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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Top 5 Tech This Week

Every week the Technology world shows us the reason why we love tech so much. In this ever changing tech world , its almost impossible to stay on top of things. However here is the tech thats worth notice this week.

1. LYTRO ILLUM

When Lytro first introduced their light field camera, it looked and worked like a toy.This time around the company has taken a more serious approach to design and optics, also adding better materials and larger sensors. New software and a new way to click pictures lets users think of Lytro Illum as a more usable camera. Or so the company claims anyway. The Illum is currently on Pre-Order for US $ 1599.

2. THE HTC ONE M8

The HTC One M8 has been launched in India, at a price of Rs. 49,900, an impressive price for an impressive handset. The Qualcom Snapdragon 801 powered HTC One M8is not only snappy on the inside its beautiful on the outside. The HTC One M8 brings Lytro’s tech seen in the camera above into a more usable day to day scenario. The HTC One M8 has a dual camera setup that lets users refocus images, after the fact.

3. THE GL 63 AMG

As far as vehicles go the new GL 63 AMG takes the centre stage. Announced to be made available in India for a whopping Rs. 1.66 Crore as the starting price, the new GL 63  5.5-litre V8 BITURBO engine, which develops a peak output of 410 kW along with a torque of 760 Nm. Pure Power Anyone?

4. THE LG CURVED TV 55EA9800

Its a massive 55 inch TV with an OLED display that is not only curved but also bendable. Costs are upwards of 6 Lakh, but for those looking to set a trend this might just fit in beautifully in your manor. The 1920 x 1080p display is Fully 3D compliant and comes with a Motion eye camera, an Air Mouse capable Remote and 4 3D Glasses.

5. BUDGET : MICROMAX CANVAS DOODLE 3

The last spot in this series is taken by Micromax’s new budget entrant. A dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) “phablet” (for lack of a better call sign), the Canvas Doodle 3 is powered by a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek (MT6572) processor alongside 512MB of RAM. Runs on Android 4.2 and features a 5 Mp + VGA camera setup. What makes it really exciting is the 6 inch 480×854 pixel display and a price tag of Rs. 8200.

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Top 4 Places To Buy Cool Cases Online

Nothing feels worse than when our phone/laptop/tablet slips out of our fingers and crashes face down. It takes a few seconds to shake it around, jab a few buttons, before you realize that its still alive and kicking. However in those few seconds, the life of the gadget flashes before our eyes. The thought of surviving for a few hours without emails, pictures, memos and all the contacts!

Sorry to state the obvious – we have deep love and respect for the gadgets in our life. To avoid scratches, bumps and other possible mishaps, we choose to wrap them up stylishly. Here is our list of favourite sites to shop from:

COCAINE

Other than its bold name, what fascinates us about the store is the beautiful way their products were showcased.  Through the years, there are certain interior tricks retailers have developed to influence customers and increase sales. Cocaine is using them online. Don’t think we’re complaining. They’ve set up a sleek website, which makes the experience of browsing far better than any other. They have a carefully curated collection of the hippest cases; edgier than the rest.

DAILY OBJECTS

Their USP is giving shoppers an option to customize designs for their cases. You can dabble around with colour, images and text. Daily Objects seems pretty confident about their quality – they offer a ‘one year manufacturing defect and print’ warranty. If the printing wears off within a year, they promise to replace it. Considering the everyday wear and tear of our phones, that sounds like an amazing offer. This website attempts to “cover” it all.  Other than fun phone cases, their extensive collection includes screen guards, car chargers, car phone holder, portable chargers and other tech accessories.

MAALGADI

It’s a one-stop online shop for cases by kitschy Indian brands. Chumbak, Happily Unmarried, Pink Jalebi and more, under one digital umbrella.  Each of their products celebrate desi-ness with a sense of humour. Maalgadi aims to provide a platform to young upcoming designers, so watch their Facebook page for frequent updates.  They also sell coasters, beer mugs, shot glasses, key chains, dresses, fridge magnets, boxers and bags.

LOVE 4 APPLE

This one caters to Apple loyalists. Love 4 Apple offers a large variety - from simple simple clean cases to original intricate designs. The tab dedicated to cases designed by artists features a varied selection. From doodles of a 12th grader to ones inspired by works of Vincent Van Gogh. Other than the covers, they have a vast collection of accessories. Docking station, external batteries, printers, docks, cables –  basically anything and everything that can support your Apple device.

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HTC One M8 vs the Galaxy S5 vs the Xperia Z2 vs iPhone 5s

With the HTC One M8 officially announced, the list of flagship devices for many companies is now complete. The HTC One M8 sees only a few changes vs the previous generation and a lot of difference between the two main competition for this year the Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2. 

The HTC One M8 misses out on few things that the company could have simply added. 4K video recording is one thing that HTC should not have left out on, the other being a fingerprint sensor. The HTC One Max had it and naturally the M8 should have had it as well.

The HTC One M8 also misses out on being a water resistant device like the Z2 and now the S5. check out the full breakup of differences below

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Nokia’s Refocus App comes to all Lumia Phones on WP8

Nokia Lumia phone running Windows Phone 8? Its time to hit the App store and download the Nokia Refocus app. The app was earlier thought to be reliant on the Pure View Camera tech. But it appears that Nokia has made the App available to all.

How the picture can be refocused is reliant on the apps ability to scan the area, a Focus Sweep while you hold the camera steady. The phone camera and app will then capture multiple images at various focal lengths and combine into one dynamic image which can then be refocused later. Sort of like the Lytro camera.

In other news it looks like the new HTC One (aka M8) will also have this functionality inbuilt.

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WhatsApp’s VOIP functionality for iOS Leaked in a Screenshot

During WhatsApp’s recent Facebook acquisition, CEO Jan Koum hinted that WhatsApp may get voice call functionality by the summer. This new leaked screenshot of the App’s upcoming update for iOS shows off those supposed calling capabilities, designed to work along with iOS 7′s design layout.

The camera button on the top also hints at video call functionality. WhatApp will allow free voice calls and video calls with your friends on your WhatsApp list over Wifi and Cellular.

It is also rumored that this functionality comes via Skype or using Skype’s voip technology as Facebook currently integrates Skype calling within its chat windows.

With this feature WhatsApp may become the single point of social networking that everyone has been looking for. Now if only they could work out their battery drain.

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Moto X is Now Available in India, Starts at 23,999 INR

Ok Google Now- Where is my Moto X? The famous always aware smartphone has been launched in India in partnership with Flipkart. The sale of the Moto X has begun at a starting price of Rs. 23,999.

Motorola probably has no plans to bring the 32 GB variant in the Indian market, for now the 16 GB variant is available in Black and White and can even be delivered using “in a day delivery”. 

Other color options which include Red, Blue and Turquoise are on Pre-order and are estimated to be available by the second week of April. The higher price variants include the wood back Moto X in either Walnut or Teak finish. And Unlike the US we only get two pre made Back Finishes for a price of Rs. 25,999. 

The wood back Moto X will also be sold along with the other color options, which is by the second week of April. alongside the Moto X itself, Flipkart has also introduced three new launch day offers, which include 70% discount on accessories, Rs. 1000 cash back when the handset is bought with a 6 months EMI option and 10 lucky people will get 100% cash back.

Flipkart has said that the Moto X is available in limited quantity, and they expect the units to sell out really soon, Stating similarities to what happened with the Moto G.

Moto X features a 4.7 inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The device is powered by a 1.7 GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960Pro Snapdragon processor coupled with a  2 GB of RAM.  The device comes with a 16 GB of inbuilt storage which is not expandable.  

Moto X sports a 10 MP rear camera with a LED flashlight and a  2 MP secondary front-facing camera. Moto X is expected to be available with Android 4.4.2 out of the box.  Hit the source link below to get your hands on one now.

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