Wednesday 26 August 2015

Google Finally Listens to its Users, Android Phones Will Come With Less Bloatware

android-google-bloatwareTired of all those useless pre-installed apps in your Android phone? Ever felt the need of using the stupid Google+ apps on your Android device? Well, here’s a good news for you as the upcoming Android smartphones will come with lesser pre-installed Google apps/Android bloatware. Now, Google will allow the phone manufacturers to ship the Android-powered devices with less Google apps installed.
At present, OEMs are bound with Android agreements that allow them to ship Android phones with Play Store or apps like Gmail- only when they install other apps from Google.
This is the reason why your brand-new Android phone comes with Android bloatware like Maps, Gmail, Play Music, Play Books, Google Newsstand, Google+, Hangout and more. While some of these are of great use, others are nothing but useless junk eating the useful device memory.
How to Download and Install Android Marshmallow on Your Nexus Device
As a result of the certain changes in Android usage policy, phone manufacturers can use Android with a smaller number of apps. Now, Google’s homegrown applications like Google Play, Music, Movies, Newsstand and Google+ could be left out. These apps have joined the likes of Google Earth and Google Keep as these apps aren’t a part of Google’s Android bloatware package.
This Android bloatware change will soon take effect in the upcoming weeks and the new Android phones will have more space for the apps that you want and love. However, this doesn’t end your problems as phone manufacturers and mobile carriers are themselves obsessed with loading Android bloatware on your Android. But yeah, it’s a welcome step by Google and an encouraging sign.

How to Speed up my Android Phone

Image result for android phones
When you first bought your Android smartphone it was all shiny and had blazing speed. Switching between pages was quick and there was nothing slowing you down or making it difficult to navigate. However, as the time went by you probably noticed some changes in its speed. The phone started to lag. It became very hard to switch between the apps and you probably wanted to hammer your device.
Sooner or later this happens to everyone and it is only the question of time when it will happen to you. If it happens, do not despair, there are ways to fix this issue. By simple usage of your smartphone, it becomes slow and filled with a lot of data. Its performance gets affected because the phone needs to search between piles of data just to fulfill the command you gave it. There is a way to get rid of all that junk data and to speed up your device.
Get rid of junk data
It does not take a lot to get carried away and to download apps you need and those you could live without, or just to take as many photos and videos as you wish. The truth is that many of us download things that after a while have no use to us anymore. They just take up space and slow down the phone. One of the quickest ways to speed up your phone is to get rid of all that unnecessary data such as photos and videos you don’t need any more. The same thing is with apps, if you can’t find any use for them, just uninstall them.
However, there are some apps you won’t be able to uninstall. Those apps are loaded by the manufacturer. You cannot uninstall them, but you can disable them from using resources just by tapping on “Turn off” instead of the usual “uninstall” button.
Certain apps work in the background and you cannot see them. Just because you can’t see them, they use your battery. You do not need them all at the same time, and it is safe to turn off the ones you do not use. To start them again just tap on them, and they’ll be good to go.
You will disable them by going to “settings” and clicking on “Application Manager”. In order to see which apps are currently running in the background, swipe left until you see all those currently working apps under “Running”. The ones you don’t want, tap on “stop” and you are done.
App cache – clear it
The cache has one function only and that is to store temporary data that helps up speed the process the next time you accessed a web page. The data mentioned can be overwhelming and in huge amount. It can significantly slow down your device. That is especially true if that particular data is being stored for apps you don’t use anymore. It is very practical to get rid of it every once in a while. To do that, just go to “Settings” and tap on “Storage”.

10 Interesting Facts About Video Games

Interesting fun facts about video games that every hardcore gamer should know

A quick look at Video Game history before we begin with interesting facts about video games. Yes, video game history is all we are going to talk about in this article, bringing the best facts about video games.
10 Interesting Facts about Video Games
Video gaming goes back to early 1950’s with the inventions of simulations, and artificial intelligence programs and simple games to begin with for computer science research.
However video games gained real popularity with the introduction of arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games in 1970s and 1980s. since then the video gaming world has evolved so much to see eight generations of video game consoles passing by with latest generation including Nintendo’s “Wii U” , Microsoft’s “Xbox One” , and Sony’s “PlayStation 4”.
1. Facts about Nintendo’s Mario Series
Image: DonkeyKong
Image: DonkeyKong
Mario was created by the Nintendo’s Japanese video game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto and is the best selling video game franchise of all time.
The character (Mario) first debuted as “Jumpman” in the arcade game Donkey Kong on July 9, 1981.
Mario in this game is a carpenter who has a pet ape named Donkey Kong, who later escapes and kidnaps Jumpman’s girlfriend. the game is all about to take the role of jumpman and to rescue the girl.
The character was later on renamed as Mr. Video Game and finally as Mario on the name of  the landlord of Nintendo’s first warehouse Mr. Mario Segale. the character mario has been present in more than 200 games.
2. The first coin operated video games1108984894
Arcade games or coin operated video games are usually installed in public business premises, such as restaurants, bars, and particularly amusement arcades. The first coin operated pinball machines emerged in 1930’s however the golden era for coin operated video games started in the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.
Space Invaders, Galaxian , Pac-Man , Battlezone , Defender and Bosconian were few of the most popular Arcade games of all times.
3. Game Controller or Input devices for Video Games Joystick_-_Microsoft_Sidewinder_3D_Pro
A game controller is a device to control the game by providing inputs to control the character or an object in the game.
The earlier primary input for video games has been handheld controllers and since then it has evolved to cameras to detect motions , speakers or microphones for voice commands touch screens and more.
4. The Sony PlayStation
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The Sony PlayStation was originally brought as a CD add-on to the Super Nintendo (a partnership between Nintendo and Sony). But Sony later decided to develop the playstation as a complete gaming console of its own after it started facing problems with licensing.
The original PlayStation was released on December 3, 1994. The PlayStation, was the first video game console to ship 100 million units within 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch.
5. Cheating in Video Games using cheatcodes
Cheatcodes, yes they have existed in video games for almost their entire history. Cheatcodes usually provide advantage to the gamer providing ease in the game.
The first cheat codes were put in place for play testing purposes. Playtesters had to rigorously test the mechanics of a game and introduced cheat codes to make this process easier.
6. Rovio’s Angry birdsRedBird
Rovio’s Angry Birds mobile game took only 35 days to do what telephone took 75 years, Internet took 4 years and Facebook 3.5 Years in order to reach 50 million users.
The game was first released for Apple’s iOS devices in December 2009 and since October 2010, 12 million copies of the game were purchased from Apple’s App Store.
The game was later released for Android, Symbian, Windows platform, gaming consoles and PC’s.
The original Angry Birds has been called “one of the most mainstream games out right now”, “one of the great runaway hits of 2010”, and “the largest mobile app success the world has seen so far”.
7. Pac-Man220px-Pac-man
Pac-Man is an arcade game created by Namco and was released in Japan on May 22, 1980.
Toru Iwatani the man who developed Pac-Man earlier said that the idea about this game came into his mind while he was eating a pizza. he repeatedly stated that the character’s shape was inspired by a pizza missing a slice. however he later confirmed that this was only the half fact and the character design was also inspired by the Japanese character for mouth, Kuchi.
8. Nintendo’s Gameboy sold more than 100 million units worldwide and is the worlds most successful game system ever.
9. Konami code 
Konami code or the gamers code is a set of cheat code which is present in most of theUntitledKonami games and some other games too.
The code was first released in the 1986 with shooting games of Konami however it gained popularity by the Nintendo Entertainment system version of contra named as “Contra Code” and “30 Lives Code”, the code provided a full set of power-ups to the player.
10. The Nintendo GameCube’s proprietary disc held 1.5 gigabytes of data which is 190 times more than what an N64 game cartridge could hold.

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Here Are The 5 Best Features of Android Marshmallow

marshmallowIt’s been less than a week since the restructuring of Google under Alphabet, but it seems as if the tech giant is already on a roll. Android maker has announced that the next iteration of Android will be called Android Marshmallow. Google has already released the second developer preview version of Android Marshmallow, its upcoming mobile operating system release.
While the name is one issue, we bring to you some of the new features and enhancements Android Marshmallow update is bringing about after its predecessor, Android Lollipop:

Best Features of Android Marshmallow | App Permissions:

If you are not fond of giving excess information to the apps like your images, location etc., then this feature is meant for you. Using this, you can disable such functions in the apps permission lists provided in Android Marshmallow.
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Android M App Permissions

Best Features of Android Marshmallow | Memory tracker:

In case you want to track which app is consuming the largest amount of memory, you can simply track it using the latest feature in Android Marshmallow.
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Android M Memory Manager

Best Features of Android Marshmallow | Fingerprint access:

This feature of Android Marshmallow will not only help you in logging into a system using your fingerprints but also to log into platforms such as Google play store and you can also authorize your purchases at Play Store.
Android-M-fingerprint-support

Best Features of Android Marshmallow | Auto Backup:

Now, you don’t have to worry about losing your data anymore, as Android Marshmallow comes with an inbuilt auto backup feature that stores your data on Google drive up to 25 MB per app.
android-m

Best Features of Android Marshmallow | Power Saving:

Android Marshmallow comes with a feature that lets you save on energy consumption upon recognizing that the phone has not been used for a long time. The Doze mode will reduce the background processes and ensure minimal battery usage.
Take a look at this infographic by Samsung about the best features of Android Marshmallow:
For the final Android Marshmallow experience, we’ll have to wait till October-November i.e. by the time of the actual release of the operating system. Meanwhile, we guess what else Google’s new CEO has in his store for the Android users

Monday 24 August 2015

Difference Between SQL and MySQL

Difference between SQL and MySQL

Most people find it hard to wrap their head around SQL and MySQL, and you might be one of those. There are books about SQL everywhere, and for good reason. Both SQL and MySQL are used extensively in the programming world.
To begin with, let us explain you both technologies, and this is how they are defined:

SQL vs MySQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It’s a standard language for accessing and manipulating databases. MySQL is a database management system, like SQL Server, Oracle, Informix, Postgres, etc. MySQL is a RDMS (Relational Database Management System).
When considering a utility for data management the two most popular choices are MySQL and SQL Server. Both are efficient at keeping your data organized and readily available through a user interface. Both technologies have the concept of schema (that is table storage) for data storage.
SQL is a language.  Specifically, the “Structured Query Language” Now it would be better if we start differentiating the topic as difference between SQL server and MySQL and take them point by point.

SQL Server and MySQL Vendors:

The MySQL development project has made its source code available under the terms of the GNU General Public License, as well as under a variety of proprietary agreements. MySQL was owned and sponsored by a single for-profit firm, the Swedish company MySQL AB, now owned by Oracle Corporation.
SQL server is owned by Microsoft and is typically referred as Microsoft SQL Server. It has a long history of releases and it is updated often adding all latest trends and technologies to it thus making it one of the trusted data base applications today. At the 2011 PASS summit on October 11, Microsoft announced that the next major version of SQL Server, codenamed Denali, would be SQL Server 2012. The release date is set to the first half of 2012.

Strengths: SQL Server and MySQL

To give a better idea of the differences in MySQL and SQL Server -MySQL is geared more toward selecting data so it can be displayed, updated and saved again. MySQL is weaker in the areas of inserting and deleting data. But it is an excellent choice, for data storage and referencing data.
Here are some specific technical differences in MySQL and SQL Server when it comes down to the ANSI SQL standard: Features like stored procedures, triggers, views, and cursors became a part of the MySQL database server in MySQL version 5.0 and still you won’t find a rich feature set in terms of development functions and capabilities. However MySQL’s stored code-objects are close to ANSI standards, but again, they don’t have the breadth and depth of T-SQL, Microsoft and Sybase’s proprietary extension to SQL.

Security: SQL Server and MySQL

Security is a major concern for data management. Both technologies, that is MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server, are EC2 complaint and make sure that they have adequate security support for building government applications.  Going down the line Microsoft’s SQL Server, leads the way in offering all-round security features, as Microsoft’s Baseline Security Analyzer helps administrators ensure that the SQL Server installation is up to date. MySQL has no such tool to do so.

Support: SQL Server and MySQL

Both SQL server and MySQL has the support from their respective vendors both in free and paid form. MySQL as we know is now a subsidiary of Oracle which is a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) level 5 company and offers support via technical representatives and “Virtual MySQL DBA Assistant”.
On the other hand Microsoft has been pioneering SQL server over years and assures assistance on its SQL database and Cloud storage. Further more a free Microsoft SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) makes it easy to migrate data from Oracle, Microsoft Access, MySQL, and Sybase to SQL Server.

Latest release: MySQL and SQL Server

MySQL has the stable version of MySQL 5.5.19. Microsoft’s SQL Server is currently available as SQL Server 2008 R2. SQL Server 2012, with many new features, was announced in the Pass Summit, October 2011, and is expected to be available in the first half of 2012.

Conclusion: MySQL vs SQL Server

As we have seen the difference between SQL Server and MySQL, the picture is now almost clear. It all comes down to your needs, how much secure, scalable and efficient database you want. From most points it is clear that Microsoft’s SQL Server provides some extra features over MySQL and is more trusted in the development market.

Happy 20th Birthday, Windows 95! Thanks for Changing the Computing Forever

windows-95-bill-gatesThe advent of Windows 95 meant a boom for the desktop PCs. Then, with an easier and more immersive graphical user interface, Bill Gates aimed to make PC a household device and change the world. It wasn’t the first version of Windows and people had seen many other iterations before. But, Windows 95 had an extraordinary impact on people and Windows 95 still has a cult fan following.
Windows 95 introduced the Start Menu- a feature absent in Windows 10- that became the chief reason for the failure of Windows 8. Today, we all know that the Start Button is the heart and soul of a Windows OS that navigates you through programs and various commands. All the subsequent versions of Windows carried this button, except Windows 8.
On its website, Microsoft writes about Windows 95:
This is the era of fax/modems, email, the new online world, and dazzling multimedia games and educational software. Windows 95 has built-in Internet support, dial-up networking, and new Plug and Play capabilities that make it easy to install hardware and software. The 32-bit operating system also offers enhanced multimedia capabilities, more powerful features for mobile computing, and integrated networking.
windows-95-bill-gates
Do you remember the hour-long instructional video produced by Microsoft that started Mattew Perry and Jennifer Aniston (Chandler and Rachel from Friends)? Take a look.

Sunday 23 August 2015

Whats App Web Available For iPhone Users

WhatsApp Web is the desktop based interface for one of the most popular messaging app WhatsApp. Finally WhatsApp Web has been made available for iPhone.

whatsapp

It has been six months when it first launched for Android, January 2015. WhatsApp Web allows WhatsApp users to chat directly through their browser. This service got updated for Windows Phone 8.1 and Blackberry 10 users with the supported Google Chrome Browser in February.
Later Mozilla and Opera also added to provide WhatsApp Web service. But with the recent launch of Whats App Web for iPhone users works with Safari only on Mac.
How can you use WhatsApp Web service?
To use Whats App Web you have to simply head to the WhatsApp Web website and scan the QR code that would be available on desktop via mobile app WhatsApp.
WhatsApp Web will not be having the features of photo capturing and voice recording. But you can simply manage chat and group conversations and profile picture via an update.
intro

WhatsApp Web is super handy if you use computer regularly. Whats App Web allows you to read and respond to messages and create new chats on desktop via supported browser. Now WhatsApp Web is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Nokia S40 and Nokia S60.

Saturday 22 August 2015

iPhone 6c Reportedly Set for November Launch; iPhone 6s Availability Leaks

New reports now indicate Foxconn has hired more workers to pump up the production of the rumoured iPhone 6c. It has been also reported that the handset would now launch in November instead of September. Details on pre-order and launch dates of the rumoured iPhone 6s have also emerged on the Web.
The news of iPhone 6c launching in November comes not too long after tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) tweeted the iPhone 6c would launch alongside the anticipated iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in September. The news of a November launch instead was reported by Chinatimes (via GforGames). A Foxconn insider has also been reported to have said that the company has received a shipment of 4-inch displays for the handset in question - contradicting a recent report of the iPhone 6c bearing a 5-inch display.
The iPhone 6c handset was last month said to sport a full metal build and not the plastic casing as seen with the iPhone 5c model, according to Jefferies, a brokerage house. The news was initially reported by the Barrons blog. Also mentioned was that since the handset is supposed to be a cheaper version of the rumoured iPhone 6s, it might miss out on Force Touch technology.
Meanwhile, a website claims a French carrier has announced pre-orders for the much talked-about iPhone 6s handset will start from September 11, and that shipment would commence from September 18, something which has been rumoured before. The news was initially reported by the Mac4Ever website.
Earlier this week it was said that some German carriers have also started pre-registrations for the iPhone 6s model. Carriers like Vodafone Germany and T-Mobile have started issuing interest forms and tickets. Another report suggested the device to reach on September 26 to countries in the second phase of rollout.

Thursday 20 August 2015

Intel Core i7 Skylake Processor Reaches Record-breaking 7GHz Clock Speeds

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If you are sceptical about the upcoming 6th generation Intel processors and upgrading to the same, here’s a news that will clear all your doubts. A professional from Honk Kong has over clocked the Intel Core i7-6700K chip and made a new record for the micorprocessor frequncy. This speed acheived by Intel Core i7 Skylake processors is among the highest ever acheived by any microprocessor of Intel Core i-series.
According to Kitguru, Kui Lam, a professional overclocker from HKEPC website from Hong Kong, has overclocked an engineering sample of Intel Core i7-6700K Skylake microprocessor to whopping 6998.88MHz. This clock speed is about 74.9.7 per cent more that its normal stock frequency.
To achieve this, Kui Lam had to disable three cores out if four and the Hyper-Threading technology, and the voltage of the processor was increased from 1.2V to 1.888V.
Other components used to make this record included Asrock Z170 OC Formula mainboard, a G. Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4 RAM along with a 1300W power supply unit. Added to these, the processor was cooled using liquid Nitrogen (LN2).
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While this professional overclocker acheiver speeds up to 7GHz using Intel Core i7 Skylake processors, it would be interesting to notice if the retail versions of these microprocessor chip will be able to kiss even 5GHz mark with the commercially available cooling systems. Another point that needs to be looked upon is the use of single core instead of all four. This extreme overclocking is surely interesing, but with changing times, the value of single-core CPU is diminishing.
Did you find this piece of new informative? Share your views in the comments below.