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Put a Planetarium In Your Pocket With Google Sky Map

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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Confession time: I am an astronomy geek. I have been ever since the second grade when Mrs. Woodward taught us all about the planets.  Then Cosmos came along and reinforced my obsession. I cried when the Mars Curiosity Rover landed. ( I follow Mars Rover on Twitter.) This is one of my favorite apps under the sun. The Google Sky Map app for your Android phone allows you to track the heavens without a telescope. It can also assist you in pointing your telescope in the right direction!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I first learned about Sky Map from my husband, who downloaded it so we could track when the International Space Station was in orbit  over our area.  We went outside with a smartphone, held it up to the sky and this app immediately showed us where to look.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">To download, head on over to the<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid&hl=en" style="color: #3b67a5; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Google Play Store to download for free.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hold it up to the sky where you are and it will identify what you’re looking at up there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69517" height="269" src="http://imgsrv.worldstart.net/images/ct-images/2014/10/skymap.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking for a particular planet or star? Sky Map will help you find it. “Hey Mars Rover! What’s up?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69518" height="517" src="http://imgsrv.worldstart.net/images/ct-images/2014/10/lookingformarx.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="310" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There are also cool features like Time Travel. It allows you to see what the night sky looked like in the past and what it will look like in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69519" height="521" src="http://imgsrv.worldstart.net/images/ct-images/2014/10/timetravelpast.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="312" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s also a gallery of gorgeous images from space for you to view. Then with the tap of a finger, Sky Map will find them in the night (or day) sky.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69520" height="517" src="http://imgsrv.worldstart.net/images/ct-images/2014/10/skymapgaller.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="309" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s really just like having a planetarium in your pocket.  You can use it to find constellations and meteor showers. Here I am using it to track Pluto in the sky at the office.  I still believe in you Pluto, you will always be a planet to me!</span></div>
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<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-69522" height="437" src="http://imgsrv.worldstart.net/images/ct-images/2014/10/trackpluto.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="450" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Check it out, it’s well worth your time.</span></div>
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Put a Planetarium In Your Pocket With Google Sky Map

Confession time: I am an astronomy geek. I have been ever since the second grade when Mrs. Woodward taught us all about the planets. Then...

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Nexus 5 problem connecting to PC solution

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It seems like many of you are having problems connecting to Windows your lovely Nexus 5 handset. The smartphone appears in the device manager of Windows 8.1, but it is impossible to perform any action with it. No files can be transferred from the Nexus 5 on the PC, and the smartphone is invisible in the file explorer. Here is a confirmed solution, which should resolve connection issues with connecting the Nexus 5 to the PC via USB.</div>
<figure style="border: 0px; margin: 1.8rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Nexus brand logo single 4" src="http://fs04.androidpit.info/userfiles/6727621/image/Nexus/Nexus_brand_logo_simple_4.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><figcaption style="color: #666666; font-size: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.4rem;">The Nexus 5 has an issue with the USB connection on Windows 8.1.</figcaption></figure></section><section class="mainArticleContent" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><ul style="border: 0px; list-style-type: none; margin: 1.4rem 0px 1.4rem 1.8rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-indent: -1.4rem; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;">Apparently, the problem can be caused by the Windows 8.1 update, which installs inconsistent drivers (like Acer's or HP's own versions etc) when you plug the Nexus 5 for the first time. However, the issue may not be exclusive to Windows 8, as some users have suggested that a Windows driver known as </span><a href="https://github.com/koush/UniversalAdbDriver" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: #769c11; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">UniversalAdbDriver</a><span style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;">may also be the culprit. Either way, here is what you should do to fix it?</span></li>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. </strong> First make sure that the MTP is enabled on the Nexus 5: <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Settings</em> > <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Storage</em> > <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Menu</em> > <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">USB connection to the computer</em>. </div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. </strong>Plug your Nexus 5 into your computer via USB.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.</strong> On Windows, open the device manager (on Windows 8, press "ctrl+Q" then just use the search box at right hand side to search for it). You may need the administrator password to open it. </div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.</strong> Once in the Device Manager, look for the name of your plugged in device. It may be given the name <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">phone</em>, <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Acer ADB Interface</em>, or something else specific to your device. (It might be tricky to find for users unfamiliar with the device manager, so if you can't find it try unplugging the device and seeing which item disappears. You can just plug it in again afterwards and continue with the intructions.)  </div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4.</strong> Right click on the device name and click "Update" by selecting <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">local disk</em>. Don't choose <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">online</em>because you'll just get a message telling you that your driver is up to date. </div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. </strong> Choose <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">MTP USB Driver</em>.</div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. </strong> Once the installation is complete, your device manager should show <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nexus 5</em> instead of what you had before. </div>
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Does this work for you? Have you found other solutions? Share them in the comments below if you have.</div>
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Nexus 5 problem connecting to PC solution

It seems like many of you are having problems connecting to Windows your lovely Nexus 5 handset. The smartphone appears in the device mana...

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Google Voice now supports MMS with almost 100 carriers

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Google Voice has finally employed effective MMS integration into its voice messaging and calling service with almost 100 carriers in North America supporting the functionality. Google’s Alex Wiesen took to Google+ to make the announcement, saying: “When your sister texts you a picture of your newborn niece, it’s really important that you get it. For too long, however, Google Voice users would miss these messages for lack of MMS support.”  </div>
<figure style="border: 0px; margin: 1.8rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="sprachsuche teaser 16x9" src="http://fs04.androidpit.info/userfiles/4155894/image/sprachsuche-teaser-16x9.JPG" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><figcaption style="color: #666666; font-size: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.4rem;"><br /></figcaption><figcaption style="color: #666666; font-size: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.4rem;">Sending MMS messages now works as it should with Google Voice and Hangouts.</figcaption></figure></section><section class="mainArticleContent" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"><div style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.4rem; margin-top: 1.4rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Interestingly, though most of the major US OEM’s are on board (sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile), Verizon is curiously missing from the roster. It will likely only be a matter of time before it signs on, but until then, Verizon users are sadly being left behind.</div>
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It's great to see that Google has made a concerted effort to address this problem, which has also plagued Hangouts recently, to improve the free service with the end-user in mind. There are no app updates to download from the Play Store to get the new MMS functionality, the improvements should already be present the next time you send a message. Give it a try with Google Voice or Hangouts and let us know if it works for you in the comments below!</div>
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<figure class="installIcon" style="border: 0px; display: table-cell; height: 80px; margin: 1.8rem 2rem 1.8rem 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 80px;"><img alt="Icon" src="http://fs01.androidpit.info/a/3e/ba/google-voice-3ebacd-w80.png" style="border: 0px; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 80px;" /></figure><span class="installText" style="border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-size: 2.8rem; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;"><a href="http://www.androidpit.com/app/com.google.android.apps.googlevoice" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; color: black; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Voice</a></span><span class="installNowButton" style="border: 0px; display: table-cell; font-size: 1.7rem; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; vertical-align: middle;"><a class="btnBig btnBlue" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.googlevoice&referrer=utm_source%3DAndroidPIT%26utm_medium%3DAndroidPIT%26utm_campaign%3DAndroidPIT" sl-processed="1" style="background: linear-gradient(rgb(78, 166, 209) 0px, rgb(28, 109, 172) 100%); border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border: 0px; box-shadow: rgb(111, 194, 236) 0px 1px 0px inset, rgb(5, 61, 130) 0px -1px 0px inset; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 34px; line-height: 34px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 1rem; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 30px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;" target="_blank">INSTALL</a></span></div>
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Do you use Google Voice?</div>
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Google Voice now supports MMS with almost 100 carriers

Google Voice has finally employed effective MMS integration into its voice messaging and calling service with almost 100 carriers in North...

+ Read more »

Google Planning To Offer Accounts For Kids

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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Reports say that Google is planning to offer special accounts for users under the age of 13. Right now,  pre-teens aren’t supposed to be able to open YouTube or Gmail accounts, but lots of them do by lying about their age, just as many youngsters under 13 sign up for Facebook accounts. Sometimes they sneak, other times they do it with their parents’ full knowledge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Google is trying to come up with a special account that parents would set up for kids. That would leave the adults in charge of which Google products kids can partake of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Those who worry about privacy wonder what this means for kids’ information, though the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act limits what type of information companies can collect about kids. Companies cannot collect any information on kids without their parents’ permission.  But there are worries that people will just accept the terms of services for these accounts without reading what types of permissions come along with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s expected that the account would have a dashboard that allowed parents to keep control of their activities and include a kid-friendly version of YouTube, limited to programming suitable for kids, as well as a kid-safe search engine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Amazon currently offers a Kindle FreeTime subscription service with books, movies and games aimed at kids. But that costs $5 a month or $3 if you already subscribe to Amazon Prime. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The advantage to Google would be getting kids into their ecosystem at a young age and parents might find it convenient to be able to sync their Google calendars with those of their children. As kids start using tech at a younger age with every passing year, coming up with safe ways for them to use devices like tablets and smartphones will be a priority for companies like Google.</span></div>
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Google Planning To Offer Accounts For Kids

Reports say that Google is planning to offer special accounts for users under the age of 13. Right now, pre-teens aren’t supposed to be a...

+ Read more »