That’s where Wind River comes in. Those who follow Silicon Valley will probably recognize the name of the famous Intel subsidiary. They work on quite a few projects, some of which are focused on Android. The good folks at Wind River are taking aim at some of the annoyances that have plagued Android since the start while simultaneously adding new features.

Unfortunately, these goodies are for developers only. So, if you’re not making your own version of Android, Wind River’s products aren’t for you. The good news is that some of the stuff you’ll see here might appear on the next couple Android tablets. Let’s take a look at what Wind River has to offer.

What Do They Make?

For a company with so many Android ventures, Wind River has a surprisingly eclectic history of products. They’ve done everything from medical technology to Linux distros to, well, Android.

The Android products aren’t apps so much as nifty programming frameworks. These days with Sense and TouchWiz and the Kindle Fire it seems like everybody makes their own version of Android.

That’s what Wind River’s products are for- helping developers make a better form of Android. With some Wind River programming, your ordinary Honeycomb or Ice Cream Sandwich becomes a little easier to use (and a lot cooler).

What Do The Frameworks Do?

Wind River sells Android frameworks that basically improve the basic Android experience. Probably the best one we found was a product claiming to enhance the user interface of an Android device.

Let’s face it- Android doesn’t have the best UI (at least when compared to a certain other product). It could always use improving. Wind River starts with a pretty basic thing- cutting the necessary boot time in half.

That’s the graph from their site which claims to dramatically reduce the time necessary to boot up. After using countless different ROMs which all take forever to boot, we can attest that this is a godsend.

But that’s not it. The really cool improvement is the addition of real PC-type Windows. Apps no longer run in full screen all the time, but rather occupy windows which can overlap, shrink, be resized or dragged around (see picture below).

Computers have been able to do this since the original Macintosh, so it only makes sense that the same capability should come to Android. Obviously it would work better on tablets than on phones, but I could still see some use for always having a music player in a window on screen.

From a competitive perspective, Windows 8 will launch for tablets with the ability to run multiple apps at the same time, on the same screen. Android would do well to beat Microsoft to the punch.

Final Thoughts

Wind River’s products seem pretty good. They also offer a streaming media center, but that’s nothing that can’t be done with AirTwist. That particular functionality has been commercially available for a long rime already.

Still, apps in windows look especially neat. I love the idea of being able to quickly switch between apps like I can do with windows on my PC. Granted, it would probably drive app developers insane in coding. How do you program for a resizable window?

It’s unknown if any of these features will be implemented in the future. I did some searching and couldn’t find any news about Wind River being licensed, but hopefully that will change. In the meantime, keep an eye out for their products. When they arrive, it will certainly make things interesting.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Wind River Plans to Make Your Android Device More Like A PC. Here’s How.
Read more about:: Android, Development, PC

LockHunter not only deletes files and folders that are locked by other processes but helps you figure out what is locking them whether it is a process, a program or something else in the background. Our guide will walk you through how easy LockHunter is to use so you can get started using it right away.

How to use LockHunter

For starters, let’s take a look at what happens when you try to delete a folder that is locked by a process.

This pop-up should be familiar for users trying to delete a file or folder.

Windows always asks for confirmation so you do not accidentally delete something important. Click “Yes” to continue.

The next pop-up might be a familiar frustration for users who have run into locked files or folders.

If you click Try Again, you will simply get the same message again unless you know exactly what needs to be closed that are locking the file or folder. Click “Cancel” to close the pop-up.

After downloading and installing LockHunter, you want to go ahead and open it up to get started.

The main screen is where you will do the majority of work with LockHunter.

From here, you can locate the file or folder you want to eliminate, as well as either delete it or check out other information on why they were locked to begin with.

Click on the “…” button.

A small drop down menu will appear letting you specifically look for either a file or a folder. Click “Browse for a drive or a folder…” to continue.

You can now locate the folder giving you grief. Select it. Then, click “Ok.”

You will follow similar steps for locating a file that is locked.

Now, LockHunter will let you know exactly what is locking the folder in question.

In this case, there must be a Word document opened within the folder that makes it impossible to delete.

There are now two different ways you can go about unlocking the folder in question. You can either delete it without consequence to what has it opened and locked ort you can choose to end the process and manually delete the folder.

Click “Other…”

Another drop down menu will appear, allowing you the option to either close the locking process or delete the locking process from your hard drive disk. Do not ever click the latter unless you are completely positive the process is malicious, such as a Trojan, hijacker or other type of virus. If you choose to delete the locking process, you may inadvertently ruin your ability to use a program or other software related to that process.

Click “Close Locking Processes.”

A pop-up will appear giving you warning that the process will be shut down. This means that any other documents or files opened by the process and working with it will be lost and unsaved. If you are okay with that, click “Yes” to continue.

While closing the process is a good way to identify what is causing a file or folder to be locked, you can also choose to just delete a file or folder from LockHunter without warning about the process.

When you have chosen the file or folder, click “Delete It” instead of Other….

Another pop-up will appear warning you of the process for simply deleting a file or folder. First, LockHunter will close all processes. This means any data will be lost and unsaved. Then, it will go ahead and delete the file or folder in question on your behalf. You must click Yes to make this happen, otherwise click No, save whatever other data you may need to save and then go back to using LockHunter to delete what you need eliminated.

You can use one more feature of LockHunter on a file or folder called Unlock It!. This feature allows you to close all processes conflicting with deleting a file or folder. This allows you to either delete the file or folder in question or simply have access to it again if a conflict is causing issues opening, moving or otherwise working with them. Simply click “Unlock It!” to start.

One more pop-up will appear letting you know all processes associated with the file or folder will be terminated. Click “Yes” to continue with the process or No to abort it.

Now, you can use LockHunter as you see fit to help combat locked files and folders on your computer.

How handy is LockHunter?

LockHunter is an exceptionally easy to use and handy tool for any computer user. Whether you know about computers or not, LockHunter can be used right away after installation with little instructions for most. LockHunter makes the process of deleting undeletable files and folders much quicker than trying to locate what is locking a file or folder to begin with on your own.

Since most users do not know what is actually locking a folder or file, LockHunter takes the guessing game out of your hands and lets you do what you have wanted to do all along without much effort: Delete a file or folder.

Download LockHunter.

See Also:

• How to Delete Stubborn Undeletable Files From Your PC the Easy Way
• How to Recover Deleted Files and Photos In Windows Using Recuva
• Encrypt Dropbox Files and Folders On the Fly Using Boxcryptor

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: How to Use LockHunter to Delete Those Stubborn Files and Folders
Read more about:: Freeware, How To

If you are not tagging photos and sharing them with your Circles, why are you uploading them to Google+ or anywhere on the Internet? It’s a great way of adding relevant information to your photos as well as keeping your friends in loop about new updates. We will walk through how to tag photos and how to share them so you can get the most out of uploading pictures to your Google+ profile.

How to tag photos on Google+

You will be able to tag any of your own photos with ease. If you tag someone in them, they may have to approve whether they can be tagged or not and once they do, it will appear on the picture publicly. Keep in mind that tagging your own photos automatically makes them public, so be careful which photos you want to tag and which you want to avoid.

To begin tagging, either click on a photo or use the Photo toolbar icon to head to your gallery.

Once there, pick a photo you want to tag and click on it.

A sidebar will automatically load on the right giving you the option to start tagging. Make sure to click “Add a new tag.”

Now, you can use the circular tool that appears on the photo to find the best location for the tag. If you do not want to tag the area you set, click the “X” to find a new place to tag.

Once you are ready to tag, click the “Click face to tag” option.

A small text box will appear for you to type in a name. Choose the correct person from the list and click on them.

For the most part, Google+ will list those in your Circles first, following by strangers for you to pick from.

At the top of the screen, a small yellow window will appear letting you know the picture has been successfully tagged.

If it is someone who allows tagging, the tag will appear immediately. If it is someone who wants to approve tags, it may take some time before it appears on the photo.

If at any time you want to remove a tag, just head back to the photo in question and click the “X” next to the tag.

Another confirmation of the removal will appear as a pop-up. Click “Ok” to remove the tag.

Tagging photos is easy to do, can be done by just about anyone and is one of the many ways to personalize, share and remember moments from a photo by all of those involved.

How to share photos on Google+

There are two times when any Google+ user may want to share a photo: When you first upload it or down the line when you want to highlight something from a picture, such as a moment, a person or a feeling. You can easily share any photo by navigating to it in your gallery or by sharing it as soon as you upload when asked.

If you want to share a photo after it has been uploaded for some time, just navigate to that picture.

Click on the “Share” button at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

Now, fill out the familiar sharing window in Google+ with your comments, your Circles and just click “Share” to begin sharing it.

When successfully shared, a small yellow confirmation box will appear at the top of your screen.

If you visit your Stream afterwards, you will see it ready for folks to view, comment and +1.

If you opted to upload a fresh photo, one of the last steps after the picture uploads to Google+ is the option to share the album and what it contains with your Stream.

Simply fill in the Share screen, then click “Share” to make your photos visible to those Circles you chose on Google+.

Sharing photos is not only a great way to let people know what is going on in your life visually but it is also a way to let people find photos they may have missed taking themselves.

How does tagging and sharing photos on Google+ benefit you?

Tagging photos lets you know and those viewing pictures who is in them and who joined in on the fun. This can be beneficial when trying to remember an event or just reminiscing about old times. By taking the time to tag your photos and allowing others to do the same, you get to add yourself to the memory of the photo in a small way.

Sharing photos on Google+ lets others see what you are up to and how you view the world whether you are in front of the camera or behind it. Mobile phone cameras and digital cameras allow us to capture the world, moments, events, people and more easier now than ever. By sharing these moments on Google+, you let your Circles in on what you find important and what you partake in during the day.

Google+ is all about sharing updates, pictures, videos and other forms of communications with those you know, those you do not know and those you are getting to know. The concept of Circles allows users to take this even further by limiting how they share to a need to know basis. This can make tagging and sharing photos on Google+ the most secure way of connecting with those you work with, you family, friends and more. Only those who you want to see certain photos will and when you take the time to tag and share properly, you can make that happen.

See Also:

• How to Set Up Privacy Settings, Account Recovery Options and Notifications in Google+
• How to Use Instant Upload to Share Photos and Videos on Google+ On the Go [Android]
• Not Sure about Joining Google+? Our Guide to Creating  a Google+ Profile Shows How Easy It Is
• Enhance Google Plus Profile Banner with Google+ Scrap Photos Generator

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Google+ Guide: How to Tag and Share Photos on Google+
Read more about:: Google, Google+ Features, Google+ Profile, How To

Simply put, you can make several bookmark bars with totally different sets of bookmarks and easily switch between the different Bookmark bars. If you use a service like Foxish allowing you access to RSS feeds in the Bookmark bar, you can have a bar for your RSS feeds and one for your other Bookmarks.

**Please note that this extension does not work with the built-in syncing feature of Chrome. Other than that, the service works very well.

(image credit)

After installing Bookmark Bar Switcher

You will see a new icon to the right of the address bar. This is where you toggle between the multiple bars.

When you click on the BMB switcher icon for the first time, there will only be one bar in the list. The initial Bookmark bar is named Default. To add another bar, click New bar.

You will just need to name the new Bookmark bar.

When you have all of the bars you think you’ll need added, its time to add bookmarks. There is an option called Manage bars that shows up when you click on the icon. If you select this option, you will see a screen something like this. You will see all of your Bookmark bars in the tree of folders.

If you have a lot of bookmarks already, this is a great way to distribute them to different bars. You can drag and drop them to the appropriate folder and they should then appear on that Bookmark bar.

Why you need multiple Bookmark bars

When you are on the computer a lot, be it for fun or for work, you will end up saving sites you’d like to return to someday. The problem is, most people suck at organizing their bookmarks. Believe me, I’m right there with ya.

When you have multiple bars, new organizational doors are opened. You can use each bar for a different purpose. What I mean is, you can have a bar for your social sites and bookmarklets. Another one for your job hunting and even another one for RSS feeds in the Bookmark bar.

Conclusion

Instead of having your bookmarks stored in a folder that’s in a folder that’s in a folder where they will be forgotten about, make a few Bookmarks bars so you can go back and read them like you intended to do when you saved the URL to the site.

Download Bookmark Bar Switcher

See Also:

• Google Chrome Multiple Profiles
• How To Use Multiple Firefox Profiles At The Same Time
• Easily Switch and Create New Profiles in Firefox With Switchy

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Got Too Many Bookmarks? Switch Between Multiple Bookmark Bars in Chrome with BMB Switcher
Read more about:: Bookmarks, Chrome Extensions, Folders, Profiles

Enter Valve. Any good PC gamer knows Valve, the creators of Steam. Steam is a centralized PC gaming service, sort of like the Xbox Live of computer games. Speaking as someone who primarily plays games on the computer, Steam is fantastic. They offer a huge library of games that download at ludicrously fast speeds. Steam is so convenient it’s actually easier than piracy. Plus, everything on Steam is legal and rewards the developer for their hard work.

I use Steam quite often. Whether it’s for a quick match of Team Fortress 2 or a prolonged session of destruction in Grand Theft Auto IV, Steam is always there. It’s just that helpful. So, when the Steam app came out, we at VikiTech knew we had to get a look at it. Does the app live up to the high standards of quality Valve is known for? We found out below.

Gaming With Friends

One of the most popular functions of Steam is its friends functionality. Make an account and you can add other users to a list of friends. A well-cultivated friends list is a great source of co-op partners or competitors. I enjoy working with one of my friends in Team Fortress 2 as a Medic-Heavy duo.

The Steam mobile app lets you do just about everything with your friends that you can do on a real PC. After signing in, you can view the friends list and see what people are playing. If they’re online, you can chat with them right here within the app.

The chat function is especially nice. It functions just like texting and feels a lot more natural than using small dialog boxes on the PC. During testing I found that chat worked just fine and was really preferable to typing. Plus, you can do it without a PC.

The app also gives room for viewing friends’ profiles. On a user’s profile is listed interesting stuff like what that person is currently playing, their purchased library, screenshots and videos (coming soon) they’ve taken, that sort of thing. It’s very cool.

Buying Something New

Steam is a store, lest we forget. It exists primarily to sell you games. Usually buying a new game means turning on a PC and starting up the Steam desktop client. Valve is up to their usual tricks, though, and has made buying games even easier. Now you can do it right from the mobile app.

The Steam app lists every single game available in their catalog. The system of displaying titles available for purchase isn’t as good as the desktop version (no divisions by genre), but you can find any title by searching for it.

Besides the genre categories, everything that is associated with Steam on desktop is there for the mobile app. Popular games, recent releases, and daily deals are all there for your convenient purchase. If an unfamiliar game appears, the app includes a description and screenshots from the game. Basically, the Steam app gives you all the tools necessary to make an informed purchase.

To test the service and see if it really works, I purchased one of the games on sale. The app handled my purchase without a hitch. It added the game (Flotilla) to my cart. At checkout Steam for Android downloaded my saved financial data and coordinated flawlessly with PayPal. The payment went through and the purchase worked.

Obviously, you can’t download a PC game to your phone. That’s just not physically possible (or a good idea). The Steam mobile app only goes so far. Purchased games are added to your cloud-stored library, but you still have to download them on an actual PC.

Breaking the News

This is an unexpected addition, but very much appreciated. The Steam app comes with a free lifetime subscription to popular PC gaming news sources like Kotaku, PC Gamer, and Rock Paper Shotgun. The articles aren’t exclusively about PC gaming (at least in Kotaku). They’re still interesting if you follow the game industry.

I really liked the news sources. Sure, you could get all the same information from any decent RSS reader. It’s still a nice inclusion even if the user interface isn’t great. That’s an unrelated point, some Android users are peeved that the UI looks designed for iOS.

Final Thoughts

The Steam mobile app is so Valve-ian that it’s almost a cliché. The app is another well-designed product that focuses on customer service and convenience. Steam by itself is pretty awesome. Bringing it to another platform, even in a slightly limited form, is definitely a win.

The best thing that can be said about the Steam app is that it’s everything you can do on the desktop version. Without actually playing PC games on your phone, of course. For Steam fans or anyone who lives by PC gaming, this is absolutely a must-have app.

The only real caveat is that non-Steam users won’t get anything out of it. That and loading. There is a whole lot of loading in this app. Besides those minor quibbles, this app is a great way to get a dose of Steam on the go.

Download Steam App:

Download Steam for Android

Download Steam for iOS

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Steam Comes to Android & iOS – Let’s You Chat With Friends, Buy Games & Follow Gaming News
Read more about:: Android, Android Apps, Gaming, iPhone

The Windows XPS Viewer is a printer-free way of saving documents, accessing them and working with them without printing them. This saves paper, allows you to have access to your documents no matter where you are and gives you the chance to work with them in ways you would if you had printed them.

Let us take a look at how the Windows XPS Viewer works.

What is the Windows XPS Viewer?

The Windows XPS Viewer is a program that allows you to view and work with XPS file formats. XPS stands for XML Paper Specification. It can be used in a variety of formats and can easily be created from just about any Windows-based program. Even if you no longer have the software on your computer, you can still open and work with the XPS files you create.

You can do the following with XPS files:

• Save copies
• Search through the files
• Zoom in or out
• Digitally sign
• Set up permissions

How to install Windows XPS viewer

The first step to using the Windows XPS Viewer is to ensure it is enabled on your operating system. For the most part, it is installed with every version of Microsoft Windows. However, while tinkering and playing around with your system, you may have inadvertently turned it off or uninstalled it.

Click on your “Start Menu.”

Now, click on the “Control Panel.”

From there, you want to look under the Programs and Features header. Click on “Turn Windows features on.”

A pop-up will appear with a variety of Windows features, it will take a few seconds to load. Once loaded, you want to scroll down and locate XPS Services and XPS Viewers. Make sure these boxes are checked; if not, check them and click “Ok.”

Windows will then install both and when finished, you will be able to work with XPS files.

How to use Windows XPS Viewer

If you have an XPS file, it will automatically open in the Windows XPS Viewer. There is nothing you need to do to make that happens. It is automatically associated with the XPS Viewer.

The Windows XPS Viewer is utilized to view, search through, set permissions and sign XPS files. These files can be created in a handful of other programs, such as the Microsoft Office suite.

At the top of the Windows XPS Viewer, you have a toolbar, a search area and the help guide.

At the top left, you will see the toolbar. It includes three drop down menus: File, Permissions and Signatures.

Click on “File.”

You will find the common options for the document here, such as Open, Save as…, Print and more.

Now, click on “Permissions.”

This is where you set the permissions for the open XPS file. In order to begin setting permissions, you want to click on “Choose default account…” From there, you will click on “Add new account…” and go through the steps to create an account and set it as the default.

Finally, click “Signatures.”

You can then either sign the document or request signatures if you are sharing it with others. In order to sign a document, you must have already created a digital signature. There are a variety of digital signature software programs you can use, so make sure you have set one up first to sign any XPS documents.

You can also request signatures by clicking “Request signatures…”

Here you will enter in the names of those you need signatures from, the date by which you need them to sign and why you are requesting signatures. Click “Request” to save these options.

Now, the next time you or someone else opens the XPS file. They will see at the top that signatures are requested. If they click on that bar, a sidebar will open for them to sign.

Click on the signature area.

You can now fill in the details requested, then click “Sign” to continue.

At the top right hand of the Windows XPS Viewer, you will see a search box. If you type in what you are looking for and click enter, you will be given the results back of what you searched for.

You can also click the “?” mark to access the help files for the Windows XPS Viewer.

These are the basics of the Windows XPS Viewer. For now, it is a very easy way to work with documents without having to print them out.

How often will you use the Windows XPS Viewer?

Most Windows 7 users have no idea it comes with a built-in XPS Viewer. In fact, many consumers do not even know this file format exists because they are so used to working with PDFs when it comes to the types of things XPS does.

XPS is a worthy alternative to PDF but since many do not use it, it may not be the most compatible way to share documents. As more users become comfortable with the format, it will become a more widely accepted way to work with documents without wasting paper to mark them up offline.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: What is the Windows XPS Viewer and How to Use It Efficiently?
Read more about:: How To, Windows 7, Windows 7 Features

Your Windows Live Family Safety settings are configured online through Windows Live as opposed to directly on your computer. Our guide will show you how to use Windows Live Family Safety to keep undesirable content away from your Windows PC and explore its different features.

How to use Windows Live Family Safety

If you do not have Windows Live Family Safety installed as part of your Windows Live Essentials suite, you want to visit Microsoft’s web site to download its installer.

Follow the instructions given, and once installed, you can begin using it right away. When open Windows Live Family Safety for the first time, you will be asked to login to your primary Windows Live account.

This will be the account that manages the settings across your network, PCs and more. Once you enter your e-mail address and password, click “Sign in” to begin. You will now be shown the accounts on your computer. If you do not have any standard accounts, you want to create one for your child or other family member you want to control.

Click “Create a new standard Windows account.”

A pop-up will appear asking you to name the new account. Enter the name, then click “Create account.” It will take just a few moments for the account to be created.

Once created, click the box next to “Monitor account” to continue.

Then, click “familysafety.live.com” to login to your Windows Live account online to begin personalizing the parental controls associated with the account through Windows Live Family Safety.

When you first login, you will see the accounts listed you can work with. Below that, you will see the ability to add a child, parent or manage accounts.

You will also see a list of the PCs associated with the Windows Live account for you to manage.

Click on “Edit Settings” on the account you want to tinker with parental controls on to continue.

On the left hand side of the screen, you will have a variety of options to set up. Click “Web filtering.”

Web filtering allows you to set up general filters of what the account can and cannot do online. Each category has its own stipulations, so go over each before choosing one. You will also be able to decide if the account can download files or not. Click “Save” to save your options. Now, click “Web filtering lists” in the left hand column.

You can add any web sites you want to allow your children or not allow them to visit. Simply type in the URL, then choose “Allow” or “Block” to add it. To the right of the Allow or Block buttons, you can choose if the web site is blocked for just that account or for everyone under parental controls in Windows Live Family Safety.

Below the input box, you can manage what you already have allowed or blocked.

Now, in the left hand column, click “Activity Reporting.”

You want to start by making sure “Turn on activity reporting” is active. Once it is, from that point on, all actions on the computer will be logged for your view. You simply navigate back to this activity reporting page to see what your children are up to when on the computer. Click “Contact management” in the left hand column now.

The first step to using Contact Management is to add your child’s Windows Live ID. From there, you can manage who they are talking to, block users and manage how they interact with contacts. Next, click “Requests” on the left hand side of your screen.

When your child wants to visit a web site that or talk to someone who is blocked, they can request you review what they are trying to do. Requests are divided into web site or contact. You simply go through, approve or deny a request and then save your changes. Now, click “Time Limits.”

With time limits, you can choose when your child has access to your computer.

You simply block out periods you do not want your child to have access and click “Save.” They will not be able to logon to the computer during those blackout periods. Click “Game Restrictions” in the left hand menu.

You can start by clicking “Turn on game restrictions” and clicking “Save.” This allows you to set up restrictions for the types of games your children play on the computer. You will also be able to set a rating limit as well as allow your children free reign over what they play on your computer. Click “App Restrictions.”

App restrictions allow you to decide which programs can be used and which cannot by your children. You can start by clicking “Turn on app restrictions.” Then, simply choose what they can and cannot use making sure to save your settings before you are finished. Windows Live Family Safety is an easy to use additional tool to buffer what Windows 7 already offers in the way of parental controls.

How does Windows Live Family Safety go above and beyond what Windows offers to begin with?

Windows 7 offers a handful of tools to protect your kids from being exposed to things they should not see while using a computer. While you may think these controls are enough, depending on how smart your child is, they just may not be enough to keep them out of trouble.

Utilizing the built-in Windows 7 parental controls features along with what Windows Live Family Safety offers allows you to cover more bases and keep your children safer. Alternatively you can use this software to become more productive by blocking time-wasting sites at certain times of the day when you should focus of work instead of checking your Twitter updates or watching videos on YouTube.

Read more about Windows 7 parental controls.

See Also:

• Your Guide to Windows 7 Parental Controls – Keep Your Kids Safe, No Matter What They Do On Your Computer
• 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
• The Complete Guide To Set Up and Use ZoneAlarm Firewall On Your PC [Online Security]

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: The Complete Guide to Using Windows Live Family Safety – Better Parental Controls For Windows
Read more about:: How To, Microsoft, Parental Controls, Windows, Windows 7 Features, Windows Live Essentials

Unfortunately, aside from few different features, the Android version of the app did not veer away from the iPhone version. Most of the differences have to do with interface and sharing of items.

Should you give the Wikipedia Android app a chance? Find out as we take a quick look at the Wikipedia app.

What Are the Features of the Wikipedia Android App?

Honestly, anybody who at some point in time visited the Wikipedia site can attest to the fact that the site adheres to simplicity when it comes to design, overall presentation and web interface. All these traits have been adapted for the Android version of the service. Hence, you’ll get an app which is pretty straight-forward and does what Wikipedia does so well – give you the information you want, the way you want it to be consumed.

The Wikipedia Android app gives you the whole Wikipedia content with its more than 20 million articles in 280 languages. I guess by now, you know that Wikipedia, despite the criticisms it got through the years continues to live on and be used by many as a reference source. So, now you can have that source right on your Android device.

The app lets you save articles to read later or offline, search articles nearby (using your Android device’s GPS), share Wikipedia articles using the Android’s stock sharing feature, read article in a different language, and full screen search.

And that’s it. Those are pretty much what you can do with the Wikipedia Android app.

Using the Wikipedia Android App and How It Compares with the iPhone Version

As mentioned, the app adheres to Wikipedia’s overall simplicity. The app’s main screen gives you a plain white background with the Wikipedia search bar on button. The app’s functionality actually will revolve around this search bar. Both the Android and iPhone versions share this similar feature.

Likewise, on the main part of the app’s main screen, you’ll see today’s featured article and just below it are links to the latest news.

If you tap on your device’s menu button, you’ll see several options that you can explore. These are – Read in for setting the language, Nearby for geo-location, history for viewing your historical usage of Wikipedia, save page for saving a particular page on Wikipedia, Saved Pages and the More option. Saved pages is labelled history and bookmark on the iPhone version of this app.

To share Wikipedia content, you simply tap on the “More” option and you can share a particular content via the different apps installed on your Android device. From this option, you can also select text, and tweak the app’s settings.

Final Thoughts:

The ultimate question now is whether you should get this app or not? And the answer? It depends on how extensive Wikipedia user you are. If you can’t last a day without consulting Wikipedia for your information and research needs, then having this in handy as an app on your Android device is definitely a must. If you’re not a heavy Wikipedia user, perhaps this app will push you to become one.

Download Wikipedia App:

Download the Wikipedia Android app.

Download Wikipedia iPhone app.

See Also:

• The New Wikipedia – Wikimedia Foundation Is Getting Ready To Roll Out Design Changes
• The Best Travel Apps For Your Android Smartphone
• The 5 Best Apps for Getting Your Mobile News Fix

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Wikipedia App Brings a Storehouse of Information to Your Mobile [Android, iOS]
Read more about:: Android, Android Apps, Android Market, Wikimedia Foundation, WikiPedia

Alfa Romeo is an Italian manufacturer established in 1910. Originally, the company was named as A.L.F.A. that gained reputation for building expensive sports cars. The company got in a financial crunch after the second world war and got involved in mass production of vehicles to achieve profitability. It was merged into the Fiat group in 1986. Now, Alfa Romeo has again established a reputation as a premium sports car manufacturer.

Alfa Romeo Windows 7 Theme consists of 40+ Hi-Res Wallpapers, a set of sleek icons and custom sound clips. Bring the beauty and power of Italian automobiles to your desktop with the Alfa Romeo Theme.

Alfa Romeo Windows 7 Theme Screenshots:

These are just a few of the 40+ gorgeous wallpapers included in the theme. Download the theme to get them all!

Custom Icons and Sounds:

The default icons on your desktop will be replaced by these icons.

The custom sound clips play while applying the theme and at the time of system logon/logoff.

Download Alfa Romeo Windows 7 Theme:

Download the theme directly by clicking the link below or visit the dedicated download page for Alfa Romeo Windows 7 theme. You can also check out many other themes in our Windows 7 Themes Gallery.

Download Alfa Romeo Windows 7 Theme [Direct Download]

Explore other car themes in the Cars & Bikes Themes category.

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Windows 7 Themes: Alfa Romeo Theme for Windows [Car Themes]
Read more about:: Wallpapers, Windows 7, Windows 7 Car Themes, Windows 7 Cars-Bikes Themes, Windows 7 Themes

Norton Identity Safe is an add-on to your Firefox, Chrome or IE browsers. The add-on will let you know if you are visiting a site with possible security concerns. Part of the security offered is a password keeper. Read on for a bit more detail on the features and how Norton Identity Safe is different from what you might already be using to save passwords.

Norton Identity Safe Features

The idea of a cloud based password keeper isn’t new. Lastpass is a great choice and a personal favorite. While you may not be cool with storing your passwords in the cloud, it is very convenient and ideal if you use multiple computers or use an Android or iOS device. By storing everything online, you can access your password safely from anywhere you can log into your Norton account.

Surfing the web is kept safe by letting you know via a toolbar whether the site you are about to buy something on is a legitimate business or not. If it isn’t, you can move along to another site possibly saving yourself a lot of hardship and money of dealing with credit card fraud.

Not only does Norton Identity Safe store your passwords, it offers you the option to save any username and password you type in while you are logging into a site. Think about that, you wont need to remember all of those passwords. You can also stop using the same 2 or 3 passwords for everything and make a different strong secure password for each login you have.

How Norton Identity Safe is different

If you are used to using a spreadsheet to keep track of your passwords or even using a desktop password manager like KeePass, you will be pleased to know there is an import option for your passwords. In the settings (accessible from the toolbar) there is an import option. To import or export, you need to enter your Identity Safe password.

There is also a 2 step sign in to access your Identity Safe. You will need to first login with your Norton account and then your Identity Safe password. This may seem like an inconvenience to some, but it is an added measure that most other password apps and services don’t offer.

Norton Identity Safe mobile applications

There are applications available for both iOS and Android devices. You will need to login with the same 2 steps as you would on your desktop browser. With the Android app, you can browse privately within the Norton app. Here are the QR codes for the iOS and Android app downloads. The iOS app goes through a beta test service called TestFlight.

Android

iOS

Conclusion

I like how the Norton Identity Safe is easy to use and works with the 3 major browsers. What I wish it offered is a secure password generator along with the present features. I use the password generator in Lastpass all the time.

See Also:

• Password Protect Google Chrome using Simple Startup
• Easily Password Protect Your Folders With My Lockbox
• Manage Your Passwords Securely With Password Gorilla

© VikiTech.com, 2012. | Permalink: Norton Identity Safe by Symantec Offers Secure Password Management in the Cloud & Mobile
Read more about:: KeePass, LastPass, Norton, Norton Identity Safe, Password Managers, Password Protect, Symantec