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8 Exciting Features of Linux Mint 12 "Lisa"

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Linux Mint, which has effortlessly managed to usurp the top spot from Ubuntu (according to DistroWatch ranking), has just released its latest version. Codenamed “Lisa”, Linux Mint 12 is based on Ubuntu 11.10 and features a perfect blend of GNOME 3 and the newly designed Mint GNOME Shell Extensions (MGSE).

So, if you’re dying to know what’s in store for Linux Mint 12 "Lisa", here’s a list of some of the exciting features it comes packed with:


1. The Desktop
Unity and GNOME 3 both had their share of controversy. Both desktops were equally criticized for being difficult to use and sometimes, for being downright unusable. Keeping in mind these issues, Linux Mint 12 was built to cater the needs of many disgruntled users who were unsatisfied with the aforementioned desktops. Though Mint doesn’t bare the slightest of resemblance to Unity, nor to GNOME 3 for that matter, it does, however, include a blend of some of the best features you’ll find on those contentious desktops. For example, Mint loyalists will be relieved to find a revamped version of the popular Mint Menu.


Being a cross between GNOME2 and GNOME Shell, Lisa includes two panels, one at the top and other at the bottom. The top panel houses the system tray as well as the ‘Activities’ button whereas the bottom panel lets you switch between your tasks, and manage your devices and notifications. Users can access applications from either the Mint Menu or from the Activities menu. While the top panel is slightly transparent, the bottom panel sports a greyish-black sleek look, which many new users will find appealing.



2. New Alt-Tab Switcher
Mint 12 features a Unity-style Alt-Tab switcher that allows users to quickly jump between different tasks. Since being task-centric, switching takes place between windows and not applications.



3. MATE
Not so long ago, Linus Torvalds expressed his discontent over the direction GNOME 3 was heading to. GNOME 3, according to him, was an unholy mess. Also in his rant, he encouraged developers to come up with a fork of GNOME 2. Well, Linux Mint 12 has done exactly the same thing. The new release also features MATE, a desktop environment that is forked from GNOME 2, keeping old-time Linux users from going insane. Since MATE is still under development, there might be stability issues with it; however, some users and trolls proclaim that they still find it more stable than GNOME Shell. Also, due to size limitations, MATE is included only in the DVD version of Mint.

If you’ve downloaded the CD version, you can install it by typing in/pasting the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install mint-meta-mate


4. DuckDuckGo
Linux Mint is one of the first Linux-based distros to include DuckDuckGo as the default search engine. Owing to privacy concerns, more and more users have started looking for alternatives to Google, Bing and Yahoo. DuckDuckGo is a new kid on the block that can be considered as a decent alternative to Google. Thanks to their convincing privacy policy, and the number of features, the budding startup has found itself a place in the browsers of many privacy proponents. Of course, if you don’t like it you can always switch to Google.


5. Kernel 3.0
Since Mint 12 is based on Ubuntu 11.10, it includes the latest kernel, which is kernel version 3.0. The release includes many improvements like improved Brtfs support, bug fixes, and security enhancements.


6. GTK 3.2
Since Mint 12 is based on GNOME 3.2, you’ll find the beautiful looking GTK 3-based windows and menus everywhere. Nothing to drool over here, but it just looks a lot better.


7. New Theme
Lisa includes a new theme called Mint-Z, which is based on Mint-X and Zukitwo.



8. New Wallpapers
Mint has always been popular for its great set of wallpapers. This time too, the team has put together a great collection of some high quality backgrounds that will make your desktop look even more awesome.



So Unity users, are you switching to Mint?

According to a recent poll by OMGUbuntu, majority of the users still use Unity. So, if you’re a Unity user, are Mint’s features convincing enough to make you switch? Do let us know in the comments section below.


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

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Android Devices: To Root or Not To Root

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Android, apart from being one of the most popular mobile operating systems around, is also an open source phenomenon in the making. The freedom that this Google-made marvel provides has opened up a thousand possibilities for developers and hackers to tinker around with the code. This, in turn has created a whole new world of ROMs and MODs that give users the features they miss on the default Android OS.

An essential rite of passage into this enticing-yet-wild world requires the users to "root" their device. So, what is this root thing after all? Is it dangerous? Is rooting your Android device worth it? Read on as we try to answer all your doubts in this article.

What is rooting?

If you’re a Linux user, you must have seen commands where we prefix ‘su’ or ‘sudo’. This means that we are entering those particular commands as a superuser or root. The concept of root user is somewhat similar to Administrator on Windows. A root user has all the privileges and can ask the system to do anything, even self-destruct, so to speak. Also, since your Ubuntu desktop and your Droid are based on the same Linux kernel, most of basic UNIX commands work everywhere. By gaining root access to your Android phone, you get to tweak your device any way you want to. You can change the CPU speed, delete apps, block ads everywhere, and do many more things which a non-rooted or “normal user” wouldn’t be able to do. For Apple users who still fail to grasp the concept can think of it as jailbreaking.

Will rooting void my warranty?

Yes and No. Many service providers don’t allow users to root their phones. That means, if you root your phone your warranty will be voided. However, rooting being a reversible process, you can bring the phone back to its original state before giving it to the provider for repairs.

Why should I root my phone?

Ok, still not convinced about the power of root? Here are 7 reasons why you should root your phone:

1. CyanogenMod
CyanogenMod is a custom firmware based on the open source Android operating system. Once installed, it will equip your Droid with features that are not found in the official firmware distributed by devices. CyanogenMod offers features like native theming, FLAC support, OpenVPN client, reboot menu, built-in Wi-Fi, USB, and Bluetooth tethering, CPU overclocking, soft buttons and much much more. Even though it is considered as a hacker-only tool by many, it has been installed on more than 750,000 devices so far. Trekkies who love Will Wheaton might also want to know that he too is a big fan of Cyanogen and uses it regularly on his Android device.

2. Sudo power
Being root is awesome. Whether you’re a UNIX pro (P.S. : Chuck Norris) or a mere BASH enthusiast, you can try out all your favorite commands by installing a couple of terminal emulators. BusyBox, often known as the Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux can also be installed once your phone is rooted.

3. Overclocking
Not happy with the performance of your Droid? Push it to the limit by overclocking it to its max power. Once you root the phone, you’ll be able to install apps that let you overclock your Android device.

4. SSH
Secure Shell or SSH is a network protocol for securing data communication. Once you know how to use it, you’ll be able to control your PC or other SSH-enabled device right from your Android device.

5. More control over apps
A rooted phone offers you more control over your apps. You can delete them, back them up or uninstall them all on a whim. Moreover, you’ll be able to take extensive backups using apps like Titanium backup which we covered in an earlier post.

6. Tethering
Tethering is where you share your phone’s Internet connection with other devices. Many carriers don’t allow that, hence by rooting, you’ll easily be able to surpass that limitation.

7. Screenshots
The ability to take screenshots has been missing on several Android devices. Though the feature has been added in Ice Cream Sandwich, it will take a long while till the update reaches all the major phones. Till then, root your phone and start snapping away!

Why shouldn't I root my phone?

So, we hope the aforementioned reasons were enough to make you an ardent rooter. However, rooting is not for everyone. Here are some cases where rooting is not a good idea:

1. You have warranty worries
As mentioned before some service providers are a bit stringent about their devices. If you're too paranoid about voiding your warranty, we recommend that you rather not root your device.

2. You don't know what you're doing
Rooting is a simple one-step process. However, if you don't know what you're doing you might end up bricking your phone. If you can't figure out how to turn on your computer, then sorry, rooting isn't for you.

3. You rely too much on your cellphone
If your business or work revolves around your cellphone, then we'd strongly recommend NOT rooting the phone. Although the process is smooth and easy, there are some cases wherein users might end up losing all their data.

How can I root my phone?

If you want to learn how to root your phone, you can always refer to Lifehacker's always up-to-date guide on rooting an Android.

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12 Things to Expect in Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

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Recently, at the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Orlando, Florida, Mark Shuttleworth, talked at great length about his plans and ambitions for the upcoming version of Ubuntu. Codenamed Precise Pangolin, Ubuntu 12.04 will be a Long-Term Support (LTS) release, and will come with a slew of interesting changes. Also, one can expect deeper Unity integration and perhaps some Wayland developments as well.

Precise Pangolin, according to Shuttleworth, will be – as the name implies – the most perfect Ubuntu release so far, making it ready for large-scale deployments.

Here's a list of all the goodness you can expect from Ubuntu 12.04 that will be released in late April next year:

1. Kernel 3.2
Ubuntu 12.04 will come with Linux Kernel version 3.2, an improved version that will have a lot of interesting features. Version 3.2 will include improvements to the VMWare graphics stack along with better support for open source graphics drivers. BRTFS, the heavily talked-about filesystem will also get a huge amount of features. The most intriguing part though, is the inclusion of Samsung Exynos4 DRM driver that will be merged into the kernel by version 3.2. The driver, which is developed by Samsung, will bring impressive 3D graphics capabilities to smartphones and other ARM devices. As with every kernel update, users can expect some minor boosts in performance.

2. 64-bit by Default
If you download Ubuntu 12.04 from the website, you'll be offered the 64-bit version of Ubuntu by default even if you're using a 32-bit device. This will ensure uniformity as well as a wider compatibility for packages. Earlier, even 64-bit users tended to use 32-bit images due to various compatibility issues with Flash player and other software.

3. No more CDs
Since Pangolin's ISO will be 750 MB in size, it won't fit on your standard CDs. So, you'll either have to burn a DVD or use a USB thumb drive to install the update.

4. Rhythmbox makes a comeback
Unhappy with the poor ARM compatibility and lack of maintenance, Ubuntu might be going back to Rhythmbox as its default music player. Even though a consensus on this issue is yet to be reached, chances are that Rhythmbox might earn that coveted spot back, as after all, Banshee is still a GTK 2.0 app, and porting it to GTK 3 will take time and won't be a smooth process.

5. Way to Wayland
Developers, tinkerers and hackers can expect to get their hands on an experimental preview of Ubuntu using Wayland graphics server instead of X.Org.

6. So long Mono (hopefully)
Mono, which is the open source implementation of Microsoft's .Net Framework probably won't be a part of Ubuntu anymore. With the possible removal of Banshee and Tomboy from the default set of applications, Ubuntu, much to the relief of FOSS enthusiasts, might finally become Mono-free.

7. Faster Software Center
Ubuntu's recently revamped Software Center will get some more love from developers as Ubuntu 12.04 will aim at a speedier startup time of less than 2 seconds. As of now, USC starts up in 11 seconds in some hardware, so a faster software store will be a more-than-welcome change to Ubuntu.

8. Better Unity
Applications will get deeper Unity integration in Precise Pangolin. Expect to see more Quick Lists and notification badges. Users will also be able to drag and drop lenses into the launcher, a feature I'm personally waiting for. Besides, overlay scrollbars might get ported to other applications like Firefox, Thunderbird and possibly Chrome.

9. LightDM gets more personal
LightDM, the new login screen greeter for Ubuntu 11.10 will get even better with proposed features like theme widgets, UbuntuOne integration, design improvements and more. One interesting improvement that might show up in the final version is that LightDM will dynamically change its background to match the wallpaper the user has set up.

10. Better icons
Ubuntu 12.04 will possibly see a new icon set as well as inclusion of revamped sets for applications that still use small and poorly-designed icons.

11. Privacy
For users concerned with Zeitgeist's privacy issues, Ubuntu 12.04 might include an ability to turn off indexing for specific folders. There are also talks about turning off software recommendations that show up during searches.

12. GNOME 3.2
Though GNOME 3.4 will be released a month before Precise Pangolin's release, Ubuntu will be sticking with the current version, that is GNOME 3.2. That said, some 3.4 applications might make their way into the LTS.


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

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7 Reasons Why Apple is More Evil than Microsoft

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Thanks to the hard work and vision of Steve Jobs, Apple has managed to evolve from a mere cult to a mainstream phenomenon. Fanboys, celebrities, politicians and geeks who adore their products have exalted the billion-dollar company to a technological pseudoreligion. A silent witness to Apple's magnificent ascent from failure to stardom has been Microsoft.

Though Microsoft has been the traditional bad guy of the Silicon Valley, Apple has stealthily usurped that spot by its recent actions, most of which are a bit on the dark side. As a FOSS enthusiast I believe that Microsoft is overly competitive but so is Apple.

If you think that Apple is much less evil than Microsoft, read on as we give you 7 reasons that will make Redmond look slightly better than Cupertino.


1. Thou shalt not install any external apps
Apple has been busy building a walled garden with big white shiny walls. The Cupertino-based company makes sure that you buy or download apps only from their store and not from anywhere else. Yeah, we know there's an app for everything, but you can't get it if it's not sold by Apple.


2. Thou shalt not jailbreak
Jailbreaking is magic pill that helps you evade the claustrophobic App Store and lets you do everything you wanted to do with your phone. Despite the fact that jailbreaking is legal in many countries, Apple insists that doing so will only void your warranty. It's as if you can buy any device from Apple but you've to use it the way they tell you. So, play by Apple's rules or else...


3. Thou shalt not talk about Apple
Let's say you are a popular celebrity, and you point out some of iPhone's faults on national television, just to poke fun at Apple. Guess what, they don't like it; they'll call you up and ask you to apologize. The same thing happened with Ellen DeGeneres when she did a parody of an Apple ad on her show. Later, she got a phone from Apple accusing her of making the iPhone look hard to use. I hope they've heard of the term 'sense of humor'.

On another incident, Apple reproached someone for talking about one of the much-publicized features of the iPhone 4S. The guy who recorded the male voice of Siri got a phone call from Apple telling him not to talk about the recordings. I guess working for Apple must be like working for a secret government project where you have to be tight-lipped about everything that goes on in the facility.


4. Thou shalt not have the name Apple in your product
If you're a small-business owner and happen to have an apple – yep, it's also a fruit -- in your company's logo, Cupertino's coming at you. Recently, Apple threatened Apfelkind ( “apple child” in German), a family-run cafe in Bonn that has an Apple in its logo. The logo, which is quite different from Apple's own logo, has a child's face inside an apple. According to Apple, Apfelkind infringes on Apple Inc.'s trademark.


5. Thou shalt not find out flaws in our system
In the FOSS world, a developer who finds a security bug or a critical flaw is revered as a hero. In fact, Google even gave out prizes to users who found out critical flaws in their browser. In Apple's case however, finding a bug in the system means that you'll be disqualified as a developer.


6. We reserve the right to reject your app for any reason whatsoever
Apple seems to reject apps from their app store for the smallest of reasons. A Print to PDF app was removed from the store because it used AirPrint as a way to print documents to PDF. Moreover, Kindle, Sony and Kobo reader apps were removed too as they used an in-app payment system. While this doesn't affect big companies like Amazon, it does, however, make a hugely negative impact on the lives of thousands of independent developers who make a livelihood out of making these apps. This is also one of the reasons developers flocked to Android instead of iOS. Recently, fearing lawsuits, many app developers have started pulling their apps from Apple store as Google welcomes them with open arms.


7. We fire our employees for the smallest of reasons
A test engineer at Apple couldn't believe his bad luck when he was fired by the company for prematurely demoing a prototype of the iPad to Steve Wozniak. Wozniak, who happens to be one of Apple's founders, expressed his disappointment at Apple's behavior. The test engineer, however, still remains unemployed. On the other hand Gary Powell, who lost an iPhone prototype is still a proud Apple employee. Need I say more?

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Best Terminal Emulators for Android

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If you happen to be one of those geeks who love to pull all-nighters writing endless lines of code, then the terminal must be like your second home. If sitting and staring at the dark black screen is hurting your back, then why not take a small break?

But hey, we know how your fingers would start itching once you move away from that beloved keyboard of yours. That's why we've compiled a list of some of the best terminal emulators for your Android devices. Once installed, you'll be able to continue tapping your favorite commands on your shell without breaking your back. These terminal emulators are also great if you want to impress your newbie friends with some bash tricks you might have learned while fixing your own desktop.

So, as the world moves from the desktop to the smartphone and tablet computer, here are some of the best terminal emulators for Android:


Shell Commander

Created using Eclipse, GIMP and Inkscape, Shell Commander is an easy-to-use shell that comes with a file explorer built right into it. With support for text editing, Shell commander makes it easy view, enter and modify commands. Furthermore, for those who love to play in the wilderness, the app also supports ‘sudo’, making it even more powerful. With more than 10K installs so far, Shell commander is freely available for download from the Android marketplace.

DOWNLOAD HERE


BusyBox

Deemed as the most popular BusyBox installer in the marketplace, this app, simply titled Busybox, is a free BusyBox terminal for Android. Supported by donations, this for-rooters-only tool brings the famed BusyBox to your tiny droid. For the non-geeks out there, BusyBox is a set of Unix tools that come packed in a single executable file. Written by Bruce Perens, co-founder of Open Source Initiative, BusyBox is often regarded as the 'Swiss Army Knife of Embedded Linux'.

The free application has had over 1 Million installs so far, and has been rated 4.7 stars in the marketplace. Though gratis, the developer relies solely on donations from fellow hackers and FOSS enthusiasts.



Android Terminal Emulator (ATE)

Android Terminal Emulator is a free application that lets you access your Android's built-in command shell whilst emulating the style of a Digital Equipment Corporation VT-100 terminal. Accessible on both rooted and non-rooted phones, the application can be used to run utility programs on your Android device. If at all the white-on-blue interface is hurting your eyes, the app also lets you customize fonts and colors of your emulator. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars in the marketplace, ATE has been downloaded more than a million times so far.



Better Terminal Emulator Pro

Better Terminal Emulator Pro or BETP is an advanced multi-session Terminal Emulator and SSH client for your phone, tablet and Google TV. Available for rooted as well as non-rooted phones, BETP lets you run a huge set of Linux utilities right from your Android device. Not only does the application include BusyBox and BASH support, it also comes loaded with an SSH, Telnet and an FTP client. For those who love swiping across the keyboard, the app also includes support for Swype. Moreover, BETP is one of the very few apps that support such a wide range of devices including tablets, TVs and of course smartphones. The app is not free but considering the 4.6 out of 5 stars and the huge number of features that it comes packed with, BETP is definitely worth your hard-earned cash.



Script Manager

Script manager is a free Android application that doubles up as a script editor as well as a multi-terminal emulator. Not only does the application let you manage and execute shell scripts, it also allows you to schedule cron jobs, run scripts at boot-up and do much much more. Another unique thing about this emulator is that it lets you insert code into your scripts using QR codes. Once you're done entering your commands, you can also share your output with your friends and colleagues (though, we can't guarantee how your friends will react once you do that). Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars, Script Manager has had over 50K downloads so far.



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Top 5 Alternative Web Browsers for Ubuntu Linux

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If you're tired of everyone talking about Chrome and Firefox, it's time to try out something new. Windows users already have tons of web browsers to choose from, but only a few of them are worth your time. Linux (particularly Ubuntu) on the other hand, doesn't offer that many choices. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't any quality browsers for our favorite distro. In fact, out of dozens of alternative browsers, we've chosen the best 5 so that you would be able visit our site from the browser you love rather than sticking to the mainstream ones.

So, without further ado, here some of the best alternative web browsers for Ubuntu Linux:


Epiphany
Epiphany is a GNOME-based web browser that's both fun and simple to use. Sporting a well-designed interface, Epiphany complies with all the modern standards. The Epiphany Manifesto sums up the project goals as follows: Simplicity, Standards Compliance, and GNOME integration. Targeted towards non-technical users, Epiphany is incredibly fast and has been translated in over sixty languages. To make sure that you don't miss Firefox or Chrome, the open source web browser comes with support for extensions that add to existing functionality. Though there aren't that many add-ons to choose from, a few of them are particularly great. For example, Mouse Gestures, Tab Groups and Smart Bookmarks. Furthermore, if you care about how pages are displayed in the browser, don't worry as Epiphany scores a perfect 100/100 in Acid 3 tests.


To quickly install Epiphany, type or paste the following commands in your Terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T)

sudo apt-get install epiphany-browser


Midori
Midori, which stands for 'green' in Japanese is a fast and lightweight web browser that uses the Webkit rendering engine. Part of the Xfce desktop environment, Midori is also the default browser for Bodhi Linux and Elementary OS. The open source web browser comes with a clean and simple interface that makes it really fast when compared to other browsers. To add to existing functionality, Midori also supports extensions like Adblock, form history, mouse gestures and cookie management. Even though still in heavy development, Midori is pretty stable for daily use.


To install Midori on Ubuntu, type in the following commands:

sudo apt-get install midori


Opera
Opera is one of the fastest web browsers around. It comes packed with features that even top browsers like Firefox and Chrome don't have yet. If you own a smartphone, we're pretty sure you must have heard of this browser before. It comes with amazing unique features like content-blocking (for distraction free browsing), BitTorrent support, visual tabs, tab peeking and more. Other than that, Opera offers almost all the features that Chrome and Firefox provide. Even though the desktop version is not as popular as its mobile counterpart, Opera does have a huge cult following.



Arora
Arora is a lightweight cross-platform web browser based on Webkit technology. Developed using the Qt toolkit, Arora is a fully standards-compliant browser that boasts of a fast and powerful JavaScript engine. Translated in 30 languages, Arora comes with a set of powerful features that make it one of the best browsers for this platform. Apart from the standard must-have features like bookmarks, history and tabbed browsing, Arora comes with some great features like ClicktoFlash plugin, privacy mode, session management, smart location bar and an incredibly quick startup time. Moreover, Arora integrates perfectly with any desktop environment including Ubuntu.


To quickly download and install Arora type the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install arora


Rekonq
The third webkit-based browser on this list is Rekonq. It is a lightweight web browser based on WebKit and KDE technologies. Though designed for the KDE desktop, Rekonq works perfectly fine with Ubuntu. In fact, if you use Kubuntu (KDE version of Ubuntu) you'll find Rekonq as the default browser. The open source browser comes with all the essential features like tabbed browsing, ad-blocker, support for addons, proxy support and more. One thing that makes Rekonq stand apart from other browsers on this list is its ability to render websites perfectly. Since Rekonq is based on the same rendering engine as Chrome and Safari, it displays all your favorite websites without any major problems.


To install Rekonq on your Ubuntu box, type in the following commands in the terminal:

sudo apt-get install rekonq


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

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How to Improve the Battery Life of Your Android Smartphone

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We've already seen how Android stacks up against iOS when it comes to features. As much as we love our droids, one thing that always annoys an Android fan is the poor battery life. No matter how you use the phone, the battery always seems to run out way faster than you'd expect. When compared to its arch rival iOS, Android seems to consume much more battery, which, apart from fragmentation issues, is one of the biggest drawbacks of this platform.

So, is there any workaround to this issue? Yes there is. Here at TechSource, we've compiled a list of some hot tips that would help you improve the battery life of your droid so that when you come home tired from work, you won't have to rummage your house for that dreaded charger.

1. Find out what's killing the battery
The first step you need to do is check out which services and apps are consuming the battery. Go to Settings -> About Phone -> Battery Use and you'll see a list of apps and services that are taking up your battery. The services or apps displayed at the top are the ones consuming the most battery life. So, if at all there are some unimportant apps there, you might want to disable or uninstall them. Usually, the top 3 battery hogs are Display, Voice calls and WiFi.

2. Browse better
When browsing on the Internet, make sure you visit the mobile version of a site. Don't load the desktop version of the site unless it's necessary. Not only will this save battery life by limiting Flash and other resource hogs, it will also save you a lot of money on data. If there are sites that you visit regularly, for example Reddit or Stumbleupon, make sure you download their apps as they would consume a lot less data and battery. Also, if you read blogs and tech sites, do make sure you pick up a decent RSS reader, and catch up on all the latest news there instead of visiting each site individually. If you don't know which RSS reader to pick, take a look at our earlier post where we've listed the best RSS apps for Android.

3. Put a leash on those apps
Uninstall or reconfigure the apps that run in the background when you don't want them to. Also, make sure you don't put every app on automatic update.

4. Turn off automatic syncing
Apart from Google's core applications, Android also lets other apps sync in the background. To see which apps have that capability enabled, go to Settings -> Accounts and Sync. Scroll down below to disable sync for any application that's not needed.

5. Turn down the brightness
Unless needed, there's no use keeping the brightness full all the time. Turn down the brightness using the power widget or by going to Settings -> Display -> Brightness.

6. Disable animations
If you're not into eye-candy, then you can disable or reduce the number of animations shown in the menus. Go to settings -> Display -> Animations and choose the option that suits you best.

7. Turn off WiFi when not needed
Unless you want to be connected 24-7, it's no use keeping WiFi enabled all the time. Disable the WiFi when you go to sleep or when you don't need it. You can quickly switch WiFi on or off using the power widget.

8. Turn off GPS unless necessary
GPS is another battery hog, which needs to be turned off when not in use. Make sure it's disabled when you're at home.

9. Play high-end games with charger on
If you're playing high-end games like 3D Golf and Backstab HD on your phone, your battery life will drain way quicker than you expect it to. To avoid that, whenever possible, play high-end games with the power supply connected to the phone.

10. Turn off live wallpapers
The live wallpapers on Android look beautiful, but what looks better is a full battery bar at the top. Unless you're busy making your iOS friends jealous, make sure you replace the live wallpaper with something more static.

11. Disable unwanted widgets
One thing that makes Android more useful – even in standby mode – is the fact that you can drop widgets on to your home screen. However, that doesn't mean that you should fill your screen with every widget that's out there in the market. Just install the essential ones and keep your battery bar happy.

12. Keep a close eye on the battery level
If the battery bar at the top isn't conspicuous enough for you to spot, then dropping battery widgets like BatteryLife by Curvefish on to your home screen might come in handy.

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Top 5 Photo Editors for Android

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Editing photos on the desktop is easy as pie, thanks to great applications like GIMP and Photoshop. But what if you've just taken a snap on your beloved Android device and want to edit it on the go? Don't worry; it's not entirely impossible. Thanks to the openness of Android platform, dozens of apps have sprung up that let you edit your photos on the go.

Now, editing on the phone is not the same as editing on the desktop, so don't expect GIMP-like awesomeness from these apps. Having said that, these apps do suffice the photo-editing needs of almost all the phone users by adding essential effects which are both simple to apply and easy to learn. So, if you want to add some cool effects to your recently snapped holiday photos, read on as we cover the top 5 photo editors for Android.


Pixlr-o-matic
Pixlr-o-matic is an immensely popular free photo-editing application that is developed by Autodesk. Yes, it's the same company that makes the famous AUTOCAD software. Packed with a number of cool effects, Pixlr-o-matic allows you to add layers, lightings and borders to your photos in 3 simple steps. You can also add color filters that help you adjust the mood of the photograph. For example, you can amplify the tone, cool it down or add a surreal shades in an instant. Other effects include the vintage look (Instagram-style), the drama look, and the sparkle effect.

Another great thing about this application is that it doesn't need a camera. You can simply pick a snap from the gallery and start editing right away. You can then share your masterpiece with your friends and family on Facebook or immo.io right from the app. What's more, you can also export your photo in high resolution to your gallery.



PicSay Pro
PicSay Pro is an award-winning photo editor for Android that comes with a slew of cool effects like Vignette, Lomo, faux HDR, Pencil Sketch and more. Apart from adding effects, you can also sharpen the image, remove red eye, crop, distort and even insert cutouts. One of the few photo-editing apps with tablets support, PicSay Pro has 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Android Marketplace. The app includes support for Android tablets with Honeycomb like the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Asus Eee Pad Transformer, and others. Priced at around $4, PicSay Pro is available for download from the marketplace.



Camera Zoom FX
Voted as the Editor's choice on Lifehacker, Gizmodo and Slashgear, Camera Zoom FX is an award-winning camera replacement app for Android. Though not a photo editor in the traditional sense, it comes loaded with a bunch of cool post-processing effects that give it an edge over many other photo-editors out there. Camera Zoom FX supports a lot of cool effects like vintage, funky, pencil, fish-eye, mosaic, mirror FX and tilt-shift. You can also crop a picture to any size and make a collage. And, if that doesn't whet your editing appetite, Camera Zoom FX also lets you do digital compositing ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_compositing ), à la Photoshop. Priced at around $5, Camera Zoom FX doubles up as a camera replacement as well as a full-featured Photo editor for Android.



BeFunky
As the name suggests, BeFunky lets you add some funky effects to your photos, free of charge. You can edit photos, add frames, and then export them back to your gallery in real simple steps. With more than 20 effects in the free version, the app lets you add effects like LomoArt, Cross Process, HDR, Tilt Shift and more without any limitations. Besides adding effects, you can also crop and rotate your photos on the go. Finally, once you are done creating your masterpiece, you can save it to Facebook, Flickr or BeFunky online right from the app. There is also a PRO version of the app that includes more effects (50 to be exact) and comes at a price tag of $1.99.



Adobe Photoshop Express
When it comes to Photo editing, there's no name more popular than Adobe's Photoshop. Though it may not bring as many features as its flagship desktop application, Photoshop Express does a pretty good job at editing and sharing photos. You can crop, adjust color, and add artistic effects to your photos with just a few clicks and save them to your gallery. You can also upload the retouched photos to your Photoshop.com account as a back up. With more than 5 million installs so far, Photoshop Express is freely available for download from the Android Marketplace.



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

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Lenovo Mobile Enters the Philippine Market With a Barrage of New Phones

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Lenovo, one of the world’s most leading PC makers, has now entered the Philippine market with its own range of low and medium range phones. Open Communications, Inc., Lenovo Mobile’s distributor in the Philippines, showcased its products to a group of bloggers last October 27, 2011 at Chateau 1771 in Greenbelt 5. Chim Serrano, business unit head of Open Communications, mentioned that their phones are feature-laden, fashionable, well-made, affordable, and will have distinct features that aren’t expected from the phones in their target market segment.

A video clip showed Lenovo Mobile’s stringent product quality testing to ensure that their software and hardware will perform well in normal day to day use. Another video clip shown described how Lenovo designs its products to reach and exceed international standards by having a multi-national design team and having actual consumer input during the design stage. After dinner, there was a presentation of the phones and their unique features.

For the initial launch, six phones were presented:


Lenovo E156
The E156 is a basic phone which comes in either black or black with red. Though it is just a basic phone, it already comes with an MP3 player, FM radio, WAP browser, Call Blacklist, GPRS, MMS and Sound Recording. It also has FM recording capabilities which makes one remember the good old days when you call a radio station to request a song and then record it with a cassette tape. A microSD slot is available for cards with up to 8 GBs capacity for storing one’s MP3 files and recorded FM songs. The Dual-Active SIM feature makes this desirable for those who want to dispose of their second phones but still maintain two active numbers.



Lenovo A336
The A336 is Lenovo Mobile’s affordable answer to Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play. The phone was designed to be a gaming phone by having a built-in game simulator and supports NES ROMs. The limited edition of the phone already comes with 11 games. Dedicated gaming keys (O and X) are there to make playing easier. The phone also supports Voice Call and Sound Recording, Background Effect, Answer Machine, Bluetooth connectivity and Webcam Functionality. Background Effect is Lenovo’s solution to calls that you don’t like to answer or have valid answers when you need them. It simulates realistic background sounds of places like cafes or a train station. It would now be more convincing to say “Sorry, sir, I can’t hear you. I’m at the train station.” And in cases you really can’t answer the call, the phone will answer it for you and record a message from the caller through the Answer Machine feature. No need for extra charges when retrieving messages from your voice mailbox if your phone can do it for you. Additionally, Lenovo’s Webcam functionality allows one to use the phones camera to be used as a webcam when connected to a camera.



Lenovo Q330
The next phone shown was the Q330 which is a QWERTY phone for those who love to chat, text and e-mail lengthy messages. This phone also supports Dual-Active SIM, microSD cards up to 8GBs, music and video playback, Pushmail, FM with recording, Answer Machine, Bluetooth and Background Sound Effect. The phone is also Internet-capable with the pre-installed Opera Mini Browser, and built-in SNS Apps for Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter. The Q330 is also equipped with a 2 megapixel camera and LED flash.



Lenovo Q350
The Q350 is the bigger sibling of the Q330 with upgraded specs. In addition to the Q330’s features, this phone has Webcam functionality, SMS Schedule, Mobile Tracker, WiFi connectivity, and an improved three megapixel camera. The SMS schedule allows text messages to be drafted and automatically sent by the phone at a scheduled time. You will no longer miss birthday greetings, and may even be the first one to greet people consecutively. Mobile Tracker is Lenovo’s anti-theft technology wherein if an unauthorized SIM is placed in the phone, it will send up to five chosen contacts an alert that the phone is stolen.



Lenovo S800
The S800 is the Philippines’ first translucent phone. Though the screen is translucent it is a 262,000 color display. The phone features an accelerometer which is used for detecting the phones orientation. The accelerometer is also used for the Motion Mute Calling feature wherein one only needs to shake the phone to reject calls during meetings and other busy moments. The S800 features Webcam functionality with its 2 megapixel camera, text viewer, video recording, Bluetooth, Answer Machine and Background Sound.




Lenovo A60
The A60 is Lenovo’s Dual Active SIM Android OS phone. The phone features Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread, 3.5” capacitive multi-touch screen, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, 3 megapixel rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera, FM radio, GPS navigation, and microSD slot supporting cards up to 16GBs.



Conclusion
Entering into the crowded mobile phone market will be a big challenge for Lenovo Mobile. Lenovo Mobile’s advantages are its innovative features like the Webcam functionality, Background Effect and Answer Machine which, hopefully, would be enough to differentiate their product offerings from the rest. The attention to detail and quality that the Lenovo brand is known for would certainly help in selling their mobile phone offerings.


Written by: Miguel Antonino Varela, a part-time TechSource contributor covering the local tech scene.

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Best RSS Feed Readers for Android

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While the world is going crazy about the recent changes in Google Reader, the debate over the relevance of RSS is still a hot topic among many techies. Many bloggers and even celebrities are moving away from the popular syndication format thanks to the dearth of decent RSS applications on the desktop and also due to the rapid surge in the use of social media. Even as the desktop sees a fall in the number of RSS readers, an opposite trend seems to be happening on the mobile front.

Every week new feed readers are popping up in the Android and Apple app stores that provide the same old syndication with a different twist. Furthermore, with added capabilities like syncing and sharing, these applications make content consumption a fun experience. While many of them are good enough just to 'do the job', there are only a very few which have transcended the concept of the traditional RSS reader.

So, if you've just purchased a new Android device and you're dying to read all the latest and the upcoming TechSource articles on it, read on as we list the absolute best feed readers for Android.


Google Reader

This is the official Google Reader app for Android. Now, as everyone knows, Google Reader is the most popular RSS reader on desktop, and believe me, you won't be disappointed with its mobile version. The app syncs with your Google account and lets you keep up with your favorite sites anywhere you want. All your folders and your starred items are synced between your web account and mobile. So, if you read or star a story on your mobile, it will take effect immediately on the web version.


The free application also features a neat and clean interface letting you focus on the content and nothing else. The blue bar at the top lets you either 'star' a particular story or share it with your friends. To cycle between articles you can use the 'up' and 'down' buttons at the bottom. Finally, if you want to look for a new feed, just hit the search button on your phone and start searching for it. So, in short, you get almost the same GReader experience as you would get on the desktop. Google Reader for mobile is freely available for download from the Android marketplace.

Price: Free
Size: 1.2 Mb
Rating: 4.2 (avg)
Download Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.apps.reader&feature=search_result


Pulse

Pulse is one of the most promising apps for mobile. The app has gotten so popular that it was even praised by the late Steve Jobs during an Apple conference. Developed by Alphonso Labs, Pulse comes with a nice tiled user interface that incorporates colorful panning story bars and fills them with content from your favorite sources. You can view news from your favorite sources (imported from Google Reader) or discover new ones from their list of curated feeds. You can also share the story on your favorite social media networks like Twitter, Facebook with a click of a button.


Another thing that I loved about Pulse is the 'drag to refresh' feature. To refresh your sources instantly, all you have to do is drag the pane in the downward direction and release it. Furthermore, you can navigate between different sources using tabs at the top. Finally, if you own multiple devices, let's say an iPhone and a Droid, you can sync your preferences between both the devices using Pulse's cloud-based service. Picked as the editor's choice for Android Marketplace, Pulse is freely available for download.

Price: Free
Size: 2.7 Mb
Rating: 4.4
Download Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.alphonso.pulse&feature=search_result


Feedly

Feedly is a beautifully designed RSS feed reader for Android, iOS, Desktop and Web. Personally, I use Feedly on a daily basis, and so far, it is the best RSS feed reader I've used. The ability to seamlessly sync with Google Reader is what makes Feedly stand apart from the crowd. Sporting a clean, content-focused interface, Feedly turns your Google Reader into a convenient magazine. The free app displays all your favorite articles in a clean, slick format with full support for gestures like zooming, 'pinch to close' and more. The other advantage of using Feedly over the time-honored Google Reader is that it comes integrated with various social media services like Twitter, Facebook and even ping.fm. For sharing the articles, you can also customize Feedly to use your own bit.ly account.


The sources in Feedly are neatly organized in categories. You can jump between various categories by simply hitting the drop-down button at the top. You can also find new blogs right from the search bar and add them to your sources. Every time you create a new category, it gets automatically synced with your Google Reader account. So, let's say, you added TechSource to your list of sources and put it in the category 'Open Source'. Now, the next time you'll check your Google Reader account you'll find a new folder by the name 'Open Source' with 'TechSource' added to it. Cool huh? With 4.6 rating, Feedly is freely available for download from the Android Marketplace.

Price: Free
Size: 1.3 Mb
Rating: 4.6
Download Link: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.devhd.feedly&feature=search_result


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

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Why Ubuntu Should Just Focus on the Desktop Market

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Recently, at UDS, it was announced that Ubuntu would soon be coming to tablets, and smartphones, and other devices. Come 2014, Ubuntu, the most mainstream Linux distribution around, will be battling major players like Android, iOS, and Windows for the mobile OS market share.

As exciting as it may sound to any Linux fan, it seems that this is simply one of the worst decisions Canonical has taken recently. Even though Ubuntu is struggling to cross the 1% desktop market share, Canonical is running around in multiple directions when they should focus on their core product, that is the desktop.

Here's why focusing on the desktop market might be beneficial for Ubuntu:


Tough task ahead

Before Unity came, Ubuntu was one of the most stable Linux distributions around. The modern desktop utopia that Unity promised only managed to disappoint its loyal followers. And although Ubuntu 11.10 managed to undo that damage to a certain extent, Unity still is one of the most contentious interfaces around. Let’s say by 2014, Canonical manages to make Unity stable enough to be called a perfect desktop, bringing the same experience on mobile will be another herculean task.


A bit too late

The mobile market is already dominated by Android and iOS. The competition is so tough that even a multi-billion corporation like Microsoft is having a tough time making its mark. In 2014, when Ubuntu will launch its first mobile version, it will face even stiffer competition. And mind you, getting into the market is just the first step. Let’s say Ubuntu manages to get 20% of the market in 2 years, which can’t be ruled out entirely, it will have to be smart enough to play the game of thrones with evil competitors like Apple and Microsoft. The mobile market is a place where lawsuits are thrown at each other every day, and Canonical won’t be spared from the game. What’s more, once Apple starts perceiving Ubuntu as a threat to its empire, we can only guess how ugly things would get.


Changing trends

The mobile market is one of the most tumultuous places around. Even in 2011, it has undergone so many changes that even experienced tech bloggers are finding it hard to keep up with the latest news. Venturing into such a market, that too in 2014, is a huge risk, and it will take a great planning and investment. Ubuntu will have to watch Android and Apple closely for the latest trends. If Apple introduces a new product, let’s say in 2013, the whole industry would flip upside down.


A huge investment

Canonical doesn’t have a lot of money. To bring Ubuntu to smartphones and tablets will take a huge amount of investment in terms of money and time. If only Ubuntu could put that much focus on the desktop, they might be able to reach their 200-million-user goal in time and make Linux a truly popular operating system.


Lack of focus

Recently Google has been busy retiring all their old products. Now, they've just started focusing on what they do best – Gmail, search and few more of their frontline products. Ubuntu, on the other hand, is moving in exactly the opposite direction by focusing on too many things at once. This is exactly the problem Microsoft suffers from right now. Redmond has focused on so many products that they've just lost the focus on their core product that is desktop. We all know how Ubuntu loves Apple. If there is one thing that Ubuntu could learn from the Cupertino-based company, it should be focus. Apple has always focused on their core products, and that's what makes them so great.

I know that it would be very cynical to call it a bad decision yet. However, after the Unity debacle, even the most loyal of Ubuntu fans have started doubting Canonical's decisions. Moreover, many cynics of the industry doubt that a small company like Canonical simply cannot deliver on a platform that's already so crowded. This, undoubtedly, is Ubuntu's last shot at proving them all wrong, and we hope it really does.

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