We all love listening to music on our smartphones. Android users, who have a plethora of music players to choose from, can brag about their love for music to their friends who are stuck in the walled garden of iTunes. Listening to music, though has become mostly digital, is still enjoyable when you get the right song at the right moment. Some people have their workout playlist, their study playlist, and their relaxation playlist. Right music at the right moment is something every audiophile yearns for. However, as good as the concept sounds, very few are privileged enough to have a 160 or 200 GB device they can carry around with them so as to accommodate all of their music files. This is even true for people who travel a lot. For them carrying this much music isn't simply feasible.

To solve this problem, there are personalized radio services. Though we're in the digital age of glittering vampires, twerks, and bieberisms, the good ol' radio hasn't lost its charm. By adding a personalized twist to the radio, many startups have reached phenomenal heights. And, since Android is the hottest platform out there, most of them are available on your device. The basic charm about Internet radio services is that once you select a song, it will play similar songs without you having to do anything. Thus, not only do you get your favorite music anywhere you want, you also get to discover new stuff. Cool, isn't it? If you're one big fan of personalized radio services, like we are, here are some apps that will turn your beloved droid into a portable jukebox:


Spotify

Spotify is one of the most popular Internet radio services. You can listen to songs from a collection of millions tracks. There are no ads, no interruptions, and no delays. Working on desktop, Android, iOS, and even TV, it allows you to save music for offline access. If you're a premium user, the service gets even better by providing you premium quality music. Overall, Spotify is a reliable service that will never let you down.


Jango

Jango is a free service that offers personalized radio services without any interruptions. You get only one ad a day, otherwise your listening is unlimited. You can also switch between different qualities so that you won't have to waste your bandwidth. There are many stations to choose from and if you are addicted to a particular station you can share with your friends on Facebook too. Overall, it is a great service that lets you listen to music pretty much uninterrupted. 

Rdio

Rdio is a music subscription service devoid of ads. Working across all major platforms, it has a library housing music from four of the major record labels in the industry. Created by Skype founders in 2010, Rdio grew to soaring popularity and has seen, since its launch, a rapid growth in its usage. One of the best things about Rdio is that its available in most countries, has support for a lot of devices, and houses the best music.


8Tracks

8Tracks is an app that provides the perfect music for your perfect occasions. With a great list of curated music, you can choose from as many as 1 million tracks. The service is free to use and has no listening limits. As the name suggests, each playlist has 8 or more tracks classified by your mood. So, if you are in the mood to party you can play the party playlist or for working out you can play the workout playlist. The service is brilliant in many ways as it has very few restrictions, something that many other services come with.

Pandora

Pandora, the granddaddy of streaming services still goes stronger when compared to other services. It's simple, accessible, and just works. Letting you stream from a million choices, it is well known for providing tracks as musically close to the currently playing track. The service scans from millions of tracks to get you a track that's heavily personalized to your taste. Started in 2000, it's an old reliable service that will not let you down.

Instagram has become a new phenomenon lately. Be it a celebrity or your classmate, you'll find at least a dozen people you know snapping their own pics, applying retro effects to them, and sharing them all over the Internet. From Kim Kardashian to Pope Francis, the vintage snap revolution has taken the world by storm. Instagram, launched in October 2010, was first available solely through the Apple App store. As the company grew, it expanded its wings to our favorite platform that is Android. Then, it was acquired by Facebook for $1 billion thus leaving the founders laughing all the way to the bank.

One thing many Linux fanboys and fangirls don't know about is that Instagram actually runs on Ubuntu Linux 11.04 ("Natty Narwhal") thus further reinforcing the soaring popularity of the open-source desktop. That being said, your favorite photos don't have to be limited to one single platform for you to flaunt those cool retro effects. Many different applications and services have cropped up that let you add those same effects without the need of Instagram. The following are ways in which you can use the same features on your Linux desktop:


Xnretro

Xnretro is a cross-platform tool that lets you add retro effects to your photos. The app, which works on Android, Windows, Mac, and even Linux, has as many as 20 color effects. What makes this app even cooler is that it has light effects like bokeh thus allowing you to create beautiful pictures. Once installed, the usage of this app is pretty simple. All you have to do is add your photo and select from the different effects like retro, vignette, and frame. If you are a pro user, you can fine-tune the settings further by changing the various output settings.

Pixlr Express

Another great app that you might want to try is Pixlr Express. Though you won't find this app working as a native software, you will, instead, be surprised how good it is once you start using it. Not only does this app bring Instagram-like photo editing to your web browser, it also brings some of the best photography tools for you to use on any of your snaps. Like other web apps, Pixlr installs directly to your Google Chrome browser thus allowing you to add it to your desktop like any other normal app. Once installed, you'll be able to import your photos from your computer, from your webcam, or from a URL. These photos can then be fixed for redeye, vibrance, color, contrast, and blur. In the effects section, you can add various popular retro-style effects to your snaps thus making them look really cool. Once you're done, you can export those photos back to your computer so that you can access them from anywhere.


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

Programming is a beautiful art. Well, though traditionally, one might call it a science, it's more of an art if you look at it in an objective perspective. Programming, like painting or music, once learned, lets you create new things. In fact, once you learn to code, you can even change people's lives by bringing them programs or apps that they need. In your own artistic way, by the sheer power of code, you can affect how people interact with their computers, smartphones, and other devices thus making programming a powerful tool in modern society.

Code is poetry, as you may have heard somewhere. Writing good code requires a solid understanding of the basic principles and much more. Like Malcolm Gladwell said in his book Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours of hard work to achieve something great. The same goes with code. You'll need a solid foundation on which you've based your coding practice. And, for that, you'll need to learn from the best of teachers.

Having said that, learning programming can be quite an ordeal, especially for newcomers. There are a plethora of resources on the Internet, but most of them cost a lot of money. So, how can an aspiring coder find resources, which are not only free but also provide the best instructions?

The answer to that question lies in this article. Below, we've listed some of the best resources we could find for you to get jump-started on coding. Despite the fact that these resources are free as in free beer, they've been rated as some of the best ways to learn programming.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy, a free learning resource, lauded by none other than Bill Gates, has been providing a great collection of programming material for newcomers and advanced students. The programming course provided by Khan Academy is more design-oriented thus aiding a lot of visual learners. Instead of relying on mathematical problems and algorithm, this course takes a unique approach to programming by helping you learn to draw different shapes and figures. Everything from basic coding to arrays is covered in this course and can thus be used as a comprehensive introduction to the world of coding.

 

Code Academy

Code Academy is one of the best places to get started with coding if you know absolutely nothing about programming. The site offers interactive tutorials that let you get started with coding without allowing you to make any excuses. From here, you can learn JavaScript, CSS, HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and even how to access APIs. Rather than providing just tutorials for you to peruse, Code Academy takes a unique approach by focusing on the community aspect that lets you join your friends in their coding endeavors. Overall, it is a great place to start with coding if you are from a non-science background.

 
 

Learn Code the Hard Way

Learn Code the Hard Way is a collection of e-books and free resources that let you learn code, well, the hard way. Now, as daunting as the name sounds, this course is actually for beginners. The hard way simply implies that the course focuses on learning by doing rather than just reading, which is in fact what coding is all about. Many people have found immense value from these courses, and since they are free (to access HTML version of the e-books), they can access them anytime they want.


Introduction to Programming (Udacity)

Udacity offers a wonderful course that introduces you to the world of programming. Without paying thousands of dollars for a University, you have a reputed professor like David Evans teaching you some of the core fundamentals of computer science. What separates this course from other resources in this list is that it teaches you the important basics of computer science. Though you won't get to learn as much coding as you would in other courses you'll learn some very important things that will help you create better programs. I'd suggest using this course in conjunction with other books.


Library of Freely Available E-Books on the Internet  

GitHub has a wonderful huge list of free e-books that let you learn almost any programming language. This collection houses books on every aspect of coding be it GUI, database, or structures. Keep the link bookmarked if you are planning to be a coder in the long term.

Conclusion: The aforementioned courses are, in my opinion, some of the best free resources to get you started with coding.

Google, despite the lukewarm responses it got towards its initial Chromebook endeavors, has fervently decided to stick with the web-based operating system. Recently, Google announced Chromebook 11, a device made by HP featuring some cool specs and the latest iteration of Chrome OS. Chromebooks, despite their lack of mainstream popularity, have gained a strong following, especially amongst Linux fans that admire the amazing design and compatibility these applications provide. Let's see if Chromebook 11 is really worth the hype or is it just another feeble attempt by Google towards their goals of world domination. 

Tech Specs

One of the best things about Google Chromebooks is that due to the lack of any heavy operating system, the user can get the full benefits of the specs inside a machine. The Chromebook 11 comes with 2GB of RAM, Samsung Exynos 5250 GAIA processor, and 16 GB SSD Hard disk. These are, by industry standards, specs you'll find on a smartphone. However, don't be fooled by the relatively low numbers in this department.

As we said before, the Chrome OS is one of the only few operating systems that can make full use of hardware. On the front side, you'll find a VGA camera and an 11.6-inch IPS display. Now, Google could have done a better job in the camera department here by providing at least a 1 MP camera. There are two USB ports and also a MicroUSB charging slot to help you connect the book to your other devices.

The specs, on paper at least, look good except for the poor VGA quality camera. If you are not much of a video chatter, this won't bother you at all.


Design

For a low-end device, the Chromebook 11 has a design that can easily be compared to Apple's line of laptop computers. A single glance at the new Chromebook gives you an idea that Google has put a lot of attention into making this device. It is made of smooth, glossy white plastic, and has a thin multi-colored strip running across the laptop lid. The keyboard too looks good with a nice chicklet layout thus making it immune to dust. Furthermore, you'll find that the keyboard has an almost premium feel to it. In other words, you won't feel as if you are using a low-end device. The keyboard is very solid thus making it a great tool for writers.

The design is probably the strongest part about the Chromebook 11. If we had to pick one area where the laptop does an exceptional job, it would be the way it is built and the way it feels in the hands of the user.

Operating System

Chrome OS is basically a web browser sitting on your hardware. There's nothing but your beloved Chrome giving you the best of the web. This, however, doesn't match up to the famed "pure Google experience" that Android users boast of. This is merely your Chrome browser backed by great hardware. The OS itself isn't that stable. You'll come across many bugs, most of which aren't that harmful. However, from a minimalistic barebones device, we expected much more.

Chrome OS still needs a lot of work before it can compete with heavyweights like Apple’ Mac OS X and Microsoft’s Windows.


Performance

The performance is one area where Chromebook 11 falls behind. As we told you when we discussed the specs, the Chrome OS is perfect for low-end devices. However, that's not the case here. Chromebook 11 suffers from many performance lags and bugs. One of the main issues is that watching HD videos isn't such a smooth experience many times. As soon as you watch a full HD video, you might find that it lags a bit and the audio stutters as well. Otherwise, the performance is okay. However, the issues do leave a lot to be desired, especially from a Google device that was meant to use Google products like YouTube.

Despite the lightness of the Chrome OS, the performance is quite sub-par. This, coupled with the bugs in the OS, makes you rethink twice before purchasing.


Verdict

If you're looking for a decent laptop on which you can do your work, this is probably a very bad investment. Even as a second device, Chromebook 11 doesn't match up to the hype. However, if you are a writer, a Facebook junkie, or a tech hobbyist who want a very simple laptop, Chromebook might just be the machine you were waiting for.

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

Anime is hugely popular not only in Japan but all over the world. Animated character with big eyes and over-the-top mannerisms is perhaps the best way people characterize this Eastern sensation. However, there's more to anime than that. Anime, thanks to its engaging storylines, relatable characters, has made itself known not only to kids but to grown adults as well.

There are a lot of anime resources out there on the Internet. Unfortunately, to keep a tab at them is somewhat impossible if you are always on the move. That's where Android apps come in handy. These apps let you catch up with the latest anime news, reviews, gossips, and even episodes right on your smartphone or tablet computer. So, if you're looking for some Anime-based Android apps, read on as we cover some of the best ones.


Crunchyroll

With over 25,000 episodes and 15,000 hours of latest anime episodes, Crunchyroll is an essential app for every anime fan. The episodes, which are made available for viewing just after 1 hour of TV broadcast, make Crunchyroll a heaven for die-hard anime fans. The application brings popular series like Naruto Shippuden, Attack on Titan, Gargantia, Sword Art Online, Bleach, Shugo Chara, Blue Exorcist, Gintama, Fate/Zero, Hunter X Hunter, and more right to your mobile phone. Accessible both on 3G and 4G as well, the episodes can be viewed in HD or SD quality. If you are low on data, it is advised to use SD quality. Crunchyroll offers two subscriptions. The first one is free. The second one, known as the premium subscription, lets you watch the newest episodes one hour after their airing in Japan.

Animania

Another app that lets you watch free anime series on your smartphone or tablet is Animania. The app lets you access over 2000 shows and also gives you an ability to download individual episodes. To make sure you're always updated about the latest shows, Animania comes with an integrated episode guide. If that all wasn't enough, there's also a social element to the application. Using ShoutBox, you can communicate with other Android users and talk about your favorite anime series.

Cartoons TV

Though the name might suggest otherwise, Cartoons TV is that provides an assortment of external links to videos, especially those of anime series. Apart from watching your favorite episodes, you also get to read the summary and the plot of the episodes. You can search for your favorite series and also filter it down according to language. Overall, a nice app if you're looking for something that's good and free.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Viki

Though not a dedicated anime application, Viki does bring some of the hottest anime shows to your Android device. You can watch the shows in your language, and then share them with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Not only does the app let you watch anime shows, it also lets you enjoy classic Japanese animes, American cartoons, Korean dramas, and even K-pop music videos. If you are looking for an app that does more than just anime, Viki is your first choice.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Uranime

Though the app doesn't let you watch anime series on your smartphone or tablet, it does provide something very useful for every anime fans. More often than not, anime fans start watching a series and then leave it midway. Then once they want to start watching again, they don't remember which episode they left it on. Uranime is a service that helps you solve that problem by keeping a track of your watched anime. The app, once installed, lets you catalogue your watched anime episodes. Furthermore, you can also mark the episodes you want to watch in the calendar. Though the app has some rough edges, it does provide an essential tool for every anime fan.

DOWNLOAD HERE

Ubuntu 13.10 is the most polished and stable iteration of the open-source desktop. With lots of bug fixes and less of new features, Saucy Salamander set a solid foundation towards a convergent desktop that we'll get to see in 2014. Canonical with its many plans has ensured that Ubuntu users have something to boast about to their Windows and Mac loving friends.

Despite the fact that Ubuntu in its latest iteration is perfectly stable, people who use older computers often find themselves limited to using lighter desktop environments like XFCE. However, with little tweaks, they could switch to Ubuntu and make it perform faster on their old system.

If you are someone who is frustrated with the slow performance of Unity on your old computer, here are some tricks that will help you switch to a modern desktop without breaking your workflow:

Disable Blur

This is a well-known trick that will help you speed up Dash's performance in great measures. By disabling Blur, you won't be able to see the nice-looking effect that the Dash is well-known for; however, in return, you'll be able to enjoy a much faster desktop without losing on any feature.

To disable Blur effect, you'll have to install Unity Tweak Tool first. Unity Tweak Tool is a great software for making the most out of your Ubuntu desktop. It can let you change themes, customize your desktop appearance, and even lets you define hot corners for Unity, a feature badly missing in the OS. To install the tweak tool, open your terminal or press Ctrl+Alt+T anywhere on your desktop, and type in or paste

sudo apt-get install unity-tweak-tool

Once you install the tweak tool, open your Dash by pressing the Super or Windows key and search for Unity Tweak Tool.

Once opened click on the first link that says Launcher and navigate to the tab that says Search.

Here, you'll see an option that says Background Blur. Simply slide the button to off to disable the blur. Instantly upon disabling the effect, you'll find that the Dash becomes more responsive and becomes much quicker.

Disable Online Suggestions

In the same window, uncheck the options that say Search Online Sources and Show More Suggestions. This will force Dash to search only from local sources thus making it more faster and responsive.

Avoid Installing Any New Scopes

On the Internet, you'll find a lot of new scopes and dash plugins have popped up, which let you make the most out of your Unity desktop. However, as enticing as they seem, you need to understand that those plugins could heavily slow down your desktop's performance. The reason for this is that most of the plugins are still under heavy development and we're yet to see any good scopes or dash plugins released in the Software Center. If you have a slow computer, it is best to abstain from installing any new plugins that directly interfere with the functioning of the Dash.


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

As disappointing as it may sound to a FOSS supporter, GNOME shell offers very little customization options. Fighting a battle against Unity for desktop dominance, it has come a long way from being a buggy, clumsy interface to a solid desktop. GNOME Shell was designed in a way that the desktop becomes a part of your workflow without any interference.

Over the months, GNOME Shell has parted ways with many other competitors in the Linux desktop space like Unity and Mint due to its radical approach towards design. However, despite its polarizing nature, the continuous efforts of the developers have made it possible for longtime desktop users to start loving it. Its simplicity, constant progress, and stability are some of the top qualities that make GNOME Shell a fabulous desktop. Not just that, the ability to extend the desktop with Shell extensions is a novelty concept, and when compared to Ubuntu or Mint, that feature is what makes the good ol' GNOME a dark horse in the desktop race.

However, as good as the desktop may look, it does have its share of flaws. Many users, me included, have an utter dislike for GNOME's default theme. This theme, when compared to Ambience, or even Mint's theme, just doesn't look right. Many people have been outspoken enough about the theme to call it outright ugly. Personally, it was one of the reasons I stuck with Unity for a long time (I'm very prissy about how my desktop looks). It wasn't until I came across some beautiful custom-made themes that I decided to change my mind. Following are some of the themes I found tempting enough to make me switch to GNOME Shell:

To install the following themes, you'll need to have GNOME Tweak tool installed on your computer. 

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

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell-extension-user-theme

Or,

If you are on Fedora, type in the following commands:

sudo yum install gnome-tweak-tool
sudo yum install gnome-shell-extension-user-theme

Numix

Remember the tempting theme I talked about earlier? Well, this is it. Numix is a beautifully designed theme that, in my opinion, should be the default theme on GNOME Shell. Not only does Numix keep up with the flat trends, it also has a dark, seductive appeal to it with the hints of red that it brings along. If you are using GNOME already, you definitely have to try this theme out.

If you're on Ubuntu you can install Numix by installing the theme's PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:numix/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install numix-gtk-theme


Faenza Icon Theme

Faenza icon theme is quite popular among Ubuntu users as it gives the desktop a more flat, squarish appeal. The icons are clean and minimalistic and the theme itself has been around for quite a long time, making it one of the most stable themes on the list. Furthermore, most of the known applications are already available as a part of the Faenza icon set. Apps like Ubuntu One Music and Ubuntu Online Accounts are also included on the list making it a perfect theme for the desktop.

If you are on Ubuntu, you can download the theme by installing the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tiheum/equinox
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install faenza-icon-theme


Cupertino Theme

Whether you are a Mac OS X fan or not, this next theme will make your GNOME interface look like one. Don't worry though, this is not a transformation pack. The GNOME Cupertino theme brings the best elements of the Mac OS X experience to your GNOME desktop without making itself look like a cheap clone. With rounded buttons and a hint of blue, Cupertino fits snugly with the rest of the interface. In fact, until you open the file browser, the interface won't even let you know that it is inspired by Mac. However, once Nautilus opens, you'll see those trademark red, green, and yellow buttons on the titlebar of each window. One of the best things about this theme is that once you install it, the fonts on your desktop look better than ever before thus making it a good contender for making it a favorite.

If you are on Ubuntu, you can install the theme from the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/themes
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install gnome-cupertino-gtk-theme

Or, you can download the theme from HERE.

Android is best known for its open nature, making it a sort of a good guy in the mobile software world. While iOS tries to trap its users into the Apple kingdom, Android can be tried by almost anyone in the world. Be it Samsung, HTC, or the newly emerging Micromax, many companies have made a lot of cash by jumping on the Android bandwagon. Android, which the late Steve Jobs openly dismissed, has become the widely used mobile platform on the planet.

Samsung, HTC, and many other companies, to distinguish themselves from the crowd, have been using their own customizations of Android. They have their own launcher, which is the main UI experience of Android that can give each smartphone or tablet its trademark look.

Samsung, for example makes use of the TouchWiz UI, which is also used by its BADA and the upcoming Tizen operating system. However, this is not the only place launchers come in handy. Many app developers have come up with their own launchers that help users customize their Android device to the max. Be it making your Samsung Galaxy smartphone look like an iPhone or just bringing it to its vanilla Android roots, these launchers can do it all.

Some of the popular launchers like Nova and ADW, are also well-known for their ability to speed up old devices that were otherwise slowed down by the default UI. These two are the only launchers that help you take your Android device to its true vanilla roots. However, innovation isn't limited to making the device faster or more customizable. Developers are coming up with new ways to make sure that users get the best mobile experience ever and it is in this vein that we have the following upcoming launcher.

Note: Almost all of the launchers are in beta. Only install the apps if you are comfortable with their instability.

SF Launcher Beta

SF Launcher is a launcher that borrows heavily from the famed Google Now. In fact, sometimes, the resemblance to Google Now is so uncanny that it might be mistaken for Google Now. SF Launcher introduces a flat widget-like look that persists throughout your home screen. Though not heavily customizable, it focuses on utility thus bringing to the front whatever you need the most. You can have a list of your most used apps on the front page along with a widget that lets you cycle through all your songs. As far as customization goes, you can change the header as well as the widget to make it look just the way you want. 

Themer

Themer is a fabulous upcoming app that has become quite a sensation lately. The application brings amazing themes that can literally transform your Android into a new phone. Once installed, Themer lets you choose from more than a dozen of themes that give your device a completely different and custom look. So, let's say you are a GTA fan. The application then lets you install a GTA-based theme that brings the best elements of the game onto your device. Likewise, there are many other themes that can give your smartphone a minimalistic, snazzy, or retro look. Depending upon your taste, Themer can make your phone stand out from the crowd thus making it look nothing like a standard Android device. Coming to the performance, when we tried out the themes on our device, we didn't notice any lags or issues. Overall, it is a must-have application if you are looking for the absolute best Android eye candy.

Aviate

While Themer gives your smartphone a fresh coat of paint, Aviate brings adaptability to your device. In other words, Aviate is a launcher that adapts to the way you use the phone. The layout of the home screen changes depending upon where and when you use your device. When you are at home, it shows relevant apps and widgets and similarly when you are at the office, you are presented with relevant information. Thus, you have a contextual repertoire of apps at your disposal no matter where you go. Though you might be eager to try out Aviate, it is still in beta and you'll have to wait in line for your turn to come and be able to use it. 

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