Author: yazdi

When you wish to retire your old computer, you will do well to delete all files on your hard disk before giving it away or selling it. However, you should be aware that deletion of files or even formatting the hard disk, does not remove the data completely from the hard disk. This is where eraser comes in. Eraser is an advanced security tool for Windows which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. This leaves no chance for the data to remain on your hard disk and avoids possible misuse. Eraser is a free tool and can be used on Windows XP, Windows 7 and several other platforms. So before you chuck out your old machine, remember to delete ALL your data effectively.

Salient Eye is a home security system which you can setup using your old Android Smartphone. It is very simple to use either at home or at work. Just download the app, set it up on your android phone, and place your phone pointing to a strategic area such as the door or the window where a break-in is most likely. It uses the phone’s camera to detect motion. Once it detects a break-in, it will start taking pics and instantly send the pics to you on email or via SMS as you may have defined to another phone of your choice. Once sufficient evidence is gathered, it will also sound an alarm. So now, your old / used smartphone can double up as a Burglar Alarm ! What next ??

These days, we receive so many mails, some of them well meaning, but sometimes incredible. We need some means to verify whether the stories we get are really true. Snopes.com comes to the rescue in such situations. It is the definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. Use the search box to locate your item of interest, or click the icons to browse the site by category. If you don’t find the story you are looking for, you can even submit a rumor on the site to find out whether it is true or not. Similarly, if you get a photograph which is difficult to believe, you can upload it on http://www.izitru.com and get an instant report on whether the photograph is an original or modified ! Both are very useful tools to satiate your curiosity and be a better informed citizen.

Runtastic features a series of apps which takes fitness freaks to a new level. Runtastic Running and Fitness. It uses GPS to map and track sports and fitness activities, such as: running, jogging, biking & walking. It tracks cardio workout progress (duration, distance, elevation change, calories burned & more) to help you build healthy lifestyle habits and reach exercise goals. It has a personal workout diary and also a live tracking and cheering mode to motivate you to achieve greater heights ! The other apps in the Runtastic Family include those for Mountain Bike, Push-ups, Six Packs, Sit-ups, Squats, Pedometer and many more. If you value your fitness regime and want to achieve your targets, don’t miss this one !

For all those who like to have fun with their Android Phone Camera – Lapse It is a full featured app for capturing amazing time lapse and stop motion videos. It is simple, fast and intuitive. There are plenty of features where you can really customise your sequence of pictures in many different ways easily achieve the desired result. You can even apply different stylish camera effects to them. The new version brings more integration with social networks so you can easily publish your videos or share through the built-in Lapse It gallery, where other users can watch and vote. Apart from clicking wonderful pics, you can import pre-recorded videos to speed them up or slow them down and use any song from your library as the sound track of your video. There is an adjustable exposure, focus, white balance and scene modes. The stunning filter effects make your lapse even more awesome. So go ahead and have fun with your Android cam !

Word Lens Translator is an Android app which instantly translates printed words with your phone’s camera. If you are in a foreign country and encounter a sign, you can use the app to translate it into English instantly. No network required. Currently, it handles Russian, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Portuguese. Extremely easy to use, just like your normal camera, just click and translate. You can even type in the text to look up the translation. Of course the text has to be legible – it does not recognize handwriting or illegible text. Although not perfect, it is able to give the general meaning immediately. A handy tool when travelling !

For all you Bollywood song freaks, Gaana.com is a treat ! A giant repertoire of Bollywood songs, searchable by artist, song, album, playlist and radio. You can create your own playlists of your favourite songs / albums or artists. Once you start playing, you can keep it on, in the background, and continue doing what you were doing. You can even share what you are hearing, live on Facebook, so that your friends know what you are currently enjoying. You can also view what your friends’ favourites are. There is a free app to download on your mobile and you can carry your music wherever you go. If you enjoy Bollywood music, you will enjoy Gaana.com !

Charts are a great tool because they communicate information visually. At Onlinecharttool.com you can design and share your own charts online and for free. They support a number of different chart types like: bar charts, pie charts, line charts, bubble charts and radar plots. You can create your own elaborate charts in a jiffy. Just click on Design Your Chart, Select the Type of Chart, Add Data, Add Labels and Fonts and you are ready to Preview your chart ! You can then Share and Save your chart, download it on your computer, publish it online on Facebook or Twitter and also email it to yourself and others. A simple way to create charts without any technical knowledge / jargon.

Dinnertime is a wonderful Android App to ensure that your kids join you uninterrupted during Dinner Time. Nowadays, it is normal to see kids playing with their devices all through Dinner Time – this app allows you to pause any activity on the kids’ phones for 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours. This can be done remotely from the parent’s device. You also have options for bedtime and take a break ! During these “break” times the child’s ability to use their device – everything from apps to the Internet to texting and calling friends – is temporarily disabled, only incoming calls are allowed while you spend quality time together. Kids can even see the countdown of how much time remains before they are able to access their device again, without any distractions from schoolwork, spending time with the family, or even getting to bed on time. Interesting and useful for new-age parents handling newer-age kids !

Intelligencetest.com is a site which tests your IQ. Take a simple 15 minute test and get your IQ score instantly. The results give a detailed analysis of your various types of skills, how you fared and what is the average score of people in your sex / age profile. Be careful, you can take only one test in a day, so start the test only when you have 15 minutes to spare, at a stretch. If you miss out, you can try again after 24 hours. Besides the IQ test, it has many puzzles, mind games, facts and trivia and general knowledge resources. If you are a puzzle freak or just want to evaluate yourself one-time, this site will be fun to play with !