Lik Hon - a Chinese pharmacist - was the brain behind the first electronic cigarette that hit the market. A lot of things have changed ever since, and right now we have a wealth of companies manufacturing and selling e-cigs. The first modes launched didn’t look lie cigarettes at all, and many thought that they were too bulky and heavy to be used on a daily basis. Also, changing the parts, charging your e-cig, and even changing the liquid, seemed complicated at first. Fortunately, advanced technology has helped many new companies developed thinner versions. Right now, we have lots of manufacturers develop e-cigs that look just like real cigarettes.

From conventional to e-smoking

There’s a clear shift happening in the tobacco industry. Avid smokers who can’t quit, believe that electronic cigarettes might be a healthier way to feed their need for nicotine. Some of them only smoke normal cigarettes when they’re someplace outside. Others are happy with electronic cigarettes because they last longer, and they can be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home without affecting the quality of the air their loved ones breathe.

When the first e-cig was released on the market, over a decade ago, everyone was crazy to know more about what it can do. How did it work? But as soon as they’ve understood the process, they started finding glitches. Liquid spills, faulty pens, and extra costs involved to purchase chargers had quite the impact on the industry. Fortunately, technology has advanced and today’s e-cigs are better than ever. They’re lighter, thinner and much easier to use.

E-cigs - an actual way to stop smoking

There’s actual proof that vaping can help people stop smoking. Many of those that stopped smoking cigarettes, claim that e-cigs are less harmful to the health. Even though they do contain nicotine, the side effects are almost nonexistent. However, the e-cig industry has grown in popularity because of the technology implemented in electronic cigarettes. A lot of smokers see vaping as a very coo trend, and e-cigs as a gadget they just need to have.


Experts estimate that about 20,000 people stopped smoking with the help of e-cigs. University College London mentions in a recent report that 18,000 in the UK stopped smoking in 2015 and switched on to vaping. Since e-cigs allow smokers to adjust the level of nicotine in their liquid – as well as choose from a wealth of different aromas – the chances one has to quit are incredibly high. Even though many still see e-cigs as a cool trend that sooner or later will fade away, some actually believe that the technology will advance even further.

Adaptive technology

There have been complains regarding the safety and efficiency of electronic cigarettes. Nevertheless, it hasn’t stopped the people from trying out the new technology. Smoking is a bad habit that affects millions of people every year. This means it’s no wonder some would do anything to quit. In the past few years, we’ve seen society embrace healthier lifestyle choices. The tobacco industry is taking a pretty hard beat, and the e-cig industry is the main culprit.

A conventional cigarette contains over 7000 chemicals. An e-cig only contains 4: nicotine, flavorings, glycerin, and propylene glycol. Plus, we have the water vapor that triggers the smoke, which has roughly 10-20 chemicals. Compared to the 7000 chemicals in average cigarettes, what would you choose? Even though it’s been over a decade since the first electronic cigarette was released on to the marketplace, it’s still too soon to predict where it will be able to take down the tobacco industry.


Truth be told, smoking is deadly and the numbers will keep growing up if nobody does anything. In 2011, over 19% of US people were avid smokers. The World Health Organization claims that the death percentage due to tobacco smoking might get to 8 million by 2030. E-cigs such as the Coil Master, and other popular brands, can help you quit. Rather than smoke tobacco, don’t you think you’re on the safe side with vaping? There are hundreds of different flavors you can try, as well as different nicotine liquids that you can adjust to get the right mix and satisfy your need for a cigarette.

Smartphones have been around a long time but it is only recently they have taken over the youth by storm. Today’s generation is ruled and dictated by technology- be it two year old toddlers swiping left and right on iPads playing games or be it older citizens familiarizing themselves with the social scene and getting technologically educated.

A smartphone is a must have necessity in today’s world. From rickshaw drivers to conductors everyone wants the best when it comes to technology and it’s a rare sight to see anyone using an old school Nokia 1100. Bring life to your smartphone with these amazing apps that will greatly enhance your mobile phone experience.

Security Apps

Protecting your phone from malware and viruses is key to maintaining its performance. One of the best security apps is the Avast Mobile security app. Avast is a well-known name in anti-virus products and brings your phone a neat anti-virus that even allows you to back up data to the cloud along with malware protection.


With its user friendly interface and great performance, this should surely be one of the first apps you download on your new phone.

News Apps

Knowledge brings unlimited power and liberation. If you’re well aware about events around you then you’re sure to get noticed be it at your work place or amongst your friends. Keep abreast with global news in any domain be it sports, politics, economics or entertainment.


Download the Google Play Newsstand which brings in-depth articles along with videos and audio so you never miss any news again. Empower yourself for knowledge never goes waste.

Music Apps

It is said the right music can either make you remember everything or make you forget everything. Music washes away the dust of the soul and our lives truly would be dull without music to compliment different life situations.


To make your music really come alive, download Poweramp which is a treat for music lovers. With customizable themes, make this app your own and unleash your music onto the world with features like equaliser, crossfade and other amazing features. This app is sure to keep you busy.

Photography Apps

Your phone understands not everyone is a Picasso and not everyone can afford a DSLR. With a good quality camera which is backed with a good photography app, you can let out the Van Gogh residing inside you and add effects, frames, texts and filters that would put the best celebrityinstagrampics to shame.


The one app that truly brings out the artist in you is Bonfire Photo Editor that has amazing features including realistic painting filters which let you convert a photograph into an oil painting, impressionist and finger painted master pieces. This is a one of a kind app that is sure to mesmerize you.

Productivity Apps

Ever had that awkward moment where you bump into someone and they know exactly who you are but you are totally clueless the way you were during Inception? (seriously what was the deal with that totem in the end?) Well there is only so much the human brain can remember.


This is why Humin is the perfect app for you which takes down notes and reminds you exactly where and how you met someone. If only Ted had this app in How I Met Your Mother we wouldn’t have needed 9 seasons to find out the end. Just ask your phone who you “met last week” and let it do the rest for you!

There are undoubtedly countless and numerous apps out there each serving to make our life simpler, faster and convenient. These are just a few apps which are sure to give your smart phone a cool make over and make your phone even more Irresistible to use.

Linux systems are more capable to read or recover partially corrupt drives as compared to Windows. Many people who have experienced both the systems have stated it. A general consideration is Windows is feature-rich, technical, and robust in comparison; however, its capability to deal with half-corrupt devices lets the users down. Here, we will go in details in the following section, continue reading to know the exact scenario.

Loss of a single piece of business critical information leads to downfall. In this case, it is important to rely on a robust operating system that minimizes such risks. When you insert a new drive in Windows, it will detect the disk, read partition table, and attempt to access the file system. It is just that the OS mounts the device; however, if during the process, any block causes the failure of your affected drive, Windows fails to read it. When it comes to Linux OS, it may be possible that it does not mount all the partitions, or while mounting, it reads some other set of sectors, as the way NTFS is implemented in Linux is very different from that of Windows. However, if it is about better half-corrupt disk accessibility, Ubuntu is same as Windows and is not bundled with any extra mechanism for accessing the device or recovering it. Windows may consider reading secondary copy of Master File Table or targeting other data. As per such analysis, it is your luck that you got access to a partially corrupt drive. Therefore, if you have accessed the data once, it does not mean that you will be privileged every time with the same as the drive may get worsen next time.

While the drive is partially failed, its complete failure depends on usage. The more it will be used, the sooner it will get corrupt. Consequently, Windows may encounter blue screen of death error (BSOD), and during boot process, MBR or missing file messages will occur.

It is something great about Linux that it always catches and pays attention on the indicators showing that something is going wrong. Besides, Linux also encounters the SCSI errors, as Windows or even the kernel log on the corrupt disk throws the same errors. However, users, particularly who are from Unix environment, choose Linux over Windows and the most prominent reason for such inclination is cost. Well, the response after accessing a disk depends on the program that accesses it. For example, a recovery utility may read one sector repeatedly or may leave it. It is a good idea to consider the concept of imaging for your drive; the image must contain all the clean sectors. It will help if you use the image to recover data, as it works as backup and provides data while you are going through bad times.

Well, with the recommendations given above or the adverse cases that sink you into loss of data, in any case, you need to recover all the lost information at the earliest. As you saw above that OS throws errors and the drive gets worse when used more and more, there is no guarantee that you will get the data back. In such cases, you need to choose a commercial Linux data recovery application that will dedicatedly repair the corrupt drive and recover all the data. In addition, such software programs offer a long list of features that are capable to perform many other tasks than just recovery. You may also choose to image the drive; however, these facilities are available only if you get an efficient and reliable application.

Author Bio: Abhay Jeet is a contributor and providing support to Microsoft Help Community and guiding users to fix problems on their PC. You can explore more about him on Google Plus.

Smart Watches are bad value for money, because while comparing the Samsung Galaxy Gear Smart Watch to the iPhone 5S Smartphone shows the real lack of quality features across the board. Today's Smartphone apps are changing our lives in terms of how productive we as a society have become, how we track our movements, where we visit and how we socialise online.
When developing Smart Watches, someone, somewhere, forget about one major target audience. According to the below infographic - Women won’t buy a Smart Watch. Why? There simply too ugly, too clunky and not an inspirational enough fashion accessory to justify the price point. And, traditionally far more women than men wear a watch, not just to tell time, but as an adornment. Many women see watches as fashion accessories.

No one size fits all. Rules to live by in the rag trade, but what the Smart Watch developers haven’t noticed yet. Wrist size varies and so does eyesight. The screens in most Smart Watches are tiny.

Here the infographic designed by DPFOC en-titled with " Why SmartWatches Will Time Out? " that clearly explain you reasons why Smart Watches are bad value for money.


Are you agree/disagree with this? Why? Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences. Have a Great Day!

Photo credits: BTC Keychain

If you haven't noticed bitcoin prices reached a five-month high recently. Looking at news headlines, this doesn't make a lot of sense at first because there has been a lot of negative news in the press about Bitcoin. For example, the New York Post recently wrote about Bitcoin being a form of digital deception. Regardless, after hitting over $250 earlier this summer, the value of a bitcoin have gone up and down quite a bit. There's a reason for this, which we will be going over below.

Before we begin, let's go over the basics of Bitcoin for those who may not be familiar. Basically, bitcoins is a form of virtual currency that can be used online or traded for "real" dollars around the world. It's created by being mined - this means that it's generated when computers are used to solve complex mathematical problems. In exchange for computer processing power, people receive bitcoins. This is commonly referred to as mining for bitcoins.

Will Virtual Currency Affect Demand for Physical Currency?

This is a question that is on a lot of minds - for good reason. While there are no studies or research that shows this is happening currently, it's a very good possibility in the very near future for quite a few different reasons.

For one, as Bitcoin becomes more acceptable as a means to buy and sell items, there is going to be a noticeable decrease in the demand for physical currency - notes and coins. While this hasn't happened yet, there are many signs that it's not only possible but probable in the years ahead.

And this isn't the only economic impact bitcoins will have on the world economy. While some may argue that bitcoins are too small to affect something as large and diverse as the economic situation in the world markets, others believe that there's a very good chance that bitcoins are going to affect world markets in the near future.

Other Economic Impacts of Bitcoins

Looking further into the matter, it's clear to see that there are some economic impacts from the use of bitcoins. Many said the shutdown of Silk Road - that used bitcoins to sell drugs illegally online - is actually going to help bitcoin's image in the long run. This is because Bitcoin has been lumped in with illegal activities online. That's changing, however, for the better. For many, this is a sign that bitcoins are about to be taken a bit more seriously and that will lead to it's popularity increasing. The entrance of a virtual currency into world trade markets may really shake things up.

For one thing, because bitcoins are based on problems being solved - aka bitcoin mining - the production of the money isn't going to be based on the whims of governments or financial institutions that simply print paper currency and mint coins as demand arises and when there's enough collateral at banks to cover it. As bitcoins become more prominent and are used by more people - outside of the fringe - this is going to get a lot of people thinking about how money is made these days.

Bitcoin prices hit record highs this year because they're beginning to become more mainstream. While not everyone knows about them at this time, this is quickly changing. That can be seen by the fluctuating prices seen earlier this year. As virtual currencies become even more popular, their value is going to increase which will have a real effect on traditional forms of currency.

Author Bio: Maegred Mithi knows quite a bit about Panasonic energy saving washing machines that you can buy online. When not shopping for appliances, Maegred likes to learn about corporate reputation management online.

Some people complain that technology is dehumanizing, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Since mankind first picked up a stick and sharpened the end to hunt, we've been using technology to further our evolution over the years. A recent bit of research by Intel has found that many younger people see technology as a bad thing that makes us less human, but this couldn't be further from the truth.

How Tech Makes us MORE Human

Here's a breakdown of some of the different ways technology makes us human and is helpful.

• Evolution - As mentioning in the opening paragraph, there's something to be said about how technology has enabled humans to evolve more quickly over the years. After being around for a while, there was a sudden surge of help that enabled mankind to come up with written language and other things (technology) that helped propel humankind forward.
• Communication - One of the things that sets humans apart is our rich and varied means of communication. If it wasn't for technology over the years, we might still be grunting and yelling to try to get others to understand us. As it stands, technology has been very helpful for communicating with others. And this has led to cooperation which has really helped humankind advance.
• Too Much Technology? - According to the Intel study, around 59% of millennials (younger people) think that society is too reliant on technology these days. That's a high number, but there are still those who maintain that technology (and its use) is what truly makes us human.
• More Research - If you're interested in reading more about how technology makes us human, you're going to want to check out ’Two legs, thing using and talking’. which is a great paper that shows the emergence of the creative engineering mind - something that has allowed humans to really excel in the last couple hundred years - much more than we have in all of the rest of recorded history. 

Do you think technology makes us human or is something bad that should be watched carefully so it doesn't harm society? This is a question that people really have to ask themselves. While the points above lay out a good case for technology being a good thing that makes us more human, there are other viewpoints out there in the world.

Whether you agree or disagree about technology and humanity, leave a comment and become a part of the conversation. If you do this, you can clearly see that technology does a lot to make it easier to be human and communicate with each other. This is really what sets us apart from the rest of the living things on this planet.

Server Clusters

The toughest question that bothers everyone is to find out which one suits your organization; a cloud, or a cluster. To choose the right kind of server for the success of your business is very critical. Cloud comes out as a clear winner, because of the monetary factors, if the market surveys are followed. But money is not all that matters. If you’re in a perpetual confusion and unsurety on whether to go for cloud hosting or server clusters, our round up and comparison might just help you out.

Understanding the Concepts of Cloud and Clustering

It is easier to understand the concept of a cloud if you imagine a huge building with several rooms for lent. You pay for one of the apartments and rent it for as many days, months or years, you wish to. The vacant rooms are supposed to be marketed by the owner of the building for other tenants who can come by and rent them. More tenants equal to more ROI.

For your own safety, as well as a responsible space owner, you would want to secure your parameters by putting extra locks on the doors, automate burglar and fire alarms, place surveillance cameras, and so on. Cloud helps you to set-up these systems only in your own space while you have to trust your building owner completely for the hallways, elevators, stairs, lounges, fire exits, and the reception. This is known as cloud. Most providers follow this principle. Vacancies go for sale, while you rent a place in the building of virtual servers.

Server clusters, on the other hand, is like your home. You are free to shut down the gates and give intruders warning signs to stay away from your property. In case someone tries to break into your house, the suspicious footprints can give you the necessary hints. Then all you have to do is beef up the security measure a notch higher from your master bedroom till the garage and the gate.

The server stores every data like payrolls, client records, presentations, thousands of email conversations which contain proprietary information and even general updating information of your Facebook account.

The cloud acts as a “black box” like those in cockpits of aircraft's which contain all information of your organization stored in those virtual services. You appreciate the metal clusters that can be easily scrutinized by you for any threats at any given point of time. To add to it, you share it with no one, so it is exclusively your own information.

Cluster over Cloud

Ever experienced hassled because your joint account partner is unavailable? This can be classified as cloud. In case of an error, the whole system crashes, stalling all your business operations.

Cluster in server comes to rescue here. In case of a server failure, you can easily swap and replace such that the system restores power. For example, there are several ATMs in case the one you use is out of order.

Cloud Over Cluster

The one problem that people have faced with customised clustering solutions is their demand of similar versions of the operating systems and the hardware for every physical machine involved. Also, it becomes a necessity for clusters to access high speed for tying everything together unlike the cloud which can sustain on long latency connections.

There are obvious reasons why computer science considers cloud computing to be a breakthrough. But there are reasons why people prefer a certain genre of music over other, simply because that is what they need at that point of time. Cloud is more promising, though it might not be the ultimate package, while server clustering is not perfect for all.

Author Bio: Sheila Kurdinger reviews companies that offer Chatroulette her love for data visualization and infographics. Professionally, she works as a product designer and has been researching on compact storage.

A Look at Two Confusing File Formats

Photo by David Amsler / Flickr

Almost everyone knows about the MP3 music file. Even your grandparents are probably familiar with the file type on some level. On the other hand, not many people are familiar with MP4 format. While the formats share two letters, they're actually quite a bit different. MP3 files are for audio while MP4 files are video files. Still, there are other similarities as well. An MP3 stands for MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 while MP4 stands for MPEG-4 Part 14, which is actually a video file.

Similarities Between MP3 and MP4

First, let's take a look at the similarities between the MP3 and MP4 file formats.

MPEG Format - As you can see from the first two letters in their names, both file types are based on the MPEG standard for compression of data.

High Quality - Both MP3s and MP4s are known for being able to store data in a way that makes it easy for the media to be replayed at high quality.

Small Sizes - Compared to a lot of other audio and video formats, MP3 and MP4 files are a lot smaller in file size while still maintaining quality levels.

Difference Between MP3 and MP4

Here's a closer look at how the two file types are different.

MP3 Created - The first MP3 codec was able to store an audio file in less space thanks to the lossy compression used. The smaller the file size the more horrible the quality, but because this can be adjusted, people are able to find a comfortable compromise.

MP4 Created - The MP4 file format was created in order to have an easy way to download or stream audio and video on the Internet. Based primarily on Apple's MOV file format, it's come a long way since it was first introduced.

Audio / Video - Of course, as already mentioned, an MP3 is for audio content while the MP4 format is for videos. This is a big difference that confuses some people who think that the MP4 is just a better version of the MP3.

Now That You Know

If you want to find a good MP4 player, there are quite a few good ones online. If you look around, you may even be able to find a free MP4 player. Watching videos in this format is really noticeable if you care at all about quality. On top of that, the smaller file size you usually find with MP4 files is another big benefit that has led to its popularity.

And as for MP3 files, you can hardly click a link on the Internet without running into software that will help you create or listen to MP3 files. This is one of the reasons the file format has gained so much popularity since it was first introduced. That and the smaller file sizes for complete songs.

Author Bio: Adam Prattler is a content writer. Recently he wrote an article ‘we buy any house fast’. It became very famous on the social media.

Photo: 3Ders

Hybrid engines in an automobile. Yeah you’ve heard about about them. Three wheels for a car? Thinkable seeing how fast paced technology has become. Running at a speed of 68 mph! Are you serious? Ability to carry up to 1200 lbs. Insane! A car which is an assembly of 3D printed parts. Hello Future. We’re bamboozled! Thats Urbee 2 for you and thats where the automobile world is headed people. 

Photo: popularmechanics

Social Media tools are designed for "socializing"--not simply sending your thoughts out into cyberspace to be digested or ignored. The whole point of online social tools is to interact with your audience and build up a glowing online reputation, and as the most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook is the perfect place to start discussions, exchange ideas, and make one another laugh.

The business world’s adoption of mobile technology is what Forbes calls unprecedented. By 2015, they estimate there will be 7.4 billion wireless devices out there. This creates an interesting conundrum for companies looking to utilize employee-owned equipment to create a digital workplace. How do they go about synchronizing devices safely to get everyone on the same page?

Let’s face it, how information is given to a person directly affects how it is processed and whether or not it is retained. By presenting information in a way that is both interesting and memorable, you can increase the retention rate. This is very important because if no one remembers the key elements of what you are saying, all your time amounts to nothing more than a waste. There are a number of easy and effective options that you can choose from when compiling the information that you hope to present. These modes of communicating information will ensure that your valuable time was not spent in vane.

Prezi

Prezi is a cloud based software designed in a collaborative effort between some outstanding software companies. It enables the user to present information in a virtual area. Due to the fact that it is cloud type software, it can be accessed and collaborated on by many different people at different locations. This makes it a great choice for projects that have more than one person working on them. It eliminates the need for transferring files and even the need to be in the same country. As an added bonus there is even an app for the iPad.

Infographics

Infographics are a compilation of text and graphics. They are eye-catching, usually colorful and have a good resonation with the public. The combination of text and graphics can help your subjects more easily process the ideas that you present and promote a better understanding of the concept. Infographics are not a new concept, they have been used for many centuries and for many purposes. Some of the earliest known were used to help humanity better understand the world around them and how it works. Present day infographics include items such as subway and transportation maps. There are many elements that need to be considered in order to have an infographic succeed at its intended purpose. This includes the wording, the graphic element, the spatial layout and the color scheme. It can sound complicated, but that is why there are services and programs that can help you to design an awesome infographic like Infographic World.

Animation

Never underestimate the power of animation. Presenting information as an animated short will help make it more memorable and there are programs available online to help you. If the information that you are dealing with can be presented in a skit form, you may want to consider this method. The programs available range in the level of knowledge needed to operate them. For instance POW is an animation program that is very basic and is marketed toward kids.

The information that you are trying to present is obviously important. If it wasn’t then you wouldn’t be knowledge, you will be ensuring that it is not forgotten. Many of the different presentation methods will also transfer well to social media outlets, blogs and YouTube. So if social media is a part of your marketing strategy, and it should be, you could end up with a great presentation and some exceptional content.

Author Bio: Marianne Ross is a freelance writer and an occasional guest-blogger who shares her business related tips on various blogs.

Every business in today’s high-tech world uses technology. All technology in this world is highly susceptible to disaster. Natural disasters can bring down critical infrastructure and cripple a company’s ability to do business. Human error or malicious behavior can likewise hamper voice and data infrastructure, rendering it useless. It’s imperative that every business that relies on infrastructure have a disaster plan prepared ready to implement at a moment notice.

Disaster Recovery

Having a disaster plan for voice infrastructure means having a suitable means to remain connected to your clients in the even that your primary phone system fails. Such a system may include routing calls to a secondary location and transferring staff to that facility or contracting to a call center to temporarily manage your incoming communications.

A data disaster recover involves using one or multiple off-site data backups, or an entirely cloud-based storage solution. The first system would allow you to restore mission critical data as soon as infrastructure is restored. The second would allow continuous access to your data thorough the disaster from and alternate location.

Virtualization Management

Not all infrastructures is physical equipment. Many businesses today utilize server virtualization infrastructure in the form of cloud-based technology. Your voice and data infrastructure plan needs to be properly managed to insure that your business remains functional should you experience and outage.

High Availability

Your disaster options need to include high availability. Every service or alternate location involved in your disaster plan must be available at any time. Disasters are unpredictable. You won’t have time to make any arrangements if you need your backup facilities. It needs to be prepared and able to scale to the necessary capacity at a moment’s notice.

Green IT

Utilizing green IT in every aspect of your company’s infrastructure is important. Reducing the amount of space and the power consumption of your systems has an immediate impact on your company’s bottom line. Likewise, your voice and data infrastructure disaster plan should also rely heavily on green technology, especially if you’re maintaining your own backup facilities. The cost savings from green technology will help minimize the backup facilities drain on company resources.

Author Bio: Deney Dentel is the CEO at Nordisk Systems, Inc., a managed and cloud computing service provider company in Portland, OR. Deney is the only localised and authorised IBM business partner in Pacific Northwest. You can also follow him on LinkedIn.

When you make the decision to install wireless Internet in your home, you not only enjoy the convenience of this modern technology, but also receive a great return on your investment. Read on to learn how wireless Internet can provide financial benefits. These will benefit you and your family.

Wireless networks allow users to access the Internet without having to connect cables from computers to routing devices. A business or home that uses wireless technology makes it easy for anyone within range who has an Internet-compatible device to connect to the World Wide Web via radio waves. Wireless Internet offers several benefits over wired networks that you should consider when choosing a provider to best suit the needs of you and your family.

Convenience, Practicality and Affordability

PCWorld explains that a wireless network is the superior option in terms of providing your home with a convenient, practical and affordable way to access the Internet at any time of the day or night. Wireless systems eliminate the need for you to remain in one location with your computer attached to your router while you are online and allow you to navigate websites at incredibly fast speeds. Providers also offer complete packages that do not require wiring costs, a factor that helps you to save money on your Internet connection.

Stable Internet Access for Work, School and Online Browsing

Whether you and your family are seeking wireless Internet for conducting business from home, finding information for school projects, surfing the Web during leisure time or all of the above, your investment also pays off in terms of stability. According to Cicso Systems, wireless networks allow for your Internet signal to remain stable and secure as you move through different areas of your home with a laptop computer while someone else sits at a desktop. This sophisticated technology works to maintain your connection when you allow guests in your home to access your network as well.

Choosing a Wireless Internet Provider

When choosing a wireless Internet provider for your household, you can save a great deal of time by browsing through comparison sites so that you can clearly see what each plan has to offer. Broadband Expert, one such comparison site, is a great reference to use when deciding on a wireless network. This site compares a range of packages according to factors such as price, setup cost, minimum available terms, data limits and speed. You are able to compare and contrast various packages offered by iPrimus, Dodo, Eftel and more in an efficient and easy-to-read manner.

In this day and age, installing a wireless network is truly the way to go if you want to get the best investment possible on your Internet plan. Finding the perfect package for your family's budget and responsibilities is effortless as Broadband Expert lists each provider for wireless Internet. Visit the site in order to discover which wireless networks are compatible with your interests.

Author's Bio: Rosette is a freelance writer who regularly contributes pieces to online blogs and magazines within the technology niche. As a seasoned user of wireless Internet, She enjoys sharing her knowledge of this topic and recommends that readers compare pricing plans before choosing a provider. She appreciates that Broadband Expert lists each provider for wireless Internet.

Kickstarter is a project that allows anyone to donate to a large or small project thus contributing to the development of our digital future. Large companies have long ago concentrated on the improvement of their existing products, not trying to bring anything new. This is where Kickstarter comes to action as it is a perfect platform for start-ups which don’t have enough money but have enough enthusiasm and brains. There you can see hundreds of different projects (not only technical ones), donate any sum of money you like to these projects, and help them develop. In this article I’d like to share with you the most promising tech projects from this platform.


Ouya - Android Based Gaming Console

Ouya is a gaming console that runs under Android 4. It will work not only with Android games optimized for TV sets, but will also be able to launch the games for other consoles with the help of OnLive stream service. Apart from that, such multimedia applications as Xbox Media Center allow playing music and videos in HD format. In order to be able to perform all these operations, the console will be supplied with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor. Other specs include 1Gb of RAM and 8 Gb of internal storage. The peculiarity of this development is that any game for it should be available for free - either as Free-to-Play or as a limited demo-version. Console’s controller is supplied with a touch pad which allows you to play games intended for sensor devices.


FloJack - NFC Reader For iPhone

As surprising as it is, Apple hasn’t integrated NFC chip into their latest iPhones 5. Even iPads don’t have it. But if you still want to be able to make contactless payments and create instant connections between two mobile devices, then you’ll be happy with the FloJack release. FloJack is a small NFC module which can be connected to your iPhone or iPad via headset connector. Later on the development for Android is planned. Apart from FloJack, the developers intend to create a case with NFC module in order not to use headset connector.


Form 1 - 3D Printer Of High Quality

Most of the available 3D printers can’t boast of high printing quality, and printed objects often look rough. Form 1 printer is different - it uses the STL technology allowing it to print 25 micrometers thick layers. What is more, it solidifies printed objects with the help of light wave of certain length. The price for this device is around $3300.


Parallella - Mini Super-Computer

Parallella reminds of Raspberry PI mini-PC with low energy consumption. This device is built on the basis of the central dual-core ARM A9 processor. RISC-chip Epiphany (with either 16 or 64 cores and700 MGHz) is an additional processor. Parallella has a size of a credit card. This board is supplied with 1Gb of RAM, microSD slot, USB 2.0 connectors, Ethernet, HDMI and Ubuntu operating system.


Mycestro - A 3D Mouse

We all have got used to a PC mouse but here’s an alternative that can soon replace a traditional one. Device from Mycestro is a small manipulator that you put on your pointing finger. Thus you won’t need to get your hands off the keyboard in order to move the cursor. Your finger move is interpreted as a cursor move. If you move your big finger from the mouse, it’ll stop working. Scrolling is realized by finger sliding.


Author’s Bio: Eugene Rudenko is a tech writer for IT company Intellectsoft, a leading iPhone app design company and a preferred Apple (UK) supplier.

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology is the way of the future. Facebook, one of the largest websites on the Internet for social networking, is leading the way in VoIP technology by allowing users to chat with each other using Facebook chat while on their phones.

Facebook Use of VoIP

The advances that Facebook is making will allow normal users to take advantage of everything VoIP has to offer. Users can log into Facebook chat and talk with another person as if they were calling them on a telephone. At the time of writing this, the Facebook VoIP service does not cost users anything to use. The only cost users will face while using it revolves around the cost for data transmission, especially if the VoIP is being utilized from a phone.


The big question revolves around how Facebook's VoIP compares to services like Viber and Rebtel.

Viber Desktop Update

Viber has just released an app that allows Mac and PC users to take advantage of the VoIP service that mobile users have been able to enjoy for years now. In addition to that, they've updated to version 3.0 of their app for mobile phones, which allows for better call clarity,improved photo sharing and a brand new voice engine that is supported by even more languages than the previous versions. The biggest feature seems to be the ability to switch between the Viber mobile application and the Viber desktop application in a seamless fashion.


Rebtel Launch VoIP SDK

Rebtel has launched an update that takes VoIP in a completely different direction. Instead of pushing out an update that expands their VoIP service to Mac and PC users, Rebtel has made a free VoIP SDK available for iOS and Android app makers. This will allow independent applications to be made that utilize the technology of VoIP for groups that need it. If a social networking website wanted to make a move similar to Facebook, then Rebtel would certainly be the option to use.


Modern VoIP offers users a large number of features, but at the most basic level it provides users with the ability to phone each other. The cost of calling one VoIP user utilizing the same network is usually free with most services and the price of calling from a VoIP device to a regular telephone can be cheaper than a monthly phone service subscription. With the availability of VoIP spreading across not only devices but also websites and the improvements that established VoIP providers are making to their technology to provide better call quality, it seems like users will seriously have to consider moving to VoIP service. Even the cost of VoIP, which used to be significantly higher than the cost of regular phone service, has decreased in price during the previous years.

Author Bio: Jonny Grant, an expert in VoIP technology and working at providers Packnet. Jonny writes regularly about the updates in VoIP, both from a business and consumer perspective.

The smartphone industry is increasingly growing each and everyday. Various manufacturers and designers are coming up with new ideas and innovations. For people who are planning to own this gadget and they probably do not know what to expect from these new innovations, the following are some of the few things you certainly have to know.

A smartphone is a cell phone that can connect to the internet and is capable of running multiple applications. Some of the most common smartphones come with wireless fidelity, data, Bluetooth and even the GPRS functions. Additionally, Android, iOS and mobile 7 are some of the world major operating systems that these new phones run on. For people who love faster internet connection, you can get a handset that is equipped with 3G wireless technology. The best part, it can automatically switch to Wi-Fi when available. In fact, it is anticipated that the new smartphones will be able to accommodate 4G technology.

For quite a number of mobile phone users, buying a smartphone can be extremely expensive to them. This is the reason why the refurbished smartphone market is growing rapidly. A refurbished smartphone is a used phone and less costly than a new one. However, most companies sell these used phones after it is completely renovated. Ideally, if there is a broken or missing part, it is repaired or replaced with a new one. So if you find you cannot afford a new smartphone, you can go for a refurbished one. It cheaper and you will surely enjoy all the features that any other smartphone has.

Smartphone manufacturers have also created a number of products for their customers. For example, Samsung has come up with countless products and accessories, including Samsung phone cases among to actually accommodate the needs of its customers. These cases protect your phone from scratches and external activities that can dent your precious handset. Besides, your phone will look new and more appealing. If you own a Samsung refurbished smartphone, go for Samsung phone cases that you like. Your handsets is extremely expensive and worth all the care.

What are some of the best deals? Technically, different phones from different manufacturers do vary. The market is flowing with various models with different features. However, some of the well renowned models include Nokia, HTC, LG, and Apple among others. These handsets are simply remarkable and will surely bring a wonderful experience. Others also come with quality cameras, adequate storage, internet connectivity, and smart battery backup among other features. Having that best phone can be one of the best experiences. However, security is paramount. With a large number of mobile users, security concerns are bound to shoot up. However, you can also be safe from hackers and thieves if you use a unique code to lock your handset. Also, do not at any time store your banking password in your cell phone. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, designers and manufacturers are now focusing their attention on designing the best phones and the lowest possible prices.

Apple introduced the new operating system for their Mac computers, the OS X Mavericks has new re-designed user interface and more than 200 new features. Besides the new moniker, OS X Mavericks also brings a number of new features.

Here's a look at the major ones

Finder Tabs

• While it's been ages since tabs made it to web browsers, OS X Mavericks brings tabs to the Finder. You can browse different folders in one Finder window using tabs. For instance open the desktop in one tab, your Dropbox folder in another and your documents in another one. You can drag and drop files from one tab to another, and organise and view tabs as per your preference. Finder windows also get a full screen view in the update.

Tags

• Just like you put tags in your blog posts for quick discovery, you can put tags to your files in local and iCloud folders.
• You can simply tag files you want to organise together with a keyword. You can even give multiple tags to a single file. Tags appear in the Finder sidebar or can be entered in the search field. You can assign tags in respective apps and they'll be grouped together in one place. So you can apply tags in the Finder, in individual apps when you save files and in iCloud.

Enhanced multiple display support

• Unlike the current version os OS X, Mavericks offers a richer experience when you have multiple displays connected to your Mac. Each connected display gets its own menu bar, and the Dock is available on whichever screen you're working on.
• You can run multiple app windows on either display or run an app in full screen mode on each. It's even possible to see the desktop on one display and a full-screen app on another one. You can also turn your Apple TV connected TV to a full function display using AirPlay. All screens can be controlled via Mission Control.

Maps

• Apple has extended its Maps apps to the desktop with OS X mavericks. The Maps app offers the Flyover 3D experience that offers rich previews of city landscapes. It also offers local points of interest such as restaurants and hotels, offering phone numbers, photos, and Yelp reviews. Maps on desktop also offers point-to-point directions, real-time traffic conditions, and alternate routes. You can even send a map to your iPhone for voice navigation. Maps have also been integrated with Mail, Contacts, and Calendar.

iBooks

• Just like Maps, Apple has extended iBooks to the desktop with OS X Mavericks. Books downloaded on your iOS devices appear automatically on your Mac. And there are over 1.8 million more in the iBooks Store, ready for you to download with just a few clicks.
• The app also offers an optimised reading experience and offers features like turning pages with a swipe, zoom in on images with a pinch, or scroll from cover to cover with the app. It also offers a dark mode for reading.
• iBooks also integrates iCloud sync and when you take notes, highlight passages, or add a bookmark on your Mac, iCloud pushes them to all your devices automatically. It also offers features like adding citations when you quote while writing a paper, for students.

Notifications

• OS X Mavericks offers better actionable notifications that let you perform actions in response without leaving the app you're in. You can reply to a message, respond to a FaceTime video call, or delete an email right from a notification. All notifications are also offered in a summary if you're away from your Mac. You can also choose to receive notifications from iOS apps.

Updated Safari browser

• The updated Safari web browser in OS X Mavericks offers new user interface features including a new Top Sites page that lets you easily organise your frequently visited websites. You can add sites from bookmarks and rearrange the website thumbnails by dragging them wherever you wish to.
• Safari also offers a Shared Links list in the new Sidebar that shows links posted by people you follow on Twitter and LinkedIn. Under the hood, Safari features the new Nitro Tiered JIT and Fast Start technologies for zippy and more responsive web browsing. Apple has also integrated new power-saving technologies, so that the Mac doesn't waste power on background processes and plug-in content.

Advanced features for power optimisation

• For faster performance and longer battery life, Apple has integrated new innovations with OS X Mavericks including Timer Coalescing that groups low-level operations together so that the processor doesn't use more power and battery is conserved, App Nap that saves power while working on multiple apps by slowing down the apps that are in the background, and compressed memory that frees up memory space for faster performance.

New Calendar

• The skeuomorphic leather folder user interface has now been replaced with a fresh new minimalistic look. It now offers continuous scrolling to browse across weeks and months and can look at the last half of one month and the first half of the next one simultaneously. It also brings a new event inspector making it simpler to create and edit events by suggesting addresses and points of interest when you start typing in the location field. The new Calendar app shows the event's location on a map, calculates travel time, and even displays a weather forecast.

iCloud Keychain

• iCloud Keychain remembers and stores your website user names and passwords on the devices you approve and protects them with AES 256-bit encryption. It keeps all the data up to date on all your iOS and Mac devices.
• The iCloud Keychain automatically fills user credentials whenever and wherever you need them. OS X Mavericks also offers a new Password Generator that suggests unique, hard-to-guess passwords for your online accounts. It also offers the option to store credit card information too.

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It is. iOS 7, the latest version of Apple’s flagship mobile operating system, is here, and it’s almost entirely different from the versions that came before. Gone are the skeuomorphic designs and 3D effects, replaced by Sir Jony Ive’s “flat design.” Rumors had been flying for weeks about the new OS and now it’s here and it is, at least at this early reckoning, a massive change for the six year old operating system.


First, we must remember that Ive, Apple’s industrial designer now in control of software following the departure of Scott Forstall, isn’t a believer in interfaces that copy real-world objects. In the past, making the Notes app look like a legal pad or the calendar app look like a Moleskine calendar notebook were part of the iOS design philosophy, as ingrained in the OS as “Slide To Unlock.” All that is gone now.

New Look:

• iOS 7 has a new font leading the way, which seems to be a sort of Helvetica Neue Ultra. It’s very skinny, clean, and it was hinted at in the iOS 7 banners that went up for WWDC yesterday.
• Instead of white bars on a black background, Apple will now tell you what kind of service coverage you have with five little dots, which are white and grey depending on how strong the signal is across a translucent background.
• The lock screen is changed for the first time in iOS’s history, with no more shine top or bottom bars for slide to unlock or the clock. Instead, Slide to unlock is translucent above the background image.
• Default app icons are now flatter, but not quite flat, just as predicted.
• Jony Ive’s hand has had its way with iOS notifications. The notifications panel isn’t laced with dark grey linen anymore, but actually has a very flat look to it. There is a today view, that lets you see friends birthdays, upcoming invitations, calendar, stocks, and a quick look at tomorrow.
• The apps all seem to have a white base, except for the stocks app which has a black background and the weather app, which shows motion in the background to convey the current weather.
• The keyboard is more white, than grey, with a translucency that lets you see what’s underneath the keyboard.

New Features:

Control Center

• Control Center is a pull-up tray that is available in your lock screen.
• You can adjust brightness, volume, and other settings including Wifi, Airplane mode, rotation lock, or Bluetooth.
• The Control Center even offers a flashlight, along with tabs for music, camera, and other quick-access apps.
• The Control Center takes on the environment it’s in, so if you swipe up while you’re in mail, it will have the same blue and white coloring under that translucent panel.

Multitasking

• iOS 7 lets you multitask between all third-party apps with much better battery consumption.
• You can double-tap the home button to enter into multi-tasking mode, just like always, but the interface for multitasking has been revamped. It appears to offer live previews, but Apple wasn’t clear about that.

Safari

• Safari opens straight into full screen mode now, with the option to pull down to bring up the search bar at the top.
• The search field has been improved to be a unified smart search field, which lets you have access to all your favorite websites with a single tap.
• Tabs come with a totally new interface, scrolling in a vertical carousel, and there are no longer any limits. In other words, you can have as many tabs as you want, as opposed to just 8 like before. Swipe a tab off to the side to throw it away.
• The new Safari is integrated with iCloud keychain from OS X Mavericks, and also comes with parental controls.

Airdrop

• You can share sharesheets with other people by simply tapping their name. No NFC required.
• Airdrop supports iPhone 5, iPad 4th gen, iPad Mini

Camera And Photos

• The Camera app lets you swipe between your various camera types, such as panorama or HDR so you can quickly take a pic instead of fumbling around with settings.
• Photos marks the first update to the photo gallery on iOS since it was introduced.
• You can search based on date, and location, within the photos app.
• Instagram must be flattered - Apple has introduced photo filters so you can add a little professionalism to the picture.
• Users can share via AirDrop, iCloud photo-sharing, as well as shared Photo Streams.
• You can even share video with iCloud photo-sharing.

Siri

• Siri has a new voice! It sounds similar, but also weird. You can choose a male or female voice, if you like. Voices include languages like French, German, and other languages “over time.”
• The visual UI has also been upgraded, with a sound wave going along the bottom.
• Siri has also been integrated with settings, letting you tell her to turn on bluetooth, or lower the screen brightness.
• The company has also added support for Twitter, Wikipedia, and shows web search results direct from Bing.

iOS In The Car

• iOS in the Car depends a lot on Siri.
• It puts the iOS homescreen on the screen of your car, and lets you search for directions, listen to music, etc.
• App Store
• You can now search for apps based on location. In other words, search for apps by the Louvre and see a lot of French museum apps.
• The App Store also automatically updates apps for you in the background now. Hallelujah again!

iTunes Radio

• Apple has finally introduced the much-anticipated iTunes Radio, which gives a Genius-like experience to the entire 26-million title iTunes catalog.
• You can see the full list of songs on each station by clicking history, with purchase and preview buttons built right in to send you to the iTunes store.
• iTunes Radio also lets you customize each station by clicking a star to show that you want more of this type of music.
• iTunes Match users will get an ad-free experience, but others will be able to use the app for free with a few audio and text ads.

Activation Lock

• This is for those of us who have had an iPhone stolen.
• If a thief steals your phone and tries to turn off Find My iPhone, they can no longer turn the device back on without your iCloud password.
• Users can also block messages and calls from other users.

Apple rolled out iOS 7 soon to all iDevice users in next few weeks and users can get update on Over the Air or from iTunes.

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