Make An Old Android Feel Like New: How To Make Gingerbread Feel Like Jelly Bean

Android has taken huge strides since Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but many devices are still using it. If you can't upgrade your old device, there are ways to make it feel more modern.

These apps won't actually upgrade your Android device to Jelly Bean, but they'll replace some of the more outdated parts of Gingerbread and make your device feel more like Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich. the latest versions of Android.

Launcher

Android's default home screen and app drawer – known as its launcher – have come a long way since Gingerbread. This is especially true if you're using an outdated custom interface from a device manufacturer, such as an old version of Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense.

Luckily, Android supports third-party launchers. You can install a new launcher to replace your device's home screen and app drawer with a new interface. If you're looking for a more modern experience, install Holo Launcher. Holo Launcher functions similarly to the default launcher on Android 4.0 and above. In addition to a more modern Holo theme, it offers an app drawer, home screen and icons that look like Android 4's. It's not just a visual improvement – Holo Launcher also includes useful features found in the latest versions of Android. For example, you can touch an app's icon in the app drawer and drag it to the Uninstall option at the top of your screen to quickly uninstall it without opening any settings menus. You can also drag-and-drop app icons onto each other to easily create app folders on your home screen.

After installing Holo Launcher, press the Home button on your device and you'll be prompted to make it your default launcher.

Browser

Installing a new browser is a great way to speed up an old device. Older versions of Android have an Internet browser with a browser engine that hasn't been updated in a long time. Unfortunately, Chrome for Android only works on Android 4.0 and above.

If you're looking for a new browser with a new browser engine, try Firefox for Android. Old versions of Firefox for Android were rather slow, but new versions are surprisingly speedy. You may also want to try Opera Mobile. Firefox and Opera use their own browser engines, which are derived from the Gecko and Presto engines that Firefox and Opera use on the desktop. Firefox and Opera are continually updated and both support Gingerbread. In other words, you can use a new browser with the latest browser engine – and it will actually receive updates.

You may want to avoid other browsers. Many alternative Android browsers use the browser engine integrated into Android – although you'll be installing a new version of the browser, it will be using the same outdated version of WebKit as your default browser.

After installing a new browser, open a link and you'll be prompted to make it your default browser.

Lock Screen

Made by the creators of Holo Launcher, Holo Locker brings Jelly Bean's lock screen to older versions of Android. If you're tired of Gingerbread's lock screen and want something that looks more new and fresh, you may want to give it a try. Holo Locker also offers easy access to your device's Camera app from the lock screen – just touch the unlock button and swipe to the left.

Keyboard

Android also allows you to replace its keyboard, so you can easily upgrade to a more modern keyboard. If you're just looking for something that feels like Jelly Bean, try Jelly Bean Keyboard, which is a port of Android 4.1's keyboard that's been modified to work on older versions of Android.

After installing Jelly Bean Keyboard, open its app and it will walk you through setting it as your new default keyboard.

If you're looking for the gesture typing feature found in Android 4.2, you can install Swype for free (although you can't install Swype from Google Play). Google Play also offers other keyboards – some people swear by SwiftKey, which offers great autocorrection and predictions.

Other Apps

You don't have to use the apps featured here – you can install other launchers, browsers, lock screens, and keyboards to change the look and feel of your Gingerbread operating system. Or, if you don't like an included app, you can install an alternative from Google Play. Unlike on Apple's iOS, these apps can become your new default applications, allowing you to change your device's Contacts, Messaging, Email, Browser, and other applications.

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You may also be able to upgrade your device to a newer version of Android by installing a custom ROM like CyanogenMod, assuming a stable one is available for your device. You'll find information about other user-developed ROMs on the XDA Developers forum for your device.

Easily get your Office product key

s "Try Produkey from http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html It can find the serial number of any Microsoft product on your system: Better yet, it has the standard NirSoft interface which gives you multiple ways of pulling this info remotely: Not only can it get your Windows Product key, but any Office product keys you have too. It works fine under the 64 bit version of Windows. It is a nice, simple utility that does what it says. No spyware, or extra junk. You can get it from here: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/product_cd_key_viewer.html via [http://www.intelliadmin.com ]

Use your Android Phone / Tablet as a PC speaker using Soundwire App

Ever ran into a situation where wished you could use your Android phone as a speaker for your desktop? Well, Soundwire, a free app for Android does exactly that. Made by GeorgieLabs, the app is an excellent tool to use your phone as a wireless extension for your computer.

It lets you use your phone to be played as a speaker so now you can rock out whenever you want without worrying about carrying a PC all round the house. This simple guide will tell you how to connect your smartphone with a PC through Soundwire.

Steps for Using Android Phone as PC Speakers

Download SoundWire and its desktop clients from the links given below.

Download: SoundWire App: Free | Full Version

Desktop Client

According to the app's description on Play Store, the difference between the paid and free version are as follows:

The free version of the application identifies itself by voice every 45 minutes and displays ads. There is a 5 minute compression trial in the free version. The full version enables unlimited Opus audio compression, can handle up to 10 connections at the same time, and has no ads or voice identification. It also has a special Pro Mode to set and display buffer latency precisely in milliseconds.

Before we start, please note that SoundWire works on both Wi-Fi and 3G/4G. To work with Wi-Fi, it your Android device and desktop are required to be on the same WiFi network. It also works when your phone is tethered to your computer using Wi-Fi.

Step 1. Play music on you PC. You can use any music player or website (iTunes, Media Player, YouTube, etc.) to play music in any format.

Step 3. Open the Soundwire PC client and select the audio source (the audio of video files get a small delay so Soundwire should be restricted to music only if you don't want the audio to be out of sync with the video).

Windows XP users should choose the source named "Stereo Mix", "Wave Out Mix", "What You Hear" or other similarly named source. Windows 7 users don't need to worry about this and can skip this step as the source gets selected automatically.

Step 4. Run the Soundwire app on your phone and press the connect button to connect to the PC and listen to music. If you leave the 'Server' box blank the app automatically locates the server. However, in case the server is not found you will have to enter the sever address manually.

The server address depends on the network and is shown in the upper left part of the Soundwire PC client window for example. The server address depends on your network setup and is shown on the upper left of the Soundwire Server window, for example: 192.168.43.120

Step 5. When music is playing check your Soundwire PC client's level meter. It shows the sound level being transmitted to the smartphone and thus should be neither too loud (very frequent red indication) nor too quiet.

Despite Soundwire's simplicity it still offers a lot of extra features packed in it. It can even help you connect two PCs via an Android simulator, allows you to compress the audio to decrease to network usage and even has a recorder to record any sound that you want to. Soundwire also sports a pro version with  additional customizations packed in it. It is a very useful app and the sheer simplicity of it makes it all the more awesome.

via TechSplurge

Share Android Apps, Files, Folders & Contacts Over Web & WiFi With Send Anywhere

The pace at which private file sharing services are increasing these days makes it quite perplexing for the users to pick the best one, since each service has its own specific set of goodies. Send Anywhere, a relatively new name among apps of this kind, provides a neat layout and support for multiple modes of secure wireless file sharing. The official Android client of Send Anywhere, which has just been released to the Google Play Store, allows users to remotely share whatever content they please over the web and with other Android users. The most appealing aspect of the Send Anywhere mobile app is its support for all types of file formats, and the various ways in which it allows content sharing. For instance, you may share the unique input key referring to the shared content with the recipient via SMS, email or any preferred means, generate or scan a unique QR code of the file, or share files with nearby devices over a common WiFi network.

Send Anywhere might not be the only remote file sharing solution of its kind on Android, but its rich aesthetics and the relatively extensive feature give it quite an edge over previously-reviewed EZDrop and JustBeamIt.

Unlike the Send Anywhere web app, the mobile version allows batch selection and sharing of content. Hidden under the app's simple UI are several of nifty features that make Send Anywhere quite a convenient file sharing tool to have at your disposal. All you get on the app's home screen is a couple of tabs to Send and Receive content.

Just to elaborate on the app's list of supported categories, it lets you share anything ranging from multimedia content (photos, music and videos) to your contacts and from your apps (APKs) to any file residing your device's storage. To expedite the content selection process, the app presents you with a built-in file manager comprising individual categories for all sorts of supported content.

Once you've selected files to share, the app presents you with a unique key/ID that can be fed to the Send Anywhere website or another Android device running the client to retrieve the content. Among other sending options, you may generate a QR code for the content, share the key via SMS, email or social media, or share the file with a nearby device running the Send Anywhere mobile app. The recipient would have to make their device discoverable for sharing over WiFi.

Status bar notifications keep you apprised of the sharing progress, whereas to track history of your received files, the app offers you a dedicated Received Box that displays the file format, date and file size of each received file. By default, all data received via the app can be found in the SendAnywhere folder on your SD card. However, you have the option of allocating a different directory for this purpose from within the app's settings screen.

Send Anywhere also integrates seamlessly with Android's universal file sharing menu to allow direct sharing of files from the stock Gallery and other supported apps (your favorite file manager, for instance).

Send Anywhere has both a free and $3 variant in the Google Play Store. In addition to being ad-supported, the free version is limited to allow sharing of a maximum of 10 different files or 30MB of data at any given instance. The paid variant, on the other hand, is free of any such restrictions.

Download Send Anywhere For Android (Free)

Download Send Anywhere PRO For Android (Paid)

Visit Send Anywhere

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Windows 8 Start Screen Personalization With Decor8

Most of you would probably have made a switch to the heavily advertised Windows 8 by now. Admittedly, Microsoft's latest incarnation feels so nice once you get the hang of it. One of Windows 8's distinctive features is the Start Screen. It's been both lauded and loathed by users around the globe. And I have personally found it a good move from Redmond. Even though, I like the new Start Screen, I also hate the lack of some customization options. For instance, the OS doesn't allow swapping Start Screen background with a custom image, which makes me wonder, why would Microsoft not include something this very basic. I have tried a couple of freeware tools to change the background, but none of them really worked for me, until I came across Decor8, a new app from Stardock.

It's certainly the best Start Screen personalization app that I have stumbled upon. Although it's a paid application, Decor8 is worth every penny – especially if you're a customization freak. Some of its highlighted features include; background and color schemes customization, image randomization, specifying default number of rows, and so on.

Once installed, the application shortcut is pinned to the Start Screen. The app itself runs in full screen mode, and the interface looks plain and simple. The Settings pane to the left contains three menus labeled as Background, Colors and Options. Background menu is where you apply the custom images. Decor8 comes packed with some enticing pictures out of the box. It's worth mentioning that it automatically disables Start Screen personalization from PC Settings, and also takes controls of the stock background images. Along with changing the image, you can do some additional tweaking, such as toggle Fade image effect, change image orientation, and toggle image shuffling after selecting multiple images.

Did I mention you can select a custom image directory as well? To do so, click "Select folders" at the bottom and then click Add in the proceeding window. It's good to see that the app allows you to choose a number of different folders in conjunction.

Colors menu houses the same color schemes that you'd find in PC Settings. However, you're also allowed to define a custom pattern, as well as enable "Automatically create a start screen color scheme from the selected custom background".

Windows 8 chooses the optimal number of Tile rows according to the display resolution. And you cannot increase or decrease the total number of rows without a registry hack. Decor8 provides an easy solution to reduce row count for a minimalistic look. Simply head to Options menu and then adjust row counts under "How many rows of tiles should there be" section. The new settings are applied the next time you login. The application also allows you to disable Parallax scrolling – a native feature in Windows 8 which moves Start Screen background when you scroll through the tiles. You can either entirely disable the Parallax scrolling or reduce the effect to certain extent.

The screenshot below showcases how the Start Screen looks when you replace the custom background image. Quite ravishing to sum it up in one word!

Decor8 will set you back $4.99, which quite honestly won't put a serious dent on your wallet. But you can still try the 30 days evaluation trial before shelling out your hard-earned cash. Decor8 has been developed exclusively for Windows 8. It will not work on previous versions of Microsoft OS.

Download Decor8

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