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10 Best Apps to Sharpen Your Mind, for iOS and Android :








We spend so much time on our phones - why not use it for something more productive? This week I look into a very important category of apps. Smartphones and tablets have revolutionised education. Apps like Khan Academy and reference apps like Wolfram Alpha have changed the way people learn. These apps will teach you new things, and keep your brain sharp. Here are our top ten picks.

1) Khan Academy

I love Khan Academy's courses and app for a variety of reasons. Of all the services offering free educational courses, Khan Academy is always ahead of the curve with usability. The app has a fantastic modern look and has tens of thousands of videos, interactive examples, and more. Even if you aren't looking to learn (shame on you), give the app a try. It is especially great on iPad.

Download Khan Academy for iOS | Khan Acadmy for Android (Free)



2) WolframAlpha

You know how Google and Apple keep showing off Google Now and Siri? WolframAlpha leaves them in the dust when it comes to instant answers to various problems and questions. The amount of information delivered within the app is mind-blowing. When you're trying to learn something, you won't need to look up lots of encyclopaedias. Just ask WolframAlpha.

Download WolframAlpha for iOS | WolframAlpha for Android Rs. 190



3) Duolingo
Ever wanted to learn a new language and acted lazy about it? Remember thinking about signing up for a course and giving up? Duolingo is the best tool ever to learn a new language. It makes the experience fun and memorable with images and reminders. Once they add support for Japanese, you won't hear from me for a while.

Download Duolingo for iOS | Duolingo for Android (Free)




4) Star Walk 2
Star Walk 2 is the best app to study the stars above. No I'm not talking about horoscopes but constellations, planets, comets, and more. Star Walk 2 has an Apple Watch app as well that tells you various interesting times of the day and when it is best to view the stars. The real time gyroscope based motion tracking makes it an amazing app to use and learn. Just point your device to the sky with the app open and get ready.

Download Star Walk 2 for iOS | Star Walk 2 for Android Rs. 190



5) Coursera
Coursera as an app and a service really raises the bar for educational apps. There's something for everyone ranging from business to computer science and even gamification. It supports everything you'd expect and has some additional features like a nifty 10 second rewind feature, multiple language support for learning, offline downloads, and audio only mode. It is hard to find a single flaw with Coursera.

Download Coursera for iOS | Coursera for Android (Free)



6) iTunes U

Apple's iTunes U is a multi-purpose app. It lets you learn from tons of online universities and explore a variety of subjects and it is the one shop app needed to setup your classroom as a professor on iPad. iTunes U lets you keep track of homework, grades, and more. Apple has been doing great things in the education field for a long time. This is one of the highlights.

Download iTunes U for iOS (Free)


7) TED
The official TED app lets you view TED Talks across all subjects in multiple languages. These talks are from interesting people in every field, and the app lets you view them or download them for offline use. The app is updated regularly with content. Give it a shot today.

Download TED for iOS | TED for Android (Free)



8) Elevate - Brain Training

Just like how Duolingo changes the way you learn a language, Elevate will train your brain in ways you never could imagine. It is full of mini games and puzzle sections that test your mental strength. The app is designed well and also has an Apple Watch app if you want to train on an even smaller screen.

Download Elevate - Brain Training for iOS | Elevate - Brain Training for Android (Free)



9) Udemy

Udemy is a great service to enrol in a variety of courses. There are a few free sample courses but the bulk of the app is full of great paid courses. Instructors are consistently great with practical lessons and you can't really go wrong here. Still thinking about picking up that guitar?

Download Udemy and start strumming. Download Udemy for iOS | Udemy for Android (Free)



10) Lumosity
Just like Elevate, Lumosity aims to train you. In this case your memory and attention are called to the field. You create a custom training program suited to your needs and Lumosity games help you improve. The games are used in research and are fun as opposed to being monotonous. Lumosity also has an Apple Watch app.

Download Lumosity for iOS | Lumosity for Android (Free)



These apps are our top 10 picks for learning and education - what are your picks? Tell us via the comments.
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Image result for apple 7


Ah! Where do I begin with the new iPhone 6s. As i watched the unveiling of Apple’s newest ‘s’ iPhone I could not help but notice the amount of work that’s gone into Apple’s newest iPhone.

In fact, it is the best ‘s’ iPhone that Apple has ever built and this is not because it comes with hardware that is twice as powerful as the previous generation, but because it has brought something new to iOS and the smartphone in a sensible way. Still then, that does not mean you rush to to buy it when it reaches India.



3D Touch

The iPhone 6s simply did not impress until 3D Touch was demoed.

While it did look like a long-press that is available on Android and Windows Phone and iOS platforms, it is anything but that. Think of it more as a right click. A chance to peek into details before you get there and not just Peek, but Pop and preview it as well.

The technology is really impressive, the combination of a capacitive display with resistive-like features, where the screen actually flexes (very, very little) to know when to deliver quick short cuts.



No this is not a gimmicky long press. The reason why Apple used 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s was because a long-press actually takes a “long time” to enable a feature.

The work around is 3D Touch. A display that detects varying levels of pressure. So if you want to see more options from an icon on your home screen, simply press it a bit harder (for an instant pop up with options) instead of pressing down the icon with your finger and waiting like a fool.

Getting to your slow-mo camera will not need you to open the camera first, but just press harder and get straight to it when it opens up. For those of you who were wondering, the new display is the sole reason why Apple cannot include the same gestures in iOS 9 for other iDevices.


Problems
Still then 3D Touch has a long way to go. There is a learning curve, even though it is a gradual one. The feature needs developer support. And while Apple has that responsive developer support, it will still be hard for many to customise apps for the same. This is because not all iPhones will support the feature, just the new iPhone 6s models and not even the new iPad Pro. So the reason for developers to opt in for 3D Touch right now are very few.



It will take the iPhone 7 for developers to be confident about 3D Touch.

I am an iPhone 6 Plus owner and there is no ways I am giving away my smartphone for a 6s Plus simply to use 3D Touch. It is something I can do without until every other iPhone out there begins to support it (and mine does not).

3D Touch is not the only way to use an iPhone and that it what makes it “just another way” to use your iPhone. This itself makes it an extra feature and not a necessity, killing its purpose.


The iPhone 7 will utilize 3D touch better
In short 3D touch will impress you no matter where you are coming from. But if it is the only reason for you to buy the iPhone 6s, we would suggest you wait for the iPhone 7 instead.

It will make more sense when the ecosystem adopts the technology rather than be an early adopter who stands out for no reason (the demo only showed off Instagram and native apps).

The iPhone 5/5s owner should however find the iPhone 6s a worthwhile bump. And he clearly does not mind being an early adopter because there is a lot else to benefit from (hardware).

3D touch is the Apple’s answer to the long press. A right click for your mobile phone’s UI that works instantaneously and not a millisecond later. It will be a revolution, not now, but on the iPhone 7 when many have already upgraded to an iPhone 6s, and Apple makes 3D Touch the only way to use an iOS device.


Courtesy : abplive
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We are all very much aware about the new much talked about iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus which was launched recently in the United States.





While the new iPhone comes with a much similar design, it also boasts a couple of few features which are said to be new in the Apple lineage.

However, many of the such new features in iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have apparently been seen already in many smartphones earlier.

Here is a list of 5 such features which actually look to have been borrowed from others.

1. 3D Touch





3D Touch is something that Apple is boasting about a lot recently which allows users to perform different actions based on the pressure of their touch on the display screen. Suppose, for example, if you touch a little deeper, an advanced menu would open up and if you simply tap lightly on the screen, the app itself would open up. While this feature is in the talks for quite a time now, we recently saw a similar force based touch feature on the Huawei Mate S which was launched at IFA 2015.



2. Live Photo




iPhone 6S comes with a new camera trick where in the smartphone camera actually captures a little before and after you click on the 'Capture' button. This means that it looks more like an animated image or to express it in more simpler words, the output may be much like a GIF image. However, if you recall, the feature has been always there on Microsoft's Lumia phones as 'Living Image'. Also, the feature has been long known in HTC smartphones as HTC Zoe which captures 3.6 seconds snippets and 20 photos with 6 frames per second.

3. 4K Video Recording




4K video recording is as we all know the latest trends that's catching up with smartphone owners and definitely, iPhone 6S is not the first smartphone capable of recording in 4K. However, iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are the first devices to have this feature in an Apple lineage. But, if we look at a couple of flagship Android phones like Sony Xperia Z3 andLG G3 supported this feature as early as 2014. Also, the recently launched Sony Xperia Z5 Premium supports 4K video recording.


4. Retina Flash




While new Apple iPhones come with 5 MP front camera for better selfies, they do lack in a front flash. However, with the iPhone 6S, Apple has come up with a solution to snap selfies at dark by making screen three times brighter. This acts much like a flash while clicking a selfie. After the photo is taken, the display brightness comes back to normal. This is what Apple calls as Retina Flash. However, this is not a new feature. There have been many apps for Android smartphones like Front Flash which work in almost similar way - setting the screen brightness to maximum and capturing the selfie.



5. Aerospace Grade Aluminium






Why iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are said to be made using a new 7000 series of Aluminium material that is aerospace industry graded. However, this is not the first time the aerospace-grade aluminium is being in a smartphone. Many companies have been using this for quite a while now, especially the Chinese companies like CoolPad. The recent Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge flagship phones are known to have used the aerospace-grade aluminium material.



Courtesy : abplive
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Apple’s iOS 9 is now available for download for all iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models that can run iOS 8.

According to Apple, iOS 9 is available as a free software update for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 4s, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad 4, iPad 3, iPad 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini and iPod touch fifth-generation. Some features may not be available across all regions or languages.

Apple had made many more improvements to the company’s OS so as to offer a better experience to all users along with performance, battery life and security. We take a look at all the new enhancements made:

1. Notes


With the updated Notes, one can now make a checklist of to-dos with greater ease, or can add a photo or web link to a note. One can even draw a sketch with your finger. Along with the updated iCloud, changes to your notes will be updated across all your devices and on iCloud.com as well.

You can also tap the Share button in Safari, Maps and other apps to save attachments such as maps, links, Pages documents and more. In addition, the Attachments Browser organises all the items attached to your notes in one simple view so it becomes much easier to find something when looking for it.

Also, now you can add bullets with a tap to create checklists, use the tip of your finger to draw straight in your note or take a photo from within the Notes app as well. Notes also works with iCloud so users can access their notes or other devices too.

2. Maps


In iOS 9, you can use public transport with Maps as your guide. Basically, in selected cities around the world, a new Transport view shows you lines and stations for the metro, buses, trains and ferries on the map. When you plan a route, every step of your trip is laid out from point A to point B.

In addition, the new Maps also features Transport view which offers public transport information with routes and directions. Transport is customised for each city, where available and you can also ask Siri for public transport directions. Maps is also an OS X app, so that users can plan a trip on their Mac and follow the route on the iPhone or Apple Watch when on the go.

3. iCloud Drive


The new iCloud Drive app built into iOS 9 will now allow users to access any file saved to iCloud from a your Home screen. In addition, users can now search within the app and find the file they are looking for or browse all your files by date, name or any tags as added on the Mac.

Users can also preview and organise their files without leaving the app, which proves that the company has worked towards offering better organisation in the new OS.

4. Mail


With the updated Mail app for iOS 9, you can add drawings, comments or a signature to attached photos and documents. You can also attach any files you have stored in your iCloud Drive and the new search options help you find the email you are looking for faster by narrowing down results based on subject, sender, recipient or a combination of criteria.

5. Multitasking


iOS 9 brings about some great multitasking features. You can now open a second app without leaving the current one. This enables you to quickly browse the web, respond to a text message or any other task and then, slide that app away and get back to the one you were using before. The next one is Split View, in which you can go a step further and have two apps open and active at the same time. You can either draw a sketch with the reference photo beside it or simply write a paper while copying citations from a book in iBooks.

With the new Picture in Picture option, press the Home button and your video screen scales down to a corner of your display while using FaceTime or watching a video. You can tap to open a second app and your video continues to play even while you use the other app.

6. QuickType


The new QuickType keyboard in iOS 9 brings about an all-new Shortcut Bar, convenient editing tools and a new way to select text with Multi-Touch gestures. Users also have the option to use a wireless keyboard with their iPad which offers keyboard shortcuts along with new language keyboards for Punjabi, Gujarati and Telugu, and extended support for Hindi with transliteration and ‘Hinglish’ keyboards.

7. Longer battery life

One of the major attempt made by Apple in the new iOS 9 is to offer a longer and stronger battery life. The company believes that due to the ambient light and proximity sensors, your iPhone knows if it’s face down on the table and prevents the screen from turning on, even when you receive a notification.

In addition, a new Low Power mode lets you extend your battery life even further. The apps in iOS 9 also take advantage of Metal, making efficient use of the CPU and GPU to deliver faster scrolling, smoother animation and better overall performance.

8. A smaller update

Compared to iOS 8, which offered the update at 4.58 GB, almost eating up your memory space, the new and improved iOS 9 will only be 1.3 GB. Thankfully, users will not need as much free space as before to update their devices. Also, users will get a notification when it is time to update their device that let your device update while you sleep or when you use it least.

9. Improved security


iOS 9 will aim to offer better security by keeping your devices along with Apple ID secure in an attempt to protect personal information like photos, documents, messages, emails and much more. The new OS advances security by strengthening the passcode that protects devices by making it harder for others to get unauthorised access to the Apple ID account. These new security features will make it much harder for anyone else to access personal information.

10. Android Migration


With the new Move to iOS app in iOS 9, you can wirelessly switch from an Android device to a new iOS device at ease. It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, email accounts and calendars and will help rebuild your app library too. In addition, all your paid apps are added to your iTunes Wish List as well.


Courtesy : http://tech.firstpost.com/
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