolutions is that of losing weight. This is the time people invest their hard-earned money in diet books, gym membership, and protein shakes. Unfortunately, though, most people fail to stick with their resolutions as they lose the motivation to do so. Even though they go on a strict diet, they often resort to overeating as they fail to monitor what they eat. This doesn't help at all when losing weight, no matter how much you exercise.

Luckily, our very own Android device can become a weight-loss companion and coach in no time thanks to some great weight-loss applications that are available for this platform.

Noom Weight Loss Coach

Noom Weight Loss Coach is a free Android application that gives you daily tasks so that you can reach your weight-loss goals one step at a time. Motivating as well as educating the user about their food habits, Noom pushes the user to make healthy, positive changes into their lifestyle. Once installed, you get a free, personalized weight-loss plan along with a detailed food log for those who love to watch what they eat. 

MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter

MyFitnessPal is one of the best food-logging applications out there for Android. With an accurate calorie-counter and a community to push you towards your goals, this free app has everything you need to lose those extra 10 pounds. The best part about MyFitnessPal, as compared to other food-logging applications, is that it comes with a database of over 2 million kinds of food thus leaving you without excuses.

Endomondo Sports Tracker

If you are an outdoors person the Endomondo is an app that will come in handy. This free application uses GPS to track your location and provide you feedback during your workout. You can monitor the performance of your workout and then post them on your Facebook timeline. Another cool thing this app comes with is that it allows your friends to give you short pre-recorded pep talks so that you keep motivated towards your goals. Endomondo is more suited for those who like to do cycling, hiking, and running a lot.
 

Adidas miCoach

Adidas miCoach plans to be your personal sports coach. With real time in-ear voice coaching, this free app is suited for any activity be it cardio or strength training. The app also tracks your shoe usage and informs you about your daily workout routine.
  

Libra Weight Manager

Libra Weight Manager is a free app that lets you track your weight-loss progress in a simple way. With zoomable charts and easy data entries, all this app requires you to do is enter your weight and your weight loss goals. Furthermore, the app also lets you visualize your diet plan on an easy-to-read chart.
 

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BMI Calculator

BMI Calculator is a simple tool that helps you calculate your Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Height Ratio. For starter, the Body Mass Index is an index for human body fat on the basis of an individual's weight and height. Thus, it is an important stat when it comes to your overall weight-loss goal.
 

My Diet Coach

The Diet Coach is a free app that motivates you towards your weight-loss goals. By giving you constant reminders about your goals, and also by showing you motivational photos, this app helps you push the extra mile when it comes to weight loss. The app is independent of your diet plan and works for almost anyone. There is a pro version of the app that comes with a diet and meal planner; however, we recommend using it as a simple motivational tool in combination with any of the aforementioned food-logging apps.
 

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.

YouTube, once just a simple video-sharing site has bloomed into a full-fledged entertainment hub. The Google-owned project has aided revolutions, spread knowledge, and yeah, made us laugh with some amazingly funny videos. YouTube allows its users to like, share or comment on a video, thus viewing videos much less passive as compared to television. The most important feature, though, is that the site is completely free for anyone and everyone in the world. You can watch Gangnam Style as many times as you like without any restrictions.

That said, sometimes, you wish you could take the video offline and watch it on some other device. Or, if you have a friend with a flaky Internet connection, you could hand him or her over your saved YouTube videos on a USB thumb drive. These things, however, aren’t that easy because of YouTube’s policies that prevent users from saving or downloading their videos. Thankfully, though, developers have come up with really nice workarounds for this restriction. We have already showed you how to download YouTube videos on Ubuntu, and also using the Linux terminal to download YouTube videos. Now, as we move towards the mobile version of Linux, that is none other than our very own Android, it’s time to learn how to pocket your favorite videos on the go.

How to Save YouTube Videos for Offline Viewing in Android:

TubeMate is by far the best way to grab videos off of YouTube. It is a free app that lets you browse, search, view, and of course, download videos. Since it violates Google’s policies, it cannot be found on the Play Market, and thus, you’ll have to download it from their website. Before installing, though, you’d have to change a few settings here and there on your smartphone.

Firstly, go to the ‘Settings’ menu on your Android phone. Go to ‘Security’, and from there enable the option that says ‘Unknown Sources’. This will enable you to install applications from sources other than the Play Store. Yes, we know that it’s a bit insecure; however, if you’re too worried then you can disable the option once you’re done installing TubeMate.

Once enabled, from your smartphone’s browser go to http://m.tubemate.net/ and download the app from any of the links on the site. Install the app, and then it will show up in the menu. To start downloading videos, simply open TubeMate and start looking for videos you would like to download.

The interface is the same, as you’d find on m.youtube.com except that there would be a green arrow allowing users to download the video. You can grab the video in FLV, MP3, or MP4 format and even in HD formats (if your phone is capable of playing it). To play the videos, I’d recommend using MXPlayer as it recognizes most of the videos downloaded from YouTube. 

Written by: Abhishek, a regular TechSource contributor and a long-time FOSS advocate.