Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Smart Recycling Ideas for Your Android Devices

With several generations of gadgets have gone by over the the past few years, there's no doubt some of you have an old gadget that no longer gets attention and is just picking up dust on your drawer. But despite of this, you're still hanging on to it. Sure, it may have a sentimental value attached to it but the problem is, you're not quite sure on what to use it for.

So, here are some bright recycling ideas that you can do with your old Android device. Check out the list below and you may get an idea or two that you will truly find useful and enjoyable at the same time.

Kitchen Assistant
With a combination of Google Tasks and a cheap stand, a spare or old Android phone or tablet can become your ideal kitchen assistant. How? You can create a shopping list on Google Tasks, synchronize it with your other devices, and then take it with you shopping. Then in the kitchen, get rid of the hassle of having your cookbook stand on a balance or ruining the pages with ingredients. You can now cook food to perfection by using your device's built-in timer, so nothing gets burnt or overcooked.

You can check out apps like Food Network in the Kitchen and BigOven for starters. And since it's touchscreen, it's easy to keep clean, too.

Remote Webcam
Turn your Android device into a handy IP-based webcam with the help of a neat free app called IP Webcam from Google play. The app lets you connect the device from another Android device or any network computer using a browser or via Skype. It supports audio and a host of smart features such as streaming to VLC.
So if you're looking for a cheap Wi-Fi IP camera and happened to have an old Android phone or tablet, this will do the trick.

Video Camera
Though there's a slim chance that you would consider using an old Android device as a spare camera, but that doesn't mean that it can't be used as a decent video camera. The moving image, being lower resolution, is a lot more forgiving when it comes to poor quality sensors and lenses, while even aging devices can provide 720p HD encoding.

So, provided that you load it with a suitable SD card, you now have a device that can capture hours of video.

Wireless keyboard or mouse
If in case your keyboard or mouse suddenly stops working, you can use your old Android device as an input device with the help of RemoteDroid. Neither input will be as accommodating as its desktop counterpart, but it will do until you can order or purchase a new replacement for your defective computer accessory.

Digital photo frame
Do you know that your old Android device has better screen quality than most digital photo frames that you can see in the market today? Another benefit of using your old Android tablet as a digital photo frame is that you can connect it to your Cloud account so that it will have access to more photos. You can check out and download the Dayframe app to transform your device into a cool digital photo frame.

E-reader
You can always use your current device as an e-reader, however, it can take too much of its battery especially if you're an avid reader. Using your old Android device as a permanent e-reader will wipe off your battery worries on your current device. Depending on your reader app preference and whether you sidelook books, you may not even need a Wi-Fi connection for your device.

For e-reader apps, you may consider checking out apps like Google Play Books, Amazon Kindle app, and Aldiko.

Desk Clock and Weather Station
We all know that an Android device can offer more than just an ordinary desk clock. You can personalize its background and make it animated, show multiple clocks, and inbox status. If you want to transform your old Android device into an awesome desk clock and weather station, check out Dock Clock Plus to make it happen.



Friday, August 7, 2015

Apple Music vs. Spotify: A Quick Face Off



Spotify is no doubt the king of streaming music these days. This claim is supported by a reported user base of 20 million subscribers -- plus an additional 55 million listeners of its free, ad-based service. Now, that Apple Music has just recently entered the scene, the only question that comes to mind is that will the reigning champion in streaming music will still be able to hold its title.

When it was first unveiled by Apple during the 2015 WWDC, Apple Music seems to appear as the biggest threat for Spotify in the current streaming marketplace. Why? Because Apple Music has all the characteristics of a powerhouse music streaming client -- with a 24-hour, live radio broadcast, personally curated playlists, and access to the entire iTunes music catalog. So, to give us a closer look as to what the two music streaming giants can and cannot do, below is a quick run-through of their similarities and differences.


Founded

Jan. 2014 as Beats Music;acquired by Apple in May 2014 for $3B; relaunched June 2015.

October 2008, Stolkholm
Cost

Free radio (Beats 1 and other stations) or $9.99 per month

Free ad-supported streaming and radio or $9.99 per month ($4.99 for students)
Family plan

$14.99 per month for six family members (shared via iCloud Family Sharing)

$4.98 (50 percent off) for each additional family member account
Trial with full functionality
3 months free
3 months for $0.99
Requires new mobile app

Nope—it's in the Music app when you update to iOS 8.4

Yes
How many countries
100 at launch
iTunes integration

Full integration of iTunes songs and playlists, including songs on iTunes Match ($24.99 per year) and songs in iCloud

Use third-party tools to convert iTunes playlists to Spotify; desktop Spotify can pull in local files
Number of users

TBD; Beats Music only had 111,000

75 million+ users, 20 million+ subscribers
Number of music tracks
30 million+
30 million+
Internet radio playlist curation

Humans (plus live Beats 1 Internet radio)

Algorithms
Number of skips for free
TBD, but limited
Five per hour
Sound Quality (free)
256Kbps
96Kbps
Sound Quality (Premium)
256Kbps
160Kbps or 320Kbps
Platforms
Mac, iOS, Windows at launch: Apple TV and Android to come
Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Roku, TiVo, Samsung Smart TVs, Linux, PlayStation, the Web, and more
Podcasts

No (Apple has a separate app for that)

Yes
Videos

Music videos, clips uploaded by artists

Yes