Best Android Apps of 2017

Hi All,

So the year is almost ended and all the 'best of' articles are starting to come out in print and on the web.  One of the better ones - written in March 2017 no less - is this article titled '100 Best Android Apps of 2017', written by PC Mag.

The article subtitle states that these are 'The essential Android apps you need, whether you're outfitting the latest Pixel phone or plugging along with a much older device.'

The article has lots of subheadings....including the following Browsers, Health/Fitness, Personal Productivity, Reading/News, Shopping, Travel, Video, Food, Music/Podcasts, Photos, Security, Social Media/Communication, Utilities and Workplace Productivity.

Apps are that 'make the PCMag 'cut' are generally less thank $5 - with the majority of the apps on the list being free to download via Google Play. 

About 5 or so of the 'best' apps are listed in each category with a paragraph length description of the apps features and why it is included in the list of the 100 Best Android Apps of 2017.

Links to each app are on the site as is a rating - 5 solid red dots indicates the 'best' app. 

In the article PCMag suggests using the link for '10 Must Have Android Apps For 2017' if the 100 apps in the prior article are too many to go through.

So...what criteria did PCMag look for when reviewing apps for the article?  They looked for uniqueness, elegance, timeliness, design, price, security and popularity in an app for the list!

Enjoy the apps and the links and your phones' new found capabilities!

Regards,
Stu

How-To-Geek

Hi All,

Just found an interesting computer, geeky type site called 'How-To-Geek' (hereafter HTG). 

So, just what is HTG?  Its an online tech magazine that is dedicated to providing interesting articles, how-to's, and more to the audience of tech-type and not tech-type readers.  The site was founded in 2006 whose original goal was to bring a better how-to site to the internet - with content that's understandable for regular people, but geeky enough for more technical readers....(source: HT FAQ).

Click here for a link to the HTG Discussion Forum's.  

Click here for Windows articles and information. 

Click here for Mac articles and information about Mac OS. 

Click here for iOS article and for everything related to iPhone and iPad's.

Click here for Android articles and for everything related to Google and Android.

Other useful links on the site include Gaming, Security and Photography.  Click the links to follow them to that particular subject....

Enjoy the site and the new technology!

Regards,
Stu


 

Lifewire - Tech Untangled

Hi All,

Lifewire is a new site to help you get the most out of your technology - so you can get the most out of your life. Huh?  What does that mean?

Basically Lifewire shows you and teaches you how to best use your screens and gadgets and have fun with technology.  The site helps you fix devices and tech that's not working and it helps you buy tech so it works best for your life.  Information presented in a straightforward, practical way and advice is easy to understand.

The main Lifewire page has four major links for 'How To', 'Fix', 'Buy' and 'Do More'.  
The 'How To' includes technology how-to guides and tutorials.  There are whole subcategories including information on Windows, Macs, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, Internet, Digital Cameras, Wearables, Game Consoles, Browsers, Car Tech and Antivirus.

Each of these subcategories has almost an 'encyclopedia' feel since articles are organized in the same fashion - with chapters on 'Basics', 'Guides and Tutorials', 'Installing and Upgrading', 'Tips/Tricks', and 'Key Concepts'.

Articles - for example - the one titled 'How to Register Your Vehicle Online' - can be anywhere up to about 1200 words or so.  Articles can be shared via Facebook, pinned via Pinterest and emailed or printed.  In addition, similar articles are listed at the bottom of the page for users who want more information on the similar topic, .

One very useful feature on the site is section on 'Tech Buying Guides'. This part of the site helps users decide which tech items are worth spending their money on - and which items are not worth spending money on.  Tech Buying Guides are broken down into categories of Computers & Tablets, Smartphones, Games & Consoles, Gadgets, TVs & Home Theater, Cameras and Audio.  Reviews are short and sweet and very tightly written.  They might be of some use to users.

Finally, Lifewire has a daily tips page - users can have a daily article sent to their email by clicking on this link (sign up at the bottom of the page!)

Enjoy the site and the reviews and the technology assistance!

Regards,
Stu 

Android Apps Worth Checking Out

Hi All,

Forthwith a bunch of websites that crow about various Apps...

Digital Trends - 100 Best Android Apps of 2017 - standard list

TechRepublic - 10 Free Android Apps Worth Checking Out  

Android Authority - 15 Best Free Android Apps of 2017

PCMag - 100 Best Android Apps of 2017 

Make Use Of - 10 Amazing Apps That Will Change How You Use Android 

Stuff.TV -  40 Best Free Apps For Android

Geek.com - 6 Awesome New Android Apps You Should Check Out 

Next time we'll cover iOS apps!

Regards,
Stu

Apps For All

Hi All,

New year, new apps...here's a list of interesting, new apps for various operating systems...click on the next three links to go to the traditional app stores at Google, Apple and Microsoft.


Here's a very, very partial list...3 links for each category...

Android Apps
F-Droid
PC Mag - 100 Best Android Apps of 2017
Tech Radar - Best Free Android Apps of 2016
Android Authority - 15 Best Free Android Apps of 2017

iOS Apps
Tom's Guide - 40 Best Free Apps for iPhone
Macworld - 77 Best Free iPhone Apps - Fantastic iOS Apps That Don't Cost a Thing
Popular Mechanics - 23 Best iPhone Apps to Download Now

Microsoft Apps
Top30 Best Windows Phone Apps 
20 Must-Have Apps For Windows Phone
20+ Must-Have Apps For Your New Windows Phone 

Blackberry
Blackberry 10 Apps
Digital Trends - Best Blackberry 10 Apps
102 Best Blackberry Apps

Enjoy the links and the apps!

Regards,
stu

Best of 2016

Hi All,

As the year 2016 comes to a close many, many, many websites generate 'best of' lists...forthwith a whole bunch of them on a wide variety of topics!  Enjoy 'em...

Time Magazine - Top 10 of Everything of 2016 

AllMusic.com - Best of 2016 

National Geographic - Best Photos of 2016

Android Central - Best Tech of 2016

NPR Music - Best Music of 2016 

Rolling Stone - 20 Best Lists of 2016

Life Hacker - 25 Best Movies of 2016 and Where to Watch Them 

Gamespot - Best TV Shows of 2016 

School Library Journal - Best Books of 2016 

Washington Post - 10 Best Books of 2016

Publisher's Weekly - 20 Best Books of 2016

New York Times Critics - Top Books of 2016

Techradar -  Best Phone 2016 - The Top 10 Smartphones We've Tested

Car and Driver -  Best Cars, Trucks, SUVs, and More For 2016 - Editors' Choice Awards

Beer and Brewing Magazine -  Best in Beer 2016: Readers' Choice & Editors' Picks

Winemag.com - Top 100 Best Buys 2016 

...and the list could go on and on and on....

So, you might ask how I found all these lists?  Great question.  Just type in the phrase 'best of 2016' in Google.  Make sure to put a topic after the 2016 - for example, 'best of 2016 movie' or 'best of 2016 newspaper writing' or 'best of 2016 scientific discovery'...you'll get dozens of results of which you'll have hours and hours of reading/viewing ahead of you.

Enjoy the sites and the links.  And, of course, Happy New Year!  Here's to a great 2017.

Regards,
Stu 

Gizmo's Freeware

Hi All,

If users want to review and rate the best free software a good site to visit would be Gizmo's Freeware. 

Click on this 'About' link to learn more about Gizmo's Freeware....note that the site is composed of a non-commercial community of users and the site is staffed by volunteers.

The site has links for freeware on a multitude of topics including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, Online Apps, eBooks and Resources.

For example, when a user chooses the Windows option listed above another page of options appears.  All Windows desktop freeware is listed by category.  Some of the more relevant categories include Audio & Video, Cleanup & Tuning, Disk & File, Games, Photos & Graphics and Security & Privacy.

Another click on the topic that is needed brings the user to another page.  This page has a narrative about the specific freeware in question.  Note that a time stamp is included in the article.  In addition, the author of the article is listed. The site gives users the ability to track particular author's articles - and view them.

The site is much different than PCWorld or Cnet since its focuses completely on freeware.  The other sites deal with news, video, How-To and have software downloads...

Enjoy the links!

Regards,
Stu

Oldversion.com - Because New Is Not Always Better!

Hi All,

Just came across a new - and very interesting - computer/technology related website.  The site is called Oldversion.com.  Its' tagline is 'because newer is not always better'. 

Sometimes upgrading to a newer version can be a good thing. Other times, your computer may not be compatible with the new version - the new version is bloated, or all the options you liked are no longer available.  Oldversion.com has been supplying the online community with old versions of various computer software and programs since 2001. 

Oldversion.com has several objectives:
1.  Discourage the use of spyware by software companies.
2.  Oldversion.com assists computer users who are unable to continually upgrade their computer.
3.  There is a need to archive cultural artifacts - like software....

For more information about Oldversion.com click on this link. 

Oldversion.com has helpful links to Popular Old Versions of software, Recently Added pieces of software, Editors Choice links, Top Rated software.

Software is also available for Windows operating system, Mac's, Linux, Games and Android.

Enjoy the repository!

Regards,
Stu

Top Free Apps For ios or Android Phones

 Hi All,

A new year means there are apps out there that you might not have seen.  Forthwith - an article and links to the Best Free Apps For Your Phone. These links and recommendations come from PCMag.com. 

Best Free Android Apps
Circle of 6 - for dangerous situations when you need to quickly get help from your friends...

TextSecure - messages sent to other TextSecure users are encrypted over the air, but the app will also encrypt all of your text messages when they're at rest ono your phone.


Best Free iPhone Apps
Asana - productivity app 

BillGuard - connects you to your online credit card statements and flags merchants who frequently charge consumers for products or services they've either forgotten about or they didn't know they were requesting

Digg - brings you all the news and online content you like to read in one convenient place.

Hope you find some great free apps on the site!

Regards,
Stu

Password Managers For All Your Devices

Hi All,

A quick summary of an article entitled 'Review: The Best Password Managers for PCs, Macs, and Mobile Devices' from InfoWorld back in June of 2015.  '10 local and cloud-based contenders make passwords stronger and online life easier for Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone users.'

Password managers are good ways to securing your online identity.  They also help you increase the strength of your passwords that protect your online accounts by remembering the passwords for you.

Seriously - what are the odds of you remembering a random string of numbers, digits and characters for one account - let alone multiple accounts?  You won't - its that simple.

But wait, there's more...read this article titled, '10 Surprising Cyber Security Facts That May Affect Your Online Safety'.

Read on for the 6 best password managers to help protect you against id theft, online account security and privacy.

You might also want to read this article from NetIQ title, '84 Fascinating & Scary IT Security Statistics'.

In any event, the password managers that are covered in the initial article from InfoWorld include: 
1Password - Agile Bits
Dashlane
KeePass
LastPass
PasswordBox
SplashID Safe

The above links go to each vendors' website - in many cases there are free versions which don't offer the same level of security as the pay version....

Good luck protecting your passwords and staying secure online!

Regards,
Stu

Things You Can Do With Your Smartphone...

Hi All,

You've come a long way Mr. Smartphone.  No longer is the smartphone just capable of searching the web or getting email or texting.  Nope...its a whole new world out there of tools, scans, resources, fitness tools, note taking, voice operating tools and much, much more - as you'll see in this post. 

You probably know all this already...but if readers pick up even just one tip...well, then I can consider this post a success.  (But I am shooting for a bit more than just one tip being picked up by a reader!)

Mashable has a link  titled, 'Apps: 10 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your Smartphone'.  Check out #3 and #7...

Techrader.com has its own version of '10 Things You Didn't Know Your Smartphone Could Do' - article is current and interesting - check #6...you'll never need to look outside again for the weather - although that might be easier...

As if you didn't know already, there are a ton of fun things you can do with your smartphone - now this list has been organized for you in this article from Sooperarticles.com. Title of the article is 'Fun Things To Do With Your Smartphone'.

Not to be beat, Techlicious.com has come out with an article on '8 Things You Didn't Know You Can Do With Your Smartphone'.  (I had no idea about detecting leaky windows or that you can check your check engine light, or the fish finder!)

And, not to be outdone, USA Today - a mainstream newspaper - chimed in with an article as well.  They titled the article '5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your Smartphone'. Clever, eh?

Finally, we have a bevy of books in the library on how to use your smartphone! Click on this link which will link you to the Farmingdale library card catalog and books on the subject of smartphones!

Enjoy the links and the books and your smartphone!

Regards,
Stu

Smart Phone Security

Hi All,

Many of us know that smartphone usage is increasing exponentially.  Seriously, they are everywhere - and they are awesome in that users can text, email, search the web, play music, watch movies and much, much more.

But there can be a downside to smartphone use...(sorry).  eWeek.com came out with an article back in February 2014 entitled, '10 Mobile Security Issues That Should Worry You'.  Its a slideshow so it won't take long to take a peak - its worth your time and effort.  

Click on this next link from Verizon.com for an entry called '9 Tips to Keep Your Smartphone Security'.  Some of the highlights in the article include locking your smartphone with a pin and installing an Android security app. 

Alternatively, you can click on this link titled '7 Best Practices For Smartphone Security (from Cnet.com)'. (Enabling 'Do Not Track' and Avoid answering spam calls are my faves!)

And, finally, click on these two links for more info on how to keep your smartphone safe and secure!
'How to Keep Your Smartphone (and its data) Secure' - ComputerWorld.com
'Smartphone Security Tips' - Kaspersky.com
'10 Best Ways to Secure Your Smartphone' - Androidcentral.com

Enjoy the links - hope your phone and data are more secure after you read this blog post!

Regards,
Stu


  

AppSmart and Other App Sites

Hi All,

Just found an interesting link on the New York Time website.  Its called App Smart and can be found at this link. App Smart enables users to find the best mobile apps for your needs (tracking fitness, creativity or falling in love...).  Note that App Smart is video based so users get to watch on their device.  A very random sampling of videos includes: Avoiding Sunburns, Writing Poetry, Going Green and History 101.

Below I've listed a major site that reviews various apps for various Android and Apple devices. 
148Apps - includes reviews, new apps, price drops, top 148, how to, feeds and more.  Links also to All iPhone Reviews, iPhone Games, All iPad Reviews, iPad Games, Hardware and more. 

Finally, click on this link from PCMag.com for their section on Apps.  PCMag also has hands-on reviews of iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, BlackBerry Apps, Android Apps, Palm Apps, Windows Mobile Apps,  Mobile Utilities and Mobile Games...click here for a few of PCMag's 100 Best articles: 100 Best Android Apps, 100 Best iPhone Apps, and the 100 Best iPad Apps.

Enjoy the download and the apps!

Regards,
Stu

Photo Sharing Websites

Hi All,

Looking to share a photo or picture with a friend or family member?

Good - glad you came by for today's post.  Click on this link - from Wikipedia - that lists photo sharing websites.  By no means is this list exhaustive.  There are others that exist on the web!

Note that users can sort the list - which is exactly what I did. I sorted by the Registered Users. I sorted from largest to smallest.  The result was that Instagram, Snapfish, Flickr, Photobucket and DeviantART and Lockerz are the top 6 most used photo sharing websites on the web.  Click on any of the links to go to that particular site.  

The chart on the Wikipedia is very extensive and useful.  Columns include 'Name', Location/Owner/Hoster, Description/Focus/Registration Requirements, platform used (iOS, Android, Windows), Number of Registered Users, Storge Space Allowed Per Person (standard usage), and the Global Alexa Page Ranking of the photo sharing site. 

Further down on the Wikipedia page is another table that covers file formats, upload information, folder/album structure, limitations, tags/keywords, comments, rating and downloading originals for all of the photo sharing websites.

So, if you are looking for a way to share photos with friends and family, you might want to consult this Wikipedia link - its extensive, comprehensive and current!

Enjoy the sharing.

Regards,
Stu