Use These 10 Amazing Apps To Relax And Train Your Brain!

  Get some relaxed moments by improving your memory and training yourself with the help of some smartphone apps. There are several interesting apps on your smartphones, tablets and phablets which can help you in training your brain through technology. Here we have come up with ten best brain training apps which will help your brain to focus, relax and memorise better:

1. Eidetic: 

This app is for iOS users only. It helps in memorising numbers and facts faster. Users can also memorise phone numbers, quotes and other facts with the help of this app. This app lets users retest their progress with reminders and its trial is free of cost.

2. Lumosity on iOS and Lumosity on Android: 

This is another app for brain-training which is based on scientific principles and is quite popular too. It comprises games and exercises so that different segments of your brain are trained like attention, memory and problem solving. The app also sets reminders to track your progress. The app is available across iOS and Android platforms.

3. Memory Trainer: 

This is an Android app which is also a popular brain game. Its review is also quite good and it includes workout sessions to exercise spatial and visual memory and also increase concentration through matching kind of activities. This app is available for free, though with ads.

4. Real kakuro on Android and Real Kakuro on iOS: 

Are you fond of Sudoku or similar kind of challenges? Then Kakuro is the best option for you. Its grids are more complex which help you identify digits in rows and columns based on sums. Its mathematics part is more complex than Sudoku and your mental mathematics as well as problem solving skills can get improved with this app. It's quite a popular app in this genre.

5. Math Tricks: 

If you want to improve you speed in mathematics and learn more helpful mental tricks, then this is the app for you. It has problems and also step-by-step solutions to help your brain solve basic equations faster. It has separate sections for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. This is an Android app and similar functions are provided by Mathemagics on iOS.

6. Duolingo on iOS and Duolingo on Android: 

Your brain can learn a new language with this app which offers programs for both beginners and mid-level learners for around 20 languages like Spanish, German, French, Chinese etc. It has several games and it monitors progress meter too.

7. Brain Wave: 

The Brain Wave app uses binaural beats and it motivates certain brain wave patterns to react specifically. It includes programs for brain training like sleeping, studying, critical thinking and more. Its beats are paired with nature noises and iTunes music.

8. Long Deep Breathing: 

Breathing happens automatically but you need to train your brain to have control on your breath rate to ensure relaxation and minimum stress-level. This app uses some visual and audio mediums to help practice deep and slower breaths. A timer is present to help you in getting control over your breathing rate and it also offers verbal instructions for beginners.

9. Pomodoro Timer: 

This app is based on scientifically proven Pomodoro technique to help you focus and manage energy to improve your productivity. With the app you can set a specific amount of time during which you can set a specific goal which you have to complete meeting the deadline. It reminds you to take a short break after the first deadline is met and then you can continue. When four such schedules of 25 minutes are completed, you are suggested to take a longer break. In this way you can better focus on your work.

10. Happify: 

This app has some games and activities which can enliven your mood and you feel happy. The app is a product of extensive research on psychology and neurology and the activities focus on skills like gratitude, self-confidence etc. This app holds a social angle too.

Have Some Fun With Your Favourite Chrome Browser With These 6 Fun Tricks!

  Are your bored working serious stuff on your Google Chrome browser? Then it's time to have some fun with this Google product now. Know these six fun tricks which you can apply on your Chrome browser and Chrome on Android for sheer enjoyment:

1. Have fun with the T-Rex: 

If you are facing Internet connectivity problem sometime between working don't get frustrated. Instead play a game which is hidden on the “Unable to Connect To The Internet” page only. Turn off the LAN or WiFi connection and press the space bar. Just watch out how T-Rex starts jumping and as soon as it gets a path, it runs too. Tap the space bar every time it gets closer to smash a cacti. Have fun.

2. Spin the Google Logo: 

You haven't tried it yet? Then do it now by just following these simple steps: Go to Settings > About > Double click on Google Logo and it will spin for you.

3. Watch videos: 

Open the Camera App in your browser, press Caps Lock and type “CRAZYPONY”. A file manager appears with an option which asks you to select videos. Select as you wish and it's purely giggling time for you.

4. Have fun with Inspect Element feature: 

Randomly select a page, right click and select the “Inspect Element” option. The Google developer's tools are in front of you. Just select any text on the page randomly and overtype it whatever you wish. Change the colours, styles and even measurements, and you will do better if you're already familiar with HTML.

5. Play a Lollipop game on your Android phone: 

If you are having an Android 5.0 Lollipop device, play a game which will be fun. Go to the device settings and tap the “About” section. Tap several times on the “Android version” section and an Easter egg will come out. As soon as the lollipop pops out, long press it and a Flappy Bird clone game will appear in front of you along with some more lollipops.

6. Let Chrome smile for a while: 

In your leisure time, open hundred tabs in the Chrome browser on your Android phone. As soon as you reach the 100th tab, the tab icon changes to a smiling emoticon.

Courtesy: Lifehack 

Top 8 IT Jobs For 2015!

 Popular job rating and review site, Glassdoor.com has recently published its annual report of "25 Best Jobs in USA for 2015". The list is based on various factors like rating from employees working in different sectors, career opportunities, earning potential and job openings. Glassdoor’s rating is based on scale of 5. Today we have listed top 8 tech jobs from Glassdoor’s report.

1. Software Engineer

Job of software engineer had over 104,828 job openings during October 2014 to January 2015 on Glassdoor.com. Software engineer profession has received job score of 4.6 out of 5. The average salary of software engineer in USA is $98,074. The rating for career opportunities as software engineer is 3.3.

2. Database Administrator

Database Admin is critical job in IT. It is second among all tech jobs and seventh in the entire list in report. Database Admin profession has scored 4.5 rating. There were 9,790 job openings for Database Admin in last three months. The career opportunity rating for Database Administrator is 3.4. Database Admin has average salary of $97,835

3. Data Scientist

Data Scientists are hard to find but in today’s age of BigData, companies have good number of openings for Data Scientist. Over 3,449 jobs for Data Scientist were listed on Glassdoor in last three months. The profession has scored job rating of 4.4 and career opportunity rating of 3.8. The median salary for Data Scientist is $104,476.

4. Solutions Architect

Solutions Architect is highest demanded job-role at Salesforce, Microsoft, SharePoint and other cloud service companies. The profession has received Job Score of 4.4 and opportunity sore of 3.4. There were 3,982 job openings for Solutions Architect on Glassdoor in last three months.

5. QA Engineer

Quality & Analysis checking is as important as software solution development in IT. QA engineer is another high demanded job role. The profession has scored job rating of 4.3 and career opportunity rating of 3.2 in Glassdoor’s report. Over 26,383 jobs were listed for QA engineer in last here months. The average salary for QA Engineer is $77,499.


6. Business Analyst

Business Analysts are as important part of IT business as Data Analysts. The job score for Business Analyst is 4.3 and career opportunity rating of 3.2. There were 21,337 job openings for Business Analyst on Glassdoor in last three months. The average salary for Business Analyst is $74,638.

7. Network Engineer

Network engineers take care of uninterrupted data flow in the organization. The profession scored 4.3 job rating and career opportunity rating of 3.2. There were 14,092 job openings for Network Engineer in last three months. The average base salary for Network Engineer in USA is $87,518. 

8. IT Project Managers

IT Project Managers play crucial role of getting the product developed from team. The job role received job score of 4.3 and career opportunity rating of 3.2 in Glassdoor’s list. The average salary for IT Project Manager is $103,710. There were 5,700 job openings for IT Project Manager on Glassdoor in last three months. 

8 Most Amazing Facts About Web Designing

  If you are mesmerised or annoyed with the visual appearance of a website too easily, you need to know the nitty-gritty of the web-designing process too. Being a visitor, very few people consider the back-stage scenes of a website. Different web browsers interpret code differently to display a website. User experience and user behaviour largely depend on some basic facts like loading time, browser variations, age of code and website content. Here are eight most astonishing and awesome aspects of web design which you must know:

1. Websites are rendered differently on different web browser: 

Suppose you are viewing a website on Google Chrome from your home computer and viewing the similar site on Safari on an iPhone. Your experiences are bound to differ. Well, a website looks different in different browsers because of parsing and rendering, as browsers translate code to display sites on the screen in different ways. In some browsers, the code is loaded in a specific manner while some code is not even recognised by some browsers. This browser difference fact also makes life hell for website developers who always try their best to offer a great user experience. Professional web designers are usually expert in tackling this issue as they are familiar with HTML and CSS standards.

2. Responsive web design: 

We read and browse whatever we need to know via Internet. Those websites are considered successful which maintain a clean and scannable layout with 47 per cent usability improvement. If your website is not able to provide the exact information to the visitor timely then they will definitely head towards another website. Web designers build websites in such a way that the most vital is primarily reached to the visitors. Web professionals also take help of heat maps and analytic tools to keep a check on which buttons and links are popular.

3. Age of website: 

It's very important for web designers to maintain their pace with advancements in technology. Web browsers as well as devices are always on change modes through which websites are accessed, so the design of the websites also need to be updated all the time. Latest coding standards have to be followed to stay compatible with updated browsers and search engine algorithms. If a website is outdated, then it may not be displayed properly on a particular browser.

4. Use of templates: 

Website templates are very popular among web designers though it's not a very good practice to use pre-packaged templates for building websites without any coding. If excessive templates are used the company loses credibility as templates are full of bloated code and irrelevant design elements. Some templates are also not flexible enough. So websites should also be customised as per organisational and customer needs.

5. Code appeal to search engines: 

You may be running a website which is a visual joy but the visual appearance is not everything. Web professionals need to be much more focused on the coding part which help build a user-base. The coding of the website also affects search engine rankings. Search engines are always the best source to pull in traffic for a website and the website needs to be fully optimised for the search engines. If the best coding practices are involved, it will help build a good relation with the search engines.

6. Multimedia content's impact: 

Images and videos play an important role in a website but if they are used inappropriately then they can tarnish a website's performance too. If large image and video files are used the loading time of a website gets slow and if visitors have to wait for long time to let the page loaded then they impatiently abandon it. Web designers need to use only those images and videos which are optimised for websites. Outdated multimedia formats like Flash are not preferred by designers any more. Instead, they prefer HTML5 video like current formats so that the content can be accessed across computers, smartphones and tablets.

7. Website pricing: 

A good website designs costs between $500 to $5,000. Don't be surprised as building a website requires so much brainpower for optimisation of websites for search engines, making accessible content and ensure balanced performance across all platforms.

8. Responsive design vs mobile design: 

Websites go through a conversion process when we switch between computers and smartphones. Two different approaches are followed in the two different screen sizes – mobile design and responsive design. Mobile design is more restrictive as it offers a limited version of a website only for smartphones and tablets. Responsive design is much more flexible as they allow resizing websites and recreating the layout as per the screen size.

Courtesy: Efy Times

Top 10 Tricks For Android Users!

 Google’s Android is the most popular smartphone operating system out there. Consumers have preferred Android for its simplicity and customisation options. The open source platform offers plenty of room for personalisation. You can use Android phones to make them even more enjoyable and efficient by following some tips. Today we have listed ten such tricks for Android devices.

1. Google Now: 

Google Now is your personal assistant on Android device. You can setup Google Now by downloading an app. Google Now has various personalised cards for different activities. You can setup Google Now to update you about your favorite stocks, sports team, flight ticket, weather update and much more. You can also use Google Now voice search feature for Google Search.

2. Launchers and Lock Screen Apps: 

Custom launcher and lock screen are the best customisation options in Android. There are number of launcher apps available on Google Play store. These launcher apps offer number of features like widgets, lock-screen notifications. If you are bored with the current user interface of your phone, switching launcher helps in bringing new flavor to your phone.

3. Power Savings Mode: 

Many Android devices come with Power Saving Mode. This option helps in getting optimum performance from phone’s battery. Some phones like Samsung Galaxy S5 come with higher-level battery saving mode. Samsung’s ultra power savings mode allows you to send calls, texts, browse internet and use some stock apps. Power saving mode usually shuts off GPS, data, email account sync.

4. Get Extra Battery: 

Smartphones are always connected to the Internet, this results in excessive battery consumption. You may not be always near the power outlet when your phone’s battery dies. Many Android devices come with removable battery. You can keep extra battery with you while traveling so, when the phone’s battery dies, you can simply put the extra battery.

5. Google Chrome Sign-in: 

Not many users are aware of this feature. You can sign in your Google account in Chrome browser on your Android phone. All bookmarks, preferences, history, passwords from your Google Chrome on PC get automatically sync with phone’s Chrome.

6. App Folders: 

This is another great customisation feature. The feature is there since Android 2.2 FroYo. You can create folders in app drawer to organize your applications menu. This helps in categorizing the apps. On stock Android powered devices, you can drag and drop an app on top of another to create folder while, in some custom Android OS powered devices, you can find an option to create folder on top bar in app drawer.

7. Third-Party Keyboard: 

Android offers number of keyboard apps. You can adopt to third party keyboard for better typing experience. There are number of feature-full keyboards available for Android. Swipe, swiftkey are great options for power users. You can download these apps from Google Play Store.

8. Bandwidth Management: 

You can monitor and restrict the data usage in Android device by using bandwidth management option. You can find this option in Chrome browser for Android. Users can turn on Reduce Data Usage option in chrome, it removes unnecessary whitecaps and translates images into smaller folders. This cuts down data usage in great amount.

9. Google Authenticator: 

Google Authenticator is two-step verification security for your Google account. This app generates an additional security code whenever you login from new device. Whenever you login from different computer or smartphone, you will need to open this app and enter the code to access your Google account.

10. Change Default Apps: 

You can change your default web browser, launcher app, keyboard app using this feature. You can find this option to clear default app in Settings > All Apps > Clear Defaults. 

How To Get Android KitKat Immersive Full-Screen Mode On Any Device

Android KitKat 4.4, introduced by Google late on last year, brought with it an abundance of useful features, but due to the fragmented nature of the ecosystem, not everybody on Android has been able to enjoy its numerous perks. In fact, only a very small fraction of the Droid-wielding faithful have tasted the chocolatey, delicious new flavor, but thanks to the dedication of a wider community, those on older firmware needn’t miss out on all of the new features. The Immersive Mode, for example, turns the process of using any one of you favorite apps into a full-screen experience, and now, thanks to a third-party app, you don’t need to be on KitKat 4.4 to take advantage.

Thanks to the endeavors of developer Pieter Pareit, Immersive Mode is no longer reserved only to those on Android 4.4 KitKat. Upon installation of his Play Store utility, you’ll be able to view apps without having to see on-screen buttons or the status bar. Not only does this provide more real estate for the content at hand, but it minimizes distractions, and also, presents a generally cleaner aesthetic with less unnecessary clutter.



Costing a very reasonable $1.37 on the Google Play Store (£0.82 for folks in the UK), the self-explanatory Immersive Full-Screen Mode will take full advantage of your device’s display real estate, and one of the most impressive aspects is that it doesn’t require root. There’s nothing wrong with acquiring root access, of course, since it opens up a world of unlimited possibilities and is something we actively encourage here at Redmond Pie, but it’s always nice when apps function with minimal hacking involved.

But while the fact that it works without root is certainly noteworthy, there are one or two limitations. Thanks largely to Android’s own security measures, you won’t be able to use your device’s keyboard in a number of apps when in Immersive Mode, so obviously, it’s only going to be useful in situations where a keyboard isn’t necessary.

It’s a bit of a shame that the keyboard is hindered in this manner, and takes some of the sheen off what is otherwise a polished experience. Still, if you can see some value in a full-screen option that caters to most apps, be sure to check the link below.

21 new Android 5.0 features you need to know about

Google recently released Android 5.0 Lollipop, the largest Android update to date. The updated version of the popular mobile operating system is slowly making its way to older devices. Here are the new features in Android 5.0 Lollipop that you need to know about.

The new Material Design
The first thing you will notice after updating to Android 5.0 Lollipop is the redesigned interface. Google's "Material Design" brings a cleaner, lighter look to the operating system
A new lock screen
Notifications are now displayed directly on your device's lock screen.

Hide sensitive content in notifications
Not a fan of having everything front and center? Notifications can be disabled or set to hide sensitive content.
Head to Settings and click Sound & Notification, followed by the "When device is locked" option at the bottom of the page.


Hang a Do Not Disturb sign
The first time you change the alert volume on your device you will notice few new options just below the volume slider. These are part of a new featured called Priority mode.

Selecting "None" will disable all notifications, even your alarm clock. While "Priority" mode will show only notifications you have approved. Head to Settings, click Sound & Notifications and select Interruptions to approve select notifications.

Add Trusted Devices
You can set a Bluetooth or NFC tag as a "Trusted Device." When the device is in range of your phone, the security passcode or pattern won't be required to unlock it. To set this feature up, head to Settings, select Security, followed by Smart Lockand Trusted Devices.

Note that the Smart Lock option will only be available if a security lock, such as a pattern or a passcode, is enabled on your device.