How to add attachments to e mails with the Samsung Galaxy S2

We recently looked at how to send MMS messages with the Samsung Galaxy S2 to share your pictures with a friend, an alternative option is sending them the image by E-mail using either Mobile Internet or Wi-Fi. Were only going to be looking at doing it via the Gmail system (click on the Gmail icon on your phone to access this) which should open something similar to the image on the right side of page you can see). If you press he phones menu button you can open up the small menu at the bottom of the phone and from that you need to click compose.

The compose screen looks a little bit like this, though again you need to press the "menu" button to open up the small selection of options at the bottom. Here you need to press on the "Attach" option which will then allow you to add images or anything else you would like to send.

When attached you should add your subject, your recipient and any text you wish to add (looking something like the image to the right) before pressing on the "Send" icon at the top of the screen. The send icon is the one with an envelope (the one with a floppy Disk is the draft option). The actual writing of an e-mail is easy and your contacts are easy to sync with your e-mail account or even your facebook account.

The advantage of sending E-mails instead of MMS will be looked at shortly in our next piece.

Samsung Galaxy J7 CPU Central Processing Unit And GPU Graphics Processing Unit

CPU (Central Processing Unit) : otherwise known as a processor - is an electronic circuit that can execute computer programs. Both the miniaturization and standardization of CPUs have increased their presence far beyond the limited application of dedicated computing machines. Modern microprocessors appear in everything from automobiles to mobile phones.

The clock rate is one of the main characteristics of the CPU when performance is concerned. Clock rate is the fundamental rate in cycles per second (measured in hertz, kilohertz, megahertz or gigahertz) for the frequency of the clock in any synchronous circuit. A single clock cycle (typically shorter than a nanosecond in modern non-embedded microprocessors) toggles between a logical zero and a logical one state.

With any particular CPU, replacing the crystal with another crystal that oscillates with twice the frequency will generally make the CPU run with twice the performance. It will also make the CPU produce roughly twic e the amount of waste heat.

Engineers are working hard to push the boundaries of the current architectures and are constantly searching for new ways to design CPUs that tick a little quicker or use slightly less energy per clock. This produces new cooler CPUs that can run at higher clock rates.

Scientists also continue to search for new designs that allow CPUs to run at the same or at a lower clock rate as older CPUs, but which get more instructions completed per clock cycle.

The clock rate of a processor is only useful for providing comparisons between computer chips in the same processor family and generation.

Clock rates can be very misleading since the amount of work different computer chips can do in one cycle varies. Clock rates should not be used when comparing different computers or different processor families. Rather, some kind of software benchmarks should be used.

Smartphones are equipped with more advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming.

The performance of the CPU thats at the core of the chipset is vital for the daily user experience and the general computing performance of the smartphone. People tend to use the clock rate of the main CPU to compare the performance of competing end products. But as we already pointed out, the clock rate o f a processor is only useful for providing performance comparisons between computer chips in the same processor family and generation. For all other purposes, its best to use software benchmarks for determining comparative performance.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) : is a specialized circuit designed to accelerate the image output in a frame buffer intended for output to a display.

GPUs are very efficient at manipulating com puter graphics and are generally more effective than general-purpose CPUs for algorithms where processing of large blocks of data is done in parallel.

Modern smartphones are equipped with advanced embedded chipsets that can do many different tasks depending on their programming. GPUs are an essential part of those chipsets and as mobile games are pushing the boundaries of their capabilities, the GPU performance is becoming increasingly important.

How to get around Vodafones Adult content filter

By default all phones on Vodafone have a rather annoying "Adult Content" lock which is there to prevent youngsters from getting on sites associated with pornography, gambling and other adult based websites. Whilst we understand the idea of doing this on PAYG (Pay As You Go) handsets we think its a bit stupid to have it on contract phones so we decided to try and find a "work around"...what we didnt realise was just HOW easy it was to get around.

The first option is that you connect your phone to the internet via Wi-Fi. This actually cuts out anything to do with your network, so obviously you wont be charged "Data" for using your own Wi-Fi and in many cases youll also likely get a quicker connection to the internet. The problem with just using Wi-Fi to get around the Adult Content is that you cant always be connected to Wi-Fi and this brings us nicely to option 2.

Option 2 is that you download the "Opera Mini" internet browser. Opera Min i, in one version or another, can be used with almost any phone capable of browsing the internet. For many smartphones you will find it on the associated "Store" or "Market" for older phones that can run Java visit http://www.opera.com/mobile/ on your PC (and see if a version is available for your phone). After installing Opera Mini you need to open it and then use it to visit a website, you should quickly realise that you can get on the previously prohibited website.

Opera Mini manages to get around Vodafones content filter as the Opera servers actually deal with your request (as opposed to Vodafones) this means that you are sent a website that Opera has processed (this saves you money on data as well as gets around the the pesky Adult Content warning). Rather interestingly the Chinese Government were afraid of Opera customers using Opera Mini to get around the "Great Firewall" in a similar manner to the way that users can use Opera Mini to get around Adu lt Content filters!

So next time you want to place a sneaky bet, look at something dirty or read up on drugs use Opera Mini.

*We do expect this to work on ANY networks using adult content filters but sadly were unable to test at the moment

Android Fix Unfortunately messaging has stopped error

While opening the default messaging or texting app on my Android smartphone, some users reported an error "unfortunately messaging has stopped" which caused the messaging app to crash every time users wanted to send an SMS or view incoming text messages. This is a common Android app bug which can be solved by applying some simple steps such as restarting your device, app clearing or installing a third party mobile messenger app. If you are one of those android users affected by the unfortunately messaging has stopped error message, here are some possible fixes:

How to fix Unfortunately messaging has stopped error on Android devices - smartphon es and tablets

Method 1:  Restart device

This is the simplest method but one that is most overlooked. Sometimes simply restarting your phone can fix the messaging has stopped error. 

Method 2: Clear cache and data 

1. Go to Settings >> Apps >> All
2. From the list of app select "Messages" (or any default app you use for texting on your phone)
3. Tap "Clear cache" and "Clear Data"
4. Now re start device and open your SMS or messaging app and send a message as a test

Method 3:  Installing third party, alternative SMS/messaging app

If it is your pre-installed or default messaging app that is crashing constantly or popping up error messages, it is time to try a third party messenger app. I am currently using Textra, which is a highly customization alternative to the default Android SMS app.  Just install such app and follow the onscreen information to set it as the new default messaging app.

Method 4: Check for system updates

A lot of the times such app crashes and errors start to appear after youve update your operating system to a newer version. This means the error is caused by a bug that was left unresolved in the new update. If that is the case, your device manufacturer will release another update soon to fix any issues in the earlier release. So head to settings >> systems >> device info >> check for updates. If there is any new update, install it.

Some blogs have also suggested going to Safe Mode, but I dont see how that fixes this issue. So we will skip that extra step.

How to uninstall Avast Safezone browser from your Windows PC

If you use Avast Antivirus or Internet Security, you will notice that the Avast Safezone browser gets automatically installed on your PC. Previously only the paid version came with this browser but now even the free version has it. However, most users prefer to use like Chrome, Firefox and Microsoft Edge as their default browsers instead of SafeZone browser which is Chromium based. While there is no issues with it, if you still want to remove Avast SafeZone browser without uninstalling Avast Antivirus or Avast Internet Security, here are the steps to do it:

Remove Avast SafeZone browser from Windows

1. Go to Control Panel (On Win 10, press windows (start) key and type control panel and select it)
2. Under Program >> Click “Uninstall a Program”
3. If you are in “small icons” view, Select “Programs and Features”
4. Now from the list of applications right click on Avast Antivirus or Avast Internet Security
5. You will see options to “Uninstall/change/repair”
6. Select “Change” and now you will see all the products installed by Avast on your PC
7. Uncheck “SafeZone browser” and other programs you don’t need
8. Click “Change”
9. Now SafeZone will be uninstall from Avast and your PC will restar t

Many software companies want their users to have new features or to test the new programs they have just released. And to test it out, they add these miscellaneous programs to their main program installation. That is why, you should always be careful to uncheck or de-select any unwanted programs such as browser toolbar, search bars, system cleaners etc. during software installation.

Fix Failed to install Windows 10 update KB3081704 Error 0x80070643

Many users who recently upgraded their Windows 7 or Windows 8.1  devices to Windows 10 are getting failed installation error while running Windows Update. KB3081704 and KB3081424 are some of the first updates that Windows 10 has received. However many users are unable to failed to install the KB3081704 update due to an Error 0x80070643. Fortunately, after a thorough research, I have found an easy fix for those who cannot install Windows 10 update due to various error codes. You just need to go to the registry and make a small tweak.

How to fix Windows 10 update install error 80070643 KB3081424  KB3081704  and other similar error codes

I tried several time to install the Windows 10 update but failed

This is the format of the error I got while trying to install this Windows 10 update:

Update for Windows 10 for x64-based Systems (KB3081704) - Error 0x80070643

Here are the easy steps to fix it:

1. Click Start >> Type “regedit” in the search bar >> Press enter 
2. Scroll down and locate this registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlBackupRestoreFilesNotToBackup 
3. If you cannot find the “FilesNotToBackup” subkey you have to add it. To do this: 
• Right click on Backup Restore >> Select "New" >> Click “Key” 
• Type FilesNotToBackup >> Press Enter 
4. If FilesNotToBackup is already there, close regedit 
5. Click Start >> Type services.msc >> Click OK 
6. Double click Background Intelligent Transfer Service 
7. Under the General tab, Click Start.
• Note: If it’s already on start, click stop and then again click start) 

Windows 10 update successfully installed :)

Now your Windows 10 update will be successfully installed. You can use the same method if you get similar update errors in the future. This method also solved error code 0X80246008. If it worked please let us know about it.

Check these screenshots if you are confused in the above steps.

Step 2 :  Finding "FilesNotToBackup" in Regedit

Step 6: Adding starting Background Intelligent Transfer Service

After the release of the new Lenovo Y50 and the new ASUS ROG GL551JW 2015 gaming laptops, Acer has also updated its popular V Nitro series laptops with the latest NVIDIA GTX 960M mid-range mobile graphics processor. While ASUS manufactures budget as well as high end gaming laptops, both Lenovo and Acer are focusing exclusively on the $1000-$1500 gaming laptop segment. The V Nitro series laptops come in 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch versions featuring different hardware configurations with the most expensive version sporting a 4 K UHD display, a Core i7-4720 processor, 16GB of memory and additional SSD storage. 

The model names of the latest 15-inch and 17-inch Acer V Nitro gaming laptops is "VN7-591G-729V" and "VN7-791G-79RV" respectively. These laptops are officially set to feature the mid-range GTX 960M graphics, but the prices are still not confirmed. However, the base model is expected to cost around $1099.99- going up to $1500 for the highest configuration. Some additional features on the V Nitro series of laptop include Intels RealSense 3D camera and a noiseless DustDefender fan for better heat dissipation. 

The following statement was released by Acer on its official website:

Acer V Nitro Black Edition notebooks featuring the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960M GPU will b e available this month in the U.S. at Newegg, Microsoft Stores and Micro Center with more to follow; MSRPs begin at$1,099.99. In Canada, they are available at Best Buy and Future Shop; MSRPs begin at $1,399.99. Source: Acer Press

Acer V Nitro 17.3-inch VN7-791G-79RV with GTX 960M

UPDATE: In earlier report, it was stated that the 17-inch Acer V Nitro GTX 960M would cost more than the 15-inch version. Both of these V Nitro laptops can now be found on the Acer website but the 17-inch VN7-791G-79RV is priced $1499.99 while the 15-inch VN7-591G-729V is priced higher at $1549.99. Except for the screen size, both laptops have identical specs including an Intel Core i7-4720HQ Quad-core 2.60 GHz processor, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB +256 GB HDD, and a Full HD IPS panel. However, since these laptops are still not on sale, the prices may change when they are actually available online. So far, with their latest 960M equipped ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS74 and the stylish Lenovo Y50 59440654, ASUS and Lenovo seem to be winning the price war against Acer. So why would you choose the pricier Acer V Nitro VS Lenovo Y50 VS ASUS ROG GL55JW GTX 960M laptop? The V Nitro series laptops, with their simple design, can easily blend into meetings and workplaces, while other gaming laptops have a rather distracting glowing badges and stealthy designs. If you already have a work laptop, you can save some money by purchasing  the ASUS ROG or Lenovo Y50 series laptops. But if you want a gaming machine in the skin of a business laptop, the V Nitro is an excellent choice.

Apple iPhone 6s review 3D Force Touch

3D Touch aims to be the next big thing

Currently 3D Touch gestures are available only on selected system app. You can use it on the lockscreen, the homescreen and within apps. We already talked about the lockscreen gimmick, lets see what it does on the homescreen.

Force pressing on the Message icon pops up a balloon with a New Message shortcut and a short list of your most recent messaging contacts. Force clicking on the Phone app gives you a - Create New Contact key and a short list of recently contacted people.

  

Applying force on the Calendar pops up New Event option; on the Clock - New Alarm/Start Timer/Stopwatch; on Maps - Directions to Home, Share location, drop pin and search nearby; on the Stores - Redeem and Search; on the Camera - Take Photo, Take Selfie, Record Video and Record Slow-mo.

    

Continuing on Safari - you get Show Reading List, Bookmark list, New Private tab and New tab; Mail offers shortcuts to Inbox, VIP, New message and Search; Music has Play Beats; and Notes - New Note, New Sketch and New Photo note.

  

As you can see those force taps on the homescreen are indeed useful sometimes, but are hardly something you cant live without. What really matters is what you can do within the apps with 3D Touch.

3D Touch is meant to allow you to get more content than you normally get on a screen, so that you can give it a quick glance and let it go - all of this with just one firm long press.

If you press hard on an email within the Mail app, first it will be selected by blurring all the others. Applying slightly more force will pop its contents into a balloon for you to see it. Here you can either apply more force to open the whole email, or release your finger thus youll be back on the email list.

   

While you are holding the Mail balloon open, you can swipe it up and youll get advanced options such as Reply, Forward, Mark, Notify Me and Move.

You can do the same on Messages - a firm press opens a preview of your most recent messages with this contact and if you keep pressing youll eventually open the full thread.

   

Tapping with force on a contact in the Phone app pops up Mail, Message and Call shortcuts. Tapping on a day in the Calendar pops up a preview of the days events and will eventually op en the full day view. The Notes app has the same logic.

    

Force touch on a photo in the gallery will pop up a photo preview. If you move your finger towards the top youll reveal a menu with copy, share and delete settings. If you swipe down or just release, youll put this photo back on the pile.

  

And if you opened the photo already, a strong Touch will invoke its Live Photo, if available.

Safari also takes advantage of Force Touch - hit a link firmly and you get a pop up with the linked page and if you like what you see you can press harder to open it, or just release it for discarding.

  

Finally, one of the most meaningful uses of the Force Touch is selecting text. If you do a standard tap and hold on text youll begin scrolling through the words. And when you apply force to activate the Force Touch, you begin text selection from this very moment. This eases the entire text selection process tremendously - just scroll to your desired place and force touch from there and continue scrolling until youre done.

Thats basically all of it at the moment - its not much and certainly most of the functionality feels, if you pardon the pun, forced rather than intuitive and helpful. However, we get the feeling that Apple is simply trying to give hints to developers with those. Those are just ideas with the hope that developers will actually put the feature to great use in their apps.

Given the chance, 3D Touch may turn to be a breakthrough that will shape smartphone usage for years to come. Similar to what Apple did with multi-touch or the fingerprint sensor.

How to fix unfortunately Gmail has stopped error on Android phone or tablet

The unfortunately Gmail has stopped error or Gmail stopped working error can occur if you recently updated your Android operating system to a newer version. This is also a common error among users who flash custom ROMs with incorrect GAPPs package. Due to this error Gmail app force closes every time you try to open it. Usually a simple reboot or wiping cache partition via recovery can fix the unfortunately Gmail has stopped error.  Other times users may need to do some more work. Here are some more methods to fix Gmail stopped working error on Android smartphone and tablets:

 Method 1: Clearing Gmail Cache and uninstalling update 

1. Go to Settings >>  Apps >> All 
2. Scroll down select "Gmail" >> Force stop 
3. Tap "Uninstall updates" >> "Clear Data"

Now try to open Gmail again and see if the error occurs. 

Method 2: For custom ROM users (Cyanogenmod, SlimROM, Paranoid Android etc)

First, download the correct GAPPs package for your Android operating system. Next, boot into recovery and flash the GAPPS package. Go to Advanced and Wipe Dalvik cache and wipe cache partition. Also "fix permissions" if you have that option.

If you have other solutions for the "unfortunately Gmail has stopped" error, please mention them in the comments. Related: How to fix unfortunately Chrome has stopped error on Android  

Where did I get all these extra pictures from

If you are using a Samsung Galaxy S2 (and I presume any phone running Android 3.5) you may have recently noticed your Gallery has a number of new albums and a host of new pictures, as if theyve appeared randomly. What you may have noticed about each of those new albums is they have a small white logo on them that looks oddly enough like the Picasa logo (feel free to visit http://picasa.google.com/ if you wish to check the logo). Now, although Im not 100% certain, it does appear that the update to 3.5 now allows you to access your Picasa/Blogger/Google+ images directly from your phones "Gallery".

Although Ive not done a huge amount of testing with this and it may require specific settings to do, it could well explain why so many people have suddenly seen the amount of images on their phone jump from a few hundred to thousands almost over night.

This shouldnt be a major issue for many people though it is worth noting that all your blogs pictures are now on your p hone (which means I have over 600 from this blog!)

How to turn on or off LED notifications on a Samsung Galaxy S4

If youve recently got yourself a Samsung Galaxy S4 you may well have noticed a light from near the top of the phone flashing at you at various times. This light is an LED indicator, or notification light. Its use, as you may have guess is to notify you, the owner and user of the device, of various things.

Most of the time the little flashing (or sometimes solid) light is incredibly useful. It makes you aware of something that could well be of importance. Other times however its a nuisance, a pest and something that is just starting to irritate you slightly (for example it keeps flashing when youre trying to sleep). Thankfully the phone has a way to turn the LED notifications on and off at will.

First you will need to access the setti ngs menu. To do this you will
need to start at a homescreen and then press the phones "Menu" button. From the pop up menu you will need to select "Settings".

When youve accessed the "Settings" menu, you will get a screen like the one on the right hand side full of options and with 4 tabs along the top. From this screen you need to select the second tab along, the one called "My device".

When you select "My device" you will see a new list of options. From this list you need to select the 3rd one down ("LED indicator"). The option, as you can see in the screenshot, has 3 circles next to it.






After selecting the "LED indicator" option you will be taken to a new screen with 4 tick boxes and 4 statements. From this screen you can select various situations for when the LED will light up and choose when it doesnt light up.

If the box is ticked (as you can see in 3 of the options in the screenshot) the light will flash, if the box is unticked then the light will remain off.

This mini option doesnt include all the possibilities for when the indicator will flash but it does include the main "system" ones. You can then go in to certain apps (i.e. Kik or Facebook) and choose to turn them off from their as well.