Top 10 Free Torrent Alternatives to The Pirate Bay

Whether you side with the anti-piracy brigade or the “free movies for everyone” brigade is irrelevant. Yes, torrent sites do facilitate illegal file sharing, but they also provide a way to obtain legitimate copyright-free content.
The Pirate Bay used to the be world’s top torrent site, but a string of legal battles means the site is now a shadow of its former self.
If you want some of the best alternatives to The Pirate Bay for free torrents, keep reading.

Downloading Torrents: A Warning
MakeUseOf does not condone using torrents to obtain content illegally. Using the following sites for illegal purposes is done entirely at your own risk. MakeUseOf takes no responsibility for any legal problems you encounter.

In almost every country in the world, it is illegal to download torrents of copyright-protected movies, games, TV shows, and music if you do not already legitimately own the content. Doing so is intellectual property theft. Using torrents for illegal downloads can put you at risk of losing your internet connection, receiving a fine, or even getting a custodial sentence.

1. RARBG

 

RARBG has become one of the most well-established names in the torrenting world. The site focuses on high-quality video releases and has a vast amount of content available.
RARBG also offers a rudimentary but effective way to find new files thanks to its “Top 10” lists across a variety of categories.
The site’s popularity has led to it become one of the most-visited domains on the web. It consistently ranks in the top 350 on Alexa.

2. 1337x.to

 

1337x is one of the most well-designed alternatives to The Pirate Bay; you can easily filter the different types of torrent files using the button at the bottom of the screen.

The site has endured various legal battles. It’s not been available in Google Search results since a 2015 request from Feelgood Entertainment. It is, however, still searchable through privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo.

Avoid Google and Bing: 7 Alternative Search Engines That Value Privacy Avoid Google and Bing: 7 Alternative Search Engines That Value Privacy Is search engine privacy important to you? If so, forget about Google and Bing and consider using one of these privacy-focused search engines instead. Read More 1337x.to has developed a reputation for providing access to obscure and hard-to-find torrents.

3. YTS.AM

 

The YIFY group (also known as YTS), was a group dedicated to releasing torrents of popular movies. The videos were renowned for being high-quality with small file sizes.
Perhaps predictably, legal action from Motion Picture Association of America saw the group get shut down in 2015. YTS.AM is the rebirth of the YIFY group and is commonly regarded as its natural successor.

4. TorLock

Torlock is another great Pirate Bay alternative.
The site offers some of the most reliable torrent downloads. Much of its index was created during a period when users were paid $1 for every fake link they reported—though we can’t see any information that suggests the offer is still in place.
Torlock also claims to offer a strict privacy policy. The developers do not log any of your actions and don’t track you around the web. The same cannot necessarily be said for other torrent download sites.
Lastly, it appears like Torlock is one of the few free torrent sites that care about legality. It promises to respond to all DCMA takedown notices within three days.

5. KickassTorrents

 

KickassTorrents isn’t the site it once was. It’s a far cry from the time when The Pirate Bay and KickassTorrents were duking it out to be the number one torrent site on the web. Indeed, in 2014, KickassTorrents was the most popular torrent site in the world.
The site’s demise began in 2016 after US authorities seized the domain, but it’s since risen from the ashes.
Although the library of torrent files in the site’s index has shrunk from its peak, KickassTorrents remains a reliable site that’s easy to navigate and download the files that you need.

6. LimeTorrents

 

Another site that’s grown in popularity over the last couple of years, LimeTorrents is definitely worth checking out if you’re struggling to find a particular torrent that you want.
Navigation is straightforward—there are filters for Movies, Music, TV shows, Games, Apps, and Anime, as well as specialist tools such as top torrent lists, a cloud search, and torrent health trackers.

7. Zooqle

 

Zooqle is a relative newcomer on the list of best torrent sites, but it’s become instantly popular thanks to its 4.2 million verified torrents, 6.9 PB of data, and a solid mix of software and video content.
Perhaps uniquely, the Zooqle community of users has played a significant role in the way the site looks and behaves. The result is an easy-to-navigate home page and—for anyone who creates an account—live RSS feeds and subscriptions.

8. Torrentz2

 

Music lovers should check out the content available on Torrentz2.eu. The metasearch engine combines results from dozens of search engines to offer you an extensive list of files.
Of course, the Torrentz brand name has been around for more than a decade. It was the second most popular torrent site on the web in both 2012 and 2015 before being shut down.
Today, this Pirate Bay alternative keep a low profile and specializes in audio files.
If you want added security, Torrentz2 is also available as an onion site through the Tor router.

9. EZTV

 

Like the YIFY group, EZTV was a group that created torrent files and made them available on other popular torrent sites.
When KickassTorrents ran into legal difficulties, EZTV decided to take the operation in-house and launched its own alternative to The Pirate Bay.
From a design standpoint, the site is not as easy to use as some of its rivals; it is the quality and variety of the torrents that keeps people coming back.

10. Torrents.io

 

Formerly known as Torrents.me, the site acts as an aggregator for many of the other best torrent sites on the web. It includes results from The Pirate Bay, 1337x, RARBG, and more.
Uniquely, Torrents.io offers search trends for various torrents on charts of the homepage. The data gives you some fresh insight into the most popular torrents in the world at any given moment.

Foreign Language Torrents

If English isn’t your primary language, don’t worry. Here are three non-English torrent sites:

• Mejor Torrent (Spanish): The user interface isn’t great, but with 25 million users it’s comfortably the most popular Spanish torrent site in the world.
• LostFilmTV (Russian): Despite the English-sounding name, LostFilmTV is the most popular torrent site for Russian content after the closure of Rutracker.
• Torrent9 (French): Torrent9 boasts more than two million French torrents. It’s popular in France, Belgium, and Canada.

The Best Pirate Bay Alternative

The 10 sites in our list should be enough to find the torrent that you want. But which is the best Pirate Bay alternative? It’s not an easy choice—torrent sites are continually changing and evolving. If we had to pick, we’d say the design and number of torrents on 1337x give it the edge.


You should always use a VPN when downloading torrents. We recommend ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.Source: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-6-torrent-alternatives-to-pirate-bay-downloads/

Honorable mention:
The Pirate Bay
There are several mirrors available, and not sure all of these are updated. You may just find lots of old torrents. But the sheer volume is another source.https://thepirate-bay.org/home16

Moto G7 series: Everything you need to know!

Say hello to Motorola's four budget champs of 2019.

Ever since the first Moto G was released all the way back in 2013, Motorola's G series of smartphones has been one of the go-to options for people that want a phone that looks great and performs well while spending a fraction of what typical flagships cost.

For 2019, Motorola is returning with the Moto G7 lineup and launching more G phones at once than ever before.

Whether you're looking for official specs, our initial impressions of the phones, or anything else, here's everything you need to know!
March 15, 2019 — You can now pre-order the Moto G7 Power for $250

Right on schedule, Motorola has opened pre-orders for the Moto G7 Power in the United States.

The phone costs $249.99, and to sweeten the deal a little bit, all pre-orders come with a $20 credit towards your next purchase on Motorola's website.

Following pre-orders, the Moto G7 Power will officially launch on March 22.

See at Motorola
March 11, 2019 — Moto G7 Play and G7 Power U.S. pre-orders begin this month

The Moto G7, Motorola's flagship budget phone for 2019, officially went on sale in the U.S. in February. Later this month, you'll be able to pre-order its two siblings — the Moto G7 Play and G7 Power.

The Moto G7 Play has weaker specs across the board compared to the regular G7, but in turn, also gets a price tag of just $200. The G7 Power comes in at the middle for $250 and gets its name thanks to the truly massive 5,000 mAh battery inside it.

Pre-orders for the Moto G7 Power begin on March 15 with an official launch following on March 22. As for the G7 Play, you'll be able to pre-order it starting March 29 with full sales beginning April 5.

Both phones will be sold at Motorola, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H.
Check out our hands-on coverage




Motorola's Moto G phones are consistently some of the best in the budget smartphone space each year, and with the G7, things aren't any different. In fact, they may be better than ever.

The Moto G7 brings a lot to the table for its modest $300 price tag. The build quality is fantastic, its large display with minimal bezels is a treat to use, and it works on every carrier in the U.S.

You can check out our full review of the regular G7 below, in addition to some initial hands-on impressions of the G7 Power and G7 Play.
Moto G7 review: The right price to pay
Moto G7, G7 Power and G7 Play Hands-on: Why even buy an expensive phone anymore?
There are four different models to choose from


The Moto G7 series consists of four different phones. In order of least to most expensive/powerful, they include:
Moto G7 Play
Moto G7 Power
Moto G7
Moto G7 Plus

The G7 Play is clearly at the bottom of the barrel and delivers pretty basic specifications and features for less than $200. As the name suggests for the G7 Power, this is a phone designed around delivering unrivaled battery life.

Motorola's base G7 falls in the middle of everything else with a nicer design, a smaller notch, and improved performance.

Lastly, the G7 Plus aims to deliver much-improved cameras, stereo speakers, and incredibly fast 27W charging.

Here are the specs




Moto G phones never have the most impressive specifications, but they're good enough to deliver an experience that's still enjoyable for the end user.

Here's a quick snapshot of what we have to look forward to with the Moto G7 lineup.



For the entire spec list, check out the link below 👇

Moto G7 specifications: 2019 is a good year for budget phones

When and where can you buy the phones?




Finally, the most important section of this entire post — When will you be able to buy the Moto G7 phones and how much will they cost?
Moto G7 Play — $199
Moto G7 Power — $249
Moto G7 — $299

Unfortunately, the Moto G7 Plus will not be making its way to the United States.

The regular G7 is available for purchase now, the G7 Power is currently up for pre-orders, and initial sales for the G7 Play will begin on March 29

See at Motorola

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.

Source: https://www.androidcentral.com/moto-g7

How to send anonymous emails

If you need to send email messages that aren't connected to your everyday identity. Here's a strategy to do that.

Yes, you can be anonymous online. At least under the right conditions, but it’s not necessarily easy. Your everyday identity is constantly being tracked by accounts you’re logged into, and third-party advertising companies hoping to better target ads. That means your favorite browser is usually filled with trackers to keep tabs on what you’re doing online.

Plus, who knows what’s going on with your internet service provider, passive (or active) government data collection, and all kinds of other interlopers? The bottom line is you have to take deliberate steps to ensure a modicum of anonymity online.

That said, if all you want is an anonymous email account that no one in your professional or home life knows about, that’s not as hard. Still, all it takes is one slip up by logging in to the email account before you secure your connection, or accessing your non-anonymous identity at the wrong time, and your identity could be revealed.

This tutorial will walk you through the necessary steps, and depending on how far you want to take it, you can either use all of the advice within or pare it down to only the parts you need. We’ll explain why each step is necessary to help guide your decisions.

Step 1: Get an anonymous workspace

The best thing to do if you want to stay really anonymous is to have a separate digital work space that is only used for your secret identity. That way there’s no risk of crossover between your everyday accountant self, and your anonymous whistleblowing/Mr. Robot identity.

If you just set up an account using a regular browser on your everyday machine all it will take is someone nosing around in your PC and oops! there goes your anonymity.


Here are some options.


Tor Project




Level 1: Install the TOR browser on a USB thumb drive. If your stakes are pretty low (i.e. if your account is discovered it’s not the end of the world) then TOR running off a USB drive may be all you need. The TOR browser is a version of Firefox that connects to the onion router (TOR) network. This system passes your internet connection through multiple nodes (computers) before putting you on the open internet. When using TOR your real IP address is obscured. Plus, by default the TOR browser doesn’t save your browsing history, keeping your activity secret. To keep TOR as secure as possible check out the Tor Project’s tips on what to do to stay as secure and private as possible online.

Also check out our tutorial on the TOR browser for more information.

Level 2: More advanced users could run an entire operating system such as the privacy-protecting Linux distribution Tails off a thumb drive. This is like having a completely separate computer without having a second physical device. Again, this is all about putting a firewall between your real identity and your anonymous account.

Level 3: If you are ultra-paranoid or getting found out means non-life threatening disaster then consider a completely separate laptop that is only used for your secret identity. It’s preferable to pay for your device in cash, or with a throwaway visa gift card to avoid having the laptop connected back to your office-dwelling persona. The laptop should be running a variant of Linux that is encrypted, but if you must use Windows 10 make sure you activate your machine with a local account, turn off all possible tracking methods during setup, and don’t use Cortana. Also, don’t install unnecessary software onto this device and don’t log in to accounts from your regular life no matter what. The idea is to have as little extra information on this laptop as possible. Extra applications and mixing your anonymous life with your actual life are big “no-nos.” Also, don’t forget to put some tape or a piece of paper over your webcam. It’s ultra-paranoid, but even Mark Zuckerberg does it.

Step 2: Location, location, location

Hanohiki/Getty Images

You never want to access your secret identity from home or work. This is just a bad idea since there’s a chance of revealing an Internet Protocol (IP) address that could be traced back to you. Again, it would have to take some pretty advanced sleuthing to find this, but part of being anonymous is to make sure nobody knows where you really are. Keep your anonymous activities to a local coffee shop, a library, or somewhere else that offers public Wi-Fi. If you’re really paranoid, it’s probably also a good idea to pick somewhere that isn’t too close to your everyday locations.

For the super paranoid: Another important note is that other devices you’re using can also give you away. To keep things as separate as possible leave your phone at home, or at the very least turn it off and (if you can) take out the battery.

Step 3: Use TOR or a VPN (but not really)

Once you’ve got a location that isn’t your home or work from which to do your shadowy emailing, it’s time to connect to the internet. But wait! Before you do that, you need to either use the TOR network or a high-quality VPN.

If you are already using the TOR browser via a USB thumb drive then skip over this part, because you’re already doing it. For everyone else, we’d still recommend using TOR and not a VPN, because the beauty of the TOR network is you don’t have to trust anyone. TOR works by running your encrypted connection through multiple servers before letting you out onto the open network. That way it’s much harder to trace you back to your real location, and only the final server that lets you out onto the web truly has a shot at spying on your activities—barring unforeseen exploits, that is.

Thinkstock

If a VPN is a better option for you, however, choose a VPN that accepts cash, has a long track record of defending user rights, and then use TOR anyway.

Seriously, your best shot at anonymity for the purpose of using a secret email account is TOR. If you pay with a credit card for your VPN, you’re traceable, if the VPN is somehow compelled to track you, you are also at risk. True, these are all worst case scenarios, but it’s the principle that matters. Stay as anonymous as you can, use TOR.

But TOR isn’t a magic bullet by itself. The TOR browser uses the browser extension HTTPS everywhere from the Electronic Frontier Foundation by default. That extension will secure your connection over SSL/TLS between the exit node and the website you want to visit. That should be enough to keep any potential snoops out of your business.

Keep in mind that when using the TOR browser, only that app is connected to the TOR network. If you start using the Spotify desktop app to stream music at the same time it won’t happen over TOR.

Step 4: Create an email account


IDG

There are tons of anonymous email options out there such as Guerrilla Mail and Secure-Email.org. We’ll talk about that in a bit, but we’re going to assume you need a standard email address with an inbox, sent folder, and all the rest.

We’d recommend using ProtonMail. It’s one of the few well-known email services that you can use without providing some back-up identification like a phone number or secondary email. Plus, ProtonMail is encrypted by default, and it has a TOR-accessible version of its site at https://protonirockerxow.onion/ making it a solid choice.

Step 5: Go forth and remember these tips
Now that you’re connected through TOR on a separate work space, and you’ve got your email set up, it’s time to get messaging. When you write email be careful not to say anything that might reveal your actual identity, and never connect to anything in your real life when using your special anonymous setup.

It’s also a good idea to memorize the username and password for your anonymous email account. Don’t put them in the password manager that’s part of your regular life, don’t leave sticky notes on your laptop that can fall off, and don’t use your ProtonMail username and password anywhere else, ever.

If you need a lesson in why this is important read about how law enforcement caught up with Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. It all started with an obscure username that Ulbricht had used years ago and that he’d connected to his actual identity. Remember, all it takes is one slip-up to undo all your privacy-protecting steps. Also, don’t start a digital black market dedicated to selling drugs and weapons—that’s just asking for trouble.
Bonus section: Anonymous email services

When all you need to do is send a single anonymous email, then conditions are different. First, you don’t necessarily want to bother with a secondary laptop. So let’s assume you’re using the TOR browser on a USB stick, but you’re still not connecting from home or the office.






IDG


So what then? Visit GuerillaMail.com. You’ll get a disposable temporary email address that will last forever. Anyone can send an email message to this address, but the messages last in the inbox for only one hour. This is a handy service if all you’re going to do is send a single email with no response or maybe a single response required, but it’s not the greatest option for trading multiple responses.

The thing is anyone who has the GuerillaMail address you’re using will be able to monitor the inbox since there’s no username or password required. GuerillaMail gets around this by supplying two email addresses: the actual email address that gets you to the inbox, and a “scrambled” address that you give out to others. It’s a neat trick, but it’s already adding complexity to something that doesn’t need to be this hard. We’d recommend just keeping a secret identity on a standard email service. Besides, Guerrilla Mail is really about reducing spam in your already overflowing inbox, not necessarily maintaining a secret email account.

To comment on this article and other PCWorld content, visit our Facebookpage or our Twitter feed.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/3340824/how-to-send-anonymous-emails.html#tk.rss_howto

Moto G7, G7 Power, G7 Play hands-on review

With the G7 series, Motorola refines its winning strategy for budget smartphones. MSRP $299




Budget smartphones need to be lean machines. Motorola has cooked up a winning formula over the past few years with its Moto G-series and has successfully applied it again with the 2019 Moto G7 lineup. There’re three phones on the docket in the U.S. this year. The Moto G7, the Moto G7 Power — a new entry — and the Moto G7 Play.

What about the usual Moto G7 Plus? It’s only being sold in international markets, and won’t have a presence in the U.S. Three is still plenty for the U.S., so what are these sub-$300 phones like? We spent some time with each to find out.

MOTO G7
Clean design, solid display

The Moto G7 is the flagship of the series, and it’s much better looking than its $300 price may suggest. It has Gorilla Glass 3 on the back, adding to its high-end feel, with curved edges that make it comfortable to hold. The camera bump sticks out a lot, which is par for the course on Motorola phones, but we’d rather it wasn’t as pronounced. We do like the indented fingerprint sensor, which doubles as the Motorola logo on the back.

We looked at the “Clear White” color option, and it looks slick and clean. The frame is made of plastic coated with metal in a process called vacuum metalization, and Motorola said this helps hide those pesky antenna lines around the phone that can clutter up the look. It works, and the Moto G7 is gorgeously minimal. There’s a “Ceramic Black” color option available as well, in case you want a subtler look.The Moto G7 series is exactly what we want to see in budget phones.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Up front, the G7 sports a teardrop notch. It’s where the selfie camera rests, and it dips into the display just a little. It’s not as elegant as the teardrop notch on the OnePlus 6T but it offers a modern, bezel-less design. A bezel lines the bottom, but it’s only used for Motorola’s branding.

The 6.2-inch LCD screen looks sharp, with 2,270 x 1,080 resolution, and colors were vibrant. It wasn’t bright, as we had a little difficulty seeing the screen in direct sunlight.

We like the textured power button, which helps distinguish it against the volume rocker that sits above. There’s a USB Type-C charging port at the bottom. Most importantly, there’s a headphone jack, so you can still use your 3.5mm earbuds.
Performance, battery, and software

The entire Moto G7 range uses the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor, which helps eliminate a lot of confusion. You’re getting the same power across all three phones, but RAM differs, so the G7 will be able to handle multitasking the best of the lot, as it comes with 4GB. In terms of storage, the phone comes with 64GB, but there’s a MicroSD card slot that lets you add more space if needed.
MOTO G7 COMPARED TO



Black Shark

Sirin Labs Finney

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro

Unihertz Atom

Nokia 6.1

Nokia 1

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Cat S41

Jitterbug Dial

LG VX9400

Blackberry 8700c

Blackberry 8700g

Nokia N90

Palm Treo 650

Motorola RAZR V3c

Motorola said the phone is 50 percent faster than last year’s Moto G6. In the few interactions we had with the G7, apps opened quickly, and moving through the interface was fluid. We’ll be doing more testing to see how far the Snapdragon 632 can go before it starts to struggle, but you can expect to complete most tasks without issue. Hardcore gaming will be the weak link. Still, this is a significant improvement over the Snapdragon 400-series chips found in last year’s Moto G6 range.

The software experience continues to impress. It’s not as good as HMD Global’s Nokia phones under the Android One program, which promise software updates for two years and offer stock Android straight from Google with nothing more. Motorola’s software is close to stock Android in that it’s a clean, uncluttered version with no Motorola-made “skin.”


The Moto G7 is gorgeously minimal

There are Motorola gestures that we’ve seen before, such as chopping the phone twice to launch the flashlight or twisting the phone twice to open the camera. These are genuinely useful.

We do have to report one major bummer, though. The entire Moto G7 range, which currently runs Android 9 Pie, will get one Android version update (Android Q) in its lifespan. We expect two years of updates at the minimum.

Another feature missing is NFC, which means there’s no way to use these phones for contactless payments via platforms like Google Pay. If HMD’s $160 Nokia 3.1 Plus has NFC, we don’t know why the $300 Moto G7 can’t.

Camera and battery

We haven’t spent much time with the camera, but it’s a dual-camera system on the back of the G7. It pairs one 12-megapixel lens with a f/1.8 aperture to a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The few photos we took in broad daylight looked good, and the camera reacted snappily. There’s an 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front.

Many of the features we saw on the Moto G6 are back, such as Cinemagraphs, Portrait Mode, and Spot Color, but the G7 series introduces three new camera features as well. The first is called Auto Smile Capture, exclusive to the Moto G7. Essentially, the camera detects smiles and will snap a photo automatically using artificial intelligence. It’s something we’ve seen on other phones from LG and Samsung before, but it worked well on the G7.

Then there’s Hyperlapse. After you capture a video, you’ll get the option to speed things up to turn it into a hyperlapse for a neat effect. There’s also High-res Zoom, which Motorola said enhances the quality of a photo when you zoom in. It sounds similar to Google’s Super Res Zoom, but we’ll need to do more testing to see how it stacks up. Both features are available on the entire Moto G7 range, but we haven’t tried them yet.

The Moto G7 has a 3,000mAh battery inside, and there’s support for 15-watt TurboPower fast charging via the USB-C port. It should last a full day, and not much more.

MOTO G7 POWER

Next up on the roster is the Moto G7 Power. It’s a new member of the Moto G family, somewhat replacing the Moto G Plus in the U.S., but it has the same 6.2-inch LCD screen size as the Moto G7. The screen resolution is lower, though, at 1,520 x 720 pixels. It looks good but doesn’t get as bright as we’d like. There’s also a bigger notch on the Power, which may put a few people off, though it does help the phone look more contemporary than last year’s Moto G6.

Many design elements are the same as the G7, such as the fingerprint sensor on the back, the curved edges, the textured power button, and the protruding camera bump. There are a few small differences, such as the headphone jack resting on the top of the phone, the plastic frame, and the polymer glass back. It feels just as good in-hand, though there’s a difference that will be immediately noticeable — thickness.






Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Moto G7 Power is 9.3mm thick, while the G7 is just 8mm. Why such a difference? There’s a massive 5,000mAh battery inside that should keep this phone chugging along for days easily. Motorola claims a whopping three days battery life. It also has a USB-C charging port with 15 watt TurboPower fast charging to make sure you can juice this phone back up quickly.

This is the signature reason to buy the Moto G7 Power. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of charging your phone every day, or you’re tired of carrying battery packs, this is the phone for you.


Motorola said the entire Moto G7 range will only get one Android update in its entire lifespan.

We also like the phone’s striking blue color — the only color it comes in — as it stands out from the usual mix of colors we see on smartphones.

It’s the same Snapdragon 632, but with 3GB of RAM and only 32GB of internal storage. The camera specs are a little different — it’s just one 12-megapixel lens on the back with a f/2.0 aperture, and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The rest of the features, from Android 9 Pie software and Moto gestures to the camera features, are all the same as the Moto G7.

MOTO G7 PLAY

The cheapest phone in this lineup is the Moto G7 Play. It easily looks the part, mostly due to the materials it’s made from. There’s a microtextured resin back, along with a plastic frame. It feels cheap, but the saving grace is size. There’s a 5.7-inch screen with 1,512 x 720 resolution. That may sound big, but with the reduced bezels around the edges, the Play is quite compact. We could easily wrap our palm around the phone, which makes it ideal for people looking for a small budget phone.
PreviousNext

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

As mentioned earlier, the processor is the same. There’s just 2GB of RAM, though, and 32GB of internal storage. We didn’t notice much of a difference in performance compared to the G7 and G7 Power, but we’ll need to test the phone to really tell.

There’s a 3,000mAh battery like the G7, but only with support for 10-watt fast charging via the USB-C port. The camera specs are a little different — it’s a 13-megapixel lens with f/2.0 aperture, but there’s a similar 8-megapixel front camera.

Phone size seems to be one of the few reasons to opt for the G7 Play over the G7 Power, other than the fact that you can save $50.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Moto G7 is most expensive at $299. It’s followed by the Moto G7 Power, which is $249, and the Moto G7 Play is priced at $199. All three phones will be available through retailers and carriers when they launch in the spring.

Motorola’s decision to stick with clean, uncluttered software and refine the fundamentals is exactly what we want in budget phones. These phones look like winners, but we’ll have to do more testing to find out if they deserve the crown in our best budget phones guide.

Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cell-phone-reviews/moto-g7-review/

Best free VPN services to use in 2019

Opting for a free VPN isn’t always a great idea. Some providers have bad intentions and will sell your personal info or your browsing history (or both) to the highest bidder. That’s why we always recommend paying a few bucks per month for a reputable VPN service.

However, there are a few trustworthy VPN providers out there that offer free plans, but they have quite a few limits in place. Almost all of them give you a monthly data allowance and some even automatically select the location for you. If that doesn’t bother you, a free VPN may be a great option for you.

Here are the best free VPN services for your Android phone, all of which are also available on other platforms including Windows and iOS.

Editor’s note: We will be updating this list of the best free VPN providers regularly as new ones hit the market.

TunnelBear







The TunnelBear free VPN, which is owned by McAfee, gets you 500MB of data per month. It’s super simple to use and doesn’t require a credit card to sign up. You can choose between servers in 22 countries including the U.S., Germany, Australia, India, and more.

TunnelBear has a strick no-logging policy for peace of mind and isn’t ad-supported despite being free (hooray). It offers additional free data valid for the month to those who tweet about the provider, download the TunnelBear app on their PC, or invite a friend who then signs up for the service. Unused data does not roll over to the next month.

If you need more data than 500MB per month, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan. Pricing starts at $5 per month if you prepay for the entire year.

The nitty-gritty:

Free data allowance: 500MB per month
Server selection: Manual — 22 locations available
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $5 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


Kaspersky VPN Secure Connection







The free VPN by Kaspersky works like a charm but has its limitations like the rest of the services on this list. It offers 200MB of data per day or 300MB if the app is connected to a My Kaspersky account, which translates to at least 6GB per month. That’s not bad considering it’s free, but the service still isn’t suitable for power users. Unfortunately, there’s no option to score additional free data like with TunnelBear.

You don't need to make an account to use Kaspersky's free VPN.

There are a number of server locations available, but you can’t choose which ones to connect to using a free plan — the service will choose it for you automatically. The app is easy to use, allowing you to start browsing anonymously with just a simple tap. Signing up for the VPN is a breeze as well, as you don’t need to share your credit card or email address with the provider.

There are paid plans available, offering unlimited data and the chance to choose the server location. Pricing starts at around $2.5 per month if you opt for an annual plan.

The nitty-gritty:

Free data allowance: 200/300MB per day
Server selection: Automatic
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $2.5 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


Hotspot Shield VPN






There are a few things that make Hotspot Shield one of the best free VPN services you can get. It offers 500MB of data per day or around 15GB per month. That’s not enough for heavy usage, but it is more than what you get with most other free VPN services.

It’s also super easy to get started, as you don’t have to share your email address or your credit card info with the provider. Just download the app on your device, tap “Connect”, and you’re ready to go. The major drawback is that you can’t select the server you want to connect to — the app will do that for you automatically. There are also ads present in the Android app, which is annoying.

Like the rest of the services on this list, Hotspot Shield has a no-logging policy. It also offers paid plans starting at $2 per month that get rid of the ads and the rest of the limitation.

The nitty-gritty:

Data allowance: 500MB per day
Server selection: Automatic
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $2.5 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


Avira Phantom free VPN






Avira’s Phantom free VPN service offers a monthly data allowance of 500MB, which is less than a few other providers on this list. However, the service does allow you to connect to any of the 40 locations available, unlike some of the competition that selects the server automatically.

Read next: Best cheap VPNs — what are your options?

The sign-up process is hassle-free. Just download the app, select a location, and then turn on the VPN to start browsing anonymously — no need to share any personal data with the provider. The free version offers everything you get with a premium plan, with a couple of exceptions. There’s no kill switch available for disabling internet access if the VPN connection drops, and you don’t get any tech support.

To get rid of the limitations the free plan comes with, you’ll have to pay up. An annual plan will set you back $78, which translates to $6.5 per month.

The nitty-gritty:

Data allowance: 500MB per month
Server selection: Manual — 39 available
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $6.5 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


Hide.me







This free VPN limits you to 2GB of data per month, which isn’t the best but it’s good enough for casual browsing every now and then. There are five server locations available to choose from — Netherlands, Canada, Singapore, and the U.S. (east and west coast).

Hide.me promises it won’t log your activities, giving you peace of mind that the provider won’t sell your data to the highest bidder. It’s easy to set up and start using, without the need to share your credit card info. All these things combined make it one of the best free VPN services to use in 2019.

If you need more data, there are a few paid plans to choose from. The cheapest one starts at $5 per month and gives you 75GB of data transfer. To go unlimited, you’ll have to dish out $10 per month.

The nitty-gritty:

Data allowance: 2GB per month
Server selection: Manual — five available
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $5 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


ProtonVPN Free







The last provider on our best free VPN list is ProtonVPN, which stands out because it doesn’t have a data limit. You can browse anonymously online for as long as you want, but your speed will take a hit — especially when there are a lot of users online. There are three locations available which include the Netherlands, Japan, and the U.S.

EDITOR'S PICK

Setting up the VPN is easy, although you do have to make an account. But once you sign up, you get a full-featured seven-day trial for free. The Android app also doesn’t contain any ads, regardless if you’re on a free or paid plan.


ProtonVPN has a strict no-logging policy and can only be used by a single device at a time by free users. Paid plans start at $4 per month and go all the way up to $30 per month.

The nitty-gritty:

Data allowance: Unlimited
Server selection: Manual — three available
No-logging policy: Yes
Paid plans: Start at $4 per month



DOWNLOAD THE APP


There you have it for a look at the best free VPN providers, at least in our opinion. Which ones would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

Source: https://www.androidauthority.com/best-free-vpn-953904/

28 Free And Best Android Apps For 2019 | Get The Most Out Of Your Phone

Best Android Apps You Should Use In 2019

1. Nova Launcher

Also featured in: Best Android Launchers



Nova Launcher is one of the best Android launchers residing on the Play Store for many years. The launcher is smooth, fast, lightweight and comes with tons of customizations. Also, there are numerous icon packs available in the Google Play Store to change its looks.
Nova Launcher supports app-drawer customization, has a scrollable dock, notification badges, folder and icon customization, and packs around a dozen gestures for easy navigation. The launcher app is free to download, but its prime version unlocks a lot of other features including some locked gestures.

Download Nova Launcher

2. Google Assistant

Also featured in: Best Android AssistantsGoogle Assistant is an AI personal assistant that allows users to navigate, communicate, and get a lot of things done. You can use the Google assistant on your Android or iOS devices to trigger apps, ask any questions, play games, make plans, etc. including these 30+ Super Useful Voice Commands.

It works on nearly every smartphone regardless of the manufacturer. On some devices, you can even unlock the screen using the Google voice feature. And if you use Google services like Chrome, Search etc, you will get personalized results upon a search. These days, Google has pushed a lot of features in Google Assistant app.

Download Google Assistant

3. Swiftkey

Also Featured in: Best Android Keyboards

SwiftKey keyboard is trusted by over 250 million users worldwide. It uses artificial intelligence that enables it to learn and satisfactorily predict what the user intends to type. Swiftkey features autocorrect and gesture typing for faster input. Moreover, there is an inbuilt GIF search engine, a wide range of themes and is an excellent keyboard for bilingual folks.
Swiftkey does not store information from password fields and sensitive information such as credit card numbers. Overall, Swiftkey will enhance your typing experience and is a must-have app on your Android device.

Download SwiftKey

4. Google Duo

Also featured in: Best Video Calling Apps



Google Duo is one of the best video calling apps for Android with a simple interface. It’s quite easy to log in and verify your number, and you can make fast video calls just like making a standard phone call.
Its unique “Knock Knock” feature lets you have a live preview of the caller before you receive the call. One can also leave video messages to the other person if he/she is not available at the moment.
Google Duo is one of the most popular apps and is available on Android and iOS.

Download Google Duo

5. Evernote

Also featured in: Best Android Note Taking Apps





Evernote is a cross-platform utility for 2019 to take notes in a variety of formats, including text, photos, audio, video, sketches and more. It is one tool you need to keep yourself organized in today’s hectic life.
It syncs across all your devices to facilitate workflow. Evernote also has home-screen widgets for quick access to your notes. It is one of the essential Android apps for every user.
Although Google Keep is also a good Android app, Evernote aesthetically pleasing interface and overly amount of functions make it a very unique productivity app.

Download Evernote

6. WPS Office

Also featured in: Best Android Office Apps

WPS is a free Office Suite application with all-in-one features. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and integrates PDF, presentations, spreadsheets, memo, Google docs, etc.
The app also comes with a free PDF converter, reader, editor, along with file sharing abilities, supports multi-window mode, data encryption, etc. It is intuitive and easy to use, and you can also connect to the Cloud Drive to automatically save your documents to the cloud platform. Overall, it is one of the best Android office apps.

Download WPS Office

7. Google News

Also featured in: Best Android News Apps

Best news app for android

Google News app is known for delivering relevant news in the news feed by using A.I techniques.
Google News Android app offers “for you” tab which shows personalized news and tapping on “full coverage” showcase same news story reported by different publishers, highlighting all the perspectives.
In the Newsstand section, you can subscribe to different news sources and magazines. The best part about Google News app is that it has massive database of news sources which means even the less known media publishers can be found the app.

Download Google News

8. ES File Explorer

Also featured in: Best File Explorer Apps





ES File Explorer is one of the popular Android file manager apps with all the necessary features. It comes with a Space Analyzer to help you free up space on your device.
Sharing media with other ES File Explorer users over WiFi is easy. ES File Manager also comes with an App Manager where you can uninstall/backup apps. You can even uninstall system apps with root privileges. It’s “Root Explorer” feature unlocks a lot of functionalities for rooted devices.
However, the app shows a lot of intrusive ads and is aimed at power users. I have recently discovered that Files Go from Google is also a very cool Android app for managing storage.

Download ES File Explorer

9. Google Drive

Google Drive is a massive cloud storage service that gives you free space to store and access your files in the cloud platform. You can browse through all the files and folders you saved in your Drive and share, move, download, rename or print any files from the application.

It also encompasses Google Docs, Sheets and Slides, where you can edit documents, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, etc. and save them in the Drive.

Users can have access to 15 GB of free space across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. This is one of the must have Android apps that help you keep your valuable files backed up on the cloud for free.

Download Google Drive

10. WhatsApp

Also featured in: Best Messaing Apps for Android

WhatsApp is a free, instant messaging application where users can communicate with one another using the phone’s internet service. It is one of the top Android apps in India.

It provides you the ability to send text messages and voice messages, share links, images, and location, make video calls, etc. to any other user worldwide. It is one among secure Android messaging apps and is also accessible from a desktop environment.

Download WhatsApp

11. Google Chrome

Also featured in: Best Android Web Browsers

Google Chrome is a cross-platform browser application. It has free and necessary features like unlimited tabs, HTML5 support, desktop syncing, quick links to favorite sites, built-in Google search and Google translate, etc. The app is convenient, fast and provides a secure browsing experience with a lot of customizable options. Google Chrome is one of the best Android browsers available.

Download Google Chrome

12. Xender

Also featured in: Android File Sharing Apps



Xender is one of the essential Android apps you should have on your device. It saves you from the hassle of carrying your USB data cable around to exchange files with PC as no PC side software is required to transmit or receive files.
Moreover, it is a hundred times faster than Bluetooth for transferring files between any device, thanks to it being cross-platform. SHAREit is also a very useful app when it comes to sharing files between smartphones.

Download Xender

13. MX Player

Also featured in: Android Media Players



This video player for Android supports almost all the primary video and audio file formats. It packs a lot of features including editing of subtitle timeframes, fast forwarding and volume control gestures, gestures for zooming in and out of a video, on-screen kid lock and many more.
MX Player is available for free with ads. Moreover, it comes with additional plugins for extra functionalities.

Download MX Player

14. Google Maps

Google Maps is a web mapping service for real-time GPS navigation, traffic, transit, and details about millions of people. It offers street maps, satellite imagery, real-time traffic info, short-cut route planning, etc.
The app covers accurate maps of more than 200 countries and territories. With the help of the Google map services, you can navigate an unknown place with ease. It is one of the essential Android apps.
In case you encounter problems with Maps like slow app speed or interface difficulty, you can check out Android Auto, another Google navigation app which automatically optimizes your whole device to cut out distractions while driving.

Download Google Maps

15. PicsArt

Also featured in: Android Photo Editors



With over 100 million downloads, PicsArt is one of the favorite photo editing apps for Android. You will be overwhelmed by the number of options you have for customizing your photos.
It has a social network for sharing photos within the app. Its features include collage, drawing on photos, frames, stickers, free cropping, clone tool, tilt-shift, perspective changer tool and a lot more. The app is available for free with some in-app purchases and display ads.

Download PicsArt

16. Unified Remote

Also featured in: Apps to Control PC from Android

Unified Remote is one of the go-to apps for controlling your PC from an Android device. It uses Bluetooth or Wifi to remotely control your PC and comes preloaded with support for more than 90 popular programs. It supports Windows, Linux, and Mac, and requires a server program to be installed.
Using Unified Remote, you can remotely wake up your computer from sleep using its “Wake on LAN” feature. All the necessary features of this top app of 2019 like screen mirroring, keyboard and mouse, media player controls, etc. are available within this app. You can even use it to control a Raspberry Pi or Arduino Yun. Its paid versions unlock a multitude of useful features including custom remotes and functions for Android wear.
In case you own the notorious Peel Remote app, try shifting to Unified Remote for a change

Download Unified Remote

17. Feedly

Also featured in: Best RSS Readers for Android



Feedly is one of the best Android apps. It neatly organizes all the information and news for you in a single place. Online magazines, blogs, Youtube channels, and more than 40 million feeds are available within this free RSS reader app.
Many professionals use it to stay ahead of the market as it is helpful in analyzing competitors and trends. Feedly is powered by RSS and offers integrations with Facebook, Twitter, Evernote Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. so that you to easily share stories with networks and teammates.

Download Feedly

18. LastPass

Also featured in: Best Android Password Managers

LastPass is a feature-rich password manager and secure private vault that can lock down your passwords and personal information. It has the ability to autofill logins in browsers and apps and can generate new and secure passwords instantly.

You can log in with one password instead of remembering a dozen. Moreover, you can also sync your passwords and data across all of your devices. It is intuitive and fast across numerous platforms.

Download LastPass

19. Shazam

Also featured in: Android Song Finder Apps



Shazam is a popular music recognition application that can instantly identify music that’s playing in your surrounding and is used by a lot of music lovers.
All you need is to hold your Android device close to the source of the song, and after a few seconds, the app will accurately detect the song. Besides, you can also play songs and add them to Spotify playlists, buy songs in Google Play Music with one tap, connect your Facebook account, etc. If you are a musicophile, this Android app is a must-have for you.

Download Shazam

20. Automate

Automate allows you to automate various tasks using simple flowcharts. You can automate system Settings to perform tasks like changing volume, Bluetooth, GPS, etc.
It even allows you to trigger tasks based on location, time of the day, battery level and many other events. With this awesome app, you can automate almost anything on your Android device. It even supports plug-in for the popular automation app Tasker. It is definitely one of the best apps for Android.

Download Automate

21. Tiny Scanner

Also featured in: Best Android Scanners

Tiny Scanner is a scanner application that can scan every type of document and save them as image files or as PDFs. You can name and organize the scanned files and share them by email, store in DropBox, Google Drive, etc.

It comes with many scanner features such as color, grayscale and black&white scans, page edge removal, adjusting page sizes, sorting scans by date and time, etc. The app is optimized to run fast, and you can also protect your documents with a passcode.

Download Tiny Scanner

22. Navigation Gestures

Also featured in: Best Gesture Apps



Did you know? If you don’t have Android Pie, you can still get iPhone X-like gesture navigation with the help of Navigation Gestures. One of the top Android gesture apps that replaces your navigation bar with gestures.
The gesture app primarily adds iPhone X navigation pill at the bottom and lets you place different gestures on your phone. You can even change the appearance of the navigation button. Since Android 9 Pie supports only a few android devices presently, this top Android app certainly should be in your device.

Download Navigation Gestures

23. Alarmy (Sleep If U Can)

Also featured in: Best Android Alarms



If you have a habit of skipping your morning alarm, this is a must-have Android app for your device. Alarmy has a unique way to break your morning laziness by laying out puzzles and challenges before you can snooze that annoying music. Even more, you can set the difficulty level of these challenges as per your preference.
The useful app also features a photo mode where you can turn off the alarm by clicking a snapshot of a registered place. Dubbed as “the most annoying app,” the alarm app should be part of your set of cool Android apps.

Download Alarmy

24. Habit Tracker

Also featured in: Best Habit Trackers

Habit Tracker (Also know as HabitBull)

A habit tracker app combined with a top Alarm app might be the perfect combination to start with the long-pending goal. Habit Tracker is an all-in-one goal tracker app for Android where you set customized goals like today will be a successful day when I eat apples, (at least/exactly/not more than) two times a day.
Apart from that, this great app for 2019 features detailed reports in the form of graphs and even presents motivation quotes to refuel when you are feeling blue. You can also participate in the in-app forums to interact with people having similar goals. Believe it or not, this is the best Google app that you should add to your fitness regime.

Download Habit Tracker

25. Walli

Also featured in: Best Wallpaper Apps



Walli is not just a wallpaper app, it’s a whole creative space for artist and designer from all over the world. The wallpapers are curated every day by the
 Walli team. Moreover, few chosen artist also get a small part of the earnings of the app.
As one expects from a wallpaper app, the app is easy to use, with all the wallpapers appropriately structured in each category. Additionally, signing up on the application also syncs all the wallpapers over different devices. Of course, there are millions of wallpapers spread across different apps, but this one is definitely the best Android app for wallpapers.

Download Walli

25. Air Droid

Also featured in: Android Screen Mirror Apps



Air Droid is one of the best screen mirroring app that is available on the Android platform. Once the app is installed on the Android device as well as on your PC, you can easily share files and mirror your Android screen on your PC
Not only that, you can see any new notifications, reply to messages, missed calls and much more. The software also has a web client that you can use on your internet browser.
AirDroid surely is a must have Android app if you are looking to use your Android device on your Windows PC.

Download AirDroid

27. Foxit MobilePDF

Also featured in: Best Wallpaper Apps

Foxit Mobile PDF is also one of the bests in the line of PDF readers for Android. As a result, it stands in our best android app list. The lightweight PDF app allows you to view, annotate and protect PDF files on Android device.

And you can directly share your edited documents to social networks like Facebook, Twitter etc. With Connected PDF, you can share your PDF file with a file link, share comments and discussions on PDF documents and even track who read or edit your PDF file.

Download Foxit MobilePDF

28. Curiosity

Curiosity is one of the best new Android apps that brings world knowledge at your fingertips. The Android app comes with a beautiful interface with quality content filled articles.
The latest Android app also has podcasts that you can listen in one go. If you are lazy about reading new articles, you can also set up a notification reminder within the app.
In the discover tab, you can subscribe to hundreds of different topics such as Psychology, History, etc. The best part about I liked about this new Android app is that every article is well-curated.

Download Curiosity

Did you find this list of free and best Android apps for 2019 to be helpful? Share your views in the comment section.

Source: https://fossbytes.com/essential-free-best-android-apps/