Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal): What to Expect

Slowly but steadily, Ubuntu is catching up with its competitors. The Canonical-made distro is getting better and better with every release. Ubuntu 12.04 “Precise Pangolin” managed to silence some of the Unity critics to a large extent. And though, work still needs to be done to take on the mighty warriors at Redmond, it seems that Shuttleworth’s untiring endeavors have started coming to fruition. Ubuntu 12.10 recently baptized as Quantal Quetzal is already looking promising.

With some great features lined up for this release, Canonical gets one more step closer to fixing Bug #1 on Launchpad. Ubuntu 12.10 is bound to be released on October 18, 2012.

We’ll have to wait a while longer till we see some new features springing up in the beta versions of Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal). Meanwhile, if you can’t resist knowing about the upcoming features -- both confirmed and unconfirmed -- read on as we list out whatever you can expect from Ubuntu 12.10.

No more CDs

Ubuntu 12.10 won’t fit on a CD this time, as it will be a 800MB image. So either you’ll have to burn a DVD or use a USB thumb drive. Though the change was bound to happen sometime in the future, it does annoy a few people who relied on the good old CDs for their Ubuntu installs.

Ubuntu Web Apps

The reason people love Chromebooks is that they have the whole of web integrated right into the desktop. The same feature will make its way to your Ubuntu desktop with the new Web app integration. This new addition will let you use web applications or rather your favorite websites like Reddit, Google Drive, etc.

Every time you visit a website, you’ll get a message asking whether you want to integrate this site with Ubuntu. Clicking on yes will make it show up as an application in the Dash menu along with HUD integration. This will help bring the web-heavy users to the Ubuntu desktop thus stealing the thunder from Google Chromebooks. One advantage Ubuntu will have over Chromebooks is that it will offer best of both the worlds to the users. Let’s hope the feature takes off as expected.

Better Update Manager

The Update Manager will be streamlined in this release making it much less distracting.

No Migration Assistant

Remember the migration assistant that let you transfer all your Windows documents and settings to Ubuntu? Well, you’re going to miss it. Thanks to many bug reports associated with the feature, it will be discontinued in future releases.

An Improved Nautilus

The Canonical team is busy working on an improved Nautilus as GNOME developers have pushed a new version of the file manager. Sporting a different look, Nautilus also removes some of the features power users relied on heavily. Features like Compact View, split screen, tree view and more have been removed from the file manager.

The latest of all software

Ubuntu 12.10 will feature the latest version of the Linux kernel. Furthermore, you’ll find the most recent versions of your favorite software like Firefox, Shotwell, and more waiting for you in this October release. Expect to see Firefox 16 and LibreOffice 3.6 to be there once Quetzal is launched. Both these versions will bring some new features and a lot of stability to these applications.

A New Icon Theme Maybe?

Rumor mills are abuzz with news of a completely fresh icon theme making its way to the Ubuntu desktop. If the news is true then we might get to see some great eye candy in this latest release. What’s more, it might actually distract people from the Windows 8 buzz that will be floating around all over the web. Also, there are plans for a major aesthetic makeover for this release. Let’s hope that the folks at Canonical manage to surprise us with something spectacular.

A faster Ubuntu

According to Phoronix, this release will be significantly faster and more powerful than the previous release. Benchmarks show a noticeable improvement in many areas of computing, making the whole release worth waiting for.

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

Handy Chrome Extensions For Reddit Lovers

When does the Narwhal bacon? If you can answer that question correctly, then, you my friend, are a Redditor! Symptoms of being a Redditor include a drastic drop in productivity, inability to perceive the passing of time, and an acute tendency to correct someone’s grammar on the Internet.

Reddit, for the uninitiated, is a hugely popular online community and also a social news website. The site has been responsible for the takedown of the infamous SOPA as well as changing the lives of millions of random strangers. Even for Redditors (frequent reddit users), it’s hard to explain what the site is actually about and why it is so popular. If you’re one of the users, here are some of the best Chrome extensions to enhance your Redditing experience:

Reddit Enhancement Suite

Reddit Enhancement Suite is a free Chrome extension that brings tons of essential functionality to Reddit. Once installed, you’ll be able to switch between multiple Reddit accounts instantly. Also, it adds features like keyboard navigation, inline image viewer, single-click opener, and user tagger.

To the regular Redditors, this application lets them hide their username and also save comments for later viewing. For those a little more interactive with the site, you get to see live previews of your typed comment saving you dozens of re-edits. There are other features like data syncing and user highlighter making the app an essential tool for Reddit addicts. Oh, and the best part is that the app is completely free and open source.

DOWNLOAD HERE


Reddit Companion

Reddit companion is a simple extension that integrates Reddit into your browser. Every time you come across some content that is on Reddit, you can upvote / downvote it without visiting the main site. Also, you can opt to receive notifications for your Reddit messages.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Hover Zoom

Not essentially a Reddit tool, but it does serve as a great companion for Redditors. Every time you come across an image, instead of opening it in a new or same tab, you simply hover over it and preview it in full glory. Not only is the app useful for Reddit, it comes in handy while browsing sites like Amazon, Flickr and Twitter too.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Open Reddit NSFW Links in Incognito

The extension does what its says. It opens all NSFW links in incognito mode and saves you from finding something unexpectedly horrid in your browsing history.

DOWNLOAD HERE


Reddit Sidebar

Reddit Sidebar is an amazing extension that shows comments of a webpage in a neat sidebar. Though voting and commenting isn't working at the moment, the add-on does a great job at displaying the page’s comments.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Reddit Imager

Since most of the posts on Reddit consist of images, clicking each of them and opening them in new tabs kind of becomes tedious. To remedy that problem, Reddit Imager brings all the images and shows them on the front page in their full glory.

DOWNLOAD HERE


Reddit NSFW Filter

This is another great extension that lets you filter out NSFW posts on Reddit. Once installed, the add-on shows up as a simple button on top of your Reddit homepage. By simply clicking it you can turn on or off NSFW links. Very handy if you hate stumbling across NSFW links from time to time.

DOWNLOAD HERE


Reddit Reveal

Reddit Reveal saves you the trouble of visiting each user just to check their comment karma and link karma. The add-on, once installed, shows the number of upvotes / downvotes for a comment, the markdown source, user karma, and account age in line with the comment / post. This makes your Redditing experience a bit less tedious and much more organized.

DOWNLOAD HERE

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

How to Speed Up BitTorrent Downloads on Linux

One of the best things about most Linux distributions is that they come with a BitTorrent client out of the box. No need to go on the web and download a third-party torrent client. Just grab the '.torrent' file of the data that you would like to download and fire up Transmission (see: How to Use BitTorrent in Linux) - simple as that.

However, the impatient ones, who prefer having everything in an instant can’t handle the occasional sluggishness that’s a part of the torrenting experience. Fortunately, though, there are some nifty tips and tricks to speed up BitTorrent downloading on Linux. In this article, we’ll be highlighting some of the most effective ones.

First and foremost, get to know your Internet speed. Go to Speedtest website and test your upload and download speeds. If they are almost as good as your ISP promised them to be, then you’re doing OK. If not, contact your ISP demanding for the speed they claimed.

Limit your upload rate

Having a high upload rate can significantly affect your downloading speeds. The best way to address this problem is to put a cap on the upload speed. If you’re using Transmission, simply go to Preferences and keep the upload speeds to a lower value. To decide on the best upload rate, simply use the Azureus upload/download settings calculator HERE.

Install BitMate

BitMate is a BitTorrent client designed to specifically improve the performance of low-bandwidth peers (5-20 KB/sec). With BitMate you can almost double your download performance by minimizing ‘wasted goodwill’.

BitMate optimizes your connection fairly without breaking any of the standard BitTorrent protocols. According to the site “BitMate outperforms vanilla BitTorrent by as much as 70% in download performance, while at the same time improving upload contribution by as much as 1000%! BitMate also outperforms strategic clients like BitTyrant in low-bandwidth conditions by as much as 60% in download performance (without cheating).”

Definitely worth a try if you’re stuck with a 10-20 KBps connection and want to download a relatively small file quickly.

Choose a good port

If your ports are conflicting with some other programs, simply change them by going to Preferences -> Network. You can also set Transmission to switch to a random port every time it starts.

Check for Firewall

If you have firewall enabled, then it might be working against your download speeds. To see if that is actually happening, simply disable the firewall and see whether your download speeds are affected or not.

Find a good torrent client and stick with it

If you’re relying solely on Transmission, then you might be missing out on some better BitTorrent clients. There are good ones like Deluge, Vuze, and KTorrent that might offer you a much better performance than the default client. Find the one that works for you and stick with it.

Find good torrents

The most important tip of all is to find good torrents. Go for the ones with a lot of seeders and they surely won’t let you down. As always, we do not encourage downloading copyrighted materials so keep that in mind also.

Most Expensive Android Apps

You just won the lottery and you don’t know how to spend that money? Oh yeah, geeks often have trouble with that given the exotic tastes that we have when it comes to gadgets and gizmos. Well, you can either send some of the money to us, or, you can spend a few thousand dollars on some amazing Android apps. What? Apps? I mean yeah, usually an app costs around $2 or at the most $9; but apps worth more than $100? Sounds crazy right?

Well, it is crazy. The Google Play Store is inundated with apps having prices that range from zero to $200 making it a goldmine not only for developers but also for the big G. So, if you’re looking to spend your hard-earned (or lottery-won) cash on some useful (and useless) Android apps, here’s a list of the most expensive ones in the Play Store.


Got Cash?

If you’re one of those people who want to show to the world that they can buy anything they want, then Got Cash? is just the right app for you. Priced at a whopping $200, this app does nothing. Yeah, it does nothing except proving to the world that you have enough cash to spend on a useless application. Unless you’re criminally insane or a frustrated ex-banker who wants to relive the pre-recession era, we would strongly recommend you not to install this app.

DOWNLOAD HERE


100 Dollar App

The hundred dollar app is another app that lets you vaunt your hard-earned money to fellow Android users. Doing absolutely nothing except taking up disk space, this application is again, as useless as the aforementioned Got Cash? app. Do not purchase it unless you’re on a wild spending spree.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Most Expensive App International

Another useless app on the list is Most Expensive App International. Costing around $200, this app has actually been installed by 1 or 2 people. Well, who are we to judge?

DOWNLOAD HERE


MBE Preparation e-BarReview

Costing around $200, this app differs from all the aforementioned apps by actually doing something for the user. The app lets you prepare for the Bar exam with its simulated exam mode, practice mode, and question / answer mode. MPE Prep comes with over 1000 questions, officially licensed from the NCBEX along with full explanations to each question.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Dominate the Bar!

Another useful app for students to help prepare for their bar exams is Dominate the Bar! Costing about 100 dollars, Dominate the Bar! is a study aid for multi-state portion of the Bar exam. The app covers Constitutional Law, Contracts & Sales, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts. There are also 900 flash cards to help you memorize better before the exam.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Mobile Accessibility US

One of the most useful and innovative apps on the list is Mobile Accessibility US. It is a $100 app designed especially for the blind or for those who have low vision. A suite of 10 essential applications ranging from SMS to Calendar, Mobile Accessibility also allows to connect the app to your Braille display. Once installed, visually impaired users would be able to make phone calls, send and read SMSes, access calendar, and access the web.

There is also a Where Am I? app that gives you updates based on your current location. Overall, it is a great app for all the visually impaired Android users out there.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Emergency Central

Costing around $160, Emergency Central is an innovative app designed for Medical professionals. Apart from giving drug and disease information, it also gives 5-Minute emergency medicine consultation, along with access to Davis’s Drug Guide, Diagnosaurus DDx, Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests, and MEDLINE Journals.

DOWNLOAD HERE

If you happen to know other super expensive Android apps, you may share them with us via comment.

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

Best Google Chrome Security Extensions

Chrome, though briefly, recently surpassed the much-hated Internet Explorer to become the most popular browser in town. Launched in 2008, this freeware application has quickly outclassed Firefox making it quite a hit among Linux users old and new. And, despite the Google-made browser not being open-source, its free roots (that is Chromium) make it a viable choice for FOSS lovers.

Based on WebKit, Chrome is popular thanks to its blazing speed, and an even faster development cycle. The main reason for the Google-made browser’s success, though, is that it proves to be fast, simple, and secure as compared to other browsers. Moreover, its minimalist interface has sparked a new competition amongst its rivals like Firefox, Opera and IE. Finally, coming to security, Chrome frequently checks itself against blacklists (one for malware and other for phishing) making it more secure as compared to its rivals.

That said, the free browser doesn't come with a complete security suite out of the box. There are many open doors from which hackers could intrude your privacy, despite the fact that Chrome is one of the most secure browsers around. Thankfully, though, there are some great extensions you can install to save yourself from the prying eyes of hackers.

So, without further ado, here’s a list of the best security extensions for Google Chrome:

Google SSL Web Search

This extension, once installed, lets you change your search provider to use SSL by default. Secure Sockets Layer or SSL is a commonly used protocol for managing the security transmission of messages on the Internet. An encrypted SSL connection makes sure that all data passed between the browser and the web site server is encrypted by the sender and decrypted by the receiver. SSL can thus prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to sensitive, confidential, or personal information such as phone numbers or addresses. Of course, you won’t Google your own credit card number; however, there’s a slight chance that your search history might be intercepted by your ISP or a rogue hacker. SSL will surely help you avoid that predicament.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Secure Bookmarks

If you use a shared computer, then you might not want to show your bookmarks to other users. Solving that little problem comes Secure Bookmarks, a cool extension that lets you password-protect your bookmarks. Once installed, you can create new bookmarks that will only be accessible to you and those who have your password.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Secure Password Generator

This is a really handy extension. Whenever you sign up for new sites, simply use this extension to generate a random, secure password for you. This would save you from the vulnerabilities of choosing a ridiculously predictable password.

DOWNLOAD HERE

WOT (Web Of Trust)

Web Of Trust is a nifty little extension that alerts you of malicious sites and indicates you how safe the site you’re visiting is. It’s a crowd-sourced safe-surfing tool that shows traffic light signals besides each site, so that you can rest assured that the site you’re visiting is safe. How WOT works is millions of its users rate each site, and the ratings then are, in turn, used to give you an indication of the site’s reputation.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Ghostery

Ghostery is a free extension that detects trackers, web bugs, pixels, and beacons placed by ad networks for invading your privacy. So, if you’re worried about Facebook, Google, et al. watching over you in a creepy way, then by all means, install this extension.

DOWNLOAD HERE

McAfee Secure URL Shortener

Oh, those tiny little URLs are all over the web. Some of them can be trusted, and many look suspicious. To solve that problem, McAfee has come up with a neat solution. Whenever you shorten a URL with McAfee’s Secure URL Shortener, it gets checked using McAfee’s Global Threat intelligence information. Thus, whenever you, or your friend shortens a link with the extension, you can rest assured that the link is safe, and can be trusted.

DOWNLOAD HERE

How to Safely Exit When Ubuntu Freezes / Hangs

You’re working tirelessly on your project for hours. You are, as they say, ‘in the flow’. And, for a change, the computer too works flawlessly like never before. What more can you ask for?

However, we all know that days like those don’t come too often. A computer OS, no matter Windows, Mac, or Linux, is prone to hanging, freezing and crashing making our life difficult. What’s more, the constant problems lead to even bigger problems if you don’t exit your system safely during a freeze or hang. Our beloved Ubuntu too goes through these hiccups from time to time and exiting the desktop safely is the user’s number one priority. So, if you’re looking for ways to safely exit when Ubuntu hangs or freezes, here are some handy tips:

What to do when an application is misbehaving?

If you can move your mouse and access the launcher but only one application is hogging all your memory, you might be better off killing it. Let’s say Firefox is running with about 50 tabs open, and you notice a tremendous slowdown of your desktop. Oh yeah, the same kind of slowdown wherein moving your mouse seems like a painful experience. We've all been there.

So, to fix this problem you’d have to either kill Firefox or wait for it to start responding. Usually it’s better to wait, especially if you have 50 tabs open. However, if that isn't working simply press Alt + F2 and type in ‘xkill’ without the quotes.

Now, you’ll see a crosshair instead of your pointer. Simply click on Firefox, and you’ll see your desktop come back to normal.

Ctrl + Alt + Backspace

If your desktop is completely frozen or sluggish, then often times it’s better to restart the X server. This is always a better option as compared to hitting the reset button on your laptop. To start using it, you’d have to enable the option first. Go to ‘System Settings’ -> ‘Keyboard’. Then, go to ‘All Settings’ -> ‘Keyboard Layout’. There, click on a small button that says ‘Options’. Next, find the option that says ‘Key sequence to kill the X server’. Enable the option and you’re done. Now, anytime you get a frozen desktop, simply use the Ctrl+Alt+Backspace combo.

Magic SysReq key in case of a complete freeze

If your system is completely frozen, then you might want to restart it safely using the Magic SysReq key combo. Simply press Alt + SysReq (Print Screen) key then while holding those two keys, press R key for 1 or 2 seconds, then, after a small interval press E , the I, then S, the U, and finally B. Each key from R to B must be held for about 1 or 2 seconds.

So, to sum up, the combo is: Alt+SysReq+R+E+I+S+U+B

The best way to remember this key sequence is by using the mnemonic: Raising Elephants Is So Utterly Boring.

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

Top Medical Apps for Android

Whether you are a diligently working intern or an accomplished doctor, you still need to look up stuff on the Internet. Also, if you’re an aspiring doctor, there are a lot of resources on the web that can help you make your work life better. That said, looking up stuff online every time isn't that convenient. Also, you can’t sit in front of your laptop or desktop all day long.

That’s where medical apps come to the rescue. Once installed, these applications will let you lookup important stuff, help with your diagnosis, and become better in your profession. So, without much ado, here are the best medical apps for Android:

Medscape

Medscape is a free application that allows doctors and pharmacists look up information about more than 8000 brand and generic drugs, OTC drugs, and supplements. Useful for looking up what to prescribe, Medscape also lets you check for drug interactions with just the touch of a button. Furthermore, the app also lets you view medical news and critical alerts in 34 specialties.

Among other features, Medscape comes with over 129 medical formulae, scales and classifications. It contains more than 600 drug monographs and integrated dosing calculators. Thus, it goes without saying that this app is pretty much indispensable for interns as well as practicing doctors.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Human Anatomy

Though not essentially helpful for practicing doctors, this next app does serve as a good educational tool for budding interns. Human Anatomy is a simple reference app for studying the human anatomy in detail.

DOWNLOAD HERE

First Aid

You don’t have to be a doctor to be of help to someone in an emergency situation. First Aid is a very useful free app for those who are looking to learn basic first aid techniques. According to the app developer: “First Aid is designed to help you follow the right procedures in a stressful situation or support other people by giving them instructions. It is based on illustrations, videos and short texts that show you how to take the necessary action step by step and in the right order.” Rated 4.5 out of five stars on the Google Play Store, First Aid is freely available for download.

DOWNLOAD HERE

ICE: In Case Of Emergency

If you’re ever in a medical emergency, then this next app will surely be of some help to you. In fact, it might even save your life. Once installed, ICE makes information like important medical contacts, allergies, conditions, and prescriptions easily accessible to the person who is handling your phone while you’re not in a condition to do so. Also, the app can display emergency information even while the screen is locked.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Epocrates

Epocrates is a free application that gives you drug, disease, and diagnostic information. Used by many doctors, it can serve as a reliable drug reference application as it comes with thousands of drug monographs, interaction checkers, pill identifiers, and health plan formularies. Overall, Epocrates is a very useful app if you’re in the field of medicine.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Skyscape Medical Resources

Skyscape Medical Resources is a great free app that comes with drug information, medical calculators, and clinical information on over 850 topics. The app includes a lot of detailed information about thousands of branded and generic drugs. Though free, most of the important resources are available as premium services.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Mediquation Medical Calculator

Mediquation is simply the best medical calculator out there. This paid app comes with over 232 formulae and scores. With support for both SI and US units, Mediquations gives you references, full equations, PubMed links and more. Fully compatible with Ice Cream Sandwich, Mediquation has also been chosen as ‘Staff Favorites’ in the iTunes app store. Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars, Mediquation Medical calculator can be purchased from the Google Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

You may also check out: Best Health and Fitness Apps For Android

How to Create Virtual Machines in Ubuntu

Virtualization is one of the best ways to bridge gaps between different operating systems. Earlier, if one had to try out a new operating system, they would generally have to make changes to their system like formatting and reinstalling the other OS. This, however, changed when virtualization came along. It allowed users to try out one operating system on top of another without making drastic changes to the system or without affecting the computer’s performance in any major way.

With virtualization, users could create virtual machines that allowed them to install Linux on top of Windows and vice versa. Nowadays, virtualization is one of the most booming sectors in the field of IT. So, if you are curious as to how to get started with virtualization, here is a quick how-to on creating virtual machines in Ubuntu using one of our favorite virtualization software VirtualBox.

Step 1: Install VirtualBox

To install VirtualBox, open your Linux terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and type in or paste the following commands:

sudo apt-get install virtualbox

Then, open the Launcher (Super key) and type in ‘Virtualbox’ without the quotes.

Step 2: Create new virtual machine

The Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager with a welcome message will appear. On the VirtualBox Manager top menu, click on the ‘New’ button.

Step 3: Follow the wizard

A Virtual Machine Wizard will guide you through the entire process of installing a new virtual machine. Click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step 4: Name your virtual machine and select OS type and version

Give a name to your virtual machine. You can call it whatever you want. Also, don’t forget to select the operating system you want to load on it. Here, in this case we have selected Ubuntu.

Step 5: Allocate RAM

Then, select the amount of base memory you want to allocate. In other words, this is the amount of RAM your virtual machine will have while it is running. Depending upon the memory you have on your computer, you can allocate a small amount of it for the virtual machine but 512MB is recommended. We’d stick with 512 MB; however you can also go for higher numbers if you have a good amount of RAM.

Step 6: Create virtual hard disk

Then, create your virtual hard disk. This will be the amount of hard disk space your virtual machine will use while it’s running. It is here you’ll be storing all the operating system files and other stuff. In the virtual hard disk creation wizard, select the option that says ‘Create new disk’. VirtualBox automatically recommends you the space and other options so don’t worry, simply click 'Next'.

Keep the file type to VDI...

Choose the amount of hard disk space you want for your virtual machine. It’s always better to stick with the recommended options.

Et voila! You’re done. Just click on the ‘Start’ button to boot up your virtual machine and enjoy!

You may also check out our other handy articles about virtualization:

* Virtualization Software For Ubuntu Linux

* How to Increase the Size of VirtualBox Virtual Machine Disk Image

* Running Windows with Linux: Virtualization or Dual Boot?

* How to Install Windows 7 on Ubuntu Using VirtualBox

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

Best Benchmarking Tools for Android

Feel like your Droid is getting a bit too outdated? Or want to brag about your gadget’s superpowers to your friends? Yes, benchmarking is always the answer. Benchmarking not only allows users to get to know the power of their device, it’s also useful for tech bloggers / writers who post gadget reviews.

Benchmarking, for the uninitiated, is the process of running a computer program, or a set of operations, in order to gauge the relative performance of an object, usually by running numerous standard tests and trials against it. Basically, Benchmarks are like stress tests for computers (or parts of computers) wherein the device is pushed to its limit in order to assess its full capabilities. Though system benchmarking was traditionally done for computers, these days, benchmarking smartphones and tablets isn't necessarily a new thing.

So, in short, there’s very little doubt that benchmarks are essential for not just developers or testers, but for users as well. And if you too, like many users are looking for the best system benchmarking tools out there, here’s the definitive list:

AnTuTu Benchmark

Despite the weird name, AnTuTu serves as a great benchmarking tool for Android users. This free application can check memory performance, 2D and 3D performance, Database IO performance, as well as SD card reading and writing speed. Once you’re done with the test, AnTuTu ranks your gadget against other popular Android devices thus letting you know whether it’s really time for an upgrade.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Quadrant Standard Edition

Quadrant is a CPU, I/O and 3D graphics benchmarking tool that assesses the performance of your system for free. This ad-supported application lets you perform CPU tests like arithmetic operations, XML parsing, and multimedia decoding. On the graphics front, Quadrant tests out the visual side with tests like OpenGL single-pass and multi-pass rendering with stencil buffers. Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars, Quadrant is freely available for download from the Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

CF-Bench

CF-Bench, which claims to be the first multi-core CPU benchmarking tool, is a great application to test the power of your CPU and memory. The app can be quite useful if you have a dual-core or a quad-core smartphone, which, these days, is not uncommon. Though the app produces good results, they cannot be termed as 100% accurate in any way. Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars, CF-Bench is freely available for download from the Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Benchmark

Benchmark is a free tool that lets you assess the 2D, CPU, and memory performance of your device. Though the app brings nothing special to the table, it’s still a great benchmarking tool nonetheless.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Vellamo Mobile Web Benchmark

Designed specifically for testing the performance of browsers, Vellamo is a great free benchmarking tool for web junkies. The app tests for JavaScript, rendering, and UI profiles and then gives you a detailed score of the performance. The app is free and has been rated 4.3 out of 5 stars in the Google Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

CPU Benchmark

CPU Benchmark is a tool specially designed for benchmarking processors. The app can be best used for deciding upon an overclock or comparing two smartphones. Though nothing special, the app can come in handy if all you’re looking for is a CPU testing tool.

DOWNLOAD HERE

SmartBench

SmartBench is a multi-core friendly benchmarking tool for Android that lets you assess the overall performance of your smartphone. Capable of running on tablets as well as phones, SmartBench results can also be uploaded online. If you’re a 3D gamer on Android, Smartbench’s 3D testing capabilities will come in very handy. Rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, SmartBench is freely available for download from the Play Store.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 Rumors and Expectations

Amazon’s Kindle Fire was one of the best things to have happened to the struggling Android tablet computer market. But then came Jeff Bezos who reinvented the wheel and showed people how to really make an iPad-killer. Well, of course, the Fire didn't kill the iPad, nor did it threaten its dominance, it did in fact pave the way for Google’s amazing new Nexus 7 tablet.

Google’s Nexus 7 tablet was a testament to the fact that Kindle Fire has created a whole new market for tablet devices, a market that Apple failed to monopolize. That said, Kindle Fire’s stint at tablet dominance was short lived as Apple and Google quickly got hold of the market. Consequently, the onus is on Amazon to deliver something special again.

Kindle Fire 2, the rumored successor to Kindle Fire is all set to be released this year. No release date has been confirmed yet but rumors suggest that it might show up as early as August 31st. So, what will Fire 2 bring along? And what to expect from it? Let’s find out.

Bigger Screen: Rumors suggest that Kindle Fire 2 will feature a bigger screen. A 9-inch one? A 10-inch one maybe? We don’t know.

What We Expect: We hope Amazon sticks to its earlier strategy of 7-inch tablets. It’s much more convenient to carry, looks like a paperback, and weighs much less. Also, since it’s also a ‘Kindle’ it’s an amazing experience to read on a device.

Price: Rumors suggest, Fire 2 will be priced at $199 and the older version will drop to as low as $149. It’s almost the same price as Nexus 7.

What We Expect: Kindle Fire’s price was one of its biggest killer features that made it so popular. We hope Amazon sticks to that price tag. Also, Nexus 7 comes at the same price. If, somehow, Fire 2 could lower the price to say $179, we might see a huge competition in the market.

Better Display: Kindle Fire 2 will have a better display as compared to its predecessor. Users will be upped from 1024 x 600 to 1280×800 in this new iteration of the popular tablet computer.

What We Expect: Though an updated resolution is always nice, we really hope that it’s much better than what Nexus 7 offers. Amazon already has a lot of HD movies and TV Shows on offer and users would be much more pleased to have a really awesome display to flaunt to their friends.

Better Performance: We have no ideas as to which processors or how much memory Fire 2 will come with. However, multiple rumors suggest that the tablet could come with Tegra 3 chip and a quad-core processor.

What We Expect: We hope it’s a quad-core processor that is fast enough to run games, HD movies, and other content.

Operating System: Amazon’s customized version of Android will make its appearance again. Though not everyone’s impressed by it, it does, however, make a nice OS for new users or Amazon junkies. Also, Amazon’s app store might get revamped or more apps might be added to it.

What We Expect: It’s about time Amazon dropped its custom OS and switch to something that is built upon Jelly Bean. Also, using Amazon’s app store is a pretty bad idea. Google Play store already houses millions of apps, most of which Kindle Fire users can’t install. This is a huge bottleneck when compared to what Nexus 7 offers. Also, with the arrival of Nexus 7, most developers will be thinking of making apps for 7-inch tablets. Kindle Fire 2 should be more open to make it much more appealing to end-users.

Camera, GPS might show up: Unlike its predecessor, Fire 2 might include cameras and/or GPS. We might also get to see microphone and other interesting features that might actually give Nexus 7 a run for its money.

What we expect: We expect a camera, at least a front-facing one for video calling and taking pictures. A rear camera like on the iPad is a strict no-no. On the other hand, omitting GPS might not be such a bad idea.

Overall, we hope that the Kindle Fire 2, apart from sticking to the strategies that worked for its predecessor, should bring something really unique and surprising to the table. Otherwise, Google Nexus 7 will simply crush Fire 2 even before it takes flight.

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

Best Educational Linux Distributions

When it comes to using technology in education, there has been a lot of progress. These days, you see little kids doodling passionately on their iPads instead of papers. Moreover, with the use of desktops and laptops for teaching basic programming and computer essential to kids, technology has become an integral part of education.

That said, as a FOSS enthusiast, the technology that is currently being used in schools is not the best course of action when it comes to introducing kids to computers. Not only are closed-source software and operating systems expensive, they also alienate the students from the ideals of sharing and freedom. iPads, iPhones, and iMacs do nothing except cultivate an insatiable gadget lust that further makes their parents shell out enormous amounts of cash for their kids.

So, what’s the best way to circumvent this problem? Easier said than done, the best course of action against this Apple- and Microsoft- induced phantasmagoria is to switch to the free and open world of Linux. One could very well start with Ubuntu or even go to some specially designed educational Linux distributions. These distros, which are meant for students and teachers, can be used in any schools without costing the institutions a fortune. Also, the kids will get early exposure to Linux as well as to the world of open-source software. So, without further ado, here are some of the best educational Linux distributions.


Edubuntu

Edubuntu is quite simply the best and the most popular education-oriented Linux distribution around. The project, which aims at bringing Ubuntu to schools, colleges, and teachers includes some of the best free educational software available. Edubuntu comes pre-loaded with lots of games and applications for students ranging from preschool to secondary school. While games like Tux Paint cater to the needs of preschoolers, apps like Marble help primary school students with their geography homework. Furthermore, secondary school students can take advantage of apps like parley to teach them vocabulary. For college students, there are advanced apps like Inkscape, vym (mind mapping software), and much more. The popularity of Edubuntu is such that the Republic of Macedonia is using Edubuntu in all primary and secondary schools.

Edubuntu can be freely downloaded and installed from the project’s official website. If, however, you want to try it out before downloading it, you can test the web live version of Edubuntu. This unique feature lets you get a first-hand experience of what it is like using Edubuntu without actually installing or downloading anything on your computer. You can use the web live version for 2 hours giving you enough time to get used to the operating system.

UKnow4Kids

UKnow4Kids is a free and open-source Linux distribution compiling educational and gaming software for children 2 to 10 years old. Available as a live DVD, the free OS doesn't require much resources to run and works pretty much out of the box. The project is based on Arch Linux and features custom wallpapers and artwork that your kids would love. As for the desktop environment, UKnow4Kids uses KDE.

Qimo 4 Kids

Qimo is a free and open-source Linux distribution specially designed for kids aged 3 and up. Based on Ubuntu, the free distro features custom artwork and games so that kids would find it enjoyable as well as educational. As the project states “Qimo is designed for early elementary school-aged children. It’s a pretty straightforward idea, a customized version of Xubuntu, designed to be visually appealing, but not overwhelming, for kids.” As far as the hardware requirements go, Qimo (pronounced ‘kim-oh’ as in Eskimo) requires very low resources; moreover, as it can be run from a live CD, you can let your kids try it out without messing much with your production machine.

OLPC

Not really a Linux distro but an innovative and ambitious project to provide the developing world with low-cost laptops, OLPC has always been in the spotlight since its inception. The project uses a Fedora-based OS with a neatly designed Sugar desktop environment thus providing an interface that is conducive to learning and easy to understand.

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