Top 5 Music Apps to Tune Your Mood

Music is undoubtedly one of the most important functions of our mobile phones now. The phones have definitely gotten better for the task with the countless number of specialized apps in the market. Though Soundcloud, Beatport, Last.fm have been giving a staple supply of fresh and innovative music, many more cutting edge apps have cropped up to give music lovers a wider range of music.

Today we’ve compiled a list of 5 must have apps for music lovers who take pride in exploring new genres.

1. STEREODOSE

This is one heck of a app, where you just have to select the kind of stimulant and mood you prefer and Voila, you get a never ending playlist to keep you hooked. Though it started with this simplistic premise, it has now evolved into a full blown playlist creation app where users don’t have to just listen to the random tracks but create their own playlist and share with fellow “dosers”. It is one of the best tools for finding some fresh artists and tracks.

2. MOODAGENT

The Big daddy of Mood Music Apps. It is perfect for Hindi music lovers who cannot find a Hindi streaming service. This app syncs the available music on your device and creates the playlist according to the mood you create using its interactive bars. There are five bars for Sensual, Tender, Happy, Angry and Tempo. These bars can be used individually or in relation with each other. My only disappointment with the app was that even after fully raising the bar on Happy, it never played Pharell’s Happy.

3. MOODSTREAM

A tiny service from getty images where they give controls to create a feel, it then pulls up images and videos from the getty songs to create the mood you seek. This has got manual controls to set the transition effects, amount of vocals in the songs you desire to hear, image duration and various mood sliders. If you don’t want to go through all that trouble you can simply use the easy preset wheel

4. STEREOMOOD

 Stereomood has a refreshing approach to music making. All the user needs to do is select from over a 100 playlist options, updated daily. Some of the tags are: Melancholy, Optimistic, Bohemian, Untroubled and of course, Space trip. I personally preferred the Work tag as it just made the work day fun. The user interface is really interactive and engaging, however there were a few times the app crashed. A minor glitch in an otherwise great app. Overall it has some great tracks and great ways to find them.

5.TUNEIN RADIO

 This is one of the most trusted internet radio for me. Not only does it help you listen to possibly every single radiocast from music, sports, news, talk, comedy and much more, it also has the biggest library of music genres to listen to. Even the most niche genres have dedicated statios on the service. Find a station which specializes in your genre and you will have an all-night stream. You don’t have to be an enthusiast, you will find something that meets your taste even if you are an average listener just looking for some tunes. At TuneIn, theres a tune for everybody.

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Top 5 Best Portable Speakers

You’ve almost got everything ready for your pool party. Guests may start pouring in any second, but you along with your usually reliable electrician are still struggling to plug in speakers on the outside deck.

Between juggling wires and extension cords, heavy music systems are now considered an unnecessary headache. Nowadays, its all about the new-age range of portable speakers  - they’re practical, Bluetooth-enabled, and deliver excellent sound-quality. So, be it a terrace party, beach holiday or a barbecue; you can easily play your favorite playlist from your phone/MP3 with uncompromising sound. Say hello to a whole new world of portable speakers:

1. BOSE SOUND-LINK MINI

Price: INR  17,000 (approx)
Bose known for its unrivaled sound quality consistently manages to stay on top of every list. These speakers hold no exception to that rule. They weigh close to 700gm and hence are an extremely practical buy. Considering its size and sound, these speakers are the unworldly best in its category. A must have for music lovers who love to jet set. The price may lighten your wallet, but then again, its quality and durability will not let you complain.

2. JBL PULSE

Price: INR 12,000 (approx)
JBL Pulse stands out in the category of portable speakers for one single reason: its super fancy Light Show Impressions. The fascinating LED lights wrap the speakers neatly and respond to the beats of the music being played. This attention-grabbing detail somehow manages to avoid looking cheap and promises to liven up your party. Its battery backup is really good and it also comes with a portable charger. The speakers are relatively heavier than the bose, so you might think twice before taking it outside with you.

3. CREATIVE D-200

Price: INR 8000 (approx)
This one is the best option if you’re looking  to invest in a low-budget set. Like the rest, it is light and portable, but the Creative D-200 also has surprisingly very good sound quality.  That’s the upside, on the down low – the battery backup may not last for more than three hours. So, if you’re planning a camping trip, don’t bother being weighed down by these speakers.

4. SONY SRS-BT M8

Price: INR 5500 (approx)
Sony SRS-BT M8 comes with a handle on top, which makes it easy to carry around everywhere. Another feature Sony has included in these speakers is the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. For owners of NFC-enabled smartphones, it’ll help you avoid the hassle of connecting via Bluetooth. You simple need to tap your phone onto the NFC button located on the handle and you’ll be connected in the matter of seconds. The useful handbag shape and its relatively low price makes it a smart buy.

5. SKULLCANDY RINGER 2XL

Price: INR 1100 (approx)
The smallest and cheapest portable speaker available in market right now. Ringer is one of those products that looks good, but may not deliver the best quality. Considering its low price, buy them only for personal use – it’ll help you amplify music in your room. The sound quality is not up to the mark and its Bluetooth connection disconnects itself repeatedly.

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7 Simple Tips To Keep Your Gadgets New

Our gadgets are now a necessary part of our everyday life. We honestly believe they deserve their own section on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We do want to get the most out of them, but often they give us serious heart aches by dying out too soon. There are certain precautions you can take to ensure they manage to surpass their average life of 12-18 months.

Use these tips to service your gadgets routinely:

1. CLEANING:

Like everything else, your gadgets also require regular clean ups. For touchscreens ideally use a microfiber cloth, the same one used for sunglasses, or you can substitute it with a soft cotton cloth. It is extremely important to avoid over rubbing. Make it a point and regularly clean your gadget to avoid the build up of grime.

2. BATTERY MANAGEMENT:

This is one important area of focus as its the life of our gadgets. The batteries have faced the brunt of high performance machines which are released one after the other. Turn off the services you don’t need – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular data and high screen brightness are the major juice drainers. You can use a few credible battery apps as well. They help to increase efficiency and enhance the battery backup by automatically closing unwanted applications.

3.UPGRADES:

Upgrades are cheaper and more efficient than investing in whole new equipment. Scan through the available ones available from time to time, to figure out the best add-ons and upgrades to keep your system efficient. Powerbanks are also a good idea if you don’t find time to regularly charge your phone.

 4. BUY GENUINE:

Whichever accessory you wish to add to your device, it’s important to make sure that it is compatible as well as genuine. Fake accessories have the potential to cause harm to your expensive gadgets. There is also an added value of warranties/replaceability when you’re buying original products.

 5. MAINTAINING THE OS:

The operating system is  the essence of every device, it is the basis of our interaction with the device. There are several diagnostics and maintenance tools available on the OS which should be used regularly. Unwanted clutter, such as multiple copies of the same file and unnecessary softwares, slows down the system. Take out time every few weeeks to clean up the mess.

6. PROTECTORS:

With the increased delicateness of our gadgets, added protection is necessary. Starting with the stage, a.k.a the screen, where it all happens – a protector is required. Invest in high quality anti-glare and anti-scratch protectors, they are worth the extra cost. Also a body guard or a protective case which can protect the gadget from dust as well as impact is always advisable.

 7. BANANA:

Yes, a Banana. We were equally vary of the fact that a fruit might be useful. Just to be cautious, we checked out a few tutorials before trying it out ourselves.  If you want your device squeaky clean, all you need to do is spread a layer of Banana on the surface.  Keep caution about any openings: concentrate only on the screen. Use the banana peel to wipe the surface after a while. Follow it up with glass cleaning liquid on a cotton cloth.

 

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Paperfold is prototype for a Foldable Smartphone

The Human Media Lab at Canada’s Queen’s University has designed a prototype of a smartphone, that can not only fold, but transform from one form factor to another. The future of unified devices may simply lie in a design like this. The “Paperfold” uses three snap – E-Ink displays to create one large display.

The Human media lab claims that the inspiration came from paper, and that the device will have a lot of possible future uses.  The hinges also act as buttons allowing you to switch between modes and tasks depending on your usage and application.

Although we are notoriously far from the project reaching commercial availability, it seems that the next logical step in transformation of devices could and may as well be devices like the Paperfold.

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LG G Pro 2 Launched in India for Rs 51,500, won’t have 4G

LG continues to bring handsets to the Indian market quicker than before, and the recently released LG G Pro 2 is next on the list. Priced at a whopping Rs. 51,500 the LG G Pro still houses the dated Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, while many now use the 801.

The front has a large 5.9 inch 1920 x 1080p IPS display along with the usual knocking capabilities. The front design follows up on the G2 and has a 3.3 mm narrow bezel, making it very close to edge-to-edge in appearance.

The 13 Mp camera at the back is capable of 4K video and has inbuilt Optical Image Stabilization carried again from younger brother the G2. While others are using many ways to promote selfies, the G Pro 2 has a flash for selfie mode, often seen on phones a couple of years back, also a prevalent Mac feature when using photo booth.

Funnily enough the phone will not sport 4G capabilities and will only have 3G/HSPA+ Network capability.  Other specs include 

• A Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.26 GHz Quad-Core) GPU: Qualcomm Technologies Chipset
• 16 GB/32 GB e MMC ROM, 3GB LPDDR3 RAM
• 5.9 inch Full HD IPS(1920×1080), Slim Bezel
• 13 MP OIS+ (Rear), 2.1 MP (Front) Camera
• 3,200 mAh removable Battery
• Bluetooth Smart Ready (BT4.0) USB, Wi-Fi, NFC and SlimPort
• Android 4.4 KitKat OS
• 157.9×81.9×8.3 mm Size
• White and Titan Black colours available
• A microSD Slot expandable upto 64GB

LG had announced the G Pro 2 at the MWC 2014 held in Barcelona earlier this year, the handset meant to be a bigger brother of the G2, has added a few features like 4K video capture Android 4.4. KitKat out of the box and more.

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OnePlus Launches the One Starting US$ 299

OnePlus plans to “kill the flagship” market with their new One smartphone. The handset is a top tier flagship with high end specs, and a price that will compete with midrange products.

Specs feature the all new Snapdragon 801 Processor, a big 5.5” 1080p Display and a 3100mAh battery.

By paying attention to the smallest details, taking a holistic approach to product design, and working with the best partners such as Cyanogen Inc. and Qualcomm Technologies, we have been able to create the greatest day to day user experience in a smartphone without compromise. : Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus.

Debuting with the One is the all new CyanogenMod 11S, a special release designed specifically to work with the hardware of the new handset. Android 4.4 KitKat comes out of the box, along with 4k video capture.

A Sony Exmor IMX214 13 megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and dual LED flash with 6 physical lenses and a 5 Megapixel – Distortion free for the front.

The handset will be available in two variants, 16GB Silk White for $299/€269 and in 64GB Sandstone Black for $349/€299.

ONEPLUS ONE SPECIFICATIONS

Color	Silk White/Sandstone Black
Dimensions	152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight	5.71 ounces (162g)
Operating System	CyanogenMod 11S based on Android 4.4
CPU	Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 801 processor with 2.5GHz Quad-core CPUs
GPU	Adreno 330, 578MHz
RAM	3 GB LP-DDR3 @1866MHz
Storage	16/64 GB eMMC 5.0, available capacity varies
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity and Ambient Light
Battery Capacity	Embedded rechargeable 3100 mAh LiPo battery

Display

Size	5.5 inch JDI
Resolution	1080p Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 401 PPI
Type	LTPS IPS with TOL
Protection	Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3

Cameras

Sensor	13 Megapixel – Sony Exmor IMX 214
Lenses	6 lenses to avoid distortion and color aberration
Flash	Dual-LED
Aperture	f/2.0
Front Camera	5 Megapixel – Distortion free
Video	4K resolution video with stereo recordingSlow Motion: 720p video at 120fps

Connectivity

Frequencies

GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHzWCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/8

LTE: Bands: 1/3/4/7/17/38/40Wi-FiDual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 b/g/n/acBluetoothBluetooth 4.1NFC65T (software card emulation, payment methods and multi-tag support)PositioningInternal GPS antenna + GLONASSDigital Compass

Audio

Speakers	Built-in Stereo Speakers
Microphones	Tri-microphone with noise cancellation

Ports, Slots, Buttons and Indicators

Ports	Data & Charging: Micro USB 2.0Audio: Jack 3.5mm
Buttons	Power ButtonVolume Rockers

Capacitive / On-screen buttonsSIM1 slot – Micro SIMIndicators1 LED notification light (multicolored)

Multimedia

Audio supported formats:	Playback: MP3, AAC, AMR, OGG, M4A, MID, WMA, FLAC, APE, AAC, WAVRecording: AAC, M4A
Video supported formats:	Playback: MP4, H.263, H.264, RMBB, FLV720PRecording: MP4
Image supported formats:	Playback: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMPOutput: JPEG, RAW

In the Box

1x OnePlus One

1x Wall Charger

1x USB Cable

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