Google Play Offers A Week of Special Deals and Discounts to Celebrate Its First Birthday

As we all know, the internet giant Google often celebrates its achievements with gift giving! Now it is another big news from Google Play that Google wrote today "Since the best parties are the ones that send you home with a present, today we celebrate our birthday with a festive goodie bag full of gifts"!

From now on, Google has started to offer a week of special deals and big discounts in its digital content and app store! In other words, once again we can get lots of cheaper and even free music, movies, apps and more from Google Play Store!

We will find special deals on games, music, movies, TV books and more during this time-limited promotion! Some great games are offered as gifts for Google Play's 1st birthday, and each of these games has some custom content for this birthday! What's more, there are a number of free TV Shows among the gifts! And some wonderful music are also given with big discounts! In addition, if Android users install and book your hotels through the app "Hotels.com", they can save 10% for a limited time.

Want more surprising gifts from Google first birthday and save more cash? Just go to the promotion page of Google Play and learn more!

"It's been an incredible first year", Google said. The world witnessed the glorious year of Google and Android in 2012, and the amazing digital shop Google Play was launched a year ago to cope with the rapid growth of Android Market and compete with Apple's iTunes!

Google Play Tips: Tips before Buying An App and Requesting Refund!

For Android users, searching for apps in Google Play may be a common thing they do in daily life! Sometime you can’t decide whether buying a new app or not, and unluckily the newly installed apps couldn’t satisfy them and bring troubles to your Android devices! To save unnecessary money, you need to know what to do before purchasing an app and even how to returning the app and request refund from Google Play or Developers!

What you should do before buying an app from Google Play?

Focusing on features between free and paid versions

This is a most important part before buy an app, but you should pay much attention on those key features of the app, especially different features between free and paid version. you may think an app is relatively cheap and is worthy to buy. However, for some free apps, you'll find that the only difference is that they are ad-supported. Upgrading to full version will remove the ads and nothing else. In addition, some apps with full version will provide some key and extra features, but actually the free version has met user’s need!

Similar apps from different developers

If you are a loyal fan of some developers, it is not necessary to comparing similar apps from different developers since you believe in those developers and are familiar with their user interface! But, if money and factions are the only things you care about, you should compare those apps from different developers, and you will find cheaper and useful app!

Check comments from review, feedback and social media options

If you are still not sure whether to buy an app, why not search and get more comments from other old users. You can just read the users review or feedback on Google play. In addition, if it is still a little expensive for you, you also can ask options from social media users by means of just input the app’s name into Facebook or Twitter.

Sales promotion!

You may be so lucky to find the sales promotion of this app in Google Play. However, we all know that Amazon has its own Android app market, and you will find more promotions from the same developers. By the way, some sites such as FreeAppADay and AppShopper also run free giveaway for some apps every day!

Returning apps and get your money back

A full refund within 15 minutes from the time of download

Some Android users may not know that Google Play allows users uninstall and get a full refund within 15 minutes from the time of download. During the 15 minute return period, users can find a 15 minutes refund window in the Google Play Store app from devices. The other method is to log onto your account from web browser, select My Order & Settings in the bottom of the page and choose Report a problem by closing to the app you want to return.

Refund from developers after the 15 minutes ends

When you scroll down the page of the app in Google Play, you will find the detailed information about the developer, like email address, phone number and social networking account. Just contact the developer and ask refund. What’s should mentioned is that not all refund reasons work and they still have the right of final explanation whether approving your refund or not. So before contacting them, you should make sure you got an eligible enough issue for the refund, like freezing your device after installing!

The above tips are some practical but personal options, and some users may have known those tips early. Good luck for you and may you save more money! 

What We Have Known for the Rumored iPad Mini and Next Google Nexus Smartphone Next Week!

Luckily we have seen that so many smartphones and tablets have been unveiled together before October, phones like iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 920, HTC 8X and tablets such as Kindle Fire HD, Nook book and Microsoft Surface and so on. But we are consumers and we hope we own more choices and get the best product at less price. Naturally we are still looking forward to more eye-catching smart products! So let’s have a review of the rumored phones and tablets we are waiting for and what we expect from them! 

iPad mini

It is a fact that most Apple fans were disappointed for the Apple Event last month. Almost every detail of Apple's latest phone had been thoroughly leaked before the reveal, making it a somewhat less exciting event than in the past. While the smaller iPad, iPad mini, which has been rumored for several months by much of the world, hadn’t appeared.

However, it may be really happening. Apple will hold an event on October 23rd to announce the long-rumored, smaller iPad. As we know, Apple feels threatened by the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 and of course wants to put the hurt on Microsoft's Surface.

What we possibly have known:

Releasing time: October 23rd
Display: 7.85-inch with 1024 x 768 screen and the same 163 ppi of the pre-Retina  display
Price: about $200
Others: Apple's 32nm dual-core A5 processor, Lightning dock connector, Front and rear cameras and Ultra-thin design.

Next Google Nexus smartphone: LG Nexus 4

Rumors say that Google is planning to release a new Nexus smartphone at Google’s event at the end of the month. Generally speaking, the Nexus devices are used to showcase the latest version of Android. The HTC Nexus One introduced Android 2.1 in January 2010. The Samsung Nexus S introduced Android 2.3 in December 2010. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus introduced Android 4.0 in November 2011. Each Nexus phone has held “flagship” status. So if Google is really going to release the latest version of Android 4.2, the next Google Nexus Phone will be unveiled at the same time.

There are many resource confirming that LG will finally get its own Nexus smartphone based on its recently unveiled flagship Optimus G. But Google and LG haven't yet come up with a name for the product. 

What we have known about the next Google Nexus Phone:
(Similar to the LG Optimus G, a modified version)

1. Android 4.2
2. Qualcomm's Snapdragon quad-core processor
3. RAM with 2 gigabytes, no microSD slot and only 8GB to 16GB of internal storage
4. 1,280x768 True-High Definition IPS display with an 8-megapixel camera.

However, instead of partnering with a single handset manufacturer to launch a single flagship Nexus phone, Google could release as many as five Nexus-branded smartphones. "We challenge all our partners that want to work with us on a Nexus product to push the envelope," a director of Android Partner Engineering for Google said to CNET!

How to Install Google Play Store on Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7''

If you are user of the Kindle Fire HD 7'', you must note that You can install only the apps from Amazon App Store and Amazon doesn't allow you to get any app from the Google Play Store. But the Internet is a world of wonder and you can find almost anything you want. Now there is great guide from a hack of XDA Forum that will tell you in details how to install the Google Play Store on your Kindle Fire HD 7''. In other words , you still can install some Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Google+ and enjoy millions of Android apps. Here we will share the following guide with you!

How to install Google Play Store on Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7''

Warning:

• This is a guide for advanced users and you shouldn't attempt to install these files if you don't want to risk your device's OS. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• Remember that you cannot restore your system folder after applying all these hacks.

Preparation:

• Root your tablet (Click the link).
• Download ES File Explorer from Amazon's App Store and install it on your tablet.
• Charge the tablet's battery in case that it won't power during the installation of Google Play Store and Google Apps.
• Download the following .apk files to your computer: Google Services Framework, Vending, Google Play Store
• Backup all personal data on your tablet to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.

Steps:

1. Connect your Kindle Fire HD tablet to your PC. Then move the Google Services Framework, Vending, and the Google Play Store APK files to your tablet's internal SD card.
2. Disconnect the tablet from PC and launch ES File Explorer on your tablet
3. Open the Settings menu in ES File Explorer and go head on to Settings > Root settings > Root explorer. Then enable 'Root Explorer' option and then confirm this action. Now click 'Allow' on the pop-up screen to grant root access for ES File Explorer.
4. Enable “Up to Root” and “Mount File System”. After enabling both, close the Settings option and return to the main screen of ES File Explorer.
5. Browse the folders and find the location where you've placed the files at step 1.
6. Tap on the GoogleServicesFramework.apk file to install it on your tablet.
7. Once installation is complete, long press on the Vending.apk file and select “Copy”.
8. Press the Up button located on the top of the screen until you see folders named acct and cache.
9. Look for the /settings/app folder. Open the folder and paste the Vending.apk file in it.
10. After copying, long press on the Vending.apk file. Click on Properties then click Change. Now you should see a screen that says 'USER', 'GROUP', 'OTHER'. For USER line select only 'read' and 'write' options, while for GROUP and OTHER select only the 'read' option. Do not enable any other checkboxes. After you're done, tap the 'Close' button on Properties.
11. Tap on the Vending.apk file file once again to start installing it. You will have the Android Market app after the installation.
12. Exit the ES File Explorer and launch the Android Market found on the apps menu.
13. Set up Android Market by providing your Google account details.
14. Once set up is complete, close the application and go back to ES File Explorer.
15. Navigate to where you copied the Gplay3.8.17.apk file. Tap on the file to start installing it to your tablet. This will upgrade your Android Market to Google Play Store.

You can now download lots of apps to your 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD from the Google Play Store. By the way, Note that this guide won't change your device's Android OS version and it isn't a Firmware upgrade. It is simply a guide for installing the Google Play Store on a device that has the Amazon App Store set as default.

More Tips you should know:

Top Five Android Office Apps You Shouldn’t Miss! 

Top Browsers Supporting Flash for iOS 6 Devices 

How to Copy Music from iPod to PC for Free 

The Full Guide to Transfer eBooks to iPad for Reading on iBook 

How to Transfer Videos and Music from iPhone 5 to Computer

 

Best Halloween Costumes Idea 2012[VIDEO] - Creating Horror Halloween Costumes with iPhone or Android Devices

Are you still wondering ideas for a unique and horror Halloween costumes?

As technology updates and smart devices is popular, we can create more and more horror Halloween costumes with the help of some Halloween costumes applications or just surfing internet for Halloween costumes ideas.

So this key point of this blog is telling you how to use your iPhone or Android devices to help create horror Halloween costumes. First of all, please take some minutes to watch the following video and you will be surprised by this awesome Halloween costumes idea.


Yup! Great Halloween idea! In the above video, an awesome app is mentioned, called Digital Dudz, which is free available now on the Apple or Google Play stores. The Digital Dudz provides various cool effects and also some Halloween T-shirts for purchasing!

How: Team it up with one of the many shirt options, and cut out a few holes on your T-shirt, then hide your phone or tablets to the inside of your shirt and BAM.

You will become the hottest star on the Halloween Party!

More Halloween apps:

Top Free Halloween Apps for iPhone and iPad 

Funny Free Android Halloween Games for Kids

 

Top New Free Apps for Android This Week: Roku (Update), the Bard's Tale, Subway Surfers, and Bike Race Free

The September flies away soon and here are best new Android apps for the last week, including Roku (Update), The Bard's Tale, Subway Surfers, and Bike Race Free. Roku is a useful complement to watch your TV. And others are all games. These new apps are great and worthy to download to your Android devices.

1.  Roku

Are you complaining the remote control at home? If you're a Roku user, now you can turn your Android devices as a smart control center for your Roku streaming player. With this app, you can browse and add over 500 Roku channels in the Roku Channel Store, and also enjoy your Android phone's photos and music on your Roku player.


2. The Bard's Tale

Play The Bard’s Tale and you will prepare to immerse yourself in over 20-30 hours of adventure. You will choose from 50 enemy types and a vast world to explore with towns, wild forests, rivers, castles, and more will add your happiness and surprise. In Google Play you will find out more features of the new Android version.


3. Subway Surfers

It is a awesome game in which a fun, free endless runner keeps things simple but is also very addictive. You will help Jake to escape from the grumpy Inspector and his Pit-bull dog. And like movie scenes, you have to DASH as fast as you can and DODGE the oncoming trains. Now it is time to challenge with your friends.



4. Bike Race Free - Top Free Game

Here drive your bike through 64 challenging tracks with jumps and loops. It is simple and fast-paced physics-based free game and supports Multiplayer Mode. It will bring us much fun from biking.

iPhone 5 VS Samsung Galaxy S3: Surviving Together!

The new iPhone 5 has come into rivalry in the smartphone Universe. Once again rumors win, and its announcement conforms much to the rumors. It’s certainly an improvement on the iPhone 4S and will be selling well, but it lacks the knockout, gasp-inducing features that Apple followers expect and other opponents fear. In a word, Samsung Galaxy S3 will still survive together with iPhone 5, and Apple leaves time and room for Nokia and Samsung for the future. Let's take a comparison between iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3.

                          Size and screen

iPhone 5 features a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels and the same 326 ppi Retina display as before. Any manufacturers can make larger phones, but keeping them thinner and lighter will be an issue! Apple has achieved it!

How about Galaxy S3? S3 uses a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution and features a 302 PPI (Pixel Per Inch) density.

iPhone 5 is designed all in a beautiful aluminum body and made with an unprecedented level of precision. If you want a more compact (slim and pocketable) design, iPhone 5 meets your needs.

Most feelings from the screens of both flagships could be similar. Which one to choose maybe depend on consumers’ preference on size and     design.

CPU and related hardware

With the all-new A6 chip, as announced, iPhone 5 will offer speed of up to twice as fast compared with the A5 chip, whatever you do. And users can get faster graphics performance than before. But what is important is that it requires less power.

Samsung Galaxy S3 features the Exynos 4412 Quad SoC from Samsung, 1.4 quad-core A9 processor and a Mali 400MP GPU, for its international version. The U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 (an LTE capable version) is based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 SoC with a 1.5GHz dual-core Krait CPU and an Adreno 220 GPU.

S3 has been in the market for months. How fast it runs is fact for all. We still have to wait for and look forward to the amazing speed from iPhone 5 by the end of this month. But so far it is hard to say any “final” words.

OS

We should keep in mind that at the core of every iPhone and iPad is iOS. It includes all the built-in apps you use every day and all the intuitive technology — like Multi-Touch and Siri. And Apple says iOS 6 is the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. Indeed we can’t ignore and neglect the effects from every updates of iOS. Then Siri starts the voice-controlling trend and now it updates much.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is currently officially using Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is expected to get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at some point in October. Obviously the Android is absolutely great rival for iOS. It also offers millions of apps at Google Play. Any apps iTunes has will exist similarly in Android devices. Of course, S3 owns the feature of Smart Actions, too. The S Voice feature also helps users a lot and is unique enough.

Other improvements

Apple fans are glad to see that iPhone 5 has support for 4G LTE and dual-band Wi-Fi as expected. However the US version of Galaxy S3 has the same thing. What we can wait in hope is that the new A6 can assist iPhone 5 to beat S3 down.

In addition, iPhone 5 still offer users an 8-megapixel camera and 1080p HD video recording but with three microphones now, improved speakers and smaller dock connector. Comparing with Galaxy S3, these improvements of iPhone 5 seems pretty much normal. Another thing to mention is that the camera from Nokia Lumia 920 is more amazing. Besides, S3 supports NFC. Both phones can’t play Flash on themselves.

That’s all! All about iPhone 5 are improvements of iPhone 4S and are all out-innovated for Samsung!

In all, the "final verdict" is too early for this comparison. What we know is that they will survive together. Only if some day Apple could play DVD on iPhone, that would be great and end-all breakout! 

Amazon Kindle Fire HD VS Google Nexus 7: Which Is Your Own Taste?

The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD, the world's most-advanced 7" tablet as Amazon announces, has surfaced with other Kindle Fire members, Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G and Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Wi-Fi.

Obviously the Kindle Fire HD will fight into the heated competition among a list of tablets in recent months. Comparing with other tablets, Amazon's brand new Kindle Fire HD and Google's Nexus 7 are natural head-to-head competitors. Even though they are entirely different beasts relying on the respective strengths of the parent companies, they're both 7-inch tablets with Android under the hood, close specs and seductive price tags. 

However, which of these $199 tablets is right for you? It's a tough choice, so let's weigh the strengths and weaknesses and check out how Amazon can compete with Nexus 7 or even legendary iPad mini.

                                                                                 

              Hardware and Specs

In terms of hardware, the Kindle Fire HD has a few features that the Nexus 7 can't boast. It features with exclusive Dolby audio and dual-driver stereo speakers for immersive surround sound. It is actually the world's first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi announcing 40% faster downloads and streaming than others. Its 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with Imagination PowerVR 3D graphics core will offer you fast and fluid performance than the speedy Nexus 7's Tegra 3. But we still have to wait for true experience when it is available. 

 In addition, different connectivity shows HDMI-out port with Kindle Fire HD and NFC with Nexus 7. When it comes to space for movies, games, and music, the former packs 16GB with the price of $199 and the same 16GB with higher price for the latter. To be mentionable, users can get free unlimited cloud storage for all Amazon content. So in this round the Kindle Fire HD wins.

                                                           
                                                                   

Entertainment and Apps: 

       Amazon.com vs. Google Play

If your main use for a tablet is entertainment, there's plenty to love about the Kindle Fire HD. The tablet is tied to Amazon's much-beloved ecosystem including over 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines, books, audiobooks, and popular apps and games such as HBO GO, Pandora, and Angry Birds Space. Amazon's Prime service also offers great services, such as free streaming-video content and free books from Amazon's lending library.

If you pay more attention on apps, obviously Google's Nexus 7 has all Android-based apps from Google Play at its fingertips. Amazon's got the entertainment, but its app marketplace is no Google Play.

Besides, no matter users want to watch MKV and DVD on Kindle Fire or Nexus 7, no doubt it is better to convert those HD files.

Great performance from software tricks: Whispersync, X-Ray, FreeTime vs. Google Now on Android 4.1

A new feature of the Kindle Fire HD called FreeTime is a set of parental controls that lets parents set limits on time and content for their children. Amazon's Whispersync system allows gamers to save their progress and helps book fans jump back and forth between written and audio forms of some book titles. And the expansion of Amazon's X-Ray feature gives fans behind-the-scenes information on their favorite movies and TV shows, in addition to e-book analysis.

But It the Google Nexus 7 runs Google's most advanced version of the Android 4.1 operating system, Jellybean, which includes advanced features such as voice commands, NFC, GPS and context-aware information though the Google Now dashboard.

Others:

Can the Kindle Fire HD play flash? As we all know, Google and Apple both abandon the Adobe Flash. Maybe the Kindle Fire HD support flash, on the contrary we should takes some methods to play Flash/SWF on Google Nexus 7.

Summary:

The Kindle Fire HD is designed amazingly for serves of reading, watching and the web. And the Google Nexus 7 comes for Google Play and helps users enjoy perfect experience from Android system.

The real magic of the Kindle Fire HD is also a service. So a strong choice for anyone who primarily uses a tablet for entertainment and consumption will be the Kindle Fire HD. And Google Play has some must-have apps you can't get on Amazon, which might be the tipping point. So if you use a tablet more like a smartphone or a computer, the Google Nexus 7 wins hands down on your cash.