How to Send Large Files Over the Internet and via Mail

How to Send Large Files Over the Internet and Via Gmail , Yahoo Mail and Outlook

Ever had to send a really large file to someone and realised how inconvenient it is? Most email service providers have puny file size limits on attachments. A limit of 25MB is quite small so whether you want to send high-resolution videos or other large files, you're going to have to rely on Web-based services. Here are some of the best solutions with generous file size limits on the free tier.

1. Send files quickly - no login required

Sometimes you might want to send just one large file and don't want to bother with signing up and setting up accounts to share files. In such cases, you can either use a service that uploads your file to a server or one that lets the recipient download the file directly from your computer.

These services are great for one-time use, but since the file is being uploaded from your browser, the upload could fail, which means you have to start over from scratch, which can be a frustrating experience over slow or unreliable connections. These are the ones we liked most:

WeTransfer

There are several services that let you upload files to a server and send a downloadable link, but WeTransfer stands out for two reasons - a generous 2GB size limit on single files and no sign up required. Here's how to use it.

1. Open WeTransfer's website and click Skip/ I Agree if presented with some prompts.

 2. Now you'll see the option to add files (up to 2GB per file). Each file is stored only for 7 days, after which you'll have to upload it again.

 3. Click Add files > select your files (you can select multiple files) > click Add more files (if needed) > Transfer > Copy link.

 4. Send this link to whoever you want to share these files with.

 5. WeTransfer also has an iOS app that allows you to send up to files up to 10GB for free. This might be useful if you want to send photos or videos, but since iOS doesn't have a file manager, you cannot send any other kind of data.

JustBeamIt

 If you are concerned about privacy, you can send files via a peer-to-peer service such as JustBeamIt. The service doesn't store files on its servers and let others download files directly from your computer. For this to work, you will have to keep your browser window open till the recipient has downloaded the file.

JustBeamIt simply creates a download link which the recipient can use to download the file. This link works only once and is only active as long as the download is running. To share a file with another person, you will have to create a new link. This is how it works.

1. Go to JustBeamIt's website and drag and drop any file (or click the parachute icon and select files). You'll be presented with a link.

 2. Send this link to the person you want to share files with. The recipient will see a webpage with a prompt to begin downloading. Click the file icon to start downloading.

 There are no file size limits on JustBeamIt, and unlike the alternatives, it doesn't require you to install any apps on your computer either.

2. Cloud Storage Services

If you're using any cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive, sharing files via email is very easy. These services have generous file size limits and let recipients download files without a hassle too. While the signup and setup is relatively is simple, it can be too much effort if you aren't already a user and want to send something quickly. In such cases use alternatives mentioned here.

Our favourite is Dropbox because it is available as an app on almost all platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android) and has a good Web interface too. Dropbox gives users 2GB of free storage. You can get more free space by referring others to Dropbox and sometimes by buying a new smartphone, or simply buy more storage if needed.

Dropbox allows you to upload up to 10GB per file when using the Web interface and has no limit on single file sizes when you upload using any of the apps. Once Dropbox is up and running on your machine, simply copy/ move the file you want to share to your Dropbox folder (or any of its sub-folders).

You can do this by clicking on the Dropbox icon on your system tray in Windows, or clicking on the Dropbox icon in the Menu Bar on a Mac and then clicking on the little folder on the top left. This will open the Dropbox folder in Explorer/ Finder. Simply copy the file you want to share to this folder.

Then right-click the link and select Share Dropbox link. This will copy a link to this file, that you can send to anyone you want to share this file with. This can be used to share absolutely any file of any type or size that your system is capable of storing.

If you are away from your computer and want to send someone a file that's on your Dropbox folder, this is how you can do it.

Here's how to use it.

1. Open Dropbox and login.

2. After that, select the file or folder you want to share > click the Share link button > click Get Link and send this link to those you want to share the file with.

Other services like Google Drive, Box and OneDrive work in similar ways, and can be used instead. Google Drive in notable because it lets you upload up to 1TB per file, but free storage is capped at 15GB. You might want to use Google Drive if you need to send files larger than Dropbox's limit.

Send large files via email

As mentioned earlier, email attachments are too limiting if you intend to send large files. However, popular email services have cloud integration as well, so you can send large files almost as if they were attachments.

Gmail

The world's most popular email service, Gmail, has a rather strict 25MB limit on attachments. It does offer an easy way to attach larger files. Follow these steps if you wish to do so:

1. This method doesn't work if you're using Gmail's basic HTML view. Make sure you are using Gmail's default view before trying this.

2. Click the Compose button on the top-left > hover your mouse over the + icon in the compose window > click Insert from Drive > upload your file to Google Drive. This way you can upload files larger than 25MB.

3. If you're already using a different cloud service, then you might not want to have some files stored on Google Drive. To quickly attach these files when using Gmail, try a Chrome extension called Cloudy.

4. Go to compose a mail > click the Cloudy button on the top-right > select the cloud service you use. Drop box, Box, Google Drive, One Drive, Github, photos from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Picasa are supported. Add the file and send.

Outlook.com

Outlook.com users can also send large files easily, but by default they can attach only 20MB per email. Here's how to attach bigger files:

1. Log in > click Compose.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Insert button at the top and select Share via One Drive.

This lets you attach files from your One Drive account. All you need to do is upload files to One Drive via your computer, mobile device, or the One Drive Web interface, and select them when prompted by Outlook.com.

If you use any other method to share large files, let us know via the comments. Though sometimes, the fastest method to send large files may be copying them to your hard drive and sending them via courier.

Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail also has a default attachment limit of 25MB. However, Yahoo does support sending larger files via Flickr (for images) or Dropbox (for everything else).

1. Sign in > click Compose to start writing a new email.

2. Click the down arrow next to the paper clip icon for attachments and select Share via Flickr or Share via Dropbox.

3. You'll be prompted to authorise Yahoo Mail's access to Flickr/ Dropbox. This is a one-time activity which happens the first time you use either service via Yahoo Mail.

4. Once the authorisation is complete, you can pick the file(s) you want to share. These files can then be opened by anyone, even if they aren't Flickr/ Dropbox users. If you upload files to Dropbox using Yahoo Mail, the maximum attachment size is capped at 150MB. For larger files, try using Dropbox directly, as explained in the previous section.

(Know about this topic from  NDTV)

How to speed up your Android Smartphone

Though the hardware of Smartphone’s is steadily becoming more capable it can't be utilized to its fullest potential without the software to tap it. This is personal technology's modern hurdle - the optimization of both hardware and software to ensure a fast and seamless user experience.

The effects of this optimization are most tangible for Smartphone users, who in today's fast-paced world become impatient and frustrated if their Smartphone starts slowing down, hanging, or otherwise impeding their productivity.

The slowdown of Android Smartphone’s can be caused by several reasons, and usually starts becoming noticeable after several months of using them. Here are a few tips for users that feel their Android Smartphone’s have slowed since they purchased the devices.

1.    Install a third-party app launcher

Most Android Smartphone manufacturers customize the OS on their devices, with specially-designed skins, launchers or UIs that sport widgets, layouts and other custom features in addition to the vanilla OS offering. While some users do find these customizations and added features useful, they can potentially slowdown the Smartphone.

A simple workaround is to install a good third-party launcher (simpler than rooting or installing a custom ROM on the Smartphone), which should remove most of the custom features, whilst also providing personalization options. Some of the best launchers available in the Google Play store are 'Nova Launcher', 'GO Launcher EX', and 'Apex Launcher'.

2.    Remove extra apps, wallpapers, widgets

If users have a significant number of apps installed, it could slow down their Smartphone’s. Users need to ask themselves if all the apps they have installed are being used, and then uninstall unused ones. Some apps cannot be uninstalled (especially bloat ware apps from Smartphone manufacturers), so users will have to settle for disabling them.

Live wallpapers, and an excess of widgets on home screens, can also slow down Smartphone’s, and if users are experiencing performance issues they should consider using static wallpapers instead, and removing any non-vital widgets.

3.    Disable non-vital background processes, check synching apps

Some apps start up with the phone, while others are constantly synching with online services. Both of these can dramatically slowdown users' Smartphone’s. To check which apps are running in the background, users should visit the Apps section in Settings, and swipe to the 'Running' tab. If there are apps running in the background that are not being utilized, users should try uninstalling the apps, or disabling them, in case the apps can't be removed.

Another thing to be checked is if there are apps that are synching in the background, and if the benefits of synching are being utilized by the user. If not, users can turn off synchronization, saving both data and system resources. To do this, visit Settings>Data usage (could be a separate section called 'Usage' under 'Wireless & networks' menu, depending on your Android version), and scroll down to see which apps are using data.

Users can then either visit individual app settings to turn off synchronization, or visit the 'Data usage' section's context menu, which has the 'Auto-sync data' option (not present in all Android versions), which can be turned off.

To do the same for any Google app or services, users will need visit Settings>Accounts>Google>User Profile. Here they can turn off sync settings for individual Google apps and services.

A must-install for Android Smartphone users is Advanced Task Killer, which allows users to kill any apps that are taking too much memory (RAM) or slowing down the device for other reasons, such as instability.

4.    Clear app cache

Much-used apps will build up a cache that can slowdown an Android Smartphone, and users can delete each used apps' cache regularly to speed up their devices. Unfortunately, this will have to be a rather regular process, as apps will start rebuilding their cache from the moment they are launched. To individually delete each app's cache, users will need to visit Settings>Apps, select the relevant app, and then click on the 'Clear cache' button.

To bulk-delete multiple apps' cache, or to set up scheduled cache-clearing, users can download a third-party application called 'App Cache Cleaner' from the Play Store, which can delete cache for multiple apps, and allow users to set up intervals for regular cache cleaning. Users can also delete cache data for all apps via a native Android option, found at Settings>Storage>Cached data.

5.    Disable animations

Animations are usually graphical transitions between menus, app drawers, and other interface locations. They use system resources to be generated, and occur quite regularly when navigating through a Smartphone. They serve no purpose apart from beautifying the Smartphone experience, and if users find their devices are slowing down, it is a good idea to turn off animations with no adverse impact on day-to-day use.

Turning off animations unfortunately is not very easy, with the option usually hidden behind the 'Developers options' section. To access 'Developers options', users need to visit Settings>System>About Phone where they can find the 'Build number' of their phone. Once they tap the 'Build number' seven times, users will then see 'Developer options' in the system menu. Here, they turn off all types of animation.  Users should be careful not to turn on or off any other option in this section.

6.    Clean out built-in storage

If the built-in storage of a Smartphone is nearly full, the device will slow down quite dramatically. Between 10 and 20 percent of the total built-in storage should be available or free to avoid slowdowns. While a simple solution could be to simply delete all unused apps and clear cache data to save space, ideally users should be looking at a longer lasting solution. Most Smartphone’s come with the option to expand built-in storage via micro SD card.

If users' Smartphone’s feature micro SD card storage expand ability, they should move all media to it, such as pictures, music and videos. Apps can also be moved from internal storage to SD card, by visiting the app's settings via Settings>App and navigate to individual apps. Some older versions of Android don't support this feature, and users will have to download an 'Apps to SD card' app from the Google Play store.

7.    Update firmware

While certain updates can have adverse effects, the general rule of thumb is that a firmware update for a Smartphone will bring improvements of various types, usually including performance optimizations. Users experiencing reduced performance on their Smartphone’s should check if the manufacturer has released a firmware update for them.

To do this, users should visit Settings>System>About>Software Updates and check if an update is available over-the-air. If not present here, users can also check by connecting their Smartphone’s to the PC suite software provided by the manufacturer, and check for updates there.

While most updates do not require users to back up their Smartphone’s before the update, we recommend users do so just in case something does go wrong - it's better to be safe than sorry.

8.    Root phone, install custom ROM

While we don't recommend this method to anybody but a power user, the problem of a slowing Android Smartphone is often solved by this method, with the user installing a custom ROM that is lighter and less-resource intensive than the manufacturer-customized UI and firmware. The method is similar to installing a third-party app launcher (Tip 1), however, has a much wider effect, essentially replacing all the software on the phone.

There are several guides and resources available online that can help users root their devices, and install custom ROM's from a database of independently developed firmware. XDA Developers Forum is one of the best resources for this, and users are recommended to read in detail the instructions and discussions about the specific custom ROM for their particular Smartphone before going ahead. You can also visit Cyanogens Mod's website, which provides several easy installation tools and walk throughs for its ROM's.

Please note, rooting Smartphone’s or installing custom ROM's on them is usually (there are some tools also available) a rather complicated task, and a risky one that can see users lose all their data, or end up with a bricked device. Rooting or flashing Smartphone’s also usually voids manufacturer warranty.

9.    SSD TRIM

Smartphone’s utilize solid state drives for their storage needs, and an inherent flaw with such a storage device is that when data is deleted from flash memory cells, the cells need to be completely wiped before they can used for a write process again. This requires the OS to issue a TRIM command to the drive to specific which cells are unused and should be wiped.

Google reportedly fixed this problem in Android 4.3 and higher, but if you are running an older version of Android, a solution does exist that will allow users to issue TRIM commands to the SSD. Users will need to root their Smartphone’s, and install Lag Fix from the Play Store. Once again, rooting Smartphone’s is a risky process and we recommend caution.

(Know about this topic from gadgets ndtv )

How to Download Videos From YouTube

With the ever increasing popularity of watching videos online, there is a lot of great content that's freely available on YouTube; if you want this content at your fingertips, even when offline, then you need to download the videos to your devices. There is a growing need of apps on your phone, tablet or computer, which will allow you to download these videos, but luckily, there are also a lot of options available.

Please note that YouTube's terms of services say, "You shall not download any Content unless you see a "download" or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content." So if you see the download button, you can legally download this video easily without the need of a third-party app.

The terms further add, "You shall not copy, reproduce, make available online or electronically transmit, publish, adapt, distribute, transmit, broadcast, display, sell, license, or otherwise exploit any Content for any other purposes without the prior written consent of YouTube or the respective licensors of the Content." So if the video does not have a download button, be sure to get that consent before you proceed.

We tried different methods of downloading a YouTube video across different platforms, but this is not an exhaustive list, just the ones we liked the most. These are our favourite choices to download YouTube videos for offline use, on each platform.

One thing you'll have to do in almost all these methods is decide what quality and format of video you want to download. If you are looking for something small that will play on most mobile devices, you should choose one of the 3GP options - 144p will be smaller and might have artifacts, while a 720p MP4 is really overkill if you just want to look at it on a small phone. A 360p MP4 looks fine on most mobile screens, without eating up too much of your data plan either.

Web

Keepvid is one of the simplest ways to download videos from the web, and all you need is the URL - the address of the web page that shows up in the bar where you type in a site's name - to download files.

To use Keepvid, you need to follow these steps:

1. Open the video you want to save in YouTube. Click on the address bar, then select the full address and copy it.

2. Next, go to the Keepvid website. 

3. On the website, you see a form where you can enter the link of the video you want to download. Paste the URL you copied earlier in this bar, and then click the Download button on the right. You'll immediately get a list of links, mentioning different formats and sizes. 

4. Choose the file you want from the list of formats and sizes, and then right click on that particular link. To save the file, select Save link as... and you will be asked where you want to save the file on your computer.

Browser extension

In case you don't want to go through the hassle of copy pasting the details every time, browser extensions are a great shortcut. Our favourite one is SaveFrom.net, which works with Opera, Firefox and Chrome. To use this, first you need to install the extension.

 Click the link to download the extension for your browser. Opera, Firefox or Chrome.

 Once you've installed the extension, a SaveFrom.net button appears in the top right corner of your browser.

 To download a video, do the following:

1. Go to the video page, and then click on the extension button.

 2. A drop down menu appears comprising a number of options. Click on the Download from current page option.

 3. Doing so takes you to the Save From.net official page, where the url of the video is already processing.

 4. You will see general information about the video like title (name of the video), duration and source. You can choose to download the video in any of the formats like (FLV 240p, MP4 720p, 3GP 240p) which appear below the download links.

5. Right click on the format you want, and select Save link as... to download the file.

Internet Explorer does not support Save From.net addon, so we decided to go with Fastest Tube which is as good as any other extension. Here are the steps:

1. Visit the page to download the extension.

 2. Click on the Internet Explorer icon.

 3. FastestTube setup gets downloaded. Follow the download steps to install the extension.

 4. Open the YouTube video you want to download.

 5. A Download button appears below the video.

 6. Click on the Download button and a drop down menu comes showing various formats in which the video can be downloaded.

 7. You the video format and the download will start.

Windows/ OS X

If you don't want to use a website or a browser extension but a standalone program on your computer, YouTubeDownloader (YTD) has you covered.

1. Go to YTD video converter page.

 2. Click on the Free Download button.

 3. YouTube downloader gets downloaded in the default download folder on your system.

 4. Double click on the setup file to install the YTD Video Downloader.

 5. Once the download is complete, open YouTube and copy the url of the video you want to download.

 6. Open YTD and click on Paste URL button.

 7. You can select the video quality by clicking on the Download quality dropdown and selecting any one of  the options which appear in the drop down menu.

 8. Now just click on the Download button at the bottom right corner.

 9. You can pause or stop the download by clicking on the video and selecting the pause or the stop button above it.

 10. To view the downloaded video click on the folder icon right above the video box and it will open the    location where the video has been downloaded.

Windows Phone

There are plenty of apps to download YouTube videos available on the Windows Store, some are paid while the others are free. We have selected Tube Pro, because it is extremely simple to use, with not too many options before downloading the video - simply search and download.

To download, videos first download the app. Launch the app, and you will see the Menu screen with various options like Hot videos, Favorites, Offline playlist, My playlist and My download. There is a Top Rated menu also comprising most popular music, sports and movie videos.

Then follow these steps:

1. Tap on the Search icon at the bottom and enter the name of the video you want to download. Right below the search bar there is HD check box which you can select if you want the search to return only HD videos.

 2. Tap on the video you want from the results, choose the quality setting from LQ, HQ and HD boxes - stands for Low, High and HD quality respectively - then tap the Download button to start downloading.

 3. After you've downloaded a video, you can play it from the app itself, by going to the My Download section.

Android

Our favourite Android app in this category is TubeMate. The free app is not available on Google Play though, and you need to install the Amazon Appstore for Android to get it.

Installing Appstore for Android

1. On your phone, first open Settings and then go to Applications and find the Unknown Sources option. In case it isn't there (this varies across devices), then, in Settings, go to Security. Tick the Unknown Sources box, and tap OK on the confirmation popup.

 2. Next, visit the Appstore link and download the APK file.

 3. In the file explorer, find AmazonApps-release.apk and tap it. Tap Install and once the installation is done, tap Open to launch the app.

Next, you can install TubeMate and download videos.

1. Search for TubeMate YouTube Downloader and tap the Install button.

 2. Once the installation finishes, tap on the app icon to launch the app.

 3. In the app, tap on the search icon and type the name of the video.

 4. Wait till all the videos are loaded and then tap on the one you want to download.

 5. Tap on the green coloured arrow at the top right corner which is the download icon, to download the YouTube video which is being currently played.

 6. You can download multiple videos and it also lets you play only the audio from the video.

 7. A pop up window appears saying Parsing video information. This basically means that the video information is being processed.

 8. Right after that, a list of various video formats will appear and you can select any one out of them.

 9. Just tap on the download button at the bottom to download the YouTube video on your Android phone.

 10. If you want to check where the video is downloaded just tap the semi-circle icon and you will enter the download section which shows downloads in progress.

 11. If by any chance you have to pause the video then the TubeMate app lets you resume the download from the same point where you had left it.

iPhone

 On the iPhone, we found Video Download & Player, which lets you download YouTube videos to your device. Here's what you need to do:

1. Install the Video Download & Player app from the App Store.

 2. Launch the app, and click on the search bar.

 3. Search the video you want to download.

 4. Select the video and click on Cache Video to Memory. Your video starts downloading.

 5. You can check the downloaded files in the Videos section at the bottom.

6. The app also lets you watch the videos offline.

(Know about this topic from  NDTV Correspondent)

How to Block Someone on Gmail

If you're sure that you're done with mails from that email address, then you can set up a filter to delete the mails on their way to your inbox, with the following steps:

1. Open Gmail > sign in > click the tiny down arrow (next to the blue search button) on the search bar at the top.

2. In the From field, type the email address you want to block. You may type a specific email address (xyz@abc.com) or an entire domain (@abc.com) > click Create filter with this search > check Delete it > click Create filter. This will send those emails directly to the trash folder. You won't get any notifications for these emails and they will be deleted forever 30 days later.

3. If you have an offending email open, you can click the down arrow next to the reply button on the top-right of the message > Filter messages like this. Now follow the instructions in the previous step.

Gmail doesn't offer a way to let you stop emails from being sent to your email address, so if you want to block emails from certain addresses, the method mentioned above is your best bet.

(Know about this topic from  NDTV Correspondent) 

How to Block Any Website On Your Computer, Phone, or Network

There are several reasons why you might want to block certain websites on your computer. Some websites could be spreading viruses, contain explicit content or even be trying to steal your personal data. While you may well be more than capable of avoiding these websites, but that doesn't stand true for every one who uses your device. In such cases, it might be best to block certain websites.

There are different ways to go about blocking websites. You can choose to block websites only on specific browsers, the entire operating system, or indeed your network router. Here's how to block websites.

On your computer

If you want to control access to websites on just one machine, then you can set up block at the operating system level. This method for blocking websites is not too hard to configure and will work across browsers.

Windows

One of the backbones of the Internet is the DNS system that translates easy to remember (and type) names such as www.google.com into equivalent IP addresses (8.8.8.8). While you use DNS servers to get to websites, your computer also has something called a HOSTS file which can have this information stored locally. This can be used to disable access to unwanted websites. We checked this method with both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

1. Make sure you have administrator access on your computer. Sign in to your PC using an administrator account and go to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\

2. Double-click the file named "hosts" and select Notepad from the list of programs to open the file. Click OK. The last two lines of your hosts file should read "# 127.0.0.1 localhost" and "# ::1 localhost".

2a. In case you can't edit the file, you'll need to right-click the file labelled hosts and select Properties. Click the Security tab, select the administrator account and click Edit.

2b. In the pop-up, select the account again and check Full control. Click Apply > Yes. Now click OK in all pop-ups.

3. At the end of the file, you can add the addresses of websites to block. To do this, just add a line at the end of the file, with 127.0.0.1 and then the name of the site you want to block - this will redirect the site's name to your local computer.

4. To block Google, for example, add "127.0.0.1 www.google.com" to the end of the file without the quote marks. You can block as many sites as you want this way, but remember you can only add one per line.

5. Repeat this step until you've added all websites you want to block.

6. Now close the hosts file and click Save. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect and you'll find that all those websites are now blocked.

Mac

Here's how to block websites on OS X .

1. Make sure you have administrator access to your Mac. Now open Terminal. You can find it under /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.

2. Type sudo nano /etc/hosts and press enter. Enter the user (login) password when prompted.

3. This will open the file /etc/hosts in a text editor. Type the name of the website in a new line in this format "127.0.0.1 www.blockedwebsite.com" (minus the quotes). For each website you want to block, start a new line and type the same command with only the name of the website being replaced. When done, press ctrl+x and then Y to save changes.

4. Now key in the command sudo dscacheutil -flushcache and press Enter or restart your machine to make sure the websites are blocked.

Browser-level blocks

Blocking a website on any browser is the easiest way to get the job done.

On Firefox, you can install an addon called BlockSite to block website.

1. Install the addon, press ctrl+shift+a, and click Extensions on the left. Now click Options under BlockSite. In the pop-up, click Add and type the name of the website you want blocked. Repeat the process for all websites you don't want to access. Click OK.

2. Now these websites will be blocked on Firefox. You can also set a password in BlockSite to prevent others from editing the list of blocked websites. This can be done via the options menu described in the previous step.

BlockSite is also available on Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer lets you block websites easily. Here's how.

1. Open the browser and go to Tools (alt+x) > Internet Options. Now click the security tab and then click the red Restricted sites icon. Click the Sites button below the icon.

2. Now in the pop-up, manually type the websites you want to block one-by-one. Click Add after typing the name of each site. When done, click Close and click OK in all other windows. Now these websites will be blocked in Internet Explorer.

On your phone or tablet

iOS

Apple has some handy parental control tools that let you block certain websites. Here's how.

1. Go to Settings > General > Restrictions.

2. Tap on Enable Restrictions. Now set a passcode for restrictions. This should ideally be different from the passcode you use to unlock the phone.

3. After the passcode is set, scroll down and tap Websites. Here you can either choose to limit adult content, or allow access to specific websites only.

4. In specific websites only, there's a short list of allowed websites including Discovery Kids and Disney, but you can also add sites by tapping on Add a Website.

5. If you tap Limit adult content, Apple blocks websites that are deemed objectionable, but you can whitelist websites by tapping on Add a Website under Always Allow, or blacklist them by tapping on it under Never Allow.

6. If you try to access a blocked website, you see a message telling you it is restricted. Tap the Allow Website and key in the Restrictions passcode to open that website.

Android

On Android, you'll need to edit the hosts file on your device to redirect sites you want to block. You'll need a file manager, and a text editor - the easiest option is to use our favourite app ES File Explorer, which lets you do both things. Here's how it works.

1. Install ES File Explorer Open ES File Explorer and tap the "/" button at the top. Tap on system > etc.

2. In this folder, you'll see the hosts file - tap it and in the pop up menu, tap text. In the next pop up, tap ES Note Editor.

3. Tap the three dots button in the top right, and tap edit.

4. Now, you're editing the file, and to block sites, you want to redirect their DNS. To do this, just start a new line, and type "127.0.0.1 www.blockedwebsite.com" (without the quotes, where blocked website is the name of the site you're blocking) for each website you want to block. For example, you'll have to type 127.0.0.1 www.google.com to block Google.

5. Reboot your Android device.

If that method is too complex for you, you can install an anti-virus app such as Trend Micro that lets you block websites.

1. Install the app and run it. Go to Options > Safe surfing.

2. Now swipe to Parental Controls and click set up account. Create an account and you'll see an option called Blocked List in the app. Tap it, and tap Add. Now add the websites you want to block one at a time. Once that is done, you won't be able to access these websites on your Android smartphone.

Windows Phone

You can't do a full block of websites on Windows Phone, buy you can download the AVG Family Safety browser. By default it blocks websites with malicious or explicit content, and if you purchase an AVG anti-virus licence and create an account, you can customise the list of blocked websites.

On your network

If you have a Wi-Fi network in the house, then it is easier to just set up a block on unwanted websites via your Wi-Fi router. Most routers don't have very user friendly interfaces, so this can be a little daunting, and of course, the steps can vary for each router, but the basic process you follow is pretty similar, so if you're just a little patient, this is actually pretty easy.

Changing the wrong setting could accidentally de-activate your connection, so if you get stuck, call your ISP right away.

1. We tried this on a Beetel 450TC1 router provided by MTNL in Delhi, and with a Binatone Router provided by Airtel. The steps were exactly the same for both. To start, you need to go to your router's settings. Open any browser and type 192.168.1.1 in the address bar. Press Enter. Some routers use a different address, so if this doesn't work, check and see if it is mentioned in the documentation from your ISP.

2. Now you will have to enter a username and password. This would have been set up during the installation of your connection - defaults are usually username: admin, and password: password. If not, check with your ISP and get the correct username and password.

3. As mentioned earlier, the interface can differ. In our MTNL router, we found that we could block websites under Access Management > Filter.

4. Here there's a drop-down menu called Filter type selection. We selected URL Filter and typed the website we wanted to block in the URL field below. Above this field, there is an option called Active. Here we saw two buttons, Yes and No. We selected Yes and hit Save. This blocked the website on our network.

5. You can create 16 lists of blocked websites, each containing 16 websites, using this method, letting you block up to 256 websites. Again, this will vary from router or router.

This guide should have helped you block websites on almost any device. If you know any other methods to block sites, let us know via the comments. For more tutorials.

(Know about this topic from gadgets ndtv )

Biggest Engineering Projects in the World

 Biggest Engineering Projects in the World

1. Sky Cities

Move over, Space Needle: Here come sky cities, futuristic buildings towering above the Earth. Theoretically, sky cities will reduce overcrowding in urban areas, and some serious architects and engineers are determined to bring fantasy to life

In 1989, an engineering firm proposed the mixed-use tower called Sky City 1000 that would house approximately 36,000 people in residential spaces and 100,000 in its commercial spaces. A report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat suggests that a tower similar to Sky City 1000 could open as soon as 2030. Then, there's Dr. Eugene Tsui's vision of the 2-mile (3.2- kilometer) high Ultimate Tower, which would create 1.5 million square feet (1.46 million square meters) in which to house 1 million people. One sky city building has gone so far as to anticipate emergencies: Plans call for elevators that will hold approximately 70 people and fire drills that would involve 35,000 occupants.

2. New York Subway System

Each weekday, commuters tally more than 5.2 million rides on the New York subway system, for a combined total of 1.6 billion trips annually. Today, the underground rail network operates nearly 6,500 cars on more than 700 miles (1,126.5 kilometers) of track; it's the largest subway system in the United States. As of 2007, it was ranked the fourth-largest subway system in the world. Laid end to end, New York City Transit train tracks would stretch from New York City to Chicago [source: MTA]. The first line of New York's subway opened on Oct. 27, 1904, and now its 26 lines and 468 stations offer service throughout the city's five boroughs. The transit system, which is owned by the City of New York and leased to a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

From underground to up in the air, our final project is a real pipe dream — at least for now.

3. Transatlantic Train

So, you want to have lunch in New York City and be back at the London office in about an hour? The Transatlantic Train can make it happen. A submerged oceanic tunnel housing a supersonic train capable of speeds of up to 4,000 miles (6,437.4 kilometers) per hour can scurry passengers from the Big Apple to Big Ben in just 54 minutes. At depths of 150 to 300 feet (45.7 meters to 91.4 meters) and anchored to the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, trains will glide through this neutrally bouyant vacuum tunnel in a magnetic field, ensuring passengers a smooth ride. Some estimates peg the project at a cost ranging from $88 billion to $175 billion — that's about $25 million to $50 million per mile (1.6 km).

4. Pathway Through the Bering Strait

For more than a century, visionaries have dreamed of a bridge or tunnel that connects Europe with North America. World War I foiled Czar Nicholas II's master plan for tunneling under the Bering Strait, but the project has regained momentum. One idea calls for a 64-mile (102.9-kilometer) tunnel running under the Bering Strait, with a price tag of $200 billion. Why a tunnel? The frigid temperatures in the area limit travel by bridge to only five months of the year, while a tunnel offers year-round passage. However, these severe weather conditions would also limit construction — work on the tunnel would only be possible four months out of the year.

Other proposals for tackling a pathway through the Bering Strait include the Trans-Global Highway, which would consist of a series of roads, tunnels and railways that connect all continents except Australia.

5. Panama Canal

Some have called the Panama Canal the eighth wonder of the world. When it was originally built, the project entailed removing enough dirt to fill a tunnel 14 feet (4.3 meters) wide through the center of the Earth.

In 1914, the Panama Canal changed the world by opening up trade routes from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This shortcut through the Isthmus of Panama, only 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) at its widest point, sped up the time it took for cargo to get from New York City to San Francisco. The canal reduced travel time for some ships from 60 to 30 days, and it shortened 13,000-mile (20,921.5-kilometer) trips that required sailing around South America to 5,000-mile (8,046.7-kilometer) journeys that passed through Panama.

Now, construction has started on a new and improved Panama Canal, widening the waterway nearly double its original size. Next up, we'll learn about another old project that's being revisited.

6. Dubai Canal

In terms of engineering, most things having to do with Dubai are spectacular, and the Arabian Canal is no exception. Some sources claim it will be the world's longest man-made canal, measuring 46.6 miles (75 kilometers) long. Also known as the Dubai Canal, this waterway brings water inland to the vast desert from the Arabian Gulf. The elaborate plan includes creating a desert oasis along the entire stretch of the canal.

In terms of engineering, most things having to do with Dubai are spectacular, and the Arabian Canal is no exception. Some sources claim it will be the world's longest man-made canal, measuring 46.6 miles (75 kilometers) long. Also known as the Dubai Canal, this waterway brings water inland to the vast desert from the Arabian Gulf. The elaborate plan includes creating a desert oasis along the entire stretch of the canal.

7. Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository

There are more than 121 sites in the United States where nuclear waste is currently being stored. While some say disturbing this waste is too dangerous, others advocate for moving it to a centralized repository. And thus, the idea for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository was born.

Although it hasn't stored one iota of nuclear waste yet — and may never do so — the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository has already cost $9 million. The proposed storage site for all of the radioactive waste produced in U.S. nuclear power plants is a giant tunnel bored into the side of a mountain some 80 miles (128.7 kilometers) from Las Vegas. The United States has already spent $58 million planning its waste storage project.

But the Yucca Mountain project has been caught in legal and political limbo for years, and in February 2010, it died on the drawing table. The Department of Energy announced it would be withdrawing its application for a license to use the Nevada site, and the Obama administration vowed to redirect funding away from the project.

8. Big Dig

Boston's Big Dig, one of the most complicated engineering projects in the world and the most expensive public works project in the United States, finally opened in 2003, five years behind schedule and 30 years in the making. With an original price tag of around $4 billion (figure adjusted for inflation), the Big Dig ended up costing more than $14 billion. Workers constructed the Big Dig while traffic roared overhead on Boston's main highway, Interstate 93. Giant boring machines pushed prefabricated tunnel sections below frozen earth and beneath existing underground train lines. Rearranging centuries-old gas, water, electric, phone and cable lines further complicated building a new tunnel with as many as four highway lanes in each direction. The project also included a tunnel to Logan Airport as well as a cable-stayed bridge to replace the double-decker truss bridge over the Charles River.

Admirers hail it as an architectural wonder. Ultimately, the project demolished the city's main traffic artery that for years split city down the middle, and it created a new landscape that will one day be teeming with parks and green space.

9. Three Gorges Dam

Some say the Three Gorges Dam was China's largest engineering project since the Great Wall. The dam stretches nearly a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) high and spans a mile and a half (2.4 kilometers) wide, creating a reservoir big enough to bring massive cargo ships 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometers) inland. A team of 20,000 workers scheduled in round-the-clock shifts constructed the Three Gorges Dam, which was completed in 2009. More than 1.5 million people relocated to make way for the construction of the dam, and 100 towns were leveled in the process. The dam's turbines were designed to generate nearly 10 percent of China's electricity supply. After the dam's completion, China continues with its post-construction plan, which includes eco-management and helping people get settled after relocation.

10. International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest manned object ever sent into space [source: Houston Public Television]. Picture two Boeing 747 airplanes next to each other, and that will give you an idea of the ISS's living and working area — 43,000 cubic feet (1,217.6 cubic meters) to be exact. In fact, it's such a large project that it will soon be visible to the naked eye from 90 percent of the Earth's surface.

Sixteen nations, numerous corporations and 100,000 people have collaborated to pull off this stellar project. The most expensive single object and the largest space station ever built, the International Space Station has already cost the United States alone $100 billion, an amount roughly equivalent to the price tag for all Apollo missions to the moon combined