any users have already begun finding alternatives to Google. If you are interested in making the switch from Google to Microsoft, switching your Gmail to Hotmail is the first step in the process.

Since Microsoft offers Hotmail, SkyDrive and more, it is one of the easiest ways to continue using services similar to what Google has to offer. This guide will detail how to switch from Gmail to Hotmail in three steps. This is just the start to transferring your services away from Google’s prying eyes.

First, create a Hotmail account

If you do not already have a Hotmail account, you will need to create one to start the process of switching from Gmail. Keep in mind that Windows Live IDs include Hotmail, Messenger and even XBox Live accounts, so if you already have one of those, you do not need to create a new one to continue.

If you do not have one, visit hotmail.com to get started.

In the left hand corner of the screen, you will see a Sign up button. Click it to get started.

Fill in the details about your new Windows Live account, including your mobile telephone number and an alternative e-mail address.

Next, read through the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy concerning Windows Live, then click “I accept.”

It will take just a few seconds to create your new Windows Live ID.

When finished, you will be redirected to Windows Live.

You can click “Go to Inbox” to take you to you Hotmail account.

Second, import your Gmail e-mails into your Hotmail account

Now that you have created your new Windows Live ID and Hotmail account, you want to import your data from your Gmail account.

Visit TrueSwitch to get started with the second step.

TrueSwitch is a secure service that has partnered with a variety of e-mail service providers to help make the process of switching services easier for consumers. While they normally charge for this service, for now it is free for those who want to switch from Gmail to Hotmail.

You can only import contacts and e-mails from Gmail.com based e-mail accounts. If you are using a business or services account where your domain name is being used through Google services, you cannot use TrueSwitch to import information from Gmail to Hotmail at this time.

Fill in your Gmail account details and choose whether you want to transfer over all your e-mails or just the last two weeks.

Then, fill in your new Hotmail account details.

Finally, click “Next” to get the process started.

It should just take a few moments for the process to finish.

When it does, TrueSwitch will congratulate you and begin importing your e-mail and contacts from Gmail to Hotmail. Keep in mind that the process can take upwards of 24 hours to complete, especially if you are importing all of your e-mails from your Gmail account. When the process is finished, you will receive an e-mail alerting you as well.

Imported e-mails may end up in your Hotmail Junk folder. Check the Junk folder periodically to make sure you are not missing out on misplaced e-mails from Gmail.

Click “Go to Windows Live Hotmail” to check if things have begun importing and to move on to the third and final step of the process.

Third, sync your Gmail account to your Hotmail account

You will be redirected to the primary Windows Live home screen after leaving the TrueSwitch site.

Click on “Inbox” to head into Hotmail.

Your inbox, if the process has started, will begin filling with the e-mails imported from Gmail.

You also want to remember to check your Junk folder to ensure nothing is being lost in the shuffle.

Your contacts will also eventually be imported so that you do not have to start creating new ones after the switch.

The final step in truly making the switch from Gmail to Hotmail is to ensure your e-mails are being sent to Hotmail from Gmail.

Click on “Options” at the top right hand corner of your Inbox.

Now, click “More Options….”

Under the Managing your account sub-header, click the “Sending/receiving email from other accounts” link.

Click “Add an email account” to get started.

Enter in the e-mail address and password of the account you want to have sent to Hotmail.

Then, click “Next.”

It will take just a few moments for Hotmail to access and configure the information from your Gmail account.

When finished, you will need to set up a few options for the addition.

You can choose to either use a separate folder for the e-mails from Gmail or simply have them send to your inbox.

You can also choose a default icon for the messages to separate them from other e-mails coming directly to your Hotmail address. This can be useful if you are opting to have all e-mails directed to your inbox as opposed to a separate folder.

Click “Save” to save your settings.

This will take just a few minutes to configure.

From that moment on, e-mails send to your Gmail address will be forwarded to your Hotmail one. You will either see them appear in your Inbox or in the folder you created for them in Hotmail.

You have now successfully made the switch from Gmail to Hotmail in three easy steps.

Why would you need to make the switch from Gmail to Hotmail?

While many users are talking about the changes to Google’s privacy policy as the number one reason to make the switch away from Gmail and Google’s other services, that is not the only reason you may need to make the switch from Gmail to Hotmail or even Gmail to another e-mail provider. Depending on what you do online, what services you use and what you find to be the most reliable and easy to use, making the switch from one provider to the other is natural.

When deciding whether or not to make the switch, in this case from Gmail to Hotmail, take the time to weigh your options, truly look into the changes Google is making, and make an informed decision on whether or not it is worth your time and peace of mind to make such a switch.

See Also:

• Not Sure about Joining Google+? Our Guide to Creating and Managing a Google+ Profile Shows How Easy It Is
• DeleteYourAccount.com is a Definitive Guide to Deleting Accounts From Any Website
• Google Changes Its Privacy Policy – What Does This Mean For Users?
• Manage Your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Accounts From Gmail Inbox Using Mingly

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: How to Switch From Gmail to Hotmail in 3 Easy Steps
Read more about:: GMail, Google, Hotmail, How To

The addition of the Timeline to Facebook has spawned the addition of some cool external apps that use the Timeline. One of these apps is Facebook Timeline Movie Maker. Facebook generally doesn’t create 3rd-party apps, but this seems like an attempt to popularize the new Timeline feature with the users.

The way that Facebook Timeline Movie Maker works is, it searches through your uploaded pictures and arranges them into a pretty cool slideshow/movie with music and transitions. After you see watch it, you can share it with everyone on your Timeline. Here is the process of making your own Timeline Movie.

What You’d Need

There are a couple of things you will need to make a movie.

• A Facebook account.
• More than 50 uploaded pictures.
• Any Web browser.

Making Your First Facebook Timeline Movie

Start by visiting Facebook Timeline Movie Maker. You will see a simple landing page that looks something like this.

When you click on Make Your Movie, you will need to grant access to the app. If you didn’t notice, at the bottom left of the window is your change to set the privacy for who can view the movie.

There isn’t a lot to do to actually make the movie as long as you have the minimum of 50 images uploaded. Once you grant access and click Log In with Facebook, you can sit back and watch it being made.

The movie will automatically start once it is all done being created. Here are some screen grabs of how the finished movie looks while playing. These are some of the transitions. Of course, a still picture does not do the movie justice.

See the transition?

When the movie is all done, there is a few options. You can change the musical accompaniment. More importantly, this is your chance to share your new Timeline Movie.

Why you want to make a movie

Making a Timeline movie like this is a great way for others to get a glimpse at a bunch of your photos. There are a lot of people who have hundreds and even thousands of pictures on their profiles. Using Facebook Timeline Movie will give people who want to catch up with you and see what you’ve been doing can easily see a photo montage of your history according to Facebook.

Conclusion

There are a lot of applications and games you can share on or play from your Facebook page. The Facebook Timeline Movie Maker is a really cool and useful  addition to your Timeline. It isn’t something that will clog up your Timeline with something people do not want to see. In fact, it is real reason they are there; they want to see what you are up to.

See Also:

• How to Appear Offline to Specific People on Facebook Chat
• How To Delete Any Facebook Application From Your Account?
• Use Facebook Chat Often? Checkout Facebook Desktop Messenger for Windows 7

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Facebook Timeline Movie Maker Lets You Create a Movie from Your Timeline Updates
Read more about:: Facebook, Facebook Apps, Facebook Features, Social Addons, Social Media, Timeline

Hence, it’s a common practice among netizens such as your truly to monitor our staggering internet connection speed every now and so often. Thankfully, there are a number of good tools for checking Internet connection and one of the good one’s is Speedtest.net.

What started as a web-based tool is now on mobile and is available for both iOS and Android. The good thing is that the app is available on both the platforms and serves as a useful resource for knowing how fast your Internet connection speed is at any given time.

First Look at Speedtest.net Mobile App

Both version of the app is available as free downloads from the Android Market and App Store. If you’re an Android user, the app requires Android 1.6 and up. While all versions of iOS is supported for the iDevices.

So to get you started using this app, you already know the drill, right? Get the app installed on your respective devices and simply fire it up. You’ll be greeted by the app’s very nice and sleek interface, with the predominantly black skin.

Now here’s the best part – the app’s main interface is very simple and easy to use. In fact, you won’t be needing to go through complicated setup. You can use the app right there and then and know your current Internet connection speed.

Just make sure that you device is connected to the network and hit the Begin Test option. Then wait for the app to do its job and give you the results.

App Features

Speaking of results, the app gives you three speed results namely, Ping, Download and Upload. You’ll see a progress indicator for each of these three speed results before the app gives you the final results. The final speed results are displayed in kbps (kilobytes per second) by default. But you can change this unit to Mbps by going to the Tools option. While on that option, you may also choose to change the server as well as the order of the test history.

To view the test results, simply tap on the Results option and the app will display a list arranged chronologically with the most recent on top. Tap on individual test results to find out more information about the test conducted. This also lets you view your phone’s network connectivity type, server location, internal and external IP addresses as well as location as measured in latitude.

Exporting and Sharing the Test Results

While you’re still at the Results screen, you may also want to tap on the wrench icon located at the top right corner of your phone’s screen. This lets you choose whether you’ll want to export the test results in CSV format or delete all results. After saving the test results in CSV format, you can share this to anyone via e-mail. You may also choose to email individual test results.

Finally, the app also shows you the type of connection of your Android or iOS devices. You’ll know whether your phone is connected to the Internet via 3G, HSDPA or even 4G LTE.

Conclusion

While evaluating the app, I can now understand why Speedtest.net is the most-used application/tool for checking Internet connection speed. Simple as it may seem, this app gives fairly accurate data and performs flawlessly even if your network is not that fast.

The app’s simple, sleek and professional-looking interface is an added reason as to why you should get this app running on your iOS or Android devices especially if you’re experiencing intermittent Internet connection from time to time or just want to know if your internet service provider delivers the promised speed.

Download the Speedtest.net app from the Android Market.

Download the Speedtest.net app from the App Store.

See Also:

• Beat The Stock: Best Alternative Text Messaging Apps for Android
• Easily Tether Your Android Phone To Your Computer with PdaNet
• Microsoft Releases Skydrive Companion App for iPhone, We Review Its Features and Functionality

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Check Your Mobile Internet Connection Speed with SpeedTest.net Mobile App [iOS, Android]
Read more about:: Android, Android Apps, Internet Speed, iOS, iPad, iPhone

With many different streaming services online, it can be important to be able to juggle them all as seamlessly as possible. There are a few web apps and programs which make importing and exporting playlists from one service to another quite convenient. In this article, we will discuss how to use the web app “ToGrooveshark” to easily send Spotify playlists to your Grooveshark account.

How to import your Spotify playlists into Grooveshark

In order to start importing Spotify playlists into Grooveshark, you want to visit “ToGrooveshark“. Once there, you will have to login and link your Grooveshark account to the web app.

You want to enter your Grooveshark username or e-mail along with your account password. ToGrooveshark will encrypt this data to ensure its safety during the process. Click “Login To Grooveshark” to continue.

It will take a few seconds, but you will be shown as logged into Grooveshark. You can logout at any time by clicking “Logout of Grooveshark.”

Now, you want to name your first playlist.

You can name it the same as your Spotify playlist or anything else you want. Next, you want to open Spotify. Locate your playlists and click on the one you want to transfer.

Select all of the songs in the playlist and then right-click anywhere on them.

Click “Copy HTTP Link.”

When successfully copied, the context menu will disappear. Paste the HTTP Link data into the “Paste your song list below”
box.

Click “Match Up Songs” to begin the first step in transferring your playlist.

ToGrooveshark will begin matching your songs from Spotify to Grooveshark.

Depending on the playlist, this could take a few minutes. Once every song is matched, click “Create Playlist.” ToGrooveshark will begin transferring the data to Grooveshark.

When finished, you will see the playlist appear with a link directly to it on Grooveshark itself.

You can either head to Grooveshark to listen to it or click “Transfer Another Playlist”to begin the process again.

Why would you import Spotify playlists into Grooveshark?

If you use multiple online music services, for whatever reason, being able to consistently listen to music across them can be essential for users. Web apps like ToGrooveshark make it easy to transfer Spotify playlists to the Grooveshark service.

Other services are available to transfer playlists between a variety of services and most are easy to use and quick to transfer. If you use both Grooveshark and Spotify, you can transfer playlists from Spotify by taking advantage of the web app ToGrooveshark.

Visit ToGrooveshark to transfer your Spotify Playlists.

See Also:

• Grooveshark Mobile App Makes a Comeback To iOS and Android Platforms Using HTML5
• Extension.fm Helps You Find New Music, Turns The Whole Web Into Your Music Library
• Wall of Sound Is A Great App to Discover New Music on Your iOS Devices
• What Exactly is the iTunes Match Service and How Does It Work
• Got a Taste for Mixtapes? Datpiff Offers Unlimited Mixtapes on Your Android Device

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Easily Import All Your Spotify Playlists Into Grooveshark Using the Web App ToGrooveshark [How To]
Read more about:: Grooveshark, How To, Spotify, Web App

One of the traditional staples of science fiction is video chat. Any sci-fi flick worth its salt tells us how technology in the future will allow for effortless and easy communication. And, while we still don’t have Star Wars-style holograms, we do have video chat. Not only that, but modern video chat is totally free. I guess we’re getting a bit closer to the future.

Cell phone companies like Google and Apple are well aware of this. Android and iOS both come packaged with free video chat applications, Google Talk and FaceTime respectively. However, there is a surprisingly large number of third party video chat applications for Android that are totally free and are in many ways better than Google Talk. Here are a few viable alternatives if you’re looking to improve your video calling.

This article is part of the Beat The Stock series that explores the best replacements for your stock apps. Other articles in this series include -

1.   Messaging (SMS) Apps 
2.   Dialers and Contacts 
3.   Web Browsers
4.   Music Players
5.   Video Players
6.   Instant Messengers
7.   Video Chat Apps (Currently viewing)
   and others.

The Stock Video Chat App: Google Talk

We only mention this app as the baseline, the app from which everything else grows. Google Talk comes free on every Android device as the stock app. Granted, it’s not available on many custom ROMs, but at some point in your ownership of an Android device you will encounter it.

Google Talk is the kind of the bare minimum. The video quality is sketchy and the interface acceptable at best. It does integrate with your Gmail contacts nicely, but so does every other video calling app.

Then again, if you’re heavy Gmail user then Google Talk is nice because it’s fully cross-platform compatible. You can chat away with any fellow Gmail account via text or video calling across phones or PCs. Gmail fans might find something valuable here. I enjoyed the text chat system, even if it’s not Handcent SMS-smooth.

The only other knock I have against Google Talk is that not all its features are deployed across all devices. People with a high-end Android phone like a Nexus S get video calling, but lesser Android devices don’t.

If you don’t want to bother downloading an new video chat app, then Google Talk should work. It’s the stock app. While it’s by no means bad, it’s also not as complete and fully featured as several other calling and chat apps.

Best Alternatives to Google Talk:

Skype

Ah, Skype. There are many apps on this list, but Skype is my favorite. It’s clearly the leader in video calling. Even people who have no technical expertise know what Skype is. That in and of itself is a huge advantage for Skype – the user base is the largest of any video calling service.

The core of Skype is simple. Sign up for an account and download the app for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone, PC, Mac, and high-end television sets. The most important part (video calling) is free, and for the majority of people that’s all they need.

I can personally attest to Skype’s usefulness and value. Since my parents live hundreds of miles away from me, Skype video chat is a great way to see them without having to drive for hours. This is a godsend for college students who want to “phone home”.

Skype video quality is highly dependent on the device being used. Any modern Android device or decent PC can provide good quality video on a high speed internet connection. A lot depends on the camera installed on your Android device, but it’s generally good.

Skype does fall short in a few key ways, though. Video calling is strictly between two people  and has  no group chat – a feature that makes Fring so nice. Also, if you want extra features like offline calling or calling non-Skype numbers, you’ll have to pay extra for the privilege.

There is no text chat either. Everything is done by video or voice. This isn’t the worst feature to omit, but it’s kind of a nice touch. Text chat is the one area where Google Talk beats Skype.

All in all, Skype is a fantastic way to chat with family and friends. It’s the best for being free, easy to use, available on multiple devices, and a quality product. If you download any video calling app, Skype is the best.

Download Skype.

Fring

Fring is a good alternative to Skype. While it’s unfortunately limited to mobile devices only, it does offer one key feature that Skype doesn’t – group chat. If you have a couple friends on iOS or Android, you can do some cross-device chat.

Fring also does a good job of making everything presentable. Where Skype clothes its app in smooth blue and white, Fring is drawn in charmingly cartoonish graphics. It’s an interesting approach to an interface that works and helps differentiate Fring visually.

Speaking of visuals, Fring video calling quality seemed a lot more… mediocre than the other apps I tested. But then again, the quality is still good. It’s just not excellent.

Basically, if you’re dead set on group chatting with your iPhone/Android-wielding friends, then Fring is your best bet. However, the lack of users and support only for mobile devices will probably push everyone else to Skype.

Download Fring.

Tango

Tango is pretty darn similar to Skype. It’s available on Android, iPhone, PC, and Mac. Cross-platform video chat is allowed as long as it’s between two Tango users. I really liked how Tango automatically goes through your contacts list and shows you who has a Tango account, unlike Skype.

The video quality is solid, but as always is much improved over Wi-Fi. Video calling over 3G isn’t great, but you can say that about every video calling app. Bottom line is that if you’re dead set on a Skype alternative, then Tango is a solid choice.

Download Tango.

ooVoo

ooVoo is another excellent video calling alternative that offers a great deal more features than those of Google Talk. It offers video calling over Wi-Fi and all forms of data. However, the usual caveat applies. You can chat over data, but you’d better do it over Wi-Fi if you want good quality.

Similarly to Skype, ooVoo also includes voice calling, just like a real phone. All types of calls (video and voice) between ooVoo users are free, and they’ll generously let you call landlines and mobiles for a low cost per minute… just like Skype.

Basically, ooVoo enjoys all the advantages I mentioned for Skype, just without the massive user base and easy Facebook integration. If you’re desperate for a Skype alternative, this could serve you well.

Download ooVoo.

Google+ Hangouts

I’m no huge fan of Google+, but it does have an interesting video calling feature bearing the odd title of “Hangouts.” Google completely integrated a new video calling service into its burgeoning social network. The features are your stock video calling stuff, there’s nothing that reinvents the wheel here.

However, the nice part about Hangouts that makes it worth mentioning is just how integrated it is within Google+. Hangouts makes it easy to call up your friends to a little face-to-face. What Skype is to Facebook, Hangouts is to Google+. Fans of Google’s social network will probably enjoy the easy video calling, but if your friends are on Facebook then you may as well stick to Skype.

Download Google+.

Final Thoughts:

Though Google Talk is a good app for video calling, there are many options which are better both in terms of service and features. If you are seriously into video calling, it is better to get the best apps for the purpose. This list should make your hunt for the better video chat app easier.

Well, these are the best video calling applications that we found. What do you use for video calling? Let us know in the comments.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Beat The Stock: Best Alternative Video Chat Apps for Android
Read more about:: Android, Android Apps, Android Apps List, Beat The Stock, Top Android Apps, Video Apps

Now, though this is a new feature and a useful one, there is no option to customize your aero settings. You have no option to change or control the way the automatic aero settings work. This feature of Windows 8 was rumored since long and inspired by this, a developer has created AeroRainbow – an application to control the aero color on your Windows 7 system.

AeroRainbow is a useful utility for Windows 7 where you can set up the way the aero color changes on your desktop. There are various options to choose from and you can have the setting as per your preference. This is a cool tool that goes quite well with the Windows 7 Themes and is a recommended download.

Installation of AeroRainbow:

AeroRainbow is a small utility and the installation is not difficult. Run the installer and proceed as per the directions on screen.

Select the components that you wish to install for the application.

‘Add to startup’ creates a start menu entry. If you choose to add ‘Shortcut on Desktop’, the application adds three icons to the desktop – one each for Start, Close and Settings.

Once you are finished with the setup, the AeroRainbow icon is added to the taskbar for quick access.

AeroRainbow Settings:

Click on the AeroRainbow icon in the taskbar and a window pops up that shows the current and next aero color.

Right click on the taskbar icon to select the next color, configure the application settings, see application info,  online help or close AeroRainbow.

AeroRainbow is simple to configure and allows you to choose from various settings as shown below.

Always random color: A random aero color is applied periodically.

Use the colors list: The colors of your choice apply to Aero periodically.

Use wallpaper as color source: Your current wallpaper is used as source of color to calculate the dominant or average color.

Use active windows as color source: The colors present in your currently active window are used to calculate aero color. There is also the option to use only the icons in the currently active window for aero color calculation.

Conclusion:

AeroRainbow is a useful utility that takes care of your aero settings for an enhanced aero experience on your Windows 7 systems. When used with windows 7 themes, it gives a smoother look to the desktop as the aero color matches the overall color of the desktop wallpaper. The above shown settings should go nicely with our windows 7 themes and we recommend that you try out this utility!

Download AeroRainbow From WinAero.

Alternate Download Link for AeroRainbow.

See Also:

Check out a few more apps that let you customize your Windows 7 OS here.

• The Windows 7 Snipping Tool Makes It Easy For Anyone to Get Started Taking Screenshots
• Windows 7 Defender Protects You From Threats You Don’t See Coming
• What is the Windows 7 Action Center and How it Can Automate The Process Of Protecting Your PC
• How to Enable and Use Remote Desktop On Windows 7

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Get Windows 8′s Automatic Aero Color Feature in Windows 7 with AeroRainbow [Customization]
Read more about:: Customization, Windows 7, Windows Tools, Windows Utilities

These games are intended for a wider audience than niche titles like, say, The Witcher 2. We hesitate to use the word “casual,” but in many ways that’s what a good mobile game is. To play these titles, you don’t need to be a “hardcore gamer,” just someone with time to spare. Really, even the complicated game on this list is easy to pick up. What games do we recommend? Read on to find out.

Dead Space (Android)

People who play games on Xbox Live or Steam should recognize this one. Dead Space is one of the most high-profile horror franchises out right now. Playing this game on Xbox with the sound turned up and the lights out is a terrifying experience. Dead Space is scary.

Or at least the console version is. How does its mobile cousin hold up? Relatively well, in fact. Let’s get this out of the way right now: Dead Space for Android is nowhere near as scary as Dead Space for Xbox. However, the game remains fun and still gave me a couple jolts.

Where the Dead Space app really impresses is its production values. After installing, you have to download over 100 MB of sound and graphics files for the game to run. It takes up quite a bit of SD card space… but the result is pretty amazing. Dead Space for Android looks and sounds remarkably like its Xbox relative.

That helps a lot with the fear factor. Played in a dark room with headphones, Dead Space for Android can get a little freaky. Especially when the monsters show up. Necromorphs are just as horrifying on a phone screen.

Fighting them can be somewhat tricky, though. The controls are entirely touch screen (with a clever use of the gyroscope thrown in). Touch screen shooting games are inherently inaccurate, and Dead Space only somewhat escapes this problem. If you find yourself struggling with the difficulty, there is an option for easy mode.

Other than that, Dead Space for Android is pretty cool. Hardcore fans will want to play it for the extra story content and casual fans should try it just for the scares. Aside from a lackluster beginning (they actually make you do maintenance work before fighting necromorphs), Dead Space for Android is a great way to that jolt of fear on your phone.

Download Dead Space

Slide to Unlock (iOS)

This is a strange one. Slide to Unlock takes the simple act of unlocking an iPhone and extrapolates it to absurd levels. Really, they built an entire game around the idea of unlocking sliders as fast as possible.

The basic gameplay is rather scarce. A slider will enter the screen. You have to swipe the button on said slider (and unlock it) as fast as possible, as many times as possible. It’s an odd game. Slide to Unlock also includes OpenFeint integration, so you can claim the dubious honor of being good at unlocking your phone.

The game comes in two flavors, Classic and Twist. Classic tasks you with clearing away as many sliders as possible before they fill the screen. There’s no strategy- just keep swiping to the right. The game keeps track of your time, sliders cleared, and rate of unlocking.

Twist mode throws in a radical change by requiring you to swipe to the right and the left in order to unlock sliders. We know, what an incredible difference. The stats and gameplay objectives are the same as in Classic mode.

As thoroughly mediocre as Slide to Unlock sounds from the past three paragraphs, the game is strangely compelling. There’s a simple entertainment to be found in mindlessly unlocking slider after slider. While reviewing it, we ended up playing Slide to Unlock for much longer than was necessary for the review alone.

If you don’t mind dropping $1 on something as odd as Slide to Unlock, there’s some entertainment to be had.

Download Slide to Unlock

Monster Truck Demolisher

In case you couldn’t tell from the title, Monster Truck Demolisher (MTD) is a little bit bombastic. Who are we kidding; this is one of the most over-the-top Flash titles we’ve ever had the joy to play. Many Flash games are fun, but few have the style of Monster Truck Demolisher.

MTD sets the mood literally from the first menu screen. You’re greeted with an obnoxiously loud guitar solo that mercifully ends once the level loads. The game is what we imagine would happen if Michael Bay made a Flash title.

Speaking of explosions, that’s pretty much the sum of MTD’s gameplay. You drive a truck using the arrow keys across a level. Balance is essential, as flipping the truck is a quick way to see the game over screen. Think of this as a really overblown version of ExciteBike.

As you progress through the level, you encounter and pick up small items which add to the total score. They look like little gas cans but we honestly couldn’t tell what they were. Whatever the answer is, they make a (nonlethal) explosion when you pick them up. Picking up a couple of the item things causes a humorous string of explosions.

Monster Truck Demolisher is some good silly fun. As far as Flash games go, this is a good one.

Play Monster Tuck Demolisher

Which of these games did you like the most? Let us know in the comments.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Weekend Games Corner: Dead Space, Slide to Unlock and Monster Truck Demolisher Are Our Picks for the Week
Read more about:: Android Games, Flash Games, Gaming, iPhone Games, Weekend Games Corner

While Google claims its “simpler” privacy policy will benefit users, uproar has taken over the Internet everywhere from Gizmodo to The Washington Post online. In essence, Google is taking the individual privacy policies of over 60 services and combining them into one policy. For users, this may make some sense but for others, this is just the beginning of the problem for Google.

How is Google changing its privacy policy?

Basically, Google is combining privacy policies into one single document for users to agree to. This will actually apply to a handful of documents, such as Terms and Conditions, that vary from product to product on Google. If you use a Google account, which means you use more than one service tied to the same e-mail address, you will be the most affected by this change in privacy policy.

For those using a Google account for services, information from one service to another will be combined into a single data pool. This hodge podge of data can then be shared from service to service through Google and imported into targeted ads, videos and more that the company sells to advertisers. While your data itself will be safe from third parties, it is the way Google wants to share information from service to service that is in question.

Alma Whitten, Google’s Director of Privacy, said of the changes:

“In short, we’ll treat you as a single user across all our products, which will mean a simpler, more intuitive Google experience.”

Google asserts it still believes in the things that made them stand out from other web sites and search engines over the years. Things such as being able to take your data with you and not selling your information. However, these platitudes have fallen on deaf ears as more and more people are beginning to question whether Google wants to change the world or simply join the corporate atmosphere of earning money above standing by principle.

Google’s changes to its privacy policy take effect March 1st, 2012. You can opt to accept the changes now or wait until later but come the deadline, if you want to continue to use Google, you will be forced to accept the changes whether you agree to them or not.

You can read the Google’s new Privacy Policy, Terms of Service and FAQ now.

You will also be prompted to read about the changes upon logging into a service if you have not already received the e-mail Google has sent out about the changes.

How does Google’s privacy policy changes directly affect you?

Let’s say you wake up one morning and decide you want to check out what the buzz is about with Madonna’s upcoming Super Bowl appearance. You use YouTube to first try to preview some tracks from her new album or watch her latest music video. After watching a few videos, you head out to work for the day and later that same day you decide to check your e-mail. You may be greeted with ads for Madonna’s latest album and local retailers who carry it. Google took the information you searched for on YouTube and changed the way the ads worked in Gmail to display what they thought you might want to see.

Google will basically be able to take the information you use on multiple services, share them with others and personalize what they call the “Google experience” for you. While for some this may be beneficial or they see no harm, for others this is an invasion of privacy especially when it comes to data from their chats, calendars and e-mails that they thought were safe from such intrusion.

The debate over Google’s changes to its privacy policy and the way it uses data have just begun, make sure to do your own research and make up your own mind if you can live with what Google is to become on March 1st, 2012.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Google Changes Its Privacy Policy – What Does This Mean For Users?
Read more about:: Google, News, Privacy

There are many programs out there that help users recover deleted files and photos. Piriform has introduced one such program called Recuva. Recuva allows you to easily recover files from your hard drive, external drives and even flash drives. Recuva is easy to use for even the novice computer user and our guide will show you how to get started recovering files and photos on your computer.

How to use Recuva

The quickest way to get started recovering files and photos with Recuva is to utilize the built-in recovery wizard upon start-up.

While you can turn this feature off, for those who are unfamiliar with how file recovery works, this wizard can be a beneficial way to get started with this software.

Click “Next” to continue.

You can choose which file types the Recuva wizard searches for to recover.

This can include pictures, music, documents, video, compressed files and folders, e-mails and every possible file on your computer. Click the type you want to find or simply click “Other” followed by “Next” to search for all deleted files.

Next, you will choose where to look for these files.

If you know exactly where it was, you can choose from the following options: On my media card or iPod, in my documents, in the recycle bin or in a specific location. If you choose a specific location, you can pinpoint the hard drive, partition or removable media device you want to search.

You can also opt to click “I’m not sure” to search everywhere on your computer.

Click “Next” to move on to the next step.

Before the scan begins for deleted files, you can choose to perform a deep scan. Only perform a deep scan if you are positive about what you are searching for and could not find it the first time around.

Click “Start” to begin the scan.

A pop-up will appear giving you the rundown on how long the scan will take, what Recuva is scanning and the progress of each scan.

When finished, another window will appear giving you the results of the scan.

Every file found will be available for you to take a look at and see what is recoverable and what is not.

Keep in mind that when you delete a file or folder on your computer, it is not necessarily deleted permanently. Until another file or folder overwrites the original after being saved, the file is still available for recovery. As long as the file is still available to be recovered, Recuva can restore it for you.

Simply click on the check box next to the file. If you cannot recover it, it will let you know to the right of the screen.

Click “Recover.”

You can then choose where you want to save the file for recovery.

A pop-up will appear asking if you want to save the file on the same drive it was deleted from.

In many cases, restoring a previously deleted file to an area it was not originally stored is the best way to actually recover the file. Rewriting the data to the same place it was deleted can cause complications. You can always recover a file or folder to a removable media drive, such as a flash drive or external hard drive to reduce the chance of failure.

When you are ready to to recover the file and have chosen a place to recover it to, click “Yes” on the pop-up.

If the recovery was successful, a pop-up will appear letting you know.

If it was not successful, a pop-up will also appear alerting you.

You can now open, work with and start to use the file you recovered.

At any time while using Recuva, you can open up the Advanced Mode by clicking “Switch to advanced mode” in the right hand side of the program.

This gives you access to all the features the wizard does without walking through the steps to recover a file like it did.

You can choose which area to scan, how to scan, use a keyword and work with the options for Recuva.

Once you get the hang of the program through the wizard, you will become more comfortable with using Recuva in its advanced mode.

Is Recuva foolproof for file and photo recovery in Windows?

No software tasked with recovering files, photos and more is foolproof. Some files cannot be recovered because they are unreadable or overwritten. When you begin tinkering around with data recovery, you also want to learn what data recovery is all about.

This will help you understand just how the process works and how programs like Recuva can help make it easier to recover files deleted. Recuva is a great tool to recover lost files, folders and more if they are still able to be recovered.

Download Recuva.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: How to Recover Deleted Files and Photos In Windows Using Recuva
Read more about:: Data Recovery, Delete Files, File Management, Freeware, How To, Windows Utilities

It is, however, in QtADB. Don’t let the awkward and generic name fool you. QtADB is one of the most useful tools we’ve ever come across. It doesn’t do a whole lot of “new” things per se, but what the app does it does well. What can QtADB do for you? Simply put, a whole lot. We came away from our time with this app very impressed with its easy interface and all-around usefulness.

QtADB is the Swiss Army knife of the Android enthusiast- not perfect for anything but pretty good at nearly everything. Here’s why you should definitely look into QtADB.

What Is It?

At its most basic level, QtADB is a souped-up file manager for Android devices. Where it excels is in the impressively large number of features it offers. QtADB is several good rooting apps molded together into one awesomely useful program. For a service that advertises itself as still in beta, QtADB is very polished.

The service is a program for Windows, OS X, and Linux. It integrates with the Android Software Development Kit (SDK), using the SDK software to send commands to your phone from the PC. This allows you to execute a number of useful actions from an easy-to-use desktop program.

What Does It Do?

QtADB is jam-packed with features. We already alluded to its file-managing capabilities. The desktop program places files from the PC hard drive and the phone SD card side by side for easy drag and drop. Moving files back and forth is very streamlined.

Using the SDK capabilities, QtADB also lets you take screenshots of your phone quickly. The screen captures load with relative speed and can be saved directly to the hard drive, a nice touch. Even though we could already take screen captures with CyanogenMod 7, QtADB’s screenshots were much faster.

Another miscellaneous addition is the Info section. Here QtADB lists battery level, phone model, bootloader version, radio, and available memory by section. It’s not mind-blowing, but it is useful to know more about your system.

Message Received

The desktop program also claims to be a text manager. Unfortunately, this part is still very much in development. We could read texts but were unable to send or respond to any. It appears from the developer’s website that this functionality is limited to the HTC Magic and Wildfire. We unfortunately could not get it working on our HTC Evo 4G.

This is a particular shame because the text manager looks particularly cool. Reading and responding to texts with a PC (on a real keyboard, no less) sound like excellent features. Here’s hoping it gets implemented on more phones soon.

App Control

Then there’s the app manager… oh, the app manager. It’s basically the free version of Titanium Backup, on the PC. You can uninstall apps right from the desktop program. Alternatively, you can store backups of the app, the app’s data, or the app and its data… just like Titanium Backup Free.

The ability to save app backups directly to a PC is very convenient. Whenever we flash a new ROM, we end up transferring Titanium Backup files back and forth between the PC and SD card. Now the files are stored on the PC and can be restored directly to the phone.

QtADB threw in a few extra features, just for good measure. Selecting an app also displays its technical information. File size, developer, package name, that sort of thing. It also comes with direct links to that app in the Market, PC and phone version.

Assisted Development

For app developers, QtADB included shell commands. Those of you who are more technically savvy and know this stuff can send remote commands to the phone via QtADB. Not so useful for ordinary users, but helpful for developers.

Similarly, QtADB provides easy access to Logcat. This is more or less a record of the system debugging output. The log itself lists system events like an app launch, starting or stopping charging, etc. Again, developer stuff.

Rooting and Recovery

Hidden away in the top “Tools” menu is a set of very useful power options for your phone. QtADB is more than happy to help reboot your phone normally, to bootloader, or into recovery. While that’s a pretty popular feature (it comes with CyanogenMod 7 and ROM Manager), it’s still a nice addition.

Once in recovery, you can actually do rooting-flashing-things right from QtADB. Saving a nandroid backup or restoring to one is as easy as a single click in the desktop client. It even lets you flash .zip files and do factory resets. It’s an easy way to control your recovery system.

That’s why it was such a shame we couldn’t get the recovery features of QtADB to work on our Evo 4G with ClockworkMod 5.0.2.2 installed. We contacted the developer, who confirmed that only Amon-Ra recovery is compatible with QtADB. This is a shame as CWM is quite popular as a recovery system.

Setup and Availability

This is where it gets a little messy. QtADB requires a working copy of the Android SDK in order to work. That’s a fairly large download. QtADB isn’t, though. Just download the desktop client (which comes with an .apk for the phone-side app) and install it on top of the SDK.

Once that’s done, setting up a connection is easy. Connect your phone via USB cable and turn on USB debugging (Settings > Applications). QtADB should automatically find the linked device. It offers the ability to connect via Wifi, but we don’t recommend it. Wired is much faster than wireless.

And, of course, QtADB needs root access. Something this useful would never be able to run without root.

See QtADB in action in this video:

Final Thoughts

All in all, QtADB is a very impressive app/program. We really liked its wide range of features and unintimidating interface. QtADB makes the nitty-gritty parts of Android modification (like app backup and saving nandroids) a little more smooth.

Our only criticism is that QtADB doesn’t really do anything new. All of its main features have been done before in other apps. Titanium Backup and ROM Manager alone cover most of QtADB’s capabilities. However, what makes this service special is that it brings all these features under one roof. It’s got several apps worth of features.

For those of you who don’t mind being tethered to a PC (or god forbid enjoy using one), QtADB is an incredibly useful way to manage your phone. The sheer amount of convenience packed into this little app is impressive.

Download QtADB

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: QtADB for Android Lets You Manage Your Files & Apps, Take Screenshots and More From Your Desktop
Read more about:: Android, Android Productivity, Android Shortcuts, Android Tools, Development, Tools