To begin with, Google Drive is strikingly similar to Dropbox but yes there are defining differences as well. On any system running on Android, Windows, Mac OS X or even iOS, you can have a dedicated Google Drive folder, which will synchronize the files with the storage in cloud.
If you store a new file in that folder or directly upload something to Drive through its website, it automatically sends a copy of the file to all the locations of Google Drive.
This service is extremely useful. An old Dropbox user would definitely understand this, and most naturally he or she would look for newer features and surprises in Drive that are not already present in Dropbox.
The biggest difference comes in the form of storage where it right away outclasses Dropbox with its beginning package of 5GB, which is free for all the registered users. Dropbox on the other hand offers just 2GB of free space. While Google has packages even of 16TB costing $800/month, the top end package of Dropbox is just 200GB for $200/month.
While Google can boast of these advantages over the pioneer, Dropbox, it certainly has to face a host of other rivals like SugarSync, iCloud, Yandex, Box and not to forget Microsoft’s own SkyDrive.
Google Drive Joins the Cloud Showdown
Best Android Weather Apps
Android has way over thousands of applications for us and amongst all of them the most downloaded one happens to be the weather apps. Many download these apps just to make their big android phone screens look cooler as most of them stylishly get integrated in the home screen clock.
Then there are attractive animations like Sunny, Cloudy, and Rainy that not only speaks about the current weather but also has striking similarity to Desktop Weather Widget from Windows 7. Here we list out some of the best Android weather apps that have been downloaded for the most number of times.
1. MIUI Digital Weather Clock: It is perhaps the most loved weather app out there as it beautifully decorates your phone’s screen with system information, weather forecast, Time and Calendar.
The app makes use of 12/24 format display and offers to opt in between the two forecast layouts to its users.
2. WeatherBug: This app makes use of Doppler radar and gives us important information like maps, adverse weather forecasts, and other alerts. It can provide forecasts for maximum of next 7 days.
The best part is that it comes with a super cool Weather Cams, which allows the user to see live pictures taken from more than two thousand weather cameras in US.
3. The Weather Channel: This one is yet another absolute favourite amongst the android users. It features something called as My Places with the help of which a user can check out weather conditions of the cities or places he or she is interested in.
This app gives updates every 36 hours. Then there is a feature called “Videos”, which helps in watching and uploading videos of the places user is in.
4. Palmary Weather: This one is made by none other than Google itself and is purely meant for Android.
It is a much unsophisticated, user friendly and simple weather app. This one is not a free app like the ones mentioned above.
5. Radar Now: This super cool app gets information right from the different radar sites in the country and offers National Weather Service Enhanced Radar Base from those sites.
This one offers one of the quickest ways to be alert of the most dangerous of impending storms.
6. AccuWeather: This free weather app is again very popular and offers simple and clean but all the important features one would expect from a weather app.
One cool feature is to share weather information with people you like through Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and some more.
7. My Weather Mobile: It is another app that uses Doppler radar to provide weather information. The offered data is far more customized than offered by any other.
Users have the ability to sync their accounts in MyWeather.com to this app to get real time weather updates from wherever and whenever they want.
8. My-Cast Weather: This one allows the users to see too many parameters all in one glance.
Users can see weather alerts, extended and hourly updates, animations, current climate conditions etc all at once. There are different dynamic themes as per different climate conditions.
Which is the Best Gaming Router?
Today, gamers have become very picky about what kind of gaming router they go for. The most popular ones are wireless routers and one parameter that is considered the most is the throughput for nothing else but reduction of lag. An unexpected lag can right away ruin your entire game if it occurs at the wrong time, and this is where the need for the best gaming router in the market comes in.
Another important parameter is stability that only a good wireless router can promise because unstable connections make the entire gaming experience extremely poor. A good gaming router should be very fast, produce reliable throughput, and offer features for enhanced gaming experience. Here we list out some of the best wireless gaming routers available in the market.
1. Cisco Linksys E4200 Wireless N Router
It is the company’s number one wireless router for home purposes and its price tag clearly tells us that. The pricing might be high but it is undoubtedly one of the best in the market today. It also looks different and does not have that run-of-the-mill boxy design; in fact it does not even look like a router. The pricing varies in the range of $160-$180.
You can order it on Amazon at a special price.
2. Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Dual Band Wireless Router
Well it’s true that Netgear had better products under its wing but WNDR3700 still continues to be one of the most impressive ones in terms of performance. The V2 version of the popular router has received numerous upgrades, making it even more popular amongst the gamers; however the end reviews have been more of a mixed bag as some point out that the overall performance has slightly deteriorated compared to the original one. The router goes quite easy at your pockets with a price tag of just $82.
3. Asus Black Diamond RT-N56U Wireless Router
RT-N56U from Asus happens to be arguably the best option when it comes to gaming routers. It also fits in your room more as a showpiece. thanks to its glossy sophisticated design.
Performance-wise it is the best in the market and its outlook is just a pleasant add on. It promises incredible performance with a throughput of almost 802.4 Mbps WAN to LAN. The pricing is moderate as well at around $113.
4. Netgear N750 WNDR4000 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router
Though this one readily resembles WNDR3700, the main difference lies in its 3 stream technology with the help of which it can promise a wireless throughput of 450Mbps. Yes it is true that its 3 stream technology has its limitations to only 5GHz band but it can be an excellent performer in areas where the usual 2.4GHz band remains over crowded.
To leverage all its advantages it is important that the devices you use have 3 antennas. The only problem with this one is it can cost you dearly at around $180.
How to Secure a Wireless Network
Today hackers are trying gain access to private data illegally. Stealing your bandwidth in case of wireless network will slow down your internet connection and even usage of data will cause more problems to you.
In the same way, if you are connected to an open network, you might be exposing your personal computer to security risks. Wi-fi network will be exposed more to the channels and your precious data will get lost at one go. It is necessary to make your wireless network safe and secure.
WiFi Security DOS
In order to make your wireless network more secured, you have to make sure that SSID should be changed at the access point. Default SSIDs are well known for intruders.
SSID ideally should not contain info about company name and location. Something innocuous or bland is best. You should also change the admin’s password. It is recommendable that you turn high level security that supports your hardware. Use WPA2 or WPA encryption if available.
Passwords should be of eight characters ideally. A random mix of characters, numbers, and special characters will help you in securing the connection. 13 random characters will be more encouraging in this case.
Few routers permit sleep periods feature, which is hard to hack.
