One brand make to the top of MicroSD Cards world.

These day we use a lot of data. These data need to be saved and reused. Despite many devices coming with high levels of built-in storage these days, microSD cards remain an in-demand accessory for many electronics enthusiasts. These MicroSD memory cards allow users to add more storage to various electronics, to save data separate from a host device, and to transfer data from one machine to another. 

Install yours in your camera, drone, video game console, smartphone, and more. For their small size, microSD cards are one powerhouse accessory.

What specifications that need to consider?

Capacity: 

These days, capacity options range from 16 gigabytes to 1 terabyte, but what capacity you need depends on your use case. A microSD card with a smaller storage capacity might be ideal for an Android smartphone that just needs a little extra storage or an infrequently used point-and-shoot camera for quickly transferring images to your computer. Meanwhile, a microSD card with more storage might be ideal for a DSLR camera or a professional-grade drone.

Many average users can play in the 128 to 512-gigabyte space. It’s rare that you will need to go beyond that unless you’re a professional who knows what you’re doing or you’re willing to spend the money on more capacity.

Any Single Board Computer (SBC) like Raspberry Pi and others also use microSD as their expanded data storage.

Speed Classes: 

The Speed Class (SC) refers to the write speed of a microSD card, or how long it takes for a file to save to the card. The current standard is C10 (Class 10), which offers a minimum write speed of 10 megabytes per second. Practically speaking, today’s microSD cards far exceed this amount. Higher rates are U1 and U3. Lower rates are virtually obsolete at this point.

The Video Speed Class is a newer standard for write speed that allows for the highest resolution images and video. There are five Classes—V6, V10, V30, V60, and V90—offering write speeds between 6 to 90 megabytes per second. V30 and higher, which support 4K and 8K video, tend to be more common.

Application Performance Class: 

The Application Performance Class (APC) determines how fast and well a microSD card can communicate with and transfer data to and from a device. This metric is especially important for electronics that use apps, such as smartphones and computers. The ratings are A1 and A2, with the latter performing more than twice as fast as the first standard.

Formats and Transfer Speeds: 

There are other nuances in microSD cards to consider, such as SDHC versus SDXC formats. MicroSDHC stands for Secure Digital High Capacity; this format includes lower capacity cards, up to 32 gigabytes. MicroSDXC stands for Secure Digital Extra Capacity. As you might guess, this format is for cards with higher capacity, between 32 gigabytes and 2 terabytes. It’s not simply a matter of capacity, though. Certain tech is only compatible with certain card types, so make sure your microSD card will work in the device you need it to. MicroSDXC cards are more common, though microSDHC options are often still available and can often be cheaper.

So... what is the brand that I suggest?

1. Samsung Evo Select with Adapter 128GB

2. Sandisk Ultra 128 GB

3. KINGSTON Canvas Go! Plus 128GB

4. PNY Pro Elite 1TB

5. LEXAR 1000x 128GB

6. KINGSTON Canvas React Plus with Adapters 128GB

Stalkerware? Do You Experience It?

Your smartphone, your PC, your laptop – most of the devices we use are to some degree vulnerable to so-called stalkerware, software installed without your knowledge and aimed at obtaining sensitive data, like personal photos or login details. 

In a nutshell, stalkerware “can result in the theft of data, monitoring of emails, SMS and MMS messages sent and received and even intercept your phone calls for the purposes of eavesdropping”, the Coalition against Stalkerware says.

The platform, a joint initiatve by aid organisations and IT security companies, aims to combat stalking, harassment and domestic violence by addressing the issue of stalkerware.

“Stalkerware services imply that their customers personally know victims, because these commercial spyware apps are manually installed. Users have to download the app, install it and enter credentials that are received after purchasing,” the Coalition explains further.

Anyone who loses their smartphone for a short period of time or has lent it to someone else for a longer time should therefore check it for changed or unknown settings, the initiative recommends.

On Android devices, for example, the setting “Unknown Sources” in the security menu is deactivated by default. If it’s suddenly activated, however, it could have been manipulated.

An unexpected discharge of the battery can also be a sign of stalkerware. Other indications are unknown apps or processes and webcam permissions that have not been granted by the device owner.

Even active sessions for which you have not logged in can indicate installed stalkerware.

Stalkerware is used for hidden digital surveillance, among other things. Removing it is not easy, but not impossible either. The Coalition against Stalkerware offers advise on how to do so on its website.

However, if you delete it, the respective offender is also warned. Victims of cyberstalking should therefore prepare a security plan and get expert help, for example from organisations that support victims of domestic violence.

Can You Use Whatsapp On 1st January 2021

As of Jan 1, 2021, the WhatsApp mobile application will only be compatible with smartphones running iOS 9 and Android 4.0.3, or any other newer operating system. This excludes older models such as the iPhone 4 or the Samsung Galaxy SII.

For Apple phones, WhatsApp will only be supported on iOS 9, and its successors. It is therefore important to update your old iPhone to continue to enjoy WhatsApp. Unfortunately, owners of an iPhone 4 (or any other anterior model) will no longer be able to use the application.

For smartphones running Android, you will need to have a version equivalent or superior to Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich). Here again, only very old models are out of luck – such as the Samsung Galaxy SII, the HTC Desire or the Motorola Droid Razr, all released nearly 10 years ago.

Whatever your smartphone is, it is advisable to update it in order to take advantage of all WhatsApp’s new features and the best possible security level.

Instagram Can Take Video Too

Instagram, the wildly popular photo-sharing app that was bought by Facebook last year for a cool billion dollars, just announced that it now supports videos.

They're pretty cleanly integrated into your feed; they won't autoplay as you scroll, instead showing just as a thumbnail with a small icon of an old-timey movin' picture camera in the top-right corner to indicate that these are videos rather than stills. Tap the image to start playing. Easy!

Videos can be up to 15 seconds long (or as short as 3 seconds), and you can stop and resume recordings while shooting, so you don't have to take a single continuous shot like you do with Snapchat. All the usual Instagram filters can be applied, and the videos include audio as well. It's available right now as an update for the iOS app, with Android soon to come.

So, the obvious question: isn't this just, um, a carbon copy of Vine, the video app launched by Twitter earlier this year? Ha ha ha welllllll yes, it is pretty much exactly the same, except Instagram is an app used by 130 million people a month, and Vine has maybe a tenth that many. And Vine has had trouble; apparently a stream of videos isn't the easiest thing to grapple with, and Vine is often buggy or slow to load. Instagram videos could be almost three times as long as Vine videos--how is Instagram going to deal with that? "We have to figure this out," Instagram's CEO told.

Google Nexus 7 Second Generation Is Ready

Next week, search juggernaut Google will officially kick off Google I/O, its annual developer conference where it's expected to show off the latest and greatest Android developments. The event will be held at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco, the same venue where Apple and Microsoft are hosting their own respective developer conferences next month.

On the hardware front, Google may unveil a second-generation Nexus 7 to follow up the success of its first flagship tablet. After Amazon.com demonstrated that there's considerable interest for a $200 7-inch tablet, Google jumped right in.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has made a name for himself by accurately calling Apple moves in advance. Kuo's supply chain sources now reiterate prior rumors that Google has switched from NVIDIA to Qualcomm for the brains of the new tablet. The next Nexus 7 might be powered by a Snapdragon instead of a Tegra this time around, and ship in June or July.

That's entirely reasonable, since NVIDIA made a conscious choice to push out its Tegra 4 schedule in order to pull in the Tegra 4i release. NVIDIA has been anxious to get into the integrated LTE game to challenge Qualcomm, and it was a necessary trade off that would inevitably translate into sacrificing some near-term design wins to accelerate the 4i's time to market. That strategic decision is largely why Tegra revenue dropped 22.2% to $103.1 million last quarter, and Tegra 4 sales aren't expected to ramp until the second half.

Asus is also expected to continue building the tablet. The OEM has benefited greatly from the Nexus partnership, with tablet volumes soaring ever since the Nexus 7 launched last summer.

Google is expected to bolster the display resolution to 1,920 x 1,200 for the 7-inch display. There should be some improvements in thickness and weight, and Google is likely going to stand pat at the $199 price point. That would translate into a loss of $5 to $10 per unit.

The iPad Mini is putting pressure on the low-end, but a Nexus 7 refresh could strengthen Google's defense. Apple isn't expected to release Retina iPad Minis until this fall, giving Google a couple of months. Microsoft is also about to move downmarket with a rumored 7.5-inch Surface, in recognition of the growing consumer preference toward smaller tablets.

@ Global Info Center

iOS versus Android: The Battle Begins

In the aftermath of the release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 last week, and Apple’s marketing backlash, the iOS vs Android arms race has hit a milestone. Android is growing faster than ever, in terms of both their market share and the revenue they pay out to app marketers. Apple’s marketing has taken on a decidedly ‘attacking’ tone. ‘There’s iPhone. And then there’s everything else’ is clearly mirroring the phrase, ‘Here’s the best, forget the rest’. It’s about time, for an infographic on the iOS vs Android feud as it stands now. Which is the best platform for app marketers? Let’s consider some factors, or scroll down to view the infographic right away.

Smartphone and tablet market share

Some contests seem to have been won by Android categorically. Last month, the worldwide smartphone market share figures stood at 69.2% (Android) and 22.1% (iOS). These current figures are actually more in Apple’s favor than the October figures (75% and 15%), due to the release of the iPhone 5. But now the S4 is here, it’s likely we’re going to see the gap widen again.

On other counts though, iOS is the reigning champion. While Android also takes the lead in terms of tablet market share and smartphone app downloads, albeit with smaller margins, iOS is far, far ahead in terms of tablet app downloads; which must be due to the fact that there are over 275,000 optimized for the full-size iPad and iPad mini.

iOS vs Android app revenue and monetization

It is also a widely known and inescapable fact that, on the whole, iOS apps monetize much better than Android apps. The type of user that iOS attracts (and nurtures) are high earning and very engaged users. But that’s not to say the situation isn’t changing for Android.

While iOS pays out four times as much revenue to app marketers than Android, app revenue growth is growing five times more rapidly on Android. But will it stay this way so that Android can catch up and even overtake iOS? This remains to be seen, as we watch the battle of the platforms progress.

The life of the app marketer

In terms of the day-to-day of marketing apps on the respective platforms, iOS is a less fragmented platform with higher app marketing costs but greater profits for advertisers. It is also much easier and more predictable to carry out iOS App Store ranking boost campaigns due to the ranking algorithm being more heavily weighted on download volumes than an intransparent selection of factors. On Android, we see a more complex and fragmented reality for app marketers.

The following infographic to compare iOS and Android in terms of market share, user demographic and app marketing.

There’s a myriad of points on which you can compare the two platforms, and on reflection I think the conclusion must be this: both are winners in their own ways. Highly democratic I know, but that is how it is. Final words: Compare everything and identify and support the platform that’s right for your app.

What are your thoughts on current status quo of the arms race between iOS and Android?

How Samsung Tried To Sabotage Google

Do you know that Samsung were running Google Android Operating System as a piggyback to be a very successful global smartphone player. Now after officiate the launching of Samsung Galaxy S4, the real Samsung intention were getting surfaced.

Samsung's goal in life is to sell hardware, and to it, Android is merely a means to an end. On the other hand, Google just wants more people on the Internet using its services and seeing its ads.

Over the years, Samsung has had countless software partners, and Google is just its latest flame. Samsung's rise to power presents a unique threat to Android and Google, one that Google has already taken note of. If the company wrangles even more sway in the Android ecosystem, it could leverage higher ad-sharing agreements or other bargaining chips at Big G's expense. Now-former Android chief Andy Rubin had internally voiced concerns over this distinct possibility.

To be clear, Samsung would greatly benefit from a forked version of Android, because it would be an important point of differentiation from other Android OEMs -- much more potent than the current practice of customized interfaces like TouchWiz.

There's no avoiding the fact that the Galaxy S4 is an Android device. However, what Samsung can and did do last night is highlight all of its new apps, services, and software features, while decidedly not emphasizing Google's popular services.

Instead of talking about Google Play and all the types of content available from the search giant's repository, it showed off Samsung Hub, an integrated storefront for digital content like music, videos, books, games, and more. The new S Translator is exactly what it sounds like, and can potentially replace Google Translate. Forget Google Now and spoken turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps, that's what the new Galaxy S Voice Drive is for.

That's not to say that Google's services are gone, just that Samsung is clearly pushing its own instead. These are just some of many examples where Samsung is actively replicating Google offerings (sound familiar?), and are the first signs that Samsung isn't exactly happy with the status quo and wants more control of the customer relationship and experience than it currently has.

At this rate, Samsung will eventually be able to strip Android to little more than the bare bones for its operating system platform, while it loads up its own features, services, and content on top. Google will always have search, but that's just one aspect of its broader Android strategy; Big G's other services are also crucial to its moat-building goals.

Samsung is also actively targeting enterprise customers with its new Knox security certification. The South Korean company is positioning Galaxy devices with Knox within its broader Samsung For Enterprise, or SAFE, initiative. That puts it in the same enterprise market with Apple and BlackBerry, while leaving the rest of the Android army behind. Samsung now characterizes its own Galaxy Nexus, "all other Google Nexus," and "all other Android tablets and phones" as "not safe for work"