How to Block Ads on Android Phone Applications

There are ads everywhere. Google AdSense has also get setup customization for all the publishers for Mobile Ads. Ever since in the rise of smartphone usage, the income through ads on mobile can be generated. For the techies they block ads on various browsers with different add-ons or plugins available officially through third-party developers.
Ads on sites can be rendered easily on your Android handset. The mobile adsize likes 728 x 90, 336 x 280 takes a precious ads slot or space especially when your screen is small and mobile phone are atmost 4 inches in size. So ads on your mobile can break your nerves and you would be looking to remove those ads. If yes, and if you are here, then you are right place for a right reference.

Ad Free is an Android application which serves the purpose of blocking ads on your Android browser. This app only works for rooted phones and if you are one those who has that handset then Ad Free is free for you to install.
So if your intention to block ads on your mobile then go ahead with this app.
Ad Free Download
The Ad Free Android App can be download officially at Market.Android.com. With a file size of mere 60k, it works for Android 2.1 OS too. It has 0.5 million to 1 million installs until now and it’s priced free for distribution and usage.

Download TouchWiz UX from Galaxy S3 & Install on any Android Phone

Samsung Galaxy S III GT I9300 goodies continue to spread for other Android smartphones as in the due course of this article we will be checking out on how one can easily install the Touch Wiz UX launcher in your Android smartphone. Please be informed that to install this launcher, you need to have the rooted device as this launcher can be flashed using the recovery mode. So, let’s get started with the detailed guide on how you can install the same in your device. Full credits to XDA Forum Member Smando who has come out with this Launcher.With the content leaks of Galaxy S3 like Stock Wallpapers, Stock Ringtones, Flipboard app, S-Voice etc., TouchWiz UX Launcher which is the native launcher of Galaxy S3 adds up to the list.
Note: Please note that, this Touch Wiz UX Launcher of Galaxy S3 will only work on the devices which are on the Samsung based stock ROM firmwares. It has been found that this touch wiz UX launcher is not compatible with AOKP, AOSP, and other CM9 based custom ROM firmware builds.
Irrespective of the region you are from, you can try out this launcher but the only condition is that you need to ensure that your phone is rooted. As of now this workaround only works on the Samsung Galaxy S2 as of now, but you can try this procedure on your Samsung Android phone as well.

  
Guide to Download & Install TouchWiz UX Launcher of Galaxy S3 in your Android Phone:
•    Download the TouchWiz UX Launcher Zip Package from here to your computer. Once downloaded, connect your phone to computer with the help of original USB cable and place the downloaded zip file as it is in your device’s SD Card.
•    In this article, we will be checking out on how one can install this Launcher in Galaxy S2 smartphone. Once copied, disconnect the phone and turn Off the device so that it can be then entered in the recovery mode. The recovery mode in Galaxy S2 can be entered by pressing Volume Up Key, Center button, and holding both simultaneously press the Power Button.
•    Once the device is entered in the recovery mode, select “install zip from sd card” > “choose zip from sd card” and then choose the “Touch Wiz UX Launcher Zip Package” which you have placed in your device. As soon as the file is selected, it will take around 1 – 2 minutes for applying this Launcher.
•    Once it’s updated, the device will either be landed in the recovery screen or it will be rebooted automatically. If the device boots in the recovery screen, select “++++ Go Back ++++” and then choose the option of “reboot system now” for rebooting the system.
Note:  Just in case if the device booted up or gets into the boot loop mode then you need to re follow the above mentioned steps with the help of above mentioned instructions.

Samsung Galaxy S II I9100G Gets Official ICS Update – Download Now

By now all the Samsung Galaxy S II owner might have updated their smartphone with the latest Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich update which they have received two months back in the month of March 2012. Users are already aware that there is device called Samsung Galaxy S II GT I9100G exist in the market but Samsung hasn’t made anything clear about this handset. We have compared normal Galaxy S II along with Galaxy S II GT 9100G smartphone and their difference is clearly seen when you go in detailed with the hardware.

When Galaxy S II update came, only it was for the device with model number GT I9100 and GT I9100G was left out with no updates. For those users who can’t upgrade to ICS even at that time in March, please check out your handset model number and it might be GT I9100G and so your update wasn’t successful.
Anyways here comes the good news, off course late but atleast it has come up that GT I9100G Galaxy S II owner can now upgrade to the Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich update via Samsung KIES. It’s good to learn that Samsung hasn’t forgotten this device at all and cares for the users. The update is been pushed to various countries around the world slowly and European countries were first to receive this update. Slowly this would spread out in various countries but no announcement would be made by Samsung. You can check for the update by connecting your device to the Samsung KIES and then hit update tab to check whether updates are available or not. If updates are available be sure to backup applications and proceed with the upgrade but if there is no updates available then please check back latter after a week time or so.

How to use the new Facebook Camera App

Facebook has introduced its own Facebook camera app for iOS devices. This is completely different from Instagram app which they acquired earlier. This Facebook camera app will help Facebook users to access photos easier as well as faster from handheld device itself. It is a big addition for all the Facebook users who wish to browse the photos of their favourite ones from their mobile itself. The app can be downloaded from the App Store.

Features of new Facebook Camera app

•    The app is so user-friendly that you will be able to post a dozen of photos simultaneously
•    You will be also able to browse through the latest photos of your friends in one place itself
•    The app also arrives with filters as well as crops for editing and customizing the photos
•    The app will also allows you to tag your friends as well as add captions
•    You will be also able to see the photos from different applications
How the Facebook camera application works?
First you will have to download the app from the App Store and install it on your mobile. Then open Facebook camera app from your mobile. The first thing that you will see once the app is launched will be thumbnail icon kind view of latest photos from that of your friends posted on Facebook. For getting an enlarged view of any photo, you will have to just click on that photo. For seeing more photos, you will have to swipe it.

                            

One of the most interesting features is the capability to add many photos at the same time. From the range of photos given, you will have to click on the photo to checkmark. Once you checkmark the photos that you wish to post, you will have to tap the ‘Post’ button atlast. This will post all the photos that have been selected. Before sending the photos, captions can be added to add fun element. You can also tell your friend your location and you can even tag your friends in the photos.

The new application not only makes posting photos easier, but also gives you options to edit them and customize to your liking.
You can crop the photo by clicking on the crop tab for resizing as well as modifying the photo. If you want to rotate the photo, then you can make use of the rotate tab. Finally to add any kind of brightness adjustments or giving different visual effects, you can make use of filters option.
Some of the filter options include;
•    Cool
•    Light
•    Emerald
•    Bright
•    Golden
Facebook camera app differences with Instagram
Facebook’s latest camera app even though has much functionality similar to that of Instagram has some differences too.
•    The first thing is that the photo filters option is not that impressive as that of Instagram
•    Instagram houses some of the best photo filters. Facebook camera app filters are mainly focussed on the colour temperature as well as contrast where as the Instagram combines various elements together to give a variety feel for its filter options.
•    One of the major differences in Facebook Camera app compared to Instagram is the presence of uploading capabilities which allows any number of photos posted at the same time.
•    Another difference includes the photo feed capabilities in Facebook which is also much superior compared to that of Instagram
Instagram is more of a photo editing tool, where this new Facebook camera application acts as a photo collaboration tool.
Overall, Facebook Camera app for iOS is a very good package for the Facebook users to have on their iPhone or iPad.

Cartoon Camera Adds Real Time Cartoon Effects for your Photos on Android

When you have 12 mega pixel camera on your phone I am sure you would interested in photography. Your phone remains just a photo without any photo editing and we all until now have relied heavily on Adobe Photoshop for our entire photo editing needs. But since the smartphone has been evolved to serve better camera with varied options like HTC One X and One V comes with Image Sense for photos which brings various functions in the camera itself. Now when you have an Android smartphone you have dozens of options to add various effects for the photos which you have taken earlier and once you are done with this edits directly on to your phone, you are ready to share.
We have gone through various Android applications which includes Instagram which is popular and widely downloaded and Camera Illusion adds various camera effects while taking pictures and apart from that magic effects like Pic Art Android application, After Focus certainly bring the professional photography touch, Videocam illusion adding of cool effects and filters to your videos, Camera Effects for pre adding amazing effects for the photos and there exists so many Android applications and other than this Cartoon Camera does make a point as well.
Cartoon Camera Android application makes your phone camera very interesting and its provides ability to add cartoon like shots from your camera itself. Among the real time effects that you can add are Cartoon, Color Drawing, Sepia, White Strokes, Dark Strokes and Colored Edges to the photo which you are taking down. Alongside that you have the options to set the color and the sensitivity from 0 % to 100 %.
Cartoon Camera has the following important features –
•    Adds real time cartoon effects
•    Six effects can be added in real time
•    Easily adjust the color and sensitivity
•    Save image quickly with single tap
•    Supports flash
•    Application can be moved to SD card
There is nothing much in the application installation and as the application is installed, you are ready to use the Cartoon camera. So open the application directly on your phone and as you run it you will see the two sliders on the left and the right side which are meant for color and sensitivity.

 
There are other options like flash light on, switch camera to front facing cam and snap a photo is located on the extreme right side.

 
Various effects can be browsed using the Brush provided in the options. Few effects which you can add are white strokes, dark strokes, colored edges, cartoon, color drawing and sepia.
When you tap on More, you find little more for sharing and nothing for Settings.

Cartoon Camera Android application gains rating of 4.5 along with more than 70,000 reviews and this makes it to the list of widely downloaded photography applications at Google Play Store.

How to Enable Inverted Mode in Android ICS to Save Battery

If you are having one of the latest Android smartphones running ICS or running Android Ice Cream Sandwich on your current phone, you can enable the inverted mode to save battery. Inverted mode is a mode where the colors are displayed exactly the opposite way of how they are originally meant to be displayed.For example, on a webpage, you would be seeing the background in black and the texts and images on it in black instead of the normal way of seeing the background in white and text in black.
How does this work :
Using a black background while reading your webpages over white is a very efficient way to save the battery power consumed by your mobile screen display. And nowadays mobile phones come with highly powerful HD displays, so it would matter a lot if your display could save some battery. While there are a lot of debates if Google should go black on its background to save over 750 Megawatt-hours per year, you can start doing this right away on your Android ICS phone to save battery.
How to enable Inverted Mode :
1.    On your Android ICS phone, open the App drawer and click on the ‘Internet’ app.
2.    Now press the Menu/Options key and pick the ‘Settings’ option by tapping on it.
                               
                            
3.    Click on ‘Accessibility’ to enter the sub-category of options.


                            

4.    Once you are within the Accessibility sub-category, scroll down and you will see an option to turn Inverted Reading on with a description line that reads ‘Black becomes white and vice versa’. Tap on it to enable.


                                


5.    Now you will see a preview of the webpage you are currently viewing just to give you a quick idea of how it looks.
                           


6.    Go back and enjoy browsing in Inverted Mode.

Now that you have Inverted Mode enabled, you can turn it off whenever you want. However, if you are comfortable browsing this way, do keep it on as it can conserve battery on your Android ICS Smartphone. Do let us know in the comments how much of battery it helps you save on a daily run.

S-Voice ROM Leaked: You Can Have It On your Android Now!!

Since Apple took the curtain off its new iPhone 4S loaded with some stunning features including “Siri”, it started what can be thought of as revolution in smartphone industry. Soon after its launch, almost every other company on the block started working on duplicating the feature in its own way. Samsung too, being one of them released Galaxy SIII loaded with its own version of Siri, “S-Voice” (Read Samsung Galaxy SIII – Review, Tech Specs and Price).
It’s been almost two or three weeks since Galaxy SIII is out, it has already received rave reviews regarding its features and price. However Samsung failed to create the same buzz, which Apple created at the time of launching iPhone 4S.

So what is S-Voice? S-Voice is nothing but the Samsung’s answer to Apple’s dream-invention Siri. It’s a well-known fact that Galaxy series helped Samsung achieve the current market position and thus with Galaxy SIII, Samsung was hoping to made record sell owing to its features like, S-Voice.
But just like the last time (when Flipboard for Android was leaked), S-Voice too, has leaked out and is available on XDA Forum for downloading [Download link given below]. The leaked version will work on any Android smartphone running on Ice-cream sandwich update. That means  all the Galaxy SII users will also be able to use it. The S-Voice feature was tested on Google Nexus and it’s working just the perfect. However if used continuously for more than 45 minutes, sometimes it might crash (it was observed).

                                       

Reports of S-Voice firmware leaking are sure to leave Samsung in bitter disappointment if nothing else. It’s very tough to cope with it when you work hard on duplicating some feature from other companies and then before you release it with your smartphone; it leaks out and is made available on all the other smartphone. Jokes apart, Samsung must be furious over the reported leak-out of the S-Voice and the probable dip in the expected sell figures.
S-Voice is similar to Siri and just like its Apple counterpart; it is deeply integrated with its OS to provide excellent results. It lets you do all sort of things like asking directions, checking for hotels nearby and so on. Think about it, how cool it would be to ask your phone how to go at some place and your phone smartly replying the shortest way to get there and any other additional things about that place.

However S-Voice has some serious drawbacks. First thing as said earlier, it crashes when used continuously for more than 45 minutes. Secondly S-Voice does not immitate real person, rather it feels like you are talking to machine. For example, with Siri you can ask anything and it would provide you some response with personal message attached to it. But S-Voice will just give the exact answer to your question and that’s pretty uncool. Thirdly, Samsung’s S-Voice looks pretty much similar to Siri which includes the same speaker icon for activation and so on.
To draw conclusion from whatever I said up till now, S-Voice is a good competitor for Siri but only if it gets better in next version. Ottherwise I don’t think of any company who could provide tough fight to Apple’ Siri.
Google Play gets in-app subscriptions
 Google has announced that the Google Play market will now support in-app subscriptions. Previously, only a year a ago Google had introduced in-app billing, in the Android Market.
Through in-app subscriptions, Google is touting a business model for developers, especially for content publishers. The developer will be able to use in-app billing to activate in-app subscriptions from inside their apps. All subscriptions will be auto-renewing and it will be applicable to each and every app, including games.

                       
The app will highlight subscription options of the Play store with all details like renewal and billing intervals being highlighted. The Play store will keep the user abreast with all the latest updates regarding billing, renewal and charges. This will also include sending emails after every renewal similar to iTunes.
Google says, developers can use them to monetize premium dynamic content such as journals and magazines, but they can also use them to sell access to bundled products, game levels, music and video content, value-added services, or any other digital content.
Using HTTP-based publisher APIs, subscriptions on the Play store can be carried through multiple platforms and developers can extend access to their web properties via their Android apps.

                                     
To get the ball rolling, Google has announced that Glu mobile is launching updated versions of its Android apps including Frontline Commando, which will offer subscriptions through custom VIP currency packages.
The update is being rolled out to Google Play 3.5 or higher and users can access this feature starting today, as Google rolls out the update.