How to fix iPhone screen lock freeze

Some users have been reporting iPhone is freezing in lock screen  after upgrading to iOS 7.1. If you're one of them, we have a quick fix for you that should get you back up and running in no time.

The issue manifested for a subset of users as soon as they rebooted after the upgrade, with the passcode screen and iPhone is getting stuck

If you aren't experiencing this problem, there's no need to go through these steps.

To fix this, all you have to do is reset your keyboard dictionary. I don't know why this works 

Open the Settings app, go to General, and then Reset, which is at the bottom of the General screen.

Settings > General > Reset

Then go to Reset Keyboard Dictionary, which is also at the bottom of the screen. Tap that and you'll be asked to enter your passcode. Note that this will delete any and all custom words you have entered on your keyboard.

Reset Keyboard Dictionary > Enter Passcode

That should do you!

Waze a perfect alternative for your stock map

Recently acquired by Google , Waze is a community-powered mapping and navigation app that gives you real-time traffic information and road alerts. Because it's free, accurate, and feature-packed, it is rightfully considered one of the top apps in its category. But don't think of Waze as a full-fledged alternative to Google Maps. Since the app is primarily designed for use while driving, you won't find any transit or walking directions built in. Also, you won't get 3D buildings or topographic data like you will with Google Maps or Apple Maps, but as we don't do much driving through buildings, we won't count that against Waze. You can use the app without an account, but setting one up does give you more options to contribute to the Waze community.

Maps and traffic
What makes Waze such a powerful app is its rich and constantly updating database of information. Its millions of users who are actively and passively contributing countless data points altogether create accurate maps (in our testing grounds of San Francisco, anyway) that would make any cartographer proud. And of course, the app distills all of this into usable traffic data for you to see on screen. Road closures due to extensive construction are accurately represented, and one-way streets and turn restrictions match their real world analogs. If you find anything out of sorts, it's easy enough to mark a map issue with two or three taps.

As important as mapping accuracy is, Waze's not-so-secret weapon is the accuracy of its traffic and incident data. If Waze says there's a traffic jam on a particular stretch of road, odds are better than good that it's correct.

As you drive along, Waze will periodically notify you via pop-ups of incidents on the road ahead within a preset radius or along your chosen route if a destination has been set. Slow traffic, incidents and accidents, and police presence and speed cameras are among the possible triggers for notifications. That Waze will provide these notifications even if you do not have a destination chosen adds incentive to always have the app running when behind the wheel and on the road; of course, you'll also be doing your part to improve the map and traffic data available to the whole Waze community by doing so.

As you drive along, Waze periodically notifies you of incidents on the road ahead.

Waze will also occasionally display pop-up ads for nearby businesses, but only when the vehicle is stopped, such as when waiting for a red light. We should note that Waze isn't the first navigator to display ads; portable navigation devices have been using this trick for years to subsidize their free traffic data.

Navigation
Where Waze falls a bit flat is its user interface. The maps are easy enough to read, but the app's Menu and Reporting buttons are tiny and tucked into the lower corners of the screen. Tapping them causes pop-up menus to appear with more options and larger buttons, but that still means that the driver is at least three taps and possibly a swipe away from choosing a preset destination, such as home or work.

Inputting a destination that's not already a stored favorite is even more fiddly. That's because Waze's search-based destination entry returns results for input addresses and destination names for six different destination search engines, including Bing, Yellow Pages, Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook Places, and Waze's own business database. If you search for a name, your handset's address book is also searched. That all sounds good and for handheld use -- more choice is good -- but if you just want to do a quick search from behind the wheel, swiping between multiple destination lists gets very tricky, very quickly.

Waze's interface is not particularly attractive. It sometimes puts three or more taps between you and a desired command, which can be frustrating while using in the car.

Fortunately, you won't have to fiddle with your phone's keyboard while driving, because the destination input screen will allow addresses and search terms to be input via voice command with a tap of the microphone button next to the search field. This voice input uses your phone's native voice input system, for example Google Voice typing for the Android version of the app.

There are also voice commands available for such quick functions as "Drive Home" or "Report Heavy Traffic," but this secondary features is disabled by default and is hidden in the settings menu. Once activated, you can trigger Waze's voice-command system by waving a hand in front of the screen or tapping the map with three fingers. Interestingly, this voice command system seems to use a totally different speech recognition system from the search and address input system.

How to get windows phone 8.1 for developers for normal user

It’s finally here. Windows Phone 8.1 is now available to download for those in the Preview for Developers program. Windows Phone 8.1 is the next big version of Windows Phone that introduces new features like voice assistant Cortana, a notification center, automatic app updates, VPN support and much more. Even if you’re not really a developer you can join the Preview for Developers to get Windows Phone 8.1 today. Every handset running Windows Phone 8 in the wild now is capable of the upgrade. Here’s how to get Window Phone 8.1. To get Windows Phone 8.1 today you’re going to need to be a developer. That doesn’t mean you need to actually

understand a single line of code or how it works. Today everyone is a developer, so long as you can follow simple

instructions. 

1. Sign up to be a Windows Phone developer at appstudio.windowsphone.com for free using the Microsoft account associated with your phone. 

2.Get the Preview for Developers app from the Windows Phone Store .

Run the app and sign in with your Microsoft account.

3. Check for updates (Settings > Phone update > Check for updates) and download/install any that are available.

4. You’ll have an update to download and install before Windows Phone 8.1 shows up if you’re downloading thePreview for Developers program for the first time. That’s the abridged version of joining the Preview for Developers program. 

Check out our massive guide to the Preview for Developers program if you have any questions or want to see an expanded version of the instructions above. That’s it. You’re now enjoying Windows Phone 8.1 on your device. This will work on any current handset running

Windows Phone 8. That means devices from the Nokia Lumia 920 to the Samsung ATIV S to the HTC 8X to the

Lumia 1520 and everything in-between will pick it up. Your OEM specific firmware remains untouched.

Flappy Bird May Raise Again

Flappy Bird's creator apparently has steeled himself. After withdrawing the maddeningly frustrating game from app stores earlier this year -- citing death threats, fear it was ruining lives, and angst that translated generally into "I just can't take it any more" -- Dong Nguyen has tweeted that the bird will be back. The game may seem dumb, but the marketing? Brilliant.

The mobile game Flappy Bird seemed dead and buried, but a tweet from its creator suggests it may yet rise from the ashes -- perhaps not quite like the phoenix.In response to a Twitter user asking whether the game would return to Apple's iTunes App Store, Dong Nguyen responded, "Yes. But not soon."Independent Vietnamese developer Nguyen released the game last May after creating it over the space of just a few evenings. It suddenly surged in popularity at the beginning of this year, soaring to the top of both the App Store and Google Play, with many gamers becoming fans of its quirky graphics and simple yet difficult-to-master game play.Nguyen was making as much as US$50,000 in ad revenue from the game every day, he claimed.

20 iPhone and iPad tricks that will help you more productive when using you iPad and iPhone

1 When ending a sentence,

instead of typing a period

and then a space, just tap

the space bar twice, which

does the same thing and is faster. 

2. Find yourself typing a lot of text and numbers? Do you find

switching back and forth to the numeric keypad time consuming?

Press and hold the "123" button and slide up to the character you

want to input then, when you let go, the standard keyboard will

return. 

3. Want to TYPE WITH CAPS LOCK ON? Just double-tap the on-screen

shift key. Tap again to return to lower-case.

 4. In Safari (and Chrome), press and hold down the period key to bring

up a listing of top-level domains such as .com, .net and so on (what

you get is region specific so will vary).

 5. Spend a lot of time looking at your iOS device in low-light? Invert

the screen colors for more comfortable viewing. To do this click Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on Invert Colors. 

6. There are a whole bunch of things you can do if you have earphones that have the remote control, from controlling the

camera to rejecting calls. 

7. iPad only: You can add as many as six icons to the bottom dock (the

default is four) and you can also add folders. Just press and hold any

icon until they jiggle and start rearranging. Press the Home button

when you are done.

 8. Don't want to be hassled by calls or notifications? Click Settings >Do Not Disturb and turn on Manual. 

9. Make text larger (in supported apps) by tapping on Settings > General > Text Size and adjusting it using the slider. 

10. Want to still be able to receive some calls while in Do Not Disturb

mode? Use the Allow Calls From setting to control which of your contacts can get in touch. 

11. What about those urgent calls from people not in your contacts?

You can use the Repeated Call feature to allow a call through if it is

the second one made within three minutes. 

12. You can quickly get to the Camera app from the lock screen by

swiping up the camera icon in the bottom-right corner of the

screen. 

13. You can quickly scroll to the top in most apps by tapping the status

bar at the top of the screen. 

14. Spotlight search has been revamped. Instead of swiping to the left

in iOS6 and earlier, you now swipe down from any home screen for

quick access. 

15. You can now block a caller. To block someone, go to Contacts then select a contact and hit Block this Caller. Users on the blocked list will not be able to call, text or FaceTime you. 

16. Got a lot of typing to do? Pair any Bluetooth keyboard to your

iPhone or iPad to make the job faster. 

17. iPad only: Put the keyboard into 'thumb mode" by pressing and

holding the press the "dock and merge" button in the bottom right-

hand corner and dragging up. Drag down to return the keyboard to

its normal state.

 18. Want to fast-charge a device? Pop it into Airplane Mode (tap Settings turn on Airplane Mode). It will charge much faster. 

19. Want to cache maps for offline use in the Google Maps app? Zoom

in to the area you want and type OK maps into the search bar and hit Search and the map tile will be saved.

 

20. Did you accidentally archive an email? Shake your phone to bring

up the Undo Archive dialogue

Microsoft 8.1 will release on April 14

Microsoft’s extensive presentation at the Build Developer Conference on Wednesday was packed with information, but the company was unwilling to share many firm release dates. Although the launch of Windows Phone 8.1 is expected within the next few weeks, an engineering email published onNeowin reveals that Microsoft plans to have the final software ready to roll out to developers on April 14th.

What appeared to be the “the final feature build” seeded to partners last week was apparently the penultimate release, as the leaked email refers to a “Final Adaptation Kit,” which should be completed by April 8th. The combination of the build and the kit should make up the release that will arrive on Windows Phones later in the month.

The Verge has confirmed this information with its own sources, noting that the final build will be accessible to any Windows Phone 8 device owners with the “Preview for Developers” app installed. While you wait for the update to drop, it’s worth checking out all the new features of Windows Phone 8.1.

Clean up your Android device

Whether you bought your Android device last year -- or last month -- you can benefit from a little spring cleaning.

Files you've downloaded, photos you've taken, as well as data stored by apps, are major contributors to unnecessary clutter on your Android device. By cleaning out a few things, you gain space for new apps, system updates, or maybe a larger portion of your music collection. Here are a few suggestions for taking back your internal and SD card storage:

Downloaded files

Your Android device contains a lot of personal information about you -- maybe even more than anything else you own. How about those work documents that you grabbed from an email, or the photos you saved from that text? These types of files should be relocated to cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

If you're not sure what's lurking in your storage areas -- internal or SD -- a file manager app can be used to explore your data. Some Android devices, like the Samsung Galaxy series, have a file manager app built-in. It's nothing fancy, but it can get the job done.

Not a fan of your stock file manager? Then try ES File Explorer. This app can integrate with cloud solutions such as: Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and many others. Files can even be sent directly to your Windows desktop, if you like. As bonus, check out How to get the most free online storage.

Photos

This is an easy area to regain some storage. Each image, depending on your camera specs, can take approximately 3 MB of space. Several of the cloud services will back up your entire Gallery as you add photos. Unless you need the originals at your disposal, it's time to delete some of them. If you don't have an automatic backup in place, you can also just connect your USB cable and move photos to your computer, or you can send the ones you want to keep to a cloud service individually.

App data clutter

When you install an app, it usually creates a folder that stores information like preference settings, images, or activity logs. However, that's not all that gets stored on your device from apps. For instance, each time you watch a video on Instagram the data is cached (stored) on your device, which allows the video to load quickly if you try to view it again. But how many times are you going to watch the same video (unless it's ridiculously funny or cute)? Bottom line: you can clean out this space and even schedule it to be cleaned up regularly on your device.

• 1Tap Cleaner offers a widget to clear all cached files at once. With this app, you can see how much each app is storing in the cache, and you can clear your call and text logs. Additionally, you can uninstall apps without needing to use the Google Play Store.

• Clean Master helps you delete cached files, along with miscellaneous files that are larger than 10 MB. The Memory Boost option closes apps you're not using that are still running in the background.

World Leaders Around The Globe Use These Smartphones

1. US

Despite objections from the secret service, Obama held on to his beloved Blackberry from his pre-office days. Since then, the US President has been permitted a modified Blackberry with enhanced encryption. Only family members and senior White House officials have his personal email address and he once told a group of young people, “I am not allowed, for security reasons, to have an iPhone.”

2. North Korea

Being the leader of a country that has no access to the smartphones produced by major countries and where only 2 million of the total 25 million population uses mobile phones, meant that there was a lot of speculation about Kim Jong-un’s mobile phone use. A photograph of Kim at a national security meeting in January 2013 showed the leader with what appeared to be a HTC handset. According to South Korean media, Kim most likely uses his phone to contact family members and senior officials of the Worker’s party of Korea.

3. France

François Hollande, the French President, has rarely been seen without his iPhone 5. Originally the French head of state was given a Teorem phone that was ultra-secure and had encryption capabilities, but Hollande’s predecessor, Sarkozy, found the phone cumbersome. Hollande’s presidential iPhone, however, is meant for personal use only and the President uses it to stay in touch with his girlfriend, Julie Gayet, via text messages.

4. Russia

Vladmir Putin has famously claimed that he does not have a mobile phone and prefers to receive reports and other information the old-fashioned way – on paper. A documentary showed that the Russian president’s office had a bank of beige telephones that seemed very old-fashioned. The Russian prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, however, is a fan of Apple products and he was one of the first owner of an iPhone 4, given to him by Steve Jobs before the phone has been officially released.

5. Pakistan

The three-time prime minister of Pakistan, has been seen using iPhones and Samsungs. But these phones belong to members of his entourage who act as gatekeepers to their boss. His personal phone, however, is an out-of-style Blackberry Bold. Sharif is a fan of the deteriorating company’s messenger service and uses it to stay in touch with family and close political allies.

6. Germany

Angela Merkel owns two phones, one of which became very famous when it was revealed that it had been monitored by the NSA. The phone in question was a Nokia 6260 Slide, which the chancellor uses for party matters only. The other phone, however, is a Blackberry Z10 fitted with an encryption chip by Secusmart, used for state affairs. The company claims its product to be completely hack-proof and has even marketed the phone as the “Kanzler-Handy” (chancellor’s mobile).

7. Italy

The prime minister, Matteo Renzi, is not only an iPhone user, but also a huge fan of Apple. He used his phone more than just for texting, though. In 2012, when Renzi first campaigned for the leadership of the centre-left Democratic party, which promised to rottamare (demolish) the old leadership, he had a custom case made for his iPhone which had the words “Keep calm and rottama” written on it.

Clock counting on Xp security

As Microsoft prepares to cut off support for Windows XP, hackers are sharpening their knives in anticipation of carving up the operating system's carcass.

Web predators will pounce on XP 10 minutes after Microsoft pulls the support plug on the software, predicted one former military computer specialist and network engineer.

Indeed, it appears that information highwaymen are stockpiling ammunition for a series of assaults on the operating system.

"There are a number of zero-day exploits against Windows XP that have been already discovered but neither reported, nor used in order to be exploited after the support period has ended," Bitdefender reported last week.

"These exploits could stay effective for years, causing damage to the user or company stuck with Windows XP," the report warns. "If, up until now, XP customers had a bad time with malware because they were unable to apply hotfixes [for] different reasons, the situation will become worse as, even if the customers wanted, they would not have any new hotfixes to apply after April 2014."

Feeding Frenzy

Stockpiles of zero day exploits aren't the only vulnerabilities XP users will have to worry about after XP support disappears. Microsoft itself could provide hackers with weapons to attack the OS. That's because each version of Windows shares code and logic from previous versions.

"If you were to find a defect in Windows 8, then that defect probably exists backwards to other Windows versions," Adam Wosotowsky, a messaging data architect with McAfee, told TechNewsWorld.

So clever cybercriminals will be closely studying fixes for supported versions of Windows for clues to XP flaws.

"People can look at those patches and think, 'What were they patching? I bet this same problem exists in XP, but it's not patched because they're no longer patching it,'" Wosotowsky said.

"The security of an operating system drops off a cliff when support ends. It's not that defects exist in the code, it's that they're not getting patched," he noted. "As Microsoft patches recent versions of Windows, it will become a feeding frenzy as hackers use those patches to attack XP."

Microsoft unveiled windows 8.1

Microsoft's keynote address at the Build 2014 conference saw the unveiling of the Windows Phone 8.1and Windows 8.1 Update operating system versions. Windows Phone 8.1 will be arriving in new smartphones as early as late-April and early-May, and rolling out to compatible phones 'in the coming months'. The Windows 8.1 Update will be available for free for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users on 8 April via Windows Update.

The announcements were made by Joe Belfiore VP Windows Phone program management and design, and Terry Myerson EVP operating systems, along with other Microsoft executives.

Windows Phone 8.1

Notably, right at the beginning of the event, Belfiore announced two new hardware partners for the Windows Phone platform - Micromax and Prestigio (Cyprus-based manufacturer) - whose handsets were briefly showcased (seen below).

Belfiore went on to unveil Windows Phone 8.1, a disclosure that unfortunately did not feature too many surprises - with numerous leaks over the past few months already having given us a fair idea of the new features. In fact, we may have seen more credible leaked features over the past few months, than the number of features Microsoft chose to unveil on Wednesday.

The Windows Phone 8.1 Action Center was shown off, the new swipe-down notification and settings pane that can be accessed from nearly anywhere in the OS - very similar of course, to the original implementation Android had pioneered.

(Also see: Nokia Lumia Nokia Lumia 930, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 with Windows Phone 8.1 unveiled)

Also demonstrated, was a bevy of lock screen personalisation features, coupled with APIs for developers to create widgets and themes for it - from aesthetic to functional. WP8.1 users will also have the ability to change the background for the Start screen. The update lets users to decide whether they want the additional, third resizable Live Tiles column on their Start screen.

After the numerous leaks, it already feels like we know her already. We're talking about Cortana, the voice-based virtual assistant that Microsoft showcased at the event. Introducing it, Belfiore said, "Cortana is the first truly personal digital assistant who learns about me and the things that matter to me most, and knows about the whole Internet." 

The Cortana voice-based virtual assistant follows in Siri and Google Now's footsteps, and completely replaces search in Windows Phone 8.1. Apart from being summoned by the search function, Cortana also gets her own dedicated Live Tile. It will be released in beta mode.

Said to be powered by Bing, Cortana offers the regular range of voice-activated features - such as making calls and notes, sending messages, setting up alarms and calendar entries, performing searches, and all the regular stuff a voice-based virtual assistant should do. Microsoft stresses the ability of Cortana to understand natural language voice commands, and Belfiore gave a few examples.

Notably however, it features third-party app support that allows it to interact with other apps, voice-activating features that developers can integrate into their creations. Microsoft said it has been working with various Cortana-support partners, and revealed a few names in the course of the demos, such as Facebook and Hulu.

Cortana has also been designed to learn more about the user's interests and preferences by asking questions. It integrates these lessons, and delivers suggestions such as which contact to add to your Inner Circle of friends, which restaurant to stop at depending on your location, or giving reminders about sports and entertainment events. 

Microsoft also showcased the enterprise features of Windows Phone 8.1, which will make WP8.1 devices more suitable for businesses to manage. While the company did tout the traditional productivity features of Windows Phone, it also introduced new features that make it more suitable, such as enterprise VPN, s/mime encryption, and overall greater control by system administrators.

Belfiore went on to showcase changes to the Windows Phone Store experience, which is said to be enhanced in Windows Phone 8.1. The app store is now laid out better, with the aim of helping users find and discover apps with greater ease, while helping developers showcase them to users. It now has a featured apps section, provides personalized suggestions, and a whole bunch of new categories and search filters for free, paid and new apps.

Apart from showcasing the Wi-Fi Sense feature we'd seen leaked earlier, and other improvements to Sense apps, Belfiore also revealed 'Shape Writing' or 'Word Flow' for Windows Phone 8.1, which delivers a gesture-based Swype-like onscreen keyboard. Belfiore boasted that a Windows Phone 8.1 beta device was now the new Guinness World Record holder for fastest typing on a smartphone.

Windows 8.1 Update
Microsoft unfortunately did not reveal too many details for the update to Windows 8.1, and also gave it no other name than Windows 8.1 Update - essentially ruling out a Windows 8.1 Update 2. The biggest change is the focus on UI-optimisation for mouse and keyboard users. This includes everything from Modern apps now displaying in the task bar (by pinning), to complete mouse control over apps in the Modern UI interface. The Windows Store UI will also be made mouse-optimised.

Apart from boot/resume straight to desktop, Belfiore ran through a few other features, such as Internet Explorer's Enterprise Mode, the synced Bing-Cortana interests. The biggest reveal however, came after the developer side of the conference had begun, with the introduction of Universal Windows apps.Universal Windows apps can be made by developers using a common code for PC, smartphones and tablets, via an updated Visual Studio 2013 suite. With this feature, Microsoft says it is not expecting developers to code one app that tries to work well on all form factors, but rather, one that is easily adaptable to the various Windows platforms, with the job of porting made easier with the common Windows runtime environment and programming languages used in developing them.Also at the event, was the launch of the Nokia Lumia 930, Lumia 635 and Lumia 630, announced on stage by Stephen Elop.

Samsung launches Galaxy Tab4 series.....

Samsung's much-rumoured Galaxy Tab4 tablet series is now official, and expands the company's overall

Galaxy Tab line-up. The Samsung Galaxy Tab4 series includes three tablets, namely: Galaxy Tab4 7.0,

Galaxy Tab4 8.0 and Galaxy Tab4 10.1. The South Korean manufacturer has not revealed the pricing of the new Galaxy Tab4 series tablets. However, Samsung has confirmed that the new tablet series will be offered globally in Q2 2014 and will be available in Black and White colour variants. Considering that the Galaxy Tab3 tablet is the Samsung's budget tablet

series, we can expect the Galaxy Tab4 series to be priced in mid-range segment. Notably, the Samsung Galaxy Tab4 7.0, Galaxy Tab4 8.0 and Galaxy Tab4 10.1 tablets share many common specifications. They all run Android 4.4 KitKat and are all powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processors

(unspecified chipset), alongside 1.5GB of RAM. Further, the three Galaxy Tab4 tablets sport a 3-megapixel

fixed focus rear cameras and also house a 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras. All three tablets also sport the same WXGA (1280x800 pixel) display resolution, though different screen sizes.

The Galaxy Tab4 7.0, as the name suggests features a 7-inch display; the Galaxy Tab4 8.0 comes with an 8-

inch display, and the Galaxy Tab4 10.1 sports a 10.1-inch display. The Samsung Galaxy Tab4 7.0, Galaxy Tab4 8.0 and Galaxy Tab4 10.1 will be available in Wi-Fi /3G and LTE

options. However, there is no word on voice-calling support via the SIM in the Galaxy Tab4 tablet series. The Galaxy Tab4 7.0 tablet comes in 8GB/16GB inbuilt storage variants, which is further expandable up to

32GB (3G) and 64GB (LTE) with the help of microSD card. The Galaxy Tab4 8.0 and Galaxy Tab4 10.1

tablets, on the other hand, are available in 16GB inbuilt storage variant, which is expandable up to 64GB via

microSD card. The Samsung Galaxy Tab4 10.1 packs a 6800mAh battery, while the Galaxy Tab4 8.0 includes a 4450mAh

battery. Although, there is no word on battery in the Galaxy Tab4 7.0 tablet.

Tips and tricks to speed up your android

You may have noticed over the past few months that your once-speedy Android device has slowed down

considerably. Simple tasks such as switching between apps or returning home are proving more troublesome than

before, and you are now experiencing lag in all the wrong places. Things don't have to be this way, however. These simple tips and tricks can help speed up your device and make it perform like new: 1. 

Uninstall or disable unused apps 

Your device has a limited amount of internal storage and the less free space it has the slower it will perform. If you

have filled your device with photos, music, or apps, it is recommended to free up space by either uninstalling unused

apps or moving files to cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. Uninstalling apps can be done by going to Settings, opening the

Apps menu, and selecting the app you wish to uninstall. Preloaded

applications from carriers or manufacturers that cannot be

uninstalled, known as bloatware, can at least be disabled and

hidden from the app drawer using this method. On smartphones and tablets that include expandable storage you can also move apps to the microSD card. To do this, enter

Settings, go to the Apps menu, click the app you wish to move,

and select the "Move to SD card" option. 

2. Clear app caches 

Cached data can build up over time in your applications and

affect the performance of your device. Deleting individual

caches can be done in the Apps menu, but a number of free

programs are available through the Google Play store that can automate the process . Some of the most popular ones include App Cache Cleaner and Clean Master, both of which are available for free. 

3. Limit widgets and live wallpapers 

Many people would argue that widgets are one of the

benefits of using an Android device. They can be helpful for finding information quickly without having to open an app, but

at the same time they can eat away at battery life and slow

your device. Reducing the number of widgets, especially data-intensive

ones like Facebook, will help your smartphone or tablet run

more smoothly and last longer. You can remove widgets from

the home screen by long-pressing the one you wish to delete

and dragging it to the top of the screen. Another cool Android feature is the option to use a live

wallpaper as your background. Like widgets, however, live

wallpapers can slow down your device and drain the battery.

You can also change your wallpaper with a long press on the

home screen. 

4. Disable animations 

A hidden settings option in Android will give you access to

commands you may have never known existed. Go to

Settings, About Phone, scroll down to Build number, and tap

it seven times. You will now have access to developer

options. These special settings allow you to do a variety of

things, but they are meant for advanced users and shouldn't be changed unless you know what you are doing. One tweak that could speed up your device is disabling

animations within the operating system. To do this, open

Settings, go to Developer options, and scroll down to the Drawing option. Next, turn off the Window animation scale,

Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale. This will disable animations that occur when you open, close,

and switch between apps. Although the interface will look less polished, there should be less lag in performance. 

5. Get software updates 

Manufacturers and carriers are continually pushing out new software updates to their devices. It is imperative that you

be on the latest firmware as these updates usually include security and bug fixes, among other things that will improve

the overall stability of your device. To check to see if there is an update available, go to Settings, select About Phone,

and choose the "System updates" option. 6. Rooting, ROMing, and more Risk takers and advanced users can also root their device , which will open the door to new features and even greater performance boosts. Rooting gives you the ability to overclock the device's processor, install a custom ROM, and

other things; however it also voids your warranty and could cause irreversible damage to the device.

Install Flashplayer on android

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Menu

When Google released its Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system in July of 2012, Flash support on Android powered devices found itself on the cutting room floor, no longer downloadable in the Google Play Store. Convenient for watching TV on your phone or playing those addictive online games, Flash was an application that set Androids apart from the rival iPhone; for better and worse. 

Yet, now that Android users must operate their phones out-of-the-box sans Flash, the want for a way to get the software again has been great. Luckily, Adobe realized this need and allows Android users to download its Flash player. To make things easier, Adobe made the download available straight from the website.

We want to point out that because Adobe is no longer supported on Android powered devices, you won’t find any security updates, bug fixes, or official Adobe support. Furthermore, you may also experience some significant stability issues when downloading and using Flash. The stability issues tend to be worse with Android devices running Jelly Bean 4.1 or newer, as that operating system ditched Flash altogether.   

For those looking for a Flash fix, we’ve put together this easy how-to guide to get Flash back on your Android phone or tablet in no time. Before we get to the rundown, you’ll want to make sure that your phone or tablet is running an OS between Android 2.2, and 4.1. You can find which OS your device is running by going to Settings > About phone (or About tablet). 

Note: if you are using Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or newer, you’ll want to use a stock browser other than Google Chrome for the Flash install. Chrome does not support Flash Player whatsoever for that operating system.

Once the prerequisites above are in order, the real fun of installing Flash on your Android device can begin. First, access your phone’s security settings to allow for application downloads outside of Google Play. To do this, go to Settings > Applications (for older Android operating systems), or Settings > Security (for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean), and check the box next to Unknown sources. It should ask you to confirm your selection, and select OK if that is the case. Now that the security settings have changed, navigate back to your home screen and open your mobile browser. Again, Google Chrome will not work for this on Android devices using Jelly Bean 4.1 or newer.Step 1: Configuring Security Settings

Credit: Photo courtesy of www.softonic.com

Step 2: Downloading Flash from the Adobe Site

Navigate to Adobe’s Flash Player archives in your browser and scroll down until you arrive at the listings for Android Flash player downloads, where you’ll find two separate sections: one with download links for recent operating system versions and one for versions compatible with Android OS 2.1-2.3 and 3.0. Adobe’s most recent Flash Player updates for Android (11.1.111.73 for Android 2.x and 3.x and 11.1.115.81 for Android 4.0.x) were released on September 10, 2013, and lead off the top of both sections. It’s recommended that you choose the most recent compatible download for your Android device.

Once you click on the compatible download, the Flash Player Installer should begin automatically. When the download completes you can navigate back to your home screen or close the browser.

Step 3: Installing Flash Player

Next, access the Notifications on your phone and tap on the file titled “install_flash_player.apk.” Once you see the download alert, tap Install to begin installing Flash on your Android device.

Simply tap Done after the installation completes and click back into your phone’s stock browser to enable the new plug-ins. If you are using an Android 3.0 or later, go to your browser’s Menu then click Settings > Advanced > Enable Plug-ins. If you’re using Android 2.2, or 2.3, enter your browser’s Menu and click on More Settings > Enable Plug-ins. Once the plug-ins are active, your Android phone should begin using Flash. You can run a Flash test by visiting this site; you’ll see a brief Flash animation at the top, and version information for the device.

Step 4: Re-activating Security Settings

Now that the download is complete, be sure to go back in to your Settings folder (Security folder for Android 4.1 users) and de-select the Unknown sources box to keep your Android device secure. Once the security settings are back to normal, you’re free to use Flash Player on your Android phone or tablet. 

If you have trouble with the download, or would like to reference Adobe’s site for help, you can visit their Flash Player FAQs page. 

Having issues with the process, or found a better way to install Flash Player on an Android? Sound off in the comments section below......