Downloading APKs directly from Google without installing them

One of my too many hobbies is to tweak, improve and customize the firmware of some of my android devices. This often results in having to reinstall all the applications I like to have on a given device. It is possible to perform and restore backups but clean installs can be better when you are dealing with stability issues.

APK Downloader used to be a great website, but it has not worked for a while. I decided to look into alternative and found a simple PC program allowing you do to something similar. It is called APK Leecher and works really well. I recommend creating a dummy Google id to ensure you are not leaking your personal information, but so far it has worked great for me.

Impressive archiver with high compression rates: NanoZip

I have been using 7-zip for years as my default archiver, it is fast, it unpacks zip and rar files, and compresses into .7z files much smaller than similar zip or rar archive.

However, I just discovered NanoZip which although in early alpha is truly outstanding with decent compression speed and much smaller files than 7zip. So head and shoulders above zip and rar. The interface is still clunky but if you have an urgent need to fit more data into a small amount of space try NanoZip.

For more info check CompressionRatings.com and MaximumCompression.com.

Lightweight and free alternatives to iTunes for Windows

I love Apple products but iTunes has to be one of the worst piece of software I ever used on Windows. So I decided this week-end to find free alternatives, and I am glad I did.

1. Install iphone/ipod drivers without installing itunes with CopyTransDrivers. This will still require you to download iTunesSetup.exe but it is capable of extracting and installing only the drivers.
2. Use CopyTransManager to manage your playlists and copy music on your device
3. Use iFunBox to add data files to your apps

Enjoy your uncluttered machine now :)