Top Free PC Maintenance Utilities

When you use a computer every day, you get a feel for its abilities, rhythms, and idiosyncrasies. So it always comes as a bit of a surprise when—after months or years of use—the device that previously zipped along like a puppy on speed seems to have slowed, now a geriatric hound no longer interested in chasing the ball. But as you install stuff and fill the hard drive and use more precious RAM until the eventual corruption of the operating system, especially in the Windows registry, where all the instructions and settings used by everything on the computer are stored.

We've focused here on PC slowdowns that you can fix. Most of these are problems for Windows users, but we found a couple of helpers for Mac OS X users, too. The one universal truth of computers is they get slow and messed up over time. These utilities will help keep your desktop and laptop running smooth and fast.

CCleaner 

The latest version 4.10 (it updates regularly) tackles cleanup of so much stuff on a PC: The Windows registry; all the crud left behind by browsers like IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari; and of course the detritus of Windows both purposeful (the Recycle Bin) or not (temp files and log files and more). There's a Mac version for OS X 10.5 to 10.9 that also goes after the browsers' left-over rubbish as well as Mac OS X and System Application leftovers. There's even an integrated application uninstaller tool.

Everything is logged so you can analyze it before deleting, if desired, but CCleaner is well regarded for seldom steering customers wrong. (It will zap your cookies if you're not careful, though, so you may have to sign into websites again.) Piriform the owner of CCleaner  guarantees the software to be 100 percent free of spyware and adware—not something you see from every vendor. You can upgrade to a Pro version for $25, which throws in automatic updates and real-time monitoring for all user accounts at once, if inclined.

SlimCleaner

SlimCleaner comes with no restrictions on how many PCs you use it. How it differs is in aggregating the collective data of many, many SlimWare customers, so it has a much better idea of what to delete, what to keep, and how to optimize a Windows PC for the best performance. On top of those socially powered improvements, SlimCleaner also includes a duplicate file finder, a disk defrag, a disk analyzer so you get a visual idea of a hard drive's contents, and a wiper that cleans over the data you thought you deleted (but didn't really, due to the way hard drives work.) It even works with solid-state drives. And it's portable: you can run SlimCleaner from  a USB drive and take it from PC to PC without having to re-install it each time.

WinUtilities Free Edition

It packs in a lot of optimization for Windows in one package. It's got the usual cleanup tools including those for browsers, disk defragmenting, and much more, but all with one clear interface. Users can customize it to run just what tools they want. There's even a task scheduler to set it up to run as needed without user input. If you want to clean up even more, the Pro version will set you back $30 a year for a single computer license.

OnyX for Mac OS

OnyX is not a standard cleaning app—Macs don't need standard cleaning. No, it's for accessing mostly hidden features of the operating system. But it does have a "cleaning" tab that will help you delete caches, clean up cumbersome files, and other functions to help performance and peace of mind. OnyX comes in different flavors for each version of OS X, so download the right version for your Mac.

Top 5 Android Tablets

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S

 The exterior design of the Tab S is nothing to write home about but it's thin and it's light and that counts for a lot when it comes to tablets. It helps the frame get out of the way of the screen, which is the real winner here. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S boasts "the best screen we've seen on a tablet" - which is no small feat. If you want to watch movies or play graphically intensive games they won't look better on any other tablet. Available in 8.4- and 10.5-inch variants, the Tab S range packs in a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, microSD slot, 8MP rear camera, 2.1MP front snapper and Android 4.4 KitKat. Both tablets have fingerprint scanners for added security, but the plastic body may put a few off with Apple's slates sporting a more attractive design. But with more power and superior screens the Galaxy Tab S duo are working the iPad series hard, really hard.

Quick verdict

The ultimate Android tablet experience comes courtesy of the Galaxy Tab S, offering a portable 8.4-inch slate and a larger 10.5-inch tablet which is great for movies and gaming.

From the eye-catching screen to the raw power under the hood, Samsung couldn't have done much better.

 

2. Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet

If you haven't realised yet, the Xperia Z2 Tablet is a really good Android tablet, with a slim build and waterproof design ensuring it'll survive a trip into the bath or a bake off in a really messy kitchen. The screen isn't quite as good as the Galaxy Tab S, nor is there a smaller version available for those who don't want to lug around a 10.1-inch offering every day - but these are minor points in what is still a very good device.

Quick verdict

A solid, lightweight slate with a decent amount of power, the Xperia Z2 Tablet won't disappoint and the waterproof chassis is certainly a bonus. The design is slightly more attractive than Samsung's, but with just one screen size and a display which lacks the vibrancy of its closest rival it takes second spot.

3. Google Nexus 9

Thanks to a powerful 64-bit processor, Boom Sound speakers, a long lasting battery and Android 5.0 onboard. It's found itself a fairly unique size point too at 8.9 inches. Too big to be considered a small or even medium sized tablet, but some way smaller than the 10.1-inch Android slates that there are so many of. Whether that's a good or bad thing is subjective but it certainly helps it stand out.

Quick verdict

The Nexus 9 is powerful and a good all-rounder. It's not the biggest, smallest or best in any one area but nor does it make any major missteps and at Rs 28000 it doesn't quite have a top tier price tag either.

4. Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2

Sometimes bigger can be better - and Samsung will certainly be hoping that's the case with the huge Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 which sports a - yup you've guessed it - 12.2-inch display.

It comes equipped with an S Pen stylus, and with such a large canvas to work with it can be genuinely useful. Unsurprisingly the Note Pro 12.2 isn't a small tablet, so it's not something you'll be carry around with you every day, but with a meaty octa-core (yes, eight!) processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 4.4 KitKat OS it's a serious powerhouse capable of some very heavy lifting.

Quick verdict

The sheer size of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 will put many off, but the appeal of an expansive, 2560 x 1600 12.2-inch display will attract a small crowd - if you are one of those you won't be disappointed. Big screen, big power and big price.

5. Google Nexus 7 (2013)

The Nexus is no longer king in the Android tablet world, but if you're looking for a 7-inch slate with an incredibly attractive price tag you don't need to look anywhere else. The screen is to die for and the form factor, while taking some getting used to, is ideal for media consumption. It's light, it's bright, it's fun and it's thin. The battery life is really impressive, and the sheer diversity on offer, be it through the uprated CPU, screen, or GPU, mean that we struggled to put it down at times.

Quick verdict

I really like the Nexus 7. I really, really like the Nexus 7. Google has taken what made the original such a belter, corrected almost every niggle with it, bumped the price up ever so slightly, yet also made the Nexus 7 feel so much more premium. If you're looking for a 7-inch tablet, we'll put it like this: there is no better alternative on the market, right now.

MICROSOFT unveils HOLOLENS

Microsoft has unveiled its most ambitious undertaking in years, a head-mounted holographic computer called Project HoloLens. The Hololens was developed under codename Project Baraboo, or sometimes just “B.” When the motion-sensing Xbox accessory was released, just in time for the 2010 holidays, it became the fastest-selling consumer gaming device of all time, Hololens uses the same technology on a bigger and brighter level.

Here is what HoloLens means to you: We compute on a screen, entering commands on a keyboard. Cyberspace was somewhere else. Computers responded to programs that detailed explicit commands. In the very near future, you'll compute in the physical world, using voice and gesture to summon data and layer it atop physical objects. Computer programs will be able to digest so much data that they'll be able to handle far more complex and nuanced situations. Cyberspace will be all around you. What will this look like? Well, holograms.

HoloLens amplifies the special powers that Kinect introduced, using a small fraction of the energy. The depth camera has a field of vision that spans 120 by 120 degrees—far more than the original Kinect—so it can sense what your hands are doing even when they are nearly outstretched. Sensors flood the device with terabytes of data every second, all managed with an onboard CPU, GPU and first-of-its-kind HPU (holographic processing unit). On the right side, buttons allow you to adjust the volume and to control the contrast of the hologram.

Project HoloLens’ key achievement—realistic holograms—works by tricking your brain into seeing light as matter. “Ultimately, you know, you perceive the world because of light,”. “If you could magically turn the debugger on in the device, we’d see photons bouncing throughout this world. Eventually they hit the back of your eyes, and through that, you reason about what the world is. You essentially hallucinate the world, or you see what your mind wants you to see.”

To create Project HoloLens’ images, light particles bounce around millions of times in the so-called light engine of the device. Then the photons enter the goggles’ two lenses, where they ricochet between layers of blue, green and red glass before they reach the back of your eye.

It’s a new interface, controlled by voice and gesture, and the controls have to work flawlessly before it will be commercially viable.  HoloLens won’t have a keyboard. If the voice and gesture controls don’t work perfectly the first time, consumers will write it off. Quickly. With Google Glass almost dead and Oculus Rift in a life support stage, HoloLens can be a real game changer for Microsoft.

GOOGLE NEXUS 9 | The Definitive TABLET

The Nexus 9 tablet is manufactured by HTC, runs Android Lollipop, and costs $400 on its own. Google is pitching this as a productivity, work-forward device, so it’s also selling an HTC-made magnetic keyboard accessory for $130. Excellent front-facing stereo speakers and a very nice screen. Light, comfortable to hold. Runs the latest version of stock Android, which has improved since launch. Very solid battery life. Keyboard cover Folio (sold separately) is a nice option for entering lots of text.

Not as consistently fast as it should be. Screen is too reflective for some outdoor conditions. Optional Keyboard Folio is buggy, and using it on the fly can grow annoying. HTC’s companion folio keyboard, which closes magnetically, pairs wirelessly, and offers you a physical typing experience akin to what you’d get with a laptop. Google’s newest tablet is the Nexus 9, with hardware made by HTC. Starting at $400 or approx. 28,000 Rs, it couldn’t qualify as cheap and doesn’t have the same sticker appeal as Google’s 7-inchers. So the question then becomes, “Is it good enough to be worth the expense?”

The Nexus 9 weighs 15 ounces and has external dimensions of 8.98 x 6.05 x 0.31 inches. That makes it just a little lighter, shorter, and narrower than Apple’s iPad Air 2, though the Air 2 is thinner. The Nexus has an 8.9-inch IPS LCD screen with a 1536 x 2048 pixel resolution, which gives you 281 pixels per inch (PPI). It has 2GB of RAM and it runs on Nvidia’s speedy Tegra K1 (with Kepler DX1 GPU) clocked at 2.3GHz. And of course, it runs the latest version of stock Android, straight out of Google’s tool shed: Android 5.0, aka Lollipop.

Physically, it’s fine to look at. It lacks the aluminum or glass back you find on the iPad Air 2 or Sony’s Xperia Z3 phablet, respectively. Instead you get brushed plastic. The result is that it doesn’t look or feel as high-end as the others. That plastic back is actually far grippier than glass or aluminum, and as a result, I felt much less likely to drop the Nexus 9. It’s thicker than those other two tablets, but it’s so nicely balanced that it’s very comfortable to hold.

One of the best physical features on the tablet: the dual-front facing speakers. Not only do they pump out a lot of sound, but they do it very cleanly—for tablet speakers, anyway. Because they’re on the front of the tablet, it’s nearly impossible to block them with your hands. This is especially great for gaming.

THE SOFTWARE IS GENERALLY EXCELLENT. LOLLIPOP IS UNQUESTIONABLY THE BEST VERSION OF ANDROID YET. The display is good. It has very high PPI, and indeed, individual pixels are indiscernible to the naked eye. It also pumps out a lot of light, which helps keep text readable and images clear when you’re sitting in the sun. The display doesn’t have those deep, inky blacks you find on the Super AMOLED screens Samsung uses on its high-end devices.

 Nexus 9 Keyboard Folio, made by HTC, this optional extra is both a Bluetooth keyboard and a cover that protects the tablet’s front and back. In theory, it would put the Nexus 9 in contention with other tablet/laptop hybrids, such as Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, or transform it into a more capable Chromebook.The Nexus 9 is a really good tablet. It not a speed demon, and doesn’t blow your mind in any one way (except the exceptional audio). As for the Keyboard Folio, it really is a surprisingly good keyboard. But only go for it if you’re planning on doing a lot of writing on your tablet.

WINDOWS 10 in MOBILES !!

Microsoft's has announced Windows 10 for mobiles, in its fight for one OS on all platforms. Microsoft's problems in the phone market has never really been because of failures in the core OS; they've been about hardware, distribution, and third-party developer support. Over the next few months, we'll get the answers to some of the questions we have there. All the stars must align for Windows Phone to finally break some good market share.

Microsoft is to announce new phones for Windows 10 at the Mobile World Congress trade show, which shall be held in US later this year. Right now, the Windows Phone lineup lacks widely available flagship phones. Microsoft's 41-megapixel camera technology dead-ended in last year's Nokia Lumia 1020 $149.99 at Amazon, and the 2014 flagship Lumia Icon  was buried as well. With healthy midrange and low-end offerings, Microsoft needs to announce some phones that will put Windows Phone 10 back on the map as an aspirational OS, not just as the best thing you can get under $100 or 6000Rs.

Hardware is one big Microsoft problem, but we also need to learn a lot more about how the Windows 10 app situation will shake out. Windows 10 operates across two incompatible architectures: the ARM system used in most phones and many small tablets, and the Intel chips in tablets and desktops. (That gap is what sunk Windows RT, which was unable to run older software.) It also has touch and non-touch modes, and small and large screen modes. How will the new APIs balance these different concerns so Windows Phone users can run the best, most powerful apps? How good will Xbox gaming on Windows Phone really be? And will Windows Phone finally get feature-complete apps for popular Web services?

Let's posit that it's still even possible to create a third mobile ecosystem. IOS and Android, they say, have such strong network effects that it's impossible to break in. A really good reason, it's been obvious for a while, has been better Xbox integration. Xbox, by far, is Microsoft's strongest consumer brand. It's actually something people seek out. The Xbox One may not be the top console out there right now, but between it and the 360, Microsoft has an installed base of tens of millions. If Microsoft is able to integrate XBOX with Windows 10 for Mobiles, then the doors open for Microsoft in the mobile market, both on flagship level and on App level.

EYES FOR BLIND -THROUGH A APP !!!

There is a condition worse than blindness, and that is, seeing something that isn’t there.

NOW YOU CAN CONNECT WITH BLIND THROUGH iPhones and iPads

So there is a new app BE MY EYES which is a non-profit app to help the blind by connecting them with people who can assist them with their daily lives over live video.

This new app  helps you lend your eyes to a visually impaired person  and answer their question over a video chat to help them navigate or read a sign.

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.

Copenhagen-based app Be My Eyes, which launched on Thursday, connects blind people and sighted people through their iPhones and iPads.

The app's users are divided into two groups: sighted "helpers" and the visually impaired. 

When a blind user needs help, the app launches their iPhone's rear-facing camera and connects them with a helper who can provide assistance.

The majority of the app's users are helpers. Being a helper is kind of like being on call; the app notifies random helpers that another user requires assistance, though helpers are not obligated to take the call. (If a helper declines, the app will notify more people until someone answers.)

If you’re a sighted user and you get a request, it will come through your phone as a push notification with a ringing sound. If you tap the notification, you’ll be connected and a video will pop up, showing whatever the blind user is filming. You’ll also be able to hear him or her speak and ask a question.

since you’re connected to each other via live video, there are obviously some ways in which users could abuse the system. “Both the blind person and the sighted person are allowed to report each other for misuse
iPhones and iPads have services built in to help blind users. You can use VoiceOver for iOS to get your iPhone or iPad to help you navigate your screen, type, read, use apps and more

With this app daily activities from crossing a road to checking a expiration date on a carton has gone easier with BE MY EYES

The app officially launched on Thursday for Ios devices and the user base has zoomed. Don’t be surprised if you aren’t immediately connected to a blind user when you download the app; already, nearly 8,000 volunteers have signed up and provided 1,500 instances of help to more than 750 blind users at the time of publication.

The results have been impressive. The app has a large base of users in Denmark, but it’s building a community of users in the United States as well, and there are plenty of English speakers signed up.

The idea started over 2 years ago said kristensen(project coordinator). Te concept for Be My Eyes comes from years of challenges faced by inventor and founder Hans Jørgen Wiberg. The 50-year-old furniture craftsman started losing his vision at 25. Now he’s building a network to make sure others won’t have to struggle in the same way he did.

 Wiberg  and his partners found other services like, TAPTAPSEE  an app designed to identify objects for visually impaired users. He also met with members of startup Quest Visual while they were demoing a prototype in San Francisco—the company has since been subsumed by google and its software is behind the new google translate real-time update

 

Tizen (SAMSUNG) vs Android (GOOGLE)

Samsung’s in-house operating system Tizen is here and it doesn't look like they’re backing away from pushing it onto the market. With Samsung’s release of their own operating system, does Tizen stand a chance on competing independently against Google’s Android?

Consumers buy a smartphone that has a good design, nice features, or that is affordable. What type of operating system is behind this smartphone, most people who are looking for a new or first time smartphone either care very little about or know nothing at all. This could lead to a big problem for Google, especially in developing markets where there is no current brand or operating system loyalty.

It’s hard not to realize Google’s influence on the PC and mobile market. We browse videos on YouTube, we surf the web via Google Chrome, we use Google Maps to find driving directions, and we use the Google Play Store to download apps on our mobile devices. When thinking of operating system for mobile devices what comes to mind? The most usual partners in mind are Google Android and Apple’s iOS and this could lead to a big problem for Samsung and Tizen.

So how can TIZEN get ahead?

Tizen must not bring anything new or exciting to the table, but merely reproduce the status quo of Android. This is both easy and difficult for Samsung to accomplish. From the perspective of designing the base and UI behind the operating system, this isn’t too much of a challenge and Tizen has shown that in its release. Tizen needs to offer or provide alternatives for all the Google services that have become an integrated part of Android. Otherwise, they will have a barrier that will inhibit consumers from adapting to this latest operating system.

Tizen’s main feature is its compatibility with multiple mobile platforms; which means that applications made with the Tizen OS is still compatible and may be launched in other OS like the IOS and Android, with a little code change. This feature of the Tizen OS is very attractive to developers because their application will not only be used by the Tizen market but with the IOS and Android as well. Unlike the android and IOS applications which will only run under those operating systems.  This is also the reason why the Tizen OS developers were very confident that before the launching of the first Samsung Mobile Phone running under Tizen OS, millions of applications will already be available in the market. The confidence of the company is because they know that developers will be attracted with the flexibility of Tizen OS.

All things aside, Samsung has the power and the distribution model to pull this off this if they perform it right. If Tizen is handled properly, Samsung could see themselves move away from having to rely on Android for their smartphones. On the flip side, if Google and its software can establish itself as being indispensable towards the mobile community (if it hasn’t already done so), Samsung will continue to be chained to Android.

And so we ask you: what do you think will happen with TIZEN?