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3 Note-Taking Alternatives to Evernote You May Have Never Heard About!

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Evernote is great, do not take me wrong, it is functional, convenient, supports the newest generations of iPads/iPhones but I simply don’t like its interface. Luckily, there are so many good note-taking applications for iOS devices in the AppStore. Not of them are awesome, to be honest, but I chose 3 apps that are really worth of attention and few bucks to spend. These tools can be very useful and you will understand why when you read my reviews.

Safe Note: iPhone note-taking has never been easier and safer!
Price in the AppStore: $ 1.99

If you need, like me, to store a lot of important memos and notes in a protected way you should definitely try this awesome app that is available in the AppStore in 2 versions – free with limited functions and the paid complete one. Safe Note can protect all your notes (just use a hard-to-crack password), it is pretty customizable if you need to use diverse colors and fonts and also provides its users with the ability to email notes directly from the app with prior autosaving.

My verdict: if you need a good application for taking notes, protecting and sharing them, Safe Note with its user-friendly interface (look at screenshots), Retina support and backup autosaving is exactly what you need! Plus it looks pretty awesome with all its notes accessible with one tap.

PhatNotes: for hardcore note-takers with huge demands!
Price in the AppStore: $ 1.99

PhatNotes is used to be my favorite app for synchronizing notes with PC until it became too pricy – almost ten bucks for 1 download seemed too much for a note-taking app even if it is pretty good. Luckily, the developer Stan Miasnikov made it more affordable by reducing its price to 2 bucks.

What can you do by means of this nifty and smart application? First and foremost, taking notes became easier as well as the organization of notes in groups and folders for quicker search of the most important memos or to-do lists for shopping. Just scribble a note on your iPhone/iPad’s screen and this smart app will automatically OCR in order to let you edit it as you like. A small tip: even if you scribble the curse “f-word” this tool will print it as well as other words. No censorship at all!

However, the most important feature of PhatNotes is its ability to synchronize all stored notes with Windows desktop client.

BTW, if you tried WritePad or this application (the same developer) you know that they both have one of the best handwriting recognition options I have ever seen.

My verdict: the best note-taking app for people with a lame handwriting (like me) and for synchronizing notes with PC.

Sundry Notes – more than just another run-of-the-mill note-taking iOS app!
Price in the AppStore: $ 2.99

If run-of-the-mill taking notes option is not enough for you try Sundry notes that is a highly customizable application allowing adding to your scrawls some text, drawings, search results and PDF files, etc – in such way fulfilling the options of few different apps in one simple tool. It also supports the ability of opening multiple notes at once.

I use this app all the time when I need to print a funny handwritten card for my friends or family (the app supports AirPrint as well) or when I want to add to my memos at work some Google search results.

You will certainly love this application for its synchronization with the numerous online services like DropBox, Facebook, Google Docs, to name few.

My verdict: a good app for taking notes, customizing them with images and links (it works perfectly for left-handed people as well) and for chatting with other users via Wi-Fi connection.
What iPhone/iPad note-taking applications you use?

I know that many users like Evernote and standard Notes but I think the apps I reviewed are also pretty helpful if you are a hardcore note-taking fan as me. I’m pretty sure you have your own variants of decent applications for making notes to offer. If you have few spare minutes, feel free to share with the rest of us your favorites or leave comments what you think about Safe Note, Sundry Notes and PhatNotes.

Read more:
What to do if your iPhone is lost or stolen- http://www.softwarewithstyle.com/guides/5
How to update iTunes – http://www.softwarewithstyle.com/question/show/id/30
10 Safety Precautions You Should Take Before Giving Your Child an iPhone – http://www.softwarewithstyle.com/guides/13


Problems with the Apple iPhone 4S

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It seems like whenever a new mobile phone is released for the first time, there are often kinks that must be worked out of the device. No matter how many tests the product undergoes before being released, there are going to be things wrong with it once the general public has access from retailers like Dial a phone. One phone that seems to be having some common issues among users is the latest version of the Apple iPhone: the 4S.

While Apple extolled the virtues of the iPhone 4S’s battery; that it would offer customers a long life with up to eight hours of talk time, the actual users have reported an entirely different story. It ended up that the latest version of the iPhone was much more energy hungry than its predecessor, the iPhone 4. With that being said, the improvements to the design of the new iPhone were not significant enough to provide the needed power. This doesn’t account for usage other than calling such as browsing the internet, watching videos or listening to music, which drains the battery even faster.

One new aspect of the iPhone 4S has been the addition of an artificial intelligence known as Siri. While the Apple iPhone 4S was designed for global markets, it appears that Siri only works to her full potential when used in the United States. Built-in features will work quite well anywhere. However, the functions that rely on locations will not. Even Canada, America’s neighbor to the north, was having major issues with Siri. Also another criticism of Siri is its voice recognition. Siri has a difficult time discerning the speech of people who have heavy accents. Currently, it can only understand three languages: English, French and German – although some English speaking locales like Scotland are finding that Siri simply cannot understand their thick accents. More languages are coming in the future.


DDR4 to Revolutionise Computer Memory Technology

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A significant boost in memory performance and capacity is what all hardware or software user would look for whenever an update is released. The launch of DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) RAM is reported to enhance the performance of tablet, server, consumer devices and data centres. We can hence look forward to a major revolution happening in all including mobile devices. The following article talks exactly about this in brief.

DDR4 memory
Though both Micron and Samsung have announced about the development of DDR4 memory, Samsung was the first to declare in January 2011 about the development of 4 Gb DDR4 DRAM module and also had started shipping their 2 Gb DDR4 DRAM module by the end of 2010.

Micron announced earlier this month (May 2012) about the release of DDR4 memory product. This 4gigabit x8 DDR4 memory is said to be developed along with Nanya, a Taiwanese partner. It has also announced that higher versions such as x16 and x32 DDR4 memory will be built in the future.

What’s new in DDR4 memory?

Unlike the current design where there are multiple shared channels to connect memory units with CPU’s memory controller, DDR4 memory has its own point-to-point connection. It will not only reduce voltage level but also the overall power requirement.

IHS iSuppli analysts say that the successor of DDR3 RAM will help in the reduction of power consumption by 20% to 40%. Increase in the amount of memory and also its bandwidth is believed to create a huge difference particularly in its performance.

The price of DDR4 memory directly depends upon new advancements made such as additional memory connections and high speed digital switches applied to reduce the number of direct memory channels that are used to connect CPU’s memory controller. Another factor is that the memory chip has to be densely designed to fit in all point-to-point connections. And lastly, Samsung and Micron is to manufacture DDR4 memory with 30 nanometer technology which is something more than what is used currently applied in CPUs. All these factors put together will make the production of this new technology slightly an expensive one. However, tight competition prevailing between the two companies is likely to reduce its cost to a maximum extent.

Future of DDR4 memory

  • According to Mike Howard, an analyst with IHS iSuppli, DDR4 will be used by Intel in 2014 mainly in their server as it needs greater bandwidth and lower power consumption. It is however thought that this new DDR4 memory will be implemented in computing devices also apart from the servers.
  • The future of DDR4 memory seems to be strong as reports state that both Samsung and Micron are planning to bring in memory modules that would support DDR4 memory. With this, Samsung is expected to reduce as much as 40% of its total power consumption. Hence, both these companies will be using just 30nm circuitry to build their products. The speed of DDR4 memory will be 3.2Gbps when compared to the speed of DDR2 with 800Gbps and DDR3’s memory of 16Gbps.
  • Yet another advantage of DDR4 memory is to have more density and also more stacks to arrange 8 chips one on top of the other, unlike DDR3 that has just four chips.
  • The introduction of DDR4 memory not only focuses on reducing the power usage but also in increasing the performance of devices where it is used. Power consumption by processors was not considered as a major issue as it was the only component consuming maximum power in computing devices. But, reduction in power consumption is sure to help in the long run of battery life.
  • Improvements have been made to I/O signalling to save power. The use of ‘open drain’ driver will reduce power consumption as the I/O will use power only to write zero and not a one unlike other DDR memories that use power to write zero and one.
  • Another feature would be the reduction in number of refreshes. Unlike DDR3 memories that refresh often to cool it whenever the device got heated up, DDR4 memory cools off whenever mobile devices such as tablets and laptops slipped to sleep mode.
  • Based on the preliminary specs, DDR4 memory will have improved data transfer rates when compared to DDR3 memory. However, the initial transfer speeds of DDR4 unit will be 2.4 billion memory transfers per second and will be gradually increased to 3.2 giga transfers per second. Samsung has also announced that its DDR4 memory will give a throughput of 2.113 gigabits per second.
  • And, last but not the least. DDR4 memory can be optimised for server usage alone and this would be more advantageous for the server industry.

This new computer memory technology is likely to break all barriers if successfully designed to fit in servers as cloud computing services have become a successful one. It is expected that by 2015, DDR4 memory will conquer more than half of the memory market and, at this point of time device performance would be at its peak. A load of thanks to the technology!

Author Bio:

Bini, a writer by profession finds interest in technical stuff and innovations happening in varied industries. She writes for several sites including http://broadbandsuppliers.co.uk/ and http://freeinuk.co.uk/.


Pay Monthly Contracts vs Pay as You Go

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When it comes to picking a perfect phone deal, you could go either way; pay monthly contracts or pay as you go. There are advantages and disadvantages to both sides.

Pay as you go is great if you hate the thought of being tied down to a 12 month, 18 month or 24 month contract. The amount you choose to top up can be however much you like, which brings the advantage of controlling your phone usage. You will never get a bill so this is one less thing to worry about at the end of the month. There is no credit check either with pay as you go. If you’re happy with a simple handset, or the current one you already have then simply pop the SIM straight in and it’s ready to use.

If you realise you are using the phone on a regular basis there can be disadvantages. Continuous top-ups can be troublesome and expensive. You will also pay a more for calls using a pay as you go mobile. Another problem with top-ups is you may find yourself in the middle of an important phone call and then suddenly run out of credit. When it comes to better deals you will need to look at contract phones.

With pay monthly contracts there is a wider range of handsets to choose from, so if you are interested in the newest phone then a monthly contract may be a cheaper way of getting your hands on it. You’ll get a lot more call time and text messages from too, as different deals that can provide unlimited minutes, data and messaging, Modern handsets now have Internet facilities, so data allowance is often provided in contract deals, this can range from 100mb to unlimited data usage.

Prices for contracts vary with the length of time you choose to take one out. Some networks offer to lower the price of your contract after the first 6 months or year, but this also means your minutes, messaging or data allowance are likely to decrease. The disadvantages are that you’ll be tied down to a monthly contract for up to a year or two, depending on the contract length you pick. If you go over your set minutes, messaging or data allowance the bill can be high in addition to what you already have to pay each month. If you experience poor customer service or coverage you may want to switch providers, but often you can’t do this without paying a large cancellation fee.

It is a smart idea to take all this in to account in order to make the right choice. Always go with the mobile phone deals that would benefit you the best.


Usenet – Dinosaur of Information-Exchange!

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Dinosaur

What is Usenet in general?

In 1979 Usenet was developed by two students looking for a new way to communicate faster. That makes Usenet older than the World Wide Web and the prequel of the Internet! We are talking about a worldwide network of servers where members download and post messages and files to more than 100,000 themed discussion groups called “newsgroups”. Today you can access Usenet via commercial providers which enable you to connect through multi-gigabit Internet connections letting you download as fast as your Internet connection will allow. So yes – actually use the internet the newer technology to access Usenet the prequel.

The reason why people are getting attracted to Usenet is that what they say is not censored like internet and one can get all information available on this platform through a single click. Another attractive feature of Usenet is that it is totally free and anyone anywhere can get access to this platform. Usenet is safe as there are no advertisements and viruses. It is fast and always available. Download speeds at Usenet are extremely fast and most times your personal internet connection will be not fast enough to hit the Usenet download limit.

About the provider Usenet.nl in detail:

With the Usenet-provider usenet.nl being one of the most popular platforms for file-exchange and the possibility of sharing information, their newsreader-software makes downloading easier than ever, search and get the data with only one click. Fast, reliable and safe Usenet.nl can be tested for free on their website. Try it out and simply download more than 300 GB for free with the test-account. If you are interested, you can get a free Usenet trial period of 14 days to get access to Usenet through Usenet.nl. Every feature is free to use during this period and you can familiarize with Usent.nl or you can cancel the free trial at anytime during the trial period. The user gets the facility to download 300 GB + 5 GB of data free of cost these days.

Personally I really liked usenet.nl and enjoyed using it. Just give it a shot! You won’t be disappointed – I promise ;-)!


Gifts for Men

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gift for men

Buying gifts for the opposite sex or even for the same sex can be an awkward and stressful process for those unsure how to express their affection for the recipient. Buying gifts is about having the confidence to express yourself and skilfully judge what the recipient values as hobbies or interests. Fortunately, in the modern era, we have the internet to assist us in purchasing the perfect gift.

Gifts for men have often included a generic set of basic ideas such as beer, films or cd’s. These are all good examples of presents but they can appear a tad like a token effort if not carefully chosen. A more personalised gift can represent a far more thoughtful present and will often be more appreciated.

For ideas regarding gifts for men, the modern present buyer should use the internet for inspiration. Sites like gettingpersonal.co.uk are ideal resources and have an abundance of original and thoughtful ideas including things as obscure as flying lessons, to the excitement of driving days, and the romance of city breaks.

All budgets and tastes are catered for on gettingpersonal.co.uk and you can use selection criteria such as ‘best-selling’ and ‘price (low to high or high to low)’ to narrow down the best gift for men options.

Personalising a gift is always a good idea to give the impression of a gift uniquely tailored for the recipient. Personalised birthday cards and cakes are a good starting point, giving the bare essentials – cake and card – an added significance. A cake and card can often feel impersonal and routine but personalisation adds a large element of thoughtfulness.

Gifts for men have never been so exciting now that the internet can assist us in arranging all of sorts of adventures, and if your budget doesn’t stretch that far we shouldn’t forget the value of a well-considered trinket or keepsake.


Kid Icarus: Uprising on the Nintendo 3DS

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Kid Icarus: Uprising

After 25 years, the high-flying adventure is back this spring as Kid Icarus makes a welcome return to all Nintendo 3DS game players with a variety of new modes and features.

Up, up and away to adventure

Charged with conquering the evil Medusa, Queen of the Underworld, our heroic angel Pit – with the help of Palutena, goddess of light and guardian of the human race – will battle the forces of darkness in the air and on land. His angelic wings will allow him to soar gracefully through the skies, but he’ll need much more to defeat Medusa’s Underworld Army.

A host of adaptable weaponry

When it comes to weapons, gamers have a whole arsenal to call upon, from Divine Bows to Shot Claws. Each has their own unique characteristics to help guard you in different ways along your quest – and with nine categories of weapon available, there is plenty of different gameplay to keep you coming back for more. Combinations of weapons and powers can also be set to create more powerful weapons that retain some of the key benefits of each, giving a more customisable style to your play. There are also vehicles available to Pit that will make certain parts of his adventure that bit easier and more thrilling.

Kid Icarus: Uprising on the Nintendo 3DS

A new way to fly

This unique gameplay is enhanced by a fantastic new control scheme designed to fit the unique blend of flight, shooting and melee combat within the game and make the most of the qualities of the Nintendo 3DS system. Tremendous precision, speed and depth can be achieved by using the Circle Pad Pro. The game even comes with a free stand to hold your Nintendo 3DS console at an angle above any flat surface.

A customisable gaming experience

Kid Icarus: Uprising is also designed to offer players incredible new ways to customise their gaming experience. With The Fiend’s Cauldron, you can adjust the intensity of the game from 0.0 to 9.0 upon each individual chapter, with enemies becoming more aggressive and powerful according to the level you set. In Light vs. Dark mode, you can team up with other players or face up to two other teams of three, with the ultimate goal of emptying the opposing team’s health meter. You can also play in Free-for-All mode, where up to six players (including CPU players) can compete in a winner-takes-all match based on high scores and play wirelessly with others through Match Set-up.

Even more from your Nintendo 3DS

With other fantastic features on the Nintendo 3DS console like StreetPass gamers can share weapons and create fused items via Weapon Gems, there is no end to the amount of fun to be had with Kid Icarus: Uprising. So with that in mind, why not reserve your copy now and take to the skies for thrills, spills and mystical handheld adventure?


Cost-Effective Home Security Gadgets

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home security

If you’ve spent any time at all looking into home security systems, you know that they’re not cheap. Sure, some companies will let you get started with their system for $100 or less, but then you’re locked into a multi-year contract with monthly payments totaling in the thousands of dollars.

The good news is that there are plenty of inexpensive home security gadgets and devices you can get today that will help you make your home a safer place:

  • Wireless home security cameras. You can walk into just about any big-box retail, electronics, or home improvement store and walk out with a wireless home security camera. You can buy a whole system with three or four cameras, a DVR to record video, and more for $200 or less. If you want to go even less expensive, you can buy a single wireless camera that will send video feed to your computer for about $50 or less.
  • Motion sensitive lighting. One of the best theft deterrents is simply good lighting. There’s a reason most burglaries happen at night; burglars don’t want to be seen. A bright halogen yard light that includes motion sensing technology can run under $50. Best of all, today’s motion sensitive lights are much more astute at telling the difference between a burglar and an alley cat, so you’ll have many fewer false activations.
  • Door wedge alarms. These alarms are great for using when you’re traveling, or if you live in an apartment or dorm room. This wedge slips right under the edge of the door. When the door opens, it pushes the pressure plate down and sends an alarm signal. This type of alarm will cost you less than $20.
  • Fake cameras. There are some experts who debate the effectiveness of “fake” security measures like cameras or home security signs, but in some cases they’re just enough of a deterrent to get the burglar to move on down the road. Fake home security cameras can be had for as little as $6.
  • Contact alarms. Magnet-based contact alarms can let you know when a door or window has been opened. When that happens, the alarms will emit a loud noise, often scaring off intruders. Some contact alarms can cost as little as $10 for a four-pack, while others may run around $20 apiece.
  • Personal alarms. The last line of home security defense is protecting your own person. These alarms typically attach to a keychain, and can be activated with the press of a button or the flip of a switch. You might instead choose a personal protection device, such as a spray can of mace or something similar. Personal protection alarms and devices start at around $5, and can cost as much as $50 for the highest-quality pepper spray devices.

    Protecting your home and your family doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. Check out some of these inexpensive home security gadgets today, and increase your home security without having to empty your bank account.

Madison Parker is a security expert whose interests range from personal to home security systems. Get more tips and advice on the blog Home Security Systems!


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Android Jelly Bean

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Android Jelly Beans

For a long time, the world waited with bated breath for the release of the current Android Operating System, Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich as it is also known as. This even finally occurred in October of 2011 when the operating system was first released on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, a phone specifically designed to use the new operating system. Now that this release has passed, many are now setting their sites on another version of Android that will be the future of the operating system.

This new version of Android will be known as Android 5.0 and in keeping with the trend of sugary snacks, Jelly Bean. Since it is still early in the development process, little is known exactly about the Jelly Bean operating system. However, there is some speculation regarding the new operating system upgrade.

One change that is likely to occur with Android Jelly Bean is that Chrome will probably become the main internet browser on all mobile phones using the Android Jelly Bean operating system. This will be quite a change as it will provide the same quality internet browser as we are accustomed to on our personal computers.

Current trends in mobile phone design are featuring bigger and bigger screens to perform more functions similar to a computer. In many situations, these larger phones that use Android Jelly Bean can be turned to landscape mode and used must like a tablet.

Another trend in mobile phone design that Android Jelly Bean is likely to capitalize on is the dual and quad core processors. Android Jelly Bean is expected to harness the power of these processors and offer users a faster experience. This also means more strain will be put on the phone’s battery with this faster speed. Therefore, Android will need to be designed to use the battery power in a much more efficient manner to prevent quick draining.

If you are wanting to see what the current android phones are on the market visit Dial-a-phone. They have all the latest models and are offering really good rates.


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Cool Safety Facts about Your Fridge-Freezer

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Your fridge may be tidy and organised, but is it working to keep your kitchen safe? Do you know where certain foods should be stored for maximum shelf life and how to make sure your family’s health is protected? Whether you’re storing food in the refrigerator or the freezer, there are plenty of ways to combat food-born illnesses such as Salmonella and E. coli. A Hotpoint fridge offers state-of-the-art features – including antibacterial protection and fast-freeze compartments – and by making sure you keep foods chilled at the proper temperature, you can eliminate the spread of harmful bacteria in your home.

Keep refrigerated food in tip-top condition

As bacteria can multiply rapidly in foods left at room temperature, always leave food to marinate in the refrigerator. If you’re planning to use marinating liquid as a sauce, make sure you bring it to a rapid boil first.

Clean the refrigerator regularly and wipe any spills immediately. Drips from thawing meat can easily spread bacteria from one food to another, so make sure you keep your fridge as clean as possible to reduce the growth of harmful germs.

Keep foods covered. Store refrigerated foods in covered containers or sealed bags, and check leftovers daily for spoilage. Store eggs in their carton in the refrigerator itself rather than on the door, where the temperature is warmer and can cause them to go off prematurely.
Check expiration dates. If food is past its “use by” date, discard it. If you’re not sure or if it looks questionable, throw it out. It really is better to be safe than sorry.

Store all raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood products on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Leave them in their original packaging and wrap them in a plastic bag to prevent any leaking juices dripping onto other foods.
Store fruit and vegetables separately. Vegetables should be stored in the warmest part of the refrigerator (the bottom drawers), as they require a temperature of about 10°C to maintain optimum freshness.  

Make the most of your freezer’s potential 

Food that is properly cooked and frozen is safe, and whilst freezing does not kill most bacteria, it does stop it from growing and spreading. Freezing does not reduce nutrients in a food and there is little change in a food’s protein value whilst it remains in your freezer.
Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer it stays in the freezer. Tenderness, flavour, aroma, juiciness, and colour can all be affected, so make sure you consume the contents of your freezer within a reasonable time period.
When cooking commercially frozen foods straight from the freezer, make sure you follow the instructions on the package to ensure that they are cooked safely and thoroughly.

Freezer burn is a food quality issue and does not mean that food is unsafe. Appearing as greyish-brown leathery spots on frozen food, it can occur when food is not securely wrapped in airtight packaging. Ensure that leftovers are stored in tight containers to minimise spoiling.