Ian Lim

46 years young. Interests: bushwalking, photography, motorcycles, gadgets, android, music ( listening and playing ), man-bags and anything else that tickles my fancy.

How to prevent your child from making in-app purchases on your Android device

Inapp purchase

As a followup to Janet’s article about restricting in-app purchases on an iPad, here’s the guide to doing it on Android.  Like Janet, I’ve heard so many of my less technology-bent friends complain that they handed their Android device to say their nieces and nephews to play games and keep them busy, and lo and

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Manipulate your Gmail from the Android notification bar

Gmailnotifybar

Got the latest Gmail client for your Android 4.1.x (Jellybean) device yet? The new version allows you to choose if you want to archive or reply to a new email directly from your notification bar without having to open the client. Handy for short emails but not quite so good for longer ones 🙂 I’ve

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Android Apps Spotlight: Remove that bloatware with Rom Cleaner

RomCleaner

Whether it’s put there by your Telco or your device manufacturer, bloatware is a pain.  Utilities that you’ll never use are taking up valuable storage space and system resources.  If your device is rooted, you can manually remove a lot of this app-by-app.  But every time you get an update for the ROM, you’ll have

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Different battery mod types for e-cigarettes

ecig3

I felt it was time for a quick followup on my original Joyetech e-cigarette review.  I’ve now been almost six months cigarette-free, that’s approximately 4500 cigarettes I haven’t smoked!  So no 4000+ nasty chemicals, a huge saving in money, my taste has returned, I’m feeling way healthier and my clothes (and I) don’t stink !

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Android Apps Spotlight: Siyah Kernel – dual boot your Samsung Galaxy S3

siyahkernel

If you’re like me, your Android devices don’t stay stock for very long.  Sometimes my devices are rooted and have alternate ROMs on them before I’ve even fired it up for the first time. Siyah Kernel is an alternative kernel for the Samsung Galaxy S3 (and S2) that allows you to adjust things like CPU speed, under-

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Android app spotlight : Friendcaster app for Facebook

wpid Screenshot 2013 02 03 16 50 21

I’m not a big Facebook user, but these days it’s a bit of a necessary evil. In my opinion, the official Facebook app for Android is nothing short of atrocious. It appears just to be a different interface to the mobile web site. Friendcaster is an alternative client that makes using Facebook just that little

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Barrett Alley Smuggler’s belt

Barretts Alley Smugglers Belt

Carrying cash and worried about pickpockets? Need to smuggle that micro-fiche past those foreign border guards? (oops micro-fiche… am I showing my age?)  The Smuggler’s Belt from Barrett Alley may be your friend.   It’s made of 10 oz (4 mm) US vegetable-tanned cowhide, 1.25″ (3 cm) wide and hand-cut and sewn in Texas and has an individually

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Android app spotlight: Skip Soft Root Toolkit for Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy S3

Roottoolkit

Got a Nexus 7 or a Samsung Galaxy S3? Read about all the advantages of rooting your device, but feel overwhelmed with all the information out there, and you’re scared you might brick your device?  XDA Developers member Mark Skippen has you covered with his toolkits for both the Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy S3

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Amazon Kindle Paperwhite sees Australia

For those Aussies waiting for the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite to finally be available locally here’s some good news.  Amazon’s still not shipping to Australia however  Dick Smith Online has the Paperwhite up for pre-order. The best news is that the cost is only $149AU, a price that’s actually even cheaper than importing from the US via

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Android app spotlight: AdAway – block those annoying advertisements

adaway

I’ll admit I’m an advertiser’s nightmare.  In all the years I’ve been on the Internet, I’ve probably clicked through on a handful of ads displayed.  I can watch the coolest ads on TV and at the end still not know what product brand they’re actually advertising, even after multiple viewings.  So why would I want

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Samsung Galaxy S3 Multi Window review

Multiview5

While most stock Android ROMs include features that can only be considered bloatware, once and a while a manufacturer comes up with an innovative and useful feature that they include into their OEM products. Samsung released their Multi Window on the Note 2, and the Multi Window utility is included with the release of their

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New Zealand issues Doctor Who and Transformers legal tender

NZMint

The New Zealand Mint has just announced their Doctor Who Coin Set  and Transformers Coin Set.  The Doctor Who coin measures 40.1mm in diameter and comes with its own TARDIS packaging. The Transformers set is a two pack and each coin measures 40.7 mm in diameter, with both Optimus Prime and Megatron represented on the coins. The

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Y didn’t I think of that – Giotto’s YTL Series Premium Tripod

goitto ytl tripod

If you love your photography then you’ll know that sometimes a tripod is a must have.  But they’re such a pain to carry around and often too bulky to conveniently take with you just in case you need it.  Well Giottos has just released their YTL Premium Series of tripods. By using a Y-shaped centre

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