How to use your Google Maps offline

I use Google Maps almost daily. Whether it be to scope out the quickest route to get somewhere or just to figure out where exactly I am when I’m visiting a new area, it’s an indispensable tool that I’ve come to rely on. However, I’m in a lot of situations where I either have no cell or WiFi reception or would incur huge roaming costs, so Google Maps becomes impractical to use. However, there are a few ways that you can get your maps offline so that you don’t need to consume data each time you want to look at them. 

 

To make a map available for offline viewing, there are two methods. For both methods, just search for your desired location first and get it up on your screen. For the first method, once this is done, just type of speak “OK Maps” in the search bar and this will automatically start a download of the specified map to your cache.

The second method is similar: once on your location, tap on the search box again and scroll down to the bottom. Here, you’ll find an option to download the map offline and once you tap on it, will download it to your cache as well. Once either of these methods have been done, you will have an offline version of your map and that you can use whenever you want.

Two methods for downloading your maps offline.

A downloaded map doesn’t require a huge amount of space, in fact. New York, for example, took up only 13 megabytes when completely downloaded. However, just for data sake, you might just want to be connected to WiFi before you start downloading all the maps that you want. Also, keep in kind that if you continue to do this that your cache for Google Maps will fill up rapidly and you should check it and clear it out every so often.

Some precautions

There are some limitations to the functionality of the offline maps, mostly to do with the size of the location you’re looking for. For example, New York and surrounding areas would be a bit too much for just one cached file and would need to be broken into smaller, surrounding areas. If you get too big of an overview of the area, you won’t be able to gather much from the information.  When you open Google Maps, the last opened map section will be opened and you won’t be able to preload other maps via search later without an internet connection. You can, however, swipe through maps that you have saved until you get to the area that you have saved, but that can be a little bit annoying. As well, offline navigation is not available.

An example of two levels of capture: Too broad (left) and just right (right).

Conclusion

The online functionality of Google Maps obviously cannot be replaced, but for those who are on the go and travel quite a bit, this may provide a small solution to the problem of always attempting to find a cell reception area or a place where you can leech a WiFi signal. As well, just having a portable offline version of a map is always indispensable, especially when exploring a new area.

The cache size before and after downloading a map. In this case, an offline map of New York.

The offline functionality described in our article relies on Google Maps version 7.0.1 which in turns requires at least Android 4.0.3.

How to take a screenshot with your Android device

Whether you are wanting to capture a video still, save an important detail in a picture or explain a function within an app or on your Android device, screenshots are super useful and quite often are very easy to perform with the correct button combination and other quick methods. Today we will break down for you the various ways to make a screenshot on different devices, because it ain’t all the same on every Android smartphone.

Believe me, screenshots are a lot easier to do than this.

This is how it’s done with most devices

With the arrival of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the process of taking a screenshot became a lot easier and as of that point in time most devices use the same button combination: press on the power button and the volume down button at the same time and hold them both until you hear a sound or are notified that the shot was taken with some sort of animation. Often you’ll briefly see a white frame appear around the edge of your screen and get a quick preview of the captured screenshot.

Then, you can retrieve those pictures in the Gallery in the Screenshots folder. Gaining access to these shots via USB can be done by going in to the /Pictures/Screenshots folder of your internal memory or SD card.

There’s a second possible method but it won’t work on every device: to see if it works for you, hold the power button until the menu to power down appears. If you see an option here that says ‘screenshot’ then this means the method works for you. The menu will automatically disappear once you take the shot.

For older devices, sorry but you are out of luck when it comes to relying on your phone’s own software for this function. You’ll need the help of a custom ROM or root or even an app like No Root Screenshot It which will perform a shot without needing to root your device first.

Samsung

Samsung has a completely different combination of buttons that serve the purpose of taking a screenshot. When you have the Galaxy S4, the S3, the Note 3 and almost all other Samsung phones, you need to press on the home button and the power button at the same time (as opposed to volume down) and hold until the shot is taken.

Samsung decided on a different button combination for their screenshots.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Note 8.0 and Note 10.1: taking a shot with an S Pen

Whether you have the Galaxy Note 3 or Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition), there are three methods to get it done. Open up the Air Command menu, pull out the stylus, hover it above the display and press the button on the side of the S Pen to get the following options:

• Scrapbook: This function can be found in the circular Air Command menu and lets you draw circles around a portion of the screen that you would like to save. You can then use these in your own notes or sort by category. The screenshot is saved in the Scrapbook app.
• Screenshot note: this function was already available on the Note 2 and isn’t available through the Air Command menu. With the Note function the entire surface of the screen at that specific moment will be captured and you can write over the top of it in different colors if you want to be creative.
• S Pen Button: With all Galaxy devices equipped with a stylus, when holding down the button on the S Pen and long pressing its tip on the display, this will take a screenshot.

In our S Pen function article that we wrote a while back, you can see what other cool things you can do with the stylus.

The S Pen has many useful functions, one of which is taking screenshots.

Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 3 and Note: Swipe to capture

• In the settings, choose My Device and then Gestures and Movements.
• Under Hand Motions you need to activate the options for Palm Swipe to capture.
• Now you can swipe your hand horizontally over the display and a screenshot will be taken. The direction of your hand doesn’t matter, but it should touch the display. If you have done the gesture properly, you should hear the camera shutter sound and receive a notification that your shot has been saved to the gallery.

Which device do you own and how do you do a screenshot on it?

3 ways to speed up your android phone

You probably used to love your Android phone when it was new and you could zip through different apps with ease, but now you the lag between tapping something and your phone response has become unbearable. Your phone is not the only one that suffers from this malaise. Fear not, because in this article we take a look at some of the ways in which  you can speed up your Android phone.

In this article we provide 3 ways in which to speed up your android phone and get it back to normal / © AndroidPIT

Clear app cache

Ever since you got your phone, the apps on it have been writing into the app cache and this uses up your phone’s resources in the process which of course makes your phone slower. The way to fix this is to simply visit every app's property page within the settings on your phone and clear the cache on each and every app on your phone. The problem is that with a lot of apps on your phone, it can take a long time to do this so in order to speed up the process, you can install an app called app cache cleaner from the Google Play Store. This allows you to clear the cache on all the apps you have on your phone in one go, so you don’t have to spend a long time doing it manually.

Disable or uninstall the apps you don’t use

You can also disable and uninstall some of those apps that you don’t use as some may be eating up some system resources because they may be running in the background. Some apps that you probably want to target are those that came preloaded on your phone but you really don’t use all that much. If you have rooted your Android, you can get rid of these apps easily. If not, you can simply go to the app properties and disable the app to prevent it from running and using up your phone’s resources.

Remove widgets and shortcuts from the home screen

The widgets and shortcuts that you have on your home screen maybe aesthetically pleasing, but they also contribute to the slow response rate that you get from your phone, so unless you absolutely have to have the hottest YouTube videos on your home screen then just drag them of the screen. It also helps to remove all of the shortcuts from your home screen as well.

By implementing these three suggestions, you can significantly improve the speed of your Android handset. Do you have any other ways you know of that will improve the speed of a phone? If so, please leave us a comment below and we will get back to you.

Source: Laptop Mag

Official Google Search update brings 'Ok Google' voice search and GEL

The moment we've all been waiting for, well, one of them at least, is here: the Google Search update – that brings KitKat functionality to anyone who cares to install the update – has been officially released and is rolling out as we speak. There's tons of exciting new features in the update, including voice search, the Google Experience Launcher we've seen on the Nexus 5, and a bunch of other cool goodies. If you can't wait for the update you can install the APK manually below and get it right now.

The new Google Search will talk to you! / © AndroidPIT/Google

Thanks to Android Police, we already have a nice breakdown of what the new update brings with it. Here's the major points:

• The Google Search version 3.1.8 works on all devices running Android 4.1 or higher. There's new refresh animation and UI.
• Google Now can now talk back to you, as we reported recently, to clarify general voice commands like ''send a message'' or ''call Jennifer''.
• The new Google Search supports the Google Experience Launcher, meaning everyone, not just those running KitKat, can enjoy the experience.
• The Google Experience Launcher has been optimized for tablets.
• There's new Google Now cards: website update, news topics, and What to Watch
• Waze includes traffic incident updates
• Recurring reminders
• Real-time sports score updates
• Package pickup notifications
• Better navigation of Google Now cards, dismissed cards can be brought back with Undo button

Combined with GEL, Google Seacrh gets you a lot closer to the KitKat feel. / © AndroidPIT/Google

If you can't wait for the updated Google Search to appear in the Play Store, you can download the APK and if you want to add the Google Experience Launcher to your device, simply install the Google Search APK, then download and install the GEL APK and you should be sorted.

Download Google Search 3.1.8 APK

Download Google Experience Launcher APK

Have you got the new Google Search with GEL running on your non-KitKat Android? What are your thoughts?

Source: Android Police

Nexus wireless charger appears in Google Play

One of the best features that no one ever talks about in Nexus devices is the built-in Qi induction charging capabilities of the Google devices. Google has just released it's own Nexus-branded wireless charging station in the Play Store in the US and Canada, with a ''coming soon'' message currently appearing in the UK and elsewhere. 

The sticky rubber-backed plate will charge your Nexus in a snap. / © Google

The wireless charger will cost $49.99 and is a discreet little black box at six centimeters square. Your Nexus will snap into place via the use of magnets when you drop it on the glassy plate to charge. It's nice to see Google producing their own Nexus-branded wireless charger to match their slick looking range of new Nexus devices although fifty bucks is a little steep.

The Nexus wireless charger is compatible with the Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and the 2013 versions of the Nexus 7. The older Nexus 7's and Nexus 10 do not support Qi.

ClixSense is another well-known site in the world of PTC advertising. It works very similarly to NeoBux in that you earn money by viewing ads and you can also earn even more by referring people.
When someone signs up to ClixSense using your referral link they become part of your downline. This means that you earn a commission from a percentage of what people in your downline earn. It's a great system and really opens up the earning possibilities once you get some active people in your downline.
There are many different ways to cash out your money from ClixSense. They offer PayPal, Payza, Liberty Reserve, and cheque payments.

Step 1: Register

Register in ClixSense by clicking on this banner:



 You are now in the home page of ClixSense. In the upper part of the page, you should see a button "Sign Up". Click there and you will see a registration form:



As you can see, you must enter a username, password, valid e-mail, your first and last names. Just a standard registration form
After you have successfully filled the form, you can click on the button Create Account. Now check your mailbox! You should receive a confirmation e-mail soon, with a link you must click in order to activate your ClixSense account. You can't use ClixSense before you have clicked the link in the confirmation e-mail.
To the TOP

Step 2: Login

You will see a button called Sign In in the upper right corner. After you click it (or just hover the mouse over it), you will see the login form of ClixSense. Simply enter the username and password you have registered with, and click "Sign In". Now you are logged in and you can start earning easy cash.
To the TOP

Step 3: View ads and earn money

You will see a button called View Ads in the upper part of the page. After you click it, you will see all the available ads in the moment. As you can see, there are different type of ads, you can click on - Micro, Mini, Standard and Extended Advertisements. Each type gives you different amount of money for clicking it. The amount per ad ranges from $0.001 and up to $0.02.



When you click an advertisement, a new page opens with the advertiser's site. Before the timer starts, you have to solve a small Picture CAPTCHA (for security reasons). You will be shown 5 images - 4 images of dogs and 1 image of a cat. Click THE CAT and the timer will start. In the upper part of the page, you will see a bar timer. You must wait for it to reach the end (it depends on the type of ad, but it varies from 3 to 30 seconds). When the bar is filled, it means that the time for viewing the ad is over, and you have earned the money for it! In the upper part of the page you will see the money you have been credited with and a little link saying "Close". You can click it, in order to close the page. Now move on to next ad!

Referrals

Referrals are the true power of ClixSense!
Referrals are basically users, who work for you. They are normal users and they earn money just like you - by clicking ads. But when they earn money, you earn money too!
Referrals are people who have registered in ClixSense and entered you as their referrer (they have clicked on your referral link, banner or you have told them about the great power ot the ClixSense system). Unlike Neobux, here you earn not only from your direct referrals, but from their direct referrals and their direct referrals and so on until 8 LEVELS of referrals.
The big question is HOW DO I GET REFERRALS to work for me? It is very important to have a web page to promote your referral links and banners. See more about my offer for getting referrals HERE.
You can read more about the referrals and what you earn from them in this HELP PAGE.

ClixGrid

ClixGrid is a game of chance. You can start it from the third button in the upper part of the page, called ClixGrid. You will be presented with a 30x20 grid, 600 blocks - each block opens an ad in a new window and you have to see it for 10 seconds. The prizes are from $0,25 to $5. Standard users have 25 chances every day, and Premium members have 50 chances. 

Proofs for  payment from ClixSense

Earn Money on Linkbucks

 

Have ever wanted to earn a decent amount of money while sitting at home. If you have then its the time to fulfill your desire. I personally have been associated with linkbucks from long time.This is one of the best programs I have used and recommended to other.Before putting the whole blueprint of the technique to earn money from linkbucks in front of you let me clarify the first question that might be coming into your mind about the intial investment that is required?The answere to this question is that its completely FREE.

Step by Step Guide To Earn Money

Linkbucks.com is a program that allows you to make money online by sharing your links. Linkbucks convets your normal links to paying ones by displaying ads to visitors who click your links.

There are 3 ways of creating paying links:

1. Single Link.use this to convert only one link to a paying link.
2. Multiple Links.
   paste multiple links and have them converted to paying links.
3. Full Page Script.
   If you have a website/blog and you want all your links converted to paying links automatically, this feature generates javascript code which you paste on your site and your links are converted to paying links behind the scenes.

There are 3 ad types to choose from:

1. Intermission Ad.
   This ad type shows a full page ad when your link is clicked. It makes you a lot of money but some visitors find it a bit annoying.
2. Top Banner Ad.
   This ad type shows ads in a top frame above the site you are linking to.
3. Side Banner Ad.
   This ad type shows ads in a side frame on the site you are linking to.

There are 2 type of target ads:

1. Clean.
   Use this option if the page you are linking to is safe for all ages.
2. Adult.
   Use this option if the page you are linking to contains any adult content

Payments are made on request to Paypal with a minimum of $5. You could also earn via their referal program where you get 20% of your direct referrals’ earnings, 10% for 2nd tier referral earnings and 2% for 3rd tier referral earnings.

Linkbucks Referral System

Another way to make money and monetize your blogging career is by using Linkbucks and its referral system. Each referral earns you 20% of his earnings and the some % of the earnings of his referrals.
Banners and ads with your referral code are ready for you to use on your blogs or postings once you sign up for Linkbucks.
Instead of simply linking media, why not get the chance to earn by using the affiliate program.

Earn by Generating Links

 

 

By creating links, you replace the original link you are suppose to use with a generated link that will earn by being clicked for several times by people. Its a good way to earn if ever you are always linking pages, photos, and media. The links generated comes along with the extensions linkbucks.com, any.gs, etc. These are linkbucks partners and counts as earnings when clicked. You can track you referrals on the earnings page once you sign up.

On the earnings tab, you can check your accumulated earnings and can be withdrawn with a minimum payout of $5 which can be claimed through PayPal. How convenient.

Linkbucks Advertising Campaign

If you want to increase traffic to your website, Linkbucks Advertising Campaign will be a good use to you. Here, you want to pay Linkbucks for your Ad to be displayed all over the net with your preferred banner size and orientation. This way, traffic will come to your site up to 50% traffic increase in almost a month. The money you earn from your links could be invested here depending on your campaign length and location.

Sign up for Linkbucks here.