the geek

So, you want to head to bed… time to power down the PC and call it a night. But wait… that download hasn’t finished yet. You could stay up and wait for it to finish, but then you will miss out on sleep. You could leave it running, but that’s a waste of electricity. Or you could do is turn to Shutter, which gives you a couple of alternative options. This is a free tool that may not look like anything special, but it has a few tricks up its sleeve that make it well worth checking out. Used at its most basic Shutter could be configured to automatically shut down your computer in an hour’s time, or however long you think it’s going to take for your download to complete.
This in itself is useful, but there’s much more the app. Grab yourself a copy from the website and get it installed.

Launch the app and prepare to be distinctly underwhelmed by its appearance – but looks can be, and in fact are, deceptive.

Click the Event drop down menu and you will find that there are a number of triggers for you to choose from. These include a simple countdown timer or an alarm-style time trigger, but there are also more interesting options such as low battery and the closing of a window or the termination of a particular process.

Depending on what you choose from this first menu, you will then have to configure additional settings. If you have opted for a timer, this involves little more than specifying how long the timer should run, but you may also choose which windows Shutter should monitor, the battery level to watch out for, or the processor activity level that should act as the trigger.
The Action menu is where you can select what should happen when your chosen trigger occurs. We are interested in using the Shutdown option for now, but restarting, hibernating, sleeping, sound muting and more are also available.

Hit the Start button and you can walk away from your machine safe in the knowledge that the shutdown or other action will happen in your absence. If you have opted for an alarm or sound muting/unmuting instead, you can use the Now button to have a dry run and ensure that it is going to work as expected.
You might well be wondering why you would want to take the time to configure Shutter to do something that could be achieved by setting up Windows’ task scheduler instead. Shutter is far more flexible than Windows’ scheduling tool in terms of the different events that can be used as triggers, and it is also able to trigger a wider range of events. But it does not end there.


But arguably the most useful element of Shutter is its remote access option. Click the Options button in the main program window, or select this from the system tray menu. While you are here, you might want to select the autorun option so that the program starts with Windows.
This is important if you want to ensure that your computer always shuts down on a schedule or you want to have the remote access option available at all times.

Moving to the Web Interface tab, you can turn on a very useful option.  Tick the Enable box, select your computer’s IP address from the Listen IP menu and then choose the port you’d like to use.
You are required to secure your remote session, so enter a username and password before clicking Save.

Assuming you have a firewall in place, you will need to grant Shutter permission to make use of your network before you can continue with this feature of the program.

Returning to our scenario in which a lengthy download is getting in the way of going to bed, the remote access option is particularly useful. You could head off to bed with your laptop, watch a movie or catch up on emails beneath the sheets and log into your other machine via Shutter.
Fire up your web browser, enter the IP address of your computer into the address bar followed by a colon and then the port number you have specified – e.g. 192.168.1.67:802.

At first it may seem as though you have just been presented with a list of shut down options, and it’s certainly true that you can jump right in and remotely sleep your PC if you want. However, you may first want to check just what’s happening on the machine.

You can click the ‘Information on Computer’ link to view details of processes that are running – which may help you to determine whether a particular task has safely completed – but the ‘Screenshot of a Desktop’ link gives you a quick snapshot so you can see exactly what’s going on before you decide what to do.
And because this is all web-based, you can even use your phone to control your PC from bed.

This is a wonderfully useful little utility that can also be controlled from the command line, which opens up additional possibilities. Let us know what you think of the tool in the comments below.

Private browsing mode doesn’t offer complete privacy, but it does prevent your browser from saving your history, searches, cookies, and other private data between browsing sessions. You can have your browser always start in private-browsing mode if you prefer it. Most people won’t want to use private-browsing mode permanently. You will have to log into the websites you use each time you open your browser, as your browser won’t save the cookies that keep your login state.

Google Chrome

To activate Google Chrome’s incognito mode by default, you will need to add a command-line option to its shortcut.
First, locate the shortcut you use to launch Google Chrome – either on your desktop, Start menu, or taskbar – and right-click it. Select Properties in the menu that appears.
If you are using using a taskbar shortcut on Windows 7 or 8, you will have to right-click the Google Chrome icon on your taskbar, right-click Google Chrome in the list, and select Properties.

Add -incognito (that’s a space character, a dash, and then the word incognito) to the end of the Target box. Click OK after adding this option.

Google Chrome will now start in incognito mode when you launch it via this shortcut. If you use other shortcuts to launch Google Chrome, you will need to modify them, too.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox allows you to automatically enable private-browsing mode via its options window. Click the Firefox menu button and select Options to open it.

Click the Privacy icon and select “Never remember history.” Firefox will now use the same settings it uses in private-browsing mode, although it won’t display its normal private-browsing interface.

Internet Explorer

You will need to add a command-line option to your Internet Explorer shortcuts to activate InPrivate Browsing by default.
Locate the shortcut you use to launch Internet Explorer, right-click it, and select Properties. On Windows 7 or 8, right-click the Internet Explorer icon on your taskbar, right-click Internet Explorer, and select Properties.

Add -private to the end of the Target box (that’s a space, one dash, and then the word private). Click OK.

Internet Explorer will now start with InPrivate Browsing enabled when you launch it via this shortcut. If you use other shortcuts to launch Internet Explorer, you will need to modify each one.

Opera

Opera also has a command-line option to enable private-browsing mode.
As with the other browsers here, locate your Opera shortcut, right-click it, and select Properties. On the Windows 7 or 8 taskbar, right-click the Opera icon, right-click the name Opera, and then click Properties.

Add -newprivatetab to the end of the Target field (that’s a space, one dash, and then newprivatetab). Click OK.

Opera will now open a private-browsing tab whenever you launch the shortcut. Note that Opera has per-tab private-browsing settings, so this tweak will only open a private-browsing tab when you launch Opera. You will have to open new “private tabs” instead of normal tabs while using Opera to continue using private-browsing mode.

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Remember that your browser won’t be able to save login states, websites preferences, or any other type of data if you do this. This can be both a blessing and a curse.
If you want to undo any of these changes, you can modify the shortcuts against and remove the option you added. On Firefox, all you need to do is select the “Remember history” option.

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Wireless internet connections are far more prevalent than they used to be, but there are still times when you may find that you are stuck using a wired connection and want to use it wirelessly — for instance, at a hotel with only wired internet but you want to get your tablet online.

When Can You Use This?

If you want to share your internet connection, Virtual Router Plus requires that your computer be connected to a wired network and have a functional wi-fi adapter. If you want to re-share a wi-fi connection you’ll need to use another software, like Connectify Hotspot.
There other other scenarios where you might want to create a quick ad-hoc network, though, like if you just want to transfer some files between the two computers, or even play a game wirelessly across the network.

Create Your Hotspot

Download a copy of Virtual Router Plus, unzip the file and launch the executable. Windows 8’s SmartSCreen feature will kick in and block the program from running – just click ‘More info’ followed by the ‘Run anyway’ button to get to work.

Enter the name you would like to use for the ad-hoc network that is being created and secure it with a password. Use the drop down menu to select which of the available connections should be shared and then click Start Virtual Router Plus.

Getting Connected

The connection can then be used just like any other wifi connection. Other laptops, smartphones and tablets will detect the network and you just need to supply the relevant password.

You could also use a similar technique to share your home internet connection with visitors without giving out your regular wifi credentials.

Whenever Google releases a new version of Android for its Nexus devices, it doesn’t roll out to everyone at once. It may take several days before your device receives the update, but you don’t have to wait.
Note that this only works if an OTA (over-the-air) update is actually available – for example, if you’ve got a Nexus 4 running Android 4.2.1 and you haven’t yet received a notification to update to Android 4.2.2. This won’t help if you’re using an Android device that isn’t receiving updates.

Receiving Updates Normally

Android regularly checks for new system updates for your specific device. When a new version is released, you should receive a notification within a few days. This notification appears like any other notification in the notification tray – tap it to install the new version.

However, you won’t necessarily see this notification immediately, even though you may have read about a new update being rolled our to your device.
You can have Android check for a new version by opening the Settings screen. Scroll down and tap About phone or About tablet at the bottom of the list.

Tap System updates and you’ll see when Android last checked for an update. To check for an update immediately, tap Check now.

Ideally, this will find the new system update and prompt you to restart and install it. However, this won’t always work.
In the case of our Nexus 4, it’s been 3 days since Android 4.2.2 was released and Android still isn’t finding the new version.

Force Android to Find the Update

If we waited a few more days, Android would eventually locate the new version and prompt us to update. Google does a gradual roll-out of updates, and it’s clear that our device isn’t at the front of the list.
However, there is a trick we can use to bump ourselves to the front of the list and force Android to find the update.
First, open the Settings screen and tap Apps. Swipe to the left to access the All section, then scroll down, locate the Google Services Framework application, and tap it.

Tap Force stop, and then tap Clear data.

Go back into the System Update screen. Android will say that it last checked for updates in 1969. (This specific time is the Unix epoch, when Unix time started. Unix systems store their times as seconds since 00:00:00 UTC on January 1, 1970.)

Tap the Check Now button and Android should find the update. You can now tap the Restart & install button to install it immediately.

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There has been some controversy over whether this trick actually works. We have used this trick on our Nexus 7 multiple times, and we used it to update our Nexus 4 to the latest version while writing this article.
It may not work for non-Nexus devices receiving OTA updates directly from carriers – we haven’t tried that, although some people have reported success.   android stop virus

With the appeal of iPhone, photography absolute is a most favourite section of the app store. Mobile app developers design a lot of creative and interesting photo apps, there are apps that seamlessly blend multiple pictures into one panoramic photo, and others that include dozens of filters and special effects to create truly stunning pictures.
Here are 3 best and useful photo mobile apps for your iPhone.

Magic Hour Lite – Camera and Unlimited Filter »

Magic Hour Lite transforms plain photos into extraordinary photos for every moment you capture. Magic Hour Lite has touch screen photo taking capabilities, front camera functionality, flash capabilities, focus and exposure functions that are very easy to use.
Magic Hour Lite square format photo app with 40 one-click filters and effects. Magic Hour Lite filters work best on lighter images, such as those taken in daylight or pre-edited to reduce underexposure. With its easy built-in hooks, Magic Hour Lite is a great app to use instead of Instagram’s own filters. After edit the photos, you can share it on social network services such as facebook, twitter, foursquare, flickr and even tumblr!
Magic Hour Lite compatible with iPhone, iPod and iPad.

Fuzel – Collage Made Awesome »

Collages are always an interesting creative outlet, and collage apps have always been a mainstay in the App Store. Fuzel comes with 36 preset layouts of varied widths and aspect ratios, many of which we haven’t seen in any other similar apps. Once you pick your layout, you can add in photos from your camera roll or take live shots right from within the collage.
Once you’re done with your collage,you can share your collages on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or email in high-res.

WiFi Camera – Wirelessly connect your iPhone and iPad cameras »

WiFi Camera will allow you to connect two iOS devices wirelessly, lets you take pictures on one iPhone using another iPhone or iPad’s camera. You will be able to receive and transmit the camera view with the other device, in addition to sending photo capture requests, which will take a full-resolution photo on the receiving device, transfer it to the requesting device, and save the photo on both devices.

• Works on all iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches! (iOS 5.0+)
• Fast image streaming!
• Easy to use!
• WiFi or Bluetooth connection!
• Picture-in-picture view of what is being transmitted!
• Beautiful, intuitive interface!
• One-touch connect & disconnect!
• Interface rotates with the device!
• No extra setup required!
• iPhone-to-iPhone, iPad-to-iPad, iPhone-to-iPad etc.

The idea of running server-side apps is nothing new, but it’s not really a concept that is readily associated with everyday applications such as OpenOffice. There are various online apps available – like Google Docs – but Spoon.net gives you access to a wider range of familiar titles that can be run in the cloud.
Spoon.net differs from other similar services that allow you to work with apps online. Here, rather than working with apps that have been re-written or specially designed for cloud usage, you are able to choose from programs you know and love – everything from web browsers and image editors to media players and games.

The service is not entirely cloud-based; it is not possible to run all of these apps in your web browser. Instead you will need to download a copy of the Spoon.net console which you can grab free of charge from www.spoon.net.
To download the software you will need to provide your name and email address and choose a password. These serve as the details for your Spoon.net account which can be used to access the same apps on different machines.

Online App Library

Once you log into your account you can access the app through a system tray icon. This works much like Start menu in pre-8 versions of Windows and all of the available apps are neatly categorized so they are easy to find.

As you use apps, they are added to your list of recently accessed programs so you don’t have to click through endless menus to launch them again. There is also a search option that lets you track down apps you may want to use – just start typing and results will be displayed on the fly.

Apps can take a little while to load, but this is largely dependent on the speed of your internet connection. Remember, these are full applications, not cut-down versions that have been specially designed for ‘streaming’ in this way. Should you use an app more than once, you will find that it has been buffered at that subsequent launches are noticeably faster.

The Silver Lining

The fact that these are full apps means that not only are you not missing out on any features, but also that you are able to interact with cloud apps in exactly the same way as those you have installed on your PC. This means that you can Alt-Tab your way between apps, resize and move windows – basically anything you may want to do with a program.
Visit your account on the web and you have another way in which to browse through the list of online titles. In many respects this is actually an easier way to look through the collection, particularly if you want to read descriptions and compare different apps. However, there is another, arguably more interesting side to things.

Play in the Sandbox

The ability to set up sandboxed machines with Spoon.net provides many possibilities. This is an option that can only be accessed through the website, not through the console software, and you will find it by clicking the ‘Fork a sandbox’ link.
There are a number of pre-configured sandboxes for you to work with – remote access tools, web browser, email utilities and many more – and using these is a great way to try out software without having to consider security.

So what could you use Spoon for? The apps are updated on a frequently so it gives you a great way to try out new releases without having to worry about the potential side-effects they could have on your system. Being able to work with older versions of a web browser is something that might come in handy from time to time.
The fact that your cloud-based system is essentially sandboxed means that you are free to do things that you might not ordinarily consider safe on your mission-critical PC.

Of course, the free version of Spoon doesn’t let you play with the big guns. If you want to be able to work with the likes of Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Suite, you will have to part with some cash for a Spoon Studio license.
You can use an isolated browser to visit some of those sites that you might not trust, and web developers can check to see how their sites look in different browsers – including mobile versions – without having to access countless platforms or install numerous programs. There is also the fact that it’s just pretty cool.

Android users have not been dealt a great hand when it comes managing their devices from Windows Different manufacturers provide device management tools ranging from the mediocre to the just plain bad – Kies, I’m looking at you. But I have discovered SnapPea, one of the easiest ways to manage, control and backup Android from Windows.
iTunes may have improved somewhat in its most recent incarnation, but it is still one of the least appealing aspects of being a fan of portable Apple devices. If you’re an iPad, iPod or iPhone user you may wax lyrical about the operating system you are using, the quality of your hardware and the range of apps available – I have been included in this number at times – but you still have to contend with iTunes. It’s just not a great piece of software by any stretch of the imagination.
SnapPea is a different beast altogether. This is a desktop tool that can be used to organize and backup your Android tablet or phone from Windows (although there’s also a Mac version available), and despite the fact it’s currently in beta, it is already shaping up to be something very solid.

Make the SnapPea Connection

Getting up and running with SnapPea is a multi-step process. You will first need to grab yourself a copy of the desktop software from the software website, but there’s also an app that will need to be installed on your mobile device.

The phone version of the app can be downloaded from Google Play , but if you are planning on working with a tablet you will need to visit another site to download the software you need – the tablet version is not available for download through Google Play at the moment.

Run through the installation of the desktop program first and then install the mobile app on your Android device. In order to establish a connection you will need to put your phone or tablet in USB Debugging mode – if you don’t know how to do this, instructions are provided in the desktop app for various versions of Android.
With this done, make sure you have the Windows version of SnapPea running and then connect your Android device. Follow the instructions to install drivers and you’ll be ready to go in just a few moments.

SnapPea will immediately invite you to link the device to your computer so that backups will be automatically created. Just click Link or ‘Don’t link’ – you can change the setting later on if you change your mind.

Exploring SnapPea

The links down the left hand side of the program window should be fairly self-explanatory; click the Apps link to access the apps you have installed, Contacts to manage your contacts, and so on.
Starting off in the Apps section, it is possible to not only view a list of the apps you have installed, but also uninstall any you no longer need and move between internal storage and an SD card. While these are tasks easily performed on your device, if you want to work with several apps at the same time, SnapPea makes this possible.

You also have the option of backing up apps. This involves little more than copying the relevant APK files from your device to your computer and it’s a good idea before performing any major app upgrades. Should you decide that the latest version of a particular title is not for you, you can revert to your backup version instead.
To backup, select one or more apps by ticking the boxes next to them and then click the Export button at the top of the program window. When the time comes to reinstall, just click the ‘Install apps’ button and select your backup folder; you can install swathes of apps in one fell swoop in this way.
It is worth noting that only APKs are backed up, not app data – you will have to export this separately yourself.

Media Management

Almost every Android device is home to a raft of media files. Few phones are not used to store scores of photos, and both tablets and phones are used for video and music playback. In the Video, Music and Pictures section, the Export option is once again available for backup purposes. Files can also be imported.
You can click any picture to view it in full screen mode, and standard slideshow controls are available at the bottom of the screen. In addition to deletion and rotation options, you will also find a couple of buttons to set an image as your Android wallpaper or to share via Facebook.

Music management works in much the same way, and there is a nice feature available to anyone who has used, or is still using, iTunes to manage a music collection. To the upper right of the Music section, click the ‘Import iTunes music’ button to do just that – you will just have to choose which of the available libraries should be imported.

Backup and More

If you are using SnapPea to work with a phone rather than a tablet, the Contacts and Messages section of the program provide you with a useful way to create, edit and delete address book entries as well as send the occasional SMS using a regular keyboard.
Click the Welcome link in the left hand navigation bar to return to the main screen. Tucked out of the way down to the bottom right of the window you will find another Backup option. This can be used to quickly backup all of your apps, contacts and messages – they’ll be stored in one zip file that you can browse manually or reinstate using the Restore button.

At the Welcome screen you will also find another handy tool. Screen capturing is something that varies from one Android device to another. On my HTC phone, it’s a simple matter of holding the power button and tapping home, while my tablet requires a button combination I always forget that involves the volume control and only works half of the time.
Click the little arrow to the right of the Capture button in the center of the window and you can choose between taking ‘Screen only’ screenshots – which I would recommend – or ‘normal’ ones. Selecting the latter option results in very small grabs with a device-specific border.

SnapPea also includes full screen display mirroring. You can opt to show the output of your phone or tablet on your computer monitor; this is great for showing off photos or giving presentations. This button can be found to the right of the Capture button and whatever is displayed on your Android will also be displayed on your monitor – albeit with a slight lag (you are not going to want to use this option for full screen gaming).
This is a great little tool that I would recommend to any Android user. SnapPea is wonderfully simple to use, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
What tools do you use to backup and manage your Android phone or tablet? Let us know in the comments below