Celebrate Facebook's 10th birthday with your Look Back video; How to edit it

February 10, 2014, 6:13 am

≫ Next: Nokia to debut its Android offering on Feb 24: WSJ

≪ Previous: Lava launches Xolo A500 Club with dual front speakers and software features for Rs. 7,099

Facebook turned 10 this February and it has built a brilliant automated video for its user base which covers their time on Facebook, aptly named A Look Back.

The Look Back video contains your most liked photos and posts since you created your account on Facebook. Some of these moments would really bring a smile to your face.

You would obviously need to be logged in. The 62 second long video has a footer beneath it, saying Mark & the Facebook team to add a personal touch to it. A share button sits pretty over the video yelling to be pressed. But before you go ahead and press it, make sure that your look back video contains only those moments of your life that you actually want to share with everyone at present. I bet you won't want your 7 year old photo in drunken state to be featuring in the video. Though not initially present, Facebook has now added an Edit button, right to the Share button, to make sure that your video stays all clean and pretty.

Click this

Go ahead, edit the video to your liking and share your best moments on Facebook right now. Share this article with your friends so that they can share theirs with you and their friends! My lookback video isn't the most share worthy one you'll find, so I'll skip on that one.

↧

Nokia to debut its Android offering on Feb 24: WSJ

February 11, 2014, 5:04 am

≫ Next: How to Update Moto G Dual SIM [Indian Variant] to official Android 4.4 KitKat

≪ Previous: Celebrate Facebook's 10th birthday with your Look Back video; How to edit it

Nokia Normandy or the Nokia X has been in news before it might have even existed. While it has been known since a long time, thanks to leaks, that Nokia was indeed testing Android on a prototype, it wasn't known whether that phone would ever be launched in the market for lesser mortals. A report from WSJ claims that Nokia will indeed go ahead with the mass release of its sole (as of now) Android based offering. Though the details about availability of the device is still under the wraps, Nokia will unveil it at the MWC this year, which happens to be taking place about two weeks from now.

As per WSJ, Nokia will make this phone official before its sale to Microsoft will be completed. It would be interesting to see if Microsoft would be able to resist the temptation to bring a sequel to this device if it sells in large numbers.

Talking about Normandy, the codename of Nokia X, this device has been in the works before Microsoft's deal to acquire Nokia took place. Normandy will be a low-end budget Android device, likely to be targeted at developing countries like India. According to leaks, this phone will have a 4.3 inch WVGA display, a 5 MP camera, 512 MB RAM, a heavily forked version of Android 4.4 KitKat and will be powered by a dual core processor.

We, at Droidiser, are no fans of forked versions of Android as it keeps the users away from Google's vision of Android. But still, we hope that custom roms like Cyanogenmod might help with bringing vanilla Android experience with this device later on.

Nokia will be hosting a press event on Feb 24 at Barcelona, where it is expected to launch Nokia X along with some new additions to its present Asha lineup. Tech followers would be waiting for Feb 24 restlessly as the Galaxy S5 will also be launched by Samsung on the same day in its Unpacked 5 event. It would be interesting to see whether Nokia X will be able to deal with the frenzy surrounding the Galaxy S5.

If Nokia manages to price this phone reasonably (about Rs. 7,000-8,000) like Motorola has done with Moto G in India, we can see this phone flying off the shelves pretty soon. Nokia's attempt at Android might bring back some loyal fanbase it enjoyed before Android swept the world and Nokia decided to stay away from it.

↧

How to Update Moto G Dual SIM [Indian Variant] to official Android 4.4 KitKat

February 11, 2014, 9:46 am

≫ Next: Xolo Q1100 packing Snapdragon 400 launched for INR 14,999

≪ Previous: Nokia to debut its Android offering on Feb 24: WSJ

Indian version of Moto G has been receiving a lot of attention these days, which can be accredited to its value-for-money factor. Motorola had promised at the international launch of Moto G that a KitKat update will be made available soon. Keeping its promise, Motorola has rolled out update for its dual SIM variant in Malaysia. This will soon be followed by the rollout of the official OTA KitKat update in India. But as you now own an awesome Android device, you can choose to update the device itself – if you are feeling too impatient to wait that is.

We shall try to keep this guide as simple to follow as we can, considering the fact that this might be the first Android phone for many among you.

Moto G Indian version running JB 4.3 before the update. Credits: Rhythm

Before you Proceed further

This guide won’t root your phone, neither it will unlock its bootloader. Therefore, your manufacturer warranty will still be intact.
Performing the steps given in this guide won’t Factory reset your phone, so you don’t need to do any backup.
This guide works with all the Asian variants of the dual SIM Moto G (both 8 GB and 16 GB), including India.
This process is power intensive and eats up about 40% of your battery power. So, don’t skip this point, not this time. Make sure your phone is charged at least 60%, just to stay on the safer side.

Guide: Update Moto G Indian Variant to Official KitKat (Android 4.4)

Download the official Android 4.4 update file for your device from this link (hosted on Google Drive). Or this one (hosted on Devhost)
The file you downloaded in the above step is named Blur_Version.14.85.4.falcon_umtsds.AsiaRetail.en.0 3.zip and is 241897665 bytes (230.69 MB) in size. Match both these values to make sure your download has not gone corrupt.
Don’t extract this zip file. Just connect your Moto G using a micro USB cable and transfer this file to the root of your sd card. By root of the sd card, we mean that this file should be placed in your phone’s internal storage outside any folders.
Now, switch off your phone. Once the phone turns off completely, press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons simultaneously until you get to the Boot Mode Selection Menu screen, as shown in the image below.
Once you are in the Boot Mode Selection Menu, your touch won’t be accepted as input. Instead, you will have to press the Volume Down button to scroll through the list of options. Once the desired option is highlighted, pressing the Volume Up button will select the option.
Using the Volume Up and Down, scroll to the Recovery option (using Volume Down button) and select it (using the Volume Up button). I’m talking about the Recovery option here, and not the Normal Recovery one.
Now, you should be in Moto G’s Stock Android Recovery. In the Recovery mode, navigation works slightly different. Here, Volume Up and Down scroll up and down while Power button selects the highlighted option.
Scroll down to the wipe cache partition option and select it. This will wipe your phone’s cache partition.
Now, scroll further down to the apply update from sdcard option and select it. Now, the recovery will ask you which file you want to flash. Select Blur_Version.14.85.4.falcon_umtsds.AsiaRetail.en.0 3.zip using the power button. Doing so will initiate the flashing procedure.
You will see a screen similar to the image below. Wait for the updation process to complete. Once it does, scroll up to the reboot system now option and select it using Power button.
KitKat Installation in process
When the phone reboots for the first time after the update, Dalvik Cache will be rebuilt. You don’t need to know or do anything about it. This process is displayed as Optimizing app x of y under the Android is upgrading heading.
Once your phone boots up, go to Settings > About Phone and jump on your feets when you confirm it to be Android 4.4 KitKat.
Settings Screen looks like this in KitKat

You deserve a pat on your back right this moment as you are running the latest available Android version on your Moto G. If this guide helped you, share this on your social accounts so as to help us, and your friends who might happen to own a Moto G.

We shall follow up with further guides (including how to root and how to unlock bootloader) for the Moto G, so stay tuned and make sure to follow us. (To help you with the latter part, we have added the “socialiser” widget on the right sidebar.)

↧

Xolo Q1100 packing Snapdragon 400 launched for INR 14,999

February 11, 2014, 10:05 am

≫ Next: Samsung and LG introduce entry-level triple SIM smartphones in Brazil

≪ Previous: How to Update Moto G Dual SIM [Indian Variant] to official Android 4.4 KitKat

Recently, Lava was spotted teasing a new smartphone in its Xolo lineup. Now, it has decided to make the device, the Xolo Q1100 official.

Xolo Q1100 will be powered by a 1.4 GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 400 processor. Multitasking will be taken care of by 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage will allow users to store a good amount of media on the phone itself. Coming to the screen, Xolo Q1100 packs a 5 inch HD display (1280x720 pixles) which makes use of OGS (One Glass Solution) technology to make the glass thinner. On the GPU front, Adreno 305 is present. A 8 MP rear camera with LED flash and a 2 MP front camera are also present. Other specs include usual connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc. and a 2250 mAh battery. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is shipped with the device and there are no words over any future updates.

The phone has been priced at INR 14,999 which seems to be a bit too much despite the Snapdragon 400 processor it is packing. Xolo Q1100 will compete with the Moto G which starts from Rs 12,499. The only pros to preferring Xolo Q1100 over Moto G are the 8 MP camera instead of 5 MP and Snapdragon 400 instead of Snapdragon 200. The cons are obvious: a lesser known brand, bigger screen and hence lower ppi, and the biggest one – no promise for future Android updates.

Xolo Q 1100 Press Render

It will be interesting to see how Indian manufacturers will tackle the Moto G. We don’t think providing similar specs at similar price will persuade anyone to prefer an Indian brand over Motorola. What’s your take on that? Let us know in the comments section.

↧

Samsung and LG introduce entry-level triple SIM smartphones in Brazil

February 11, 2014, 10:18 am

≫ Next: Launching 3 Web-based Tools - HTML Editor, HTML Parser, Word Counter - On Bloggeriser

≪ Previous: Xolo Q1100 packing Snapdragon 400 launched for INR 14,999

Samsung and China seem to be taking a cue from Chinese phone manufacturers as both of them have launched new Android smartphones having three SIM slots. Galaxy Star Trios and Optimus L1 II Tri are listed on their respective manufacturer’s websites.

Brazilian smartphone market is considered to be similar to the Indian market as dual SIM phones have been a huge hit in both these countries. Also, customers in both these markets perceive the value for money factor as a very important one. Both these things seem to be taken care of in the new launches by Samsung and LG.

Samsung Galaxy Star Trios has a 3.1 inch QVGA screen (320x240 pixels at 129 ppi). It packs 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon single core processor and 512 MB ram to run Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. A 2 MP camera is present at the back to allow snapping some pictures when you don’t have a camera handy. Other specs include 4 GB of internal storage, support for external micro sd card and 1300 mAh battery.

LG Optimus L1 II Tri also feature notably similar specifications. It has a tad bit smaller 3 inch screen with the same QVGA resolution. It also runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, packs a 1 GHz Qualcomm single core processor, 512 MB ram, 4 GB internal storage, external micro sd card support and a larger 1540 mAh battery.

As expected, both these smartphones come with the usual connectivity options like 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

Galaxy Star Trios will retail for 340 Brazilian Real (~$141). As Optimus L1 II Tri also packs nearly the same specs, we can expect it to be priced similarly. Neither Samsung, nor LG has shared a word on whether these devices will be launched globally or not. We don’t think a global launch of these devices will make sense as even Dual SIM phones haven’t made it big in many smartphone markets. Though, seeing these devices getting launched in the South Asian market won’t surprise us.

↧

Launching 3 Web-based Tools - HTML Editor, HTML Parser, Word Counter - On Bloggeriser

February 12, 2014, 9:22 am

≫ Next: How iOS Game Cheats Can Boost Your Gaming Experience

≪ Previous: Samsung and LG introduce entry-level triple SIM smartphones in Brazil

It's been a few days since I started Bloggeriser,a blog about blogging. Bloggeriser has been started with the idea of sharing my experience that I've earned by blogging on Droidiser since 2 years. Though I'm not sure how I am going to be able to handle two blogs - all on my own, along with my studies and other routine, but as I've already entered it, I'm thinking about taking on the challenges one day at a time.

Today, I spent hours working over three tools viz. HTML Editor, HTML Parser and Word Counter on Bloggeriser.com. Though these tools are pretty basic, it took me that long because I'm not an expert at any of the web programming languages. Still, I managed to get all of these working perfectly* fine. One of the best things I have been able to achieve with these tools is that they generate the desired result without even reloading the page.

*Perfectly according to me. Do let me know if you find out any bug.

HTML Editor (editor.bloggeriser.com)

This HTML Editor is kinda WYSIWYG in the sense that you can see what you will get with a particular html code by the press of a button. The interface of this editor has been kept minimalistic. You are supposed to enter your html code in the input column, press the Generate Output button and view the output. If the output isn't what you want, you make a quick edit, then press the Generate Output button again and check if the new one works.

HTML Parser (parser.bloggeriser.com)

HTML Parsing/Encoding refers to changing HTML characters to basic ones. HTML Parsing is required at many places, some of which have been discussed on the tool page itself. The interface is similar to what we had in the previous tool. There is a Encode/Parse HTML button which, obviously, parses the html code we provided as input.

Character/Word Counter (counter.bloggeriser.com)

This one needs no explanation, does it? Enter a string (nerd's way of saying text) as long* as you wish, then hit the Count Characters or CountWords button to learn how many characters or words you have entered respectively. This tool has the widest possible audience as there are times when we want to know how long is that article or something of that sort. The other two tools would be appreciated more by Web Programmers and Bloggers.

*By as long, we mean really long. I've tested this tool to count as many as 2.94 million characters and 0.58 million words, as shown in the screenshot. Though that browser tab froze at over 10 million characters, the calculations were seriously accurate.

If you like whatever I have been doing over at Bloggeriser, would you mind sharing my work with your friends? Sharing is the best way a reader can give something back to a blogger. And the best thing is it doesn't even cost anything.

↧

How iOS Game Cheats Can Boost Your Gaming Experience

February 12, 2014, 9:31 pm

≫ Next: Links for 2012-10-13 [del.icio.us]

≪ Previous: Launching 3 Web-based Tools - HTML Editor, HTML Parser, Word Counter - On Bloggeriser

They say; all the things we really need to know, we learned in Kindergarten. Aside from the usual suspects of cleaning up your own mess and not taking things that are not yours, one of the equally important points is to play fair.

Cheating is considered unacceptable in the world of gaming but almost everyone; if not all, is doing it. We all have different behavior and opinion about game cheats. As long as cheating stays in the gaming world, I think it is pretty much tolerable. When it crosses to real life then that’s when the problem comes in.

Why do gamers cheat in the first place? Cheat codes are like treasure maps. They eliminate all the heavy lifting and the labyrinth path to achieve game expert stardom.

Unlimited access to a gold mine of game currencies

Just like in the real world, the gaming world has virtual currencies in a form of energy, tokens, red orbs, simoleons, candy or whatnot. Cheat codes provide you a shortcut in earning this elusive virtual money. It sure would be nice to have such cheat code in real life, don’t you think?

Having access to limitless funds in a certain game can automatically increase your success rate in annihilating your opponents and eliminating obstacles. Similar to the real world, having money means better and stronger equipment, access to rare items, power and better opportunities.

Advance to next game level without losing one’s mind

In some games, one cannot progress to the next stage without winning the current level. This could get really annoying if a particular level is impossibly hard. Cheat codes provide the ease of advancement without pulling one’s hair out of frustration.

If you are a goody two-shoes, you may want to consider adjusting the difficulty setting before attempting to turn to cheats. You can do the cleaner alternative or die trying. It is all up to you.

Provide a quick workaround for minor bugs and glitches

Bugs and glitches can creep silently into game programs without getting noticed. No matter how much experience or skill we have, we all are a work in progress. Simply put, nobody is perfect and that includes game developers.

Waiting around for a fix could take some time that you’ll probably lose your mojo in the game. We have to remind ourselves that game developers have lives outside of work too. Well, they should or video game studios would have to start removing windows to avoid stressed and burned out employees from jumping off.

Good thing, the Interweb is filled with geniuses who are probably not developers by profession but are smart enough to find cure for these bugs and glitches. This is probably the lesser evil of all the reasons why gamers turn to cheat codes. Technically, I don’t consider it as cheating at all but more like a workaround.

Cheat codes can provide a detour beyond normal gameplay

A game may hold a secret door that is exclusive to those who can crack it. We could never tell what’s waiting for us beyond those doors; maybe it holds Triton’s trident, Barry’s jetpack, Om-nom’s hidden drawings or a forgotten city. People are naturally born curious and would want to unravel the mysteries beyond.

One secret door may lead to an endless door of possibilities until it reaches a point when only Thumbelina can pass through. Well, if you do find a tiny secret door, most likely it also comes with another cheat to shrink your size. This is the beauty of game cheats; it is like having a personal genie to take care of your troubles.

Generally, cheating is not good but I will leave it up to your angels and demons to play with your conscience’s tug of war. I just think sucking up the hard challenges and not succumbing to cheats give a much sweeter victory than having everything handed to you on a silver platter.

If you think about it, maybe shortcuts are like cheating yourself out of a truly fascinating experience. You will never realize the value of a thing when you had it so easy. Remember that karma is now digital and can bite you hard in the ass.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author:

Alrdich I. likes to spend his time lurking in the interweb to read about games, technology and social networking. He has a wide-range of interest but writing is his first love. In his free time, he likes playing strategy and word games on his iPad.

↧