Simply following a minimalist approach

Try to simplify your website design and improve your fonts in a way that will optimize reading via a mobile screen. Your best option would be to use bigger fonts and place on top of your webpage the most important message or information you want to convey to your readers.

Visit your website using a mobile device

This is the most practical thing you can do in order to check and evaluate whether your own website is nice to look at on a mobile screen and whether it is a mobile-optimized website. Take note of the changes you need and make these changes accordingly.

Use the proper size for your website elements

To optimize your website to render as a mobile-friendly page, make sure that you are using buttons and other elements at an appropriate size. If your buttons are small and cannot accommodate a fat finger, your visitor may become annoyed when they keep on pressing the wrong button most of the time.

Create a mobile subdomain for your website

You can create a mobile version of your own website by creating a mobile subdomain for it. Through your host provider, you can access your main domain from your control panel. Create a subdomain by replacing the “www” with mobile on your domain name. For instance, if your domain name is www.myblog.com, then your subdomain will be mobile.myblog.com. Make sure that the subdomain points back to your domain name.

Use plugins

If you are using a WordPress site then you are in luck as there are many plugins available for the platform that could help make your website mobile friendly. These plugins will not only optimize your website for mobile viewing but support other platforms as well such as tablets.

Paid applications are worth your investment

If you cannot find free plugins that will suffice in making your website mobile-friendly, such as when you are using a different platform for your site with no plugin applications that are available for free, then you should be ready to invest in paid applications that is capable of converting your website to be optimized for mobile viewing.

Use adaptive design for your website

This is a web development technique used by many website owners that helps make their website mobile friendly and easy to use with any of their website visitors. With an adaptive design for your website, it automatically changes the display of website according to the size of the screen where your site is being viewed. It then generates a specific size of a web page that is most suited to the device’s screen for better viewing.

Use responsive design for your website

With a responsive design your website will be able to optimize the viewing on your site with minimum scrolling and resizing. Even when the viewer of your site downsizes the viewing of your site from a full screen to a smaller size, the responsive design of your website still looks good.

Reduce the images on your website

In order to make your website optimized for mobile viewing it is recommended to use fewer images on your website and capitalize on content. If you need to use images, then make sure that the size of your image will fit a mobile screen. Using heavy graphics may take longer in loading your website for mobile viewing.

Be mindful of your content structures

When writing content, you should be mindful about the extra white space in your articles. If your content is cramped with white space it can be annoying to your readers owing to the small size of their mobile screen, and it makes reading uncomfortable. This could prompt them to lose interest in reading your content.

Use Flash minimally, maybe not at all

It is worth remembering that not all mobile technologies are capable of supporting Flash. If your website is loaded with a Flash, some web users may experience loading issues when using your website.

Layout your fonts appropriately

Users of mobile devices prefer to read fonts that are bigger so they will not need to squint in order to read clearly. You should use fonts that are clear to read and display them with a contrasting background for better readability.

Do not use hover elements on your site

Hover elements are highly preferable when viewing websites from a desktop but these elements can easily get lost in mobile viewing. Optimize your site with clickable elements instead of relying on hover ones.

Strengthen your content headline

Make sure that you can write good headlines that will instantly capture your readers’ attention. This is important especially when a mobile user uses a smartphone with a very small screen.

Make your website easy to navigate

A website that is easy to navigate when using smartphones is more appealing and interesting to your readers, and they will likely visit it often.

Create form input

Creating a form input on your website will help out your visitors make use of their mobile touch keyboards. It is easier to use your website when it is compliant for mobile use.

Have your website indexed for mobile browsing

It is important to remember about creating a mobile site map for your website so that Google and other search engines can easily index your mobile webpage.

Be selective of your web page elements

A website should be user friendly for smartphone viewing when it has a selective quality of page elements to display. You don’t want to overcrowd your visitor’s mobile screen with many page elements, so be selective and choose only the important ones to display on your website.

Retain your branding elements for mobile viewing

It is important to keep the important branding elements that are found on your standard website for mobile viewing. This is important in order to be consistent with retaining the brand you want to promote on your websites both for standard and mobile viewing.

Give your visitors the ability to visit your regular site

Give your visitors the option to visit your regular website and mobile site. Make sure to give a link to your mobile site on your regular website and vice versa, and let your visitors decide which kind of viewing experience they prefer.

About the Author:
Stacy Carter is a tech writer and freelance blogger. She is the author of the site iPhone Spy, where you can get valuable information about spy software program on your cell phone.

Images via USDAgov, WordPress Integration, Staffing Daily

The post 20 Simple but Effective Ideas to Make Your Website Nice and Mobile-Friendly appeared first on Daily Bits.

For the average Internet user, web design may be no man’s land. It could seem a world beyond one’s grasp, something that is best left to the pros. While there is truth in that – in all likelihood, the pros can do a better job with less effort – it does not discount the possibility of a newbie or a non-pro creating a simple web site that looks good and functions well. Truth be told, I believe that while there are people who are born with an eye for good design, that eye can be developed with time and practice as well.

If you are a not a professional web designer but you want to be able to create something that you would not be ashamed to show to the world, you’ve come to the right place. There is a lot to learn in this field, but I have put together some essential web design tips that will help you come up with something you can be proud of!

Forget bling

For sure, you’ve come across web sites that have all sorts of blinky text, constantly moving GIFs, and endlessly scrolling tickers. There was probably a time when these elements were considered cool, but it does not take a design expert to know that these things give readers a headache the size of Texas. You might be tempted to decorate your site with one or more of these elements, but do yourself a favor and have a think.

Instead of trying to catch the attention of readers with bling, think one step further. More than catching their attention, keeping it should be your goal. Visual elements are definitely good, but don’t go to tacky lengths to merely get attention. The key is making sure the visual elements add value to your message.

Remember screen size

With the variety of devices available to users today, you can’t limit your design to suit only one screen size. If you think about it, smaller screen sizes are probably more prevalent. More people are using their mobile devices to access the Internet, and you have to consider this when designing your site. One thing you can do is to go for a responsive theme. This enables your web site to adjust automatically depending on the screen size of the viewer. For non-designers, this is a boon, as you don’t have to work on hard coding responsiveness. Even better, tools such as website-builder.com can help amateur designers avoid hard coding.

Content is still king

This is perhaps the most used cliche in online publishing, but it really does still hold water. How does this relate to web design, though? Well, if content is king, then it is logical that your design highlight the content. Bling and visual elements aside, the focal point of your web site should be the content. Some practical ways to do this: give your content more space; put the content in the middle; use fewer widgets/navigation/links that will distract from the content.

Work on the content first if you can. Once you’re sure about that, then you can fiddle around with the design to make everything look good.

Following these web design tips, you should be able to come up with a site that will attract and keep the attention of readers. You may not be the best pro designer today, but that does not mean your web site has to be ugly!

About the Author
Shah enjoys the life of a self-employed worker. He writes for several online publications and recommends designermag.org for useful design tips.

Images via blogsocialpros and axbom

The post Essential Web Design Tips for Non-Designers appeared first on Daily Bits.

A Need for Change in Education

Many Americans like to boast that they live in the greatest country in the world. The fact is that the performance of our schools, both secondary schools and our post-secondary institutions, sit around the middle of the pack when compared to other nations. Intense public debate surrounds who or what is to blame. One thing is clear: we have to change if our graduates are going to compete in an increasingly globalized world economy. Online education is poised to disrupt the status quo and fill the need that traditional institutions are slow to fill as they adapt to the new digital landscape of accredited online schools and course offerings.

Teachers have long hoped that online education would be the magic bullet that would help jumpstart student achievement, reduce costs, and help prepare graduates for our increasingly information-driven economy.

Why Online College Degrees Are Filling the Gap

To meet the growing demand for flexible course offerings, online universities have seen a significant rise in popularity. The advantages of online educations stem largely from the ways that online courses can leverage newly emerging technology and the aptitude of an increasingly connected student population.

Digital Learning Materials Carry Distinct Advantages

Bite-sized, on-demand course materials are available anywhere students have Internet access. There are often lectures if students want them, but the videos, interactive quizzes, and other online resources are available anytime, from anywhere. Never has learning been able to adapt to student schedules so fluidly, instead of the other way around.

You can catch up when you miss something during a video; it’s not so easy when the lecture is in real-time, and there is no recording of the principles being taught. Online course materials can be updated and distributed instantaneously, unlike regular textbooks, which are expensive and quickly become out of date.

Another possibility is the dissolution of the physical classroom. Teachers can connect with students wherever they are; no more commuting to work and to school, saving money on transportation and reserving what used to be travel time for studying, homework and life in general. It’s hard to overstate how huge that is for working students and so called “non-traditional” students, who make up a larger portion than ever of those attending college.

This world classroom effect also means that you can get a master’s online in whatever focus the college is offering. Students are not limited to the programs that are available at local colleges and universities anymore.

The Changing Technological Ability of Students

The newest crops of high school grads and returning students from all age groups are more comfortable with consuming information online. This shift is not insignificant. It signals an aptitude observed in the public at large for handling the software and hardware that is required to access online classes. That, combined with the fact that user interface design and software reliability really have reached a new level, makes these systems more user-friendly as compared to just four or five years ago. Technology has passed a threshold for workability, and the students are ready and eager to take advantage of the convenience it offers.

The next decade will be revolutionary for education, and online learning is the future, for both online universities and traditional colleges. The evolving technology that underpins this revolution will quickly make its way, not just into college degree programs, but elementary and secondary education as well. All that remains is for educators and students to refine how these systems work and show the world at large that online education is indeed the future for us all.

About the Author

Jennifer Cook writes about higher education, technology and student life for Strayer University. When she isn’t speculating on the future of learning, you can find her rifling through discount bookstore shelves.

Image via Open Culture

The post How the Internet Has Changed the Future of Higher Education appeared first on Daily Bits.

Obviously, not having tried Google Glass yet, I’m not in a position to say if the glasses will work well or not. Also, we are nowhere near to evaluating what future it will have in the market. But these glasses can be seen as one of the basic steps to opening a whole new technological market.

Google Glass is an amazing device, that’s for sure. We are talking about a small glass prism, which, with the help of a lens that fits in the frame of the glasses, projects the image directly to the pupil of our eyes. It does sound like science fiction, but for this technology to succeed, basic factors have to prevail: simplicity of use and convenience.

Another thing that Scoble has said, which was also previously stated by Eric Schmidt: Google Glass requires the use of our voice and can be uncomfortable in certain situations. Can you imagine interacting with your glasses on the street, uttering commands aloud? It can be something very strange, and users may find it disturbing. Robert Scoble can put these glasses on a pedestal, but a general user may not use the glasses as he uses them.

Google can be successful with the glasses, but very few people would be willing to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars or euros on something completely new. Google might be successful if it sells the glasses at an aggressive price.

However, latest reports suggest that a third-party tool called GlassTweet will be implemented, so as to make tweeting possible through Google Glass. Now, apps like these make things more interesting!

I think, above all, that while Google Glass hints that prospects are promising, the future is still very blurry if seen in the terms of the existing market of phones and tablets. It’s a very promising and interesting concept, but it needs to be handled with great caution.

Personally, I feel that it will succeed and if the product price is set at the $500-range that is being rumoured currently, then you can expect at least a million pieces to be sold like hotcakes.  Also, we have to take augmented reality in consideration and remember that there are phones that cost more than that. I think that the glasses should be seen a tool that makes the job of GPS and facial recognition an easy affair.

About the Author

Clement Almeida is the managing editor at http://www.bloggercent.com. He also has an interest in watching movies, proven by the large number of movies in his library. An active person, he has taken a new step towards blogging and hopes to use his skills in this venture with his close friend.

The post Is the Google Glass Hype Too Much? appeared first on Daily Bits.

Image: ajleon’s photostream 

Webinar Participants

Participants of webinars are usually located at home, their usual place of work , or at any other place considered to be stable and permanent. The set-up allows them to prepare their equipment and themselves to maximize their participation in the online seminar. The main requirement to participate in any webinar is a computer with active Internet connection. By default, listening to the webinar is done through the computer speakers so it would be best to ensure that it offers a suitable means to do so.

Webinars are quite effective in reaching a much larger audience since there is no limitation as to space as compared to traditional seminars. Distance is likewise not a problem. The main obstacle lies in the non-availability of Internet-enabled equipment or the limitation of the capability of equipment and devices. Bestwebinar.com provides excellent reviews for various webinars.

Webinars on Mobile Devices

This brings us then to the question of whether it is possible to join a webinar using mobile handheld devices such as an iPad or smartphone. It is actually possible to view webinars from these devices. To be able to do so however, it will be necessary to download a specific app to enable the mobile device. Users can expect to be able to view their registered webinars on the scheduled date.

It has to be noted however that the capability of mobile handheld devices has not yet equaled that of regular desktops or laptops at least in online activities such as webinars. Its main  advantage of portability is the source of its very disadvantage because of the limited features that can be accommodated. Multi-tasking to the degree required in participating in online activities using mobile handheld devices is impossible.

Expected Improvement

The positive thing about what is happening at present is that it has been proven that mobile handheld devices can be used for webinars. At the rate improvements are unfolding, things can only get better. Users have that to look forward to.

Mobile devices are increasing their capability by the day. It wouldn’t be so far-fetched to think that a fully enabled handheld device may be coming soon. The best is yet to come.

The post Viewing Webinars On Mobile Devices appeared first on Daily Bits.

You may have your phone or tablet to keep you busy, but sometimes, even those shiny gadgets can’t give you the satisfaction that you want. That’s when browser MMO games come in very handy. We know that MMO stands for “massively multiplayer online”, and cool name notwithstanding, these kinds of games really do tend to get your hooked. The end result? Time goes by without you noticing it. Indeed, you’ll probably want more hours in the day to be able to play more. But that’s a totally different story.

If you’re looking for some good browser MMO games, look no further, as here are four games that will put a smile on your face – and probably make your fingers cramp.

Marvel: Avengers Alliance

The perfect game if you’re a superhero fan. You can go around kicking bad guy butt together with the likes of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, Hawkeye, and Black Widow. Your role will be that of a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. If you like turn-based games and lots of strategy, you’ll like Marvel: Avengers Alliance.

The Hobbit: Armies of the Third Age

Here’s your chance to lord it over Gandalf, Legolas, or Thorin – whichever you prefer. Be the hero of Middle Earth – if you are good enough! You might even find yourself singing that hauntingly beautiful dwarven melody…

The Godfather: Five Families

If you’ve learned everything there is to learn in life from The Godfather, then this MMO will be your choice. Set in 1935 – a decade before the film setting – the goal of the game is for you to build your own empire. You have to be ruthless and protect your family at all costs if you want to come out on top. Much like life for some, eh?

Battlestar Galactica Online

Last, but not the least, is BSG Online. If you felt that a part of your life ended after watching the longwinded finale of the epic series, then you will definitely want to spend loads of time playing this MMO game. Word of caution: complexity of the storyline is not what the makers of the game went for. Instead, it’s a no holds barred war between humans and Cylons. Sounds good, yes?

All of the above can be found at MMO attack, where you can also find a host of other browser MMO games.

About the Author

Kirk Wallace is the social marketing executive of MMO Attack and knows the ins and outs of this niche. If you’re on the lookout for the latest and most addictive MMOs, follow him on Google+.

The post Browser MMO Games That Will Make Your Day Pass By Quickly appeared first on Daily Bits.

Image: engadget

The low price of these apps or the absence of it is what normally attracts people to buy them instantly without much thought. But when this buying habit happens frequently, the cost can get high.

Fortunately, there are very useful and free car apps ideal for iPhone users. They provide useful information and help people save money moving forward.

Free Apps

Gas Buddy – This is a free and crowd-sourced app that helps users locate gas stations in your area that offer the cheapest prices. The information used here is based on data submitted by users on a regular basis. The app does its job via the GPS when it gets information on the user’s zip code after which it shows a list of gas prices in the surrounding area.

RepairPal – The job of this app is to provide users with a cost estimate for car repairs. It’s a known fact that not all auto repair shops and auto mechanics are honest in their dealings with customers. Many car owners have been charged with high prices just for a very minor repair but with this app, you won’t have to worry about being duped again.

Waze – Another free app, this one works in a similar way as GasBuddy with 300 million users at the moment. It provides updated gas prices, alerts on road hazards, approaching traffic jams, police traps and accidents. In addition, it has a voice navigation feature and allows a user to share his destination via a live map. The best part is the app can be used in a hands-free mode so you can concentrate on your driving.

Paid Apps

GasHog – This is a simple app that helps users monitor their fuel consumption. To use it, you only have to enter the reading of your odometer and the amount of fuel added when you gas up.

Honk – This one helps users keep track of their time in the paid parking area to avoid tickets. This app has an alarm that can be set according to the amount of time paid to park in a certain area. It will then alert the user when the meter runs down.

iFind My Car – A very useful app, it helps users find the parking location of their vehicle. It records the current location of your car using the GPS feature and when you’re reading to go back to your vehicle, one simply taps the Walk Me button and the app will vibrate when your car is in sight.

All three of these paid apps are very affordable at only $0.99.

Other than these useful apps, though, it is a must for car owners to always have an appropriate insurance coverage. To purchase a new policy, you can compare car insurance rates first using an online comparison site.

The post Useful and Cost-free Car Apps for iPhone Users appeared first on Daily Bits.

Image: ~Twon~’s photostream

Mobile Browsing

Mobile browsing is essentially what the term implies. It is browsing done through mobile devices such as a mobile phone. It became a natural extension of traditional browsing as people discovered they found it impossible not to stay connected even outside the usual work area. It would appear that the need to access and view documents knows no limitation in time and space.

Mobile browsers are specifically designed to facilitate Web content display on small screens. Wireless handheld devices are working under its natural limitation of lower memory capacity and low bandwidth. With the continuous innovation in technology, the mobile browsing experience is only expected to get better.

Anonymous Web Browsing

An online user who wishes to hide his or her IP address and other identifiable information from the website being visited can choose to browse anonymously. The most common way of doing this is through the use of proxies. Another is to send information through a net of routers.

Anonymous web browsing can sometimes result to slower page loading because of the need to reroute information. It is also highly possible that some page elements will not be able to load. Internet users usually resort to anonymous browsing if they don’t want their online sessions to be monitored. However, even if a certain degree of anonymity is achieved, the user’s IP address is still shared with the proxy server.

Safe and Anonymous Browsing Through Your Mobile Phone

As of this time, there are not so many available tools that can be used to achieve safe and anonymous browsing through a mobile phone. One is the use of Tor for android phones. Another is the use of a web-based proxy on any phone that can run on Opera mini. Still another option is to download content to a PC using a phone that can connect to it and then posting from there.

It is important that the user trusts the persons running the proxy and believe that they have the ability to keep the information secure. Users should consider getting more information about Virtual Private Network or VPN. For relevant reviews on VPN services, visiting www.bestvpn.com will prove very useful.

The post Conduct Safe and Anonymous Browsing Through Mobile Phones appeared first on Daily Bits.

Image: IntelFreePress

Cloud backup for mobile devices is getting to be a more attractive option for many users.  Mobile devices are very convenient and portable because of their size but these same features can also make them more prone to loss, theft, and misplacement.  That is why it makes good sense to backup contents of mobile devices.

Reasons to Backup Mobile Devices

Mobile devices have become the new lifeline of the human society in terms of staying in contact and doing business. Losing its contents permanently is more distressing than losing the device itself.  One can always buy a new phone but not every lost information can be recovered.

The loss of list of contacts and other important information stored in mobile devices can be very disruptive to personal lives and business transactions. Many describe the feeling of being isolated, stressed, and virtually lost because of their dependence on these devices.

Having to go through the inconvenience of losing important data is not necessary, especially if it can be avoided. Different backup products and services are being offered in the market. Users just need to consider the best option for them.

Why Cloud Backup for Mobile Devices

Backing-up files contained in any mobile device should be done and there is no question about that.  The only question that remains is how it is to be done. The traditional way is store data in USB drives which is not always reliable.  Another way is to download software from mobile device makers to allow the backup.  It is highly advised that downloading ,whether for free or for a fee, should be done from the manufacturer’s site.  A third party developer is another option.

Cloud backup for mobile devices comes highly recommended.  These mobile devices are literally extensions of people’s computers.  It is therefore in the best interest of users to backup their contents with the best possible option.

With Cloud Backup, users can access their required data at any time and any device connected to the Internet.  The data are all protected from unauthorized access through encryption. All data that has been transferred from a mobile device to a backup server are guarded for privacy.

Online cloud backup offers data storage that is safe and easily updated. It is however necessary to find a Cloud backup provider that is competent and able to provide expert services. Competitive pricing is also a major consideration. To know more about online backup providers, look into www.bestbackups.com.

The post Cloud Backup for Mobile Devices appeared first on Daily Bits.

This popularity of skateboarding in many parts of the globe has led to the construction of skateparks and has inspired numerous video games since the 1980s. The best part about them is they can be played by both skateboard enthusiasts and those who are just fans but don’t play it.

Pro Skater

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater features professional skaters that players can choose from. The graphics used are of superior quality and the tricks are simply the best. In this game, street and ramp skating can be combined for a thrilling adventure.

The Pro Skater 2 released in 2000 for PlayStation adds new skaters and levels as well as gameplay elements. This newer version lets players create their own characters and buy upgrades with the cash they collected. From the PlayStation, this video game was later ported to the PC, the Nintendo 64, Xbox and by 2010, in all iOS devices.

Skate

This video game boasts of advanced features not found in others. It has a dual analog control that allows a player to perform trick executions based on his skills. Players are also given the freedom to create their own style and unique personality using animation.

For thrill seekers, this is a fun game that lets players impress or annoy people, get chased by security guards, ride with the pros and discover skate shops around the city.

Unlike other games, Skater is also able to capture a player’s moves in his game which he can then share online. One great thing about this features is that a player can create a skate video from his games, edit it using online editing tools and add music to it.

Released in 2010, the new version Skate 3 easily captured the attention of gamers in search of more challenging and realistic skateboarding experience.

Underground

This is another of Tony Hawk’s pro skater video games, the fifth of his series. Released in 2003, new elements were added here such as storytelling, vehicles and the ability of players to get off their skateboards.

This is the first game in the series to allow players to travel on foot on different levels. The story, on the other hand, features the journey of two unknown skaters as they go through the challenges in their lives.

720

Originally an arcade game released in 1986, this game was later released on Nintendo in 1989 and became one of the first extreme sports video games. Its name was derived from a skateboarding trick that describes landing a 720 on the half pipe. Players need to earn points in order to proceed to the higher and bigger events.

About the guest author:

Marvin is a former skater who now blogs about his experience in this extreme sport. Learn more here if you’re interested in skater apparel and accessories.

The post Skateboard Video Games that Made a Mark appeared first on Daily Bits.

One of the biggest frustrations among Google Android users is the inability to immediately upgrade their Android OS when a new version becomes available. Because the OS is fragmented among smartphone manufacturers an upgrade for one device does not necessarily guarantee an upgrade for another device.

In many cases a powerful smartphone  could be looked over as its manufacturer moves onto new devices. In those cases it could be worth voiding your warranty to mod your smartphone.

Considerations For Modding A Smartphone

First, is your phone out of warranty? Most devices have a one year manufactures warranty, after that point it typically won’t matter what happens to your smartphone since repairs are not supported without costs associated.

It is also important to consider the devices specifications. As Google continues to build out a more powerful OS the power requirements to keep the system running increase. If you’re running a dual-core processor with an OS built for a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 4-cores you might experience system lag.

Finally, make sure you choose a reputable developer for your system mod. I personally use XDA-Developers forums to find widely accepted Google Android mods.

PREPARING YOUR SMARTPHONE FOR A GOOGLE ANDROID OS UPGRADE

There are a few things you need to do in order to prepare your smartphone for an unauthorized Google Android OS update.

First, you need to make sure your device is fully charged and plugged into a power outlet. You want to make sure the devices full upgrade occurs before power runs out.

Next, download Android USB drivers so you can connect your device to your computer. You will need to install the ROM upgrade directly from your computer.

Backup your device. Download files, contacts and other allowed information to your PC or MAC. In case of a system failure this will help ensure that you don’t lose your favorite photos and other important data. Typically your smartphone manufacturer will sell your smartphone device alongside an Android backup application.

Bio:

Frank Hendel is a mobile phone sales expert in the b2b sector. In his spare time he loves modding the ROMs on older Android devices, recently he worked to install ICS on HTC Wildfire handsets. You can read more about ROM upgrades at Geeksuper.com.

The post Is Modding Your Android ROM A Good Idea? It Can Be With The Right Precautions appeared first on Daily Bits.

On a daily basis, that is. This is one of the most attention-grabbing findings of the New Relic team, which they shared in an infographic titled “Mobile APPeal: Exploring the Mobile Landscape”. It is hard to ignore the fact that the team had the infographic created to promote their app performance management solution services, but the data presented is interesting enough, even to the average user who simply likes going through stats.

So yeah, they claim that there are 1.3 million Android activations, as opposed to 300,000 births. I am not sure if they included the Philippines in their calculations because we do have a lot to contribute to the latter stat.

All kidding aside, the mobile market is indeed a thriving one. Here are some key figures:

• 1.82 billion smartphones are expected to be in use in 2013
• There are more than 1.5 million apps available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. And we should not forget  to take into consideration the potential results of Microsoft’s drive to attract developers.
• On average, a smartphone runes 41 apps. I am way below this average, I think. You?
• People check their phones 150 times a day. Once every 6.5 minutes. Wow! This tempts me to do an experiment and count how many times I check my phone in a day!
• Predictions: By 2015, there will be more than 89 billion downloads. By 2020, half of all the payments made will be done via mobile systems.

Bottom line? The mobile market will only continue to expand and become part and parcel of our lives. It’s a no brainer, isn’t it? So maybe, just maybe, you might want to consider a career in the mobile sector.

Via New Relic

Lead image via Android Babies

The post More Android Phones Activated Than Babies Babies Born appeared first on Daily Bits.

Windows Blue Leak

According to Tom Warren of The Verge, “build 9364, a partner version that was originally compiled on March 15th, has been made available on file sharing sites and includes some of the new changes that Microsoft is building into its significant Windows 8 update.”

The Windows Blue leak comes from winforum.eu, where screenshots have been posted. It’s in Polish, but Google Translate can easily take care of that. Plus, images are what counts in this matter anyway.

So what have we gotten from the leak?

Additional Snap Views

This means you can put apps together side by side, a boon to multitaskers for sure. This may also mean that those who use a multi monitor setup will have an easier time.

Touch Friendly Setup

There are also reported changes in the settings set up so that everything is touch friendlier. That’s for those of you who tend to swipe their laptop screens from time to time, thanks to thinking it’s a tablet.

Internet Explorer 11

In spite of all the flak that IE has received throughout its lifetime, it has survived and undeniably has seen much improvement. If the Windows Blue leak is to be believed, users will be “treated” to a new Internet Explorer. As to what specific improvements have been made, we don’t really know. It’s “just” a leak after all!

Want more? Check out The Verge.

The post Windows Blue Leaked! appeared first on Daily Bits.

But did you know that ideas from superhero stories have found their way to real life? I’m not talking about Kick Ass (although that’s still not real life, I know), but I just saw this infographic from Visually which showcases real-life technology based on superhero stories, and I think you’ll appreciate it too.

First it gives a quick rundown of the highlights of each superhero on the list, which includes Captain America, Superman, Green Lantern, The Incredible Hulk, Batman, Green Arrow, Iron Man, and Wonder Woman, among others.

Then it talks about parkour, which I totally don’t get. I mean, people who engage in parkour do amazing physical things, but I still don’t get it personally. Or maybe I’m just too soft for that kind of thing. The bottom line, though, is this: Parkour requires strength that can build a superhero body. According to the infographic, that is. So, if you know anyone who does parkour, watch out. They may just be the first real superhero.

The infographic goes on to describe really cool technology, which you may not believe to exist in the real world. From clothing that makes you heal fast like Wolverine to lightweight tanks similar to the Batmobile  to Iron Man like exoskeletons – there is some pretty amazing stuff to be found here, so take a little time to sit back and relax on a Friday (like you need any egging on to do that).

Infographic courtesy of the Dialtosave Calling Team

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When it comes to mobile apps, iOS is still at the lead but Android is not going to stay quiet about it. As for Windows, they do need more developers to join the fray. And guess what Microsoft is doing to entice Windows developers to create apps?

They’re offering $100 for a single app.

Here’s how it works.

1. Publish your app (or apps) in the Windows Store and/or Windows Phone Store. Period: March 8 to June 30, 2013.
2. Enter up to 10 apps per Store and receive $100 (virtual Visa card) for each app that qualifies. That’s a total of $2,000 if you max out the 10 app per Store limit.

Of course, there are certain guidelines to follow. The standard certification requirements are one, of course, and apps should actually do something – other than simply launching a web page, that is. Additionally, copycat/cloned apps from those that have previously been published are disqualified. Oh, and just in case you’re thinking of dilly dallying and waiting till the last minute to turn in your app/s, do note that only the first 10,000 qualified entries will be considered. After all, as rich as the company is, they have many other expenses, penalties in the EU included.

Obviously, Microsoft is taking the aggressive path in order to gain more points for its platforms. While the company claims that they have solid sales figures, we really do not have exact numbers. Additionally, we know that compared to its competitors – especially in the mobile market – Microsoft has a long way to go. Attracting developers to create apps just might help.

Then again, this promo gives rise to the question of quality apps, as opposed to a huge number of new apps – 10,000 to be exact. So let’s say that Windows developers take the bait and 10,000 apps are submitted by June 30. Does this mean that all those apps will be so good that people will want to switch to Windows Phone/Windows 8?

You tell me.

Image via Venture Beat

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Before we start, do you think that your PC or any other data storage device is indestructible? Well, if you do, at some point you may end up realizing that you have just lost all your data, as the device got destroyed. Even despite the recent advancements in the field of data recovery, sometimes the users get just too creative. And we mean it – although we’ve been working in the IT field for quite a while and saw lots of weird things, some people do not cease to amaze us. So, we decided to compile a list of the most awesome, or just awesome, cases of data loss we had to face. Although we succeeded in most of them, sometimes that was just too difficult.

Sometimes Your PC won’t cooperate

Remember when your computer got lags and you were waiting forever while trying to open some important website? How about the error message popping out when you wanted to enter your company’s e-mail account? Well, we can all relate to that. Most people turn the computer off and just walk away. Indeed, this is a far better decision than hitting the PC, throwing it through the window, or even kicking it. Try to imagine, what damages you might do to your computer by doing this. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the data losses may be so huge that any recovery would be a tall order. Even the best and the brightest data recovery professionals might not be able to save the data lost after a hard disk got destroyed. See the picture below to get the idea of what we faced and how mission impossible it was to recover the data from the totally massacred hard drive one of our hot-headed clients brought.

Cats’ Love for Laptops Is Not Mutual

Some time ago, we had a curious case of Mrs. Smith, a devoted cat lover. Her laptop just broke down. As it turned out, the device ceased to work after some mysterious substance was poured onto it. And, guess what! It wasn’t coffee or tea. Unfortunately, the beloved kitty mistook the PC for a tray. The good news is, we were able to recover the data, but the smell is still around.

Wet Work

Water appears to be another great enemy of computers. Although it’s hard to believe, there are still people that take their laptop round to the bathroom. Needless to say, the danger is close, as the PC might get wet at any point. Nothing compares to one gentleman that knocked at our door one day. He was so deeply bonded to his computer that he wasn’t able to go anywhere without it. It applied even to the time he spent chilling out in seawater. No wonder, as he was a CEO of a successful company and the computer was an essential tool for his work. With this in mind, he took the basic preventive measures and put the laptop in a plastic bag. Would you believe that the waves were stronger? Fortunately, though, we were able to recover the data lost as a result of that sea bathing incident.

It’s An Omen!

Meet John. Recently, he decided to make his wildest dreams come true and flew to Africa. Obviously, he took tonnes of pictures there and later saved them all on his PC’s hard disk. For some reason, John did not store them anywhere else. A few days later John’s house caught fire. To make things worse, one of the firefighters simply dropped John’s PC on the floor, while moving down on a ladder. It was by pure luck that we managed to recover all the pictures. Later, they were even featured in a brochure released by a popular travel agency.

How To Repair Your PC Without Calling the IT Service?

In this respect, computer users’ creativity grows to an unimaginable extent. One of our clients decided to use olive oil to recover data from his memory card. Well, we’ve been through a lot, but that was really surprising. This guy claimed that he found out about this, while googling up methods of data recovery. The hint goes as follows: if you want to fix a scratched CD, just rub it with olive oil. Our client decided that this might work out for his corrupted memory card as well. You know the rest of the story…With great difficulties we managed to recover the lost files, but the unlucky owner of the memory card just started to hate olive oil and promised he will never use it again. Even for cooking.

Fender Bender

Being in a hurry often does not pay off. Ms Brown, a senior manager in a huge corporation learned that very painfully. That Monday morning, she woke up a bit too late, so she had to do everything in haste. Before putting her baby son in the backseat of her VW Touareg, she left her laptop bag on the car’s roof. When Ms Brown started to drive out of her driveway, the bag just fell on the ground, making the last sigh, after being smashed by the VW’s giant wheels. And, yes, you guessed that – data recovery was out of the question here. Fortunately, Ms Brown had most of her work files stored on a shared server at her company PC. What a relief!
So, do you still think that computer repair people have boring jobs? These stories are just a tiny excerpt from a day in the life of an average data recovery guy. Computer users get more creative all the time and I often wonder, what else is there to come. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though – situations, where data recovery data was impossible are really rare cases.

Author: DATA Lab

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If Google’s vision becomes a reality – which I don’t doubt it will at some point – we just might a solution to this password headache. At a recent RSA security event held in San Francisco, Google principal engineer, Mayank Upadhyay has revealed the interesting direction that the company is going in regard to passwords.

The idea is to do away with passwords as we know them today and how they are used for a variety of purposes. Instead, the brilliant minds of the engineering department are looking at tangible devices such as USB sticks to serve as authentication tokens. The research is not solely focused on USB sticks but other physical devices that can carry the information – from rings to other small pieces of jewelry.

This is not a revolutionary concept in that it is already being used in the banking sector. Instead of having to enter your password when you want to conduct an online transaction, you use a USB stick that verifies your identity. It’s pretty much what Google is researching at the moment.

While this does do away with passwords as we use them today, the USB stick concept is not without its downsides, the principal one being the loss of the device. What then?

What do you think about this move? Is it better to rely to good old passwords and secure password management systems, or are USB stick authentication methods safer?

Via

Image via itekblog

The post Google Looking at USB Sticks to Replace Passwords appeared first on Daily Bits.

Sadly, not all drivers maneuver their vehicles with utmost care the reason why road accidents occur. Each year, more than one million people worldwide get killed in car crashes. Statistics also show that road mishaps are the top cause of death of young people aged 15 to 29.

Car accidents take place often due to the carelessness of drivers. Common causes are using mobile gadgets, eating, reading, grooming, drowsiness or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If you often travel to other countries and you’re planning to rent a car and drive it personally, it would be a good idea to learn about some important statistics. Life is precious and it’s just fitting that we value it by ensuring that we drive safely all the time to and from our destinations.

We share an infographic below about countries with fast roads that could be dangerous for drivers. It would be worth looking at it to give you a bird’s eye view on what to expect in your future destinations.

The post Driving Tips and Stats for Your Safety on the Road appeared first on Daily Bits.

If you feel that way, why not go an alternative route? Since you probably spend a considerable amount of your time on the Internet, how about you learn how to laugh online in other languages instead? It may be quite far from actually speaking foreign languages, but hey, it’s the thought that counts? (Maybe not, but what the heck!)

Laughter is the best medicine, so they say, so I guess being able to laugh in another language will give you an edge health-wise. In case you need a good dose of laughter, here’s the perfect cheat sheet, thanks to The Atlantic Wire.

Japanese: www

This is hard to explain, but it definitely does not have anything to do with “www” as in “World Wide Web”. Instead, it’s attributed to the Japanese Kanji character for laugh, which is uttered as “warai”. You get it? If you want to use this, know that you can go up to as many “ws” as you want, depending on how hard you’re laughing.

Korean: kkkkk or kekekekeke

The origin: keu keu keu, which is Korean for hahaha. Easy enough to remember, yes?

French: hahaha, héhéhé, hihihi, hohoho; also MDR

I like MDR best, for some reason. It’s short for “mort de rire”, or “dying of laughter” in English. It’s a classier way of saying LMAO, don’t you think?

Spanish: jajaja

You’ve probably seen this a lot, and the explanation is that in Spanish, “j” sounds like the English “h”.

Greek: xaxaxa

Brazilian Portuguese: huehuehue, rsrsrsrs

Danish: ha ha, hi hi, hæ hæ, ho ho, ti hi

Russian: haha ????, hihi ????, hèhè ????

Lots of laughter to you on this Friday!

Image via Tumblr

The post Only Speak One Language? At Least Learn to Laugh Online in Other Languages! appeared first on Daily Bits.

Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 unveiling is set for tomorrow, and even Apple users like me are getting curious about the latest phone from the biggest iPhone competitor. To be honest, I do not see myself getting anything than an iPhone 5 (or the next iteration) this year, but I cannot deny that Samsung is getting my attention this time around.

In spite of the fact that Android has been dubbed the King of Malware Threats, there are still many things going for the operating system. And with Samsung’s phones looking better and better, it is not a surprise that the hype is also increasing proportionally.

What are we to expect from tomorrow’s launch?

That image above comes from Samsung’s Twitter account, which gave us a shady image of what the Galaxy S4 is supposed to look like. It sure does not give us much to go by, but that’s what teasers are for, aren’t they?

Earlier this week, Samsung also released a teaser video, utilizing kid cuteness power that is almost always impossible to resist. “Be ready 4 The Next Galaxy” features a boy named Jeremy, who has the “most important job in the world.” You can see the entire video on their Facebook page, but here’s a screen cap.

Screencap of Galaxy S4 video

We still don’t have much to go on when it comes to how the Galaxy S4 will really look like, but we do have tidbits about other things such as :

• Full HD, 1,080 x 1,920 display
• Screen size of 5 inches
• A quad-core Exynos Octa 5410 CPU clocked at 1.8GHz
• 2GB of RAM (though we shouldn’t be surprised if this goes up)

They are, of course, but rumors, but we know that rumors have a way of becoming reality. In any case, we only have less than a day to wait for the official launch. In the meantime, Samsung enthusiasts will have to be content with the video and hazy photo. Patience is a virtue, so they say.

The post Samsung Galaxy S4 Teasers and Specs appeared first on Daily Bits.

We’ve seen our share of memes following the “social media explained” theme – from donuts to peeing to coffee to superheroes…

This time, it’s all about cats. And I suppose these creatures serve as appropriate subjects if you really want your infographic to spread like wildfire via social media. After all, I have known people (who are not exactly cat lovers) to turn to cat photos and such to increase engagement online. Can’t blame them, can you?

So, Social Meowdia Explained. Ready?

Facebook: I like my cat.

Twitter: I’m playing with my cat.

YouTube: Watch this video of my cat.

LinkedIn: I’m very skilled at training cats.

Instagram: Here’s  hipster picture of my cat.

Pinterest: Here’s how to train your cat to dance.

Yelp: I freakin’ hate this cat food.

Google+: I work for Google and I have a cat.

Spotify : I am listening to the song “Soft Kitty”.

Foursquare: This is where I got my cat hoodie.

That text may make you chuckle, but coupled with images is the best way to go about it. Here, take a look, waste a little time on a Monday, and let me know if your cat says it’s right.

Social Meowdia Explained

Via Social Media Today

Lead image via A Source of Inspiration

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Mobile security company F-Secure has recently released a report on the status of mobile threats in 2012. The report covers a lot of ground, but the most striking result is that Android is the main platform being targeted by hackers. From the get go, the executive summary of the report picks out Android.

Android malware has been strengthening its position in the mobile threat scene. Every quarter, malware authors bring forth new threat families and variants to lure more victims and to update on the existing ones.

In the fourth quarter alone, 96 new families and variants of Android threats were discovered, which almost doubles the number recorded in the previous quarter. A large portion of this number was contributed by PremiumSMS—a family of malware that generates profit through shady SMS-sending practices—which unleashed 21 new variants.

It is worth noting, however, that Android has grown significantly in the past year. The same report states that from 2011 to 2012, Android’s market share has grown from 49.2% to 68.8% – definitely a huge leap that has to be taken into consideration when analysing the numbers of mobile threats!

If you think about it, it’s just like the Windows-Mac situation. There used to be a time when Mac users could rest easy knowing that they would “never” get attacked. That was because barely anyone used Mac. With how it is popular today, Mac is not entirely immune to malware.

Now how about other mobile systems? How do they stand in this regard?

Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile are not without malware threats, but it really is nothing like Android.

Does this mean users should just ditch Android? I think not. Android may be king of malware threats, but users are not without the means to nip them in the bud. And, after all, if you really prefer using Android, that should outweigh the possibility of those threats. That does not mean I am going to switch to Android in the foreseeable future, though!

The post Android Is King – of Malware Threats! appeared first on Daily Bits.

Roku just made streaming boxes even more interesting with the announcement of its newest model, Roku 3. With the price point at $99, it looks like the guys are not averse to taking on the Apple TV.

Roku is being touted as the original streaming player, but in this world of copycats, original does not always mean the best. Indeed, there are some who pride themselves in copying and creating much better things. But with Roku 3, the company might just gain a stronger foothold in the niche.

What’s to rejoice about?

Aside from the very attractive price of less than a hundred dollars (albeit by a mere dollar), Roku 3 is the result of tweaking the previous model, which was criticized on many points.

One, the user interface has been overhauled. 

Roku 3 Interface

With this new layout, it is easier to browse content and simply enjoy what you want to watch. And, you have to admit it, it does not look bad at all!

Two, the box has been redesigned.

Roku Boxes

You can see the evolution of the Roku design. Of course, aesthetics are subjective, so there is always the possibility of old users preferring previous designs.

Three, there are new nifty features.

You can’t see it from the outside, but Roku 3 has a better, faster chip. That means better performance. Additionally, it gives you more privacy via the remote control which can be hooked up to earphones (earbuds come with the package). If you like watching TV late into the night, and your housemates object, you simply take advantage of this feature! And, if playing games helps you de-stress, the motion control support (Angry Birds Space included) will give you even more fun! Last, but not the least, Roku 3 has dual-band wireless, Ethernet port, and a USB port.

At $99, that does sound like an excellent deal, doesn’t it?

For the hands-on review, check out CNET.

The post Is Roku 3 Taking on the Apple TV? appeared first on Daily Bits.

Evernote

Evernote, the popular “remember everything” software has been hacked. Late Saturday, the company made an official announcement saying that the system has been compromised, with sensitive user information being accessed by a hacker. As such, they have deemed it necessary to reset the password of each of their users. All 50 million of them.

The announcement was rather sparse with details, but we know that the hacker was able to gain access to some users’ encrypted passwords. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that, according to the guys at Evernote, there is no evidence that customer  data has been changed. Additionally, payment information does not seem to have been compromised as well.

Evernote is a brilliant note-taking app which syncs your content throughout all your devices – provided you have it installed. The software allows you to take down notes, much as you would with the good old pen and notepad. Additionally, it also provides options for multimedia notes such as photos, voice reminders, and even to-do lists. The notes are also searchable, making it easy for you to find items that you have created in the past.

The app is free to download, with the basic features usually more than enough for the user. If you want features such as offline access to notebooks, permissions for others to edit your notebooks (ideal for team collaborations), and adding a PIN lock to the app, then you can choose from the monthly payment scheme ($5) and the annual payment scheme ($45).

While everyone’s passwords have already been reset, it is always good practice to go ahead and change your password immediately, which you have to do anyway, as the moment you visit the Evernote homepage, you will be asked to create a new password.

Don’t have Evernote? Get the iOS app here and the Android app here.

The post Evernote Users, Don’t Be Surprised If Your Password Has Been Reset appeared first on Daily Bits.

Twitter Language

How long have you been living in the stream? Do you find yourself thinking about a thought is worth tweeting or not – more regularly than could be appropriate? Do you find yourself using words that language purists would frown upon, words that have been born out of too much time on Twitter?

The truth is that as much time as I spend on Twitter, thanks to work-related activities as well, I don’t easily pick up on many of the buzzwords. Perhaps that is because I have an aversion to using buzzwords – most of the time, at least. I do understand that there are people who like picking up those buzzwords and actually use them, contributing to the further spreading of those words. If you’re one of them, you just might enjoy your Friday a bit more with this infographic I found.

Titled “The Social Marketer’s Urban Twictionary”, the infographic is obviously geared at those who work in the social marketing sector, but that does not mean the ordinary person cannot use the words found in the twictionary, does it?

Some utterly ridiculous rather interesting words I learned, thanks to the twictionary:

• attwicted
• detweet
• politweet
• dweet
• twalker
• twantrum

I don’t know about you, but those words make me want to do the proverbial face palm, and those words starting with “tw” just makes me think of Barry Kripke from The Big Bang Theory!

Going through the twictionary one more time, I think that I shall have to revise my opinion. Either it adds amusement to your day, or it makes you throw a twantrum!

Twictionary

Images via Almost Like Everything and Marketo

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