SoundGator offers free sound effects downloads

Now this is something that is badly needed by you if you have started on your own creative project. Everyone knows that movies are built on sound effects. It brings to the visual the effects to make it seem real. There are a lot of sites out there that might offer sound effects for free and one of the best is SoundGator. On this webapp you can choose from 1000s of sound effects and all of them can be downloaded for free to be used in your media project.

SoundGator how it works and how to use.
Once you visit SoundGator your journey has begun. All the sounds have been divided into various categories and all kinds of them are available. There are fire sound effects and vehicle sound effects just to name a few. Clicking on any category will open up the sounds in the class. You can preview the sound online but would need to create a free account to download the sound to your PC or Mobiel Device. All sounds are free and some can be very apt for your pet project. So give the site a whirl and let us know you think in the comments section below.

Try SoundGator now.

How to track the progress of flights in a particular area

This is simply fascinating to watch. With Flightradar24.com you can check out the progress of flight anywhere in the world. You can also select your own area where you live or an airport near your home. With this you can then track the progress of flights - especially if this is something you really like.

many of us have spent countless hours plane-spotting and marveling at all the different birds up there in the sky. FlightRadar24 gives you an opportunity like none-other. You can choose to see and follow the paths of flight anywhere in the world. Especially rewarding is to track the progress of flight near you. Gives you the feeling of being able to track flights just the way the guys do, who are tracking it on radar at airports.

The wonder of flight never seizes to amaze people and if you are one of them who belong to this category, then this will be something fun to do. Especially during that part of the day, that can become quite boring.

Check out flightradar24.com now and be amazed.

How to preview BlackBerry 10 on your Android or iOS Device

BlackBerry has been relentlessly trying to make a comeback with their new OS - BlackBerry 10. Launched recently through a large event, the BlackBerry team are in earnest trying to get users to sample their latest offering and hopefully switch sides. Along the same lines Blackberry have another trick up their sleeve  You can now preview BlackBerry 10 features on your Android Device or your iOS device. So if you want to check out the latest BlackBerry OS on your iPhone or iPad you can do so now.

What are some of BlackBerry 10 features available for preview?
These are some of the features BlackBerry 10 has and they are hoping you ditch the apply for a berry.
1. Unlock screen
2. Minimising Apps
3. BlackBerry Hub
4. BlackBerry 10 keyboard
5. BBM Video Chat

How to preview BlackBerry 10 on an Android or iOs device
Simply point your mobile browser to blackberry.com/glimpse

So would your ditch your iPhone, iPad or Android device for a new BlackBerry 10 device. Let us know in the comments section below.

Source: BlackBerry Blog

Your Picasa photos and albums are now hosted on Google+

Google has for sometime not been adding any new features to Picasa. Picasa is the photos sharing site brought to you by Google. if you have been adding photos and albums to Picasa for sometime now. You will be surprised to find them all hosted on your Google+ profile. Go to your Google+ profile and check out photos. All your Picasa photos, images and albums are now found under this tab. The albums are transferred with the Picasa privacy settings - so if an album had been listed as Private, it will still be private. All albums and photos listed as 'Public' will be visible to all the people you're added to your circles.

Here are a few helpful tips for you as a user.

1. How do I access the old Picasa Web Interface
Use this URL to view your Picasa web albums in the old userface - https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/myphotos?noredirect=1

2. How do I change the visibility options of my Picasa web albums on Google+
You will need to find the albums under the 'Photos' tab in Google+. Click on the Globe icon and then the (X) mark beside public (The Green icon). Your album should now change visibility to 'Only You'. By doing this you lose comments and +1's however.

3. What are the advantages of this change
For one you get more visibility and people are more willing to share on Google+. Therefore your photos will get more eyeballs and +1s. Which are very helpful in terms of popularity and influence.

4. What about sharing.
Any album shared publicly by you can now in turn be tagged and shared by other users on Google+

Please leave a comment below with what you think and any questions you might have about the change.

Cannon promises camera that can see in the dark

Cannon have announced a new high-sensitivity 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor which will be used exclusively for video shooting. With the new CMOS censor just a little light is more than enough. An example would be the light that is emitted from an incense stick, the low light of a star etc. This is as legit as it can ever get and you just got to watch the video to believe. When shooting a video, you know how the movie appears when night-vision is turned on. This is nothing like that - some video footage comes out as clear as the light of day. An unbelievable clarity is achieved and the CMOS sensor must belong to the cameras of the future.

This is much better that Cannon's own 5D series know for its ability to record in low-light. The camera once fully developed will first be put to non-consumer use like in surveillance and natural observation. The camera will be able to record in the light without messing with the color at all, like other night-vision cameras. Check the video below to see for yourself.

Source: Cannon
http://youtu.be/9weIR32z2ls

10 Best Subreddits for geeks

If you are into Tech and Geeky stuff - Reddit has quiet a few Subreddits for you. Reddit is large and the number of Subreddits keeps growing by the day. There is a Subreddit for just about anything under the Sun. We have complied a list of best Subreddits for geeks - something you sure don't want to miss, especially if you want to know the latest DIY's being shared every day. There are also tech Support Subreddits for people who need 24/7 tech support. A Subreddit is like a large group - created by an individual user. Anyone can create a Subreddit and if it becomes popular. It will be recognized on Reddit and people interested in that topic will join the conversation. So if you are into Tech and Geeky stuff, here are the best Subreddit communities for you.

1. R/Technology
This is one of the most popular places on Reddit, where users share the latest tech news stories from blogs and websites. More a place to find the latest tech news.

2. /r/TechSupport
Are you having problems with your PC, Antivirus, tablet or Phone. Here you can ask advice from other users and get support immediately.

3. /r/howto
The definitive place on Reddit to find out how to do just about anything. There are users always sharing new How-to tutorials and you can share some of your own.

4. r/TodayILearned
Find out what other users are learning for the first time on the internet. You can join the conversation and learn something new for the day.

5. r/DIY
Do It Yourself - this is the place on Reddit for all those DIY tutorial. From learning how to clean wooden floors to how to change a light bulb - This is everything DIY.

6. r/LifeProTips
Need support, help and just general funny and cool ideas about how to live life better - then you need to check out life pro tips and get the best for everyday.

7. r/electronics
For you if you like electronics and especially taking things apart and putting them back together.

8. r/homeimprovement
Need help to get something fixed around your home. Home Improvement is just the place to find your answers.

9. /r/talesfromtechsupport
To read stories from people who work tech Support jobs - very informative and entertaining.

10. r/geek
Need we say more - the place for all Reddit geeks.

Have fun browsing through these Subreddits and please leave a comment below.

WordPress Plugin to remove date from Google Search Results

This is one useful plugin for WordPress Blogs that have been around for sometime. Bloggers have something called evergreen content - so content and pages that appears on Google Search results even after a few years of being published. Might still be relevant and useful. There seems to be one small problem however - users might feel the need to click on something more recent however. So how do Google Search users know what is most relevant?. The answer is very simply below each search result Google shows the date of publication.

So content that might show up even after two or three years, although still useful and relevant might get ignored by users. This seems to be one of the problems for large blogs that might have suffered from Panda and Penguin updates. Panda and Penguin are Google programs that either push a blog or website further up search results and also does the opposite. Penalizes blogs and websites bringing down their traffic by about 40%. There are a lot of blogs and websites out there that have been penalized and have suffered.

If you see the usefulness of now wanting a time stamp to appear with your page showing up on Google. There is a quick WordPress plugin to help you do just that. Once installed it will remove the date that appears alongside your indexed pages on Google search results.

How to Install the Date Exclusion SEO Plugin
1. Please follow this link to install and plugin
2. These are the settings we choose for the plugin

You can also set the number of days before the date inclusion expires. We choose 60 and once 60 days are over the results will not show-up with the date. So there you have it - a plugin to help your WordPress blog SEO and help you recover from Google's Panda and Penguin.

Try the Date Exclusion Plugin for WordPress here. 

How to find out who owns an email address

This question might arise if you find out that someone has been sending you annoying emails. Maybe you have been receiving harassing emails from a person in your Inbox. This is usually from an email ID or Email address you don't know. Many-times people hide behind an anonymous email ID and send out harassing or annoying emails to other people. There is not much you can do other than report that Email ID as spam or complain to Gmail that you have been receiving hate or threatening emails from a particular email address.

If you want to find out who is behind an email address or who owns an email address there is one way to find out. It is not foolproof but offers some kind of hope. It is called 'Reverse lookup an email address and this is how it works. What you need to do with this tool is to simply input that email address and click on search email. You will be shown information that person might have used when creating that email ID. Like city, state and their Facebook or Myspace profiles they might have associated with that email address.

Reverse address search: how does it work
1. Enter the email ID or account you want to search
2. When you click search you will be shown
3. Beside Facebook profile click on possible matches. You need to have a Facebook profile for this to work.
4. If this person has a Facebook profile created using this email ID - you will be able to view it.

Use Reverse Address Search Lookup now.

Please leave a comment with your feedback in the comments section below.

Google Glass Video 'Ok Glass'

Google Glass has been in the news after disappearing for sometime. Google Glass are augmented realty glass eye-wear from Google. It is to be worn like regular glasses with a huge difference however. These glasses can shoot video, take a pic, share to your social networks and even make calls. These are just a few of the possibilities of Google Glass. The latest video from Google shows at least two commands that that the Glass follows. 'Ok Glass' will tell Google Glass to get ready to take a pic or shoot a video. Saying Google will bring up search results on whatever you might be looking at, at the moment. Saying Ok Glass tells the device that the users wants to do something - maybe check the weather, get driving directions or launch a video chat hangout.

Check out the video below to see Google Glass 'Ok Glass' video below

http://youtu.be/v1uyQZNg2vE

MICROSOFT builds crime-fighting 'dashboard' for NYPD

Created jointly by the NYPD and Microsoft - a system has been developed and know as 'the dashboard'. This state-of-the-art system is the latest in crime fighting technology. The Dashboard is a system setup in the police control room that immediately mines data from police records, data, security cameras and other available information and presents it to officers post a 911 call. The system is very user-friendly and presents data in a structured form helping officers quickly zero in on a threat and see what connects it has to past police records. Helping them determine the terror threat level.

The system is currently being tested and refined before being rolled out to all 34,000 officers. The way it works is that as soon as a 911 call comes in. The call pops up on a panel. when the officers clicks on the alert. He is taken to the area on a map, also showing the cameras that are already in the area. Helping the officer zero down and determine the exact threat level. This program has been jointly developed by the NYPD and software developers from Microsoft. Technology is once again being put to good use, helping the police fight crime and prevent unwanted situations.

Source: Via Telegraph

http://youtu.be/SD4__BUuFyU

Hotmail Shifting to Outlook: Will you loose your Hotmail ID

Outlook.com from Microsoft have announced that they have finally removed 'Customer Preview' from the service and the transition has begun. In just six months Outlook mail says that they have amassed over 60 million new email subscribers and users. Hot,mail.com was old and outdated and no matter what Microsoft tried the service could not be resurrected. Outlook.com seemed the answers and Microsoft built a whole new web interface and launched it to the public. Outlook.com comes with a slicker user interface and functionality that is second to none. Could possibly give Gmail a run for the money. For those of you who still cling to your Hotmail account - there is no bad news.

You can still keep your Hotmail account, however when you type Hotmail.com. You will get redirected to the new Outlook.com - don't worry and wonder where your Hotmail has gone to. it has just changed. Some users are sure to be worried, wondering what happened to Hotmail.com and why can't I reach it. You can login to Outlook.com with your Hotmail Email ID and password. You will be encouraged however to create a new Outlook address. The Outlook Inbox is really trendy and when you first login, you will be sure to see the difference and feel the change. So don't worry about your Hotmail.com address it is safe - all you got to do is login through Outllook.com

What is a Phablet?

Everyone is familiar with the word phone and tablet but what about Phablet. Well, a phablet is a cross between a phone and a tablet - designed primarily to combine the functionality of a smartphone with that of a tablet. Screen sizes of a phablet typically range between 5 - 7 inches. Phablets are usually larger in size that most smartphones but smaller that a regular tablet or for that matter of fact a miniature tablet. A good example being the Samsung Galaxy Note series. In fact they have grown so much in popularity that ABI research expects 208 million of them to be sold in 2015. In fact the Samsung Galaxy Note with its 5.3 inch display sold more than 5 million units in its first 5 months of being released.

The popularity of these devices stems from the fact that people are able to pocket than and move around. A tablet might be too large and the screen of a smartphone much too small. Since the devices are primarily used for media consumption. There is a lot of debate as to the use of the work Phablet - maybe Smarblet or Taphs, Slabs or Smartbooks. The debate will rage on with people searching for a better name than Phablet. Until a name is found however the work 'Phablet' is being used. If you have a suggestion for a name, be sure to let us know in the comments section below.

Activate Siri on iPhone 5

Siri is the voiced based personal assistant available on almost all Apple products. If you get yourself an iPhone 5 you would need to turn on, activate or enable Siri -- before you can start asking questions. Once Siri is activated on your device, you can then have a lot of fun with this your one voiced-based-personal-assistant. You can ask Siri about the weather, which movies to watch over the weekend, driving directions and the possibility is limitless. Siri does not come turned on in auto mode, you would need to follow the below steps to set it up. On your iPhone 5 you can turn Siri on and off as you choose. One very handy time to have Siri is when you're driving. This way you can just speak your search request and Siri will answer you. How to activate Siri on iPhone 5.

How to activate, setup or configure Siri on the iPhone 5
All you need to do is to go to Settings > General > Siri. Repeat the process to turn Siri on or off.

Now that you have Siri setup, how to ask or use Siri.
Hold down the home button till you hear two quick beeps. A microphone icon will light up and you should see the question 'What can I help you with?' on your home screen. Tap on the microphone icon to begin speaking. If you have your headphones on you would need to hold the center button to talk to Siri. To use Siri with Bluetooth hold the call button to bring up Siri.

How to troubleshoot if Siri is not found under the settings option.
Try setting your region format to US. This is if you're in another part of the world. Siri will get turned on and you can begin using.

How to record a concert on your Phone with good sound quality

We have all seen those videos of concerts that have horrible sound quality. Knowing that videos recorded at concerts using your iPhone, Android phone or Windows Phone comes with bad sound quality, we still like to watch them. Since some of us might have missed the concert. This is a common recurrence and a problem. Concerts are usually loud and with good reason too. Organizers need to be sure that everyone attending can hear the sound properly and with the way sound travels. It is imperative to make sure that sound is loud to enable it to reach everyone.

This creates a problem for people standing, raising their hands and clutching their small phones, which usually come with small microphones. Reddit user SK1990 has come up with a simple and smart solution -- while recording your video, cover the microphone with your hand. This way not all the blaring sound gets in but part of the audio. The end result is that when you playback your video later it has clearer sound with better recorded music. The reason could be because of the small microphones -- which get overloaded with sound. These microphones are not able to handle the loud blaring sound and if only part of it gets through -- you get a video with reasonably good quality sound. This solution will help you better record music at a live concert. So when you do get a chance to test this out. Please leave a comment with what you think and did it actually work.
Read the full discussion on Reddit here.

How to manage long headphone cables with a simple braid

These days head phones are better than ever with amazing clear sound and quality. One thing however that users need to get used to are the long cables. When you want to sit away from your TV, PC or Device it's fine -- what happens however if you are close to your device and want to continue working with your headphones on. The cables might be a bit too long and keep coming in your way. This can be quiet distracting. There is however a easy way to deal with the problem. Try braiding your cable using something known as '3 String Braid'. This is something you might have tried if you have long hair. Works just as well for long cables on all you tech accessories like your microphone cable, long USB cable and other tech extensions.

How to manage long headphone cables by braiding -- came across this video on YouTube uploaded by user -BJ Tormon. This is what is instructed.
1. Arrange you long cable in thre shorter lines
2. follow the 3-string braid
3. Reduces your long cable into a short and useful one.

Please check the video below as the demo is pretty neat and explains the technique very well.
http://youtu.be/Rt-m6C5-T0M

How does Google Play Movies work

The Google Play store for all your Android apps has something called 'Google Play - Movies & TV'. These are a large collection of movies and TV shows available to either download to view later or steam and watch it on your android device. These movies and TV shows purchased on Google Play will be available either for download to watch later or stream it to your device to start watching immediately. Once you start watching you get 46 hours to finish your film. Once you choose downloading you cannot then switch back to streaming. You can download and watch movies and TV shows on any of your devices like mobile phone tablets or PC.

1. How to watch Google Play movies on my computer
Simply go to play.google.com/movies and click the play button below the movie

2. How to download Google Play Movies & TV Shows for offline viewing.
Find the movie or TV show you want to download and then tap the circular pushpin grey button found at the bottom right-corner of your video. Your movie or TV show will then begin to download automatically.

3. How to watch Google Play movies on your HDTV
To do this your HDTV will need to be HDCP compliant. A HDMI cable will be needed to connect your device to your TV. This way once your devices are connected, Your device should be mirrored on your HDTV.

So you can get the Google Play Movies and TV Shows App at the Google Play store, set it up on your device and you're ready to go.

The Google Play Movies and TV Shows App, you can also read more at the Google Play Movies support page here. 

What is Blackberry 10

Blackberry 10 which was officially launched in New York on Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013, is a mobile operation system developed by Blackberry. Also know as an OS (Operating System), this OS will be used in all the upcoming Blackberry mobile devices like SmartPhones and tablets. This is a QNX-based OS and does not contain even a single line of code from the old operating system that Blackberry used to use. Blackberry Limited is the new name of the company which was formally known as Research In Motion (RIM). There are 2 new Blackberry 10 devices that have been released the BlackBerry Z10 and the Blackberry Q10.

Blackberry 10 features
1. Full Social Integration: as expected the screen as a link to your Tiwtter, Facebook and email all the time. So whenever a new mail pops-up. You can see it in your notifications.
2. Blackberry Hub: Which will be Twitter, LinkedIn, BBM and Facebook all of this combined together. Which essentially means all of your social platforms are in the same place -- reducing time and effort by checking all at once rather than one at a time.
3. Blackberry flow: effortlessly move between apps with just a swipe from the bottom. So which you're watching a video you can swipe around and visit the hub, check your mail and the video continues to play in the background, all in the same flow. Also called Blackberry peak -- check on something else which working on another app or program.
4. Blackberry Keyboard: You can choose between a physical and a touch keyboard -- depending on the device. To add characters, all you need to do is to swipe down on the keyboard. You can also move between languages easily. Just type words together and Blackberry 10 makes a sentence out of it.
5. Blackberry Balance: Allows you to easily move between personal and work. With a single swipe you can move between personal apps and work apps. So you don't get confused and overwhelmed between the two.
6. Blackberry Messenger: Allows you to now also make video calls.
7. BBM Screenshare: Easily share your video and your screen real-time with other people on call. So everyone can watch the video live and if you want you can also share your screen. Very good for work and presentations.
8. Blackberry Remember: An intelligent app that reminds you about something you flagged in an intelligent way. So a holiday email pops-up when you search for places to visit.
9. Blackberry 10 camera: comes with Blackberry Time-shift -- capture a moment and work around it later. The camera can capture an entire moment so you can move the image to when the person first stats smiling to when you took the snap. Also comes with a built-in editor to edit and add effects like Instagram.
10. Blackberry Story Maker: Pull in all related pics and videos together and create a nice story -- good for work or personal.

Video below of the Blackberry launch event in New York
http://youtu.be/lR9UtiUuTRg

How to transfer multiple files from one Samsung Galaxy S3, to another

You might have the need to transfer or share files from one Samsung Galaxy s III to another S3 device. There may be many reasons why you might want to do this. Maybe you got yourself a new device and want to give the other one as a gift to a friend or family member. You also did not use Google Drive or DropBox to store your files in the cloud -- therefore none of your files have been saved using cloud storage. Whatever might be the reason there is an easy way to share from one Samsung Galaxy S3 to another S3 device and this is how to do it. Samsung Galaxy S3 has something called the S Beam -- which essentially lets you share files like photos and videos from device to the other. This is how S Beam works -- To share files you will need to turn on S Beam and then all you need to do is to bring both of the devices close together and touch them together back to back. Once you open the files you want to share touch both the phones back to back and the files will be transferred from one device to the other.

S Beam: How to turn on, enable or start
1. On your device touch 'Menu' ==> Settings ==> more settings and now touch S Beam
2. To turn it on touch the slider and S Beam will come into the 'On' position.
3. Now follow the same steps on the other device
4. Once both the devices have S Beam turned on, open the content you want to share
5. Touch both devices back to back
6. This prompt will appear 'Tap to Send'
7. You will now be asked to pull the devices apart.
8. The transferred file should now appear on the screen of the other device.

Read more at Samsung Galaxy S3 support and @ laptopmag.com

Firefox OS Phones

Firefox the company known for its Mozilla Fireox browser have announced Firefox OS. An operation system for mobile phones yes the mobile phone market seems saturated with phones and smartphones, from the likes of Apple and Android phones. Not to be cowed down Mozilla plans to bring to the world their own range of SmartPhones. These phones have been officially announced by Mozilla and two models have been released to developers. It will be some time before these phones are available to the masses. In fact when it becomes available to the open market it will first be launched in Brazil. These two phones known as 'Keon' and 'Peak' have been created by a Spanish company called Geeksphone in partnership with Telefonica and Geeksphone.

The Firefox OS is based on open source and aims to be much more flexible that Google's Android. The reason for releasing the developer preview is simple. Apple's iStore and Google's Play Store have all the Apps that anyone would ever need. Firefox seeks to get as many developers on board and encourage them to create as many useful apps as possible. It's no use releasing a phone which does not have enough native apps. Users will be unwilling to buy a phone that does not have enough apps. Apps are what makes SmartPhones go round and Firefox to be successful will need as many apps as possible before releasing their phones to the market.

Another plus point would be the fact than on a Firefox phone any website can be turned into an app. You can view the phone specs at Geeksphone website here and the Mozilla Firefox press release here.

Windows 8 Keyboard Shortcut Keys List

Windows 8 Modern UI has been released and if anything, it needs a little bit of getting used to. As with any Windows OS there is always a list of Shortcut keys. These help you to perform a list of actions that makes life on Windows 8 easier. To get started the Windows key is one of the most important and pressing or tapping the Windows key along with a combination of other key will help you navigate Windows 8 faster. So if you're using a keyboard along with your Windows 8 device here are some important shortcuts to help you navigate.

Here are a few hotkeys to help you get started


Find the complete list here at eightforums.com, there is also an extensive list available at Redmondpie.com and Windows 8 official list of Keyboard Shortcuts. Please find below a few more shortcuts with explanations as provided by Cnet.