One thing I learned from publishing this site is how much some users LOVE to customize the look-and-feel of their computers and devices. If you want a neat way to customize your Android then consider this one: replacing your icons with glorious, artfully crafted images to launch your apps or make calls.
‘Desktop Visualizer’ is a free Android app that can create Android Widgets to launch all sorts of actions, such as launch an app, open a URL, or make a phone call or text message a specific contact. The best part, though, is that these widgets can display any image that you like in a wide variety of sizes, and can be custom labeled in any way you like. It is a bit labor intensive to set up, but it opens the doors to customizing your Android in many very unique and creative ways (see screenshots below).


The examples in the screenshots above show widgets that, in the left screenshot, allow me to make phone calls to some frequently used contacts just by clicking their image, and in the right can launch some game apps.

How to use:

First off, create a widget in the normal way, then select a ‘Desktop Visualizer’ widget in the size that you want. The program deserves credit for the wide range of widget sizes from large to small (see screenshot below). It is quite helpful if you use a launcher that will let you resize widgets (I use Nova Launcher), otherwise the onus becomes greater to get the widget size right from the get go. Or you can install a free add-on called DVRSizeConfig that will help you measure the proper widget size (link at the bottom of the post).

Next, select the image you want to use and the action associated with it. Transparent areas in image files such as PNG are supported and will display as transparent. The label can be skipped if you like, or customized as you wish. Possible actions are shown in the right screenshot below. If you want your widget to make a direct phone call select ‘other’ and then ‘direct call’. Note that if you want a widget which can make a direct call, you need to install an additional add-on from the Google Play store (see download links below).

Note on images:

The best effect can be had by using interesting, customized images that you may have to work on manually using am image editor program or a program that can apply effects. As an example on such variations, see the screenshot to the right, which shows images tweaked to look like sketches, just to create a unique look and feel that you can impress people with.

The verdict:

A very nice app that opens many possibilities for those who like to customize their interface in many creative ways. It is somewhat labor intensive if you want to create many different widgets, as each has to be created on its own, but the result can be worth it.
Although the program is ad-supported, you only see the ads in the settings page, so once you have your widgets set-up that’s the end of it.
This program can be improved if it allowed for image cropping within the program itself (which I believe is available as a paid add-on). Also, I wish there was even larger widgets supported, including an all page widget. It made me think of the opportunity to create a similar app whereby a single widget might contain several images that trigger different actions each, and that can be easily resized or manipulated from within the program.

• You can get Desktop Visualizer here.
• If you want the option to make direct calls from your widgets, you will also need to install a free add-on called DVRDirectCall.
• You can also get DVRSizeConfigTool, a free add on supposed to help get the appropriate sized widgets for your screen (we have NOT tested this one).

Replace Android icons with large custom images, with ‘Desktop Visualizer’

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As it is with any other desktop or mobile operating system, the performance of your Android OS will start to diminish after you use it for some time. Mobile operating systems are supposed to be lighter and faster to keep up with our need to be on the move, yet still give us access to everything. Want to have the best of both worlds? Then, it’s time to do some housekeeping.
If you have noticed that your Android phones performance have been ‘slowing down’, particularly after you’ve been loading it up with tons of Android apps (we don’t blame you) from the Google Play store, we have a few tips to share with you.

With just a few tweaks and changes, you’d probably be able to breathe life into your Android specifically those that have been updated to Android 4.0 and above.

1. Know your Device

It is important that you learn about the capabilities and drawbacks of your phone. Don’t overburden your phone with resource-hungry apps which would otherwise degrade your phone’s performance at your expense.

2. Update your Android

If you haven’t updated your Android phone to the latest firmware, you should. Google brings great improvements to each new release of the Android operating system, including updates that ensure stability, higher performance speed and connectivity along with other user-friendly new features.
Tablets can also run on ICS and Jelly Bean now; you should be able to update it until Android 4.1 Jelly Bean via System updates (Check under ‘About phone’).

3. Remove Unwanted Apps

Every app you install in your phone take some storage space and runs some background processes. The more storage space occupied or the more background processes running on your phone, the slower your phone’s performance.
Don’t install apps you hardly use. Keep only the apps that you need and if you have got an app that isn’t really useful, you can uninstall or disable it.

4. Disable Unnecessary Apps

‘Performance assistant’ was introduced in Android ICS to help you disable apps that you don’t need. Disabling apps is different from uninstalling apps – uninstallation remove application files from the phone but no file is removed/deleted when you disable it. These disabled apps are not shown on the home screen or app tray but you can re-enable them for use whenever you need them.

5. Update Apps

You should regularly update your phone’s installed apps from Google Play. Try to get updates your apps when they are available in Google Play. Developers fix bugs and add features in new released versions of apps. Updated apps perform better and faster, and will less likely crash your phone.

6. Use High-Speed Memory Card

The memory card is the storage space of your phone. Phones with low internal memory can get a boost from high-capacity memory cards for maximum storage space. But it adds not only capacity but also speed to the mix. You can get between 2GB to 32GB worth of storage space to support high speed read/write operations. Always go for memory cards of Class 6 or Class 10 for your Android phone if you seek performance for your phone.

7. Keep Fewer Widgets

Widgets are not apps, which only run once you choose to activate them. No, widgets are always running in the background; they are active all the time. While some Android users use it to keep track of the weather, and their important dates, others use widgets like ‘Extended controls’ for quick access for essential configurations such as switching Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or their GPS on or off.
They do have their uses but bear in mind that having too many of them running on your homescreen will cause your device’s performance to slow down.

8. Avoid Live Wallpapers

You must be loving Android’s live wallpaper feature. Phones (from different manufacturers) come with different live wallpapers but you should know that live wallpapers that are badly made will need more CPU cycles to run, thus draining the battery faster. Everytime you activate the home screen, you run not only your apps but also your live wallpaper.

9. Stop Syncing

Sync is a very good feature which synchronizes your data with Google servers. Keeping sync on, you can get notifications whenever new mail comes in or when you get new notifications or updates for apps. To do this, it does a refresh at every preset interval (e.g. it checks your mail every 5 minutes for new incoming mail), and this will eat into your android’s performance for other activities.
You can keep Sync off for unrequired services or only have it on when you need to transfer or upload materials to Google servers.

10. Turn off Animations

What animations? Well, if you haven’t noticed, your phone screen actually fades out and in as you switch from one task to the other. To see this in action Go to Settings > Developer Options > Window Animation Scale > Animation scale 10x. Then choose Window Animation Scale again to see the fade in effect in ‘slow-mo’.
When you choose Animation off, the screen just snaps to position without animation. You can also turn off Transition Animation Scale in the same way. If you are a heavy user, you’d probably notice that your Android performs faster with all animations off.

11. Use Task Killer/Manager

Download any free Task Killer apps or Task Managers from Google Play. Some of the good ones are Advanced Task Killer and Super Task Killer Free. Use a task killer to kill background processes and other apps that you don’t need or you don’t use.
Set options to automatically kill unnecessary apps (based on your selections) after every set period of time. Some of the examples include Update Manager (updates don’t come every minute/hour) or any manufacturer-installed app which you don’t require.

12. Root your Android

As Android is built on the Linux kernel, like any other OS, it also can be rooted. Rooting your Android gives you administrator level access on your phone, which means that you can uninstall the apps that came with your phone but may not be what you want to use.
You can then flash it with custom ROMs that may be a better fit to your job requirements or personality, or to enhance the performance and battery life of your phone. You can even update your phone to the latest OS or updates that could otherwise be unsupported for your phone model.
When Not to Root
There are a number of factors against rooting your Android device; for one thing, most manufacturers deem your phone warranty voided if your phone has been rooted. You also need to know what you are doing to avoid screwing everything up, beyond repair. This is called ‘bricking’ a.k.a. turning your phone into a useless brick. So think it through before you use this method to enhance the performance of your Android.

13. Use Lightweight Background Apps

Everyone enjoys listening to music but imagine how much memory the music player app requires to play a whole album for you. It’s the same with other types of background apps you may have. Use lightweight apps for these purposes, e.g., you can install a music player that requires 1 MB installation space (and thus less RAM too) than the ones requiring 10 MB or more.
This way, your phone will have more free memory, boosting your phone’s battery and performance.

Conclusion

If you follow the above-given suggestions, tips and tweaks will help in making your Android faster and smoother while in use. Have other Android-related performance-enhancing tips and tricks? Let us know.

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The following is a guest post from Jeff Fiscina, one of my math teachers at New Milford High School.

Today is the day after a test.  I walk around to hand back tests to the students. Students, who did well, put a smile on their faces.  Students, who did poorly, sink into their chairs in displeasure.   I come back to the board to review the problems which created the most difficulty.  The students who did well are so excited they don’t want to listen.  The students who did poorly are so upset with themselves they can not concentrate.  So, what am I doing?  I’m pretty much talking to no one.  I’m not helping those students who received a bad grade and the students who were successful are now bored.

Image credit: Steven Depolo

After about two and a half years of doing this in my classes, I realized something must change.  Some students were not successful on a test.  The only way they can help their grade is to do better on the next test.  But they need the material from the previous test to help them.  So what service am I providing to my failing students?  How am I motivating them to do better?  I used to say, “You are going to need to learn this to do well on the midterm.  Don’t just put the test away and not look at it.  Study it and learn from it.”  After thinking about how I would take that statement as a student, I realized how little impact it actually has.  Something needed to change in my grading philosophy, and change fast.

Everyone deserves a second chance, right?  You fail your driver’s test; don’t you get another shot at it?  You do poorly on the SAT’s; you can take them again right?  So for a test in class, why are students only getting one chance?  After much questioning, research, and consideration, I decided to implement a re-take policy for my classes.

After students receive their test and are not happy with the score, they can come to me and inquire about a re-take.  I give the student a contract that lists the steps they must follow in order for the opportunity for a retake.  The contract must be signed by the student and their parent/guardian.  The steps are as follows:

1. Get the test paper signed by a parent/guardian
2. Attend extra help session for corrections on the test
3. Complete given assignment on your own (if necessary)
4. Make an appointment after/before school to take your re-take

(You can see my full written policy and contract HERE)

Once students take the re-take, I look at how much knowledge they have gained, and use my professional judgment to assign a new grade.  Students are appreciative of the second chance and are taking full advantage of it. Students are recognizing how much more work they need to put in if they are unsuccessful.  This gives them some motivation to do well the first time.  And it also gives them an opportunity to right the wrong.

What is our goal as educators?  My goal is for every student to have the best opportunity at succeeding in my class.  If my students have only one chance at every test, then they really don’t have the best opportunity at succeeding.  I want my students to learn and one of the best ways to learn is from your mistakes.  I have a little saying I like to use:  “Failure is not an ending, it’s a beginning.”

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Star Realms v2.22 [Full/Unlocked]

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Star Realms combines addictive Deckbuilding Game play with exciting Trading Card Game style combat!

Designed by Magic Hall of Famers Darwin Kastle and Rob Dougherty (of the Ascension Deckbuilding Game), Star Realms’ amazingly rich yet easy to learn game play will provide endless hours of entertainment.

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Full Game Additional Features

•Play the AI on 3 different difficulty settings.

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Whats New

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