Fatima Wahab

Mac Editor
Twitter: @Fatiwahab Follow me on Google+

WeatherSignal Uses Android Device Sensors To Read & Crowdsource Local Weather Info

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Weather can't always be  predicted accurately since it can changes quite fast and unexpectedly. When and where you get your weather report is also important but weather forecasts are for a set period of time. They aren't always updated constantly at every source and often, one of the best ways to get an accurate and live weather report is from social media. WeatherSignal is an Android app that tackles accurate weather predictions by crowd-sourcing them. The app uses the built-in sensors in your device (some features are limited to certain handsets) and allows you to measure the temperature, humidity, air pressure, magnetic flux and more. You can also submit your own weather report. The report will only ask you if it's raining, snowing, hailing, etc. Each one of the reports that WeatherSignal generates can be added as a widget to your screen. Read More

A Look At The New Features In Firefox 21

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The next installment of Firefox i.e. version 21 is now available. The new version brings something for both end users and developers alike. For users who are conscious about their privacy or wondering why their browser is running so slow, Firefox 21 will be a welcome update. Mozilla has added three different settings to its Do Not Disturb feature, as well as a ‘Health Report’ that collects information on how your browser is performing. The health report can be checked any time, and a third feature will use the data gathered by the report to tell you if your browser’s startup time is getting effected due to its health or not. Developers will be pleased to learn about the new Remote Target profiling feature that allows them to connect devices running either Firefox Mobile or Firefox OS to the desktop browser and view them in a separate Developer Tools window of their own. Read More

YTVD Is Like TweetDeck For Your YouTube Channel Subscriptions

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YouTube can prove to be immensely distracting; you start off by watching a new video uploaded by one of the channels you're subscribed to, or simply a video from a link someone shared with you, and then get distracted by the trending videos and the countless suggestions, some of which you just can't help but click. YouTube Video Deck is a web and Chrome app that lets you manage your YouTube subscriptions and check for new videos from the app itself, without having to visit YouTube. Sadly you still have to go to YouTube to watch the video itself. The interface is really nice but it does have ads at the bottom of the page. The app connects with your YouTube i.e. Google account and detects the channels you've subscribed to. You can add any number of them - or even all of them at once, if you like - to the app. Videos can be marked as watched as well. Its column layout makes it sort of a TweetDeck for YouTube. Read More

Get Quick Access To Google Keep In Firefox With This Unofficial Add-On

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We reviewed an unofficial Google Keep Extension for Chrome when it came out a month back. Since then, Google has released an official extension for its new note takings service but Firefox users can not expect one for their browser because Google doesn't develop extensions for other browsers in order to to keep its competitive edge in Chrome. Firefox users will instead have to rely on unofficial add-ons for the service and if you've been trying to find one, Google Keep is an option that works perfectly. Compared to the Google Keep Extension for Chrome that we reviewed, this one is better as it allows you to upload images to your notes as well. It works exclusively from the location bar, and doesn't offer any other ‘viewing’ modes as there were with the Chrome extension. Read More

Favoriteer Is A Standalone, Lightweight RSS News Reader For Mac

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Google Reader’s demise is almost on us, and yet I still instinctively visit the service every morning. A part of me thinks I should start getting used to something new, while the other part says I should enjoy using Google Reader while it is around. Google Reader itself reminds me occasionally that it will be gone forever on July 1, 2013, but I still haven’t decided what service I will turn to in the end. Feedly is looking the best at the moment. If you’re a Mac user still out on the hunt for something minimal to replace Google Reader with, Favoriteer is a another option. Available in the Mac App Store for free, the app is new and works independently of Google Reader. It’s a fairly basic RSS app that lets you subscribe to feeds individually, and you cannot import your feeds from an XML file, which can be a bummer for those migrating from Google Reader. Favoriteer runs in the Menu Bar and appears on your desktop as a floating window that  fades out when it isn't in focus, so that you can see the app behind it. Read More

Easily Create & Apply A Graphics Overlay On Google+ Hangouts

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Google's Hangouts feature is one of the easiest ways to have a video conference call. With the integration of apps like YouTube to it, you can now record and upload a hangout directly to the world's most popular video sharing service. Hangouts might sound like an ordinary group chat service but with the apps available, it can be used for so much more. HangoutMagix is one such web app that works with the Hangout Toolbox app for Google+ Hangouts. The app allows you to enter two lines of text and an image, which it then adds to a transparent background. The layout of the graphic generated from the text and logo is similar to what you see when watching interviews on TV, giving the name and brief detail of the speaker or the subject of the video. You can download the image you create with HangoutMagix and add it as an overlay for your hangout, so that people you’re talking to can see that information throughout the hangout. Read More

Easily Check Sandbox Status, Permissions & Code Signing Certificate Of Mac Apps

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iOS apps have always been sandboxed and while a significant number of users might not know just what that means in terms of app stability and permissions, it is likely that they know the restriction is there to keep things running smooth. Apple introduced sandboxing for OS X apps in 2012 for the then-upcoming Mountain Lion. Now, all new apps submitted to the Mac App Store must be sandboxed and while many users may not have noticed the difference, developers certainly have. If you have ever wondered just what a sandboxed app running on your Mac is doing, i.e. what permissions the app is using, SandboxInfo is a free app available in the Mac App Store that tells you just that. The app might be useful for developers as well, but for end users, it is the easiest way to see what an app can do, and check its signing authority. Read More

Easy Access Lets You Launch Apps Installed On Your PC From Firefox

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Firefox and Chrome are two of the leading browsers in the market and they've both moved towards developing their own browser-based operating systems. Chrome has gone a little further than Firefox so far in Chrome OS, but both their respective OS are a work in progress. A very interesting by-product of theses browsers and their operating systems are the app launchers that we can use for accessing installed apps, as we've seen in the case of Chrome. Easy Access is a Firefox add-on developed by Mozilla that adds an app launcher to Firefox’s add-on bar. By default, it can perform five functions: launch Notepad, My Computer, Paint & Calculator, and switch to a different Firefox profile. However, you can add any number of other application shortcuts to this launcher, and even set command line parameters to pass to an application when it launches. The applications appear in a menu upon clicking the add-on's button; however, you can add any one of them directly to the add-on or navigation bar for faster access as well. Read More

Passport Offers Instant Access To Free App.net Account & Helps You Find Third-Party Clients

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App.net is a small social networking and microblogging service that's quite popular among developers and tech industry people. Unlike other such services that are available for free but generate their revenue by showing ads or promoted content, and monetizing users' information, App.net works on a subscription model for generating its revenue, and is completely ad-free. The network only recently announced free accounts but they are tied down to invite codes that are hard to come by. Joining it will cost you, unless you can score an invite for a free account. App.net Passport is an app released by App.net for discovering client apps for the service available on the App Store but in addition, for those who still haven’t been able to sign up for a free account, this app is your ticket into the network. Not only does it allow you to search for App.net clients, manage your profile, and discover new people to follow, it also lets you sign up for a free App.net account and gives you immediate access to it. No waiting lists, invite codes, or voodoo involved. Read More

[Giveaway] MacKeeper Is An All-In-One System Maintenance & Security Tool For OS X

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We’ve covered a lot of small tools that help you clean up your Mac, make it run smoother, securely delete files, recover deleted file, or search for them. Though OS X does most - if not all - of these things natively, it doesn't offer as many customization options, or work as well as several third-party offerings. You can always look for apps that are meant to solve individual problems, or you could invest in an app that does everything for the right price. MacKeeper is a very famous app that acts as an antivirus and anti-theft app for your Mac. It also lets you encrypt data, recover deleted files, securely shred files, create backups, remove junk files, find duplicates, estimate the disk usage and break it down for you, uninstall apps and the many files they can sometimes leave behind, help you optimize start-up apps, and edit the default apps for different file extensions. Read More

Sync ImageShack Photos Across Windows, Mac, Android & iOS With SkyPath

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There is no shortage of cloud storage services out there, but you will find that a particular niche exists among these services that specialize in photos. And it makes sense, since many of us preserve our dear memories in photos, and don't wanna risk losing them, plus want to have them accessible from all our devices. Also, lost photos aren't documents that can be typed again, or songs and movies that can be bought from anywhere. ImageShack is one such service that gives you 5GB of storage space for your pictures. Developed by the same company, SkyPath is an omni-access solution for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android that allows you to upload images to your ImageShack account and sync them across devices.  Let's take a look at the service and its apps in detail after the jump. Read More

How To Create A Rovio Account & Sync Game Progress Across Devices

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Game Center in iOS has always played the primary role in keeping record of any game achievements, but it does very little beyond that. Sure, you can challenge friends to a fruit slicing competition in Fruit Ninja, see what’s the farthest they've run in Temple Run, or find out who knows more words in Letterpress. As far as saving game progress is concerned though, there are little to no options. In the event that you accidentally (or purposely) wipe an iOS device and restore it from a slightly dated backup, you may lose some or all of your achievements and game data. Having personally gone through such a situation where my game data was lost, I can relate to the sinking feeling of losing so much hard work. Rovio - the makers of the famous Angry Birds game that has spawned a broad line of merchandise and its very own animated series - have announced Rovio accounts that will allow users to sync their game progress across devices. Read More

Viber Brings Free Messaging, Voice & Video Calling To Windows & Mac

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Viber, the popular free messaging and voice calling app, has received a massive update and has released desktop clients for both Windows and OS X. Both iOS and Android apps now allow you to compose and send video messages. An in-app banner (which can be disabled in the app’s settings if it bothers you) notifies you when you receive a new message or call on the iOS app. The desktop apps themselves are pretty good as well, and come with the added feature of video calls (currently in beta). Calls can easily be transferred between your desktop and mobile phone. Other significant updates to the iOS and Android app include Whatsapp-like online status and last seen time visibility (that can be enabled or disabled), the ability to automatically download received images and videos, adding captions to videos and photos before sending them, a bunch of new stickers, and improved interface. Read More

Auto-Save Gmail Attachments To & Attach Files From Cloud With Kloudle

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Earlier this year, we covered a Chrome extension called Cloudy that allows you to attach files in Gmail from multiple cloud storage services or your Facebook account directly, without having to download them to your desktop first. Kloudle is a similar service that can connect with Box, Dropbox, and Google Drive, and lets you attach files to your emails in a way similar to Cloudy. Kloudle supports far fewer services than Cloudly but coupled with its Chrome extension, the service does something else as well that can be really useful - it allows you to save files from your Gmail account to any one of your cloud drives. Files are saved automatically based on ‘rules’ that you create, and you can create up to ten rules. Think of it as the famous service IFTTT, working entirely in your email. Read More

How To Reset Lost Facebook Password With The Trusted Contacts Feature

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Identity theft is very real; in the past, it has meant someone impersonating your identity to gain unauthorized access to important information and committing crimes under your name. In today's age of digital media, however, it can also mean someone hacking your social media accounts and putting your online reputation at risk. That's why Facebook has introduced the Trusted Contacts feature in a bid to help you fight identity theft and regain access to your Facebook account should the worst ever happen. It allows you to select three to five people in your Facebook friends’ list who can help you recover your compromised Facebook account. Here’s how to set up and use your trusted contacts to regain access to your account. Read More

Create Image & Voice Notes On Android & Export To PDF With ArcNote

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Note taking apps are common but most are limited to saving simple text notes. ArcNote is an audio and image note-taking app for Android from the developers of the famous Perfect365 image editing app for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and Windows. It’s a break from the normal text-based notes apps that you usually come across; you can directly take a camera shot or use one of the images already saved on your device for image notes. A single note can contain multiple images and audio recordings. Images can be edited so that only a particular user-defined area is highlighted. ArcNote isn't for jotting down a quick address, nor is it useful when you want to make a quick grocery list. It’s more suitable when you can take a picture of whatever information you need to save, like a business card, a poster or sign, or even a whiteboard, or quickly capture audio, for example an important part of a lecture, interview, presentation or just some instructions from your significant other before you go out shopping. While notes themselves aren't text based, you can add comments to any image in a note. Images can be edited individually, or even in batch. Read More

Postpone Is A To-Do List Web App With Mailbox-Like Task Reminders

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The world is an unorganized mess and there is a good chance that merely making a mental list of things you want to do will do you little or no good. It’s precisely why a new to-do app and task manager pops up every other day, and Postpone is yet another service for this very purpose. Postpone groups your tasks into workspaces and with a free account, you can add up to three workspaces. Each task has a title and a description. Tasks can be marked as done, kept in you current workspace's task box, or moved to the ‘Snoozed’ box.  Much like Mailbox for iOS, when snoozing a task, you can select when it will return to the main task box. You can use one of the preset time intervals or enter a time and date of your choice. The other noteworthy feature in Postpone is that you can ‘mention’ people who are involved in a particular task, provided they have a Postpone account too. This not only allows them to know when they've been included in a task, but also lets you search your tasks by person. In all objectivity, it’s an immensely productive use of the ‘mention’ concept that is largely used by social media sites. Postpone is currently in private beta and the invite codes can take up to a month to arrive in your inbox. Read More

How To Remotely Access & Troubleshoot A PC Via A Google+ Hangout

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Video chat apps and services aren't very useful if they don’t allow you to send files or invite several people to the same chat session. Another much in-demand feature is the ability to remotely access the desktop of whoever you’re chatting with, in order to help them do something or troubleshoot some problem. There's great news on this front for Google+ users - the feature, has been added to Google Plus Hangouts in the form of an app. The great thing about Google Plus Hangouts, like Gmail Chat, is that your browser is the only thing you need to start a video call and invite multiple people to it, and you can now remotely control someone’s desktop just as easily. Here’s how. Read More

Hide Watched YouTube Videos, Disable Autoplay & Default To HD In Chrome

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YouTube has been redesigned quite a few times; features have come and gone, and improved upon. With the service offering so much, it's hard to say there will ever be a design or layout that everyone likes, so those who aren't happy with the interface will either have to get used to it, or use an extension to tweak it. There's no shortage of extensions that tweak, improve, or clean up YouTube's interface, and YouTweak for YouTube is another one of those extensions for Chrome. It allows you to remove videos you've watched from appearing as suggestions or in search results, redirect the YouTube logo to point to any URL, disable YouTube's auto play feature, and have every video play in 720px resolution. Each one of these options can be enabled or disabled individually, giving you complete control over the extension. Read More

Plan Your Vacation With Tripomatic City Guides & Maps For Android

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Two things can spoil a perfectly good vacation; the repeated 'are we there yet?' question, and not planning the trip properly - the latter much more than the former. Whether they are meant for business or recreation, trips can turn into a nightmare if they aren't planned right. If planned well enough, you can always get more out of your time, or at the very least, ensure that you aren't exhausted before you leave, when you arrive at your destination, and when you return home. Tripomatic is a fairly famous service that helps you plan your trips, and it has just released its app for the Android platform. The app lets you plan your own trip from scratch by specifying your destination and picking the date of your departure, or use one of its many templates trips and change them to match your schedule. The app includes multiple destinations, landmarks and tourist points for different countries with details on each location. You can choose how many days you will spend at each location, and use the map to get to an overview of each one. Read More