Fathers day gift idea: 5 best tech gifts for dad 2013

Father’s Day is just around the corner (mark your calendar: June 16th). With Father's Day approaching, it is a great time to buy something special for dad, like a new bottle of his favorite cologne or one new Nautica grosgrain watch. But if your father has a taste for the latest and greatest technology, what should you surprise him with? Here we have tried to list out some Father’s day best tech gifts for dad 2013. Just read on to get started.

Smartphones:  Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One
Okay, now is the best time to get a new android phone due to Samsung and HTC both released its flagship smartphone several months ago, the Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Both of these two devices are power with strong processor, powerful camera and own a lot of new features. The Samsung galaxy s4 is the most powerful android phone and HTC one is the best HTC android phone, so in my eyes it is the perfect time to get one for your father if your dad has been hinting at for weeks.

Want to see the details about galaxy s4 and htc one, just check my review about these two devices. You can also check my list which shows you a list of Samsung smartphones you can get now.

Tablets:  Apple iPad, iPad Mini or Note 8
Get one tablet for your father is also a good idea on father’s day. So why not get the best tablet? Yes, the iPad, iPad Mini and Samsung galaxy note 8. Sure it's great for all those stereotypical dad things – watching sports through the ESPN app, playing high-resolution, 3D games – but it's also just a great reading companion and perfect for skimming emails before bed.

However, there are other really good options. I have list you the Best 7-8 inch tablets 2013 and Gift guide to Full-size tablets.

Streaming Media Player:  Roku 3

A Roku 3 box is the easiest way to bring broadband television directly into any living room, provided there's an HDTV and a fast Internet connection. Think lightning-quick searches across Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, plus hundreds more. And plugging headphones directly into the remote means he can watch without waking anyone.

Camera:  Canon EOS Rebel T5i
The EOS Rebel T5i is the latest in Canon’s amazing line of Digital SLR cameras. Featuring an 18 Megapixel (MP) CMOS APS-C sized sensor and a DIGIC 5 image processor, the EOS T5i delivers excellent image quality with accurate colors as well as exceptional speed.

The Rebel T5i is paired here with the all new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens. The lens has a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 29mm to 88mm and a minimum focal distance of 9.8”. It features Canon’s Optical Image Stabilization and with a Stepping Motor (STM) it supports the T5i’s Movie Servo autofocus feature for quiet and smooth autofocus while recording video. It has a high-precision aspheric element to reduce chromatic aberrations and a 7-blade circular aperture to ensure soft backgrounds

Headphones:  Bose QuietComfort 15 headphones, Beats by Dre Executive
Yes, they're on the pricey side at $299, but we haven't met a dad who wouldn't mind getting a pair of these headphones as a gift. Thanks to its extracomfortable design, improved sound, highly effective noise-canceling circuitry, device folds for compact storage in included carrying case, the Bose QuietComfort 15s currently offer the best sound and silencing capabilities in a pair of noise-canceling headphones.

And everyone knows Beats Executive™ headphones are designed to take you from boardroom to the tarmac and everywhere in between. These over-ear headphones deliver the legendary Beats sound in a refined premium package that's easier than ever to take on the road.

For cheap headphones, the Panasonic RP-HTX7 Monitor Stereo Headphones is a really good option which only cost you around $50.

So just show your love to your dad with these Best Fathers day Tech Gifts on this Fathers day 2013.

Daily Roundup: Galaxy S4 mini to debut on June 20 & Galaxy Note 3 rumors

Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its new Galaxy S4 android smartphone in New York in March, and Less than three months later the Korean technology giant has scheduled a press event for June 20, namely Samsung Premiere 2013 Conference, where it is expected to introduce new products for its Android and Windows Phone lineups.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini
Temporary, there are no details were given about the event except three cryptic, black and white images(below) and two words: "Galaxy and ATIV. But according to the Wall Street Journal, it is said that rumored Galaxy S4 mini smartphone will debut at the event, alongside several other new products, such as The ATIV product line which is based on Windows Phone OS and a new Galaxy Camera may be debuted too, potentially dubbed the “Galaxy S4 Zoom.

The event will start at 2PM ET on June 20, and it will be live streamed at Samsung's YouTube channel.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Now let us back to the topic of Galaxy Note 3. According to the latest news from CNET, Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 could offer more advanced camera. The upcoming Galaxy Note 3 may sport a 13-megapixel camera with an anti-shake feature designed to capture higher-quality pictures.

Korean site ETNews claims that Samsung's mobile communications team is developing technologies to bring OIS (optical image stabilization) and shutter functions to the Note 3, putting it more on par with traditional digital cameras. Samsung is also eyeing a 3x optical zoom but concedes that packing such a camera into the Note would be challenging given the phone's thin design.

At the same time, the newest report out of ZDNet also claimed that the Note 3 will power with Qualcomm’s top tier Snapdragon 800 processor. The 800 is capable of maintaining a 2.3GHz clock rate, while also being reasonable on power consumption. It features Krait 400 architecture, plus the Adreno 330 GPU inside.

These are just our guessing and nothing has been publicly announced. But As soon as we get some more information on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3, including some actual pictures of the handset, plus full specifications and a launch date we will let you guys know.

The Best Travel Apps for Android 2013

Traveling around the world with our family or friends can be a very pleasant thing. And with the popularity of smartphones, some kind of android travel apps can also be used by travelers. These apps will help us finding the most suitable restaurant, in finding most suitable hotel to stay in and some other useful benefits will be provided by these apps, such as finds the best flights and so on. So let’s start now to see the best travel Apps for android 2013 you should bring with when you travel.

TripIt Travel Organizer Free
On its own, TripIt's app doesn't do anything. The Tripit travel app is mainly useful for businessman. Businessman are generally so busy with their agenda that they do not have time for making travel arrangements such as hotel, arranging meetings, booking, flight reservations etc. It will organize all the travel plans in one place so that they can be accessed anytime and anyplace. You can share your trip plans with your friends and family/ your business colleagues.

Kayak
Kayak is the app includes flight and car search, hotel search and booking, Flight tracker and My Trips, so you can have your itinerary at your fingertips. Kayak searches through popular sites like Travelocity, Expedia, and Orbitz, all at the same time, and gives you current rates and itineraries that can all be booked in just a few clicks.


 Hotel Tonight
If you're looking for a last-minute hotel deal, the free Hotel Tonight app may be your best bet. With this app, you can book awesome last-minute hotel rooms at incredible rates in 12 countries and 80+ destinations. Find discounted hotels in your area available that night, with bookings available until 2 a.m.



YP Local Search & Gas Prices
Whether you’re looking for a great place to eat or to find cheap gas on the way, the YP℠ app easily connects you with local businesses, deals and events to help you get things done. Still, with more than 18 million businesses included in its listing, it'll allow you to find just about anything. Plus, it's free.


Google Goggles
When you're travelling overseas, Google Goggles comes in handy—really, really handy. Search by taking a picture: just point your mobile phone camera at a painting, a famous landmark, a barcode or QR code, a product, or a popular image and if Goggles finds it in its database, it will provide you with useful information. Goggles can read text in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Turkish, and translate it into other languages.

Goggles also works as a barcode / QR code scanner.

Skype
Skype internet calling is the glue that holds together any international communications scheme. It allows you to make international calls to other Skype users for free no matter where they are and to cellphones and land lines back home for much cheaper than the rate you'll get by buying another SIM card or pre-paid calling card.

Tell us: What's your must-have travel app? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Top 5 Best Free Music Downloader App for Android

Music, a basic part of our daily life but plays a very important role in our life. It is a universal language understood by everyone and can bring people together. Whether it’s riding the subway to work, jogging in the park, or when we feel tired, music is arguably the best way to help us get into a good mood. And nowadays, the feeling of enjoy music on the go is really amazing and wonderful, so below I will show you the top 5 best free music downloader app for Android-mp3 downloader to make you insanely entertainment. If you want to get YouTube music to your android for offline enjoying, check the 2 Best Ways to Get YouTube Music for Totally Free I provided for you.

Top1:  Download free music MP3 App (Rated: 4.7)
This music download app is every music enthusiast's best friend. The app has millions of MP3 music songs and it can easily help you download MP3 Music to your Android mobile. You can also manage your MP3 music songs after downloading.

Top 2:  Simple mp3 Downloader (Rated: 4.4)
Simple MP3 Downloader is so simple that even a kindergartener could use it. With its tidy-looking UI, this app lets you search and download songs for not a single penny. Living up to its simplicity, the app lets you have the freedom to search for a song's artist, title, or album — perfect for those who tend to forget who sang the song or what the title is. It allows you to hear the song first before you download it.

Top 3:  Mp3 Music Search & Download (Rated: 4.2)
With this app, you can search and download mp3 music through the best music search engine. You can even edit the songs, cut them and set them as the call ringtone, notification and single contact ringtone!

Top 4:  Music download (Rated: 4.5)
It is a must have musical application that can let you free download thousands of music and mp3 to your sdcard. You can easily manage these music in your sdcard including rename, categorize, delete, share and so on.

Top 5: MP3 Music Download Free (Rated: 3.9)
This app is a free search engine and music downloader and player that can let you search and listen music from the internet. Unlike other apps, MP3 Music Download Free gives you a new, enjoyable experience, continuously flowing the songs matching your search criteria. With this app you can spawn many consecutive searches, refining them by title, singer/author, and album.

Above are the top 5 Free Android music Apps for Downloading Free Music. Just pick your favorite.

Best Android Apps you need to download on your new Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung’s latest and greatest android phone, Samsung galaxy s4, is now available all around the world. The Superman comes equipped with a 5-inch 1080p display, quad-core processor, 13MP camera, sleek and slim design, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and owns a lot of new features. If you are going to get a new Galaxy S4 or have got one, here's a starter pack of best Android apps to get you started.

Note: These apps I list will work on most other Android phones too, including the excellent HTC One.

Google Chrome, the best Web browser for Android phones.

Some Android smartphones come with the Google Chrome Web browser preinstalled, but if yours doesn't, you should download it right away.

Google Chrome is the best browser for Android phones. It is fast and safe. It syncs bookmarks and other preferences from your Google account across your desktop and other devices.

Swiftkey, the best keyboard for your Android device. 

I hate the stock keyboard and that is why a third-party keyboard app is needed. SwiftKey is the best choice.

One of the best features is SwiftKey's ability to learn from your habits across social media and email accounts to figure out exactly what you're trying to write. Some people may find it is not the specific keyboard that best fit your need, just check my article which shows you the 5 best keyboard apps for Android.

Plume, a well-designed alternative to the official Twitter app.

Plume is a beautiful and completely customizable Twitter app that will revolutionize the way you use Twitter! Brought to you by the authors of the popular Beautiful Widgets. Plume is a great way to stay up to date with tweets on your Android.

The well-designed app supports multiple accounts, widgets, and even syncs with your Facebook account.

1Weather, the highest rated weather app on Android.

1Weather is one of the highest rated weather apps in the entire Google Play Store. The beautiful weather app provides real-time local weather and forecasts for all over the world.

There are also hourly forecasts and precipitation information. One of 1Weather's best features is the app's ability to follow your location so that you can get updated weather info when you're on the move. You can also check the top 5 free Weather Apps for android users.

Feedly is a great way to stay on top of the news you care about.
We all know that Google Reader will not be available after July 1, 2013, so replace it with Feedly. Feedly is a great way to browse news and content from your favorite websites, blogs, RSS feeds, and even YouTube channels.

The app is well designed, fast, and easy to use.

Evernote keeps all your notes, voice memos, and screenshots all in one place.
Evernote is an easy-to-use, free app that helps you remember everything across all of the devices you use. Stay organized, save your ideas and improve productivity. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders--and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home, at work, or on the go.

Volume Booster makes your phone's speakers louder.
Volume Booster increases the standard volume on your Android device. Volume booster is supposed to make your phone 20-30% louder.

It’s simple to use too –– simply press a button and the app will calibrate your phone and increase the volume.

Spotify is a great way to get on-demand streaming music.
Spotify is a great alternative to purchasing music. The service has a catalog filled with millions of streaming songs.

 If you pay $10 per month, you can listen to your music on your Android phone and download tracks for offline listening.

Netflix, world’s leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies on your phone.

Netflix is the world’s leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies on your phone. This Netflix mobile application delivers the best experience anywhere, anytime.

Get the free app as a part of your Netflix membership and you can instantly watch thousands of TV episodes & movies on your phone.

Instagram lets you share your best photos with friends.
Instagram is my favorite. It is the best way to share photos with friends and stay up to date with what your favorite people are doing.

The social photo network is addictive, simple to use, and packed with a ton of filters that really make your photos stand out. Nice app.

IM+ takes mobile instant messaging to the next level.
IM+ is a great way to instant message friends from various services all in one place.

The app supports all the major chat services including Facebook, Skype (as in-app purchase), MSN/Live Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo!, AIM/iChat, ICQ, RenRen, Jabber, MeinVZ, Gadu-Gadu, mig33, SINA Weibo, Fetion, Mamba.Ru, VKontakte, Odnoklassniki.Ru, Yandex IM and Mail.Ru Agent.

Viber makes it easy to place phone calls over Wi-Fi.
Viber allows you to text, call, and send photos and video messages worldwide for free to over 200 million users using 3G or Wifi.

Phone calls support HD sound quality, and you can have conversations with up to 40 people at once.

Tango is the best way to video chat across devices.
Tango is a great way to video chat with friends and family across multiple devices.
Besides just being able to video chat, users can make free voice calls, send texts, and share photos.

Best Android games: Check these 10 best android games for android and 10 best android games of 2013 to pick the best android games on your galaxy s4.

Now check out the best android apps for your Samsung galaxy s4. And If you have some other suggestions about apps for galaxy s4,  welcome to leave your comments and I will add it in the list.

How to Play Blu-ray Movies On Your Computer (Windows 8 included)

If you love movies, you must know that Blu-ray movies are getting more and more popular nowadays for its superior quality enjoyment. Do you want to play Blu-ray on your pc (Computer or Laptop) like on Blu-ray DVD player? If you have known your computer is capable of playing Blu-ray movies, but just don't know how to play Blu-ray on PC. Don’t worry, this article will tell you the truth so that you can start enjoy your Blu-ray movies on your laptop or computer (Windows 8 included).

Method 1: Play Blu ray on PC with Blu-ray Software
To play Blu-ray movies on your PC, you need to make sure your computer hardware is powerful enough.If you are not sure whether your computer are capable of playing Blu-ray movies or not, check this link to know if your computer will play Blu-ray DVDs.

If you have a powerful enough computer, now you need a Blu-ray player to suit your needs. There is a list of Blu-ray player in the market now, such as PowerDVD Ultra, WinDVD. But here I highly recommend Leawo Blu-ray media player to you. With well-designed UI, advanced BD decryption and user-friendly media playback control, DTS5.1 audio system, this software provides extremely superb experience for Blu-ray, DVD and HD movie playback with full Blu-ray and HD movie playback navigation. You could just try it.  

Since everything is ready, it's the time to start a new era. Open your Blu-ray player, Load original Blu-ray disc, then the Blu-ray movies will show up on the screen. Enjoy high quality Blu-ray movies instantly.

Method 2: Rip Blu-ray to PC friendly video formats
If you have meet some problem or feel a little bit of trouble while using the first method, you can just Rip Blu-ray to PC friendly video formats. You can also use this method to enjoy the Blu-ray movies on your Samsung galaxy s3, s4, Note 10.1, Note 8, Nexus 7 and other portable devices.

To do that, you need a Blu-ray ripping program. Here this powerful Blu-ray Ripper is strongly recommended to convert Blu-ray to MKV, MOV, WMV, MP4, MKV, FLV, 3GP, etc. video format so that you can play Blu-ray with Windows Media Player, QuickTime, etc. on your PC without any troubles.

Now I have introduced you the tutorial about how to play Blu-ray movies on your computer (Windows 8 included), so just enjoy the time with your family and friends.

Whoa! Google's Selling a Pure Android Samsung Galaxy S4 on Google Play

Exciting news for all Android and Google lovers, Google just pulled out a Samsung Galaxy S4 on the Google I/O stage, unlocked, with Stock Android, on Google Play starting June 26. It has an unlocked bootloader, and supports LTE. The device runs on both T-Mobile and AT&T's LTE networks and comes with 16GB of storage.

News said the new Samsung galaxy s4 hit 4 million shipments between April 26 (release date) and April 30, and had reached 6 million units sold by May 10. On the S4, the handset features a 1080p screen with 441 ppi, a 13 megapixel camera, and a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or octa core Exynos chip are among its most impressive pieces of hardware. So should you buy Google's $649 Galaxy S4 or Samsung’s phone?

Familiar hardware, different software
The appeal of this new GS4, of course, depends on your take on Samsung’s and Google’s software. If you want the most features, you’re probably still better off with the standard Samsung version. It gives you most of Google’s features, plus a huge goody bag of TouchWiz features. But if you’re all about pure Google – no manufacturer UIs for you – then this is the new Nexus phone to own.

But Unlike the Nexus 4, which starts off-contract at $300, the GS4 Google Edition won’t come cheap. The GS4 Google Edition starts at US$649 (off-contract, of course) exclusively from Google Play, so you'll be paying a pretty penny for that bigger 1080p screen, LTE, and other goodies.

The Google Edition of the Galaxy S4 will be available starting on June 26. For more information about the standard version, you can check out our Galaxy S4 review and then choose the winner between these two devices, the Google Edition of the Galaxy S4 or Samsung’s galaxy s4. Welcome to leave your comments.

Keep up with Google I/O 2013 from home

The Next Big Thing is here. Several days ago, I have written an article about what to Expect at Google's Big Conference. Are there really an updated Nexus 7 or Google Glass Updates and Apps? Let's wait and see. Now we’re only just one day away from Google's yearly developer conference. While only a few thousand lucky individuals will be in attendance, everyone will have a chance to watch from afar. Don’t be worry, Google is dedicated to making video of every single session from the conference available online, and even live streams as much coverage as possible. Below we will show you how to keep up with Google I/O 2013 from home.

Watching the keynote
Of everything at Google I/O, what many are looking forward to most is the keynote. Although it's going to be hard to top skydiving with Google Glass onto the convention center, we'll all want to be watching it live to see what they can do this time. Luckily Google will be streaming the keynote live at 9am PT on May 15th. This is the only keynote of the conference and it’s going to be a whopping 3 hours long, so be sure to plan your restroom breaks accordingly.

• Watch the live stream starting at 9am PT May 15th

Following sessions
Google has posted a complete list of sessions that will be available, each falling into one of the broader "tracks" such as Android, Chrome, Google+ and Glass. Using the session browser, you can choose to follow specific tracks, or you can look more broadly at the entire show. If a session you're interested in isn't broadcasted live, Google plans to make recorded versions available on its official Google Developers Youtube channel as soon as possible.

• Browse the Google I/O 2013 agenda
• See when and where sessions will be broadcast
• Watch recorded sessions from the Google Developers Youtube channel

Install the app
The official Google I/O app has just been updated for this year's conference, and it has a whole lot of useful information. Not only can you follow all of the session times and keep tabs on what's coming next with scheduled alerts, but you can also watch any of the live streamed sessions. The I/O 2013 app will be your guide to everything Google for all three days next week, but it is only available for android temporary.

• Download the Google I/O 2013 app

Now I've introduced the details about how to keep up with Google I/O 2013. Just enjoy your time.

Top 3 Best Video Converter for Android Phone and Tablet in 2013

Nowadays the feeling of watching video on the go with our android device is really amazing. Unfortunately, it seems as though Android only supports certain formats, such as MP4, MKV and 3GP. Sometimes, it is boring when tried to view or share movies, TV shows, videos on your mobile device if they are in MOV, AVI, WMV, or any other format. In this case, you will need the video converter for android in order to reap the full benefits of having a mobile device. Below is the top 3 best video converter for android in 2013 to help you watch everything you want on your android phones or tablets.

Top 1:   Aiseesoft Video Converter Ultimate Only $36.00
This amazing media converter software can help you Convert various videos, DVD movies and online videos to video formats which are supported by Android phones or tablets like MP4, MKV, 3GP so that you can play video on Android device such as Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2, tab2, Note 8, htc one and so on. The Video Converter Ultimate has all the functionality for general video format conversion and is easy to use. In my eyes, it is the best video to video converter for android. Anyway, if you are looking for a free but powerful video converter, I recommend this Free MP4 Converter to you which can convert common and DRM protected videos to MP4 formats for Portable media devices enjoyment.

Top 2:   Video Converter Android
The app is first released on Dec 17, 2011 and now has reached 1,000,000 downloads milestone in Google Play. Video Converter Android can convert almost any video formats to mpeg4 and h264 videos, including asf, avi, divx, flv, m2v, m4v, mjpeg, mkv, mov, mpg, ogg, ogv, rm, rmvb, webm, wmv, dv4 etc. But unluckily, you can do nothing if you want enjoy your favorite DVD movies or Blu-ray movies on your android device.

Top 3:   Free Video to Android Converter
Free Video to Android Converter from DVDVideoSoft can convert video files to MP4 format (MPEG4, AAC) compatible with your Android OS device and it is free. You can save videos in high, standard and economy quality.

Input file formats: *.avi; *.ivf; *.div; *.divx; *.mpg; *.mpeg; *.mpe; *.mp4; *.m4v; *.webm; *.wmv; *.asf; *.mov; *.qt; *.mts; *.m2t; *.m2ts; *.mod; *.tod; *.vro; *.dat; *.3gp2; *.3gpp; *.3gp; *.3g2; *.dvr-ms; *.flv; *.f4v; *.amv; *.rm; *.rmm; *.rv; *.rmvb; *.ogv; *.mkv; *.ts.

This program supports such popular Android OS devices as Samsung Galaxy Note, Note 2, Galaxy S3, tab2, HTC One X+, HTC Droid DNA, LG nexus 4 and so on.

Now that you've seen the top three, it's time to vote for an all out winner.

Top 5 savvy ways to maximize your Samsung Galaxy S4's battery life

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a nice phone. The device boasts a 5-inch display, powerful processor, large removable battery and is full with a series of amazing new features. All of these drain battery life quickly and sometimes, the device does not last for a day and requires charging frequently. We’ll show you a few quick tips and tricks to get better Galaxy S4 battery life.

1.  Disable superfluous features
The Galaxy s4 is packed with extras such as Air Gesture and S Voice that always draw energy, even when you're not using them. Just expand the notification bar (swipe down from the top), and tap the icon in the upper-right corner. Here, tap to disable any features you're not using, including things like GPS and Sync, if they can be sacrificed.

2.  Switch to the Power Saving mode
The built-in Power Saving feature is useful when you're already low on battery and you need to maximize what you've got left. When enabled, your phone's CPU speed will be throttled, brightness will be stunted, and the background colors throughout the system will change to save as much power as possible.

To enable Power Saving, access it through the quick settings by swiping down from the notification shade and tapping the icon in the upper-right corner.

3.  Screen Auto Brightness
The Samsung Galaxy S4′s large 5-inch HD display is often the biggest battery life user. Turning on Auto Brightness, combined with the changes made in Power saving mode, will deliver better battery life.

Adjusting the screen timeout to a low setting will also make a cumulative difference to your battery. To adjust it, go to Settings > My device > Display timeout. Choose the lowest option you're comfortable with, like one minute.

4.  The wallpaper trick
Always use still images than Live Wallpaper if you concerned with the battery life and performance. Live Wallpapers consumes both power and RAM on your device.

At the same time, you should get this: the darker the wallpaper, the less energy the S4's AMOLED display will use. To switch your wallpaper, it is easy, simply long press anywhere on your homescreen and choose a new wallpaper from the pop-up menu.

5.  Find out what's draining your battery
To access it, go to Settings > More > Battery

Listed here are the apps and processes currently running, along with their battery usage by percentage (%). The screen will always be the biggest hog (about 50 to 60 percent), and fluctuates based on brightness. Below that, you'll see standard system features and a couple built-in apps like Google Maps. However, if there's a reason why your battery is draining quickly, you'll find it here. Check back every so often to find out if there's a battery-sucking app running in the background.

Savvy tip: Buy an extra battery
Even with these tips, you can't avoid a dead battery forever. Keep an official S4 battery (not a knock-off) charged and in your bag so you're ready for a swap when the time comes.

Do you have any other good tips to recommend? Thanks for leaving your opinions.

See also:  How to play MKV, AVI, iTunes M4V Videos and more on Samsung galaxy s4

Three ways to add camera shortcuts to Samsung Galaxy S4 lock screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 packs a stonking 13-megapixel camera and the camera ships with a lot of awesome new smart features, such as Dual Shot, a Sound & Shot mode that puts audio in the background of still images,etc. Catch any moment to keep every memory is very easy with this device. But right out of the box you could be forgiven for thinking there's no way of unlocking the phone straight into the camera app. Like many of the Galaxy S4's advanced features, this is optional, and disabled by default. Enabling it is easy. Just follow these three different ways to add camera shortcuts to the Galaxy S4 lock screen in order to not miss any moment.

The first method is simple enough -- from the Settings app, go to My device > Lock screen and enable "Shortcuts." From there you can customize which shortcut icons are shown down below on the lock screen, and loading one of these apps up is a simple as dragging it upwards. Naturally, one of the defaults is the camera app.

The second and third ways both involve lock screen widgets, and you'll need to enable them through Settings > My device > Lock screen > Multiple widgets. Once that's done, you can go to Lock screen widgets > Favorite apps or Camera, which controls the widget that appears on the far right. The "camera" option is straightforward enough -- select it, and you get a big blocky camera shortcut, like on the Nexus 4. "Favorite apps" is a bit more versatile, and this allows you to customize a grid of apps -- one of these, of course, can be the camera app.

So there's more than one way to get your camera shortcut fix on the GS4, and there's a good chance at least one of these three will suit the way you use your phone. For a quick walkthrough, just check out the video above from androidcentral.

Tablet Faceoff: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 vs. Google Nexus 7

If an 8-inch stylus-enabled Samsung Galaxy Note wasn't your cup of tea, Don’t worry, Samsung just announced a new addition to its Galaxy Tab lineup several days ago and is expected to hit shelves in this month. The Galaxy Tab 3 sports a 7-inch, 1,024-by-600 pixel display, and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, etc. So how does Samsung’s latest – the Galaxy Tab 3 – compare to the Google/Asus Nexus 7?

Size

Compared to Google Nexus 7, The Galaxy Tab 3 promises a more sleek and stylish design that is comfortable to hold in one hand. The Galaxy Tab 3’s smaller bezel makes it about six percent shorter and eight percent narrower than the Nexus 7.

Build

Both of the two devices are made of plastic chassis. The Tab’s backside is smoother, and it also has a removable battery cover. The Nexus 7’s rear has a grippy texture to it, and can’t (easily) be opened.

Weight

Both tablets are light.

Display

The resolution of the Tab 3's LCD is 1024 x 600, which isn't much of a match for the 1280 x 800 display on the Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 is growing a little long in the tooth.

Processor

The Tab3 powers with a mystery processor, but we do know that it’s a dual core chip clocked at 1.2 GHz. The Nexus 7’s Tegra 3 is a known quantity and will almost certainly be faster than whatever mid-grade chip Samsung squeezed into this new Galaxy Tab.

RAM

Both tablets have 1 GB of RAM.

Storage

The tab 3 arrives with 8 GB or 16 GB of internal space, and up to 64 GB of additional space via a microSD card slot. The Nexus 7 comes in 16GB or 32GB of non-expandable memory.

Wireless

Samsung says the Wi-Fi-only Tab 3 will be available beginning in May, followed by a 3G model for making calls and browsing the web untethered sometime in June. Like the Nexus 7, it maxes out at HSPA+ 21 speeds (that typically means between 4-8 Mbps in real world speeds).

Cameras

The Tab 3 features a 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front facer, while Nexus 7 only has a 1.2-megapixel front camera.

Battery

There probably isn’t much to worry about here. Crappy display + mid-range processor + decent sized battery should mean plenty of uptime for the Tab 3. Ditto for the Nexus 7, only with better speed and a better (but not exactly mind-blowing) display.

Software

Both slates run Android. Samsung gives you its TouchWiz UI slapped on top, but you still get Google Play, and all the fun stuff that goes along with it.

The Nexus 7’s big advantages are that it runs a newer version of pure Android, and it will always be more up-to-date than the Tab 3.

Wrap-up
Samsung didn't reveal how much the Galaxy Tab 3 will retail when it begins to arrive this month. So which do you choose? The Nexus 7 or the brand new Galaxy Tab 3? Or Wait for the 2nd-gen Nexus 7, which might be announced at Google I/O 2013 in a couple weeks. Welcome to show your opinions.