Waqas Ahmed

Windows and Mobile writer at AddictiveTips || A tech geek and an avid gamer || I've also written for other blogs, including GSMnation || Hold an MBA in Marketing || Founder of Tech Attend. You can Subscribe to me on Facebook // Follow me on Twitter // Add me on Google+

Your To-Do List Is Always A Click Away With Wunderlist For Pokki

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At one time or another, you must have come across the name Wunderlist. The popular to-do list application that debuted on Windows has earned its fair share of success on Windows, web and mobile platforms including iOS, Android and Windows Phone. When we first reviewed it, the app instantly won us over, and as mentioned earlier, it has spread across different platforms since its inception. Recently, the app made its way to Pokki as well. For those who are unfamiliar with Pokki, it is a web app platform for Windows that houses a myriad of beautifully crafted web versions of various services and games. Wunderlist For Pokki not only looks better than its desktop counterpart, but it's also fairly lightweight in comparison. The app allows you to add various tasks and set reminder notifications prior to their due date. Read More

Stardock ModernMix Runs Windows 8 Store Apps In Windowed Mode On The Desktop

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The significantly revamped Windows 8 has been at the center of the spotlight since its unveiling, and as we mentioned in our Windows 8 review, it’s up to the users to decide whether they fancy the new Modern UI philosophy or not. Speaking of Modern UI, the gripe most users have with the new Windows is that you have to move away from the legacy desktop environment to use its new Metro-styled apps. Those who've been following us for a while would know that back in November, we covered an update of the Windows 8 app RetroUI Pro, which allows users to run Modern UI apps in windowed mode, right within the desktop environment. If you liked that feature then you’ll probably love ModernMix from Stardock, the team behind popular Windows 8 apps like Start8 and Decor8. Read More

Inkulator For Windows 8 & RT Solves Handwritten Math Expressions

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Windows 8 has an integrated calculator that we’re long used to seeing in every iteration of Microsoft’s operating system. On Windows 8, the application runs in Desktop mode, and contains different calculation modes like standard, scientific, programmer and statistics, along with a built-in unit conversion system. Though if the standard calculator interface that aims to emulates a real calculator doesn't suit your taste or you just want to try out something entirely different, give Inkulator a shot. It’s a Windows 8 and RT app that takes an interesting approach to how you perform all your mathematical calculations. The application basically lets you input your queries via freehand writing on its canvas. You can write any number, calculation symbol and what not, either by touch gestures or with your mouse, and Inkulator will automatically interpret it into a computer-understandable mathematical expression. Read More

Add Windows 8 Start Screen-Like Metro Tiles To Desktop Using XWidget

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XWidget is quite a popular application that lets you add some extraordinarily beautiful widgets to your desktop screen, similar to Windows Vista’s gadgets. You can customize the widgets in a lot of ways. Although it includes some preinstalled widgets out of the box, you can download and use a truckload of additional ones developed by XWidget’s user community. One such widget that I recently came across is Windows 8 ShorCut Small by Ubeto. It lets you add Windows 8 Start Screen-like tiles to the Desktop, and can especially compliment your setup if you have followed our guide to give a Modern UI makeover to your Desktop. Read More

Jazz Up Your Photos With Filters, Text & Frames Using ALSee For Windows 8

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Previously, we have covered some really great photo editing and image manipulation apps for Windows 8 and Windows RT users, such as Fotor, and the Windows Store version of the popular Windows Phone 7 app Fotoroom, just to name a few. ALSee is another Modern UI photo editor that's not too different from most other apps of its kind, but its touch-friendly, customizable interface and some really fascinating photo effects make it worth a shot. Details to follow after the jump! Read More

JuceVLC Media Center-Style Video Player Based On VLC

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VLC Player is apparently one of the most renowned open-source media player applications out there with support for every format you can throw at it. What simply started as an academic project has now become the default choice of many for all kind of audio and video playback. Even though there are contenders like the KMPlayer constantly pushing boundaries of innovation and functionality, VLC still remains an utmost choice for many, not only because of its ease of use, but also because of its open-source nature that encourages users to tweak and develop their own versions of the program while still keeping the powerful libraries and plugins that it offers. One such example is JuceVLC, which, as the name implies, is based on VLC. What sets it apart from it however, is its media center-style on-screen navigation, which can come handy if you have a large display and like controlling playback a few feet away from the screen. Read More

Breezy Is A Minimal But Beautiful Modern UI Weather App For Windows 8

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Although Windows 8 and RT contain a stock weather app capable of showing a full five day forecast for your selected locations, there are also various third-party options available on Windows Store from a number of developers. We have previously covered a multitudes of Modern UI weather apps, but we've never come across something as simple and elegant as Breezy. Where many other apps try to copy HTC Sense-like features and weather animations, Breezy’s grandeur lies in its minimalism and simplicity, as it showcases the weather conditions with the help of simple looking weather icons. The app is also powered by Dark Sky weather prediction, which enables it to tell hourly and daily forecast conditions in advance, though this feature is available in US territories only. Read More

Get Android-Like Customizable Pattern Lock Security On Windows

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Although most of us hate having to deal with (and often forget) multiple passwords for all our accounts, this decades-old security measure has been protecting our computers, mobile devices, emails, documents, and financial accounts from prying eyes for pretty well. That said, advancements in technology and computing power has also made it easier for hackers to breach your system’s security by cracking passwords via brute force attacks. If you want to guard your computer through other means of security, try the pattern based locking technique provided by Eusing Maze Lock. It’s a security application for Windows that lets you set up a pattern for unlocking your computer’s screen similar to Android's pattern lock, making it more difficult for someone to crack and thus, less vulnerable to breaching attempts. Read More

SnapGadgets Is A Great Desktop Gadgets Alternative For Windows 8 & RT

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Remember those sidebar gadgets Microsoft debuted in Windows Vista and then later reintroduced in Windows 7 as desktop gadgets? Unfortunately, the company had a change of mind and decided to remove them entirely from Windows 8, disappointing a lot of users. Although the Redmond conglomerate hasn't given any clear explanation regarding their removal, it is safe to assume that the desktop gadgets were removed because they weren't going to sit nicely with the Modern UI. Today, we found a handsome Windows 8 / RT Modern UI app that (kind of) brings back those missing gadgets. Labeled SnapGadgets, this light, miniscule Windows Store app comes packed with calendar, calculator, sticky notes and time gadgets that can be viewed alongside your desktop by snapping the app to the right or left of the screen. Read More

Sync Facebook Photo Albums With Your PC The Dropbox Way Using Drop N Sync

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Facebook has become a one stop shop for all kind of social networking, media sharing, and promoting your business/venture without costing a dime, but it’s apparently the internet giant’s photo sharing feature that is used the most. Previously, we've covered various desktop tools and browser extensions/add-ons that let you upload images to your Facebook account, and today, we've got yet another one at your disposal called Drop N Sync. It’s an intuitive desktop application that makes uploading your photos to Facebook a breeze. It lets you synchronize your existing Facebook albums with your PC, which makes the process of downloading and uploading new photos to Facebook completely hassle-free, in a Dropbox-like manner. Lets dig deeper into it and see how it works after the break. Read More

A Look At The New Features In Avast 8

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Avast is known for creating some of the best security tools in the industry. The company has been producing robust, reliable and efficient antivirus and security applications for the past several years, winning many accolades and certifications from critics and computer security experts. Avast! 8 is the latest incarnation of their long running antivirus suite and we've got to say it does pack a serious punch of features. The security juggernaut has debuted the program in four flavors: Avast Free Antivirus 8 (the one reviewed here), Avast Pro Antivirus 8, Avast Internet Security 8 and the top of the line Avast Premier 8. Let’s see take a closer look at the new features added in Avast 8. Read More

Bonis Audio Player Boasts Highest Quality FLAC, WAV & OGG Playback

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Being a music lover, I’m always on the hunt for new audio players that can deliver crisp sound and do justice to my ears as well as my high-end Sony headset. I've tried a lot of media players in the past, ranging from Winamp to JetAudio, Media Monkey to MusicBee, and a truckload of others until settling down with iTunes (I know it’s not the best audio player, but it's great if you own an iOS device). Today, I stumbled upon a unique, feature-limited yet powerful media player called Bonis Audio Player and couldn't wait to give it a try. Although the developer touts it as equipped with the latest generation audio engine for highest quality sound decoding, I had my doubts until taking it for a test drive myself. Read More

View Details Of All Installed Network Adapters With This Nirsoft Tool

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Nirsoft utilities are great for their simplicity, portability, minimalism and focus on getting one thing done well with each utility rather than bundling a ton of different features in one large app, and its these characteristics that make us keep coming back to review the developer’s latest releases. We have covered a handful of Nirsoft utilities in the past including NirLauncher, DomainHostingView, NetBScanner, and ShortcutsMan that have proven to be incredibly useful for us and our readers. The company’s latest release is NetworkInterfacesView, that allows you to display the list of all network interfaces and adapters that are currently installed on your system. Along with displaying the active interfaces, the program also lets you view previously installed interface found in the registry of your machine. It can recognize connected devices like USB or PCI-based wireless network adapters commonly used in desktops as well. Read More

Get Custom Start Menu, Global Hotkeys & Text Expansion With FastKeys

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You might have tried a lot of replicas of Windows Start Menu on Windows 8 by now. Some look extremely slick such as the Pokki, while others like Classic Shell come packaged with a plethora of customization options. If you want to opt for something entirely different than the tried and tested though, give FastKeys a shot. No, it’s not just another Start Menu rip-off, but an intuitive utility that can work as a powerful replacement of Start Menu, along with an apps and a website launcher, user-defined shortcuts opener and a lot more than that. Read More

oCam Makes Capturing Screenshots & Screencasts A Snap

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The use of screenshot and screencast tools has seen exponential rise during the past few years, the reason being the availability of high-speed internet in most parts of the world, allowing people to easily and swiftly share screenshots and screencasts over services like YouTube and Imgur. While we've covered a multitude of screen capturing tools in the past, only few that boast screen recording and screenshot capture under one package. oCam is one such application for Windows that's both powerful and easy to use, thanks to its simple design. It lets you overlay a capture box on your desired area of the screen, and records any on screen activity within that box. Let’s see how it works. Read More

Saladin: Open-Source, Dual-Pane File Manager With Focus On Convenience

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File Managers come in all shapes and sizes, and we’ve already covered quite a lot of them for our readers, including Double Commander, Bru File Manager, and Multi Commander, just to name a few. Saladin is another file manager with a dual-pane interface to let you easily manage your files and transfer them between different directories without having to open two Explorer windows. Saladin also has a host of other features such as Windows Shell integration, built-in file viewer, file archiving, FTP etc. Read on for details. Read More

xCloud Syncs Files Between PC, Mac, Android & iOS Over Cloud & WiFi

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Dropbox was once considered the cutting edge of cloud services, but now it seems every other company in the tech industry is hopping on the cloud computing bandwagon. The latest entrant in this field xCloud. No, it's not another cloud storage solution with unlimited storage, but rather a files synchronization app that lets you sync your files between a desktop PC and an Android or iOS mobile device. Though, what's special about the service is that you can perform syncing over your local Wi-Fi network as well, bypassing the need to upload files to the cloud first. So basically your PC itself works as a cloud storage for you, letting you access the stored content from anywhere you find internet connectivity. In addition, you can send Wake On LAN commands through the mobile device to access the storage remotely if your PC is in sleep mode, provided your motherboard supports this option. It’s dead simple to configure and even simpler to use. Read More

PhotoSun 14 Is A Lightweight Photo Editor With Effects, Facebook Integration & More

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Every once in a while, a new photo editor tosses its hat in the ring to grab users’ attention (and money too, at times), promising something unique or phenomenal. While the choices available in this department are apparently endless, only a few photo editors offer powerful editing options that instantly make them worthy of  a shot. Developed by Micranes Incorporated, PhotoSun 14 is a new Photo Editor for Windows that's jam-packed with features, doesn’t hog your system’s performance, and does exactly what’s it advertised for without adding a plethora of other features you might not likely need. Read More

SlimBoat Is A Fast, Cross-Platform Web Browser With Several Built-In Tools

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Firefox and Chrome have apparently become everyone’s favorite web browsers, thanks to their extensive add-ons/extensions support, excellent UI and countless features. Microsoft has also improved its browser in Internet Explorer 10 that was first shipped with Windows 8 and got released for Windows 7 as a stable build today. Though there are many other web browsers out there as well that are simply overlooked by most of us due our usual hesitation of making a switch to a different one. If you want to try out something different for a change, give SlimBoat a shot. It’s a free web browser for Windows that comes packed with plenty of features out of the box. Read More