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  • Can Microsoft Build Appliances?

    - by andrewbrust
    Billy Hollis, my Visual Studio Live! colleague and fellow Microsoft Regional Director said recently, and I am paraphrasing, that the computing world, especially on the consumer side, has shifted from one of building hardware and software that makes things possible to do, to building products and technologies that make things easy to do.  Billy crystalized things perfectly, as he often does. In this new world of “easy to do,” Apple has done very well and Microsoft has struggled.  In the old world, customers wanted a Swiss Army Knife, with the most gimmicks and gadgets possible.  In the new world, people want elegantly cutlery.  They may want cake cutters and utility knives too, but they don’t want one device that works for all three tasks.  People don’t want tools, they want utensils.  People don’t want machines.  They want appliances. Microsoft Appliances: They Do Exist Microsoft has built a few appliance-like devices.  I would say XBox 360 is an appliance,  It’s versatile, mind you, but it’s the kind of thing you plug in, turn on and use, as opposed to set-up, tune, and open up to upgrade the internals.  Windows Phone 7 is an appliance too.  It’s a true smartphone, unlike Windows Mobile which was a handheld computer with a radio stack.  Zune is an appliance too, and a nice one.  It hasn’t attained much traction in the market, but that’s probably because the seminal consumer computing appliance -- the iPod – got there so much more quickly. In the embedded world, Mediaroom, Microsoft’s set-top product for the cable industry (used by AT&T U-Verse and others) is an appliance.  So is Microsoft’s Sync technology, used in Ford automobiles.  Even on the enterprise side, Microsoft has an appliance: SQL Server Parallel Data Warehouse Edition (PDW) combines Microsoft software with select OEMs’ server, networking and storage hardware.  You buy the appliance units from the OEMs, plug them in, connect them and go. I would even say that Bing is an appliance.  Not in the hardware sense, mind you.  But from the software perspective, it’s a single-purpose product that you visit or run, use and then move on.  You don’t have to install it (except the iOS and Android native apps where it’s pretty straightforward), you don’t have to customize it, you don’t have to program it.  Basically, you just use it. Microsoft Appliances that Should Exist But Microsoft builds a bunch of things that are not appliances.  Media Center is not an appliance, and it most certainly should be.  Instead, it’s an app that runs on Windows 7.  It runs full-screen and you can use this configuration to conceal the fact that Windows is under it, but eventually something will cause you to abandon that masquerade (like Patch Tuesday). The next version of Windows Home Server won’t, in my opinion, be an appliance either.  Now that the Drive Extender technology is gone, and users can’t just add and remove drives into and from a single storage pool, the product is much more like a IT server and less like an appliance-premised one.  Much has been written about this decision by Microsoft.  I’ll just sum it up in one word: pity. Microsoft doesn’t have anything remotely appliance-like in the tablet category, either.  Until it does, it likely won’t have much market share in that space either.  And of course, the bulk of Microsoft’s product catalog on the business side is geared to enterprise machines and not personal appliances. Appliance DNA: They Gotta Have It. The consumerization of IT is real, because businesspeople are consumers too.  They appreciate the fit and finish of appliances at home, and they increasingly feel entitled to have it at work too.  Secure and reliable push email in a smartphone is necessary, but it isn’t enough.  People want great apps and a pleasurable user experience too.  The full Microsoft Office product is needed at work, but a PC with a keyboard and mouse, or maybe a touch screen that uses a stylus (or requires really small fingers), to run Office isn’t enough either.  People want a flawless touch experience available for the times they want to read and take quick notes.  Until Microsoft realizes this fully and internalizes it, it will suffer defeats in the consumer market and even setbacks in the business market.  Think about how slow the Office upgrade cycle is…now imagine if the next version of Office had a first-class alternate touch UI and consider the possible acceleration in adoption rates. Can Microsoft make the appliance switch?  Can the appliance mentality become pervasive at the company?  Can Microsoft hasten its release cycles dramatically and shed the “some assembly required” paradigm upon which many of its products are based?  Let’s face it, the chances that Microsoft won’t make this transition are significant. But there are also encouraging signs, and they should not be ignored.  The appliances we have already discussed, especially Xbox, Zune and Windows Phone 7, are the most obvious in this regard.  The fact that SQL Server has an appliance SKU now is a more subtle but perhaps also more significant outcome, because that product sits so smack in the middle of Microsoft’s enterprise stack.  Bing is encouraging too, especially given its integrated travel, maps and augmented reality capabilities.  As Bing gains market share, Microsoft has tangible proof that it can transform and win, even when everyone outside the company, and many within it, would bet otherwise. That Great Big Appliance in the Sky Perhaps the most promising (and evolving) proof points toward the appliance mentality, though, are Microsoft’s cloud offerings -- Azure and BPOS/Office 365.  While the cloud does not represent a physical appliance (quite the opposite in fact) its ability to make acquisition, deployment and use of technology simple for the user is absolutely an embodiment of the appliance mentality and spirit.  Azure is primarily a platform as a service offering; it doesn’t just provide infrastructure.  SQL Azure does likewise for databases.  And Office 365 does likewise for SharePoint, Exchange and Lync. You don’t administer, tune and manage servers; instead, you create databases or site collections or mailboxes and start using them. Upgrades come automatically, and it seems like releases will come more frequently.  Fault tolerance and content distribution is just there.  No muss.  No fuss.  You use these services; you don’t have to set them up and think about them.  That’s how appliances work.  To me, these signs point out that Microsoft has the full capability of transforming itself.  But there’s a lot of work ahead.  Microsoft may say they’re “all in” on the cloud, but the majority of the company is still oriented around its old products and models.  There needs to be a wholesale cultural transformation in Redmond.  It can happen, but product management, program management, the field and executive ranks must unify in the effort. So must partners, and even customers.  New leaders must rise up and Microsoft must be able to see itself as a winner.  If Microsoft does this, it could lock-in decades of new success, and be a standard business school case study for doing so.  If not, the company will have missed an opportunity, and may see its undoing.

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  • Developing Mobile Applications: Web, Native, or Hybrid?

    - by Michelle Kimihira
    Authors: Joe Huang, Senior Principal Product Manager, Oracle Mobile Application Development Framework  and Carlos Chang, Senior Principal Product Director The proliferation of mobile devices and platforms represents a game-changing technology shift on a number of levels. Companies must decide not only the best strategic use of mobile platforms, but also how to most efficiently implement them. Inevitably, this conversation devolves to the developers, who face the task of developing and supporting mobile applications—not a simple task in light of the number of devices and platforms. Essentially, developers can choose from the following three different application approaches, each with its own set of pros and cons. Native Applications: This refers to apps built for and installed on a specific platform, such as iOS or Android, using a platform-specific software development kit (SDK).  For example, apps for Apple’s iPhone and iPad are designed to run specifically on iOS and are written in Xcode/Objective-C. Android has its own variation of Java, Windows uses C#, and so on.  Native apps written for one platform cannot be deployed on another. Native apps offer fast performance and access to native-device services but require additional resources to develop and maintain each platform, which can be expensive and time consuming. Mobile Web Applications: Unlike native apps, mobile web apps are not installed on the device; rather, they are accessed via a Web browser.  These are server-side applications that render HTML, typically adjusting the design depending on the type of device making the request.  There are no program coding constraints for writing server-side apps—they can be written in Java, C, PHP, etc., it doesn’t matter.  Instead, the server detects what type of mobile browser is pinging the server and adjusts accordingly. For example, it can deliver fully JavaScript and CSS-enabled content to smartphone browsers, while downgrading gracefully to basic HTML for feature phone browsers. Mobile apps work across platforms, but are limited to what you can do through a browser and require Internet connectivity. For certain types of applications, these constraints may not be an issue. Oracle supports mobile web applications via ADF Faces (for tablets) and ADF Mobile browser (Trinidad) for smartphone and feature phones. Hybrid Applications: As the name implies, hybrid apps combine technologies from native and mobile Web apps to gain the benefits each. For example, these apps are installed on a device, like their pure native app counterparts, while the user interface (UI) is based on HTML5.  This UI runs locally within the native container, which usually leverages the device’s browser engine.  The advantage of using HTML5 is a consistent, cross-platform UI that works well on most devices.  Combining this with the native container, which is installed on-device, provides mobile users with access to local device services, such as camera, GPS, and local device storage.  Native apps may offer greater flexibility in integrating with device native services.  However, since hybrid applications already provide device integrations that typical enterprise applications need, this is typically less of an issue.  The new Oracle ADF Mobile release is an HTML5 and Java hybrid framework that targets mobile app development to iOS and Android from one code base. So, Which is the Best Approach? The short answer is – the best choice depends on the type of application you are developing.  For instance, animation-intensive apps such as games would favor native apps, while hybrid applications may be better suited for enterprise mobile apps because they provide multi-platform support. Just for starters, the following issues must be considered when choosing a development path. Application Complexity: How complex is the application? A quick app that accesses a database or Web service for some data to display?  You can keep it simple, and a mobile Web app may suffice. However, for a mobile/field worker type of applications that supports mission critical functionality, hybrid or native applications are typically needed. Richness of User Interactivity: What type of user experience is required for the application?  Mobile browser-based app that’s optimized for mobile UI may suffice for quick lookup or productivity type of applications.  However, hybrid/native application would typically be required to deliver highly interactive user experiences needed for field-worker type of applications.  For example, interactive BI charts/graphs, maps, voice/email integration, etc.  In the most extreme case like gaming applications, native applications may be necessary to deliver the highly animated and graphically intensive user experience. Performance: What type of performance is required by the application functionality?  For instance, for real-time look up of data over the network, mobile app performance depends on network latency and server infrastructure capabilities.  If consistent performance is required, data would typically need to be cached, which is supported on hybrid or native applications only. Connectivity and Availability: What sort of connectivity will your application require? Does the app require Web access all the time in order to always retrieve the latest data from the server? Or do the requirements dictate offline support? While native and hybrid apps can be built to operate offline, Web mobile apps require Web connectivity. Multi-platform Requirements: The terms “consumerization of IT” and BYOD (bring your own device) effectively mean that the line between the consumer and the enterprise devices have become blurred. Employees are bringing their personal mobile devices to work and are often expecting that they work in the corporate network and access back-office applications.  Even if companies restrict access to the big dogs: (iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, possibly Windows Phone and tablets), trying to support each platform natively will require increasing resources and domain expertise with each new language/platform. And let’s not forget the maintenance costs, involved in upgrading new versions of each platform.   Where multi-platform support is needed, Web mobile or hybrid apps probably have the advantage. Going native, and trying to support multiple operating systems may be cost prohibitive with existing resources and developer skills. Device-Services Access:  If your app needs to access local device services, such as the camera, contacts app, accelerometer, etc., then your choices are limited to native or hybrid applications.   Fragmentation: Apple controls Apple iOS and the only concern is what version iOS is running on any given device.   Not so Android, which is open source. There are many, many versions and variants of Android running on different devices, which can be a nightmare for app developers trying to support different devices running different flavors of Android.  (Is it an Amazon Kindle Fire? a Samsung Galaxy?  A Barnes & Noble Nook?) This is a nightmare scenario for native apps—on the other hand, a mobile Web or hybrid app, when properly designed, can shield you from these complexities because they are based on common frameworks.  Resources: How many developers can you dedicate to building and supporting mobile application development?  What are their existing skills sets?  If you’re considering native application development due to the complexity of the application under development, factor the costs of becoming proficient on a each platform’s OS and programming language. Add another platform, and that’s another language, another SDK. On the other side of the equation, Web mobile or hybrid applications are simpler to make, and readily support more platforms, but there may be performance trade-offs. Conclusion This only scratches the surface. However, I hope to have suggested some food for thought in choosing your mobile development strategy.  Do your due diligence, search the Web, read up on mobile, talk to peers, attend events. The development team at Oracle is working hard on mobile technologies to help customers extend enterprise applications to mobile faster and effectively.  To learn more on what Oracle has to offer, check out the Oracle ADF Mobile (hybrid) and ADF Faces/ADF Mobile browser (Web Mobile) solutions from Oracle.   Additional Information Blog: ADF Blog Product Information on OTN: ADF Mobile Product Information on Oracle.com: Oracle Fusion Middleware Follow us on Twitter and Facebook Subscribe to our regular Fusion Middleware Newsletter

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  • Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community

    There we go! I finally managed to push myself forward and pick up an old, actually too old, idea since I ever arrived here in Mauritius more than six years ago. I'm talking about a community for all kind of ICT connected people. In the past (back in Germany), I used to be involved in various community activities. For example, I was part of the Microsoft Community Leader/Influencer Program (CLIP) in Germany due to an FAQ on Visual FoxPro, actually Active FoxPro Pages (AFP) to be more precise. Then in 2003/2004 I addressed the responsible person of the dFPUG user group in Speyer in order to assist him in organising monthly user group meetings. Well, he handed over management completely, and attended our meetings regularly. Why did it take you so long? Well, I don't want to bother you with the details but short version is that I was too busy on either job (building up new companies) or private life (got married and we have two lovely children, eh 'monsters') or even both. But now is the time where I was starting to look for new fields given the fact that I gained some spare time. My businesses are up and running, the kids are in school, and I am finally in a position where I can commit myself again to community activities. And I love to do that! Why a new user group? Good question... And 'easy' to answer. Since back in 2007 I did my usual research, eh Google searches, to see whether there existing user groups in Mauritius and in which field of interest. And yes, there are! If I recall this correctly, then there are communities for PHP, Drupal, Python (just recently), Oracle, and Linux (which used to be even two). But... either they do not exist anymore, they are dormant, or there is only a low heart-beat, frankly speaking. And yes, I went to meetings of the Linux User Group Meta (Mauritius) back in 2010/2011 and just recently. I really like the setup and the way the LUGM is organised. It's just that I have a slightly different point of view on how a user group or community should organise itself and how to approach future members. Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing others doing a very good job, I'm only saying that I'd like to do it differently. The last meeting of the LUGM was awesome; read my feedback about it. Ok, so what's up with 'Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community' or short: MSCC? As I've already written in my article on 'Communities - The importance of exchange and discussion' I think it is essential in a world of IT to stay 'connected' with a good number of other people in the same field. There is so much dynamic and every day's news that it is almost impossible to keep on track with all of them. The MSCC is going to provide a common platform to exchange experience and share knowledge between each other. You might be a newbie and want to know what to expect working as a software developer, or as a database administrator, or maybe as an IT systems administrator, or you're an experienced geek that loves to share your ideas or solutions that you implemented to solve a specific problem, or you're the business (or HR) guy that is looking for 'fresh' blood to enforce your existing team. Or... you're just interested and you'd like to communicate with like-minded people. Meetup of 26.06.2013 @ L'arabica: Of course there are laptops around. Free WiFi, power outlet, coffee, code and Linux in one go. The MSCC is technology-agnostic and spans an umbrella over any kind of technology. Simply because you can't ignore other technologies anymore in a connected IT world as we have. A front-end developer for iOS applications should have the chance to connect with a Python back-end coder and eventually with a DBA for MySQL or PostgreSQL and exchange their experience. Furthermore, I'm a huge fan of cross-platform development, and it is very pleasant to have pure Web developers - with all that HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and JS libraries stuff - and passionate C# or Java coders at the same table. This diversity of knowledge can assist and boost your personal situation. And last but not least, there are projects and open positions 'flying' around... People might like to hear others opinion about an employer or get new impulses on how to tackle down an issue at their workspace, etc. This is about community. And that's how I see the MSCC in general - free of any limitations be it by programming language or technology. Having the chance to exchange experience and to discuss certain aspects of technology saves you time and money, and it's a pleasure to enjoy. Compared to dusty books and remote online resources. It's human! Organising meetups (meetings, get-together, gatherings - you name it!) As of writing this article, the MSCC is currently meeting every Wednesday for the weekly 'Code & Coffee' session at various locations (suggestions are welcome!) in Mauritius. This might change in the future eventually but especially at the beginning I think it is very important to create awareness in the Mauritian IT world. Yes, we are here! Come and join us! ;-) The MSCC's main online presence is located at Meetup.com because it allows me to handle the organisation of events and meeting appointments very easily, and any member can have a look who else is involved so that an exchange of contacts is given at any time. In combination with the other entities (G+ Communities, FB Pages or in Groups) I advertise and manage all future activities here: Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community This is a community for those who care and are proud of what they do. For those developers, regardless how experienced they are, who want to improve and master their craft. This is a community for those who believe that being average is just not good enough. I know, there are not many 'craftsmen' yet but it's a start... Let's see how it looks like by the end of the year. There are free smartphone apps for Android and iOS from Meetup.com that allow you to keep track of meetings and to stay informed on latest updates. And last but not least, there is a Trello workspace to collect and share ideas and provide downloads of slides, etc. Trello is also available as free smartphone app. Sharing is caring! As mentioned, the #MSCC is present in various social media networks in order to cover as many people as possible here in Mauritius. Following is an overview of the current networks: Twitter - Latest updates and quickies Google+ - Community channel Facebook - Community Page LinkedIn - Community Group Trello - Collaboration workspace to share and develop ideas Hopefully, this covers the majority of computer-related people in Mauritius. Please spread the word about the #MSCC between your colleagues, your friends and other interested 'geeks'. Your future looks bright Running and participating in a user group or any kind of community usually provides quite a number of advantages for anyone. On the one side it is very joyful for me to organise appointments and get in touch with people that might be interested to present a little demo of their projects or their recent problems they had to tackle down, and on the other side there are lots of companies that have various support programs or sponsorships especially tailored for user groups. At the moment, I already have a couple of gimmicks that I would like to hand out in small contests or raffles during one of the upcoming meetings, and as said, companies provide all kind of goodies, books free of charge, or sometimes even licenses for communities. Meeting other software developers or IT guys also opens up your point of view on the local market and there might be interesting projects or job offers available, too. A community like the Mauritius Software Craftsmanship Community is great for freelancers, self-employed, students and of course employees. Meetings will be organised on a regular basis, and I'm open to all kind of suggestions from you. Please leave a comment here in blog or join the conversations in the above mentioned social networks. Let's get this community up and running, my fellow Mauritians! Recent updates The MSCC is now officially participating in the O'Reilly UK User Group programm and we are allowed to request review or recension copies of recent titles. Additionally, we have a discount code for any books or ebooks that you might like to order on shop.oreilly.com. More applications for user group sponsorship programms are pending and I'm looking forward to a couple of announcement very soon. And... we need some kind of 'corporate identity' - Over at the MSCC website there is a call for action (or better said a contest with prizes) to create a unique design for the MSCC. This would include a decent colour palette, a logo, graphical banners for Meetup, Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. and of course badges for our craftsmen to add to their personal blogs and websites. Please spread the word and contribute. Thanks!

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  • The HTG Guide to Using a Bluetooth Keyboard with Your Android Device

    - by Matt Klein
    Android devices aren’t usually associated with physical keyboards. But, since Google is now bundling their QuickOffice app with the newly-released Kit-Kat, it appears inevitable that at least some Android tablets (particularly 10-inch models) will take on more productivity roles. In recent years, physical keyboards have been rendered obsolete by swipe style input methods such as Swype and Google Keyboard. Physical keyboards tend to make phones thick and plump, and that won’t fly today when thin (and even flexible and curved) is in vogue. So, you’ll be hard-pressed to find smartphone manufacturers launching new models with physical keyboards, thus rendering sliders to a past chapter in mobile phone evolution. It makes sense to ditch the clunky keyboard phone in favor of a lighter, thinner model. You’re going to carry around in your pocket or purse all day, why have that extra bulk and weight? That said, there is sound logic behind pairing tablets with keyboards. Microsoft continues to plod forward with its Surface models, and while critics continue to lavish praise on the iPad, its functionality is obviously enhanced and extended when you add a physical keyboard. Apple even has an entire page devoted specifically to iPad-compatible keyboards. But an Android tablet and a keyboard? Does such a thing even exist? They do actually. There are docking keyboards and keyboard/case combinations, there’s the Asus Transformer family, Logitech markets a Windows 8 keyboard that speaks “Android”, and these are just to name a few. So we know that keyboard products that are designed to work with Android exist, but what about an everyday Bluetooth keyboard you might use with Windows or OS X? How-To Geek wanted look at how viable it is to use such a keyboard with Android. We conducted some research and examined some lists of Android keyboard shortcuts. Most of what we found was long outdated. Many of the shortcuts don’t even apply anymore, while others just didn’t work. Regardless, after a little experimentation and a dash of customization, it turns out using a keyboard with Android is kind of fun, and who knows, maybe it will catch on. Setting things up Setting up a Bluetooth keyboard with Android is very easy. First, you’ll need a Bluetooth keyboard and of course an Android device, preferably running version 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or higher. For our test, we paired a second-generation Google Nexus 7 running Android 4.3 with a Samsung Series 7 keyboard. In Android, enable Bluetooth if it isn’t already on. We’d like to note that if you don’t normally use Bluetooth accessories and peripherals with your Android device (or any device really), it’s best practice to leave Bluetooth off because, like GPS, it drains the device’s battery more quickly. To enable Bluetooth, simply go to “Settings” -> “Bluetooth” and tap the slider button to “On”. To set up the keyboard, make sure it is on and then tap “Bluetooth” in the Android settings. On the resulting screen, your Android device should automatically search for and hopefully find your keyboard. If you don’t get it right the first time, simply turn the keyboard on again and then tap “Search for Devices” to try again. If it still doesn’t work, make sure you have fresh batteries and the keyboard isn’t paired to another device. If it is, you will need to unpair it before it will work with your Android device (consult your keyboard manufacturer’s documentation or Google if you don’t know how to do this). When Android finds your keyboard, select it under “Available Devices” … … and you should be prompted to type in a code: If successful, you will see that device is now “Connected” and you’re ready to go. If you want to test things out, try pressing the “Windows” key (“Apple” or “Command”) + ESC, and you will be whisked to your Home screen. So, what can you do? Traditional Mac and Windows users know there’s usually a keyboard shortcut for just about everything (and if there isn’t, there’s all kinds of ways to remap keys to do a variety of commands, tasks, and functions). So where does Android fall in terms of baked-in keyboard commands? There answer to that is kind of enough, but not too much. There are definitely established combos you can use to get around, but they aren’t clear and there doesn’t appear to be any one authority on what they are. Still, there is enough keyboard functionality in Android to make it a viable option, if only for those times when you need to get something done (long e-mail or important document) and an on-screen keyboard simply won’t do. It’s important to remember that Android is, and likely always will be a touch-first interface. That said, it does make some concessions to physical keyboards. In other words, you can get around Android fairly well without having to lift your hands off the keys, but you will still have to tap the screen regularly, unless you add a mouse. For example, you can wake your device by tapping a key rather than pressing its power button. However, if your device is slide or pattern-locked, then you’ll have to use the touchscreen to unlock it – a password or PIN however, works seamlessly with a keyboard – other things like widgets and app controls and features, have to be tapped. You get the idea. Keyboard shortcuts and navigation As we said, baked-in keyboard shortcut combos aren’t necessarily abundant nor apparent. The one thing you can always do is search. Any time you want to Google something, start typing from the Home screen and the search screen will automatically open and begin displaying results. Other than that, here is what we were able to figure out: ESC = go back CTRL + ESC = menu CTRL + ALT + DEL = restart (no questions asked) ALT + SPACE = search page (say “OK Google” to voice search) ALT + TAB (ALT + SHIFT + TAB) = switch tasks Also, if you have designated volume function keys, those will probably work too. There’s also some dedicated app shortcuts like calculator, Gmail, and a few others: CMD + A = calculator CMD + C = contacts CMD + E = e-mail CMD + G = Gmail CMD + L = Calendar CMD + P = Play Music CMD + Y = YouTube Overall, it’s not a long comprehensive list and there’s no dedicated keyboard combos for the full array of Google’s products. Granted, it’s hard to imagine getting a lot of mileage out of a keyboard with Maps but with something like Keep, you could type out long, detailed lists on your tablet, and then view them on your smartphone when you go out shopping. You can also use the arrow keys to navigate your Home screen over shortcuts and open the app drawer. When something on the screen is selected, it will be highlighted in blue. Press “Enter” to open your selection. Additionally, if an app has its own set of shortcuts, e.g. Gmail has quite a few unique shortcuts to it, as does Chrome, some – though not many – will work in Android (not for YouTube though). Also, many “universal” shortcuts such as Copy (CTRL + C), Cut (CTRL + X), Paste (CTRL + V), and Select All (CTRL + A) work where needed – such as in instant messaging, e-mail, social media apps, etc. Creating custom application shortcuts What about custom shortcuts? When we were researching this article, we were under the impression that it was possible to assign keyboard combinations to specific apps, such as you could do on older Android versions such as Gingerbread. This no long seems to be the case and nowhere in “Settings” could we find a way to assign hotkey combos to any of our favorite, oft-used apps or functions. If you do want custom keyboard shortcuts, what can you do? Luckily, there’s an app on Google Play that allows you to, among other things, create custom app shortcuts. It is called External Keyboard Helper (EKH) and while there is a free demo version, the pay version is only a few bucks. We decided to give EKH a whirl and through a little experimentation and finally reading the developer’s how-to, we found we could map custom keyboard combos to just about anything. To do this, first open the application and you’ll see the main app screen. Don’t worry about choosing a custom layout or anything like that, you want to go straight to the “Advanced settings”: In the “Advanced settings” select “Application shortcuts” to continue: You can have up to 16 custom application shortcuts. We are going to create a custom shortcut to the Facebook app. We choose “A0”, and from the resulting list, Facebook. You can do this for any number of apps, services, and settings. As you can now see, the Facebook app has now been linked to application-zero (A0): Go back to the “Advanced settings” and choose “Customize keyboard mappings”: You will be prompted to create a custom keyboard layout so we choose “Custom 1”: When you choose to create a custom layout, you can do a great many more things with your keyboard. For example, many keyboards have predefined function (Fn) keys, which you can map to your tablet’s brightness controls, toggle WiFi on/off, and much more. A word of advice, the application automatically remaps certain keys when you create a custom layout. This might mess up some existing keyboard combos. If you simply want to add some functionality to your keyboard, you can go ahead and delete EKH’s default changes and start your custom layout from scratch. To create a new combo, select “Add new key mapping”: For our new shortcut, we are going to assign the Facebook app to open when we key in “ALT + F”. To do this, we press the “F” key while in the “Scancode” field and we see it returns a value of “33”. If we wanted to use a different key, we can press “Change” and scan another key’s numerical value. We now want to assign the “ALT” key to application “A0”, previously designated as the Facebook app. In the “AltGr” field, we enter “A0” and then “Save” our custom combo. And now we see our new application shortcut. Now, as long as we’re using our custom layout, every time we press “ALT + F”, the Facebook app will launch: External Keyboard Helper extends far beyond simple application shortcuts and if you are looking for deeper keyboard customization options, you should definitely check it out. Among other things, EKH also supports dozens of languages, allows you to quickly switch between layouts using a key or combo, add up to 16 custom text shortcuts, and much more! It can be had on Google Play for $2.53 for the full version, but you can try the demo version for free. More extensive documentation on how to use the app is also available. Android? Keyboard? Sure, why not? Unlike traditional desktop operating systems, you don’t need a physical keyboard and mouse to use a mobile operating system. You can buy an iPad or Nexus 10 or Galaxy Note, and never need another accessory or peripheral – they work as intended right out of the box. It’s even possible you can write the next great American novel on one these devices, though that might require a lot of practice and patience. That said, using a keyboard with Android is kind of fun. It’s not revelatory but it does elevate the experience. You don’t even need to add customizations (though they are nice) because there are enough existing keyboard shortcuts in Android to make it usable. Plus, when it comes to inputting text such as in an editor or terminal application, we fully advocate big, physical keyboards. Bottom line, if you’re looking for a way to enhance your Android tablet, give a keyboard a chance. Do you use your Android device for productivity? Is a physical keyboard an important part of your setup? Do you have any shortcuts that we missed? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think.     

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  • Google Books Downloader Downloads Google Books to PDF and JPG

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    If you’re looking for a way to download and format shift books and magazines found in Google Books, Google Books Downloader can help. Google Books Downloader takes what you can see in Google Books and downloads it either as a PDF file or as a series of JPGs. The key to using Google Books Downloader successfully is to understand that it can only download what you can see sitting at your computer. It isn’t tapping into some secret back-end resource at Google to siphon books down; it is simply converting the pages you see that are “stuck” in Google Books into a format you can use elsewhere. As such you can download the entire book if it is marked “Full Preview”, part of the book if it is marked “Preview” (useful if you’re trying to save pages for a research project and don’t need the whole book), and none of the book if it is only “Snippet View”. The process works on anything you can find in Google Books including magazines. Google Books Downloader is free, Windows only. Google Books Downloader [via Addictive Tips] How To Encrypt Your Cloud-Based Drive with BoxcryptorHTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)

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  • MonoDroid Article in Visual Studio Magazine

    - by Wallym
    The February edition of Visual Studio magazine is now online.  In it, my article regarding MonoDroid, the implementation of C# and .NET for Android devices, is online.  I can't thank Michael Desmond enough for the opportunity.  Its fitting now that Android is the most popular smartphone platform.  This article is available online at: Intro to MonoDroid Part 1. Intro to MonoDroid Part 2. Along with the article, check out this short video that I did regarding MonoDroid on the Mac. The article(s) were written based on MonoDroid Preview 9.1, so there are a few updates necessary, but I think this gets the basics out.  I hope you enjoy the article(s). And yes, we're still working on our book on MonoDroid.  I've got a great author group and am excited about the book. If you get a chance, come to AnDevCon in San Francisco in March.  I'll be presenting on MonoDroid there.

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  • Buy HTC HD7 Windows Phone 7 From Airtel In India @ Rs. 29990

    - by Gopinath
    Are you looking for HTC HD 7 Windows Phone 7 in India? Head over to Airtel showroom near you to grab one. Airtel in partnership with HTC is offering HD 7 Windows Phone 7 for Rs. 29990 and users will get 2 GB of data usage for 6 months at Rs. 300. Mr. Shireesh Joshi, CMO-Mobile Services of Bharti Airtel,  in a press conference says We are delighted with the opportunity to bring the eagerly-awaited HTC HD7 Smartphone in India. Combining the strength of the airtel brand and network with the innovation and design of HTC and the great user-interface of Windows Phone 7, we are happy to bring another first for our customers that will take mobile communications to a whole new level. The HD7 has a 4.3-inch display, kickstand to rest your phone on a table, 5MP autofocus camera that allows you to record 720p videos, 1GHz processor, 576MB of RAM and has 16GB of internal memory. Even though this is the official launch of HTC HD7 in India, this phone is available in the market for quite sometime at an approximate price of Rs. 27000/-. So it’s your call to decide whether buy it at HTC authorized retailers like Airtel for Rs.29K  or in the market for Rs 27K. HTC HD 7 Promo Video Thanks Fonearena This article titled,Buy HTC HD7 Windows Phone 7 From Airtel In India @ Rs. 29990, was originally published at Tech Dreams. Grab our rss feed or fan us on Facebook to get updates from us.

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  • Develop an iPad app with MonoTouch, C#, and .NET.

    - by Wallym
    Article url: http://www.devproconnections.com/article/mobile-development/ipad-ios-app-monotouch-143636 Since its release in March 2010, the iPad has taken the world by storm. Each new iPad release has launched the device further and further into our lives. Here are some interesting facts that we have seen over the past few years along with some market share analysis:The school that my teenagers attend here in Knoxville, Tennessee, was the first school in the United States to integrate the iPad into its teaching program and its curriculum. Many schools have since followed suit.There are a healthy number of applications in a variety of market segments. In fact, there is a market for iPad point-of-sale systems.The iPad is a popular device and growing more so each day. comScore states that one in four smartphone owners also owns a tablet. We also know that the iPad comprises 68 percent of the tablet market.eMarketer recently issued a report stating that the number of iPad users is expected to grow by 90 percent in the US in 2012.No matter how you slice the data, tablet usage is growing, and the iPad is currently leading the pack. The question for .NET developers is "How can I get me some of that?" Xamarin's MonoTouch offers help, by providing the means for .NET developers to leverage their C# and .NET coding skills to develop iPad applications. MonoTouch has supported the iPad since the initial release of the iOS 3.2 beta SDK all the way up to the most recent iOS SDK, which supports the iPad. In this article, we'll look at targeting the iPad and how we can take advantage of iPad-specific features in our iOS applications written with MonoTouch.I hope you enjoy the article and you find it helpful.

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  • WAMP, DD-WRT, Using DNSMasq to access multiple virtual hosts via aliases on local network

    - by christian
    I've updated my question to coincide with my progress I am attempting to configure WAMP on my development machine. I would like to use it in conjunction with DD-WRT's DNSMasq feature to access multiple virtual hosts via aliases (dev1.local,dev2.local,etc.) over my local wireless network. I have followed the following tutorial which allows me to setup virtual hosts and access on local network by ip addresses. http://www.logicspot.com/web-development-2/viewing-a-locally-hosted-website-with-your-smartphone/ I've got this up and running. For simplicity sake I'd still like to setup DNSMasq to connect via aliases. I have followed the following tutorial http://www.question-defense.com/2008/12/29/add-static-dns-entries-to-dd-wrt-router-firmware And the aliases load on my development machine, but I can not access via the aliases on my mobile devices connected to the local network. I can however access via IPs. Thanks for any help you can provide

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  • Electric Dreams: Picking Out a Vintage 1980s Computer [Video]

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    What if you had to pick out a 1980s era computer for use in your home today? BBC show Electric Dreams walks us through the history with a “time traveling” family. Electric Dreams is a show based on the novel premise that an average British family is starting, technologically speaking, in the 1970s and progressing over a month to the year 2000–restricted each step of the way to using technology available only in the era they are emulating. In the above video clip they’ve reached 1982 and visit the National Museum of Computing to pick out a vintage computer. It’s interesting to see the kids interact with the computer and experience programming for, presumably, the first time. Have a vintage computer memory (mine is programming on a Timex Sinclair); let’s hear about it in the comments. Electric Dreams – The 1980s ‘The Micro Home Computer Of 1982′ [via O'Reilly Radar] How To Encrypt Your Cloud-Based Drive with BoxcryptorHTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)

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  • Screen resolution of Googlebot mobile?

    - by Baumr
    Does Googlebot-Mobile have a viewport resolution it sends across? If so, what is it? It's a general question with broad relevance, but I am asking with reference to responsive design: particularly when serving different image resolution to different viewports via JavaScript. While Googlebot has its issues with JavaScript, it will become better with time. Thus, it would be good to know which version of the same image would be crawled (since most responsive image JS solutions base their logic on resolution). Feature phones Googlebot-Mobile: SAMSUNG-SGH-E250/1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Browser/6.2.3.3.c.1.101 (GUI) MMP/2.0 (compatible; Googlebot-Mobile/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html) DoCoMo/2.0 N905i(c100;TB;W24H16) (compatible; Googlebot-Mobile/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html) Smartphone Googlebot-Mobile: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7 (compatible; Googlebot-Mobile/2.1; +http://www.google.com/bot.html)

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  • Fast Society Creates Mini and Mobile Temporary Social Networks

    - by ETC
    You’re out on the town or at a convention with a bunch of friends. How do you keep in touch with the entire group simultaneously? Fast Society offers a smartphone-based solution: a temporary social network for group talking, texting, and more. Fast Society was originally an iPhone only application and has recently updated to include and Android app too. The premise is simple: You set up a Fast Society group, link your friends into it, and for that night (or convention weekend) you’re all part of the same mini group. You can text the entire group, share pictures, set up sub-groups (let’s say that half your group is going to stay up late and party while half need to hit the rack to get up early for presentations, you can create a new group for the night owls to communicate), share your location, and send in-app and SMS messages to the entire group. Check out the video above to see it in action or hit up the link below to read more and grab a copy. Face Society [via Mashable] Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How to Get Amazing Color from Photos in Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint.NET Learn To Adjust Contrast Like a Pro in Photoshop, GIMP, and Paint.NET Have You Ever Wondered How Your Operating System Got Its Name? Should You Delete Windows 7 Service Pack Backup Files to Save Space? What Can Super Mario Teach Us About Graphics Technology? Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is Released: But Should You Install It? Peaceful Alpine River on a Sunny Day [Wallpaper] Fast Society Creates Mini and Mobile Temporary Social Networks Page Zipper Unpacks Multi-Page Articles for Single-Page Display Minty Bug: Build an FM Bug Inside a Mint Container Get the MakeUseOf eBook Guide to Hacker Proofing Your PC Sync Your Windows Computer with Your Ubuntu One Account [Desktop Client]

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  • Google Introduces Android Gingerbread and Nexus S Phone

    - by Gopinath
    Google today officially announced the availability of next version of Android(version 2.3) nicknamed “Gingerbread”. This is a long awaited upgrade to it’s smartphone platform from Google and below are the highlights of new features: Rich multimedia – including support for VP8 and WebM video and new audio effects. Support for front-facing cameras, SIP/VoIP and Near Field Communication (NFC). Enhancements for game developers, including new sensor types. You can read more about the release at Google blog post and watch this embedded video. Samsung Nexus S – The First Gingerbread Android Phone Samsung’s Nexus S is the first Android phone to be released with Gingerbread operation system. This is a phone that was designed with direct inputs from Google team and comes with a clean install of Android OS – no additional software layers from third party OEMs or carriers. Visit Nexus S site for more details This article titled,Google Introduces Android Gingerbread and Nexus S Phone, was originally published at Tech Dreams. Grab our rss feed or fan us on Facebook to get updates from us.

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  • What are the minimum hardware requirements for the latest version of Android Jelly Bean OS?

    - by Stom
    I searched around, and there's no information that points exactly to the suggested, minimum, or otherwise dated information containing specifications on this. I want to install a newer version of Android on an older ZTE-X500 MetroPCS smartphone. However, I'd like to know the backwards compatibility in regards to using a newer featured OS with lackluster, limited hardware compared to today's smartphones, such as Galaxy S4. However, I still wish to do this. If Jelly Bean is too demanding, I will set up Honeycomb, or get a modified Honey Comb ROM, or tweak the source to my preferences. However, nothing outlines the specifics of the "system requirements" it suggests for optimum performance, such as RAM, processor speed, processor features, and/or any other features, like DMA, video circuit advancements, and/or sound and special hardware requirements noted as well. Please, if you will, point me to a source that mentions this, and please tell do not link me to any PDF file formats. Thank you. PS: I'm a computer programmer.

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  • OpenWorld on your iPad and iPhone

    - by KLaker
    Most of you probably know that each year I publish a data warehouse guide for OpenWorld which contains links to the latest data warehouse videos, a calendar for the most important sessions and labs and a section that provides profiles and relevant links for all the most important data warehouse presenters. For this year’s conference made all this information available in an HTML app that runs on most smartphones and tablets. The pictures below show the HTML app running on iPad and iPhone. This exciting new web app contains information about why you should attend OpenWorld - just in case you have not yet booked your ticket! - as well as the following information: Getting to know 12c - a series of video interviews with George Lumpkin, Vice President of Data Warehouse Product Management Your presenters - full biographies and links to social media sites for all the key data warehouse presenters Must sees sessions - list of all the most important data warehouse presentations at this year’s conference Our customers - profiles our most important data warehouse customers Must attend labs - list of all the most important data warehouse hands-on labs at this year’s conference Links - a list of links to the most important data warehouse sites If you want to run these web apps on your smartphone and/or tablet then follow these links: iPhone - https://876d5e65b7768ca57d1fd1236578c9374b1fca87.googledrive.com/host/0Bz-zGlWahRf4OXNzejBiRFV5ZXc/iPhone-DWoow2014.html iPad - https://876d5e65b7768ca57d1fd1236578c9374b1fca87.googledrive.com/host/0Bz-zGlWahRf4OXNzejBiRFV5ZXc/iPad-DW2014.html Android users: I have tested the app on Android and there appears to be a bug in the way the Chrome browser displays iframes because scrolling does not work . The app does work correctly if you use either the Android version of the Opera browser or the standard Samsung browser. If you have any comments about the app (content you would like to see) then please let me know. Enjoy OpenWorld.

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  • PeopleSoft Mobile Expenses and Mobile Approvals now available in FSCM 9.1

    - by Howard Shaw
    Oracle is pleased to announce the release of two new applications, PeopleSoft Mobile Expenses and PeopleSoft Mobile Approvals, which are now generally available in PeopleSoft FSCM 9.1. These are the first two of many upcoming applications designed and built to cater directly to the mobile workforce by providing user-friendly access to key business functions on a smartphone or tablet. Enter and Submit Expenses Anytime, Anywhere PeopleSoft Mobile Expenses provides the ability to enter employee expense reports quickly and easily, for busy travelers on the go. The contemporary, streamlined user interface is optimized for mobile devices (that support HTML 5), such as tablets or smartphones, and provides a simple-to-use tool for capturing expenses as they are being incurred, submitting expense reports while waiting at the airport, approving your employees’ expense reports, and more. And since it is part of the PeopleSoft Mobile Applications suite, you don’t have to wait until you return home or to the office, which can lead to improved efficiencies. The user interface and gesture actions (for example, swipe, touch, and so on) will be immediately familiar to mobile device users, and is specifically targeted to keep the experience as streamlined as possible for just the tasks you need to get to while on the go. In addition, PeopleSoft Mobile Expenses leverages all of the powerful expense policy compliance tools delivered by PeopleSoft Expenses, contributing to reduced spend and increased efficiency throughout your organization. PeopleSoft Mobile Expenses is integrated directly with PeopleSoft Mobile Approvals, so managers can quickly approve submitted expense reports in addition to entering or reviewing their own expenses. Manage Approvals Anytime, Anywhere PeopleSoft Mobile Approvals improves productivity and keeps business moving forward when your users are on the go without comprising business imperatives and operational policies. This innovative solution is delivered using the latest HTML 5 technology to allow customers to manage their critical tasks anytime through any device. PeopleSoft Approvals enables your users to approve transactions through the desktop, smart phones or tablet devices. This will speed up the approval process thus avoiding potential late payment penalties and supports early payment discounts for invoices. For more information, please watch the Video Feature Overviews (VFO) available on YouTube (links below) or contact your application sales representative. PeopleSoft Mobile ExpensesPeopleSoft Mobile Approvals The PeopleSoft Mobile Applications 9.1 documentation update for Bundle 23 is available under MOS Document ID 1495035.1.

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  • Google Sky Map Turns Your Android Phone into a Digital Telescope

    - by ETC
    Whether you’re an astronomy buff or just somebody looking for a perfect “look how sweet my smartphone is!’ application, Google’s Sky Map application for Android phones is a must have app. If all the application did was show you detailed views of the night sky it would be pretty awesome based on that alone. Where Sky Map dazzles, however, is in linking together the GPS and tilt-sensors on your phone to turn your phone into a sky-watching window. Whatever you point the phone at, the screen displays. Want to see what stars are directly above you despite it being the middle of the day? Point the phone up. Curious what people on the opposite side of the word are seeing? Point the phone down and take a peek right through the Earth. Check out the video below to see the application in action: Google Sky Map is free and works wherever Android does. Google Sky Map [AppBrain] Latest Features How-To Geek ETC How to Enable User-Specific Wireless Networks in Windows 7 How to Use Google Chrome as Your Default PDF Reader (the Easy Way) How To Remove People and Objects From Photographs In Photoshop Ask How-To Geek: How Can I Monitor My Bandwidth Usage? Internet Explorer 9 RC Now Available: Here’s the Most Interesting New Stuff Here’s a Super Simple Trick to Defeating Fake Anti-Virus Malware The Citroen GT – An Awesome Video Game Car Brought to Life [Video] Final Man vs. Machine Round of Jeopardy Unfolds; Watson Dominates Give Chromium-Based Browser Desktop Notifications a Native System Look in Ubuntu Chrome Time Track Is a Simple Task Time Tracker Google Sky Map Turns Your Android Phone into a Digital Telescope Walking Through a Seaside Village Wallpaper

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  • Xperia handset - cannot send files using bluetooth

    - by Sandeepan Nath
    My friend has a Sony Ericsson Xperia (most probably X8) handset which is an Android based smartphone. He is not able to send files through bluetooth but able to receive. I don't exactly remember the version of Android which he is currently having. He has tried to download and install the required update using the same phone (he has internet connected) from http://www.sonyericsson.com but not able to install it. So, he asked me to help him. Which version of Android do you think he has? Does it seem like he does not have Android 2.1 installed. It is written here (click on Xperia X8) that If your phone already has Android 2.1, you can use your mobile network* or a WiFi connection to download the software. Is it possible that he does not have updated Android and so not able to download? If so, does he need to upgrade to Android 2.1 first? Should it be done by connecting it to a PC?

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  • Can Near Field Communications (NFC) Benefit your Supply Chain?

    - by Stephen Slade
    Leading firms continue to leverage the latest tools and technologies to drive performance especially around minimizing transaction costs. With razor thin margins in manufacturing and distribution, the leading producers are resorting to Near Field Communications to gain efficiencies.  In this week’s CIO magazine (Apr1, 2012, pg.30, see http://www.cio.com)  Lauren Brousell talks of the things you need to know to make a more informed decision with NFC.  Sandy Shen of Gartner says NFC appeals because "it supports any services that requires data transfer and authentication' 1. NFC is Cheap and Easy - short range transmitting technology connecting smartphones to data transfer. 2. Adoption Seems Inevitable - more merchants will use NCF for payments in the futures. Wallets are becoming obsolete. 3. It's a Hot Potato for Enterprise - Business with credit card companies and cell phone providers are debating who handles the billing process. 4. It's in use Overseas. Japan uses FeliCa to pay by smartphone. In the US, billing agreements are causing territorial conflict. 5. Security Risks Come Standard. As people lose HH devices, security will be an ongoing concern. Credentials and timeout features and alleviate to some extent. My prediction: In 5 years, we won't have wallets in our pockets.  Our secure and all-powerful smart phones will be our electronic portable banks and execute the transaction for us based on our preferences and propensities and electronically execute the transaction for the supply chain.

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  • Lendle Connects Kindle Owners for Cross-Country Book Lending

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    You can lend books from your Kindle library to other Kindle users but it’s not always easy to find people with books you want. Lendle is a social network for Kindle readers to share books with each other. If you have a Kindle (the physical Kindle or the software on your smartphone or computer) you can easily lend books to other Kindle users. The problem is that there is no good way for you to easily find out what books your friends have. Furthermore your friends simply may not be into books that you’re into. Enter Lendle, a free service that connects Kindle users across the US (currently the Kindle lending program is limited to US customers) so that they can share books with each other. Your real life friends may not be into vampire romance, for example, but plenty of people on Lendle are and would be happy to loan you books. The only requirements for participation in the Lendle system are: Kindle ownership (either the physical or software-based Kindle) as books you’re willing to lend out. In addition to benefiting from other user’s libraries, Lendle also gives users a small credit when they lend a book–credits are redeemable as Amazon.com gift certificates. Hit up the link below to read more and sign up for a free Lendle account. Lendle How to Use Offline Files in Windows to Cache Your Networked Files Offline How to See What Web Sites Your Computer is Secretly Connecting To HTG Explains: When Do You Need to Update Your Drivers?

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  • Freemake–Incredibly Simple, Yet Powerful Free Video Convertor

    - by Gopinath
    Are you looking for an easy to use and powerful video convertor that lets you to convert any video to iPad, iPhone, iPod, PSP, PS3 or Android smartphones format? Here is Freemake Video Convertor. Freemake Video Convertor belongs to the few set of apps that we love on first use – like love at first sight. It’s user interface clean, colourful and very friendly. Like Apple products “it just works” without any learning curve. It’s a one stop application for all your video processing needs- converting, editing, and burning. The predefined profiles offered by the application makes it simple to convert a video to fit into devices like iPad, iPhone, iPod, blackberry and any other smartphone out there. It works with 200+ input video formats, converts to almost all the popular formats we need. You can extract MP3 audio from videos, convert a bunch of photos to a beautiful video, add subtitles to a video, remix video with a music track, upload to YouTube, burn them to DVD, create an ISO and the list goes on. You can read them over here. This application is simply the best video conversion tool available in the market. Need a proof – check out the awards this application received on their home page: Lifehacker Best of 2010, PC Mag Best of 2011, Download Squad Top 2010, Softpedia 5 Stars. Download Freemaker Free Video Convertor This article titled,Freemake–Incredibly Simple, Yet Powerful Free Video Convertor, was originally published at Tech Dreams. Grab our rss feed or fan us on Facebook to get updates from us.

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  • Whats after the iPAD?? check out the new Augmented Reality Glasses

    - by Stephen Slade
    Everyone loves their new iPad! The rich features, portability, plethora of apps and ease of use make this the new clipboard on the factory floor or electronic notebook for meetings. But how many business people walk into an hours meeting and really start typing notes on their PC?..yes some do, but for the general business public there are new technologies coming down the road. The iPad is the latest holla-hoop; and the next gen device I feel is the Augmented Reality Glasses. Your glasses will be your screen, have an earpiece, be wireless enabled, your smart watch be your electronics and maybe your belt can be an extended battery pack.  I'm anxious to test one of these. The TELEGRAPH writes:  "Android software is believed to power the gadget, enabling similar features to its smartphone and tablets. A 3G /4G data connection, motion sensors and GPS navigation are believed to be included in the device's capabilities. The augmented-reality glasses are the culmination of a two-year initiative called Project Glass, developed in the clandestine Google X lab, ..in Mountain View, ...The New York Times suggested they could cost between $250-$500 " http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9187547/Google-unveils-augmented-reality-glasses.html

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  • First steps with Oracle ADF Mobile for iOS and Android

    - by Bruno.Borges
    Oracle announced recently its new Mobile development platform, called Oracle ADF Mobile. With it, you can build truly Java applications, deploy and run real Java code on both Android and iOS with its self-contained Java runtime. It also comes with PhoneGap. which allows you to use any feature your phone offers, like sensors and camera. It's probably the most complete solution for mobile development out there, simply because with Oracle ADF Mobile, you can write Native, Hybrid or Web applications for your smartphone and tablet. Do you want to take a quick look on what can be done with it? Check out this video!  Now, to start with Oracle ADF Mobile, here are the first steps you will have to go through. Download Oracle JDeveloperGo to this link and download the install file for your environment (Windows, Linux-32bit or Generic) Install JDeveloper (of course)If you need help on this, look at the documentation (if you've downloaded 11gR2, click here) Download Oracle ADF Mobile BundleThis is the download page for Oracle ADF Mobile. Accept the license as usual at the top, and follow with the Download button. It will take you to another page, where you will see a table containing a download link. Click on it and it will start downloading a ZIP file. Start JDeveloperStart Oracle JDev. It may self update. Restart the IDE if you are asked to. Go to Help > Check for updates Click Next and make sure you are at the "Source" tab Select "Install From Local File" Select the Oracle ADF Mobile ZIP you downloaded on step 3 Finish the process   Now you have JDeveloper with Oracle ADF Mobile sucessfully installed! There are two great tutorials to start coding with ADF Mobile. Just choose your platform! Android Tutorial iOS Tutorial And have fun! :-) 

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  • E3 Booth Babes Display a Painful Lack of Video Game Knowledge [Video]

    - by Jason Fitzpatrick
    If you thought a prerequisite for manning a booth at an electronics expo was a passing knowledge of the electronics and games you were promoting, you were wrong. In the above video Chloe Dykstra puts a set of “booth babes” from the E3 2011 conference to the test by asking them simple questions about video games both new and old. If you’re a gaming fan and you can watch this video without laughing out loud you’ve got an iron will (or you’re shaking your head in disbelief that someone could work a gaming convention and not know the answers to these questions). We won’t lie, we were shaking our head when the one model admitted that she’d worked at GameStop for a year and still didn’t know any of the answers. What questions would you put on list? How about “Finish this sentence: ‘Your Princess is in another…’”, “Dimension?”. 5HP: Booth Babe Edition – E3 2011 [YouTube via Kotaku] How To Encrypt Your Cloud-Based Drive with BoxcryptorHTG Explains: Photography with Film-Based CamerasHow to Clean Your Dirty Smartphone (Without Breaking Something)

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  • Opportunity Nokia's

    - by Andrew Clarke
    Nokia’s alliance with Microsoft is likely to be good news for anyone using Microsoft technologies, and particularly for .NET developers. Before the announcement, the future wasn’t looking so bright for the ‘mobile’ version of Windows, Windows Phone. Microsoft currently has only 3.1% of the Smartphone market, even though it has been involved in it for longer than its main rivals. Windows Phone has now got the basics right, but that is hardly sufficient by itself to change its predicament significantly. With Nokia's help, it is possible. Despite the promise of multi-tasking for third party apps, integration with Microsoft platforms such as Xbox and Office, direct integration of Twitter support, and the introduction of IE 9 “later this year”, there have been frustratingly few signs of urgency on Microsoft’s part in improving the Windows Phone  product. Until this happens, there seems little prospect of reward for third-party developers brave enough to support the platform with applications. This is puzzling when one sees how well SQL Server and Microsoft’s other server technologies have thrived in recent years, under good leadership from a management that understands the technology. The same just hasn’t been true for some of the consumer products. In consequence, iPads and Android tablets have already exposed diehard Windows users, for the first time, to an alternative GUI for consumer Tablet PCs, and the comparisons aren’t always in Windows’ favour. Nokia’s problem is obvious: Android’s meteoric rise. Android now has 33% of the worldwide market for smartphones, while the market share of Nokia’s Symbian has dropped from 44% to 31%. As details of the agreement emerge, it would seem that Nokia will bring a great deal of expertise, such as imaging and Nokia Maps, to Windows Phone that should make it more competitive. It is wrong to assume that Nokia’s decline will continue: the shock of Android’s sudden rise could be enough to sting them back to their previous form, and they have Microsoft’s huge resources and marketing clout to help them. For the sake of the whole Windows stack, I really hope the alliance succeeds.

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