Best Apps To Make Free Phone Calls

Before the invention of smartphones and hi-tech mobile OS users mainly used their phones for calling and messaging. Since that time the call costs have been inflating. With improvement of technologies, the users are blessed with plenty of apps that they can use day today for varied purposes. One of the main purpose being free calls. With National and International call rates heavily shooting up the following Android Apps will let you to make free phone calls at a much less price (data connection charges/Wi-Fi charges alone).

The following are top free phone call apps for your Android/iPhone/Windows devices:

1. Fring:

Fring has a lot of great features that will make you go for it, ranging from free calls to normal chat to advanced video calling. Fring app now lets you also to append various other communication based services viz. AOL, GTalk. Also there is an option for connecting with your phone’s contact book thus letting you to talk with anyone with just one app.

However you can do the free call only when the other party has Fring app on their phone, which is obvious. This won’t be a big problem since the Fring app available not only for Android, but also on other operating systems like iOS, Windows, Symbian and also via a mobile browser.

Their latest feature is being capable of video calling between four people at the same time over any Wi-Fi or data connection. Albeit it’s fun to try this out, it looks a bit choppy too.

Additionally, you can call to regular phones also by buying some credits or points (similar to Skype) so you can now talk to landlines.

2. Line:

Line is the latest and very innovative app that lets users to make free voice calls for 24 hours a day. You can update your friends about anything and everything from your Android phone by using text, calls, photos, video calls, stickers and location info also. You can call all your friends from anywhere in the world and make calls internationally for free. Line is available in the Google Play Store for free download. Other noteworthy features are stickers, emoticons.

3. ooVoo:

ooVoo is a basically a video chat app that was developed by ooVoo corporation. You can view friends who use ooVoo and select their profiles for making video call, voice call or to send instant text or even video messages. You can make conference calls with up to 12 people at the same time. This app has options to save videos and photos that were sent by your friends. Speed dial option is present which will help you to keep up with five best friends while on the go.

4. Viber:

Viber is the most straight forward and hassle free app. All you have got to do is install this app and then it will search all the users in your contact box who use Viber and connect you to them. You don’t need nicknames or e-mail verification. You phone number serves as a unique user ID.

Put this app in your home screen and then use this as a calling function instead of your carrier based call and you are not only allowed to make free calls to the other Viber users but you can also send SMS to them. This is an efficient app to make normal SMS and calls and also email right from the app. The one thing that makes Viber outstanding is its call quality. The audio is very clear without any lags. It is so clear that you will think that you ate using your regular carrier phone line. This is a must have free call app on your Android.

The other free call apps include Skype, Tango, Tru App, Qik, Nimbuzz, Google Voice, ICQ, etc...

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How To Boot Ubuntu From A USB Flash Drive

Below are the three methods, that can be adopted to boot Ubuntu OS from a USB Flash Drive!

Option 1: Boot Ubuntu as a Live CD from a USB Flash Drive

Use this option to install Ubuntu as a Live Install, which allows you to boot from the USB flash drive in Ubuntu, experience the Linux environment but will not retain any changes or settings after you shut down. This is a great way to get a feel for the OS, test some of it's capabilities as well as typical hardware compatibility.

Programs you may need to download:

1. Ubuntu 10.04 Live CD ISO available at ubuntu.com.
2. Universal USB Installer available at pendrivelinux.com.

What you will need:

1. Computer Running Windows XP/Vista/7.
2. Fat32 Formatted USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 1GB.
3. PC with a Bios that can boot from USB.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin to setup our Ubuntu Live USB Drive,

1. Run the Universal USB Installer by Pendrivelinux.com that you downloaded earlier.
2. Choose Ubuntu 9.10/10.04.1 Desktop i386.
3. Select the Ubuntu Live CD that you downloaded earlier.
4. Choose your Flash Drive.
5. In this instance, we are going leave the persistence option unchecked.

This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your system. At one point the progress bar will freeze until it is done, and this is the lengthiest wait of the process.

Once complete, you can reboot your computer with the USB flash drive in the USB port, press F12 for the Boot Menu and choose the removable media to boot from and you are in.

As this is a Live USB, any changes you make to the Ubuntu environment will not persist through a reboot. This is because running in this mode, Ubuntu uses available RAM in place of Swap and Hard Disk space. This option also contains the install files needed to install Ubuntu directly to your desktop if you should so desire.


Option 2: Boot Ubuntu as a Live CD with Persistence from a USB Flash Drive

This option will install Ubuntu Linux onto your flash drive with an area for persistent storage. You will be able to restart the computer, boot back into the Linux environment and all settings or changes made previously will persist.

Note: This option is particularly hard on Flash Memory, as there can be quite a bit of reading and writing to the Flash Memory.

What you will need:

1. Computer Running Windows XP/Vista/7.
2. Fat32 Formatted USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 2GB.
3. PC with a Bios that can boot from USB.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin to setup our Ubuntu Live USB Drive,

1. Run the Universal USB Installer by Pendrivelinux.com that you downloaded earlier.
2. Choose Ubuntu 9.10/10.04.1 Desktop i386.
3. Select the Ubuntu Live CD that you downloaded earlier.
4. Choose your Flash Drive.
5. Select the Persistence Option of 1GB Casper-RW.

This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your system. At one point the progress bar will freeze until it is done, and this is the lengthiest wait of the process.

Once complete, you can reboot your computer with the USB flash drive in the USB port, press F12 for the Boot Menu and choose the removable media to boot from and you are in.

As this is a Live USB with Persistence, any changes you make to the Ubuntu environment will keep through a reboot. This option also contains the install files needed to install Ubuntu directly to your desktop if you should so desire.


Option 3: Install Ubuntu directly to a USB flash Drive

This option works through installing Ubuntu to the flash drive as a complete installation. It does not retain the installation files to install on another system. This will allow you to use Ubuntu exactly as if it were installed alone on the hard disk. You can boot from it with any computer that can boot from a USB flash drive.

Note: This method requires that you disable your hard drive in BIOS to prevent overwriting your current operating system and force the install onto the USB drive.

What you will need:

1. USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 4GB.
2. PC with a BIOS that can boot from USB.
3. Blank CD.
4. A Computer with the ability to Burn CD/DVD.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin the process,

1. First, you will need to burn your Ubuntu ISO to CD using a program like ImgBurn available atImgBurn.com.
2. Boot your computer and press F2 to enter the system BIOS. Within here you will want to disable your Hard Drive. If this is not an option in your BIOS, I would suggest shutting down your computer and unplugging the power and data cables from your hard drive before proceeding. Note: If you choose not to disable your hard drive, you run the risk of installing Ubuntu on top of your current OS and can lose valuable information.
3. After you have disabled your hard drive, place the Ubuntu Live CD into your computer and boot from this.
4. At the initial boot screen, choose to try Ubuntu, not install.
5. Once Ubuntu loads, plug in the desired flash drive into the computer.
6. Now, double click on the Install Ubuntu icon that appears on the desktop.
7. The first 3 screens are language, time zone, and keyboard layout.
8. Now Ubuntu will notify you that there is a disk mounted, and asks to unmount it. This is your flash drive. Give it permission to unmount.
9. This is the prepare disk space screen. I chose to leave mine at default and let the installer handle the partitions needed by Linux.
10. Now you will see the login and user information screen.
11. Now you are ready to install, click install.
12. At one point during the installation, you may notice a skip button appear on the bottom left. This is to skip the auto update, and finally the language packs. I chose to skip language packs update.
13. This may take a while, mine took atbout 35 minutes to complete. When it is done, eject the disk and shut down the computer. Plug your hard drive back in if necessary, or boot your computer into bios and re-enable it. Reboot your computer and press F12 to enter the boot menu, choose the flash drive and boot into Ubuntu.

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Tips To Choose Spy App For Mobile Phone Tracking

Finding a perfect mobile phone monitoring software might be a difficult task because there’s so many different solutions online these days. The biggest problem most people face is that they only need one good app and with so many choices it’s hard to find the one that best suits your needs. With so many misleading information and web sites that often confuse you instead of making your choice easier it can be difficult do actually find out which ones are good and reliable apps and which ones offer everything you need. With a few guidelines you can find here it will be much easier for you to actually understand what to look for in a good monitoring app.

Avoid free software:

Monitoring apps are state of the art software solutions whose development costs money, so keep in mind that there’s no reliable free software out there. There are a lot of web sites that will offer you free monitoring apps but don’t trust them, because they are only trying to keep you on their web site or trying to get to your credit card information. If you find a web site that offers a free trial of a monitoring software, without asking you to give them your personal and credit card information, than it might be a good idea to try these apps. This could be a good way to find out if this is the best app for you.

Price is not the most important thing:

It’s understandable that you want to find a perfect app without having to pay a lot of money for it, but keep in mind that cheaper is not always better. You should first find out what does the app offer, does it offer everything you need or maybe more than you need. If you want an app with good value rates, check for mSpy app. Once you define what you actually want from a monitoring software then finding something that will stay within your budget should not be a problem with so many solutions out there. Do some research if you don’t want to pay an app that’s cheap and useless, or overpay an app with more features than you need.

Available features:

When you find a potential solution for your monitoring software always go to the app’s web site and check all the features it offers. Some of the products offer a lot of different features and advanced options and some of them only offer some basic and standard features. You should always consider what do you actually need and what exactly you want to monitor on a desired smartphone. If you just want to know with who the owner of a targeted phone is talking to or sending messages to than a basic monitoring app is enough for you. If you need additional options you should go for the advanced apps.

Recommended: How To Launch Parental Control On Different Platform.

Check compatibility:

This is an extremely important thing to check if you want your monitoring app to work at all. Many developers are saying that their app are working with all phones but this is mostly not true. Usually the majority of these apps are compatible with Android powered phones, iPhones and Blackberries. It’s also important to check if the app you want works not only with the operating system on the phone but with the version that it’s used.

Customer support:

Always choose apps that offer customer support. There’s no use in buying an app without being able to contact someone if something goes wrong. Reliable monitoring software developers always have customer support for their products, usually via phone, e-mail or live chat. Avoid developers that don’t offer adequate support for their apps.

With these guidelines and some research on your own you should be well informed in order to find a perfect monitoring software that will suit all your needs. 

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How to Safeguard Your USB Drive - 10 Easy Steps!

USB drives are a fantastic way to share information from computer-to-computer. While many people use email to send documents, USB drives can take just about anything that your computer has and move it to another system with minimal effort. Plus, USB drives can be used to share information without actually putting it in someone’s possession. Doing so can keep sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. If you have a USB drive, though, there are still extra measures you should take to secure its contents. Continue reading for 10 easy steps that you can take to safeguard your USB drive.

Proper Password Management Protects Your USB Drive

First, let’s make sure that if anyone gets a hold of your USB drive, they won’t be able to use it.

• Insert your USB drive into your computer.
• Find the USB drive in your computer’s “Devices with Removable Storage” section or similar area.
• Right click on it and choose, “Turn on Bitlocker.”
• Once you choose this, Wizard will open up, and you’ll see the option to “use a password to unlock the drive.”
• Type in the password that you would like to use for your USB drive and click next.
• You’ll be asked how you’d like to “back up Recovery Keys.” Simply choose from the menu.
• Next, you’ll be asked to confirm whether or not your USB drive is already being used or if it’s brand new.

Encrypt Your USB Drive

Now you’ll want to encrypt the information that is found on your USB drive. This is a further measure that will make sure that your drive is protected from prying eyes, no matter how badly they want your information. After the above 7 steps, Wizard will ask you how much of your drive you’d like to encrypt.

• You’ll be given the option to encrypt the entire drive, which is best for those that are already in use, or just the used disc space, which is preferable for a new drive. The former option will take longer.
• After you make your choice, the encryption process will start.
• When the encryption process is complete, you can remove your USB drive, confident that its contents are now safe.

Going forward, whenever anyone wants to use the USB drive, they’ll be prompted to enter your password first. You can follow the same steps to change the password, as well, if you should so choose.

Keep in mind it’s also important to store your USB drive in a safe place at all times. Even if someone doesn’t have your password, possessing your USB drive can still be damaging, as you no longer have access to the data, either. If the USB drive contains information related to your company, check with human resources or your management. There are often official guidelines specific to securing USB drives that carry company data.

While USB drives are extremely convenient, they can easily expose you to information leaks if not controlled properly. Maintain your USB drive in a secure place at all times, and use the above 10 steps to encrypt the information and protect it with a password.

Source:
http://geekofreak.com/2013/03/encrypt-and-password-protect-your-usb.html

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How To Improve Your Online Privacy With These Easy Steps

The good news is that it's really easy to beef up your online security. These quick and simple steps will considerably strengthen your systems against criminals and snoops.

1. Get a quality VPN service

The quickest and easiest way to improve your online privacy is to get a quality VPN provider. The best services, like ExpressVPN, will secure your internet connection from prying eyes. A VPN will make your internet connection completely private and will keep no record of your internet activity.

2. Use a password manager

It goes without saying that a strong password will protect you more. You should also always use a different password for each account you have online. The best way to do this is with a password manager. It will encrypt and store all of your credentials for every site, so that you don't have to remember them all. Logins will fill out automatically, which means you'll spend less time frantically trying to remember your pet's birthday. Pick a strong master password and let the program do the rest.

3. Keep your system up to date

Setting your OS to update automatically requires minimal effort, and will considerably strengthen your defence against cyber attacks. It's important that you always have the latest security updates on your machine. They are released for a reason - to fight the increasingly sophisticated criminals who are constantly searching for ways to attack you and harvest your data.

4. Don't forget Your Mobile Connections

Connecting from a mobile device is increasingly the way most people get online. There's no point securing your desktop if you leave your iPad connection open. That's why it's important to choose a VPN service which will work across all devices and operating systems.

5. Don't trust Free and Public Wifi.

In many cases, it's free because they are harvesting your data. And that's just the provider. Criminals and snoops can also use the same connection to gain access to your files.

Getting secure online is more common sense than cost. A few straight thinking minutes can have your systems operating far more securely. VPNs are worth more than their weight in gold.

VPNs Weigh Nothing

Literally. There's no bulky equipment, It's just software. It's also lightweight software that won't hog any resources. In fact, it can often speed up your system. ISPs increasingly throttle traffic to certain websites. They do this without telling you, or even admitting it. They may use phrases such as "Traffic Shaping", but don’t be fooled. It's throttling. A VPN hides the sites you are looking at, so it's impossible to have your connection "trafficked".

Honorary Mentions: What about Tor?

There are other methods of securing your data online. Perhaps by using the Tor network. And while it is not as tricky (or dangerous!) as some make out, it just isn't as simple as a good VPN service.

ExpressVPN will get you browsing safely within minutes. A quick install and a few clicks is all you need to increase your online security and protect your privacy. And with a 256 key encryption, it is near impossible to hack.

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5 Best VPNs for Torrents and P2P File Sharing

Torrents have become incredibly popular for sharing files online, and as networks continue to grow for P2P file sharing, increasingly more people are tuning in to this massive content sharing system. Of course, there are inherent security risks with any type of file sharing. This, coupled with the fact that the content of torrent files is usually something copyrighted, such as music or movies, is making users look deeper for ways to protect their privacy and stay anonymous.

Most people have at least basic anti-malware software installed on their devices, which is really helpful in screening files that may have viruses tucked away in them somewhere. However, this type of software really doesn’t do anything to secure your actual connection, it just secures your device.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and VPNs have answered the call. VPNs - Virtual Private Networks—offer users a secure and anonymous connection, along with global access to any content they want, regardless of their location. Not all VPNs are created equal though, and if you’re frequently downloading and sharing torrent files, you’re going to want a VPN that’s fast enough to get the job done.

Here are the top five VPNs for torrents and P2P file sharing, and how they compare in terms of price and connection quality.

#5. EarthVPN

Monthly Rate: $3.99

EarthVPN is a great, simple way to protect your privacy online. The connection is relatively fast - definitely fast enough for downloads - and the rates are some of the lowest you’ll find. Although the software is simple and the website doesn’t seem like much to look at, these guys offer loads of features and provide one of the better VPNs I’ve seen.

EarthVPN has the strongest 256-bit encryption available, so your connection is secure from snoops and hackers on public networks. You also get unlimited bandwidth, so there’s never any worry about hitting a monthly cap.The software is compatible with all major operating systems, and even allows three simultaneous connections, so you can use it on just about any device. The only real drawback? No live chat support.

#4. TunnelBear

Monthly Rate: $4.99
 

Okay, I am a huge fan of TunnelBear. The prices are low, the software is great, and let’s face it, the TunnelBear marketing gimmick is downright cute. These guys really know how to sell a product, and their product is awesome all the same.

TunnelBear’s encryption is tough stuff—256-bit and military grade, with settings in the software that you can use to optimize your connection for speed versus security. While TunnelBear is not compatible with Linux, it works on just about everything else—Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.What I love about TunnelBear is how easy it is to use. There is no manual connection configuration and no compressed files to mess with. It’s a simple download and install procedure. To top it all off, they even offer a free version to take for a spin before you sign up for a service plan.

#3. HideMyAss

Monthly Rate: $9.99

Where HideMyAss really shines is its server network. Often, the speed of your connection can really be impacted by the number of servers a VPN has. Too few and there’s not enough bandwidth to go around, not enough locations and you can have a hard time establishing a reliable connection. However, with servers in 190 countries, HideMyAss has one of the largest networks in the world.

With HideMyAss you get software that is compatible with just about every operating system but Linux. You can also use their software simultaneously on up to two devices.The customer support is really comprehensive too, with 24/7 help available on their live chat, phone and e-mail support lines. With unlimited bandwidth and a 30-day, money-back guarantee, there’s not much to lose by giving these guys a try.

#2. IPVanish

Monthly Rate: $10.00

IPVanish is another great VPN to try, with unlimited bandwidth and up to two simultaneous connections under one account. The one major drawback with these guys is that their software isn’t compatible with iOS, so mobile Apple users won’t have much use for it.

However, they do offer 24/7 customer support, with a live chat feature on their website you can use for immediate assistance and an e-mail ticket system for less pressing issues. Plus, they offer a 7-day refund policy for customers who do not find the service works well for them.

Like most other VPNs, IPVanish offers unlimited bandwidth and 256-bit encryption, plus a huge network of servers. Their network includes locations in 60 countries, so wherever you are, you should be able to connect with IPVanish.

#1. ExpressVPN

Monthly Rate: $12.95

ExpressVPN is definitely the best VPN I’ve ever seen. The software is incredibly simple and user-friendly, and the support staff is awesome when you need some assistance. They have the standard e-mail and live chat support, but what’s really incredible is that they usually get back to you within 20 minutes of sending them an e-mail—totally unheard of in this business.

The software works on all operating systems, including Linux, so you can use it seamlessly on all of your devices. It allows two simultaneous connections too—one on a mobile device and one on a home connection.

They offer a rock solid 30-day, money-back guarantee and will give you a refund—no questions asked—if you decide their service isn’t for you. If you do decide to keep it, you can even get a month of free service for you and a friend through their unique referral program.

Their connection is lightning fast, thanks to their massive server network, and with unlimited bandwidth, you’ll never have to worry about too many torrent downloads. Hands down, ExpressVPN is absolutely the best VPN for the job, and worth every penny.

Even if you only do your file sharing at home, most countries have government surveillance programs for internet users, so your connection is anything but anonymous. With a VPN, you get an IP address and access to remote servers to make your connection totally untraceable back to you. ExpressVPN is, in my opinion, the best VPN to keep you protected.

If you’re on public networks frequently, this software is particularly indispensable. These networks are absolute hotbeds of criminal activity, and hackers specifically target them to infiltrate your connection and steal your information. With an encrypted tunnel for your web traffic, your information stays secure from your device to the server.There’s no need to get paranoid and modify your routine—share away, my friends. But messing with torrent files can be a bit like a virtual game of hot potato, so be smart. Protect your devices with anti-malware software, and always use a VPN to keep things private and anonymous.

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