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Three situations when a VPS Server should be used for your website

AndroidGuys
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A Virtual Private Server is a virtual machine that runs its copy of an operating system and allows users to have administrator access to that operating system. This means that users can install software running on the operating system. To put this into perspective for web developers, it means that a hosting company can, on one physical server, host multiple “virtual” servers.

Each of these virtual servers can run their operating system and application. Most web developers who require super user access to the server to run their software prefer Virtual Private Servers. So when do you need to switch from the typical web hosting setup to a VPS? Read on to find out.

1. Running Specific Android Applications

Sometimes web developers may want to customize their web hosting server. Other times, shared hosting does not provide enough technical flexibility and acquiring a dedicated server is quite costly. Here, a Virtual Private Server is an ideal option. With it, you get root access to be able to install or uninstall software, determine your custom server environment and also create accounts. You do not need to be worried about maintenance and security of the physical server because you are using shared hardware.

Virtual Private Servers are also brilliant solutions for enterprises that want the features dedicated servers offer but don’t have the resources to support, maintain or even physically host the server hardware. Shared servers (typical web hosted ones) won’t offer you same bandwidth or web hosting space that a Virtual Private Server will. In a shared environment, you will also have a lot of software constraints.

A Virtual Private Server, on the other hand, gives you freedom to do anything you want with your software. This includes installing deleting and rebooting. It feels as if you have your server but don’t need to maintain it. There is also increased security than on an environment. This is because every Virtual Private server is run separately from other Virtual Private Servers on the same physical server. In the event hackers get access to one virtual server, they can’t access the others using the physical server. On the same physical server, each virtual server can be halted or rebooted independently of the rest.

2. You’ve Grown Beyond Shared Mobile Website Hosting Servers

If the space provided on a shared website hosting plan is not enough for your site, you may want to look at Virtual Private Servers. The space issue mostly affects web developers who run multiple high-traffic websites. The “in-between” option that Virtual Private Servers offer helps you evade the cost and complexity of acquiring a virtual server. It gives any web developer flexibility and great scope.

When you discover that you use a lot of bandwidth and your website keeps getting slower and slower, a shared hosting plan does not offer ample resources for you. Shared website hosting limits the potential of your site because you share everything. A shared plan also means resources such as bandwidth; disk space may be affected if the traffic flow and bandwidth of other sites running the server increase.

VPS hosting is the ultimate answer for you if you have outgrown your shared hosting plan because you have a certain allocated amount of memory and bandwidth within your environment. When you make the switch to Virtual Private Server, being affected by other websites’ traffic flow and bandwidth will be a thing of the past. A virtual private server makes it easier to transfer your site to a physical server than if you are moving from a dedicated server.

3. Your Website is Key to Your Business

Some companies rely on their respective websites. They may include online Android application stores or those that provide online services to their customers. If you are in this category, you should start thinking of investing in a Virtual Private Server. It ensures a flawless performance that you won’t easily get on a shared plan.

Final Thoughts: VPS hosting vs. shared website hosting

Here, having a VPS is clearly more advantageous than a shared plan. It is the perfect balance of performance and flexibility without paying the hefty price tag. With a Virtual Private Server, you have an environment where you can develop your website more and test it. By this, I mean you can get two Virtual Private Severs and get one to be used for testing and the other for the complete website. You can test and debug software in a safe environment without affecting your main site. Imagine the cost of getting physical servers for that.

With a Virtual Private Server, you can you can backup data and store files. The ease of switching between your virtual servers can help you maintain your websites’ online visibility while doing significant changes and trying out different exciting features. Even the cheapest physical servers can’t compare. This is because when it comes to a Virtual Private Server, you are provided with technical support, and you do not need to worry about the condition of the hardware. Cheap physical servers need a lot of investment regarding security, maintenance, and support.

If you don’t want to fork out a lot of cash for a server, but you need more resources and a more secure environment, a Virtual Private Server is your best choice. It is your next move as a web developer to be more flexible and try out many crucial functions, like testing and further website development, smoothly.

Disclaimer: This article is a guest contributed or sponsored post; AndroidGuys does not claim any responsibility for it beyond the pre-approved links and content.

Samsung Galaxy S8 could arrive with Harman branded stereo speakers

Alexandra Arici
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Samsung has a big mission next year – release a premium phone which will make fans forget about the Galaxy Note7, the phablet that was taken from us too soon.

A lot of Note7 owners still refuse to return the potentially dangerous product, saying they are not looking to “downgrade” to the “older” Galaxy S7. Only the Galaxy S8 will be able to fill that void and Samsung knows it. That’s why it wants to make the Galaxy S8 really interesting.

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The most recent rumor related to the Galaxy S8 comes from Fone Arena which claims Samsung’s next-gen flagship will be the first in the S series to take advantage of stereo speakers. According to sources familiar with the matter, the dual speaker tech will have its own branding, in the vein of HTC’s Boomsound.

Given that Samsung has recently acquired audio giant Harman, it shouldn’t be a surprise if the speakers in question will produced by none other than Harman.

There has been a great deal of talk about the Galaxy S8 in recent months. The phone is expected to arrive with an iris scanner, but that’s not all. Word on the street claims the Galaxy S8 is going to be Samsung’s first phone to take advantage of a Siri-like AI assistant. The rumor mill has dubbed it Bixby, but the alternative Kestra name has also been thrown around.

 

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On top of that, the Galaxy S8 might make for a great selfie phone, as the device is expected to be one of the first handsets to feature a front camera with auto focus.

We’ve also heard Samsung is hoping to appease disappointed phablet fans, by launching two Galaxy S8 versions, one with a huge 6.2-inch display and another with a 5.7-inch screen. Last but not least, the Galaxy S8 might be among the first phones to feature a Snapdragon 835. Qualcomm’s latest chip which is based on Samsung’s 10nm FinFET process is expected to make a debut into devices in Q1 2017.

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Like always, Samsung should unveil the Galaxy S8 during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but the Korean tech giant has yet to confirm the information.

Kodak’s new Android smartphone, Ektra goes on sale December 9

Alexandra Arici
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Are you bored with what traditional Android OEMs are offering? Then why not purchase a smartphone from a newcomer in the industry? And if you like photography, even better. Kodak might have what you’re looking for.

Once a household name as big as Apple or Samsung is for current generations, Kodak used to be part of everyday life. It camera films sold in yellow boxes used to record every special occasion and vacations with friends.

But back in 2012, Kodak announced plans to sell its traditional film business in an attempt to keep itself from falling into bankruptcy. The film maker has also been trying to break into the Android ecosystem as well, in an attempt to find a new niche.  The company released the IM5 handset back at CES 2015, but the device saw little success.

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However, with the new Ektra which will finally go on sale in Europe on December 9, Kodak might have a chance. The phone will be available for €499 a pop (or $532) first in Germany and UK. Interested parties will be able to purchase the Ektra from Amazon, Media Mrkt, Ringfoto, Saturn, Notebooksbillinger.de and Kodak Phones. Come 2017, the Ektra will be on sale via Telekom starting January 16.

The Ektra smartphone takes inspiration from Kodak’s iconic camera with the same name from 1941. Kodak has partnered up with British smartphone maker Bullitt to produce the Ektra, which naturally focuses on the photography aspect.

kodak-ektra-camera

The phone is quite reminiscent of the old school camera and sports brushed-metal buttons, large chamfered edges and a soft faux-leather back. It’s certainly not a skinny phone, but if you’d like a phone that offers an analog camera feel, the Ektra might be worth looking into.

kodak-ektra-side-view

In the spec department the Ektra is quite decent. The phone features a 5-inch display with 1080 resolution and takes advantage of a MediaTe Helio X20 chipset. Kodak also throws in 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (a microSD card slot allows for memory expansion).

The main snapper is of 21MP capacity with an f/2.0 lens and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Phase Detection AF, 4K video recording and dual LED flash. Selfie enthusiasts should be happy to know their favorite activity will be supported by a 13MP selfie camera. Naturally Kodak offers manual options and lots of editing features.

kodak-ektra-camera-mode

Last but not least the phone lives off a 3,000 mAh battery and arrives with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

Kodak also offers some leather camera case accessories for your phone, to make it look more like an analog camera.

leather-case-for-ektra

We don’t know whether Kodak is going to bring this phone into the US, but if it does the CES 2017 trade show could be a pretty good place to make the announcement.

Then again if you don’t like chunky phones, you can buy a Moto Z instead and pair it with the Hasselblad Moto Mod to get an excellent camera phone.

Google’s new Trusted Contacts app lets loved ones know you’re safe

Alexandra Arici
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You never know what life will be throwing at you next. Most of us don’t like to think about things going wrong, but being prepared for an emergency is the smart thing to do.

Google’s latest endeavor into apps aims to keep you safe, while also letting those back home you are ok. The newcomer is called Trusted Contacts and allows friends and family to be kept up to date with your whereabouts.

trusted-contacts-02

The app invites you to add up to 50 “trusted contacts” to your inner circle. From there you can easily share info with them. Loved ones can also request your location. The app gives you a five minute window to respond, but if you don’t it will automatically share your most recent location to the contact who requested the info.

Trusted contacts can see if you are online or whether you have been moving around. In case you are currently offline or out of battery, the app will display your last location.

tell-family-and-friends-you-are-safe-now

The app can be useful in more mundane situations too. Let’s say you are meeting a co-worker somewhere, in order to share a ride to the office. The app allows him/her to see where you are and watch you in real time as you arrive to the meeting point.

The app works vice-versa too. Tap it to open Google Maps on your phone and watch you contacts move around the map in a form of a dot.

feel-safe

The app might raise some concerns about privacy. Jealous partners could easily turn this app into a stalking tool, but on the other hand, Trusted Contacts might make a real difference in life threatening situations like an earthquake or car accidents when people are unable to use their phones.

On the bright side of things, no data is shared with people who are outside your Trusted Contacts circle. So if you don’t trust someone enough, don’t add them to the list.

Anyway, Trusted Contacts is currently available to download from the Google Play Store for Android users. The iOS app will be launched soon.

Motorola wants to launch 12 new Moto Mods next year

Alexandra Arici
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Motorola might not be looking to make new smartwatches in the near future, but it will surely invest in the development of Moto Mods.

Moto Mods are snap on accessories for the Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play smartphones which add extra functionality. And according to some Lenovo Moto execs who talked to the press recently, Motorola is planning to release at least 12 Moto Mods per year.

moto-mods

Recently we told you that photographer Mike LeBretcht shot the first ever cover of Sports Illustrated using only the Motorola Moto Z smartphone and the Hasselblad True Zoom Mod which adds 10x optical zoom, Xenon flash, physical shutter / zoom and much more.

At the moment Motorola has four Mods to sell, but the company also created the Moto Mods Development Kit (MDK) to try and attract more developers. The smartphone maker has recently partnered up with Indiegogo, crowdfunding website – to make it easier for devs to raise money for their Moto Mods projects.

 

more-moto-mods-shots

The Moto Mods team didn’t give any additional information about what exactly might be coming next year, but they did say main areas of interest include camera accessories and second screen integration.

In a recent news story we told you Motorola is entertaining the idea of releasing a Project Tango Mod soon. With AR on the rise, Motorola wants to tap into this developing field as well.

more-moto-z-pics

Lenovo is no stranger to Project Tango, as the Chinese company who purchased Lenovo a few years back, was the first to release an AR-capable smartphone called the Phab 2 Pro. With CES 2017 coming up soon, ASUS is also expected to unveil a Tango smartphone of its own.

While the Moto Z is great handset, full of potential, Motorola has made it a bit harder for users to purchase the handset by signing exclusivity deals with Verizon. For example, the most advanced Moto Z, the Z Force is currently only available for Verizon. For those who like the Moto Z, Amazon is offering it in its unlocked form with $200 off. Get it while it’s hot!

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7.1.1 Inbound for Nexus, Pixel and Android One devices

Donovan Jeska
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Earlier today, Agustin Fonts of Google announced that Nougat 7.1.1 has started to roll out:

Today, and over the next several weeks, the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus Player, Pixel C and General Mobile 4G (Android One) will get an over the air (OTA) software update to Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Any devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program will also receive this final version.

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Long-press an icon to launch into various parts of an app.

As always, though, remember that these rollouts often come in waves, over the course of a few weeks – so you may not get your update immediately. This release will bring a few new features from the Pixel phones over to some older devices. Specifically, we’ll see “Launch Actions” – actions that can be performed by long-pressing an icon on the homescreen – a GIF-enabled keyboard (in Allo, Hangouts and Messenger), and gender-and-racially diverse emoji.

While far from the most robust update Google’s ever released for Android, I personally find the Launch Actions to be quite useful – especially if they become widely integrated among app developers. If they find success, perhaps Google can implement it as a software (read: no hardware necessary) solution to Apple’s 3D Touch.

Use Google Photos to seamlessly backup your pictures [How-To]

AndroidGuys
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In today’s digital landscape, photos are one most precious commodities. Everyone is snapping selfies to remember where they were or asking a stranger to take a family picture to add to the album they will make of their trip, usually all with their mobile devices. Today we are here to show you how to use Google’s Photos app to automatically backup and edit an unlimited amount of pictures and videos.

Prerequisites:

There are a couple or requirements before we can begin backing up your photos.

  1. You must have a Google account linked to you mobile device.
  2. You must have Google’s Photos app installed.

Setup:

Google has done a great job of making this a very simple, and user friendly process.

  1. Launch the Photos application
  2. Tap the hamburger menu button in the upper left hand corner of the screen (it is inside the search bar)
  3. Tap the settings option
  4. At the top of the screen tap the “Back up & sync” option
  5. Tap the grey slider next to “Back up & sync”

Once you tap the slider, you will see additional options appear on the screen. To take advantage of Google’s “free unlimited storage” option, make sure the upload size is set to “High quality” (6).

Make note of the options at the bottom. If you, like me, do not have an unlimited data plan, it may be a good idea to disable any of the Cellular data back(7) up options. Also, for those battery conscious users, consider enabling backup “While charging only”.

What apps do you use for photo management and backup? Are there any apps you would like us to help you use better? Leave us a comment below with your ideas.

DU Battery Saver – Power Saver: Minimal gains with a lot of intrusive ads (review)

AndroidGuys
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The mobile phone industry faces few “technological” limitations it cannot overcome, yet battery technology continues to plague our mobile devices. While we have not developed a new technology to replace our current battery tech, there have been huge strides in software and hardware optimization to make sure our devices are as efficient as possible. DU Battery Saver – Power Saver is one piece of software that you can download on the Google Play Store that claims to offer such optimizations.

Review Usage:

This entire review took place on the 128GB Google Pixel XL. I took usage statistics with my device for about a week before installing and using the DU Battery Saver – Power Saver for five days. While daily usage was not identical day to day, I did not add or remove any apps during the testing cycle since background app usage may skew results significantly.

Installation and Usage

The DU Battery Saver – Power Saver is easy to install, and the interface is simple yet deceitful. The large Optimize button will allow you to “optimize” you device for better battery life, and the Mode button will turn many of your settings off or down like screen brightness, screen timeout, vibrate, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sync, and the haptic feedback while also restricting phone calls and messages. I found this to be the most useful part of the app. I was able to create unique modes with custom settings to maximize battery life. Take note though that I was creating these modes as I found the preconfigured modes to be far too aggressive for everyday use.

DU Battery SaverOther than Mode and Optimize, the rest of the UI exists to sell users DU coin, advertise, and give you information your phone can already tell you. We will start with the Smart Tab that appears to give users fine control over schedules, lock screen apps, and other settings, but they all turn out to be useless to users before purchasing these features with DU Coins. Du Battery SaverNext, there is the Phone Cooler button. On multiple occasions after extended gameplay and TV show binges, I tried to use this feature to see what it was about, but I received nothing but ads. The Charge button lets you know if your phone is fast charging, trickle charging, or full. Monitor is a less detailed version of your battery settings panel, and Boost is just a button you hit when you want to see yet another ad.

After playing with the app a bit, I felt very cheated by the interface. I understand that the app industry is a business and that the ad revenue produced by people viewing and clicking on ads is what keeps the free app industry afloat, but DU APPS STUDIO, the creators of DU Batter Saver – Power Saver, were extremely deceitful with the layout of the app, using the allure of additional functionality to generate revenue.

Battery life improvement

While the interface may not be annoying, many would be willing to forgive this if the app did what it said and users phones saw significant battery improvement. In my experience, my results showed there was little to no improvement with one day, in particular, seeing rather poor battery life.

This is a screenshot from the second day I had DU Battery Saver installed on my Pixel XL. Note the similarity in Screen on Time and difference in remaining battery life
This is a screenshot from the second day I had DU Battery Saver installed on my Pixel XL. Note the similarity in screen on time and difference in remaining battery life

To establish how effective/ineffective the DU Battery Saver is, I will look at the average screen on time throughout the two weeks when I reached the 10% battery mark (I was always within 3% points). I will then break it down into day-to-day usage. Just a note, this is not the most definitive way to test the effectiveness of this app, but it is a way that will provide satisfactory results while staying within the testing time frame I have set. To more effectively evaluate this app’s ability, it would require more data over a longer period with much more rigid controls in place.

  • Pixel XL screen on times (Without DU Battery Saver)
    • 5h 42m
    • 5h 50m
    • 5h 31m
    • 5h 38m
    • 5h 41m
    • Average screen on time: 5h 40m
  • Pixel XL screen on times (With DU Battery Saver installed)
    • 5h 58m
    • 5h 9m
    • 5h 55m
    • 5h 52m
    • 5h 47m
    • Average screen on time: 5h 44m (5h 53m if you exclude the score in red)

After my two week test period, the numbers yielded about a thirteen-minute difference between my screen on times (excluding the outlying data in red). Without allowing the app to shut off my phone calls, messages, or other basic features that make my phone useful to me, I saw a 13 minute gain and spent my week squinting at a very dark screen due to lack of backlight.

Conclusion

After testing the DU Battery Saver – Power Saver, the app does little in the way improving battery life unless you are willing to sacrifice basic functionality. Combine the lack of battery improvement with abundant ads and I imagine users will find there is little offered by this app. For those looking to give it a shot, you can grab DU Speed Booster for free in the Play Store.

These are the best discounts and deals available for AT&T

AndroidGuys
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Time to purchase a new smartphone? Is this an upgrade from an existing device? We want to help you out either way.

To save you money, we’ve gathered up all of the promotions we could find from AT&T. Regardless of where you’re thinking of going for service, or what phone you are looking to pick up, you owe it to yourself to check below.

What follows is a mix of phone, rate plan, and accessory promotions worth checking out. It might not be an exhaustive list, but it’s a good collection of what’s currently offered through AT&T.

Although we’ve listed known expiration dates, we have no idea how long some of these other deals will last.

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AT&T Deals

Prepaid

Accessories

Mediatek unveils high-end Helio X27 CPU; we’ll likely see it on the first smartphones this month

AndroidGuys
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Today, The Taiwanese chip maker Mediatek announced the most powerful SoC of the X20 family: the Helio X27. This new processor takes over the X25 as the currently highest-end SoC in the X20 Series, and it’s aimed for high end smartphones. Let’s see what this new product brings to the table.

The MediaTek Helio X27 (MT6797X), like its predecessors, provides three processor clusters, each designed to more efficiently handle different types of workloads. The premium MediaTek Helio X27 features a maximized clock frequency across all three clusters, with an unequaled maximum of 2.6GHz on the most powerful ARM Cortex-A72 cluster. Much like adding gears to vehicles, dividing the cores into three clusters provides a more efficient allocation of tasks for optimum performance and extended battery life.

In addition, the MediaTek Helio X27 includes the latest MiraVision EnergySmart Screen to further enhance power efficiency. In the camera department, it features a built-in 3D depth engine for depth of field processing, as well as multi-scale de-noise engines for faster response time between shots and unprecedented detail, color, and sharpness — even under extreme conditions.

The display can be refreshed at up to 120 fps for crisp and responsive scrolling of web content and maps, and with an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU up to 875 MHz, it yields uncompromised performance in games with high-resolution graphics.

A few of the more important manufacturers have been watching with big interest at this SoC, but some of the most promising emerging brands from China have moved towards this solution. In particular, we’ve learned that UMi, the company which already made a deal with Mediatek for the launch of the first Helio P20 smartphone (the UMi Plus E), may as well launch the first Helio X27-powered smartphone very soon. Likely this is because of high sales of the Plus E having not gone unnoticed by MediaTek.

We also know the Chinese company has a device ready to be released in December, which is labelled as the “Z” according to UMi official Facebook. Might this be powered by the new X27 processor?

We will see what the next days and weeks will tell us, but one thing is for sure: exciting times ahead with those X27-powered smartphones ready to be unleashed!

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