In 1984, the iconic band Queen had the world crooning their latest melody titled Radio Gaga. It was a tribute to the radio, which, during the olden days, was as omnipresent and powerful as the television is now. Come 2011, and the word ‘radio’ almost seems alien to this generation. Having said that, the radio hasn’t completely vanished yet. In fact, it is making its presence felt using the Internet and smartphones.

Most of the multimedia players on the desktop including iTunes and Amarok come with support for Internet radio. Moreover, there are a lot of apps that provide the same functionality on your smartphones. So, if you’re looking for some nice Internet radio applications for your Android phones, read on as we cover some of the best.

Pandora is an Internet-radio service that has a huge following in the United States. It is an automated music recommendation service that plays musical selections similar to the songs entered by the user. Though limited to United States, Pandora has over 80 million users to boast about. To start listening, just enter your favorite artist. Then, Pandora will start playing a song by the artist you just entered. The next song will be a track by an artist similar to the one you’re currently playing. This model makes sure that you always have something new to listen to and still you’re not listening to something that’s completely unfamiliar or unpalatable to you. The app is freely available for anyone who currently resides in the United States.

TuneIn Radio is a free application that lets you listen to over 50,000 radio stations from various genres. With TuneIn you can listen to national networks like BBC, NPR and SWR for free. Moreover, you have access to over 50,000 channels of music, sports and news. If you go for the pro version of the app, you’ll be able to record and pause live radio stations. Overall, a fabulous app for the perfect Internet radio experience.

Bummer! Another app that’s US-only! We can’t really help it here since the popularity of this app completely overshadows its regional limitation. Slacker gives you a completely free, totally customizable radio with over 100 genre stations. Each genre station comes packed with a million different songs that will keep you grooving for hours. Though the free app lets you listen to all of these songs for free, a premium subscription will let you fetch lyrics, cache songs (offline listening), create custom playlists and store your favorite stations. The app and the service are quite similar to other competitors like Pandora and Last.fm, but they do offer a lot more songs. With over 1 million downloads so far, Slacker is freely available for download from the Android Marketplace. (US-only)

Deezer is an amazing application that lets you listen to over 13 million tracks anywhere and anytime. The application comes with artist-based SmartRadio channels that match tracks to your taste. The free application gives you limited options that could be unlocked by subscribing to Deezer Premium +. With over 1 million downloads, the app is freely available to download from the Android Marketplace (UK and France only).

Ok, now here’s an app that everyone can enjoy. And what’s more, the app comes from a brand that almost all of us (who are 20 +) know about. Yes, it’s the good old Winamp and it’s making a comeback in a whole new avatar. Remember those old days when Winamp ruled the desktop? But then suddenly, its monopoly came crashing down once iTunes came along. Now, Winamp is trying to win back the crowd with its sweet new Android app. Labeled as the ‘Ultimate player for Android’ by the team itself, Winamp brings you over 45,000 and more SHOUTcast radio stations. What’s more, you also get to download one free MP3 a day from SPINNER. Other features include, lyrics search, gesture support, last.fm scrobbling and lock-screen player. Available in 14 languages, Winamp not only serves as a great Internet radio player, it also doubles up as a perfect alternative to the stock Android music player. Winamp is freely available for download from the Android Marketplace.

N.B. : Before using any of the aforementioned apps, make sure that you are on a Wi-Fi network or on a network that doesn’t charge you a lot for heavy data transfers.

Linux is one of the most secure and stable operating systems around, and yet, its user base hasn’t really grown as everyone expected it to. There are many reasons for this, and we won’t go into those right now. However, if you, like any other Linux user, are disappointed by the current market share stats, we can tell you some simple tips that will help you convince your Windows or Mac-crazy friends into using Linux.

Now, many Linux users have already tried to coax their friends and family members to try out this popular and newbie-friendly distro called Ubuntu. A select few have succeeded and many have failed. So here, we will give you some important tips to help you spread the word about Linux without sounding like that arrogant nerd who has nothing but contempt for Windows or Mac.

Show, don’t tell

Yes, this is the first and the most important thing you need to do if you have to convince a Windows or a Mac user into using Linux. Ubuntu, Linux Mint and many other distros look extremely beautiful, and honestly, the latest version of Ubuntu (Ubuntu 11.10) looks just as good as a Mac. But hey, if you’re just going to just tell that to them do you think they’ll believe you? Even if they do believe you, they’ll still have no idea what Ubuntu or whatever you’re talking about looks like. My suggestion is, you take your own Linux laptop, hand it over to them and let them play around with it. If you’re on Ubuntu I’d recommend opening a new Guest session and handing over the laptop to them. That way, they’ll have a better idea as to how beautiful even an uncustomized desktop looks like. If, at all, it is impossible to show the desktop to your friend, send him or her a YouTube video of the desktop.

The Show Don’t Tell policy also applies to feature comparisons. Let’s say you want to outline the salient features of Linux. Instead of giving a huge lecture about how virus-free, how fragmentation-free, how fast the desktop is, just show it to them. Take their Windows/Mac laptop and put it beside your own desktop. Start a timer and show your friend how fast it boots. I hate to repeat, but just show it, don’t talk about it.

Stop telling them Windows is bad, they already know it

For a Linux user trying to convince a Windows user into the light side, there’s always the Windows-bashing that comes in handy. At least that’s what many Linux users think. Windows-bashing is great, everyone curses that dreaded operating system, but there’s no point telling a Windows user about it. I’m pretty sure he or she already knows about it. There must at least be a thousand Windows users cursing Microsoft even as you’re reading this article. But no way are they going to switch to something different.

In short, don’t tell them that Windows is bad, don’t even talk about Windows. Just keep telling them: “Hey, I have this amazing desktop on my computer, you gotta try it out”. Hand over the laptop to them and let them do the Windows-bashing. When I converted my friend into a Linux user, all I did was showed him my laptop. I never mentioned a word about Windows or Mac. The moment he saw it, he started ranting about Windows like a pissed-off sports fan.

If they get stuck

Rather than helping them, show them how to get help and support on Linux. Don’t let them rely on you to fix every problem on their desktop. Just give them a short tour of Ubuntu forums, IRC, and manuals and let them figure out for themselves.

Don’t emphasize on the "free" part

Don’t, and I say it again; don’t ever start your pitch with the "free" part. In fact, it would be better if you drop the whole thing out of the conversation. Sometimes, they’re so impressed by Linux that they eventually end up asking you about its cost. Just look at them casually and say “it’s free” and wait for their reaction.

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

Unless you've been living under a cave, you must surely have heard of BitTorrent. The peer-to-peer file sharing protocol has been around since 2001, and since then, it has managed to gain over 100 million users worldwide. BitTorrent has been used and misused for many purposes including file sharing, distribution releases, government leaks and yes, piracy. Accounting for roughly 43-70 % global Internet traffic, this protocol is one of the most talked-about things on the Internet.

Here at Tech Source, we've already showed you how to use BitTorrent on Linux and for the geeky ones, we've written also written a guide on how to download torrent files using the command line. But now, as we move on to the age of droids and iPhones, many people are looking to replace their desktop with their smartphone.

If you are too cell-savvy to use your desktop for torrents, read on as we cover the best BitTorrent clients for Android. These applications will let you download all the latest torrents without the need to boot up your desktop.

aTorrent is a free BitTorrent software for Android that works across phones as well as tablets. The app features an integrated search bar that lets you find the latest torrent files for download. Other features include Magnet links support, partial downloads, parallel downloading and most importantly, the option to limit downloads to Wi-Fi. Packed with many more features, aTorrent is almost as good as any desktop torrent client albeit with some obvious limitations. One of the most interesting and unique features aTorrent provides is that it allows users to download only while power is connected, thus saving a lot of battery power. aTorrent is freely available for download from the Android marketplace.

aDownloader is a native BitTorrent client for Android with a simple and easy to use interface. Once you download the app, simply long press on any BitTorrent link you come across while browsing, and click on Share. Choose the aDownloader option, and your torrent will start download instantly. This feature makes this app great for folks who regularly download testing iso's of Linux distributions. A great way of putting this feature to use is by subscribing to distrowatch's RSS feeds, and then download the latest distro while on the go. Once your download is finished you can transfer it to your computer, burn it and enjoy the bleeding edge. Among other features, adownloader also supports adding torrent files from SD card. The app is freely available for download from the Android marketplace.

This is an app meant for pirates as it lets users download movies and music files from various BitTorrent sites. The app features an integrated pirate search that lets users download the latest movies and TV shows without any hassles. Rutracker is a fully functional BitTorrent client designed for Android and is freely available from the marketplace.

Swarm is a lightweight BitTorrent client for Android that is designed to be fast, and easy to use. Sporting a simple interface, this nifty application lets you add/remove new torrents instantly. Just open the torrent file and the downloads start immediately. If you've set your Android to go to sleep, don't worry, as this app also lets you prevent the phone from going to sleep mode. Also, it will let you inhibit your Wi-Fi from going to sleep so that you could keep a download running overnight without any hassles. Swarm is a great application for those who need a no-fuss BitTorrent client that doesn't bog the user down with too many options. Costing around 5 USD, Swarm is available for download from the Android Marketplace.

aBTC from NewFreedomApps is a full-featured BitTorrent client for Android. The app features an in-app search functionality that lets you find content instantly. aBTC also includes support for DHT as well as the ability to download files while sleeping. As compared to other torrent apps, this one hasn't got many good reviews. So, make sure you try out the other ones first.

Some Warnings: Before embarking on a downloading spree, keep the following things in mind -

1. Your phone, even though it may be dual-core, is not a computer. Don't expect the same speeds and functionality from an app as you expect from mu-torrent.
2. Using BitTorrent on the phone will drain your battery like crazy. So, if you're planning on a big download, make sure you plug in your charger beforehand.
3. Don't use BitTorrent when you're not on Wi-Fi. Downloading a 4GB file might take minutes on your 3G network, but it comes at a huge price.
4. Don't download anything illegal unless you're completely aware of the repercussions.

From C-3PO and R2D2 to the ping pong-playing TOPIO, robots have always been those dream machines mankind has been waiting for. Even though they are not a part of our everyday life yet, the future does promise a world run by the untiring arms of robotics. Robotics is no longer an emerging field. In fact, it has become a science that's accessible to everyone thanks to the attention it gets in media, Internet and print.

In an earlier article, we've already talked about how widespread robotics has become with the advent of ready-made robot kits. Having said that, no robot is complete without the right kind of programming. So, whether you're a robotics enthusiast or a super geek who's busy building a giant robot in his/her basement, read on as we've got a list of some of the best and coolest Robotics software out there for Linux.

Player is a network sensor for robot control. With support for a huge amount of robot hardware, Player gives the user/developer a clean and easy to use interface to control the robot's sensors and actuators over the IP Network. By connecting with the client program over a TCP socket, Player reads data from sensors, writes commands to actuators, and configures devices on the fly. Being modular, Player makes it easy for developers to add new hardware without facing any major issues. Released under GPL license, Player is freely available for download.

OpenRDK is an open source framework for robotics applications. It is a modular software framework focused on rapid development of distributed robotic systems. Already being used by the The Intelligent Control Group of Universidad Politécnica of Madrid and the RoCoCo laboratory of the Sapienza University of Rome, OpenRDK is a framework that has successfully been applied in diverse applications with heterogeneous robots. Also, OpenRDK is designed to work with third-party applications like the aforementioned Player/Stage.

Choregraphe is a programming software designed and developed by Aldebaran Robotics. Available for Linux, Windows and Mac, Choregraphe lets designers create and edit movements and interactive behaviors with a simple and easy to use interface. With an intuitive GUI, adding new movements is as easy as dragging and dropping from the library. Primarily used for programming NAO robot, Choregraphe also includes pre-programmed behavior boxes which could be edited using their Curve Editor. Though the program is not free, you can download a free trial from the website.

Fawkes is a software system that provides the infrastructure and building blocks to create and run robotic applications. It provides a robust and small run-time system that can load and unload plug-ins at run-time, thus allowing for a flexible development cycle. Written in C++, Fawkes is developed specially for Linux. It has been tested during numerous RoboCup events where it was used to drive multiple robots like the service robot Caesar, the humanoid robot NAO, or soccer playing middle size league robots. Licensed under GPL v2, Fawkes is freely available for download from the website. If you're on Fedora, you can download a packaged version of the software too.

CARMEN, which stands for Carnegie Mellon Robot Navigation Toolkit, is an open source collection of software used for mobile remote control. Developed by Carnegie Mellon University, this modular software is designed to provide basic navigation features like base and sensor control, logging, obstacle avoidance, localization, path planning and mapping. If you're itching to start, make sure you take a look at the comprehensive guide (found on their website) explaining how to use CARMEN. Available under GPL, CARMEN has to be installed from source, as there are no packages for it yet.

Robot Operating System or ROS is a ROS (Robot Operating System) provides libraries and tools to help software developers create robot applications. Licensed under BSD license, ROS provides features like hardware abstraction, device drivers, libraries, visualizers, message-passing, package management, and more. Before installing, do make sure you go though ROS's installation guide that's on the website

On a side note, if you have some disk space to spare, I'd recommend installing Fedora Robotics spin that includes all the important robotics software you’d ever need. This will help save you a lot of time.

In our earlier article, we have predicted how ICS was going to be a better choice when compared to iOS5, and boy, we were so right. Google and Samsung, at their mega event in Hong Kong, recently unveiled the highly coveted Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Successor to the popular Nexus S, this phone comes packed with a huge amount of new features that definitely give the iPhone 4S a good run for its money. Galaxy Nexus is also the first device that will run Google's new mobile operating system, that is Android 4.0 a.k.a Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). Featuring a completely redesigned interface, this latest offering from the big G brings a smile across all Androiders' faces as the open source operating system will theoretically run across all 2.3 devices.

Here's a look at what's new in this Android super smartphone and how it can be a game changer in an industry that is at its very peak right now.

A quick chart of the specs Galaxy Nexus S:

Now, let's take a look at the features in a little more detail.

Galaxy Nexus sports a sleek contour design. So, not only does it look beautiful, it's also great to touch. The curved design has been a part of the Nexus family and it has been improved even further this time. Furthermore, the back of the phone has an ergonomic grip making the phone easy to hold.

Coming to the contentious issue of screen size, recently, there has been a lot of criticism about bigger displays, especially since many Apple fanboys have pointed out that iPhones have smaller screen size in order to let the thumb move easily over the whole screen. An almost-viral post showed Galaxy S2 and iPhone side by side tacitly making the point that it's impossible to have bigger displays without compensating on usability. During the presentation, Google countered the point by showing how Galaxy Nexus has a thinner bezel, due to which it can afford to have a bigger screen. This also quashed all apprehensions users had about Samsung's design flaws showing up in Galaxy Nexus. So, when it comes to design, there's no doubt that the Galaxy Nexus overpowers the iPhone.

Galaxy Nexus will feature a completely new font called Roboto that will make text more crisp and clear, further enhancing the reading experience. With a 4.65-inch Super AMOLED HD display, this phone offers one of the best displays around. Images, fonts, videos, and everything will look cooler on Galaxy Nexus.

Though many expected an 8MP camera, the 5 MP didn't disappoint. It shoots 1080p videos that is a great upgrade from its predecessor, the Nexus S, which only managed to capture 480p. Also, the 1.3 MP front camera is a big bonus for those who video chat, or Hangout (G+) a lot. And don't forget, the rear camera comes with some great features like zero shutter lag and autofocus.

Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to get the new Ice cream Sandwich operating system. Here are some of the features that you'll find in it:

1. Completely New interface: Android 4.0 is nothing like its predecessor. It's faster, sleeker and much more intuitive. Support for various gestures has also been incorporated making the phone one of the easiest things to use. And yeah, even computer scientists will love it.

2. New Browser: The browser now lets you sync your bookmarks with Chrome and save articles for offline reading. Also, text will be much sharper this time thanks to the new Robot font.

3. Better App Management: Apps can be now be organized into folders by dragging them on top of each other.

4. Better Widgets: You'll love your homescreen even more as ICS will come with a bunch of Android widgets that display much more information than before.

5. Updated Core Apps: Core apps like Gmail and Google Calendar have vastly been improved to make them more easy to use. This will definitely please all the Gmail users around.

6. Face Recognition lock: Make your device more secure by putting in Face recognition lock so that you and only you – unless, of course, you have an identical twin – will be able to unlock it.

7. Screenshots: Android 4.0 now lets you take screenshots right from the phone. Just hold the power button and the volume down button together and your snap will be saved to the gallery instantly.

8. Android Beam: Leveraging the immense power of NFC, you'll now be able to share whatever you're doing with another Galaxy Nexus user by simply tapping your phone against theirs. So, bye bye Bump!

9. It's open source: Finally, the most important feature of all is that it's open source. Google will release the source code once Galaxy Nexus hits the market.

With Galaxy Nexus and ICS, Google has managed to crush every bit of Apple hype that was lingering after their 4S release. Furthermore, this is Android's biggest release so far, opening more chances for this great platform to grow and yes, crush its competitors. Brace yourselves fellas, the smartphone wars is getting a lot more intense.

In the age of globalization, working with people from different parts of the world is common for many industries. Employees often have to travel long distances, which are not only hectic, but also costly for the company. Thanks to the fantastic state of the current economy, companies can no longer afford to spend extra money on travel expenses and accommodation. Furthermore, since travel often involves shifting between different timezones, employees are jet lagged and they aren’t able to perform at their fullest potential. And finally, there’s the environmental crisis, which is forcing more and more companies to go green and to cut out any unnecessary activities that may affect the environment, which obviously involves travel too.

So, what’s the solution to this? Should we stop globalizing? The answer is No. Thanks to the marvelous advancement in modern computing, people from different parts of the world can now communicate without even leaving their own office. The technology I’m talking about is web conferencing. Web conferencing allows you to hold meetings, seminars (called webinars), annotate whiteboards, training events, lectures and more using the power of the Internet.

To hold a web conference at your own office, you’ll need decent web conferencing software. If you’re looking to buy/ download one, there are plenty of options out there. However, if you’re on Linux, your choices are a bit limited. Don’t worry though, read on as we cover the best web conferencing software out there for Linux.

OpenMeetings

OpenMeetings is an open source web conferencing application that allows you to instantly set up a conference on the web. This browser-based tool lets you use your webcam and microphone to hold meetings over the Internet. Other features include the ability to share documents on a whiteboard as well as screen sharing. If you need to review your meetings, you can also record those using OpenMeetings. Licensed under EPL, OpenMeetings is free to download and install on a hosted server.

FastViewer Confered

Here’s another propriety yet feature-laden web conferencing tool that works on Linux. FastViewer Confered offers great features like web collaboration, online training sessions, encrypted communication, mobile device support and more. Furthermore, the software also allows users to record meetings. One advantage that FastViewer has over other web conferencing software is that it allows AES 256-bit coded encrypted communication. FastViewer is proprietary and works on Linux in viewer-only mode.

WebHuddle

WebHuddle is a Java-based cross-platform web conferencing application. The open source web application runs on any Java-based computer and transfers data encrypted by HTTPS. During installation, the client applet which is about 75 to 175 KB makes sure that it takes almost no space at all. Then, web conferencing can be started using the easy to use web-based tool. With a conveniently low set of requirements, WebHuddle makes it easy and economical for small businesses to carry out web conferencing. Since the tool is in beta, it is free to install and try out. Once out of beta, the company might charge for the service, though the model still remains open source.

Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a web-conferencing service from Zoho, the company that develops popular cloud-based office solutions. The application allows participants to see the screen of the presenter by using ActiveX, Flash or Java. A unique thing about Zoho Meeting is its Embed feature that allows corporate users to embed meetings into their webpage. For those concerned about security, Zoho encrypts all data that is transferred. Though Zoho Meeting works on Linux, its only limitation is that the presenter should be using a Windows computer. The service starts at $12 per 5 participants. The site also offers users to watch a free live demo before buying the service.

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

A few days ago we listed some of the best office apps for Android. If, in case, you’ve buried your head a tad too much into those spreadsheets and presentations, there’s no better way to unwind than by watching a nice movie. Thanks to some great advancements in technology, you no longer have to pop in your DVDs every time you want to catch a movie; cellphones like iPhone and Android offer a great movie viewing experience especially while you’re on the go. However, if, like the great David Lynch, watching movies on a cellphone is not your thing, then treat yourself with the latest funny videos on YouTube.

If you own an Android device be it a tablet computer or a smartphone, read on as we suggest to you some great apps that will let you do all the aforementioned things and more. So, without further ado, here are 5 amazing multimedia applications for Android.

Have a movie sitting on your computer? Want to watch it on your droid without going through the hassles of conversions, decoding and encoding? Don’t worry; MX Video player is here to help you. MX Video Player is a great multimedia player for Android that plays almost any kind of video file. With powerful features like Multi-core decoding and CPU optimize, MX Video Player plays all your video files without any lag whatsoever. Also, for folks who love foreign films, MX renders subtitles with crystal clear quality. Another unique feature about this application is the multi-touch video zoom functionality that lets you zoom in on any video by simply using your two fingers. If you happen to own a nice Android tablet, MX video player also runs on Honeycomb. With a 4.6 rating in the Android Marketplace, the application is immensely popular. MX Video Player is free (ad-supported).

Have a lot of mp3 files sitting around on your Droid? Play around with them using the Ringtone Maker app. Ringtone Maker lets you create interesting ringtones from your music files. To get started, just fire up the app, snip the portion you need, save it and use it as a ringtone. One problem with many custom ringtones is that the volume is a bit lower than you expect it to be. With Ringtone maker, that problem is easily taken care of with the volume adjust feature that’s built in to the app. Snipping the audio files is done using the easy to use multi touch interface making the process as hassle free as possible. Supported formats are Mp3, Wav, AAC and 3GP. Ringtone Maker is free and available to download from the Android marketplace.

The aforementioned MX Video player makes things easier by getting rid of steps like conversion and encoding. But VLC Direct goes one step further by bringing 2-way direct streaming to your cellphone. Yes, this means not only can you stream videos from your computer to your device; you can also stream videos to your computer from the cellphone. Cool huh? This requires no special setup as it makes use of one the most feature-loaded and powerful multimedia applications out there, that’s VLC. Apart from streaming videos, VLC direct can also stream photos and music files in both directions. To make this work, all you need to do is enable VLC Web interface on your VLC desktop application. You can then browse and play media right from your device. There are two versions of this application, one is the free version, which you can use right away, but the playback is limited to just a few minutes per file, and that too with subtitles feature disabled. The other version is the paid one, that is VLC Direct Pro, which will let you use the application without any limitations whatsoever. Rated 4.0 stars in the Android Marketplace, VLC Direct has more than 500k downloads so far.

Remember those little flash animations and games from the early days of the Internet? As annoying and old school as they are now, they were actually quite popular a few years back. People even used to download those little SWF games and play them for hours. I bet some of them must still be having them stored somewhere on their computer. In case you have, then why not move them over to your smartphones and enjoy them on the go? Smart SWF player lets you do exactly that by letting you play flash animations, games and apps on your Android devices. You can view the SWF files in landscape or portrait mode, with easy to access play controls. And yes, you can play flash games in full screen too. With 4.3 rating in the Android Marketplace, Smart SWF Player is free to download.

You just shot a video of your friend’s birthday and now you want to upload it to YouTube. Also, you don’t want to go through the hassles of transferring the video to the computer, then editing it, and then uploading it. You just want the whole thing to be done using your ‘smart’ phone. But wait, you can’t upload it just yet, not with that 45 minute long scene of your friends talking ceaselessly amongst themselves. Somehow you wish you could edit those bits out instantly and upload the best parts of the party, which are about 10 minutes long; perfect for YouTube apparently. If you have an Android smartphone, it’s your lucky day as this next app lets you edit videos from your phone, then save them, and then upload them to YouTube without even touching your computer.

VidTrim is a fully featured video editor for Android that lets you edit your videos on the go. You can either trim the original clip or save it as a new clip. I’d suggest you use the latter option, as it is always a good idea to have the raw footage intact. Once you’re done editing, you can save those clips and share them with your buddies by email. You can also upload the video to YouTube right from the app, making it a great app for video bloggers. There are 2 versions of the app, one is free and other is the pro version. The free version will let you edit all your videos without any limitations, but the pro version gives you extra options like transcoding and compression.

The iPhone 4S still sports a 3.5 inch Retina display, which, when compared to the 4.3 inch screen on S2, feels quite small. Also, the Samsung Galaxy S II comes with the new Super AMOLED Plus screen, which is an upgrade from the Super AMOLED display that its predecessor, the Galaxy S1 used to sport. Now, there’s a big debate as to which technology is the best, as both Super AMOLED Plus and Retina, are the finest displays around with features that are almost equal. While Samsung’s AMOLED Plus gives sharper contrasts and better colors, Retina is the best when it comes to pixel density and resolution. So, in short, whichever of the two phones you buy, you won’t be disappointed. Finally, when it comes to choosing between the two, we’d recommend you to go for the Galaxy S2, simply because it sports a bigger screen. Other advantage that S2 gives over iPhone 4S is that it comes with the extra durable Gorilla Glass protection that would make sure your phone’s screen looks brand new even after using it for years.

Again, the iPhone 4S matches up pretty well to the Galaxy S2 with its 8 Megapixel back camera. However, iPhone’s VGA camera at the front ensures that Galaxy S2 stays ahead in the race. Samsung, it seems, has made sure that there are no rough edges in this phone. There’s a fantastic 8MP camera at the back and a 2MP one on the front. This makes Galaxy S II one of the best phones for video chatting and Skyping. Had Apple included a 2MP camera on the front, it would have made a great competitor for the droid.

The iPhone 4S, despite having a smaller screen, weighs about 140 grams. The Galaxy S2 on the other hand, weighs only 116 g, making it very easy to carry around. There a lot of users who would opt for a lighter phone thus putting Galaxy S2 further ahead in the race.

The Galaxy S2 comes with a MicroSD slot, allowing users to upgrade their storage anytime. So, the 16 GB model can be upgraded up to 48 GB without having to change the phone. Apple’s iPhone 4S however, comes in 3 models, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB that too without any MicroSD slot. Hence, if an iPhone user has to upgrade their device’s storage, he/she will have to buy a new iPhone.

On AT&T in the USA, iPhone 4S and Galaxy S2 both cost $199 for 16 GB models. 32GB and 64GB models of iPhone 4S are priced higher. Again, Samsung has the upper hand here as a 16 GB Galaxy S2 can be upgraded to 48 GB later if needed; thus, saving a lot of money.

iPhone 4S brings the ability to use the phone without a computer, thanks to the new wireless sync feature in iOS5. Though it sounds, looks and works great, almost all things about the phone are tied to the iTunes Store. To sync your songs, movies, and apps, you can only use iTunes making it frustrating for many users. Android, on the other hand, will let you use your phone any way you want, which also makes it work great with Linux.

Though the iPhone 4S has managed to wow most of the crowd, Samsung Galaxy S II still proves to be a better choice for the consumer. Also, one shouldn’t forget the fact that S2 was released months before iPhone 4S launched. So, if you’re all ready to buy the phone, make sure you check out our earlier article where we’ve outlined some important things you should consider before buying your first Android phone.

Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot”, Ubuntu’s latest version featuring GNOME 3 and an improved Unity has arrived. This is not an LTS version but an important release for Canonical as it is still reeling from the backlash it received for involving Unity. Ubuntu 11.10, titled Oneiric Ocelot, comes with a lot of new features and improvements many Ubuntuers have been waiting for.

We’ve already seen how Ubuntu 11.10 compares against the upcoming Windows 8 operating system. Now, as Ubuntu 11.10 has been released, we’re pretty sure that some of you have already downloaded it on your system.

If you’re new to Ubuntu and are feeling disoriented after a fresh install, read on as we cover the 7 things that you need to do after installing Ubuntu 11.10 “Oneiric Ocelot”.

Even though Ubuntu runs flawlessly on most of the modern computers, there are some proprietary drivers which you need to install to run Ubuntu 11.10 to its fullest potential. For example, folks who use computers with NVIDIA and ATI graphics card will need to install third-party drivers in order to run Unity 3D. To do so, just open your launcher (Tap the Super key) and search for the term ‘Additional Drivers’. There, you’ll find a utility that will let you install those drivers. Just follow the instructions, and restart your computer to enjoy Ubuntu in its full glory.

Unity is Ubuntu’s new interface that was introduced 6 months ago. Even though the interface is not that complicated, there are a few tricks you can learn to make your usage even more efficient. Unity relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, and once you master a few of them, it will definitely help you make your workflow smoother. Oh, and don’t worry about going through those creepy manpages to do that, there’s a simple wallpaper you can put up on your desktop to teach you those shortcuts without killing you with boredom.

Ubuntu 11.10 comes with a whole new set of wallpapers that make Ubuntu one of the most enviable desktops around. Just right-click anywhere on the desktop and start exploring various themes and wallpapers that come pre-installed on your Ubuntu.

Oneiric Ocelot features a completely redesigned Software Center that will make your app experience even better. Start exploring the Software Center to find an app that suits your need. Ubuntu’s new store also features some great paid applications and games that are definitely worth your hard-earned cash.

Don’t like the default look? Ubuntu lets you customize the Unity interface any way you want. To do that, you’ll have to install Compiz Config Settings Manager (CCSM) first. Here’s how to do that:

To open Compiz Config Settings, just search for ‘ccsm’ from the launcher.

Once installed, CCSM will let you tweak Unity any way you want. You would easily be able to change the transparency, launcher behavior and much more. One word of warning though, changing any of those settings might affect the stability of your desktop in a negative way.

The Unity launcher includes a great little feature called Quicklists. Quicklists allow users to access common menus, or perform common tasks within a program by right-clicking the launcher icon. The feature is very much similar to Jump Lists in Windows 7, which can be accessed by right-clicking the Windows task bar. By default, only a few applications support the feature and not having Quicklists for your favorite browser, that is Chrome, could be quite a turn-off. Don’t fret though as we’ve already written a guide on how to enable Quicklists on Chrome, so do make sure you check it out.

Ubuntu 11.10 includes one of the most powerful mail clients around, that is Thunderbird. Make sure you write a quick email to your friends telling them about Ubuntu’s new features. Also, if you use Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, use the revamped Gwibber to let the world know about the awesomeness of Ubuntu.

Android, when opposed to iPhone, can boast of a more usable home screen thanks to those nifty little widgets that you can place all over. These widgets allow you to quickly access features and settings that usually take about 4-5 clicks when accessed by the normal way.

Here are 10 essential Android widgets you must put on your home screen:

This is a great widget that is installed by default on most of the Android 2.1+ devices. The News and Weather widget allows you to have a quick glance at the weather in your town. Clicking on it will open a complete menu showing you the weather for the whole week as well as the current day's forecast. You could swipe across the screen to access the latest news from Google News. The news is customized according to your location (GPS only) and is neatly categorized into relevant sections.

Although Android's top bar shows you the battery level, many people prefer to have the battery status in percentage. Battery Widget is a small widget that you can drop on your home screen to show you the exact battery level every time you unlock your phone. Clicking on the widget opens up a small menu allowing you to access detailed stats and settings for Battery, Display, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Battery Widget is not installed by default but is freely available for download from the Android Market.

This is another pre-installed widget that just makes things a lot easier. Once dropped to the home screen, you'll see a rectangular bar with icons for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Syncing and Brightness (may vary with different models). Just click on the individual icons and you can turn on/off the respective features instantly. As for the brightness button, clicking it allows you to toggle between different levels of brightness. This is an app that should always be on your main home screen.

Many Android devices stock with a single button headset; thus, controlling music quickly becomes quite difficult. That's where the music widget steps in. Once dropped to the home screen, it allows the user to Play/Pause the track by the touch of a button. You can also switch to the next track. What's more, the track's name and artist's name are displayed on the same bar.

This is another widget that comes pre-loaded with most of the Android devices. On select devices it allows you to search directly by voice. Just enter your query in the search box and results show up instantly (depending on your Internet connection)

If you're an avid Evernote user, this little widget will be indispensable for you. Once you install Evernote, you can use the two widgets that come along with the application. The smaller version of the widget comes in the form of a long bar which allows you to quickly add notes (both voice and text), photos and also allows you to search through your notes. The larger version of the widget shows a preview of the 2 or 3 recent notes you uploaded. This is a great addition to the home screen if you want to be more productive.

YouTube Widget

If you're a YouTube user, this widget will load a quick preview of your subscriptions the moment they are updated. Also, you'll be able to quickly search through millions of YouTube videos by clicking just one button on the home screen. There is also a quick link to the camera so that you can shoot a video and instantly upload it to YouTube. This widget comes pre-installed in most of the Android devices.

If you don't carry a watch along, then this widget will help you keep track of time by putting a sleek analog clock on your home screen. Usually comes out-of-the-box in many Android devices.

In our earlier articles, we've written a lot about Google's new social network Google Plus. It has instantly become our favorite social network. So, if you're an avid user of G+, the Google Plus widget will allow you to quickly post notices, upload pictures and view your photo gallery. The widget looks really sleek and can easily fit on crowded home screens. G+ widget comes pre-installed with the official Google Plus app for Android.

This widget, which comes with the official Twitter app allows you to keep an eye on your Twitter stream right from your home screen. The smaller version of the widget allows you to simply view a slideshow of your Twitter stream whereas the slightly larger version comes with shortcuts that allow you to quickly post to Twitter.

October 5, 2011 was perhaps the saddest day for the tech industry when news broke out that Steve Jobs, the famous co-founder and leader of Apple, has passed away. Hailed as the Edison of our era, he created some of the most innovative, life-changing, and iconic products in recent years.

Rarely comes a human being who influences the lives of millions if not billions of people from around the world. It goes without saying that everyone, including his rivals, secretly admired Steve Jobs. Google, one of Apple’s closest competitors right now, wrote a simple tribute on its homepage, linking directly to Apple’s website. Even Bill Gates, who was his career’s biggest rival, had the following words to say:

“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.”

Steve Jobs was a man who has inspired a generation, not only with his technology, but also with his tenacious spirit. Despite facing many failures in his career, he kept coming back, even during times when death was looming over his head. The comeback man was unstoppable until the sad day came when he had to resign as the CEO of Apple. We recommend you check out brief article we wrote about Steve Jobs.

Today however, we leave you with a few of the most memorable and inspiring videos of Steve Jobs. He may not be with us today, but his touch of class still remains as the core part of the technology we use at the moment.

This is probably the most inspiring video you’ll find on the Internet. In it, he gives us some great advice on how to live our lives, and how to achieve our dreams, even when failure comes knocking on the door. Described as life changing and career transforming, the Stanford commencement address is one of his most-quoted speeches. The video, which was taken in 2005, will surely go on to inspire many other dreamers in the future.

This is a rare video of Steve Jobs unveiling the first Macintosh computer. Now, the event might not be as fascinating as it was then, but you can still feel the Apple magic. The Macintosh was one of the most important products Apple ever launched. It was also the first personal computer to feature a mouse and a graphical user interface.

The following video is from 1998 when he introduced the first iMac. The iMac, even though was never as popular as the iPad or iPhone, it was undoubtedly one of the most elegant computers made at that time. After releasing the iMac, Apple famously declared that "the back of our computer looks better than the front of anyone else's". The iMac was also the first product wherein the letter ‘i’ appeared. According to Steve Jobs, the letter ‘i’ stood for the Internet.

Here’s Steve presenting the iPod for the first time. The product completely revolutionized the way we listen to music today. Many, including Microsoft, have tried to copy their success, but they’ve failed miserably while doing so.

In 2007, Apple completely revolutionized everything we knew about smartphones. The first fully touchscreen phone called iPhone was launched, breathing a new life into the insipid world of phones that just allowed users to talk. When Apple released the first ever iPhone, it was already 5 years ahead of any other smartphone around, making it one of the biggest products of the decade.

Here’s a video of Steve presenting the iPad2. The iPad 2 was another game changer for Apple. This was also Steve’s second to the last official appearance for Apple.

Here’s another video of Steve at WWDC 97 where he emphasizes on the importance of saying ‘No’ in life. Minimalism has been the most important feature of all Apple products. I’m sure Steve, in his lifetime, had many more fascinating ideas that he never implemented upon, which, quite surprisingly, is the reason why he stands apart from the crowd. It is important to choose the best idea out of all the good ones and simply focus on it rather than running in 10 different directions. Microsoft made a huge mistake by focusing on everything that they laid their eyes on, which is why, products like Bing, Zune, and many others were huge failures. Apple, on the other hand, just made one product at a time, and made sure that it was the very best in the industry.

As we all know, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates shared a much-publicized rivalry. Though Steve and Bill had many things they disagreed on, at a very rare event, they both sat next to each other and exchanged great ideas about the future of technology. A must-watch for all geeks.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Those who dared to think differently managed to change the world. Steve Jobs was a man who lived by this mantra, and yes, he changed the world. Here’s an unedited advert of Apple (Narrated by Steve), emphasizing the importance of thinking differently.

Rest in Peace Steve Jobs.