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Micromax Canvas HD A116 : Cheapest Android Beast
Once again Micromax has proved that it’s not just a mere contender in the smartphone race! In its quest to become the undisputed king of smartphone market in India, the company came out with the ‘Canvas’ series. Canvas 1 and 2 proved to be the ultimate low cost warriors but right now, the canvas HD A116 is the knight in the shining armour!
In this post, we’ll give you a detailed insight into its performance, design, camera etc. So here we go.
1> Display-
As the name suggests, Micromax Canvas HD boasts a 5-inch HD screen. The resolution is 1280×720 pixels (249 ppi pixel density) along with colour depth of 16.7 million.
Higher resolution guarantees crisper text, images and icons. Visibility under the sun is pretty good and the IPS panel permits wider viewing angles. The touch response is also commendable. All in all the phone packs a magnificent screen, at par with some of the high end devices.
2> Design-
The build quality of the Canvas HD is brilliant. The front part of the phone is black while the back part, that is the cover(removable) is white in colour. Observing from the sides, the phone bears a dual-colour combination as the back cover extends to the sides.
3 capacitive navigation buttons are placed at the bottom, the camera protrudes out at the back, resembling HTC One X. The mammoth 5 inch screen takes majority of the front part. But the phone is easy to hold as length is greater than the width. The body is contour shaped, resembling that of Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
3> Performance-
Powered by a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6589 quad-core processor, Canvas HD is a beast in its own way.With 1GB RAM onboard, multitasking is as smooth as breeze, the phone doesn’t lag a bit.
PowerVGR SGX544MP Graphics chip assures seamless gameplay without any issues whatsoever. Infact, the gaming on Canvas HD is better compared to its expensive rivals (Galaxy Grand).
4> Camera-
The phone boasts an 8 megapixel shooter (rear camera) and a 2 megapixel front facing camera.
The rear camera is an autofocus camera with LED flash built into it. It offers 4x zoom and takes decent photos in daylight. It is capable of recording videos at 1080p and low light photography is also pretty impressive. With the burst mode you can take 99 photos at a time and then select your favourite one!
The phone offers 3 basic camera modes- Photo, Face Beauty and HDR.
The 2 megapixel front camera is apt for video calling and recording videos at 720p.
5> Software-
Micromax Canvas HD comes with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean out of the box. That means you’ll get a taste of Google’s all new Google Now.
The notification tray includes toggles for WiFi, bluetooth,GPS,data connection, screen timeout,airplane mode, brightness, profiles and SIM selection. Expandable notifications feature is present.
5 customizable homescreens have been provided. The app tray is the conventional Android Jelly Bean app tray coupled with the widget tray.
The fluidity and smoothness of Project Butter is visible when you switch between applications and screens, leaving you with a fulfilling experience altogether.
6> Storage-
The phone comes with 4 GB internal memory,out of which only 1.77 GB is available for the user. But you can expand the memory via the MicroSD card upto 32 GB.
7> Connectivity-
Micromax Canvas HD offers a variety of connectivity options. It comes with the all new bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP. Transfer files easily with microUSB 2.0 and connect to the web via WiFi (802.11 b/g/n). 3G connectivity is supported ( HSDPA @21Mbps and HSUPS @ 11Mbps).
The phone is dual SIM standby and not dual SIM active. You can also convert your device into a WiFi hotspot or use the USB tethering feature to share your mobile data connection with other devices.
Micromax Canvas HD sold 9000 units, the day it was released online. This gives you a clear idea of what the Canvas HD is capable of.So, Stop thinking and go for it!
Top 5 Android apps for streaming movies and TV shows
Love being a couch potato and staying glued to the TV ?? But if you are a proud owner of an Android device, get set to crack the fortune cookie! The Google Play Store boasts a number of apps that allow you to seamlessly stream your favourite TV shows and movies, right onto your device , even on the go!
In this post, we have listed the top 5 Android apps for streaming TV shows and movies, that you shouldn’t miss out on.
1> NETFLIX- (Free)
Netflix, the world’s leading subscription service for watching movies and TV shows on mobiles, is not the one to miss out on.
The app is free of cost, but you’ll need Netflix membership to enjoy unlimited access to your favourite movies and TV shows. Once you sign up with Netflix, you get one month of free trial (the good part!). You can search for movies and TV shows and start watching them immediately. You also have the option of rating them.
This app is rated-4.1/5 on the Google Play store and with more than 50,000,000 installs, its currently the chartbuster in its category.
2> CRACKLE- (Free)
Crackle is your key to unlimited, full length Hollywood movies and TV shows on your Android device or tablet.
Crackle allows you to watch your favourite movies and TV shows all for free. New movies and TV show episodes are added every month. You have the option of creating and maintaining your very own playlist. Streaming of high quality videos via 3G,4G or WiFi is the icing on the cake.
TV shows and movies range from action, horror , thriller to comedy and sci-fi. This app is rated-3.6/5 on the Google Play Store.
3> TV Portal- (Free)
TV portal allows you to enjoy thousands of free TV shows and movies from the moment you download it.
This app offers an “unlimited” feature which is available for the first 2 days, wherein you can enjoy free TV streams and movies. But once the free period is over, you’ll be able to watch 2 free TV streams every 6 hours. There’s no limitation on the free movies.
A one time upgrade of $1.99 will remove the limitation on the TV show streams and free you from those nagging ads as well. This app is rared- 4.6/5 on the Google Play Store.
4> VIKI- (Free)
Viki, developed by Viki Inc. offers TV shows, movies and music videos in high quality and translated to more than 150 languages.
You can stream and watch uninterrupted videos with the auto-play feature. You get the option of searching by country and genre. There’s no limitation on the number of videos you can stream. Share your favourite videos via Facebook, Twitter, email and even SMS.
Top titles include NBC universal, BBC, History Channel, Bravo, Bio TV shows etc. This app is rated-4.4/5 on the Google Play store.
5> YouTube- (Free)
There’s absolutely nothing that can beat YouTube when it comes to watching videos. Owned by Google itself, this app comes pre-installed in almost all Android phones and tablets.
Just like the web based version, YouTube for Android offers videos in almost every category you could think of. The app integrates seamlessly with the Android OS and regular updates make it better than most other video apps. The user interface is simple with useful features like share, flag, favourite, copy URL and even download.
So, all that you need is a working 3G or WiFi connection to enjoy your all time favourite movies and TV shows. This app is rated-4.2/5 on the Google Play store.
So, make the most of your Android device,turn into a full fledged portable television and be a couch potato again!
Best 5 music streaming apps for mobiles
Fed up of downloading songs to your phone? In case you have a good 3G or WiFi connection at your disposal , you can actually save that precious space on your phone’s SD card by directly streaming music to your device.
Music streaming companies around the globe have developed apps that allow you to stream music directly to your device without any hassles, but the tough part is choosing the best from the rest.
Hence, we have sorted the best 5 music streaming apps that you can deploy on your mobiles and get cracking with your favourite songs, on the go, anywhere!
1> Spotify-
Currently,Spotify is considered as the top online music streaming service with its huge range of 15 million songs!
Platforms: iOS, Android, Blackberry,Windows Phone, Symbian.
Spotify offers unlimited , on-demand music streaming from a huge song library, that means you’re never short of music. It also includes personalized radio as well as social networking features. It integrates well with your personal music library and allows you to utilize other people’s playlists that you find on the web. It also offers the desktop client.
You have to shell out $9.99 per month per user for a subscription to Spotify premium. Alternatively, you can try it out before you pay with its Spotify free account.
2> Napster-
With more than 14 million songs in its kitty, Napster is one music streaming service that makes discovering and sharing songs an easy experience.
Platforms: iOS, Android, Blackberry
With Napster,you can search for your favourite songs from their huge catalogue and play as often as you like. You have the option of saving songs, artists and playlists to play them when there’s no internet connection. Discover new music on the radio stations. The desktop client allows you to update playlists that instantly sync with your mobile.
Napster allows you to connect to Facebook to see what your friends are listening to and even follow other members.
UK users have to shell out euros 10/ month , whereas US users need to pay $10/month for Napster.
3> Rdio-
Founded by the founders of Skype , Rdio already has a huge fanfare to say the least!
Platforms: Android,iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry.
What makes Rdio tick is its huge library of 15 million+ songs, high quality streaming with the option of offline downloads. It seamlessly syncs with your existing music collection. Facebook, Twitter and Last.Fm integration make Rdio even more desirable. You can also download the desktop client if the need be.
UK users need to pay euros 9.99/ month, whereas US users have to pay $9.99 / month to enjoy the service of Rdio.
4> MOG-
MOG is another brilliant music streaming service. First launched in 2005, it has finally made an entry into the list of top music streaming services.
With MOG you get music streams of extremely high quality (320 Kbps). FreePlay service allows you to try out MOG free for 60 days before you buy it. But once you subscribe, you get access to unlimited music anytime, anywhere. Integration with social networking services means that you can share your stuff as and when you like.
US users need to pay $9.99/ month to enjoy seamless service of MOG.
5> Pandora-
Pandora never fails to produce songs that fit your mood perfectly.
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry
Pandora’s user interface boasts tabbed navigation for touch devices .You can enter the huge music library to create stations based on songs or artists, create playlists based on your listening history and browse through numerous genre-based stations. You can rate tracks as you listen to them, this helps Pandora recognize the type of music you prefer.
A bevy of social features make Pandora a worthwhile experience.A desktop client is also available.
You can get Pandora free of cost (not ad-free and limited choice of music) or pay $36/year for unlimited, ad-free experience.
So, pump up the volume in style and stream your way to musical fantasy!
Top 5 Android apps to send free SMS in India
If you are a proud owner of an Android phone, then stop fretting about those rising SMS rates and equally expensive SMS packs. Many app developers have come out with brilliant apps that allow you to send free SMSs’ straight from your Android phone using the GPRS connection!
You can download these apps, free of cost from the Google Play Store, but the problem arises in choosing the best from the lot. Hence, to make it easier for you we have listed the top 5 apps to send free SMS in India:-
1> Free SMS India- (4.5/5)
Free SMS India is by far the best free SMS application that is available on the Google Play Store.
This app supports 9 gateways including way2sms, 160by2 , fullOnSMS,Site2SMS etc. The interface is pretty easy to understand and use (see pic above). Another amazing feature of Free SMS India is that you can schedule the messages to be sent at a later date and time ( the “clock” icon is for scheduling messages).
2> F2S Free SMS India-(4.1/5)
With more than 100,000 installations already,F2S free SMS India is a buzzing app in the free SMS segment!
It boasts a refined, user-friendly interface. You can use gateways like way2SMS, FullonSMS, Site2SMS etc. Status bar notifications are available. Switching from one gateway to another is smooth and instantaneous.
3> Way2SMS-(4.1/5)
This is not the native Way2SMS app as the name suggests, but in turn supports Way2SMS, 160by2 and Youmint gateways.
It boasts faster login as compared to other apps. You can send multiple SMSs’ at a time. Smileys are available for use. One exclusive feature of this app is that you get the SMS status feedback. There is an SMS library and you can also create and manage groups.
4> Free SMS Sender-(4.3/5)
Free SMS sender is available for India as well as Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic.
With this app you get 4 application themes and 2 different styles of listing. Pinch to zoom text sizing feature is available. There is an option of automatic signature to selected gates. It also supports text sharing and writing/opening SMS messages from other applications.
3 languages, English, Czech and Slovak are supported.
5> Way 2 Free SMS-(4.3/5)
Way 2 Free SMS has been developed by GreenApps and supports Way2SMS, 160by2 and Ultoo gateways.
The interface is smooth and easy to operate. Delivery of messages is lightning fast. You can easily create and manage groups and choose from a large variety of SMS collections.
Cost effective communication is what we all love. So, get one of these apps and pave your way towards a savings bonanza!
How to Increase your Income from YouTube videos
YouTube is fast growing as a potential earning habitat for vloggers and video lovers alike. Each day millions of videos are watched and downloaded from YouTube creating a marvellous platform for advertisers to earn maximum profit. But, it’s not as easy as it sounds. You need to have good amount of traffic to attract advertisers and hence earn money.
Hence, here we have jotted down and explained some points that you should consider if you aim to make money making videos for YouTube.
1) Original Content-
Original content is always appreciated in today’s world. Make sure your videos are as original as possible. The topics that you cover in your videos should not be oversaturated and should look fresh in every way possible, then only you’ll be able to attract viewers.
2) High quality content-
Apart from originality, you should put in hard work and time to come up with great quality videos. Viewers will appreciate you and your videos only when they find them complete in every aspect, providing all the necessary information. The more you put into your videos, the more you’ll get in return.
3) Promotion-
Once you are done making your videos, what comes next is promotion. People won’t come to know about your videos until you promote them on social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus. You should also submit links of your videos to sites like StumbleUpon, Digg etc.
4) Use your blog-
In case you have your own blog, you can use it to promote your videos. If the traffic on your blog is good enough, some of it might get diverted to the YouTube videos you have posted.
5) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)-
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is crucial in case you want your videos to be search friendly. Some of the common and important SEO practices that you should adopt to improve the ranking of your videos in the YouTube search results are:-
i) Name of your video should be suitable and unique.
ii) Add the appropriate keywords/ tags in the “tags” area. To reach there, open your youtube account-> go to “video manager”-> click on “edit” beside the video and go to “tags”.
iii) Build a good quality YouTube channel and post videos regularly.
iv) Respond to the comments you get in your videos.
6) YouTube partnership program-
Join the YouTube partnership program, It allows you to make money with your YouTube videos by linking your YouTube account with Adsense account. To know more about that read our article How to Make Money from Youtube Videos
So,turn on your camcorder, record some standout videos and rake in the money!
How to backup and import contacts in Android
Android devices are growing like wildfire courtesy of the amazing features offered by the operating system. But, calling and messaging still hold prime importance,that’s where contacts play a crucial role. Backing up and importing contacts to your Android device may sound easy, but many end up in a soup doing this.
A backup of your contacts comes in handy in case the phone crashes or gets lost. Importing contacts to your device is necessary in case you switch from one phone to another ( both devices run different operating systems) . So, in this post we have highlighted the various ways by which you can backup and import contacts in your Android device.
BACKUP:-
In Android, you can create a backup of your contacts in many ways.
1) In your Android phone, go to Settings-> Backup & reset -> Backup Account and select the account you want to backup. Make sure that “Backup my data” option is ticked.
2) SYNC-Make sure the contacts on your Android device are synced with your Google account. To do this go to Settings-> Under the accounts tab select your account. You’ll get something like this.
The “contacts” tab should be ticked to synchronize them with your Google account. You can check out your backed up contacts on Google Contacts.
3) APPLICATIONS- You also have the option of creating a backup on the SD card with apps available on the Google Play Store. Some of them are:-
a) SUPER BACKUP- This app allows you backup your contacts, messages, call logs, bookmarks, calenders to the SD card. Apps can also be backed up if the phone is rooted. This app is free of cost.
b) MY BACKUP- You can backup your contacts, apps ,messages, call log, photos,music,videos etc or even schedule backups to either the SD card or their online server. This app is limited 30 day trial , after that you’ll need to buy the pro version available for Rs.217.77 or $4 on the Google Play Store.
c) BACKUP CONTACTS- This is another good app that allows you to backup your contacts to SD card, Dropbox, Google, Outlook or send it as an Email.
IMPORT:-
You can import contacts to your Android device either from an old GSM phone or contacts saved in another email account.
1) OLD GSM TO ANDROID- If you want to import contacts from an old GSM handset to your new Android device, just export all the contacts to the SIM card in your old phone. Now plug the SIM card in your Android phone and import all the contacts. As simple as that.
You can also import contacts to your Android phone in case you have contacts stored in vCard format in the external storage.
2) OTHER EMAIL ACCOUNT-In case you have contacts saved in an email account(other than Gmail like Yahoo!, Hotmail or AOL), you can import those contacts to Gmail and sync your Gmail account with your Android phone.
Here’s what you need to do:-
i) Open your Gmail account and click on the “gear tab” in the top-right end of your inbox. Select settings.
ii) You’ll get something like this:-
Select “Accounts and Import” and then click on “Import mail and contacts”.
iii) A window will pop up where you can enter the email address from where you want to import the contacts.
NOTE: Once the import process is complete, login to your Gmail account in your Android phone and tick mark on the contacts sync tab in settings( as mentioned above under “Backup”).
Never lose your contacts, back them up or import them in your Android with ease!
How to use Android as a wireless mouse
Pissed off with your wired mouse? In case you own an Android, you’re in for something marvellous. You can actually convert your Android device to operate like a wireless mouse! Though it doesn’t sound realistic, it actually is. This has been made possible by an app called “RemoteDroid”.
But before you move ahead, make sure Java is installed on your PC and you have a WiFi connection. You first need to install the RemoteDroid server app on your PC and the client app on your Android device.
Steps to set up RemoteDroid on PC:-
1) Go to www.remotedroid.net and download the “Server app”.
2) Now extract the files from “RemoteDroidServer_1.5v.zip” to any folder on your PC.
3) Open the folder containing the extracted files and double-click on ”RemoteDroidServer.jar”.
The server software will be launched as shown above. As it is a Java application, it will run on Linux, Mac OS and Windows.
4) Make a note of the IP address mentioned in the RemoteDroid software.
Steps to setup RemoteDroid on Android:-
1) Click here to download the RemoteDroid app from the Google Play Store. It is free of cost.
2) Open the app and type in the IP address that you noted down from the RemoteDroid Server app on your PC.
3) Click on “connect”.
4) Once the RemoteDroid app on your Android connects to the server app on PC, the screen of the Android device will turn into a touch-pad, as show above. The upper large rectangle is the mousing surface, while the 2 smaller rectangles at the bottom signify left mouse button and right mouse button respectively.
The green keyboard icon activates the wireless keyboard.
You even have the option of changing the mouse sensitivity and other preferences before you connect to the WiFi network.
Go ahead and make the most of your Android device!
Top 10 racing games for your Android device
Get set to bid adieu to those traditional, bulky gaming consoles as your Android device is not just a smartphone, but a full fledged gaming beast in itself!
A number of GPU and processor intensive racing games are thronging the Google Play Store, all equipped to provide you with adrenaline pumping action. Here, we have listed the top 10 Android racing games, that you shouldn’t miss out on:-
1> GT Racing: Motor Academy- (Free)
GT Racing:Motor Academy is apt to quench your thirst for adrenaline. This game has been developed by Gameloft and is absolutely free of cost.
It is considered as the richest racing simulation available for Android. You can choose from 111 different cars and 26 manufacturers including Audi, Nissan, Ferrari, Ford etc. A wide variety of tracks, from urban tracks to speed rings, rally tracks are available. You can test you skills in the career mode or play against drivers from all over the globe with local and online multiplayer support for upto 6 players.
This game is rated- 4.7/5 on the Google Play Store.
2> Drag Racing- (Free)
If you are a heartthrob fan of drag racing then this is the game you are looking for. With more that 552,000 downloads already, this game is rocking the Google Play Store!
You can choose from tons of cars ranging from Skyline GT-R, classic 69′ Mustang to BMW M3. Challenge your friends in the online section, race with upto 9 players at once in the real-time competition.
Playing drag racing is pretty easy. You just need to find the right balance between power and grip. Add nitrous oxide for that extra boost, but don’t press the button too early!
This game is rated- 4.5/5 on the Google Play Store.
3> Road Warrior- ( Free )
Road warrior is an addictive multiplayer combat racing game. You can race against your opponents and shoot them out with guns.
In the online mode you can race and shoot upto 7 players. Gain coins and nitro boosters with flips and stunts. Choose from sedans to monster trucks and GT racing cars.There are different types of races from plain asphalt to bumpy rally roads.
Precise controls and amazing physics along with standout, realistic HD graphics make this game a treat to play. This game is rated- 4.8/5 on the Google Play Store.
4> Raging Thunder 2- (Free)
Raging Thunder 2 has slowly and steadily gained momentum as the most potential racing game for Android.
This game takes you to abandoned temples, snow-covered mountains, tropical beaches , the Great Wall and a host of other breathtaking places around the globe. This game offers fast paced, intense gameplay coupled with console quality 3D graphics with an option of cross platform multiplayer racing.
This game is rated- 4.4/5 on the Google Play Store. You can even buy the paid version of Raging Thunder 2 for Rs. 104.29 or $2 to unlock more features.
5> Need for Speed Most Wanted- (Rs.274.07 0r $ 5)
Need for Speed Most Wanted, the all time favourite of gaming enthusiasts is finally here on Android! Buckle up for the ultimate action, this time on the small screen!
Race and chase super hot cars like Porsche 911 carrera S, Hummer H1 Alpha, SRT Viper GTS etc. Evade the police force while challenging the street racers. You have the option of touch or tilt to steer your car.
Drive and customize over 40 cars, use mods to enhance your car, earn speed points to unlock new cars and experience adrenaline pumping action with mind boggling graphics and intense full-car damage!
This game is rated- 3.9/5 on the Google Play Store.
6> Tiki Kart 3D- (Free)
Tiki Kart 3D is a 3D kart racing game involving extreme physics, speed, crashes , weapons and much much more!
You can enjoy 15 fun filled tracks and go deep into the world for Lonalo’s volcano. Choose from 8 different karts and torture your opponents with rockets, landmines, fireballs, oil slicks, sticky tar.
This game is rated- 4.2/5 on the Google Play Store.
7> Need for Speed Shift- (Rs.163.68 or $3)
Need for Speed Shift,another kick ass, graphic intensive, hugely popular weapon from Electronic Art’s arsenal is finally here for Android!
Drive 20 different cars including BMW M3 GT2, Lamborghini Gallardo, Pagani Zonda etc. Choose from 18 different tracks around the world including Chicago, London, Tokyo etc. Fine tune your car’s performance with upgrades for tyres, nitrous oxide, acceleration, top speed and suspension.
Dive into quick race or career mode. Select from 3 difficulty levels- Rookie, Pro or Veteran.
This game is rated- 3.5/5 on the Google Play Store.
8> Riptide GP- (free)
Riptide GP is a console- quality water racing game for Android. It features high- detail vehicles, mind blowing water physics , enough to make you thirsty for more!
You can explore 12 water raceways, unlock 7 super fast jet skis. There are 3 game modes available- Race, Hot Lap and Championship. It has Bluetooth and USB gamepad support. This game has been enhanced for quad-core devices to give realistic water splashes on screen, extra-detailed waves and motion blur effect while boosting.
This game is rated- 4.6/5 on the Google Play Store.
9> Drag Racing:Bike edition- (Free)
The bike edition of Drag Racing is as good and enthralling as its 4 wheeled counterpart. Experience amazing graphics and realistic motorcycle physics.
You can choose from 17 fast sports bikes.Share your best score on Twitter or Facebook. Combine the upgrades to get the fastest vehicle around. Challenge your friends in 4 online modes and win to get at the top of the leaderboard.
This game is rated- 4.5/5 on the Google Play Store.
10> Asphalt 7: Heat- (Rs.55 pr $1)
If you are a true blue fan of Racing , then nothing beats the latest offering from Gameloft, Asphalt 7: Heat!
Choose from a whopping 60 different cars from manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini , Aston Martin. Race all over the world with 15 different tracks in areas including Hawaii, Paris, London, Miami, Rio. Take on your friends locally or online ( max 5) . Hone your driving skills with 6 different game modes, 15 leagues and 150 different races.
This game is rated- 4.3.5 on the Google Play Store.
Buckle up, fasten your seat belts and get set for the ultimate high speed drama on your beloved Android device ! 
