Google announces the Magnifier, a site that helps you discover new music. This comes after their launch of the Music Beta over three months ago. Magnifier provides access to a host of music including live performances, artist interviews, great music, free songs, and access to videos. It aims to cover all kinds of music and related artist and people who create it.

Google made this announcement on their official blog and quoted

Today we introduced Magnifier, a new music discovery site that will keep your collection growing’. They also added that ’The featured artist on Magnifier this week is Grammy-nominated indie rock band ‘My Morning Jacket’

The site also announced that they are going to give two tracks from the My Morning Jacket to users that access Music Beta. Of the two tracks that Google is giving away, one of the tracks called The Day is Coming is exclusive for Magnifier users.

To gain access to the Magnifier, complete the following:

1. Access and log in to your Music Beta account.

Note: If you do not have a Music Beta account you can request for an invitation at Music Beta’s site

2. Move to the Magnifier option.

3. Select the songs you want from the list available, and click Add free music.

This automatically adds the songs you have selected directly to your library in your Music Beta account.

In the times that we live in, one lives a lot in fear of what will become of our loved ones. To give you a little more security, FBI Child ID is an application that helps you keep all of your child’s information in one place to help you get instant access. This is a free application, created by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), provides you the option to save vital information about your child and also pictures to help identify your child. It may not be something as dramatic as a kidnapping, even if your child has wandered away in a mall and you can’t find him or her, easily with all the electronic information available in your phone.

This app can store all this information in one place that you can access it. It also gives you the ability to email this information to authorities simply. The app provides information on what steps you can take to ensure that your child safe. It also provides information of what you must do for the first few crucial hours after realizing that your child has gone missing.

FBI says

We encourage you to share the word about this app with family and friends, especially during upcoming activities in your communities to raise awareness on crime and drug prevention’.

The application is compatible with different Apple devices including iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. The operating system requirement is iOS 4.2 or later. The latest version, Version 1.2 is available for download from iTunes.

Download FBI Child ID

If you have worked on Windows 7 and like to change you screen appearances, you have probably been flabbergasted at the fact that changing the Boot Screen isn’t the easiest thing to do. As per design, Microsoft has not made this option easy. There are therefore a host of applications from different developers that attempt to make this changeable. One of the most user-friendly ones is BootChanger.

BootChanger is a freeware application that lets you easily change Boot Screens on your Windows 7. There are many options for Boot Screens on the internet, but most ways to change them is tedious. This is where BootChanger makes the job extremely simple.

Once this application is installed, complete the following:

1.    From the Windows 7 Bootscreen Changer – Manual – Applying only! dialog box, click Choose bootscreen and select the boot screen you like from the internet.

2.    Click Start.

This automatically changes the boot screen. Also, once the application is installed you can access it directly from the Windows context menu.

However, it is important to note that since this is still in Beta version, all precautions for back up must be taken before using this application. This application also prompts the option to restore your system, every time it is run. This acts as a reminder of its vulnerability as a Beta version and helps you restore if you see something wrong.

Download BootChanger

Cloud Experience is a new and improved cloud storage service. It popularity is sure to increase with the multiple features and simplicity in design that it offers. Unlike one of the most popular cloud storage service Dropbox, Cloud Experience offers 10GB of free storage space. Additionally, it lets its users easily sync across computers. Also, it has its own application that can be used across phone options including Andriod, iPhone, BlackBerry; and works on both Windows and Mac platforms.

The user interface is much simpler and easier when compared to any of the other cloud services. The interface is crisp and pretty much all functionalities are available just a click away. The Cloud Experience screen once downloaded and install provides the option to directly upload files on the main screen, it also provides a few tabs as an option.

On the landing screen, Dashboard tab is what it s it provides a dashboard for its users, the Files tab list the files that you have uploaded and lets you organize the files, the Sharing tab lets you share your files to others, Activity provides different options, andProfile shows you your profile details.

This cloud service lets you sync all files. You can also ensure that different devices are synced and you can monitor the synchronization of devices and folders using this desktop application.

Overall, considering Dropbox has been one of the most efficient cloud storage service, it is safe to say that it has found some really good competition in Cloud Experience.

Download Cloud Experience

Find My Mac is an application that is similar to the Find My iPhone earlier released by Apple. There have been many details that have been leaked on this application and experts have been waiting for it to be released. If reports have to be believed, there is word that the application has been released to developers through iCloud.com.

After the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, the application was officially added to Lion in Developer Preview 4. This application, will follow the device and identify the location of the Mac. It will not have GPS functionality, instead it will rely on nearby Wi-Fi networks to identify and locate the computer.

Apart from locating the computer, once it is located, it allows users to do a host of things with the computer. The user can lock the screen of the computer from a remote location, he or she can choose to send messages to the computer, and can also block and remove everything on the drive.

Find My Mac was officially added to Lion in Developer Preview 4, released after WWDC in June, though evidence of the feature had leaked in prior releases. It has been released through iCloud.com. iCloud is the cloud environment for Apple, though in Beta, it is available to developers that have a beta iCloud account.

via – MacRumors

After what seems like forever, Skype has announced that it has now been released for iPad users. This announcement from Skype was expected by enthusiasts for the longest time. Nevertheless, the app by itself seems to be user-friendly and seamless to use. Also, if the iPad user already has a Skype account, it is believed that he or she can directly start using the features available.

The app effectively uses the extra space available to the iPad as opposed to the iPhone that in comparison has a smaller screen. According to their blog, Skype uses all the space available on the device to make way for larger and better quality video.

Additionally, it offers a lot of interesting features for its iPad users. Some of them include the ability to make calls to different users and call two-way video calling; thereby, using both the front and back cameras of the iPad effectively. It provides the ability for over 170 million users to connect with each other across platforms, including iPhones, Mac, Windows and HDTV. Also, it allows its users to send instant messages online and direct SMS texts to contacts.

Skype, based on the operator, provides users the flexibility to use work on Skype for iPad works over Wi-Fi and 3G. The latest downloadable version is compatible with iPad and the only prerequisite is that the operating systems version is iOS 4.0 over above. Skype for iPad is available for download from iTunes.

Download Skype for iPad

Mishra Reader is one of the latest desktop Google Reader available in today’s market. Though this reader is still in alpha version, it helps you connect with the online reader and retrieve all the feed that is specific to you. This is a freeware tool that works and integrates seamlessly with Windows system. The entire interface is based on WPF. Designed based on ergonomics and provides smooth animations.

This Google reader client once installed provides three different tab. They are:

• Unread: This displays all the latest feed that you have not already read.
• Subscriptions: This displays list of subscriptions and enables you to view, update, and add new ones.
• Options: This provides different ways to use options offered by the reader.

The interface provides small excerpts of the article and allows you to further read them by selecting them from the list of feeds. Using this interface you can easily access different feed with notifications and stars placed for particular stories you are following. It also helps you scroll through articles using the Next and Previous icons.

It provides an application icon in the notification zone to help you easily find the application. It also helps you copy scaled pictures to the clipboard for easy access. Overall, this reader has been impressive and has received a lot of feedback for just the Alpha version of the application.

via – Nirmaltv

nSpace a virtual desktop application helps you separate your workspaces to ensure that your work is held is separate spaces. This helps reduce any confusion that one may have while working on different things at the same time. Virtual desktops have been around for a while and more users are learning to use it to their advantage.

nSpace provides 4 desktops, one customary and three virtual desktops. It allows users to add and remove virtual spaces, select hotkeys for different spaces, and alter the look and feel of different spaces. Additionally, it gives users the option to use password protection for space. All this is done in a simple and user-friendly interface.

While the popularity is increasing security has also become an important aspect. The process to actually create a password is simple. To create a password, complete the following:

1.    From the system tray, select nSpace and then select Settings.

This displays the nSpaces Settings dialog box.

2.    To launch a particular desktop, select the Launch nSpace on login check box.

3.    To enter a password, select the Must enter password to user nSpaces check box.

4.    In the Password box, type the password.

5.    In the Confirm box, retype the password.

6.    Click Save.

This automatically creates a password for the space, the content in this space will not be accessible without the password.

Download nSpace

If you are a WordPress user, then this is certainly good news. Artsy Editor, a new WordPress plug-in, helps you get a distraction-free environment while blogging. This plug-in helps bloggers post their blogs easily and quickly. It promises to take just half the time when compared to posting blogs without this plug-in.

Some of the interesting features of Artsy Editor includes:

• Customizing the look and feel of the user interface. Changing background colours, fonts or font sizes all made easy.
• Formatting text is simple, selecting text automatically brings up the formatting options in a box that fade ones the text is unselected.
• Automatic word and character count is enabled helping writers to keep track of how much is being written.
• Images can be placed easily using drag and drop options.
• Overlays are removed to make editing content easy.

As a HTML-intensive blogger, this may not be the most effective plug-in to have. However, on the other hand if you, as a blogger, like to post long blogs with little HTML requirements, then this plug-in certainly provides a enhanced and more effective experience to blogging.

Needless to say, all good things come with a price. The WordPress plug-ins premium version is priced at $19. It is important to note that this is certainly a reasonable price for the kind of features it offers.

Download Artsy Editor

Audacity is a software that helps you merge you MP3 and Wav files. Audacity is software developed by a group of volunteers. It is a free software and is distributed by the GNU General Public License (GPL). It is a audio editor that supports an array of operating systems like Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and so on.

Image Credit

You can use this application to mix sounds and edit different kinds of sound files like MP3, WAV, AIFF and so on. It can also be used to change the speed of the recording. After installing Audacity, to merge files, complete the following:

1.    Drag and drop audio files.

Note: Alternately, click File and then select Open dialog.

This displays the audio file in a separate window.

2.    Select one of the tracks with a left-click.

3.    Press Ctrl+A to select the song.

Note: Alternatively, select only part of the track that you want to use.

4.    Left-click on the location of the other track where you want to paste the selected track.

5.    To merge, click the position at the very end of the track and press Ctrl+V.
This merges the tracks. Repeat this process till you have merged the audio files that you need.

6.    Click File and select Export to save the file as a new merged audio file.

You can choose to save these files in different formats, including MP3, Wav, flac, ac3, and so on.

Download Audacity

Google Maps application for Android device has lot to offer including navigation, latitude, directions, hotpot and others. Yet again Google is trying to improve on it like all other products. With the release of latest version, Google Maps 5.8 will have extended service like – Photo upload for Place, My Places and descriptive terms for mobile, and on-the-go for check-ins. This update will work on Android OS 2.1+ devices and can be accessed anywhere Google Maps is available.

Benjamin Grol, Product Manage from Google Mobile Blog states –

You can now contribute photos to help others get a sense of places. You can now attach your photos to Places, and yours may even become the profile picture for that page. If you want to view or delete any photos you’ve contributed to Places, you can manage uploaded photos in the “Photos for Google Maps” album on your Picasa account.

On the other hand, descriptive terms and My Places were earlier available only for desktops, but now it comes to Mobile. Descriptive terms will appear in search results for Places to inform you what businesses are ‘known for,’ such as their ‘eggs benedict’ or being ‘worth the wait.’ Also, My Places for mobile will provide quick access to starred and recent Place pages you’ve looked at.

Download Google Maps 5.8 for Android 

The Zipcar app helps its users and members of Zipcar to easily identify Zipcars that are available for booking or extend a reservation. The application is useful to users who want to locate cars around their locality. The Android version has been in Beta testing the last two months and has been released for download in the Android Market.

The latest Zipcar Android verison 1.0 promises to be faster and more efficient than the beta version of it. The latest version has something in store for everyone. Non-members of Zipcar can explore the features of the app and find available Zipcars on the map and also get more information on the kind of cars available.

On the other hand, members, apart from having the access to do all that non-members can do, they can additionally, reserve Zipcars from everywhere. They can view, extend, and cancel reservations for anywhere. Additionally, members use the Zipcar’s horn on the Android phone to find the car in a crowd. Also, members can unlock and lock the Zipcar with the Android phone after scanning the member’s Zipcard at the beginning of the reservation.

The latest version, version 1.0.7, is available free for download from the Android Market. The application will run on Android versions 2.1 and above.

Download Zipcar

One month ago, the BBC New’s official app was released for users in UK. Now, finally, this application has been made available for users across the world. BBC News has been known to provide latest and reliable information on things that happen all over the world. Using this application you can get the latest accurate news as it happens.

BBC’s global network has over 2000 journalists. These journalists work towards providing breaking news and up-to-date news on business, politics, entertainment, technology, sports, and much more. You, as a user can also access the BBC World Service Radio where you can directly listen to BBC Radio.

The interface is user-friendly and easy to use. Additionally, the app allows you to personalize the settings on your home screen. It gives you the option to add or remove sections, depending on the kind of news and updates you want to follow. Additionally, the app also provides updates in the background of your device screen. It also helps you see headlines and an easy tap can easily expand the story and read the entire story.

The latest version, Version 1.0, was last updated on June 9, 2011. The app is available for free in the Android Market website and requires Android versions 1.6 – 2.3.3.

Download BBC NEWS Application

An easy to use tool is developed on AdobeAir for file uploading and sharing desktop tool called Drops. This tool permits users to upload any number of files without any restriction on the number of files or constraints on the usage of total online space.

Drops allows you to share your content in the form of files with your friends and colleagues online without the necessity to install or configure cloud based storage settings. Data for each file can stretch upto 30MB. The files can be shared seamlessly over its User Interface (UI) by just entering your email ID and password to sign up for the service and within a minute it will start uploading the files that you want. What’s more is the shareable links to the files appear on the main interface listed as per the date and time that you uploaded them, and you can also access it all directly.

Be it source codes, programming language, images, documents, etc all these file formats can be uploaded and shared as they are supported by Drops online viewer. You can preview files and images before saving them to your system instead of just having to work your way around the download link, however, exceptions are word and pdf files which do not seem to give you the preview.

File Repair is an application that repairs files of pretty much any extension and format on Windows machine. The applications supports many formats including: .doc, .docx, .docm, .rtf, .xls, .xla, .xlsx, .zip, .rar, .avi, .mp4, .mov, .flv, .wmv, .asf, .mpg, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tiff, .bmp, .png, .pdf, .mdb, .mde, .accdb, .accde, .ppt, .pps, .pptx, .mp3, and .wav.

Additionally, this application works seamlessly with the following versions of Windows like Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. Therefore, if you are running any of these versions of Windows then this application is for you. It will help you with files that become corrupt or unrecognizable because of unexpected power failure, network interruption, virus or application error.

It fixes issues related to unrecognizable file formats, inaccessibility of files, inability to read files, and issues with opening files based on their filename. Additionally, it also helps with out of memory issues and low system resources errors.

To use this application, complete the following steps:

1. Download the tool from developer’s website, and install it in your machine.
   This will help you select the corrupt file by clicking on the radio button.
2. Select the file that you want to repair.
3. Click Start Repair.

This will start the repair process and the program’s interface will display the log generated while the repair process is underway.