How smart is your smartphone when it isn’t connected to a Wi-Fi network? Not that smart, I would say… Sure, you can always connect it to a 4G network, but Wi-Fi is much faster and – most of all – cheaper in comparison with the price you’d have to pay to connect to a mobile data network.
We have come to rely on various Wi-Fi networks, both public and private, to connect to our favorite websites and social media news streams. Fortunately, there are many apps that can make our lives easier; read on to discover our top picks.
SuperBeam, aka WiFi Direct Share, helps you share big files from a device to the other without utilizing any third-party services. You can use this app to send a movie from your smartphone to the tablet, for example.
The devices can be paired using QR codes, and the app includes a QR code scanner as well. Of course, you can also share data with your computers by making use of the friendly web interface.
The pro version of the app removes the ads and brings in a new set of features: the ability to share your files with several devices at once, unlimited file transfer logs, and more. Still, even the free version will do the job.
This app will always come in handy when you want to pick the best Wi-Fi network in the area. With Wifi Analyzer, you will be able to determine which network provides the strongest signal, which Wi-Fi channel is the least crowded, and much more.
Many people use speedtest.net to test the speed of their Internet connection. In fact, according to data-alliance.net, the number of tests performed so far exceeds nine billion!
But did you know that Ookla – the company that provides this great service – has also built an awesome Android app?
Install the app, and then you will be able to test the speed of your Internet connection – be it a 4G or Wi-Fi one – wherever you are.
You can use the app to measure the download and upload speeds, as well as the average ping value.
AirDroid is an app that really shows Android’s flexibility. It helps you connect your smartphone to your computer, and then manage it from there. Sure, Wifi Analyzer may be one of the best options when it comes to file transfers, but AirDroid can do so much more!
You can use it to transfer files, of course, but you can also call your buddies using your PC, send and receive SMSs, see app notifications, use your keyboard and mouse to control your Android smartphone, and so on.
You can also manage and play your music and videos, take screenshots and even use the clipboard memory to share data between your phone or tablet and your computer – how cool is that?
AirDroid has many more features, so if you are an Android user, be sure to check it out; you won’t regret that you did.
Who needs Photoshop? Lots of people, according to Adobe. And while I admit that this image editor has got lots of great features, it’s also quite expensive for many of us, who don’t make a living editing images all day long.
Fortunately, there are several free image editors which aren’t exactly Photoshop, but will do a great job for most of our amateurish image editing needs. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best image editing applications that can be downloaded without paying a dime.
GIMP is regarded as the best freeware image editor since I was a kid! And this says quite a few things about its features, imho. In fact, some people have tried to make its interface look like Photoshop a few years ago, and the result of their work was awesome!
Hold on a bit… there it is – Gimpshop! It is great to see that this project didn’t die – in fact, it looks better than ever 🙂
Anyway, back to GIMP. The software uses lots of third party modules, so it may crash every now and then. Don’t be scared, though; it won’t happen too often, and the user interface looks really good.
Once you install the application, be sure to switch to the single window mode; otherwise, you’ll see lots of confusing, tiny windows floating around your desktop.
GIMP has dedicated tools that will enhance your photos and can correct barrel distortions, for example. It has built-in support for various input devices and can open and save to the most common image file formats.
The editor has also got several hundreds of high quality plugins, so be sure to check them as well. It runs on Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, FreeBSD and more.
This piece of software has a somewhat funny name, because it can’t be downloaded from the paint.net website. The owners of that website sell paint and coatings, but the image editor can be downloaded for free from http://www.getpaint.net/index.html.
Paint.NET is simple and easy to use. Some people may think it’s too simple for their needs, and they may be right. Still, Paint.NET is constantly updated, getting more interesting features with each update. And its user interface is really simple and easy to work with.
This image editor may look simple, but it can work with layers and has several high quality plugins that are developed by an active community.
Pixlr is a great image editor that can run in your browser or on your smartphone. The online version is ad-suported, but the ads don’t get in the way.
Autodesk, the company behind Pixlr, knows a thing or two about software development, and it shows! The image editor is lightning fast, working great even on ancient computers.
Pixlr knows how to work with layers and masks, and its mobile offerings are among the best that can be found on both iTunes Store and Google Play.