Gmail to revamp Promotions tab with Pinterest-like image grids

Google is testing a Pinterest-like grid for its promotions tab. The marketing emails have a “pin-like,” image that looks like ads with large images instead of regular emails. As a part of the new view Google is giving an opportunity to marketers to tell which image and content they want to highlight.

The new grid view comes with infinite scrolling, so the promotional imagery never has to end. Users will be able to toggle between the new visual grid and the standard view with just a click of a button at the top of the tab.

Google Product Manager Aaron Rothman wrote in a blog post, "Promotional mail has a lot of images, from pictures of snazzy new shoes to photos of that rock-climbing gym you've been wanting to try. But right now, those images are buried inside your messages — and with only subject lines to go on, it can be a challenge to quickly pick out the deals and offers that interest you most."

"We're just experimenting for now, but we hope this view will make it a little bit easier for you to get things done," Rothman wrote.

According to a recent report by market research company, eMarketer, Google has lost nearly 1.4 Billion in revenue as Search shifts from desktop to mobile. The research firm reported that the internet giants 66 percent revenue came from desktop compared with 75 percent from the year before, a decline of nearly 9 percent. Google’s revenue declined for the first time last year and the firm predicts will continue to decline by another 7% this year. Overall the search spending will increase by 82 percent to reach 9 billion this year and mobile advertising spending will rise to $40 billion by 2018.

Source: Gmail Blog

Facebook to use drones, satellites to provide Internet everywhere

Facebook Inc is harnessing drone, satellite and other technology in an effort to spread Internet to under-developed regions. The social networking giant stated that it has hired aerospace and communications experts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and its Ames Research Center for its new "Connectivity Lab" project.

Facebook had started Internet.org in partnership with some other companies, last year to spread the internet. The company is working experimenting with drones that are capable of beaming internet from the sky. The organization aims to bring down the cost of internet connectivity.

"In our effort to connect the whole world with Internet.org, we've been working on ways to beam internet to people from the sky," Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook.

"Our team has many of the world's leading experts in aerospace and communications technology, including from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and Ames Research Center. Today we are also bringing on key members of the team from Ascenta, a small UK-based company whose founders created early versions of Zephyr, which became the world's longest flying solar-powered unmanned aircraft. They will join our team working on connectivity aircraft."

The announcement comes a day after Facebook announced the acquisition of Oculus Rift, a company that specializes in virtual reality products for $ 2 Billion. Mark Zuckerberg, stated that it plans to use Oculus' technologies to expand in "communications, media and entertainment, education and other areas".

Last year Google announced plans to use solar-powered balloons to deliver Internet access to remote regions of the globe. Google's Project Loon, supported Internet-beaming antennas on top of giant helium balloons placed in the stratosphere, that can create a wireless network with 3G like speeds.

Source: Reuters

CCI imposes fine of Rs. 1 crore on Google for non-cooperation

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has imposed a fine of Rs. 1 crore on Google for not co-operating in ongoing antitrust cases. In response, Google has expressed disappointment and assured commitment for co-operation in the investigations.

"The order was passed on a reference made by the DG to CCI alleging inter alia non-cooperation by Google in the pending investigations," the CCI said in its order.

The DG was conducting investigations into the informations filed by M/s Matrimony com private limited and Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS) against Google for allegedly abusing its dominant power in the markets of online search and search advertising.

The CCI also directed Google to co-operate with the investigations by furnishing such other informations/ documents that may be required by the DG during the course of further investigations.

Expressing disappointment over the development, Google said in a statement: “While we are confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India, we continue to cooperate fully with the CCI's extensive and ongoing investigation."

The new development comes shortly after Google wrapped up its antitrust case with the European Union. Google, however, may face more troubles in India as unlike the U.S. and EU, Indian laws don't allow settlement process and withdrawal of complaints filed with the CCI.

Source: ET 

Mobile data traffic sees 87% jump, 3G data traffic leaps by 146% in 2013: Study

A report by Nokia Solutions and Networks reveals mobile data traffic in India grew by 87% in 2013 driven by the growth of 3G. It added that 43 percent of the traffic was generated by 3G services.

According to a recent study, 3G data traffic has increased by 146 percent in India last year, while 2G data traffic increase by 59 percent. Nokia says that by 2020 mobile network will see 1GB of personalized data per user per day.

The report found that large cities were the highest contributor of 3G traffic in India last year contributing half of all mobile data traffic in India. Smaller towns accounted for nearly 31% of the total data traffic. “Both categories indicate a big demand of high- speed services, giving operators a huge opportunity to offer superior connectivity to their customers,” the study said.

“In some of the major urban centers the average data consumption per user is as high as 1GB per month, indicating the rising popularity and uptake of 3G across India,” said the study. “In addition, premium tariff reductions in 3G services in early 2013 led to an increased migration of high-end 2G customers to 3G.”

Sandeep Girotra, head of the India region at NSN stated, “India is recording mobile broadband data growth figures higher than most other markets. With the recent spectrum auctions paving the way for acceleration of mobile broadband penetration in the country, there is a great opportunity for India to create world-class infrastructure and improve the lives of millions of Indians. This can be achieved through a wider 3G rollout as well as through selected introduction of LTE technologies and the modernisation of existing GSM networks.”

Source: Nokia

7 best security and safety apps for women

Attacks on women are at an all time high and even highly secured cities aren't safe anymore. But there's hope. At any such unfortunate time, your smartphone can be your best friend and protector. Loaded with security apps for women, your smartphone can help you send emergency alerts to chosen people and also let people know about your whereabouts if anything goes wrong.

We provide you with some of the best applications that help you send out a distress signal, book safe cabs or simply let your folks know where you are at all times. Have them handy in your phone because safety is no longer an option, it is a necessity.

1.TellTailA creation of DIMTS (Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd.), the application allows the user to be tracked through the GPS on their phone or the vehicle. The user can send instant alerts to a chosen group of contacts as well. The app lets your location be known even if there is no GPS on your cell phone as location can be monitored using the vehicle’s GPS. A handy and must have app, download it from here .

2. Women’s Security
Most security applications offer a distress message service. What makes Women’s Security different is that you can record a 45 second voice recording which is sent without your active interaction. If you are in a no-reception range, the app sends the message as soon as a signal is available; thereby making it quite reliable. It is quick to install and easy to use. Get it on your phone from here .

3.bSafe 
The app’s motto is “Never Walk Alone”. The app lets you create a net of 'Guardians' who will receive your SOS message. In the free version, the designated guardian can be called also. The SOS message also includes your location via GPS. You can also enable the GPS tracker and let your friends know location at any time. Get safer, download it from here. 

4. SafetiPin
If you are moving to a new locality or simply want to know the safety levels in any area, SafetiPin is the app for you. The app gives the user a map based view of a locality, a city or the world along with its safety score. You can set up circles of interest and get knowledge about threats of harassment or general precautions that should be taken. Get to know a place better to be safer. Download SafetiPin from here .

5. TaxiPixi
Need to travel safely? Book a cab instantly using this application. TaxiPixi lets you book a cab while giving you options for cheapest fares as well. The app is easy to use and runs quite fast, even on slow internet speeds. Download  it to ensure that you are never stuck alone without means of transportation.

6. Police Nearby
As the name suggests, the app takes your GPS location and lists the nearest police stations around you. It is extremely useful in emergencies such as theft, robbery or other such problems. Get Police Nearby for your phone from here .

7. Scream Alarm!
The application can be used to generate a very high volume scream in times of distress when your own lungs may fail you. The generated scream is in a woman’s voice which is extremely helpful in deterring potential trouble makers. Download it on your device from here .

'Dendroid' Rat malware targets Android devices in India

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a warning asking all Android smartphone users to be beware of a deadly virus ‘Dendroid,’ that can compromise the data stored on their phone.

CERT warns that “the malicious application” allows cyber criminals to “completely compromise the affected smartphone and control it remotely.” RAT malware or Remote access toolkits provide a variety of spying options. The Dendroid Tool Kit can invade your privacy, by taking photos with the infected device's camera, enable audio, record videos, steal pictures from the device and much more.

“It has been reported that a malicious toolkit called Dendroid is being used to create Trojanised applications that infects Android-based smartphones. The malware is created by modifying the required permissions by any clean APK (Android Application Package) with Dendroid RAT functionality that allows detailed management of the infected devices,” says an advisory by CERT-In that comes under the Department of Electronics and IT.

CERT advises users not to install and download applications from untrustworthy sites and exercise caution while clicking on links from trusted/untrusted sites and install Android updates and patches as and when available from Android device vendors. Android phone users have also been asked to keep a check on data usage and unusual increase in mobile bills and battery usage.

"Avoid using unsecured and unknown Wi-Fi networks. There may be rogue Wi-Fi access points at public places used for distributing malicious applications and make a practice of taking regular backup of Android device," the advisory said.

According to a recent report by Cisco 99 percent of all malware targets Android devices. The report highlighted that 71 percent of web delivered malware was for android while for iPhone users it was only 14 percent. Check out these 8 apps that can secure your Android device.

Source: The Hindu

Top 10 exclusive iOS apps that you must try

Apple's AppSstore for iOS is one of the most secure app store among all mobile operating system platforms. It drives the most revenue from mobile app downloads compared to any other market including Google's Play Store. 73 percent of all app revenue was generated in Apple's App Store in 2013. Even though Play Store is slowly catching up to it, the App Store is still one of the most popular mobile app stores known for its stellar security as every app goes through a vigorous process to get accepted. Here we give you 10 best exclusive apps on iOS that you must have on your iOS device.

1. iTunes U
iTunes U is great for students who want materials as it offers access to courses from some of the best universities.

2. Apps Gone Free
An app that lets you know when apps worth downloading have gone free for a limited duration of time.

3. Day One App
Want to get into the habit of recording the minutiae of your life? Day One is an exceedingly beautiful app to do this.

4. GarageBand
Probably the most powerful music recording software that you can use on a mobile device. It has no rival.

5. TweetBot
An absolute must-have app for heavy Twitter users.

6. Reeder 2
Reeder is an excellent news reading app for iOS. Using the app you can subscribe to custom RSS feeds or services ike Readability and Feedly.

7. Camera+
This adds a ton of features to the iPhone’s camera. Camera+ offers access to a lot of filters and features for image editing.

8. iMovie
A simple yet powerful video editing app. iMovie is one of the best in the business.

9. KeyNote
Without doubt the best app to create presentations. Keynote puts most other presentation tools to shame.

10. Alien Blue
Addicted to Reddit? Wish you could browse the ‘frontpage of the Internet’ as easily on your phone as on the desktop? Then, Alien Blue is the one for you.

Microsoft and Computer History Museum release MS-DOS and Word source code

Software giant Microsoft and Computer History Museum have published the source code for MS-DOS and Word for Windows for public view. Both the source codes are available for download on the Computer History Museum's site.

The source code from MS DOS 1.1 and 2.0 and Word for Windows 1.1a has been made public under a non-commercial license that forbids re-publication in another place on the Web.

MS-DOS was initially written by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products and released first in August 1980. Microsoft hired Paterson in May 1981 and bought the software for $75,000 in July, and renamed it MS-DOS. The software firm released the first DOS-based version of Microsoft Word in 1983 and Word for Windows in 1989. Within four years of its launch Word for Windows generated over half the revenue of the worldwide word-processing market.

"It’s mind-boggling to think of the growth from those days when Microsoft had under 100 employees and a Microsoft product (MS-DOS) had less than 300KB (yes, kilobytes) of source code," Roy Levin, director of Microsoft Research, wrote in a blog post. "From those roots we’ve grown in a few short decades to become a company that has sold more than 200 million licenses of Windows 8 and has over 1 billion people using Microsoft Office. Great things come from modest beginnings, and the great Microsoft devices and services of the future will probably start small, just as MS-DOS and Word for Windows did."

“Thanks to the Computer History Museum, these important pieces of source code will be preserved and made available to the community for historical and technical scholarship,” Microsoft Research managing director Roy Levin said today.

Microsoft is ending its support for Windows XP on April 8th. The company has started showing pop-up alerts from March 8 to XP users intimating them about the deadline. The OS that supports over four million government computers in the US alone and end of XP support will make the systems prone to exploits and malware. The move will affect banks the most as more than 95 percent of the world's ATMs run on Windows XP.

Source code are available for download on the Computer History Museum's website.

Diamond wires could power future computers: Researchers

Physicists at Ohio State University have successfully sent an electron “down” a wire made of diamond. Researchers claim that this could one day lead to diamond transistors.

The physicists were able to pass a magnetic spin effect down the wire “like a row of sports spectators doing ‘the wave.’" Spin has long been seen as the solution to passing data via quantum computers and the researchers found that diamond transmitted the signals better than metal.

The diamond wire was made of synthetic and cost approximately $100. To make it carry the spin, they doctored the diamond with nitrogen – one atom of the gas per three million diamond atoms – which allowed it to “spread out” and carry the dynamic information. The researchers chilled the wire to -452 degrees farenhieght to get it to carry the data.

“The Diamond wires are hard, transparent, electrically insulating, impervious to environmental contamination, resistant to acids, and doesn't hold heat as semiconductors do,” said Chris Hammel, Lead Investigator .

“If this wire were part of a computer, it would transfer information. There’s no question that you’d be able to tell at the far end of the wire what the spin state of the original particle was at the beginning,” lead investigator Chris Hammel said in a release.

Researchers stated that the experiment worked because they were able to observe electron spin on a smaller scale than ever before. The physicists focused the magnetic field in their microscope on small pieces of the wire, and found that they could identify when spin passed through those portions. The wire measured only four micrometers long and 200 nano meters wide. Hammel's team placed a small diamond wire in a magnetic resonance force microscope and identified that the spin states inside the wire altered according to a pattern.

"It’s a dramatically huge effect that we were not anticipating,” Hammel said. He added that the discovery challenges the way researchers have studied spin for the last 70 years.

Source: Ohio State University, Techcrunch

Google Glass to get more stylish with Ray-Ban and Oakley frames

Google has partnered with Ray-Ban maker Luxottica to create and sell Glass Internet-linked eyewear in the US. The Internet giant stated that the partnership is its "biggest step yet into the emerging smart eyewear market". The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In a statement, the company said it would design, distribute and develop a new kind of eyewear for Google. Luxottica stated that the two groups would work together to create innovative wearable devices for the iconic Glass brand. Luxottica brands include Alain Mikli, Oakley, Ray-Ban, and Vogue-Eyewear. But Google Glass will initially work with Luxottica's Oakley and Ray-Ban brands only. Luxottica's thousands of retail locations will help Google when the tech giant begins to sell Glass to the general public.

"We believe that a strategic partnership with a leading player like Google is the ideal platform for developing a new way forward in our industry and answering the evolving needs of consumers on a global scale," Luxottica Chief Executive Officer Andrea Guerra said.

"You’re not going to see Glass on your favorite Oakleys or Ray-Bans tomorrow, but today marks the start of a new chapter in Glass’s design," Google said in a post. "Excited? Because we definitely are."

This is the second partnership that Google has announced for its Google Glass. Earlier this year Google announced it had begun working with vision-insurance company VSP.

With wearable devices on the rise, rumors about Samsung Galaxy Glass have been circulating for a while. A recent patent owned by Samsung shows that a user could type using his or her thumbs with a Galaxy Glass by tracking virtual alphabets mapped over different sections of a user's fingers. However no information is available about when the company will actually make use of this technology.

Source: CNET 

WoNoBo mobile app brings 360-degree walkthroughs of Indian cities

Now you can have 360-degree walkthroughs of the Indian streets on the go through Genesys' WoNoBo mobile app. The app is available on Google Play store for free.

The WoNoBo mobile app features 14 Indian cities. The company plans to expand it to 54 cities in the near future. The app also has access to over 10 million ‘points of interests’ such as hotels, retail outlets, monuments, parks, etc. and view the interiors of key locations as well

“The WoNoBo App makes it possible for Indians to share aspects of their lives in a manner that simply hasn't been possible before. We are India’s first and only 360 degree view service on the mobile platform. Users can share their schools, colleges, offices, favourite restaurants and just about anything else they love about India's cities. Users can also access over 10 million ‘points of interests’ such as hotels, retail outlets, monuments, parks, etc. and view the interiors of key locations as well,” says Sajid Malik, CMD, Genesys International.

"There are a number of potential use cases for the WoNoBo App that we hope businesses and individuals will exploit to the fullest extent. We hope something as mundane as sending someone directions, for example, will be a whole lot easier from now on," adds Amit Mehta, Head of Products and Marketing, WoNoBo.com.

  

Download the WoNoBo app for free from  Google Play store .

Google Now available for Windows and Mac via Chrome browser

Google Now will now be for Windows and Mac via Chrome browser.  To use this feature, users can sign in to Chrome with the same Google Account they’re using for Google Now on Android or iOS.

Google Now works like Apple's Siri and can interpret natural language questions posed to it. It uses Google’s Knowledge Graph project to tie together the results of everything you do with Google products to provide more personalized result cards that can show you everything from the fastest route home to the results of your favorite sports team. Google determines the results based on your common searches, as well as any other data you’ve provided.

Google stated that they will be “rolling out over the next few weeks” and will rely on a user being signed into a Google account on their Chrome desktop that’s also been used for Google Now on Android or iOS.

Google Now on Chrome shows a subset of the Now cards on our mobile device, and uses device's location. Users can edit your location settings (Location Reporting and Location History) on their Android or iOS device at any time. Google also gives you an option to manage location settings for each device independently. You'll only see location based Google Now Cards on your desktop for devices that have Location Reporting turned on. If you aren't a fan of Google Now, you can always switch off the feature through the notifications center.

Google has consistently worked to integrate and improve its services. Recently, it  announced enhanced encryption technology to Gmail. The data encryption will affect more than 425 million users and provide them additional security from US Intelligence Agency NSA. Google stated that the move will keep data secure between users and Gmail servers, but also between Google's data centers. The internet giant says, "Every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally."

The move comes after US tech firms have been ramping up encryption since Snowden's revelations about the vast surveillance capabilities of NSA and other intelligence services. Internet giants Yahoo, Microsoft as well as Facebook have also encrypted there servers to limit the ability of third parties to read messages or emails.

Source: Chrome 

Best Photo and Camera Apps for Windows Phone users

Instagram-Gone are the days when Windows Phone was the OS of neglect. Recent surge in adoption of the platform has caused app developers to take notice and we are now starting to see not just amazing hardware from Nokia,but also a great set of apps. Given that Nokia’s been rather fixated on the imaging aspect, we’ve got a list of apps that you absolutely must have in order to make the best of your imaging .

Okay seriously, we don’t even have to tell you about this app. You probably have been craving for IG to make its appearance on the Windows Phone Store. You can get it from the download link here.

6Tag

Yea you love Instagram, but if you’d rather have those same effects be applied to images that have a higher resolution than “crap,” then 6Tag is your best bet. Developed by Rudy Hyun, a name well known of in the Windows Phone circuit, the app offers all the standard Instagram filters and more, will allow you to directly post into the IG network and best of all, if will even allow you to locally save images to your phone. You can get it from the download link here.

Photosynth

The best panorama app, which first debuted on iOS, which is sort of ironic seeing how it was developed by Microsoft. The app is by far the easiest to use and requires just sweeping across the scene to create stunning panoramas. Best of all, its free!.You can get it from the download link here.

HDR Photo Camera

Price: Rs.160

Love shooting HDR? HDR Photo Camera is our top choice for the job. While most HDR apps out there take two exposures, one for shadows and one for highlights, HDR Photo Camera takes three shots, one each for shadows, highlights AND midtones. The extra frame being captured allows for more collective information, yielding a more pleasing and balanced HDR image. You can get it from the download link here.

4Blend

This is the first HDR app in the Windows Phone store that is built on the Nokia Imaging SDK, which means it brings with it the same control interface as the Nokia Pro Cam app and will also be able to utilize the full potential of the PureView technology baked into phones such as the Lumia 1020 and the Lumia 1520. You can get it from the download link here.

Fhotoroom

Looking for an all round editing solution on the Windows Phone platform? It is a pity there’s no Snapseed on here, but Fhotoroom is an excellent substitute. It has a host of preset filters, along with the ability to set and fine-tune brightness, contrast and saturation levels. It even comes with a built-in tilt-shift plugin, which adds a lot of character to a photo, when used right of course! You can get it from the download link here.

India responsible for 3.4 percent of worldwide spam distribution

According to a new Kaspersky lab report on spam monitoring for February, India is among the top 10 nations in spam distribution. The report states that India accounts for 3.4 percent for spam sent to European countries, while South Korea remains the leader in spam distribution to European users (48.6 %).

The spam e-mail traffic in February increased by 4.2% points compared to January, and most of the spam was dominated by Trojans. The Kaspersky Lab report revealed that most of the malicious emails sent in February allegedly came from women who wanted to make new friends for Valentines Day.

Another malicious program imitated fake notifications from major social networking sites, like Facebook. Messages allegedly sent on behalf of Facebook informed recipients that a lot had happened on friends’ news feeds since they last visited the site and they were prompted to open the attached archive to find out more.

“Spammers are becoming more intelligent in masking their messages. Internet users in India should start taking their digital security seriously, with the number of threat vectors increasing alarmingly along with the rise of cybercriminal activities. With regards to spam, the government should initiate spam laws that will deter spammers from making India their safe havens," says the report.

The new Kaspersky Lab report comes shortly after a Cisco report warned about increased security challenges due to BYOD and cloud services. Cyber criminals are using malicious malware that is dormant while entering the secure network and later becomes active. Cisco is reportedly working on ‘Before, During and After’ Internet solutions to check dormant cells.

10 best web tools and services that you must try

1. ZERO DOLLAR MOVIES
Zero Dollar Movies is an archive of all the full-length films available on YouTube for free viewing. From known box office films to obscure-yet-interesting short films, this website compiles a huge chunk of that collection. Zero Dollar Movies aims to bring the cream of the YouTube crop all under one banner and make it easier for people to skim through and watch those that they find interesting. It’s always a great place for some pleasantly surprising (and occasionally ridiculous) finds. Worth a visit, and one can spend several hours entertaining themselves by digging through the contents of the website looking for something to watch.

2. PIXLR
If you’re looking for an online image editor, there’s no competition, so far, really. Sure, there are umpteen online image editors out there, but unless you can afford something exorbitant like Adobe’s Creative Cloud, Pixlr is the place to go. Pixlr has a user-friendly UI to its name. Not to mention a wide range of tools and effects that needs very little practical editing experience to get the hang of. It’s segregation into Pixlr Editor and Pixlr Express is also very useful. Compared to the vast selection of option in Pixlr Edirtor, Pixlr Express may be limited. But it has everything you would need for a fast, on-the-go edit of a picture. Having it as an app as well doesn’t hurt.

3. MEGA
Mega is the successor website to the vastly popular Megaupload. The latter was shut down, back in 2012 by the United States Department of Justice. The owner of Megaupload, Kim Dotcom, was subsequently indicted for alleged operations as an organization dedicated to copyright infringement. On the one-year anniversary of the DoJ seizing his life, Dotcom relaunched Megaupload as ‘Mega’. This time as a cloud storage and sharing website. With an available capacity of storing 50GB on a secure cloud server for free, if you haven’t got a Mega account already, jump to it! If you’re interested in more space, Mega also offers upgraded accounts with no less than 500 GB cloud storage at Rs.8500 per year.

4. ONLINE OCR
Online OCR is a website that provides people with fundamental optical character recognition capabilities. This can come in handy when you have a hard copy of a document, and need to convert it to soft copy for editing, or simply converting into a format that can be read on a digital interface as text rather than an image. The method is simple – scan said document, save as pdf and upload it on Online OCR. After processing, you have the option of saving the text from the file as a .doc file and do with it what you wish (within the law of the land, that is. Avoid using this for digitizing copyright material).

5. PRIVNOTE/WICKR
Sometimes, it’s useful to take a leaf from the Mission: Impossible book. Privnote is a website that creates self-destructing notes for you to deliver. It creates the note on a link that ceases to exist after it’s opened once. Similarly, Wickr is an app for Android and iOS built on the same principle. Create an account on Wickr, add people using their personalized IDs, and decide how long you want any message sent to them to be visible before it self-destructs, leaving no trace.

6.  LIVESTREAM
Livestream was an interesting find. Much like the iTunes Store’s video podcast section, this website streams live events. Live concerts, interviews, conferences, benefit events, videographic trekking – the list goes on. Very easy to use, Livestream has a large collection and a vast number of out-of-the-box and extremely interesting options for you to pick from. Other than the presently live events, Livestream also saves past events in its online archive, which is open to members to pick from. Membership is free, and although the website could use a little more organization and has a slightly unusual UI, it’s still useful to keep a track of some events that appeal to an individual.

7. SCRIBBLE MAPS
Quite the Godsend for people who want to give directions borrowing from the old-fashioned way. Scribble maps is a portal which makes it possible for you to map out your route by placing markers and drawing lines on a pre-existing google map. Simple, effective and evergreen. It can come in handy for the people who need to make custom maps. Maybe for a flyer announcing the opening of a new store, an event at an obscure location or even a scavenger hunt. Scribble Maps is easy to use, and very convenient.

8. PRINT WHAT YOU LIKE
As the name suggests, Print What You Like lets you print web pages (or, well, anything with a URL that can be opened on a web browser) and do so after customizing to your own specifications. Remove annoying ads and popups from your print selection. This comes in handy when selecting web pages for publishing on an article or any other medium where you intend to highlight the important aspects of a web page. The user interface of Print What You Like is simple and easy-to-use.

9. PIPEBITES
This website’s ideal for all those people who have a problem with sharing files online because of security concerns. When files are transferred through websites such as Wetransfer or Mega or ge.tt or even something as frequently used as Google Drive, the process involves saving the data online or on a cloud server. Pipebytes bypasses this step. The process is simple – make sure you and the person the file is being transferred to are online at the same time, select the file you wish to transfer, send the generated link to said person. When the person clicks on the sent link, the file transfer is started on the senders end while a simultaneous download happens on the receiver’s end, thus making sure that the file does not stay on any server for it to be copied or tampered with, in any way. Perfect for people who question the safety of online file transfer websites/apps.

10. CLOUDCONVERT
The first thing one would notice when on the search for an online file converter is the over-eager abundance of video, audio and other media converters out there. There are also several websites for document conversion. To top it off, several websites that do overall file conversion tend to miss out on some essential (or essentially useful) formats.
Until now.
Cloud convert is a far-reacher. It’s tagline is ‘convert anything to anything’. We can honestly say that it did not manage to convert our .docx file into an .ogg. Giving us the impression that maybe this website was over-selling its product. But barring impossible file conversion, CloudConvert does an excellent job of converting files across a vast selection of formats, thus making it into our Top 10 list.