Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Alternatives to the Banned Chinese Apps


Alternatives to the Banned Chinese Apps
The Indian government has banned 59 apps developed by Chinese companies. Some of these apps are extremely popular in the country and would have you believe that there aren’t good enough alternatives on the app stores. Well, you’ll be surprised to be know that there are many options for you choose from. And some of them have been made in India.

S.No.
Chinese App
Description
Alternative(s)
Country
Description
1
SHAREit, Xender
Cross-platform file transfer tool
Feem v4
Cameroon
This cross-platform app lets you transfer files to phones in its vicinity without using internet bandwidth. Also includes a chat interface.
2
TikTok, Kwai, VMate, Likee
Short video sharing social media platform
Roposo
Chingari
Mitron
Bolo Indya
India
All three allow users to create short videos and share to popular social media platforms.
3
Helo
Social media platform for discovering trending videos, jokes, messages
ShareChat
India
Available in 15 regional languages, this Indian social media service includes chatrooms, daily dose of news, entertainment and more.
4
CleanMaster
An optimisation utility that clears system cache and frees up space
Files by Google
USA
Optimiser apps are not beneficial for the phone and usually push ads. Instead, use Files Google to free up space.
5
Hago: Play with new friends
Uses short games to bring online players together and interact
Hello Play
Plato: Games and Group Chats
India
USA
A social app that lets you play games online with your group of friends and chat in real time.
6
Parallel Space
An cloning tool that lets you sign into multiple accounts with the same app at the same time
Do Multiple Accounts
USA
This lets you login to more than two accounts of your messenger, social media network, game profile on the same phone.
7
WeChat
Instant messenger
WhatsApp
Signal Messenger
Telegram
USA
USA
UK
These are widely popular messaging apps already. All three offer end-to-end encryption of messages. Currently, Telegram is reportedly working to include a video-calling feature.
8
UC News, Newsdog
Delivers daily news and trending stories
Khabri
India
Delivers news and podcasts in Hindi, updates on government jobs and daily motivational quotes. A studio version lets you start your audio channel.
9
CamScanner
Makes digital copies of physical documents and photographs
Microsoft Office Lens
Adobe Scan
USA
USA
These are excellent alternatives for scanning receipts, assignments and documents into the PDF file format.
10
Vault
Privacy tool that hides sensitive data from prying eyes
Hide It Pro
India
You can hide your photos, videos, sensitive files and messages with this tool. It supports data encryption and can be unlocked with the phone’s fingerprint sensor.
11
Sweet Selfie, YouCam, Meitu
Selfie apps with myriad colour filters and AR effects
B612
South Korea
Contrary to popular opinion, this selfie app is developed by a company with South Korean roots.
12
Du Screen Recorder
Records screens and takes screenshots
InShot Screen Recorder
USA
Captures videos of on-screen action on the phone, lets you edit and export at Full HD resolution.
13
Bigo Live
Stream videos online in real time
YouNow
USA
A live streaming app that also lets you interact with your audience in real time.
14
Baidu Translate
Translation tool
Google Translate
Microsoft Translator
USA
USA
These are two of the best real-time multilingual translators on the app stores right now.
15
Baidu Maps
Location and navigation service
MapmyIndia
Google Maps
Here WeGo
India
USA
USA
We don’t know how many would want to use Baidu Maps in India when these popular apps for location mapping and navigation have always been available.
16
Mobile Legends
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game
Brawl Stars
Vainglory
Finland
USA
These MOBA games promise non-stop action and challenging gameplay.


Friday, May 29, 2015

Monday, October 7, 2013

Help ID this mystery cocoon

My father in law just sent in these pictures of a chrysalis/cocoon, which is just amazing looking. But I have no idea what caterpillar this is.
I have never come across or read about a butterfly/moth caterpillar that builds a cocoon within a weave mesh. The resulting cocoon looks like it floating in the middle. Also, if you notice, the caterpillar has shed its skin before entering the cocoon.
I do hope someone can ID this. it's just amazing to look at and it'd be brilliant to put a name to it.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Fruit-loving visitors

An Indian Almond tree has started flourishing outside my kitchen window, leading to an influx of visitors I was never privy to earlier. Finally, I can also say – like some ornithologist authors – that I too have a balcony from which one can get to watch some bird antics.

A juvenile rose ringed parakeet visits the same Indian Almond treeWell, anyway, this Indian Almond tree has not only drawn the tailor bird, parakeets and mynahs for its shade, it's fruit has also lured a fruit bat. I was told he/she had started visiting every evening and I was lucky enough to get a full show even before the evening light had faded. This fella was larger than I had imagined and happily tucked into four almonds! Brought back memories of the days we used run around these "badaam" tree chucking stones, so we could eat them with some salt.

Bird-watching at the Gateway of India

These were taken ages ago when I had visited Gateway of India on two occasions in the morning to try out some cameras. Both cameras, one a micro four thirds and the other a super zoom, were unable to match up to the fast-flying Gull-Billed Terns.

But after a lot of tracking and whirling around, swivelling about on my heels, I managed to get some shots. These had to be filtered out and cropped because the terns were actually really small in the pictures and there was too much sun for liking. None of these shots are like those we are used to see on bird blogs because the gear I used is not equipped to handle a subject like a fly-by sea bird. To top that, it was hot and each time I moved towards the lot that were flocking near a feeder, they would disperse as though they sensed a stalker. That really tried my patience.

Without much ado, here is my sorry attempt at birding in my city. (Strangely, before I started seriously amateur birding, I never ever bothered to see what kind of birds lurked around the shores of South Mumbai. That in itself was an eye opener.)

If you notice, somewhere in these picture are a couple seagulls hanging around. Hey, it's better I tell you now so you don't mistake a seagull for tern, yeah?


Goa: Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aristarkhos (@ghelabhai)