Best Fitness Apps for Smartphone

Aside from all the useful and interesting things that smartphones are enabling you to do they are also quite capable of helping you stay healthy and active. Even though most of us know the value of workout and remaining active, not all of us can be bothered to actually exercise as often as we should. This is the greatest thing about apps of this type, while some of them simply give you instructions on how to do some exercises other are actually capable of making your exercise regime more efficient, or even helping you make it more interesting. Regardless of your preferred activity, you can be sure that there are at least some apps that could help you with your favored routine, and we have listed some that have been shown to be effective.

1) Fitocracy

One of the apps that is meant to motivate the user to work harder and strive for better results, Fitocracy does this by allowing you to share your results with the community of other users of this app. Regardless of your discipline, chances are that there will enough other users to create a healthy competitive atmosphere that will make you push harder to reach the top of the charts. Additionally, you also easily post your results on Facebook, informing your friends of your success. The app is completely free and is available for both iOS and Android devices.

2) MyFitnessPal

This app is more focused on your proper nutrition than the exercise regimes. It allows you to easily track your intake of calories, by offering a bar code scanner and a huge database of different types of food. It is great for keeping an eye on your calorie intake and really helps you reach your weight goals, without having to spend too much time on dealing with actual numbers. MyFitnessPal is available for both Android and iOS, and is absolutely free.

3) Nutrition Tips

Another app that is more focused on helping you with your diet decisions than your workout, Nutrition Tips gives you a bunch of useful advice on proper handling of your nutrition. The app is packed with interesting info on different types of food, and can really make a huge difference in your diet. This free app is only available for iOS platform.

4) Couch To 5K

A great instructional app that allows you to go from zero to running 5 km in no time. The app’s program guides you through a nine week regime that gradually becomes more demanding, until you are able to run the full distance with no problem. Apart from motivating the user, it also prevents you from straining yourself too much, or being too slow in your progress. Available for both Android and iOS, Couch To 5K is another amazing free app.

5) Workout Trainer

If your excuse for not exercising was that you can’t hire a private trainer and you simply don’t know how to do the exercises properly, this app maybe the thing that will finally make you start working out. It holds a database of all the exercises that you may ever need, with detailed and clear instructions of how to do them without injuring yourself or risk working out with no effect. Another free app that is available both on iOS and Android devices.

Author Bio:

Article by Samuel Evans blogger and writer . Samuel currently exploring everything related to mobile phones and gadgets.

Android Apps To Create Music

"Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife." Kahlil Gibran.

Everybody loves music. In one form or another we are all addicted to our favourite songs. Pop music, Hip-Hop, Jazz music or Rock'n'Roll – they are all great.

In recent years modern technology becomes more and more innovative. Especially when it comes to mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones etc..

Android, iOS' biggest competitor, is undoubtedly the most popular platform for mobile devices. Every month they release thousands of new applications and always find a way to surprise us. Travel applications, which help you explore the most interesting and captivating places on Earth; business apps, which are must-haves if you are running your own business; educational apps; fitness apps; games... the list is so large that we can hardly find such a big variety of categories to classify all the different opportunities that Android offers us. Today we have decided to select for you the best music making apps. No matter if you are at home or on the road – these applications are amazing and you can be sure that you will spend hours enjoying your favorite hobby with them. Here is our short list:

1) PocketBand Pro

Here is our first suggestion! PocketBand Pro is an amazing application that allows you to “Build high quality tracks as a sequence of loops, mixing synths,drums, audio recordings, analog modulators and arpeggiators. Apply FX to channels and export to mp3 or ringtones. Also play and collaborate in our community.” (quote directly form Play Store). Unfortunately, it is not free – it costs $9.99, but it is really worth the money. It works on Android 1.6 and above and it is among the most popular making music apps.

2) Image-Line FL Studio Mobile

As almost every other Android application, this one has an iOS twin too – FL Studio Mobile. However, the interface is a bit different. It has a wonderful selection of built-in sounds and gives you the opportunity to create your own tracks. All you need to do is let your imagination fly and put all of your creative ideas in practise. The application costs only $19.99 and runs on Android 2.3.3 and above.

3) Solo

Here is another fantastic program. If you love playing the guitar, then this is the best choice for you. Solo gives you the opportunity to carry your own guitar everywhere you go. Classical guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar – they all sound realistic. You will spend hours creating your own projects. Also, the app will show you the exact place to put your fingers. After the latest updates, Solo has added toddler settings and variable auto strum speed. It is the cheapest application in our list – only $3.99 and works on Android 1.6 or later.

4) Caustic 2

We left this one for a dessert since it is our favourite. Inspired by synthesizers, this great application has a wonderful design. And although the overall interface looks a bit complicated, once you download it you will see that in fact it is very easy to use. The program is absolutely free and runs on Android 2.1 or later.

Author Bio:

Rose Finchley loves to write about technology. She works in the support team of http://www.perfectcleaning.org.uk/end-of-tenancy-cleaning-hornsey-n8 and she loves her job.

Be a Responsible Parent- Get a Mobile Spy App

Being a responsible parent does not only mean to raise your children with healthy food, respectable shelter and get them to reach high academic levels, it also means to get them to know the difference between good and bad, and save them from the social evils around them.

Many parents focus on the academic achievements of their children. Often such standards get the children under pressure and cause them to lose their understanding of the social and moral etiquettes. For instance, children might start taking drugs to relieve the academic tension they constantly undergo in their houses and schools. Also, they might start hanging out with dealers who offer unfair means to pass in exams and tests. All these activities are prevalent in children who are constantly forced by their parents to improve in their studies.

Mobile spy application can be purchased at a reasonable price, considering the company is chosen smartly. Many spy app developers out there offer almost all features for a low price package. Parents out there who are on a budget constraint should consider buying and experimenting with one of the trustable spy software first. The software can be installed on the children's mobile phone easily. As soon as the software is installed on the handset it starts functioning. This functioning includes recording the data of all activity and then transferring it to an online account. This online account can, of course, be only accessed by the parents who purchased the spy software.

Parents can keep a check on all the people their children are staying in contact with. All the calls that are being made, what timings they are made at and to whom, everything can be checked by parents. If any mysterious texts messages are being exchanged by your children make sure you take the necessary and immediate steps.

Spy software also allows parents to track down each and every step of their children by using the geographical tracker in the application. This tracker will update parents about all the locations being visited by their teenagers. So now there is a clear short cut to know whether your teenager is partying at night club or studying in the college library. Even better or worse maybe, your children could be involved in some illegal activity to earn cash. Track all these people down who are after your children to get their path straight.

There are times when parents simply want to make sure that the friends their children hang out with are of proper upbringing themselves. Now of course these children will hardly pull out a word of 'hello' in front of you, but could be loading your children with weird thoughts and notions behind your back. But fret not, since this very handy mobile phone will help you with this situation. Many spy software companies now offer the feature of live audio recording. This live audio recording system can be put to start manually, at any time, from anywhere. Once switched on, all the surrounding sounds can be listened to as audio recordings. These audio recordings are uploaded on the same accounts the parents access rest of the information from.

So with all these benefits, it is hardly a surprise that many parents are now easily monitoring their children's activities from their homes. No need to ruin dinners with interrogative questioning sessions, simply pull out your laptop and spy on your child without him/her ever coming to know about it. They are your responsibility and with the help of a mobile spy application, you can carry out your responsibility better than ever before.

Image Credit: Source.

The Basics of PC Utilities Software

PC system utilities are programs that encompass several applications that help clean up and fix numerous computer issues. While most PC utility software programs differ greatly in the services that they offer, there are several basic functions common to the majority of these programs.

Registry Fix:

Your registry is constantly changing with updates, new registry entries and deletion of old entries. Because of this, there are usually numerous entries in your registry that are very old, useless or corrupted, and these entries can create numerous errors. Your registry is a vital part of your computer, and it can easily be harmful to your computer to delete registry files that are necessary. Instead of trying to clean the registry manually, PC utilities software can scan and detect which files need to be removed and which files need to stay without harming your computer.

On the chance that the removal does damage your computer, there is usually the option to restore the registry to a backup file that was made before the cleaning process to return your computer to normal.

Junk File Cleaning:

Temporary files, cookies, recycle bin files and much more are all junk files that needlessly take up space in your computer. Not only does this rob you of hard drive space, but it may also significantly slow down your computer. A quick scan and sweep of the junk files can free up gigabytes of space and speed up your computer.

System Optimization:

You may not be using the best settings or options for your computing needs. System optimization tools can improve your Internet browsing, save laptop battery life, increase speed and more. You can also set the options to optimize performance for work related activities, gaming, typical home usage, server use and more.

Defragmentation:

As you add, change and delete files on your computer, these files fragment and spread out over your system. The more changes, additions and deletions are made, the more fragments are created. When too many fragments are created and when too many files are fragmented, it can slow down computer speed since it needs to find all of the fragments of a file in order to use it. Defragmentation software finds these fragments and puts them back together to create a more complete file allowing the computer to easily find and access the file.

Error Detection:

Though you may not always notice, your system may be dealing with errors that can be affecting performance or damaging files, programs or the entire system. Error detection finds and resolves errors found in your system. If it can't resolve the issue, it can usually provide the user with information on the error as a reference to fix it.

Why Do I Need PC Utility Software?

One of the most important times to get PC utility software is when you are dealing with a slow and problematic computer. A good utility software can remedy several problems that may be causing performance issues. Though a good utility software is a good start, it's also a good idea to get a quality antivirus software to ensure that no viruses are causing the issue. Antivirus software will also provide constant virus protection to keep your computer safe from future infections.

PC utilities software is also beneficial for anyone who wants to regularly maintain their computer. Regular computer maintenance is important to keep your computer running well for as long as possible and utility software is a great asset to have for maintenance.

If the software doesn't run regular scans, it's a good idea to run a scan at least once every week. If you run into any viruses or moderate to severe errors, it's also a good idea to run the software directly afterward to resolve additional errors and clean up junk which may have been created during the error.

Image Credit: Grant Cochrane.

3 iPhone Apps that Give You the Chance to Earn Money

iPhone app developers are not the only ones who can make money off of their applications. Some apps for iOS can actually help users earn money, as well. That said, if developers want to earn the most money, they need to make sure they employ the right marketing strategy. For instance, appnext.com is a leading social and mobile advertising network. appnext iphone ads can help developers make the most money possible through their smart targeting technology and advertising tools.

However, if you're a mobile user looking to gain a bit of cash or rewards from your apps, the following are some iPhone apps with these perks.

1) CheckPoints:

Earn points when you check into shopping malls, cafes, grocery stores, etc. To earn points that can later be redeemed for rewards, such as gift cards and other merchandise, scan the items you purchase and refer friends to take part in CheckPoints.

2) EasyShift:

Receive simple assignments and complete them (i.e. taking photos, giving an opinion, etc.). You are paid via PayPal after completing several tasks. The more you do the more you earn.

3) App Trailers:

Preview app trailers and obtain points for your efforts. Not only can you make your opinion count and assist app developers in improving their apps, but you get paid for viewing or tying out a demo.

Other rewarding apps include:

Gigwalk, Shopkick, Phewtick, GymPact, Field Agent, and Iconzoomer.


Image credit: thanunkorn.

The Cost of Maintaining Internet Safety

In today's quickly-moving business world, there are a great many potential threats to a growing company. A lot of these have come about in part because of the rise of the Internet. There are more and more reported instances of Internet crime each day. To help you get an idea of the scope of the problem, let's take a look at the states where Internet crime is reported with the greatest frequency. California takes the top spot, with 34,169 complaints reported in 2011. Florida takes second place with 20,034. It's fairly obvious that this is a growing threat.

In order to protect your data and your company's profitability, it's important to know how to protect your data, to know your rights, and to know how to avoid hefty fines. In order to combat the rising threat of Internet crime, the Communication Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) now requires telecommunications providers and equipment manufacturers to provide surveillance capabilities in their products so that federal agencies have the ability to monitor Internet and phone activity as well as VoIP traffic. It's a partnership that is taking great strides toward fighting the rise of Internet crime.

What does this mean for your business? In short, you need to ensure that your company is CALEA Compliant. The fines for ignoring this responsibility are hefty, often reaching up to $10,000 per day. The total consequences of failing to comply with CALEA standards can be as high as half a million dollars for a single breach of protocol. This is something worth taking very seriously, and hammers home the idea that everybody who participates in the Internet has a certain set of responsibilities to the greater community.

Source: GoWifi.

USB Flash Drives and the Digital Age

Professional photographers today are faced with two choices when it comes to digital storage – DVDs or USB flash drives. Clients want to know that the storage device you use will keep their pictures safe and secure, and they also want a device that gives them easy access to those pictures. Given these considerations, USB flash drives are the better option every time. On paper, DVDs might look like the better choice – they can hold about 100 pictures more than a flash drive, and they are certainly less expensive. However, it takes a lot longer to upload large blocks of information to a DVD and DVDs are more vulnerable to damage. Conversely, flash drives allow for a quicker upload of information, safer portability, and they are compatible with all kinds of devices, from smartphones to tablets. And in our digitally connected world, clients truly appreciate the convenience of being able to upload photographs instantly to their social media sites!

Created by the marketing team at Custom USB, this infographic provides detailed information and a comparison between DVDs and USB Flash Drives.

Everyone Is At Risk For Cyberattack

Homeland Security declared that October is National Cyber Security Month, which has inspired hackers across the globe to increase their nefarious efforts against secure accounts. According to Fox News, the initiation of this annual event - which is to spread awareness about the risks of surfing the Internet and how one person's computer can infect many more - has potentially compromised more users because of an underlying insinuation that the criminals who inspired this federal action felt baited.

According to the source, AVG and Avira, popular anti-virus software providers, were the victims of major cyberattacks. Although no end-users of these companies were affected by the hack, security expert Graham Cluley told the source that it is embarrassing for major security providers to be compromised in this way.

Who is vulnerable?

According to the Lane Report, individuals should be aware of the risks they're taking by simply browsing the Internet. In addition to security applications, such as password management software, an awareness of the risk can help prepare users for the harsh realities of cyber crime.

Everyone from casual Internet browsers to major corporations are at risk, as the above example Fox News example suggests. The source reported that hackers have developed new methods of producing income because of how simple it has become to acquire sensitive data, such as passwords and online authentication accounts. Additionally, it is becoming easier for the everyday person to turn to a life of cyber crime.

"If you can read, you can be a hacker, because you can pay money and they give you the instructions on how to run these hacking tools," David Montgomery, senior account manager for SDGblue, told the source.

According to the Lane Report, organized hacking has become a rising concern among businesses. Recently in New York, $45 million was stolen from automated teller machines by thieves who managed to acquire the personal passcodes of bank members.

Individuals should consider how their assets are stored online. As the risk for cyberattack is becoming more widespread with the advent of new mobile technologies, such as smartphones and tablets, it is important for Internet users to focus on how they're protecting themselves.

How To Use Google Analytics

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is an online tool that assists in collecting detailed data about website visitors. Once the Google analytics script is added to website source code, it is possible to track website traffic, traffic sources, as well as conversion rates and sales. Google Analytics is mainly designed to aid marketers and webmasters. As a basic service, it is available for free. The advanced version is available for some monthly fee. Advanced version provides many additional information than the basic version. Website owner must allow Google Analytics cookies in order to collect information.

How Google Analytics can help?

Google Analytics tool helps to track AdWords campaign and also to boost online marketing campaigns. Once a person has visits a website, Google analytics tool uses access logs to store visitors data on the server. The information is then analyzed in a particular way once it has been stored. Part of the information includes the time and date of visit, the browser type on the visitor’s end, and the operating system, just to mention a few.

Google Analytics tool has been applied to determine the number of visitors coming to a site. But this is just one feature that may not reveal what people do once they come to the site. Thus, it becomes necessary to track the pages they visit once they land on the website.

Online advertisements and marketing campaigns can be tracked through Google Analytics tool. Thanks to its ability to track visitor’s path through HTTP connections. People who know more about HTTP connections understand that it is simply a way through which computers communicate with each other.

Google Analytics can also help people calculate the following:

• Visit depth
• Bounce rates
• Repeat visitors
• Bounce rates
• Website loyalty, among other things
• Lead generation
• Sales

Google Analytics works for SEO because it is easy to use. It is possible to define a range of data when viewing statistics in different categories. Webmaster can navigate from general to more specific data on the tool. Google analytics also shows from where the visitors came from. Which also includes the Keywords they have used to find the site. This particular option is very important to rank higher in search engines for any particular keyword. However, the most important contribution of Google Analytics in Seo is to help website owners improve their marketing campaigns, advertisements and website visits by using statistics.

Google provides an improved version of Google Analytics tool, which can track even short activities on a particular website. It also loads faster. It is called Real time data. You can access visitors flow, number of visitors on site and many other useful data in real time using this new feature. It is possible to see where visitors are coming from, where they arrive and at what point they leave. Thus, by paying attention to each of the pages, webmaster can make necessary adjustments. This would result to more sales or conversion rates.

From the above discussion we can come to the conclusion that Google analytics has made the life of webmasters and marketers more easier. Read more information on Google Analytics here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Analytics

Image Credit: SmartPhotoStock.

Author Bio:

Author Matthew Anton is a seo expert. He loves to write posts on how Google analytics can be used to track seo data.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Google+ for Business

Since its beginnings, Google+ has had the unfortunate label of being like a step child in the social media family. Social network titans like Facebook and Twitter have always been more popular in the past for individuals and businesses alike.

But for anyone with an online business who wants their presence made online, Google+ has actually become a necessity for online marketing.

So, if you are running a new business and are overlooking your Google+ account, it’s probably because you assume that little to no value can come of it. But that’s the furthest from the truth; Google+ can make a big difference in your overall Google rankings, as well how you engage your target customers.

1) Creating a business page can improve your search appearance:

Have you ever looked up a business you were curious in, and saw the large rich snippet image appearing to the right of the screen? This is all tied to how Google finds your business, which can be easily modified when you create a Places for Businesses page.

Google will favor your business when you have a well-established Google+ page (alongside a Places page)— allowing more accurate search results when people search for your business.

In Google’s eyes, trusted businesses will have their image icon appear within search results; making a good impression on anyone searching for you.

Give your target market the chance to read reviews of your business, and learn more about your products and services.

2) The +1 Button:

Ah yes, the mysterious “+1” button from Google. Believe it or not, it’s actually more straightforward than you think. Users clicking the +1 button, indirectly impact your business.

It’s doesn’t affect direct SEO; instead, it shows how users are likely to interact. Users are more likely to trust businesses who interact on Google+, and have a +1 business or product.

Having user-relevant content on Google+ will improve a business’ SEO rankings; attracting more clicks and +1 shares.

3) Google+ profiles are treated like regular sites:

According to a recent article in Social Media Today, Google doesn’t give special treatment to Google+ profiles; they are ranked with the same factors of any other website.

Individual Google+ pages even have their own PageRank. Providing some extra care to your Google+ profile (including your own interaction, links, as well as user interaction), could mean better rankings for your sites.

Find a way how to monitor employees Google+ interactions; evaluate your findings and plan a strategy to make the most of it.

4) Google Hangouts are more effective than you think:

Plenty of us have used live stream services for meetings and such through Skype and GoToMeeting. These help drive internal matters of your business, but have you thought about what you can do with Google+ Hangouts?

One of the most significant aspects of Hangouts is how you can live stream your sessions with the public, even if they aren’t involved with the Hangout. Take the opportunity to conduct a live interview, webinar — anything you want on camera for your target customers to view and understand.

Nothing beats letting your audience see the faces behind your project. The live streams can be viewed by an unlimited amount of people; so it’s a great tool.

5) Google+ has more users than you think:

Everyone likes to thumb their nose at Google+, believing “no one is on it”; but guess again. This past June, Google+ had more than half a billion active users, with numbers steadily growing.

If you’re looking to reach out to an audience beyond just Facebook and Twitter, it’s time to put Google+ in full gear.

Author Bio:

Andrea Fisher is a published journalist as well as a content writer for ADT Home Security. She has an English degree and political science minor from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

NSA: Best Mobile Phone Trackers Around

During 2005 the NSA began its warrantless wiretap program to look into international emails and calls. It’s come a long way from being an organization that was created to spy on foreign agencies. No one would have predicted that it would one day be deploying mobile phone trackers against citizens of the United States. The NSA folks are so skilled that they even cracked the Blackberry code! Blackberry has boasted of the most secure system around, and even they couldn’t fight the NSA off. Companies like Verizon are routinely handed over customer data to the NSA. Do you think the NSA is going a bit too far?

Infographic By: Mobistealth