How to Track Your Internet Bandwidth Usage in Android, iPhone & PC

Did you ever try to track your Internet bandwidth usage? Yes, i am talking about the 3G, 2G network traffic which is being consumed in your mobile phones and computers. Technically, this term is calledcounting network traffic. Read more to know about network trafficand learn how to track it. You might have always thought of these kinds of services where they can track your network traffic and keep you in the limit of a broadband connection usage. This problem is more seen in people who use a limited Internet connection plan. We always search on how to track the data which has been consumed so far? We usually have a limited Internet pack in 3G dongles, 2G Dongles, Mobile Internet and few other Home based Internet providers. Mostly, people prefer a unlimited Internet plan to get more benefits in downloading the data. But 90% of us don’t know a simple fact that even a unlimited broadband plan will have a download limit. ISP’s like BEAM, TATA, Airtel, Reliance or any other will follow these same strategies to fill their pockets.

For example, BEAM cable provides 10MBS Plan for just Rs 1000/- and say it’s an Unlimited Internet connection plan. Did you ever ask them that, is this 10MBPS bandwidth limited to a particular data range? If not, their answer would be yes. As BEAM degrades the 10MBPS speed to 2MBPS after 30GB of data download. Not only BEAM, even Tata and other ISP’s follow the same strategy. So, now you might be thinking, how do i know the amount of data I am spending every day. And how much more is still left to utilize? To answer your queries, we are writing this article on how to track your consumed broadband usage. At the end of the article, you can perfectly know the amount of data consumed in your Internet broadband plans..

You might be observed many times that, Even though you are not using the Internet connection in your mobile or on PC, you will continuously see a increase in broadband usage and end up with data download limit very fast. The main reasons for this is, many applications in your Windows, Mac and Phone use a backend process to download the data from Internet and update automatically. This can be observed more in mobile phones. Reason is Smartphone’s use a lot of bandwidth to connect to social networking sites and download the data to your phone. They automatically link your profile to Facebook, Twitter and other apps once connected. So you will obviously see a drop in download limit and consume more internet bandwidth. To avoid these types of unwanted processes, we will use some applications in our article. These applications will solve your problems of using more bandwidth and alert with alarms at regular intervals.

How to Track your Internet data download limit in Mobile Android Phones:

If you are using an Android mobile, you should know about Onava Count App. No matter the phone is connected via 3G or 2G network, it can still monitor all the amount of data used so far. You can also see the Data Alert and Warning messages on the screen all the time. With this, you can see the amount of data spent on each session. If you feel any app is running in background and using a lot of unwanted bandwidth, you can just block it with Data hog blocking option. There are a lot of amazing options which will track your each and every step in a session. You can download Onava Count Application from Google Play for free of cost.

You can also find these same features in Mobile Counter App. This free app will track your data from any GSM, CDMA, Wifi networks. You can also know the number of applications running on home screen. You can track the amount of data being spent on these apps and limit them to your wish. You can download this application in Google Play for free.

How to Track your Internet data download limit in iPhone: 

If you are using a iPhone, there is no need to install any additional options. iPhone has a inbuilt option to track your mobile network data usage. This feature in iPhone is called Cellular Network Data Counter. You can change the settings to enable this feature.  Just go to Settings -> General -> Usage and Enable the Cellular Usage. With this, you can know the amount of data sent and received up to date. And if you are looking for a separate iPhone application with this feature, just go to iTunes and search for Data Usage Monitor or Click here. This free application will alert you when your plan limit is about to end. You can also know the area of location through which your network is accessed.

How to Track your Internet data download limit in a PC: 

If you are using a windows PC, then tracking your broadband connection is very simple. You an use a small application called, Networx. This application can also be used to track many computer’s data records within a single connection. For example, you will see Internet cafe’s with many systems, but the broadband connection of that network will be a  single connection. Also, you can track your data in form of tables, according to a day, week, month. You can check the records in form of graphs. You can also track the net speed time to time. Networx has a ability to find suspicious network activities. If there is any possibility of getting into a wrong network connection, Networx will warn you to be alert. Visit the Networx official site to download the application (look at the bottom left side panel of the site to download the application).

BitMeter OS is another similar application like Networx. This application was designed by Open Source community. The best part of this application is, you can find the broadband limit and data network usage in any browser window. Also you can import the data into a Microsoft Excel file and keep it as a record. You can also use this application in both Linux and MAC Operating systems. Just go through the Official site for more info and Click here to Download BitMeter OS.

How to Track your Internet data download limit in a Mac:

No need to worry if you are a Mac user. We got solutions for all platforms now. If you want to track your network data in a Mac, you need to install a application called, Surplus Meter.

Also there is another software for Mac to keep a track on your network data, its called the Menu Meters. Menu Meters will not only track your network data, but also can track your CPU usage, Disk memory usage, You can put a custom time to show the data download report when ever you use the Internet connection.

These were the most useful application and software’s to track your network data. Also we are giving few important tips on how to save your Internet data bandwidth and to avoid unwanted consumption of limited broadband network data.

Few Important Tips to Save Your Network Data Consumption:

1) Usually when you are on a video chat on 3G network, it costs 100MB to 300MB for 30minutes. So keep an eye on it when you have a limited internet connection. Its lot better to use a WI-Fi connectivity for this kind of data burning activities.

2) And if you are using YouTube to watch videos in live streaming, it costs 200MB bandwidth for a 1 hour video. It may also increase to 300MB, if the video is a high resolution one. So avoid more live streaming of videos. Especially when your connection is a limited one. If you are streaming live videos, make sure the resolution is set to low. You can find this option in the YouTube control bar while playing the video.

3) If you have a Tablet or iPad, then switch off your data services when you are not using them. Else you can also change the network from 3G to 2G if you are not active on the Tablet.

4) If you are using weather report apps, or automatic email sync apps, then data might be burnt very fast. So make sure you don’t install much of these apps. Most of install same type of applications for more than one time. Just the name differs, but all the features and options will be the same. So just install one app of its category.

5) Coming to PC, If you are playing a online video game in Internet, know the fact that it burns 100MB of data for just 1 hour.

6) Avoid using HD movies when watching a live match or a old film. If you are watching them in normal resolution, the data usage will be reduced to 55%.

7) Keep your Windows notifications off. Because, Windows will keep updating your PC for each and every second you use your PC. So just change the Automatic Updates to off.

8) Don’t open multiple tabs of similar pages in a browser. Most of open Facebook in 10 different tabs and check 10 different pages or groups or notifications. By doing this, you are burning the network data 10times faster than a normal use.

These are the most important tips to save your bandwidth and avoid unwanted networking data usage. If you have any queries or issues, please drop us a line. We would surely respond in an hour.

Microsoft Office 2016 Preview – First Look

It’s finally official, Microsoft Office 2013 has been announced and will probably release early next year. The last version of the world’s most used productivity was released 3 years ago and is starting to show it’s age. Microsoft’s new minimalism mantra introduced with the Metro interface is clearly visible in the upcoming Office 2013. It’s the biggest change to the Office suite ever. Everything is different yet strangely, familiar. The biggest change is probably the versions it will be available in. There’s the quintessential Office 2013 and there’s the new Office 365. Office 365 is basically the professional version of Office 2013 that will be subscription based instead of the usual single license retail version. Also, it will include a few more online services and will be more cloud based. Read on for more of the Office 2013 preview.

Microsoft Office 2013 Preview – What’s new?

Changes are both cosmetic (check out the new logo!) and internal. Office 2013 is finally making the leap to mobile devices and it will be available on tablets as well. Office 365 is the cloud based service, but even the desktop Office 2013 will be cloud integrated, although limited compared to the former. Now all documents will be linked across any Office 365 installations anywhere by linking your Microsoft Windows Live ID. By default, everything is stored on Microsoft’s SkyDrive. It makes transferring documents via portable storage media a thing of the past. Furthermore, even drafts of unfinished documents are saved periodically, so in case of a power outage or such the document is still safe! So what else is new? The Metro interface inevitably makes it’s way into Office 2013 and the UI is an extension of Microsoft’s new aesthetic. All the unnecessary tabs and buttons are now gone but the ribbon menu started with 2010 remains, although it can be hidden. The buttons are now more spaced out and have larger fonts, presumably for the touchscreen versions. Speaking of touchscreen differences, Microsoft has clearly designed the new Office with tablets and mobile devices in mind. A nice new feature is read mode, where users can turn a document into a book form to be viewed easily on mobile devices. However, documents cannot be edited and the book form is full screen.

Now media integration and document sharing has also been made easier. YouTube videos can be directly embedded without having to actually save the clip and Flickr photos can be attached without any fuss too! Document sharing takes on a whole new meaning through SkyDrive, presentations and documents can be shared and edited with permissions by multiple people which is a great feature for teams and groups. Individual programs also get new features, like PowerPoint now has an option to show the  next slide in advance along with the present slide to the presenter while the screen facing the audience displays only the present slide. Excel gets a neat new feature called Flashfill that predicts data and fills cells automatically, for example formula calculations or templates in similar cells are predicted and filled automatically.

Last year, Microsoft bought out Skype and it will be integrated into the Office productivity network. Home Premium editions of Office will reportedly come with 60 Skype call minutes. This bodes well for the actual “productivity” in the namesake since video conferencing and on the fly editing are two extremely useful features. Microsoft also acquired a enterprise oriented social network called Yammer, so future integration with Office is definitely on the cards. Also, this time around, you will be able to view and edit PDF documents in Office itself. Apart from all the new features, Office is not much more….let’s say polished. There’s little visual flourishes, animations and effects even for mundane tasks like creating a table and it feels rather cool. Icons are also now glossy and overall almost everything has been changed to go with the new Metro look. We are pretty excited and really like this new interface. Installation is also now web based, so make sure you’re connected to the internet during installation.

Microsoft Office 2013 Preview – Editions and Requirements

As of now, no pricing details or release dates have been announced, but we do know the editions Office 365 will be coming out in:

• Office 365 Home Premium: Includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher, 20 GB SkyDrive space and can be installed for 5 users.
• Office 365 Small Business Preview: Adds “professional mail, shared documents and HD videoconferencing” to the previous edition and can be installed for 10 users.
• Office 365 ProPlus Preview: Includes all of the above, adds InfoPath and Lync and can be installed for upto 25 users, 5 installations each.
• Office 365 Enterprise Preview: Includes all of the above along with SharePoint online and Lync Online.

The system requirements are as follows:

• 1 GHz Processor
• 1 GB RAM for 32-bit OS and 2 GB RAM for 64-bit OS
• 3.5 GB free space
• Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012

So there you have it, the next generation Microsoft Office 2013 preview. If you’re interested in trying out the consumer preview of Office 365, click here to download it. Tough luck for Windows XP and Windows Vista users though, you can’t use Office 2013. You know what that means, it’s probably time for an upgrade! Please let us know your thoughts and comments below.

List of Smartphones - Android Jelly Bean Devices

It’s been a month since the latest version of Android was announced. Dubbed “Jelly Bean”  keeping with the tradition of naming successive versions after desserts alphabetically, version 4.1 of the world’s most popular mobile operating system was met with positive reactions. You can read about the new features here. However, the one thing on everyone’s mind is, when is it finally going to be available widely and what are the Android Jelly Bean Devices? Considering the track record of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, not everyone is hopeful about a smooth deployment. After all, Ice Cream Sandwich was released way back in October 2011 and it still isn’t available on most devices.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to be hopeful does it? Google has been rather tight lipped about when and how many devices will get Jelly Bean. So here are the devices we know will get an upgrade to Jelly Bean or come with it out of the box. They are categorized manufacturer wise:

Android Jelly Bean Devices – Samsung:

Samsung seems to give the most confirmation about it’s devices getting Jelly Bean, with a device or two still in the pipeline, we’re pretty sure they’ll be upgradeable to Android 4.1.

Confirmed Devices:

• Samsung Galaxy Nexus
• Samsung Galaxy Nexus S
• Samsung Galaxy S3

Prospective/Rumored Devices:

• Samsung Galaxy S2
• Samsung Galaxy Note
• Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Android Jelly Bean Devices – HTC:

The Taiwanese manufacturer has been quite clear about the devices slated to get Jelly Bean, but hasn’t really named previous generation devices.

Confirmed Devices:

• HTC One X
• HTC One XL
• HTC One S

Rumored/Prospective Devices:

• HTC EVO 3D
• HTC Droid Incredible
• HTC Sensation XL

Android Jelly Bean Devices – Sony

Sony hasn’t revealed any plans for upgrades to Jelly Bean just yet but a post on the official Facebook page states that no 2011 devices will get the upgrade. Not even the mighty Xperia Arc S will be get an official upgrade, at least that’s what the current announcement says.

Update (2/08/2012): The Facebook comment regarding 2011 Xperia devices not getting Android Jelly Bean has been retracted and an official blog post says 2011 Xperia devices may yet get the Jelly Bean upgrade!

Rumored/Prospective devices:

• Sony Xperia S
• Sony Xperia U
• Sony Xperia P
• Sony Xperia Sola
• Sony Xperia Arc S
• Sony Xperia Mini Pro

Android Jelly Bean Devices – Motorola

Motorola is in a good position right now, after being bought out by Google, we can expect it to get the latest Android updates pretty soon. As of now only one device is confirmed to get the upgrade. Curiously, the Xoom gets the upgrade but the newer Xoom 2 does not.

Confirmed Devices:

• Motorola Xoom Tablet (Wi-Fi variant only)

Rumored/Prospective Devices:

• Motorola DROID RAZR MAXX
• Motorola Atrix 2
• Motorola Atrix HD

Android Jelly Bean Devices – LG:

Although not a very popular smartphone brand, LG has announced that all compatible phones from its 2012 range and beyond will get the upgrade to Jelly Bean. However, the updates are slated to roll out in Q4 2012 or Q1 2013.

Rumored/Prospective Devices:

• LG Optimus 4X HD
• LG Optimus 3D Max
• LG Optimus L7

That’s all we know for now, we’ll be updating this list as and when more information is released, stay tuned to this space for more! You can also check out the official Android website to find out more. Be sure to leave us your comments or queries below.

Windows 8 RTM Complete!

The long awaited Windows 8 has finally gone gold! For those who don’t know, “going gold” is an expression that comes from the fact that the final reference copy from which commercial copies are made is molded in gold. Therefore in simple terms, “going gold” means the final version that will be released to consumers is complete. This version is Windows 8 RTM. Before it actually appears on shelves on the official release date, a final version called RTM is sent to developers and manufacturers beforehand so they can start assembling devices and computers in time for retail release. RTM stands for “Release to Manufacturing”.

So basically, RTM is the final version us common folk will be able to grab off shelves on October 26th, 2012 which is the retail release date. Also, Windows 8 computers and tablets will be available to purchase on that day and yes that includes the Microsoft Surface. For those curious, the final build of Windows 8 RTM is 9200 and not 8888 as previously expected, although that would have been fitting. The complete build is 9200.16384.WIN8_RTM.120725-1247. Reportedly, there have been leaks of the RTM version and more new features not in the release preview are present. For now, we know that there are more customization options than previously known, which includes themes, wallpapers, color schemes and the like.

Now, even though Windows 8 RTM is complete, the availability for developers and manufacturers still varies. Other than release schedule, we also know of the editions Windows 8 will be released in, Curiously, other than the 15$ upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 8 for PC’s bought since June there have been no announcements on pricing. If you have a new Windows 7 computer, check for your Windows 8 upgrade here. Here’s the release schedule:

Windows 8 RTM Release Schedule

• August 15: MSDN and Technet subscribers can download Windows 8 RTM.
• August 16: Microsoft Partner Network and Software Assurance members get access to Windows 8 RTM.
• August 20: Microsoft Action Pack developers will be able to access Windows 8 RTM.
• September 1: Volume license customers that are not Software Assurance members can purchase Windows 8 licenses.
• October 26: Retail release of Windows 8 and Windows 8 PC’s/devices.

Apart from Windows 8, even Windows Server 2012 has reached the RTM milestone. We’re pretty excited about the Windows 8 release and can’t wait to sample Microsoft’s new operating system. Now that it’s almost final, what do you think about the complete reinvention of Windows? Let us know by dropping a comment below!