Facebook launches messenger for people at work

Facebook has launched a version of Messenger that’s meant for the office. The app, first spotted by TechCrunch, is an expansion of Facebook at Work, a business platform Facebook has been testing that allows co-workers to talk and collaborate. Everything about Facebook at Work and its new Work Chat app looks almost identical to the Facebook and Messenger we all know — which means, thankfully, you can still use stickers — the only real difference is that the network is limited to people within a single company. Right now, Work Chat is only available on Android and only for people in companies using the limited Facebook at Work beta. TechCrunch reports that an iOS app is in the works.

Messaging had already been built inside of the core Facebook at Work app, but like with the standard Facebook app, it’s being unbundled, seemingly because the stand-alone app is a bit more capable. There’s also a larger battle around workplace chat that Facebook wants to be part of. Most notably, Slack has been storming the startup world as the chat app to replace basically every other communications tool in your business. Slack doesn’t do much on its own other than chat, but it can be integrated with many other popular tools, like Trello. Facebook at Work, on the other hand, has the advantage of already being familiar to people and offering many of its own built-in tools, like event invites and team pages.

source:TechCrunch

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Access PC files on smartphones

Yes, you heard that right. You can access your computer’s hard drive with your smartphone in few simple steps.  For this, you don’t have to download or install any big software on your PC or  smartphone. Your Android’s file explorer can do the task easily.

The good thing with this tutorial is that you can copy and paste big files, software, and other things easily to your phone at high speed. Let’s take a look at how this works:

To make this trick work, you should be connected to same network (Wi-Fi).

Step 1: Right click on the drive you want to share.  Use the below-mentioned path to share this folder. You will see an icon appeared which mean the drive is shared.

Properties> Sharing> Advance sharing>share this folder.

Step 2: In order to access files from hard drive with smartphone open ES file explorer.  Now click on the three line hamburger symbol then click on LAN

Step 3: Now perform a scan and you will see  your PC if it’s connected to the same network. Now enter the username and password of your PC.  There you will see the shared folder. 

Step 4: Here you will all the items in your computer’s drive. You can tap and hold to copy or cut any folder to your smartphone.

I performed copy action and achieved nearly 5 Mbps speed.

 

 

 

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Know about CyanogenMod

CyanogenMod is one of the best known custom ROMs out there, enabling millions of users around the world to customize their devices to the fullest. With the popularity of CyanogenMod, the developer community enjoyed great success over the years. So much so, that the people behind CyanogenMod started Cyanogen Inc, and developed partnerships with phone manufacturers to have CyanogenMod as the default operating system.

What is a custom ROM?

CyanogenMod started out as a simple alternative to stock Android on the HTC Dream and HTC Magic.

Google releases the source code for Android via the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which allows anyone to download the source code for stock Android and modify it to their liking. Many people add features or try to further optimize the operating system to improve performance. When people talk about flashing ROMs, they are referring to overwriting the old version of Android that is installed and replacing it with a third party alternative, like CyanogenMod. This sounds sketchy in a way, but just because the ROM is supported by the community, rather than a commercial entity, it does not mean that they are any less stable. In my experience, custom ROMs have been just as stable if not more so than OEM supplied ROM, depending on the ROM of course.

However, the term “ROM” is not necessarily used correctly when talking about the third party custom firmware. A “ROM” in computer science is “Read-Only Memory” which can only be read and not written to more than once in the most basic sense. Smartphones and tablets use flash memory to store the Android OS, so the correct term should be “custom firmware”. This naming convention may lead to some confusion when talking about custom ROMs, just remember, the firmware is being changed, not any ROMs that might be in the device.

The roots of CyanogenMod

CyanogenMod started out as a simple alternative to stock Android on the HTC Dream and HTC Magic with the initial release of CyanogenMod 3.1 in 2009. With Android’s open source nature and the ability to obtain root access, anything is possible, and with the popularity of the custom ROMs, the CyanogenMod community blossomed. CyanogenMod really started to be recognized with CyanogenMod 7, based on 2.3 Gingerbread. This release added new and improved features over stock Android like BusyBox in the shell, as well as improving the stock apps.

CyanogenMod release cycle and style

CyanogenMod version numbers work just like Android version numbers, i.e. CyanogenMod A.B means that “A” is the major release number and “B” is a minor release number. From version 9 to 10.2, there were a few different types of releases. These included:

• Nightly – A build generated every 24 hours, newest features but HIGHLY unstable in most cases, not good enough for a daily driver.
• Experimental – More stable than the nightlies and may be used in other custom ROMs as a base.
• M Snapshot – More stable than the last two, but still may have some minor issues.
• Release Candidate – Basically stable, some very minor issues may be present, good enough for daily use.
• Stable – Pretty much all of the bugs have been squashed. These builds will take a very long time to actually be released.

After 10.2, CyanogenMod has changed the release cycle and the names of everything to simplify the process. This time there are only two options:

• Development Channel – Same as the nightlies from before, every 24 hours and are highly unstable.
• Release Channel – M snapshots are made each month which are suitable for daily use, although they lag behind the nightly builds by two weeks as far as features and improvements.

Impact on the dev community

Being the biggest custom ROM, there is obviously an impact on the rest of the dev community, XDA is full of custom ROMs that are based on CyanogenMod. Even the custom ROM that I helped on was based on CyanogenMod for certain devices. Getting everything set up and working from a CyanogenMod base is easier than using stock Android, since a lot of stuff like the theme chooser is already built in, so there is no need to add it.

Advantages over stock Android

The whole reason behind installing a custom ROM is to add features, improve performance, or change the look of stock Android. This is exactly what you get to do with CyanogenMod. There are features in CyanogenMod that are simply not available in stock Android, like the ability to change the status bar to your liking, or apply different themes.

CyanogenMod brings a lot to the table in terms of options, but one of the biggest advantages is root access. Root gives you administrative rights (in Windows terms) to your file system. This means that you can access all of the system files, which in turn allows allows app to do more. For example, there is no official way to backup app data easily, however you can use Titanium Backup and its “root needed” features. This is one of the best apps I have ever used and it should be standard for all devices, you can backup apps no problem and transfer them to any device without fail. There are many other apps like this that just make your life a lot easier. However, a word of warning, root access is not as secure as non-rooted.

How to flash

The first thing you need to do is download the ROM from the development channel or release channel. The general download page can be found here, it is helpful to know your device’s codename, which can easily be looked up with a quick Google. From this page you can download the latest nightly, the option to download a M snapshot or experimental build on the left panel. The next steps can get complicated, but it gets easier once you get used to it. Quick note, this WILL NOT work on all devices, only supported ones.

• Kiss your warranty goodbye (Android Authority is not responsible for your device, proceed at your own risk.)
• Unlock your device’s bootloader – This can be very difficult in some cases and is pretty much different for all devices. This will wipe the device clean, so make sure to backup any important data.
• Install a custom recovery like TWRP or CWM Recovery. This can be done a few different ways, but the best way is through the terminal. Simply download the .img file from the respective site then save it to your computer in a convenient location. once downloaded, make sure ADB and the Android SDK are installed on your computer and working properly. In the terminal or command prompt type “fastboot flash recovery (location of recovery on computer)“. An example would be: “fastboot flash recovery c:\recovery.img”. Once this is finished, reboot your device. The device should boot normally.
• Flash the ROM zip file, it is basically the same for each recovery, just click “install” then navigate to the folder with the file or if you are using CWM Recovery click “Install” then “Choose zip from SDCard” then navigate to the folder with the file. Then accept the prompt to install it, do not reboot yet, stay in recovery.
• Flash GApps zip – GApps stands for Google Apps, since these are owned by Google, CyanogenMod can not come pre-installed with them, so just simply flash the zip like you would for the ROM right after installing CyanogenMod. Android 5.1.x GApps and Android 6.0 GApps can be found here, just select the options you want.
• Reboot! If everything went according to plan, the device should boot into CyanogenMod.

Wrap-Up

CyanogenMod started as an alternative to stock Android and grew into a company that influences a lot of the dev community, it even has phone manufacturers backing them. While flashing CyanogenMod may be sketchy to install at first, once master it is worth it. With the customizability of CyanogenMod and the things you can do with root, the sky’s the limit.

source:AndroidCentral

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Some household items that our smartphone replaced

Do you find yourself rubbing your eyes from looking at the same screen all day? Are your friends and family complaining about you always being distracted? Is your phone the first and last thing you check every day?

These days we spend more of our time staring at our smartphones and tablets than ever, and that’s because they have replaced an increasing number of household products over the years. Here are some that maybe, just maybe, you might want to start using again.

Alarm Clocks

Many of us started using our mobile phones as our primary alarm clocks the moment we got our hands on one. After all, this is a feature that’s been included long before cell phones became “smart.” Doing so has its advantages, such as setting a ton of alarms (I want to be up at 7, so here’s one for 6:00, 6:30, 6:40, and 6:55), having them with you wherever you go (great for workers who travel), and waking up to something other than a blaring beep.

But most of us are waking up at around the same time and place day after day. And considering how quickly smartphones drain, if they’re not plugged in, they may not make it until morning. By investing in a separate alarm clock, you can still get up on time in the morning and manage to do so without making the phone the first thing you interact with. You can even get one with a backup battery, so that you’re still awoken on time if the power happens to flicker overnight.

And while you’re picking out that alarm clock, keep in mind what else it can do…

Radios

You may have grown accustomed to only using a traditional radio inside of a car, but standalone ones are still a thing, and they don’t all look like this anymore.

Radios are not hard to find, and some modern ones don’t require an old-fashioned antenna to pick up reception. For people who predominantly listen to local stations while at home, it may be an investment worth considering.

Sure, you can stream radio stations over the Internet with apps like TuneIn, which gives you access regardless of how far away you are from a tower, but there’s a downside to doing so. Online streams may sound live, but they can get delayed due to initial load times and buffering. This isn’t usually a big deal, but when the station tells you what time it is, you might want to double-check, or have a standard radio around to serve as the final word. And a battery-powered one is still a great thing to have around in case of an emergency.

Books

I know, many of you probably (perhaps even begrudgingly) just transitioned over to reading e-books, and you’ve been consuming more novels because of it. I understand. I started reading books exclusively on electronic devices several years ago, and I’ve loved the convenience of it.

But hear me out here. Physical books still maintain a number of advantages, and encouraging you to put down your phone is one of them. It’s great to cuddle up with a good book in the evening after work, but if you’re reading it on your smartphone, that’s several more hours spent looking at the same device you’ve already been glued to for much of the day. Picking up a paperback lets you perform the same task while taking a break from your phone, and you’re less likely to get distracted in the process.

If your entire library must be digital, consider using a dedicated e-reader instead. It’s better for your eyes, you still put your phone down, and you project a completely different demeanor to others when you’re seen reading a Nook or Kindle versus being just another person buried in their phone.

Magazines & Newspapers

You might think the case for physical magazines and newspapers is the same as the one for books, but there are a few significant differences. For one, the digital selection isn’t quite as thorough with magazines and newspapers as it is for books, so while you may be able to purchase all of the same tomes on your bookshelf in a digital format, switching to a phone or tablet can mean giving up on a bunch of smaller, local publications that don’t publish each issue online somewhere.

If you don’t live in a major metropolitan area, you might be surprised just how much is going on where you live if you don’t pick up the local publications. They paint a detailed picture of an area that mobile news apps just don’t do.

It’s worth mentioning that much of this content is still available on websites, even if you can’t necessarily buy a digitized version of each issue. But online articles are covered with links and surrounded by any number of distractions that you’re less likely to get burdened down with by picking up a paper or magazine while eating a sandwich at the kitchen table.

This may sound old-fashioned, but it can be liberating to take a task that’s become so associated with mobile devices, such as reading the news, and being able to do it without draining your battery and staring at the same old screen.

Games & Consoles

There are no shortage of ways to get glued to a smartphone or tablet, but the sheer volume of free games makes it especially easy to get sucked in for hours. Yet while this may be one of the most talked about trends in gaming at the moment, it’s far from the only type on the rise.

Board games are making a comeback in a big way. While the name used to draw up thoughts of say Monopoly, Candy Land, and Sorry!,things have changed. Board games like Pandemic,Eldrich Horror, and Eclipse can be even more fun played with adults over a beer than with young children. And when it comes to card games, there’s everything from the extremely irreverent Cards Against Humanity to the comic book-inspired Sentinels of the Multiverse. Even if you can find a digital version of some of these, it’s a good time right now to put the screen down and get together with some friends.

As for video games, it’s still worth holding on to your dedicated machine. Console games offer a deeper experience than most mobile software out there, and they probably will for quite a while to come. Not only that, they allow for more social interaction with the people around you than tapping at a smartphone (which has become recognized around the world as a signal for “leave me alone”). Even if you’re playing a single-player game, there’s still something social about a friend being able to pull up a chair and watch.

And while this may sound funny to gamers who grew up under parents telling them it’s not healthy to stare at a TV all day, looking at the big screen can be a nice break from holding a smaller one much closer to your eyes.

What Items Have You Replaced With Your Phone?

Do you still lug around a digital camera? Probably not. Phones have made it easy to capture life’s moments without having to haul an extra bit of equipment around, and the few moments it takes to snap a shot don’t add up to spending all that much more time with your phone. Nor does opening up a calculator app, using navigation software in place of a dedicated GPS, or listening to locally saved music instead of carrying around an MP3 player. You won’t see me switching back to a flip phone anytime soon.

It’s okay to let our phones replace things, as long as it’s not everything. Phones, like all things in life, should be enjoyed in moderation. If your phone isn’t able to keep its screen on long enough for you to get from one charge to another, getting a model with a bigger battery might not be the only solution worth considering. The thing probably needs a break, and you might too.

 

If you have some suggestions of your own please let us know in comments!

 

 

Use smartphone as webcam

Many would doubt the concept as of why one would prefer using his phone as a webcam? Well, there are a bunch of reasons to push this idea:

• Old phone having no front cam? You could use rear camera for video calling instead of buying one.
• A good chance that it can stand for a pretty good “Security camera”, monitoring your babies or other watch hours, without buying expensive standalone cameras!
Oh yes, it is a matter of concern that you would buy a new camera for the purpose but still if you want to save those few dollars/rupees, you can stick to this idea. Don’t sell that old one in your pocket, it can still serve you well.
Now the question arise on How-to-do stuff? Isn’t it? Well there are certain right apps that would provide you with satisfying interface and make worth it.

Android:

Play store as well as private developers provide a number of apps for this purpose. But beware of those fake tagline, you could be fooled and end up in wasting worthy data or leak of some personal information.
Out of the most tested, IP Webcam is the best one which proves for this purpose. Unlike DroidCam (which require a similar application to be installed in Windows), this app works through your browser, giving you the compatibility and freedom to move over platforms.

Step-to-do:

1. Connect you phone and computer to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Install the app IP Webcam on your phone.
3. It is advisable to close any app which uses your phone’s camera (kill’em using task manager).
4. Launch the app. Scroll down until a tab appears- “Start server”.
5. The app will now display a URL, something like- http://abc.de.fg.ij:klmn (alphabets represents numerical).
6. Enter this URL in your web browser and hit Enter.
7. In the browser, you’ll see a drop down menu next to Video renderer. Select Browser.
8. Next, you’ll see Audio renderer. Select HTML wav.

Now you’re good to go. You’ll see a live video feed in your browser. You can record it via browser. You’ll get used to controls once you use it.

Although there might be some problem in HTML wav audio streaming, you can prefer VLC media player for this purpose.

Download it from here, install it. Go to Media>Network Stream and enter the URL generated from the app.
Once the app is running, you don’t need to keep the phone’s screen on. It works smoothly even if phone is locked but video feed experience is slightly better when phone’s screen is on.

iOS:

EpocCam and PocketCam rule the app market in race of making your iProduct a better webcam. PocketCam is messy to configure, and gives access to only black n white video, no audio in free version. You can rely on the paid one to get better service.

EpocCam is free and quite easy to set up too! Here’s how to make it under use:

1. Download EpocCam on your iDevice as well as for your Mac or PC.
2. Make sure both the devices are connected on the same network.
3. While installing, several prompt may appear asking you to install some drivers. Install them, they essential audio and video drivers used by the app.
4. Start the app on both devices.
5. The app will automatically searches for the device running EpocCam on the same Wi-Fi network. Soon, the video from your iDevice will be shown up on your computer.
6. There might be a few occasions when the app won’t connect your device to your computer. In the case, restarting the app quickly fixes the issue. Also, there is no video recording feature in this app, but video recording apps like CamStudio, ScreenPresso, etc. will work for you.

Video Calling- Setting up your phone as a Webcam:

Android:
Disappointing though, IP Webcam doesn’t work with Skype, so you need to stick with DroidCam and its PC Client to work.

Step-to-do:

1. Install DroidCam on your phone, as well as on your computer. (As DroidCam Client, here)
2. Connect both the devices to the same network.
3. Open the app on the phone and write down the Wi-Fi IP listed on the main screen.
4. Open the Windows client and paste the IP on your computer.
5. If you have slow internet connection, select low from the video quality drop down menu.
6. Click Start.
7. Now you’ll see video feed from your phone on the DroidCam Windows application.
8. Better to keep your phone unlocked, to avoid minimal stutter and lag. Keep android app open and turn off auto-lock.
9. Restart Skype (if it is already opened) and select DroidCamSource1 as webcam.
   Good to go again. Use your phone as the webcam.

iOS:

The procedure is simple. EpocCam enables you to connect to Skype and use your iDevice as Webcam.
Steps-to-do:

1. Install app on both devices, as mentioned earlier.
2. Start the app, it will connect automatically.
3. Now, restart Skype and select EpocCam as the webcam.
4. Now you’ll be using your iDevice as Webcam.

How to set default camera on Skype:
Skype on your PC will require the camera configuration.

Steps-to-do:

1. Download and Install desktop version Skype app.
2. Sign in to your account and enter Tools>Options.
3. Click video setting under the general tab.
4. Select the correct camera from the drop down menu next to Select webcam. The name of the camera will be similar to the name of the app
5. you are using. Select it.
6. Click save.

You can now place video calls from your computer using your phone as a webcam!

Note for iPhone, iPad users: The app stops working if you hit the home button or lock your phone.

 

If you have some suggestions of your own please let us know in comments!

 

 

Kodak going to enter smartphone world

 

For a while there it looked like Kodak’s moment had come and gone, but the past few months have seen the imaging icon fight back from the brink of irrelevance. Now the company’s planning to push a Kodak-branded smartphone, and thankfully it’s not going to sue everyone in the business along the way this time. To be clear, Kodak won’t actually make its own devices — instead, it’s going to farm out most of the development work to an English company called Bullitt (you know, the people behind those uber-rugged Caterpillar phones). Oh, and it won’t look anything like the mockup you see above… we hope.

The details are still pretty scarce at this point, but Kodak’s first phone will obviously play up the company’s photography chops. Alas, there’s no mention in the official PR about sensor sizes, lens apertures or dedicated imaging hardware of any sort. In fact, it seems like we might be looking at a device that does all of its visual heavy lifting (think “bespoke image capture, management and sharing features”) through software. That wouldn’t necessarily be terrible, but really, why slap the historic Kodak brand on a device that doesn’t seem equipped to do it justice? We won’t pass judgment on the thing until we see it at CES in a few weeks; here’s hoping we’re in for a pleasant surprise.