25 Top Android Applications for Indian Users

At the Google I/O 2011, it was announced that officially there were more than 200,000 apps available in the Android Market. However, I noticed that there were certain apps in the Market that were dedicated to the users of a specific region only. Apps like Google Voice, VEVO, Google Music Beta, etc. were available only for certain regions like U.S, Canada and U.K.
With so many apps available in the Market, I decided to check out if there were any Android Apps for Indian Users. Well, I was really shocked to see that there were hundreds of apps available for Indian users. Below are 25 of the best Android apps dedicated to Indian users.

News and Magazines Android apps

1. The Times of India – This is an official app from one of the most trusted newspapers in India – The Times of India. The app is easy-to-use, well designed and fully customizable. It provides you full coverage of international, national, local, sports, business, and entertainment news. It easily lets you save news articles for offline viewing and also lets you share articles with your friends via SMS, E-mail, Facebook or Twitter.

2. NDTV – This Official Android app from NDTV, brings you news stories, photos and videos from the NDTV studios directly to your Android phone. It provides you the latest news on Politics, Business, Cricket, Bollywood, and much more. This app also has a widget, that provides you the latest news directly on your homescreen.

3. IBNLive for Android – IBNLive for Android is an official app from the well known Network18 group. This app lets you read the latest news, view news clips and photo galleries, get live cricket scores and much more. One of the best features of this app is that it lets you watch live TV on your phone on three channels – CNN IBN, IBN7 and IBN Lokmat.

4. India Newspapers – India Newspapers is a free Android app that lets you read Indian Newspapers, Magazines and News Sites. It provides you the latest news from various sources such as the Times Of India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Dainik Bhaskar, The Telegraph, Mid-Day, Dainik Jagran and much more.

Finance Apps for Android

5. MoneyControl Markets on Mobile – MoneyControl Markets on Mobile is a another free app by the Network18 group that provides you real-time information about the Indian and Global Markets directly on your Android phone. You can use the application to get real-time stock quotes, Indian and Global Market Indices, manage and keep track of your portfolio and much more. This app is powered by MoneyControl.com, a well known financial and business portal in India.

6. inStocks BSE/NSE Stock Markets – inStocks BSE/NSE Stock Markets provides you real-time information on BSE/NSE Stock Markets, latest business news, stock tips, stock market news, Intraday Charts and much more.

7. IndianMarkets – Indian Markets is a free Android app that provides users with the latest updates and news on their desired stocks, mutual funds and ETF.

Entertainment

8. BookMyShow – BookMyShow is a perfect Android app for movie junkies. It is a simple and easy-to-use app that enables you to get movie listings, movie synopsis & details, check show timings, as well as buy movie tickets directly from your phone. Currently, this app supports only movie ticketing, but will soon be upgraded to offer play, concerts and sports tickets.

9. IndiaTVGuide – As the name suggests, IndiaTVGuide is an app that provides TV schedules of over 170+ Indian channels directly on your Android phone. It lets you set alerts for your favourite programmes and also sync it with Google Calendar. It has a home screen widget that enables you to see what’s airing on your favourite channels. This app makes it very easy to share the programme you are watching on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

10. Saavn Music – Saavn Music lets you search and instantly play the best songs from Bollywood, Bhangra, Bhajans, Ghazals and more for free. It enables you to create and save your own playlists, get the latest hits, listen to radio and much more.

11. Raaga.com – A World of Music – This simple app lets you discover and share Indian music in over 18 languages including Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Bhangra,etc. It lets you discover new music, connect with friends and other music lovers, share your playlists, recommend and discuss your favourite music and much more.

Android Sports App

12. CricketNext Live for Android – CricketNext Live for Android brings live cricket scores to your Android phone. It gets you live scores, commentary, batting, fielding and bowling charts and stats, photos, match reports and much more.

13. NDTV Cricket – The NDTV Cricket app provides you live coverage of international as well as domestic cricket matches along with latest news, photos and stats. It offers live score updates via push technology with ball-by-ball commentary and much more.

LifeStyle Apps for Indian Android users

14. Sweet’N’Spicy – Indian Cooking – This app provides you access to over 4000+ Indian food recipes spread across 3 major categories – Vegan, Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian. It displays the list of ingredients and instructions for each recipe along with the comments of previous users and also the number of calories in each serving.You can also get interesting and relevant cooking tips in each recipe. It lets save your favourite recipes and also rate and review the recipe with pictures.

15. TaazzaGo for India – TaazzaGo is a really nifty app that lets you discover things around you in India. It enables you to find news from leading newspapers and blogs, discover local restaurants, get detailed weather report, find offers from SnapDeal, Groupon, etc., movie listings, stage plays, professional events, yellow pages and much more.

Travel & Local

16. Zomato – Zomato is a simple app that lets you search restaurant menus across 16,000 restaurants in India. It covers 10 major cities that include Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkatta, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. You can check the ratings, reviews and discounts of all the restaurants in your city. It also recommends you the best restaurants around your location.

17. Indian Rail Info App – As the name suggests, this app lets you find information about Indian Railways such as PNR Status, Seat Availability, Train Search, Arrival & Departure, Fare Enquiry, Train Running Status and much more.

18. Travelbuddy – Travelbuddy is an official application of Yatra.com. With this app, you can search as well as book your flight tickets right from your Android phone. It enables you to buy flight tickets using your credit card.

19. AutoMeterFare India – AutoMeterFare India is an app that lets auto-rickshaw users calculate how much they need to pay as their fare. It is useful to know if the driver is charging you the right fare or is charging extra. It also has an option to enable night time surcharge. It provides you the option to call the relevant authorities directly from the app. Currently this app supports only a few major Indian cities that include – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Trivandrum.

20. Mumbai Rail Schedule – Mumbai Rail Schedule is a simple app that lets you know the arrival and departure of local trains in Mumbai. This app can be a real boon to Mumbaikars who travel by train frequently.

21. MeterDown – Mumbai Taxi – Similar to AutoMeterFare, this app lets you check taxi fares on your Android phone. It is pretty simple and easy-to-use. All you have to do is select the meter reading to see the corresponding fare, which reflects both regular and midnight fares. However, this app is only for Mumbai users and is applicable for mechanical meter only.

Books & Reference

22. Hindu Calendar – This app shows you all dates according to the Hindu Calendar. It shows the tithi, paksha, nakshatra, rashi and phase of the moon for any given date. You can also convert any Gregorian date to Indian Lunar date. Date of various Hindu festivals are also available in this app.

23. Shrimad Bhagavad Gita – Srimad Bhagavad Gita is free and compact size Gita app in Hindi and English. It integrates with various social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook and comes with “Shlok a Day” widget to help you read Gita every day.

24. Hanuman Chalisa – Hanuman Chalisa is a very simple and free app which contains the forty verses of the famous poem Hanuman Chalisa along with audio recital.

25. iQuran – iQuran lets you read the Holy Quran in Arabic alongside it’s translation in English. It provides verse-by-verse audio playback, repeat functions, excellent navigational controls, search and much more.

So, what are your views about these Android Apps for India? Do you have any other Android apps to recommend? Tell us about it via the comments section.

Read more: http://www.callingallgeeks.org/25-android-apps-for-indian-users/#ixzz2MwMWtiFj
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

Top 10 Mobile Phones to be released in 2013

Mobile Phones have become a very important part of the System in 2013, it’s almost impossible to live without a mobile phone in today’s era. Mobiles have become smarter and they are no longer used only to make phone calls, rather you can do a lot of intelligent stuff from a mobile phone. It can help you check and send an email, check text messages, make a video or take a photo, chat with your friends, check your facebook notifications and ever increasing similar list. Mobile Phones with better and added features and fast processors are coming up on regular basis year after year. We have seen iOS become extremely popular over the years, then Android and now Windows Phone is fast catching up. Also there are a lot of new OS’es that would debut in 2013 which includes the all new Blackberry OS, Firefox Mobile OS, Jolla and so on. Also the latest YouM flexible display technology was featured by Samsung in CES 2013 which is sure to make it big in the coming year. There is also going to be huge anticipation for the Upcoming Blackberry 10 OS device and it really looks solid till now. Here we have combined and made up a list of the most anticipated upcoming mobile phones in the year 2013. Make sure you go through this list before you upgrade your SmartPhone because there are a lot of Android Phones and Windows Phones that would be launching in year 2013. Here is the list of best 10 such mobile phones:

10. Samsung ATIV S

Samsung ATIV S

Samsung’s upcoming Windows 8 smartphone ATIV S is a front runner flagship phone for Samsung’s Windows 8 platform. Samsung ATIV S has no funky colors or covers unlike Lumia or HTC 8 series phone’s. The phone boasts high end configuration like 4.8 inch and amazing 720 X 1280 pixels Super AMOLED capacitive display which has 306 ppi pixels density and has Corning Gorilla Glass 2 for super display protection. The Phone will have Dual-core Krait 1.5 GHz MSM8960 Snapdragon Processor with 1GB Ram and 16 GB or 32 GB storage space. Samsung ATIV S will come with 8 MP Primary Camera and 1.9 MP Secondary camera which would make video calling a breeze. The Phone would come with Windows 8 OS Pre loaded and would have a 2300 mAH battery which would enable enough juice from the phone. Samsung ATIV S is an highly awaited phone and has a strong following depite it’s not much unique looks.

9. Google’s Nexus 5

Google Nexus 5

This is by far the most awaited smartphone specially for Android enthusiasts. Google’s Nexus series have been immensely successful so far thanks to the quick Android upgrades it has always got. Nexus 5 is an upcoming Android Google flagship smartphone which is surely going to be powered by Android OS 5.0. We would expect this upcoming smartphone to have around 5 inch 1080 HD display along with 1GB or more RAM, quad core processor and LTE Connectivity. The upcoming Nexus 5 could possibly be built by HTC and we would expect it to come with funky looking colors unlike the past Nexus phone’s so that it gives tough competition to Windows 8 smartphone’s atleast in terms of styling. The nexus 5 is expected to launch in Q4 2013, and Google would need to make sure that they extensively feature pack this phone so that it carries on the Nexus legacy.

8. Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung has been known to be build beautiful, unique and very popular mobile phones. Samsung Galaxy Note is one series of smartphone’s that has been one of the best selling smartphone’s in the world. Samsung Galaxy Note 1 and 2 have been very popular because of it’s different and stylish features and large displays. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 would possibly feature an even larger display which would make the phone more of a phablet type. We expect this upcoming mobile phone to have close to 6 inch display and is sure  to have a quad core processor which would give it enough processing power under the hood. The phone is expected to come with Android 5.0 and would be customized by Samsung so as to offer some unique features that would differentiate it from other phones in the same category. The very popular S Pen would remain as it is in the new upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3. The phone would also come with even stronger battery back up so that it can work for you for complete day with ease and this is surely going to be one ultimate smartphone which would give rich multimedia, business and entertainment features on the go (provided you are able to carry it in your  pocket).

7.  HTC 8X

HTC 8X

HTC 8X is the upcoming windows 8 mobile phone from HTC’s stable. The phone would come with Windows 8 OS and it’s bold design has already been liked by a lot of people despite having strong similarities to Nokia’s Lumia 920. The phone would come with 4.3 inch which can support 720 x 1280 pixels and has S LCD2 capacitive display with 342 ppi pixels density. The phone would have Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection which we feel would be made default protection for all high end mobile phones in 2013. The phone has Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait Snapdragon Processor with 1GB ram and 16 GB internal storage which can be expanded. The phone would have 8MP primary camera and 2.1 MP secondary camera and would have added features like Beats Audio sound enhancement. The unlocked version of the phone is expected to come at around $700.

6. Nokia Lumia 820

Nokia Lumia 820

Nokia Lumia 820 is an upcoming mobile phone, which would feature Windows Phone 8 OS like other Lumia series phone’s. It’s hardware specs resemble that of it’s bigger brother Nokia Lumia 920. The Phone would have 4.3 inch AMOLED display with Nokia Clear Black type which supports upto 480 X 800 pixels. The phone would have Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait Snapdragon processor and 1GB Ram and 8 GB internal storage which can be expanded. It would have 8MP primary camera and VGA secondary camera. This upcoming phone would also have added features like Dolby Headphone sound enhancement. The phone is expexted to cost around $550 for unlocked version.

5. Sony Xperia Z / ZL

Sony Xperia ZL

Sony Xperia ZL is a very powerful upcoming Android powered smartphone with LTE connectivity, Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait Processor with 2GB Ram and 64 GB Internal Space. The phone would be powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and would and up gradable to Android 4.2. The phone would have 13 MP primary camera to give you great camera experience and 2 MP secondary camera for awesome video calling. It would be powered with amazing 5.0 inches display which can support 1080 x 1920 pixels and 441 ppi pixels density. Sony’s upcoming flagship phone’s display would have Shatter proof and scratch-resistant glass and is also water proof so that you can take your calls even when in shower. This is going to be one amazing   phone and would be a very strong competitor for Samsung Galaxy SIII, Note 2 and other Androids. The phone is expected to come at a price range of $750.

“It would be interesting to see if this new innovative feature rich phone from Sony is able to make a buzz in an overcrowded Android Phone segment”

4. Blackberry BB Z10

Blackberry 10

The redesigned, reinvented and reengineered Blackberry device is finally here. Blackberry couldn’t have sustained on the only touchpad device’s and that bad blackberry os any longer so they decided to bring in a total new BB OS 10 on a new Touch device Z10. The upcoming Blackberry phone looks extremely promising in the review videos and it’s os looks very capable. The phone is one of the most awaited upcoming mobile phones of 2013 because of huge blackberry followers around the world. Blackberry BB Z10 specs are still unknown but we expect the phone to come with a Dual Core Processor with 1GB ram and 4.5 inch display. The Phone would also have great multimedia features apart from it’s standard BB messenger. Blackberry BB Z10 is expected to launch in Q1 2013 at a price range of around $750 and is sure to have a lot of eye balls rolling.

Update: This Latest BB device has been confirmed and would be launched by feb 1st week 2013 at price of 550 Euro or $750.

3. Nokia Lumia 920

This is one phone that can change the fortunes for both Nokia and Windowe Phone OS. This upcoming Nokia mobile has been extremely well received by mobile phone users around the world. Nokia Lumia 920 would come with  768 x 1280 pixels, 4.5 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protection and Pure Motion HD+. The phone has Dual-core 1.5 GHz Krait snapdragon processor with 1GB ram and 32 GB Internal Storage. One thing that stands out on this top notch Nokia Lumia 920 is it’s Amazing Pureview Camera which comes with 8.7 MP primary and 1.3 MP secondary camera. The camera is best among all mobile phone’s in the market because of it’s amazing clarity and image stabilization features. The phone also has Dolby Headphone sound enhancement and very powerful 2000 mAH battery. This Windows Phone is expected to release in Q1 2013 at a price range of $700.

“Nokia Lumia 920 is one Phone which we feel is extremely Polished and works extremely Flawlessly (thanks to Windows Phone OS) and is sure to become one of the Best Selling Mobiles in 2013″

2. Samsung Galaxy S IV

Samsung Galaxy S series has sold close to 100 million phone’s that itself shows the popularity of the Galaxy series of Phones. Samsung Galaxy S IV is another upcoming droid that can again capture the massive market for Samsung and Android. Samsung Galaxy S IV is hugely anticipated specially after the success of Samsung Galaxy SII and SIII. There has been no official announcement by Samsung yet but as per the rumors the S IV is expected to have 5 inch HD display, Quad Core Processor and 2GB Ram. The Phone is also expected to have LTE Support and NFC support. It would come pre installed with either Android 4.2 or Android 5.0. The phone’s hardware and design is what generally differentiates Samsung’s Phone from other premium Smartphones in the World. The phone would have better battery support, display, processor and might also include an S Pen Stylus. The phone is expected to be launched in Q2 of 2013.

Samsung Galaxy S IV is finally coming out on 14th March 2013 and is expected to come with some unheard features like Auto Screen Scrolling, etc.

1. Apple iPhone 6

How could you keep an iPhone out of the list of top best upcoming mobiles. iPhone has been immensely popular since the first gen came out and since then Apple has been continuously upgrading the iPhone to have better features and hardware so that  it outclasses the other phones in the market. The new Apple iPhone 6 is expected to get some drastic improvements over the previous gen iPhone’s which can include a Quad Core Processor, 12 MP Primary camera, better Battery Life, LTE and NFC Support, and others. We can also see some major improvements in Apple iPhone 6 OS so as to match Android and Windows. Also Maps is surely going to be made better so that the next phone is perfect. Apple iPhone 6 launch date hasn’t been out yet but we expect it to come in Q4 2013.
P.S: Mobile World Congress has brought in some awesome mobile phones that are shortly coming up this year. Some are Nokia Lumia 720, Nokia Lumia 520, ZTE Grand Memo, Asus Padfone Infinity, and a bunch of devices running FireFox Mobile OS.
Oops! We missed out Blackberry Q10 in the list.
Bonus: HTC Would bring in HTC One (M7) in Q1, 2013. The phone would come pre installed with Android OS V4.1 which would be heavily modified. The phone would have a power horse 1.7 GHz Quadcore Processor with 2GB Ram and 32 GB Internal Memory. The phone’s primary camera would be a 4 Ultra megapixel Camera and early reviews suggest that the camera results would be pretty delightful. The Phone is expected to be priced around $750.
Let us know which upcoming mobile phone would you be buying in 2013? What do you think about these upcoming mobiles 2013 below in comments and what changes would you like to see in them.

Leaked! Is this what the Samsung Galaxy S IV looks like?

Exactly after one week from now, Samsung will finally launch its next-generation Galaxy S smartphone – the Galaxy S4 – at a media event, scheduled to take place in New York, March 14. But regardless of that, the so-called rumor mill surrounding the upcoming device doesn’t seem to calm down just yet.
Following a report saying the Samsung Galaxy S4 will stick to the traditional plastic body, “despite rivals opting to use metal and other premium-feeling materials,” a new report has appeared online Wednesday with a set of screenshots, claiming to be of an American variant of the next Samsung flagship smartphone.

• Exynos 5 processor
• WIRELESS CHARGING
• FAST WIRELESS NETWORKING
• ADVANCED AUDIO PROCESSING WITH EARSMART ES325 CHIP
• EYE-TRACKING SCROLL TECHNOLOGY
• SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 MINI

The leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 screenshots, published by the tech blog GSM Israel, apparently have confirmed a number of key features of the device that have been widely rumored of late. The screenshots have revealed that the Galaxy S3 successor will feature a 5-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (441 ppi), a 13-megapixel primary camera, 2GB RAM and a Quad-Core 1.8GHz processor with LTE on board.
As SamMobile has pointed out, the leaked screenshots belong to an American variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4. That said, there is still possibility that the international variant of the smartphone will be powered by an Exynos Octa CPU.

‘Smart Scroll’ Confirmed!
Reports surfaced a couple of days back suggesting that the new Samsung Galaxy S4 will include a new eye-tracking feature that can track users’ eyes to scroll through pages. Now, the new reports featuring Galaxy S4 screenshots have confirmed that the device will indeed have the ability to allow users scroll up and down a page with an eye movement, thanks to a new feature called “Smart Scroll.”
Apart from that, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will also have features like “Smart Pause” that will freeze any multimedia playing on the device when the user turns his head away, “Smart Rotation” that will adjust the screen orientation according to the user’s angle of sight and “Smart Stay” that will disable screen timeout when the device detects that the user’s face is watching the screen.
Other details revealed by the claimed Galaxy S4 screenshots include a brand new TouchWiz Nature UX 2.0, an overhauled settings menu with a tabbed interface and white background.
The leaked screenshots in question came on the heels of a different report from SamMobile, in which it showed another set of screenshots from a device that were claimed to be of the yet-be-released Samsung Galaxy S4. However, the site clarified in a later update to the story that those images were actually from the Android 4.2.1 leaked firmware for the Samsung Galaxy S3.
“We have just found out that these images are actually from the Android 4.2.1 leaked firmware for Galaxy S III and we were given the wrong information by the tipper. Though, the Galaxy S IV will indeed have these features as confirmed by our insider,” SamMobile explained.
Take a look at the list of likely features of the Samsung Galaxy S4, followed by the leaked screenshots of the device (courtesy GSM Israel).

 - A 4.99-inch Full-HD AMOLED Display
- Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor or Exynos Octa CPU
- 2GB RAM
- Storage capacity of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB
- A 13-megapixel camera with Orb camera technology (1080p video capability)
- A 2-megapixel front-facing camera
- Dimensions of 140.1 x 71.8 x 7.7 mm
- 138 gram weight
- Home button with touch buttons
- Plastic back
- Removable battery
- Black and White color options

Photo: GSM Israel Samsung Galaxy S4 American variant’s screenshots reportedly leaked.
Photo: GSM Israel Samsung Galaxy S4 American variant’s screenshots reportedly leaked.
Photo: GSM Israel Samsung Galaxy S4 American variant’s screenshots reportedly leaked.
Photo: GSM Israel Samsung Galaxy S4 American variant’s screenshots reportedly leaked.

Jelly Bean update for Samsung Note

Samsung started the Jelly Bean update roll out for a host of devices back in September last year. The Galaxy Note 2 was the first device from the manufacturer to be released with Android Jelly Bean firmware out of the box. The OEM later pushed the new version of the OS to the Galaxy S3.  At that time very few of us expected that the update will hit the old best-sellers like the Galaxy S2 and Note. The Facebook page of Samsung Sweden was the first to leak the news that these two phones would be getting the JB update. The news was taken merely as a rumor but it was confirmed later when Samsung released the details of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update. Droidviews.com was the first to leak the details of the firmware update for the Galaxy Note.

The release date for the new update was postponed several times and the wait seemed to be perpetual. But now all anxiety has finally been put to an end as Samsung has started pushing the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy Note International version with model number GT-N7000.

The  Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean OTA update has already started rolling out via Kies and on-device-software update feature. The Galaxy Note users in Hong Kong, Germany, and Mexico have reported getting the new update.

But if you do not belong to the countries mentioned above, you can still update your Galaxy Note  GT-N7000 manually via Odin flasher. Only make sure is phone is not locked to a network provider/carrier.

Galaxy Note Android 4.1.2 Features:

The Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy Note GT-N7000 contains all the features of Samsung’s Premium Suite Upgrade. Below is a list of all known new features:

OS Upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean:

• Google Now, Smoother UI (Project Butter), New Notifications Panel

Easy Tasking in One View:

• Multi Window:  ChatOn, E-Mail, Gallery, Gmail, Internet, Maps, s-Note, Talk, Video-Player, YouTube
• Popup Note, Popup Video, Popup Browser

S Pen Experience:

• S Note, Photo Note/Photo Frame, Handwriting on S Planner/Email
• More S Pen Gestures, Signature Unlock, Easy Clip

Enhanced Multimedia Tools:

• New Samsung Gallery, Tag Buddy, Paper Artist

Easy MotionWiz:

• Smart Stay, Direct Call, Shake Panning, Camera Unlock

Rich Content Services:

• Video Hub, Learning Hub, Cloud Sync, Allshare Play, Group Cast

More Upgrades:

• News and Face Ticker on Lockscreen, S Note Widgets, TalkBack Setup Wizard, Blocking Mode

Galaxy Note Android 4.1.2 Screenshots:

Download Galaxy Note Android 4.1.2 Firmware:

Below are the links of all available currently available and it will be updated as new firmwares arrive. If you want English as your phone language, download the German firmware. In case, you see any German text anywhere, open Settings> Language and Input> Language and select English.

Download the zip and extract on your desktop. Inside the extracted folder you will find two files:

1. KIES_HOME_N7000XXLSZ_N7000OXALSZ_906407_REV02_user _low_ship.tar.md5
2. ss_dl.dll

While flashing with Odin tool, click on PDA and select the file with .tar.md5 extension (detailed tutorial below).

Germany: N7000XXLSZ_N7000OXALSZ_DBT.zip
Mirrors Link (DBT): Link1,  Link2,  Link3, Torrent,
Mexico: N7000UBLS4_N7000TCELS1-TCE.zip
Hong Kong: N7000ZSLM5_N7000OZSLM5_TGY.zip

How to Install:

Installing an Official firmware on a Samsung Galaxy device is very easy and if you have ever done it, you can do it easily within a few minutes. If you belong to the countries mentioned above, the installation via Odin should take around three minutes. But if it is not so, it might take about 5 minutes. We’ll recommend a data factory reset via Stock Recovery after the firmware is installed, otherwise you might confront minor issues like connectivity, lagginess, etc. If you phone is rooted, it will be a good idea to backup all your apps using Titanium Backup or Koush’s Carbon app.

Before proceeding to install the firmware, do these things:

• Charge your GalaxyNote to at least 60% of battery level.
• Backup your contacts, messages, apps etc.
• Turn on the USB Debugging mode on your phone: Settings> Developer Options> USB Debugging

Having made the preparations instructed above, follow the following steps:

1. Download the appropriate firmware file from above and extract the zip on your desktop.
2. Download and install the Samsung USB Drivers on your computer and restart PC when it is installed.
3. Download and extract Odin3_v3.04.zip.
4. Put your Galaxy Note  in Download Mode: turn off the phone, press and hold Volume Down+Home buttons and then long press the Power key for a few seconds till the screen turns up and you see a screen asking you to press the Volume Up key to continue. Press it.
5. Run the Odin program by double clicking the Odin3_v3.04.exe.
6. Connect you phone to computer using the USB Cable.
7. The ID:COM port at Odin turns blue  and you can see “Added!!’ text at the message box below. This show that the connection between phone and Odin has been established.
8. Make sure that only the “Auto Reboot” and “F Reset Time” options are checked on Odin.
9. Click on PDA button and select the file with .tar.md5 extension inside the firmware folder.
10. Finally hit the “Start” button and wait for a few minutes till the installation is finished.
11. When it is done, you will see a “PASS!” message at the ID:COM and the device will reboot automatically. You can now disconnect the USB cable and close the Odin window.

The first boot will take a little longer time that usual so you need to be patient till your phone gets ready to b used. In case, your phone id caught into a bootloop and it does not start, do as directed here. If you do not like the new Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware and wish to downgrade the firmware, follow this tutorial.

Do not forget to share with us how does the taste of official Jelly taste? If you have a question related to the topic, drop us a comment! Cheers!

Ref:http://droidviews.com/2013/update-samsung-galaxy-note-gt-n7000-to-android-4-1-2-jelly-bean-official-firmware/

Black Tea

Black tea is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, green and white teas. All four types are made from leaves of the shrub (or small tree) Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis subsp. sinensis), used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis subsp. assamica), which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white have been produced.

While I enjoy a freshly brewed cup of green tea, there are times when I crave the fuller flavor of black tea. And why not? Green tea may be China's national drink, but black teas are known for their distinct flavors. Black tea from China can be sweet or spicy, with a hint of chocolate or the sweet fragrance of orchids.

Until recently, I worried that, by indulging my craving, I was losing out on green tea's numerous health benefits. But recent research indicates that black tea has its own health giving properties.

Green or Black Tea - which is better?

Until recently, tea research has focused on green tea. Green tea is loaded with the compound epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), a powerful anti-oxidant. Since the fermentation process used to make black tea converts EGCg into other compounds, researchers assumed black tea had less health benefits than green tea. However, recent studies indicate the compounds contained in black tea - theaflavins and thearubigens - do more than contribute to its dark color and distinctive flavor. They also provide health benefits originally attributed solely to green tea.

It's important to remember that tea research is still in the early stages. Jane Higden, a research associate with the Linus Pauling Institute, states in a recent article: "although numerous observational studies have examined the relationships between tea consumption and the risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer, there is no conclusive evidence that high intakes of tea are protective in humans." Still, it looks like there is no need to worry about depriving yourself of possible health benefits if black tea is your beverage of choice.

Here are the results of research into black tea:

Black Tea Research

    A long-term study by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment found a correlation between regular consumption of black tea and reduced risk of stroke. Researchers looked at data from a study examining the health benefits of foods that are high in flavonoids - phytonutrients with antioxidant benefits. While some of the flavonoids were obtained from fruits and vegetables, seventy percent came from black tea. The study looked at 552 men over a 15 year period. Researchers concluded that the flavonoids in black tea helped reduce the production of LDL - the "bad" cholesterol that can lead to stroke and heart attacks. Furthermore, men who drank over four cups of black tea per day had a significantly lower risk of stroke than men who drank only two to three cups per day.
    A separate study by Dr. Joseph Vita at Boston's School of Medicine supported these results. For four months, sixty-six men drank four cups of either black tea or a placebo daily. Dr. Vita concluded that drinking black tea can help reverse an abnormal functioning of the blood vessels that can contribute to stroke or heart attack. Furthermore, improvement in the functioning of the blood vessels was visible within two hours of drinking just one cup of black tea.
    Finally, a study of over 3,000 adults in Saudi Arabia - where black tea is favored over green - found that regular consumption of the dark brew can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by fifty percent.

Ref: http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa021103a.htm

Garlic Medicinal Uses

Nature has gifted us lots of things to keep our self healthy. One of those gifts is Garlic. There are lots of saying & proverbs about Garlic which reflects its importance & quality such as Garlic is as good as 10 mothers & Garlic a day keep sickness at bay. Moreover, it is regarded as a miracle by naturopaths & herbalists. Various researches have proved it that Garlic is good for health and is beneficial in curing various health problems.

The garlic clove contains various nutrients as water soluble nutrients include vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and natural sugars & oil soluble nutrients includes sulphur compounds originating from an amino acid named alliin which is converted to a pungent compound called allicin which has natural antibiotic properties. Presence of sulphur in garlic is the cause of its pungent smell. However, the quality of Garlic cannot be over hidden due to this smell. In several scientific studies it has been found that:

Garlic Medicinal Uses

•     Garlic acts as an antiseptic & helps in curing the wounds very quickly.
•     One of the health benefits of garlic is that it helps in fighting against various infection & acts against inflammation and infection, including colds, coughs by adding a freshly cut raw clove to food three times a day or take kyolic garlic capsules but raw is always best.
•     In certain studies in China it has been shown that it contains chemicals that prevent cancer. They suggest that eating garlic on regular basis provides some protection against cancer.
•     Fresh or cooked garlic or 500 mg garlic capsules twice daily helps in lowers down the blood pressure & cardiovascular problems. It increases the levels of high density lipoproteins & reduces harmful cholesterol in the blood & keeps arteries and heart healthy.
•     It thins the blood, reduces clotting and helps in controlling blood pressure and poor circulation.
•     Garlic stimulates the immune system of body & helps in fighting against various diseases.
•     Prevents & relieves chronic bronchitis, respiratory problems, and catarrh.
•     It acts as a nasal decongestant & expectorant.
•     It is also helpful for hum oral asthma, hysteria, dropsy & scurvy.
•     Garlic works as a cleanser of the digestive system, helps in curing flatulence, kills internal parasites and is an excellent internal antiseptic.
•     Researcher recommends daily dose of fresh garlic of about 4 gm, equivalent to one or two small cloves for each & every person who wants to keep himself healthy.

There are various historical facts which prove that Garlic has been used from centuries for its medicinal uses. From around 3000 B.C. Chinese scholars are praising garlic. Moreover, workers who were engaged in constructing the Great Pyramids of Giza lived mainly on garlic & onion. During World War I, Garlic was used to control infections in wounds. It was also used for controlling a raging epidemic of flu in 1963 in Russia. So now start taking garlic as a diet in your food & enjoy your life without lots of disease. Most important thing is that it doesn't have any side effect. So you can take it without any doubt. I know now you can't avoid such a nice gift of nature which can help you out in various ways. Oh! I am very sorry I forgot to tell you one of the most important things that, it is also helpful in getting rid of VAMPIRES.

Garlic is an important medicinal herb that is readily available everywhere, unlike some of the other herbs mentioned on these pages.  It is one of the safest herbs, and as such can be taken often.  It does, however,  have its drawbacks, as we all know.  Bear this in mind when using remedies (especially internal ones), and cut back when family and friends start avoiding you. 

Garlic does indeed have scientifically-proven medicinal properties.  It contains a substance called Allicin, which has anti-bacterial properties that are equivalent to a weak penicillin.  It appears that cooked garlic weakens the anti-bacterial effects considerably, however, so don't count on cooked garlic with meals for much in the way of a curative. 

Garlic appears to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.  The list is long when it comes to its uses as a remedy.  This list includes wounds, ulcers, skin infections, flu, athlete's foot, some viruses, strep, worms, respiratory ailments, high blood pressure, blood thinning, cancer of the stomach, colic, colds, kidney problems, bladder problems, and ear aches, to name a few.  It is believed to cure worms in both people and animals - try giving the dog a clove of garlic daily (but he's not gonna like it).

For most internal problems, eating garlic raw is probably the most potent way to take it.  However, due to the obvious lingering odors associated with this, a tincture can be made by soaking 1/4 pound of peeled and separated garlic cloves in 1/2 quart of brandy.  Seal tightly and shake every day.  Strain and bottle after two weeks of this, and take in drops - 25-30 a day, if desired. 

For cough, flu, and respiratory ailments, make a cough syrup out of garlic.  Slice 1 pound of fresh garlic and pour one quart of boiling water over it.  Let sit for 12 hours, then add sugar until you reach the consistency of a syrup.  Add honey for better taste, if desired.

For sore throat, make a garlic tea by steeping several cloves of garlic in half a cup of water overnight. Hold your nose and drink it.

Externally, garlic is a known anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent.  An interesting use for ear aches is to slice a garlic clove, heat briefly in a small amount of virgin olive oil, and let cool.  Then use a drop of two in the affected ear (strain the mixture beforehand, of course).

Make an Ointment out of garlic (use cloves instead of leaves, stems, or flowers as described in Ointments) for wounds, cuts, athlete's foot, or any other external skin irritation, fungus, or infection.  Also, try a few drops of Oil on a toothache for pain relief. 



Garlic is classified as both a food and medicinal herb. It can and should be eaten as food, but it can also be taken in supplement form to augment a healthy diet when more serious health problems arise. Here's how this alternative medicine works:

Healing Properties

Garlic has many healing properties, but the most research has been done on its potential to help reduce heart disease. Garlic has been intensively studied, and numerous large studies have shown that taking supplements that mimic fresh garlic can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels without hurting beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. Garlic appears to act by blocking the liver from making too much LDL cholesterol.

There is also some evidence that garlic supplements can mildly lower blood pressure by dilating or expanding blood vessels. And garlic helps prevent blood clots -- and therefore reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke -- by decreasing the stickiness of platelets, which are tiny disk-shaped bodies in the blood that are necessary for blood clotting. When platelets are too sticky, they form clumps that can adhere to artery walls and contribute to clogged arteries.

Garlic has also been shown to reduce pain and other symptoms in people with rheumatoid arthritis. And it reduces the size of some cancerous tumors and helps prevent some cancers, particularly those in the intestines. However, the research on this is not nearly as far advanced as that for garlic and heart disease, so do not use garlic supplements without consulting with a natural health care professional.

One of the oldest uses of garlic, however, is as an antibiotic. Garlic kills a range of microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and can be effective against such conditions as athlete's foot, thrush (a fungal infection of the mouth), viral diarrhea, and the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori. Only fresh garlic or supplements that mimic it have these effects.
Preparation and Dosage

For best results, fresh garlic or preparations that mimic it need to be used. Dried or cooked garlic, as well as garlic oil, lose a significant amount of potency during processing (though they aren't worthless and are still beneficial to eat as food). Preparations used for medicinal purposes should state that they have allicin potential of at least 6,000 mcg on the label. Alternately, eat one chopped clove of fresh garlic per day. (The fresh garlic that has been peeled and sometimes minced and sold in jars in the grocery store is not potent enough.)

Good quality garlic supplements list the "allicin potential" they contain and not a certain amount of allicin. This means that when the supplement gets to the stomach, it releases 6,000 mcg of allicin, the pungent chemical that accounts for garlic's sharp flavor. The supplements do not contain actual allicin, because this compound is extremely unstable and quickly breaks down. Instead, good garlic supplements contain alliin, the stable precursor to allicin. It is released only upon digestion, so your body can make the best use of it.
Storage

Store garlic in a cool, dark, dry place with good air circulation. Check on it occasionally, and remove any cloves that have gone bad, being careful not to nick the remaining cloves.

Different Types of Tea

All the tea that we drink comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant, or the tea plant. Although one would come across different varieties of tea in the world the three main varieties are the India tea, the China tea and the hybrid tea. It is from these that the different types of tea like the green tea, the black tea, the white tea, the herbal tea and oolong tea are prepared.

Tea Bag
Modern pyramidal nylon tea bag

Green Tea: When tea leaves are picked, they generally whither and dry and when this occurs, oxidization takes place. When green tea is manufactured, it is not allowed to oxidize. The leaves are dried very quickly either in a pan or an oven to dehydrate them and then they are stored. This process retains the polyphenols catechins and the flavanoids which make drinking green tea a healthy and beneficial option. However green tea possesses a grassy taste and it loses its flavor within a year.

To brew a cup of green tea, water which is not more than 80 degrees Celsius should be poured over the tea leaves. Let the leaves steep in the water for about two to three minutes. Some of the benefits of green tea are its antioxidant properties which aids in preventing cancer, raising metabolism rate and cutting fat and even reducing the probability of heart diseases. Due to its short brewing time, green tea is stimulating.

Black Tea: This tea is stronger than any other type of tea. The caffeine content is higher in black tea as compared to the less oxidized varieties. It retains its flavor for many years. Black tea is the tea that enjoys the maximum sales in the world.

To brew a cup of black tea we need a teaspoonful of tea leaves for a cup of tea. The tea leaves are steeped in boiling water for at least three to four minutes before it is strained and served. Plain black tea without sugar contains antioxidants and is beneficial in reducing cardiovascular diseases.

Cup of White Tea
A cup of healthy (but expensive) white tea
White Tea: This is the rarest variety of tea. The leaves are picked and harvested before they are fully open and the buds still have a covering of white hairs on them. White tea undergoes the least processing and is also not fermented. It has a light and sweet flavor and contains less caffeine and more antioxidants than any other type of tea.

The ideal temperature of water for brewing white tea is 76 to 85 degrees Celsius. The leaves should be steeped in water for at least seven to eight minutes.

Herbal Tea: Tisane or ptisan is an herbal infusion. Tisane is made with any part of the plant either dried or fresh flowers, roots, seeds or leaves over which boiling water is poured. Flavored teas are prepared by adding this to regular tea like the jasmine tea of China. There are different types of herbal tea which can be consumed for medicinal purposes.

Oolong Tea: Being of Chinese origin, this tea is a cross between the popular black and healthy green varieties and the two styles commonly associated with this tea are green and amber. The uniqueness of this tea is attributed to the different manner in which its leaves are prepared and owing to this reason apart from being bereft of the leafy flavor of the green tea its taste is distinct from other types of tea as well.

The traditional Oolong tea is brewed in a special type of pot known as Gaiwan and the final sip may vary according to the length of brewing time.

Chetan Bhagat - Revolution 2020

Once upon a time, in small-town India, there lived two intelligent boys.
One wanted to use his intelligence to make money.
One wanted to use his intelligence to create a revolution.
The problem was, they both loved the same girl.

Welcome to Revolution 2020. A story about childhood friends Gopal, Raghav and Aarti who struggle to find success and love in Varanasi. However, it isn’t easy to achieve this in an unfair society that rewards the corrupt. As Gopal gives in to the system, and Raghav fights it, who will win?




 Gopal hails from a poor family and fails to get an admission to the best engineering colleges in the country. Heartbroken, he moves to Kota for a year to prepare for the exams. Raghav comes from a well-to-do family and achieves a good rank in JEE. Delighted, he joins IIT-BHU, one of the premier institutes of India, and embarks on his ambition to become a journalist. Aarti hails from a powerful bureaucratic family, and her aim is to become an airhostess. Aarti falls in love with Raghav while Gopal is at Kota.

Brief
The story starts when Gopal rises as the director of a new engineering college opened in Varanasi, with the power of MLA Shukla, a corrupt politician. He uses the legally strangled land of his uncle to manipulate and build the college. Raghav, on the other hand, completes his engineering and joins the largest selling newspaper Dainik as an intern. He starts shedding light on all the wrongdoings of Shukla and exposes him in public.

Things take a different turn when Aarti starts developing a soft corner for Gopal.

Who will win her love towards the end?

Will Raghav's crusade against the corrupt system fail?

Revolution 2020 is a gripping story of love, the corrupt educational system and clashing ambitions.

Revolution 2020 got mixed reviews from critics and readers. The book turned out to be yet another bestseller from the Chetan Bhagat stable.

About The Author
Chetan Bhagat is an Indian speaker, columnist and author. He quit his international investment banking career in the year 2009 to devote his entire time to writing.

Chetan Bhagat is a graduate from IIT in New Delhi and a post graduate from IIM Ahmedabad; both institutes of high repute and distinction. He married his sweetheart Anusha Suryanarayan, whom he met at IIM-A, in the year 1999. Their love story was the inspiration for the book 2 States.

From the bestselling author of Five Point Someone, one night @ the call center, The Three Mistakes of My Life and 2 States, comes another gripping tale from the heartland of India.  Are you ready for the revolution?

If so, try buying it online

Temple Run 2

Temple Run 2 launched first for iOS and Android users had to sit back and watch while the game topped the 20 million download mark. Of course, a little bit of a teasing wait seems to only left Android users anxious to download the game and begin playing. In fact, once Temple Run 2 landed in Google Play the combined downloads shot up and achieved a record breaking 50 million downloads in just 13 days.

Temple Run 2 launched first for iOS and Android users had to sit back and watch while the game topped the 20 million download mark. Of course, a little bit of a teasing wait seems to only left Android users anxious to download the game and begin playing. In fact, once Temple Run 2 landed in Google Play the combined downloads shot up and achieved a record breaking 50 million downloads in just 13 days.

That being said, that is not to say the app launched perfectly on Android. The app actually launched without support for the back button and an update was quickly rolled-out. And well, it looks like the team at Imangi Studios is now showing support for older devices and devices with lower resolution displays. These goodies come by way of another Temple Run 2 app update. This update brings the app up to version 1.0.1.1 and it remains available for free and by way of the Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore.

Detailing what this update includes; Temple Run 2 users can now expect “improved performance on older devices.” A bit general of a statement, however we suspect you will know if this applies to you. Basically, if you had tried to play the game and had issues, you may want to give it another look. Another fix here includes lower resolution devices, specifically this update fixed layout issues on devices with a 320 x 240 resolution.

Otherwise, this update also fixed the track pop-in issue, a bug that caused the same objective to be shown more than once and “various” other bugs and “minor” improvements. All said and done, a decent update of fixes. Finally, for those who have yet to play Temple Run 2, now seems like as good a time as any to give it a go.

Temple Run addicts have propelled its sequel into new territory.

In 13 days, Temple Run 2 has been downloaded more than 50 million times by iOS, Android, and Kindle users, developer Imangi Studios said yesterday, making it the fastest-growing mobile game ever.

In reaching this milestone, the action game topped the previous record holder, Angry Birds Space, which rocketed to 50 million downloads in 35 days.

Temple Run 2 places you in a jungle where you have to outrun a giant ape, leap over chasms, and swing on ropes to get past hazards. Along the way, you pick up gold coins to score points. But one wrong step, and your character meets an untimely demise.

Temple Run 2 debuted in Apple's App store on January 17 and quickly became the top free app with more than 6 million downloads in less than 24 hours. The game then swung into Google Play and Amazon Marketplace, picking up even more adventurers.

"Temple Run has evolved into something so much bigger than us," Imangi co-founder Keith Shepherd said in a statement. "The game has performed beyond our wildest dreams, and we are thrilled that gamers and fans have embraced Temple Run 2 in such a short period of time."
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Recipe - Chennai mixture

Time Taken : 15-30 mins

Servings : 3-4

Method

• Deep fry the peanuts, roasted gram,rice flakes(thick or thin) curry leaves, cashew nuts, cornflakes separately in oil and drain the excess oil in a kitchen towel. While frying them add little salt to the oil.
• Mix all the ingredients together and add crushed pepper to this.
• Crush the ompodi , ribbon pakoda and murukku into small pieces .
• Mix well nicely. Put this in a airtight box and shake this nicely.
• Flavorful mixture is ready to consume.
• Store this in an airtight box and enjoy with tea/coffee.