Samsung Galaxy S4 Features - S Translator & Optical Reader
New Google Maps Interface
Google is about to launch a new interface for Google Maps. The update will remove the sidebar and will display everything on top of the full-screen map. One of the new features lets you restrict local search results to places recommended by top reviews or your Google+ circles.
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Camera Ace App Review
Top of the list in Samsung’s “S-Suggest”, Camera Ace brings batch-photo processing to your smartphone! Unlike many other filtered-camera applications, Camera Ace allows you to pre-select themes and filters for your photographs and organise them into easily accessible manner. With a plethora of filter-effect camera apps on the market, Camera Ace brings some new tools to the workbench.
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Best free antivirus software: 8 internet security programs we recommend
Viruses, spyware, hackers, phishing sites - the web is a dangerous place, and every PC owner needs effective, reliable antivirus software to keep them safe. But this can be expensive, especially as you’ll pay again to update the package, each and every year.
Fortunately there is plenty of free antivirus software, many of which are just as capable as their commercial cousins. So if you’re tired of annual subscriptions, read on - we’ve picked out eight of the best free internet security tools to deliver great security at no cost at all.
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Windows 8 Start Menu replacements: 6 free apps to bring the Start button back
Windows 8 delivered a number of major design changes, but none has been quite as controversial as the removal of the Start menu.
Microsoft claims this was in part because people just weren’t using it very much, but the sheer volume of complaints from users says otherwise, and there’s now a host of tools you can use to get your Start button back.
Some of these are commercial products, and if you’re interested in this area, we would recommend you take them for a spin (try RetroUI and Start8) .
You’ll use the Start menu so much that it’s absolutely vital to find a program which is right for you, and spending three or four pounds for a faster, more comfortable desktop could be a very good deal.
If you’re looking for a free Windows 8 Start Menu replacement, though, there are some very interesting contenders to choose from - and restoring the Start button is just part of what they can do.
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Best free recovery software: 10 top programs to get your deleted files back
You know where to find the most important files on your PC - the documents, the pictures, the music - and they’re always available when you need them. So it’s easy to assume that’s the way it will always be.
The reality can be very different, though. Maybe you’re not paying attention for a moment and delete something accidentally, perhaps there’s a software bug, or something happens to corrupt your hard drive: whatever it is, the end result is that you’ve lost files, folders, maybe even an entire partition of valuable data.
Don’t panic, though - there’s a good chance that your files are still intact, somewhere on the disc. And if you act quickly then you may be able to recover everything. All you’ll need is reliable free undelete software to run a scan, and we’ve found ten free tools which can help.
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Best free DVD burning software: 8 programs to burn media and backups
We may be more likely to sync our files with a smartphone these days, but CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs are still a very useful way to store, share and present your data.
The companies behind the top commercial burning suites know this, too, which is why they can charge such eye-watering prices.
But you may not have to spend big money - or any money at all, in fact - to get the functions you need.
Some of the best disc burning software around is actually free, and yet still has the power to burn data discs, audio CDs, videos, Blu-ray discs, run backups, manage disc images and more. We’ve got everything you need to know.
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Best free software for writing: 10 programs to unleash your creativity
In theory, if you’re hoping to write that novel you’ve been thinking about for years, then you could just launch your favourite word processor and start typing.
In practice, it’s not that simple. You’ll need to prepare first, take notes and organise your ideas.
It takes time and effort to make sure your work is properly structured. And an editor you’ll use to produce a letter, say, almost certainly isn’t the best choice for a big writing project - opting for a more specialist tool could make a real difference to your productivity.
Don’t give up just yet, though, this isn’t as bad as it seems. There are plenty of excellent free tools to help simplify the mechanics of the writing process. And choosing the right ones will leave you free to focus on what really matters: bringing your ideas to life.
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BlueStacks brings official, Surface Pro-optimized Android App Player to Windows 8
BlueStacks Releases Surface Pro-Optimized Version of “App Player”
Announces GetYourAppsBack.com to fill widening Win8 App Gap
Campbell, CA February 12, 2013 – Mobile company BlueStacks today released a Surface Pro-optimized, officially supported Windows 8 version of its popular App Player software. The program is free to download and can run any Android app on the new Surface Pro. BlueStacks also announced a new site: GetYourAppsBack.com where new Windows 8 and Surface Pro users can download BlueStacks’ software and bring any mobile apps to their device. Recently, Google launched a Get Your Google Back video campaign that BlueStacks is paying homage to.
“We’ve had our users asking for a Win8 version for a long time,” said BlueStacks CEO Rosen Sharma. “Now that it’s finally available on our website we’re looking forward to getting feedback and building on the experience. The number of mobile apps being written overall is expanding exponentially and Microsoft has not added apps to the handful it has. Our goal is to get people more value out of their Surface Pro and Win8 devices.”
Having announced several OEM partnerships in recent months, BlueStacks also recently passed 5 million downloads of its mobile software across Mac and PC.
The downloads all came from the company’s homepage, BlueStacks.com. Additional download numbers via OEM partnerships have not been released, though the company says they are healthy. “The response in the OEM community has been as strong or stronger than the surprising numbers we’ve been seeing from organic downloads,” said BlueStacks head of Global Sales and Strategic Alliances, Apu Kumar. “We seem to have reached a tipping point where we’ve brought mobile apps to so many computers worldwide, the remaining OEM’s customers are asking for these apps also. We’re the perfect conduit to get popular programs back on the PC.”
The company’s site at GetYourAppsBack.com allows new Surface Pro and Win8 PC owners to get apps from their phone and any additional apps they want into their Win8 PC, running them fullscreen and touch-enabled. The site went live today.
Surface owners report update issues with both Windows and third-party applications
According to a string of reported issues on the Microsoft Surface community forum, it appears that following a firmware update to the Surface RT tablet line earlier this month, Windows Update has become problematic for many.
Here’s a standard report of the problem:
[I] cannot access the windows store or windows update periodically since the latest patch. I did a refresh, then it worked. Then overnight, it stopped working again, and restart gets it working again.
[1/17/2013 update] – windows update does not connect again from metro ui, or desktop, nor does store. restart gets it working again.
In short, some Surface RT owners have had Windows Update refuse to successfully load or search for updates. In some cases, a reboot solves the issue, however it was also reported to be an issue that can recur, even after it is ‘solved’ the first time.
Windows Update is only part of the problem, however, with certain users reporting similar issues relating to normal app updates; it could be that the two issues come from the same source, or are simply parallel bugs with different origins. The bug has been consistently mentioned since January 10th, the date the question thread was created, to today. In testing, TNW encountered the Windows Update bug, which a restart has, at least thus far, fixed.
We have reached out to Microsoft on the matter, but as the company is taking the holiday, we don’t expect to hear much back until tomorrow.
If you have a Surface, try to use Windows Update, and test your ability to update individual applications. Report back in the comments.
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