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7 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight During RamadanThe Holy month of Ramadan has arrived by and by. May we harvest its transformative power and taste its significant sweetness. We are for the most part mindful that the quick in Ramadan is principally for profound advantage, to gravitate toward to the Divine,Notwithstanding, as Rumi's knowledge reminds us, the body and mind are not separate elements, they are woven together in every one of us. How we draw in with one significantly influences the other. Our otherworldly hearts are the wellspring of our outward activities and our outward activities profoundly influence the condition of our otherworldly hearts.We physically prostrate to profoundly rise, we physically offer zakat with our hands to profoundly be cleaned, we physically travel to the House of the All-Merciful to profoundly speak to our arrival to the Divine Presence, we move our tongues to physically articulate our internal conviction of the Oneness of Reality and the messengership of the Beloved ﷺ in order to light up our spirits and extend our acknowledgment of the Real. Amid Ramadan we become physically vacant to turn out to be profoundly filled.How we feel physically influences how we feel rationally and profoundly, our disposition, our express, our fixation, our capacity to be available and to be completely mindful of the One in this domain of preliminary and variety. A considerable lot of us expect to change, not just our hearts amid the holy fasting month, yet our physical bodies. There is nothing accountable in needing to get more fit amid Ramadan or to accomplish different wellness objectives. Our bodies have rights over us and so as to all the more likely serve our Creator, we ought to endeavor to be individuals of equalization, wellbeing, and health — mentally, physically, and profoundly.Irregular Fasting: The Fast of the Muslims Goes ViralWhile Muslims, and different religious customs, have kept up fasting for centuries, it has turned into a focal component of the wellbeing and health network in the previous decade since present-day science has appeared at being the way to a wide scope of medical advantages. Irregular fasting, which implies limiting eating to explicit hours amid the day (fundamentally what Muslims have accomplished for a long time) has been appeared to be among the most useful things one can accomplish for their wellbeing. Insulin levels drop, human development hormone (which animates muscle put on and weight reduction) levels go up, cells are fixed, and there are sure changes in qualities identified with life span and illness anticipation. Be that as it may, that is only a glimpse of something larger; thinks about have additionally appeared discontinuous fasting can enable you to get in shape, become less insulin safe (bringing down danger of sort 2 diabetes), lessen oxidative pressure and irritation in the body, improve heart wellbeing, expel squander from cells, avert against malignant growth, improve cerebrum wellbeing, anticipate Alzheimer's illness, and broaden life expectancy.The human body essentially works better when it experiences times of fasting. A case of a prominent irregular quick, regularly prescribed by wellbeing experts, is a 16 hour quick where one eats just inside an 8-hour window amid a 24 hour time span (fundamentally what Muslims do when fasting inside or outside of Ramadan). It is frequently prescribed that to do this two times every week is perfect (additionally sunnah). The famous 5:2 eating routine (5 days of the week you eat and 2 days you quick) is one model.So as Muslims we have a decisive advantage over individuals who don't quick 1 out of each 12 days of their lives to receive the well-being rewards of fasting and to be a network of health and equalization. Sadly, because of undesirable dietary patterns numerous Muslims neglect to lose weight — many even increase weight! — during the sacred fasting month. Beneath we would like to diagram a portion of the things that one can do to locate the full physical advantages of fasting. Above all, some specific circumstances.Debilitated, Fat, and Nearly Dead: An EpidemicAbout 75% of American men and 60% of American ladies are overweight or corpulent. Furthermore, alarmingly, almost 30% of American young men and young ladies under age 20 are either corpulent or overweight — up from 19% in 1980. Our age is the first in the historical backdrop of the USA that will have a shorter life expectancy than their folks. 8 of the best 10 reasons for death in our nation are diet related. The other two are suicide and mishaps. This is a pestilence of incredible scale and is even more lamentable on the grounds that it is effectively preventable. I am not mindful of particular weight insights on American Muslims yet I question any individual who has invested energy among our networks would contend that we admission much superior to the national normal.Ramadan is an extraordinary chance to bring an end to awful dietary patterns and change oneself physically just as profoundly and to defeat the boundaries to wellbeing and ideal prosperity. I think to note that this scourge isn't on the grounds that individuals are languid and ravenous. Frequently individuals are ignorant of what establishes a fair eating regimen, or if nothing else their thoughts of a decent eating regimen are altogether misdirected. We have been misled for a considerable length of time about what is sound and what isn't. For example, an ongoing NYT article demonstrated how the sugar business paid Harvard researchers to cloud the way that sugar is the reason for a wide scope of dis-facilitates, including weight, by moving the fault to fat. Untold quantities of individuals have endured and kicked the bucket on account of this kind of control.In the event that you pursue the eating regimen suggested by the "official" nourishment pyramid (which has been kept up with control from Big Agra) with grains as the mind-boggling staple of your eating regimen ("6– 11 servings a day!") — combined with the super-predominance of sugary sustenances, drinks, broiled nourishments and very handled snacks — you are most likely overweight. In what tails we would like to feature the absolute doubtlessly reasons you are not getting in shape amid Ramadan and what to do to evacuate the obstructions to weight reduction, prosperity, and wellbeing.A Personal NoteThe previous 3 or 4 Ramadans have been extremely hard for me by and by in light of the fact that I ended up with no vitality. I felt like a zombie and could scarcely get up. I was absolutely lazy and rationally foggy. I wasn't eager or parched yet I was completely debilitated. I worked during the evening just to be to some degree profitable. It wasn't simply Ramadan however, all year I was worn out. I didn't have much vitality for exercise, was depending on strange measures of caffeine to overcome the evening, was rationally foggy, had joint firmness and stomach related problems, and had put on 20 or so additional pounds. In the wake of talking with a couple of individuals who are experts in wellbeing and sustenance about my dormancy and other medical problems I had created, I understood that my gut microbiome was absolutely imbalanced, I was insulin safe (pre-diabetic), and that my indications were run of the mill of a high sugar and starch diet.Despite the fact that I had dependably been pretty wellbeing cognizant, and ate a long way from the normal American eating regimen, I realized the analysis was precise. Fortunately, every one of these things can be fixed with changes in eating routine and way of life, so following a troublesome Ramadan a year ago I chose to notice the counsel of wellbeing pros and quit putting my very own prosperity off until "sometime in the future" later on. I made it a need. It was a standout amongst the best things I have ever done. In the previous year I have lost the overabundance 20 pounds; I have turned out to be all the more rationally alert; I have far more vitality than I did previously; my gut microbiome is mended; my joint firmness is gone; I have a day by day exercise routine which has turned into an incredible joy rather than an errand (and which keeps me high on endorphins throughout the day), and I simply feel path superior to anything I ever have, alhamdulillah. Huge numbers of my loved ones, in the wake of seeing my change, have actualized the progressions that I made too and have seen positive outcomes. The rundown beneath spreads out the fundamental exercises I have learned and by and by executing on this voyage to wellbeing and health. Ideally, you will discover some advantage of them.7 Reasons Why You Aren't Losing Weight During Ramadan1. You Are Eating Too Much SugarAbundance sugar utilization is the main driver of corpulence, diabetes, and numerous other medical problems. The less sugar an individual expends in his or her lifetime the better. In any case, it is particularly awful for those hoping to get in shape. When you eat sugar your body secretes insulin, this hormone makes fat be put away. Insulin levels are for the most part dictated by how much starches you are putting in your body. When you eat sugary nourishments (indeed, even natural products ought to be eaten with some restraint if your objective is weight reduction) you are cresting your insulin and thusly putting away increasingly fat. In the event that you are eating sugar each once in for a short time, this isn't an issue, yet for those of us who have eaten a standard Western eating routine high in sugar since we were youngsters, our insulin levels are likely crooked. We become insulin safe (pre-diabetic) and subsequently, our body must discharge increasingly more insulin each time we eat sugar and starches; therefore we keep getting fatter and fatter. On the off chance that your objective is a fat misfortune, unquestionably skip dessert for iftar. Indeed, even dates, while being supplement thick, are high in sugar, so if your objective is weight reduction, limit your admission to one date when you break your quick.2. You’re Drinking Too Much SugarYou may ask, “why have a separate point for drinking sugar?” Didn’t we just cover sugar in the first point? Yes, we did, but I hope to emphasize the fact that sugar is the main culprit in your lack of Ramadan weight loss, and also highlights the fact that sugar consumed in liquid form is the most harmful. The worst way to take in sugar is in liquid form. It is like taking a sugar I.V. straight into the bloodstream. It is absorbed directly into the blood and causes blood sugar levels to skyrocket.Most people know that sodas and other fizzy drinks are bad for you. A single can of coke contains a whopping 38 grams of sugar, which exceeds the recommended maximum daily allowance! If you drink even one can of soda a day during Ramadan — or half a can for that matter — you can forget about losing any significant weight. Hopefully, this news is not surprising to anyone in 2017. But, what a lot of people don’t realize is that juices (yes, even fresh squeezed juices and smoothies) usually contain immense amounts of sugar as well. When we eat fruit, the natural sugars inside them are wrapped in fiber, but when we drink fruit juice we introduce an intense blast of sugar to our system. If you want to lose weight, skip the fruit juices. Skip the smoothies too unless they are predominantly veggies without a whole lot of fruit.All in all, the easiest step to lose weight this Ramadan (and beyond) is to just cut out all sugary beverages altogether. Many people find that they lose significant weight by following this step alone. Stick to water (flat and sparkling), tea and coffee (without adding sugar obviously) and you will quickly find that you don’t miss your sugary drinks at all. Make juice a rare treat and you will come to appreciate it more. And if you care about your body at all, proceed as if soda is haram for you.3. You’re Eating Too Many Things That Turn to SugarA lot of people cut out sugar and then are surprised that it doesn’t give them the desired results, or they lose a bit of weight but then they reach a weight loss plateau. Even with all my interest in health and nutrition, it took me until my early 30s to fully understand the way that grains also turn to sugar in the body. Bread, rice, and other carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the body. The liver secretes insulin when you eat them. For some people, this is no problem. For people who are insulin resistant (if you are overweight this almost certainly includes you), it wreaks havoc on the body. As David Ludwig, MD, Ph.D., director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Children’s Hospital Boston states clearly, “refined carbohydrates, including refined grain products, are the single most harmful influence in the American diet today.” If you are eating bread, rice, cereal, etc, you are spiking insulin and thus storing fat instead of burning it. If your goal is weight loss, you have to cut down on carbs.4. You Aren’t Eating Enough Probiotic/Prebiotic Foods.Modern science has confirmed what Hippocrates said 2,000 years ago, “all disease begins in the gut.” We now know that there are more bacteria in us and on us than there are human cells in our entire body! Walt Whitman was right, “[We] contain multitudes.” There are trillions of microbes in your stomach that help you digest food and protect you from harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These microbes also deeply influence one’s propensity to gain weight. Studies have shown that mice with imbalanced gut microbes become obese even when they are fed the same diets (with exactly the same caloric intake) as mice with healthy gut bacteria. Furthermore, when bacteria from the healthy mice are put in the stomach of the obese mice, the obese mice lose weight even when their diet is not changed at all. The field of study on the human microbiome is a hot topic in scientific and medical circles and is expanding rapidly. A lot of this science is still less than a decade old and has not yet filtered down to common popular knowledge outside of health-conscious circles. But it is important to understand that we are in the middle of a revolution in the fields of medicine and nutrition due to recent findings of the human microbiome. So how does one attain a healthy gut? For starters, the worst thing you can do for your gut is to eat high sugar, high carbohydrate diet (are you seeing the trend here?).Some of the best foods for a healthy gut are as follows:Fresh VegetablesHerbs, Spices, Teas (Turmeric, Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Green Tea, Coffee)Probiotic foods (Yogurt, Kefir, Kimchi, Kombucha, Sauerkraut)Garlic, OnionsRaw Apple Cider VinegarCoconut OilBone Broth5. You Still Think Fat is BadFat does not make you fat! Sugar does. I personally lost 20 plus pounds in 5 months by cutting sugar and grains, while eating as much fat as I cared to consume. Two great forms of fat are coconut oil and avocados. Try a spoonful of coconut oil for iftar and for suhoor (it is also great for the microbiome). Avocados are the perfect suhoor. Eggs (yolks and all) and meat (especially organ meat) are also good sources of fat and are incredibly nutrient dense. Seeds and nuts are a great source of fat and serve as the perfect snack for that midnight hunger between taraweeh and suhoor. Fat is also slow burning so it keeps you going throughout the day during long fasts. Butter is excellent and delicious. Cut out all the “low-fat” garbage. These are usually laced with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or other Frankenfoods not fit for human consumption. Fat is not bad. And it does not make you fat. Sugar does.6. You Aren’t Moving EnoughWhile body composition is 80% what you eat. It is also 20% of how you move. The body gets weak if the body doesn’t move. During Ramadan, we have less energy during the day and consequently going to the gym or keeping up with workouts can be difficult. However, simply adding in some walks throughout the day and some bodyweight exercises can go a long way. Instead of being sedentary for 23 hours and then running for an hour on a treadmill, try incorporating movement into your daily schedule. Walk to work, or take the train/bus and walk to and from that. Do you talk on the phone for work? Go on a walk while you talk. Cycle to the grocery store or to your friend’s house for iftar. Take an invigorating walk around your neighborhood after ‘Asr as the sun is going down and you are getting ready for breakfast. It is not true that you need to work out really intensely to burn calories. Engaging in low-level aerobic activity throughout the day (walking, hiking, gardening, yoga, swimming) does wonders.Set some goals for simple, yet extremely effective bodyweight exercises and calisthenics. Four of the most tried and true bodyweight exercises are 1) Pushups 2) Squats 3)Pull-ups and 4) Planks. If you are able to: do 100 push-ups and non-weighted squats a day. If you find that easy after a few days try 150. See if you can make your way up to 200 by the end of the month. Do 60-second planks. Do as many pull-ups as you can. If you can’t do any them, just hang there as long as you can. Set goals that push you but are not impossible. Don’t worry if you are weak at first. Start off with 5 sets of 10 push ups if that’s all you can do. Do them from your knees if that is too difficult. You will see a rapid increase if you just remain consistent and push yourself. Don’t forget to have fun. Play games or sports with your friends and family. Run, jump, do handstands and somersaults, feel the joy of being in your body. You will find it easier to be consistent if you enjoy your exercise.7. You’re Too Stressed OutStress causes your body to release cortisol which tells your body to replenish energy even when you haven’t expended very much or burned many calories. And your body keeps pumping cortisol as long as the stress continues! Also, in situations of stress, we aren’t likely to reach for broccoli and kale. As Elissa Epel, a researcher on stress eating at the University of California, San Francisco remarks, “ [When we are stressed] we crave sweet, salty, and high-fat foods because they stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that reduce tension.” This soothing effect becomes addicting so that you start to crave fattening foods every time you feel stressed. The good news is that if you have a daily exercise regimen you will naturally feel less stressed out. The benefits of eating well and exercising regularly for me are about mental health just as much as, if not more than, physical health.The cool thing about diet and exercise is that you don’t have to take anybody’s word for it. There are a lot of varying opinions out there and it can be confusing. But you don’t have to take anything on faith. You can try it for yourself and see how your body responds. I am not a health professional, just an individual who, like the majority of Americans was on the path to imbalance, dis-ease, and health issues. I changed a few things and found incredible results immediately.

When we look for apps to add to this list, we're after those that excel in two areas: uniqueness and elegance. A unique app provides something that no other app can. Take a look at Tasker, which gives you incredible control over your Android device, if you can master its numerous tools. An elegant app may not be the most original app, but the way it accomplishes something makes it a joy to use. Lots of apps let you browse the news, but few do it as stylishly as Flipboard.We also consider timeliness, design, price, security, and popularity when putting the list together. Each and every app in the list is excellent in its own way. Taken together, they are like a snapshot of the best of the Google Play store at the time of writing. If we missed something, or you have a recommendation, be sure to drop us a line in the comment section below. And now, we humbly present the 100 best Android apps of the year.BrowsersDolphinFreeA clean, tabbed browser, Dolphin delivers an excellent user experience on Android, almost making you forget that you're on a mobile device. Dolphin also supports tight integration with services like Evernote and LastPass, as well as robust settings. My favorite feature is gestures, which might not always be efficient but are definitely cool to use. Dolphin also has integrated ad-blocking and support for Flash. Yes, Flash!FirefoxFreeWhat's incredible about the Android version of Firefox is that it feels as mature, if not more so, than Firefox on the desktop. It's lickety-split fast, and its clean design is a joy on mobile. Mozilla makes a big point about how it doesn't collect your data, and I was pleased to see that the app comes with a full complement of security settings—including an option to protect your information from advertisers. Like the desktop version, Firefox for mobile has a robust selection of plug-ins.OperaFreeNot to be confused with its Mini cousin (see the next entry), Opera is a full-fledged browser for Android. With a slick design, it aims to be your gateway to Web content with features like a built-in news portal and the Opera mobile apps store. Opera also takes it easy on your data plan with special video compression and ad-blocking software.Opera MiniFreeDon't be fooled by its unassuming exterior: Opera Mini is a clever, stripped-down version of the full Opera browser designed to thrive where network conditions are not their best. And it doesn't skimp on features, either. Opera mini gives you access to special Opera Web apps, a handy homepage complete with news and social media updates, a surprising array of powerful security settings, and even ad-blocking.Back to Top ↑FoodCookpad RecipesFreeCookpad connects you with a vibrant array of recipes. Easily add favorite recipes, manage shopping lists, and find new recipes you'll love based on those you already like. Once you start using it, you'll have one less excuse to eat out.Pepper Plate Recipe, Menu & Cooking PlannerFreePepperplate makes it easy to access your recipes from any Android device so you can cook up a storm wherever you go. On the desktop side, the service connects to websites like Allrecipes and Epicurious so you can import recipes (and sync them to your phone) with just one click. You can also easily build shopping lists and keep your recipes handy wherever you are.SeamlessFreeRemember the bad old days of ordering food? You needed takeout menus, knowledge of the terrain ("will they even deliver out here?"), cash, and faith that the person jotting down your order got it right. Seamless takes care of all that, even letting you pay via credit card from your Android. The downside? The app only supports restaurants in Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington DC. Sorry, everywhere else.UntappdFreeThis handy app lets you record each brew you try along with a rating and tasting notes. Think of it as Swarm for beer! No more staring at a tap list, trying to remember which ones you've had before. The app also has a vibrant community of beer drinkers that can point you toward new discoveries, and an extensive list of beers. It's also a handy way to find your favorite brew near your current location. While it's not perfect, it can change the way you think of beer.YelpFreeIt pays to be a little skeptical of crowd-sourced reviews, but Yelp can tell you a lot more than just what people thought of a bar, restaurant, or just about any other place where you spend money. Many locations list hours of operation, contact information, and menus, making it easy to find the perfect spot in your neighborhood or a new city.Back to Top ↑Health and FitnessClueFreeMenstruators the world over will rejoice over Clue, a simple app with a beautiful design for tracking one's period and predicting when the next will occur. Using the data you enter about your cycle—and other factors—you can use Clue to plan ahead, whether it's for pregnancy or just to keep ahead of your cycle. Reminders and a handy calendar tool can help take the guesswork out of life. Best of all, it's totally gender neutral, and not pink.Eve by GlowFreeTracking one's period isn't just about knowing the cycle, but also the other factors surrounding it. Eve by Glow lets you track physical and emotional states, which can lead to some important insights when you take the time to interpret your own data. Eve also boasts a vibrant community and a wealth of information about sexual health built right in.FitbitFreeYou might know Fitbit from its popular fitness trackers, but the app that powers those devices works well on its own, too. Using your just your smartphone (assuming you meet the minimum hardware requirements), this fitness app can count steps and log activities to help you achieve daily goals. There are also social features, so you can compete against your friends. It's a must-have (really, you must have it) for Fitbit users, but also a smart choice for anyone looking to be more active.My Asics Run CoachingFreeMost running apps charge you a pretty penny to access training regimens. That's not the case with My Asics Run Coaching. This app, for both iPhone and Android, has customized plans for 5K, 10K, 5-mile, 10-mile, half-marathon, or marathon runs. It's also not on a fixed schedule. Instead, the app adjusts your plan based on your running data. This app will get you off the couch and on the road to victory. PCMag has a full review of the iPhone version of My Asics Run Coaching.MyFitnessPalFreeThis calorie counter and exercise tracker aims to help you lose weight the old-fashioned way—expending more calories than you take in. With its smart design and an extensive library of foods, it makes quickly logging the calories you take in and what you burn while exercising a snap. A barcode scanner makes it even easier to log that post-workout snack. This fitness app also plays nice with other such apps, so your data won't be tied up in just one place. MyFitnessPal won't give you a whole workout regimen, but it can make you more aware of your habits. PCMag has a full review of MyFitnessPal for the iPhone.Runtastic PRO$4.99Runtastic can do much more than just track your favorite running routes. This excellent fitness app keeps track of all sorts of useful data and can return information-rich maps to help you plan future outings. It also features a fully integrated music player, for a seamless workout experience. Use it for cycling, hiking, and walking, too.Runtastic Six Pack Ab WorkoutFreeIn today's lazy-yet-busy world, it's difficult to find time to get to the gym to truly blast your abs. If you're trying to build a washboard set, consider Runtastic's Six Pack Ab Workout app. It lets you create a customized workout to target the specific muscles you want to transform into rock-hard edifices of chiseled humanity. Just follow the avatar on the screen through the moves, and you'll be the mayor of six-pack city before you know it. PCMag has a full review of Runtastic Six Pack Ab Workout on the iPhone.Back to Top ↑Music and PodcastsApple MusicFreeMarking one of Apple's first forays into Android development, Apple Music brings the company's impressive musical catalog to Android. The app is built around Apple's subscription-based streaming service, which dishes up all-you-can listen music for $9.99 per month, or just $4.99 for eligible students. It suffers a bit on Android for being divorced from the Apple ecosystem, however.BandcampFreeFilled with both up-and-coming and established acts, Bandcamp is one of the most exciting music marketplaces there is. The app was initially built around streaming songs you'd already purchased on Bandcamp, but now it's a one-stop shop for digital and physical band merch. If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of music, this is an essential app.DeaDBeef PlayerFreeIf you're an audio nerd or just prefer to have a lot more control over your music collection, take a look at DeaDBeeF. This sprawling app supports AAC/MP4, ALAC/MP4, APE, FLAC, MOD, MP3,OGG, WAV, and more. There's also a 10-band equalizer so you can get your tunes sounding just so. If the idea of buying Neil Young's weird music player doesn't appeal, DeaDBeef is the next-best thing.Pocket Casts$3.99Android has struggled with podcasts (they don't call 'em "Droidcasts," after all), but Pocket Casts is here to help. This highly customizable app is great for chilling out with an episode of your favorite casts, and it can also sync among different devices so that you can pick up right where you left off. Time to start listening.Slacker RadioFreeWhile Pandora may have introduced the world to streaming radio, Slacker Radio has refined it. You can listen to what Slacker thinks you'll like, or try out one of its human-curated channels and playlists. It also has hyper-specific playlists that appeal to particular tastes and moods, such as Yacht Rock.Songkick for ConcertsFreeSongkick is the bridge between the music in your digital collection and concerts in your area. Once installed, Songkick scans your device for tunes and then lets you see when and where your favorite artists are playing. If you see a show you're interested in, you can also purchase tickets all from within the app. Add multiple locations to Songkick to catch concerts when you're on the road.SpotifyFreeWith its huge inventory of music, Spotify has become a mainstay for free, legal music streaming. You can shuffle through smartly selected songs, find your favorite albums, or explore one of the service's excellent playlists. Close ties with artists means that new tracks are sometimes available the same day they hit the shelves in record shops. Those still exist, right?Stitcher Radio for PodcastsFreeThough its interface is a bit tricky, Stitcher connects you with just about every podcast out there. Podcasts are organized by subject, or you can just search for a familiar title. Shows can in turn be organized into playlists for a continuous stream. Once you've exhausted all your favorites, let Stitcher recommend something new. With a special emphasis on sources like NPR, CNN, and ESPN, Stitcher has a little bit of everything.Back to Top ↑Personal ProductivityAny.doFreeAt its core, Best To-do list & Task Manager. Free, Online & Mobile is a list manager. You can quickly create a shopping list and have it synced among your devices and even share the list with others. The app also doubles as a task manager, keeping you on top of what needs to be done. This very capable app sports many features, but I particularly like one called the Best To-do list & Task Manager. Free, Online & Mobile Moment, which encourages you to take a second and review your plans for the day. Lists are one thing, but building good productivity habits is quite another.EasilyDoFreeIf you're the forgetful type, EasilyDo is your savior. Once you hook the app up to a slew of supported social and calendar services, it suggests simple actions from a unified dashboard. Did you know it's Susie's birthday? EasilyDo will remind you and suggest you send her a message or a gift. It makes the little things easier, and proves its worth with saved time. It covers everything from to-do lists to tracking packages to storing your travel information.EvernoteFreeOnce you start using it, this note-taking app becomes a powerful tool for organizing just about everything. Notes can be anything—text, images, audio, or a mix—and are organized into notebooks. One of its killer features is optical character recognition, which makes the text in images searchable. Cloud-storage makes it the perfect tool for organizing the little pieces of a project into a finished draft.Inbox by GmailFreeInbox by Gmail isn't a tool for email power users. For everyone else, however, it's fantastic. Google took to heart the lessons of the now-defunct Mailbox and offers a client for Gmail with gestures, reminders, and some of the tricks pioneered by productivity pros. My favorite features include automatic package tracking, travel document detection, and the bundling of like emails. It also happens to be one of the best-looking material design apps to date.MintFreeMint is a fantastic online service for keeping track of your finances, and it really shines on Android. Once you've entered all your information, you can easily see where your money is going. And Mint's budgets help you make spending decisions on the fly. Another great feature is the Mint widget, which helps you keep your finances in mind by keeping your account balances in sight. Mint can be a bit overwhelming at first, but it's well worth the effort to learn.PushbulletFreeIf you've ever had to email a link or a picture to yourself because that seemed like the easiest way to get it off your phone, Pushbullet is for you. Simply put, it's the missing link between your PC and your Android. This handy service lets you send notes, URLs, files, addresses, and even lists among your devices. You can even push all these things to your friends, too.WunderlistFreeIn a crowded app store full of to-do apps, Wunderlist for Android distinguishes itself as one of the prettiest and, more importantly, the easiest to use. It's ideal for making to-do lists, grocery lists, or lists shared with friends and family. Best of all, Wunderlist is cross-platform with numerous native apps and a spiffy, interactive website that keeps your lists within easy reach. Purchased by Microsoft last year, this app has a bright future on any device.Back to Top ↑PhotosAdobe Photoshop ExpressFreePhotoshop CC is a notorious beast of a desktop application, but Photoshop Express is a svelte app, with powerful tools to make the most of your mobile snapshots. Sure, it'll do the Instagram-ish filters, but it also lets you make fine adjustments to images with a beautiful, simple interface. It even seamlessly connects to various other services for sharing.Autodesk PixlrFreeIf you've ever browsed through image-sharing services and wondered where the picture collages came from, Pixlr is a good guess. This photo editor can do more than just build mosaics of pictures. It has a host of effects and adjustments that run the gamut from subtly artistic to ridiculously bombastic—perfect for giving your images a touch more pizzazz.FlickrFreeRemember Flickr? The venerable photo sharing service is an Editors' Choice Web service, and the Android app has a lot to recommend it, too. Offering a free terabyte of photo storage, a truly gorgeous app, and excellent photo and video editing tools, Flickr is more valuable than ever. Plus, the app connects you to the vibrant community of photographers on the service. Best of all, it can automatically back up photos from your phone.Google PhotosFreeGoogle Photos puts the search giant's powerful image-discerning magic into your phone. It can identify faces, even as they age over decades, as well as animals and places. The search results aren't as good as those of Google Image Search, but the app can perform impressive feats such as identifying specific dog breeds. It is rounded out with smart editing tools that use machine learning to manipulate specific aspects of photos, such as skin tone and the deep blue of oceans and skies. The service also offers effectively infinite storage for all your photos, so even if you merely need a dead-simple photo backup solution, it's hard to beat Google Photos.InstagramFreeIt seems like just yesterday that Instagram was adding video. Then direct messaging. Then advanced photo editing put it on par with Photoshop Express for image correction and manipulation. The latest addition is Instagram Stories, which will surely be familiar to fans of Snapchat. With a clean, minimalist interface, Instagram is the king of social photo apps.PicsArt Photo StudioFreeWith tons of effects, controls over layers, drawing tools, and collages, PicsArt can contend with Photoshop and is one of the best photo editing apps for Android. If you think it's just a lowly Instagram clone, you're wrong. When you're looking to take your smartphone snapshots to the next level, seek out this app.SnapseedFreeDon't get me wrong: I love Instagram. But if you want more control than Instagram affords, try Snapseed. This app straddles the line between full-fledged image editor and filter app, and it brings a lot of useful tools to the table. Best of all is the amount of control it gives you over how filters and effects are applied to your images. Run a photo through Snapseed before Instagramming it.Back to Top ↑Reading and NewsCalibre Companion$3.99Calibre is the giant of ebook management, and this app is the perfect (ahem) companion for it. With just a few clicks, you can add any book from your computer to your device over USB or Wi-Fi. You can also store your ebooks on the cloud for easy access from wherever you are. What's so surprising is how well it works, and how easy it is to use. If you've got a lot of ebooks and are ready to cast off the shackles of Amazon, this is the app for you.ComiXology ComicsFreeThe Amazon-owned Comixology—the iTunes of digital comics—offers a near-perfect combination of store and comic book reader in its wonderful Comics app. The free app transforms your Android smartphone or tablet into a digital long box that houses and syncs your purchases across multiple devices. Even better, the new Comixology Unlimited service lets you devour an ever-expanding catalog of titles for just $5.99 per month.ESPNFreeWhat impresses me most about the ESPN Android app is the sheer number of sports it covers. Everything from American football to Brazilian soccer to Indy 500 is available. For those unmissable games, you can set alerts and follow specific matches as they unfold. It also connects you to videos and news headlines, courtesy of the popular sports cable network.FlipboardFreeWith its slick, streamlined interface, Flipboard is one of the best apps for reading the news. With it, you browse the articles, videos, podcasts, and other media that matter most to you. The app's signature magazine-style interface lets you explore the day's headlines in a gorgeous environment. The Daily Edition feature gives you the most important news along with themed stories for each day of the week. Flipboard has been one of our top picks for years, and it's easy to see why.KindleFreeThe official Amazon Kindle apps puts all of your existing Amazon ebook purchases at the tips of your fingers, and it gives you mobile access to the Kindle ebook store for impulse purchasing. Best of all, it syncs your notes, bookmarks, and where you left off among all your devices.OverDriveFreeThe library is an often-overlooked public resource, but OverDrive brings it back into the fold with its app. Supported by over 30,000 libraries worldwide, the app lets you access your local library's array of available eBooks. Use it to download titles, place holds on titles not yet available, and read your borrowed ebooks. The only requirement is a library card (or its digital equivalent).PocketFreeYour bag of holding for Internet content, Pocket saves articles, images, and videos for later reading. I especially like how it reformats articles for more comfortable reading on a mobile device, and how it syncs content to your tablet, phone, and online account. With the close integration between Pocket and the Android sharing tools, you can pocket just about anything from your phone.Back to Top ↑SecurityAvast Mobile Security & AntivirusFreeAvast has the distinction of packing tons of features into an entirely free package. Inside, you'll find antitheft tools, app management, safe Web browsing, a battery manager, and an antivirus engine that receives top marks from independent testing labs. It's a top choice for Android antivirus apps.Bitdefender Mobile Security & Antivirus$14.95 per yearNeed Android antivirus? It's hard to do better than Bitdefender. This app has received perfect scores from two independent research labs, and scans your phone in mere seconds. It also includes excellent phishing protection, powerful antitheft tools, and Android Wear integration.Dashlane$39.99You're terrible at passwords. Don't take it personally! Everyone is terrible at passwords. That's why we all need apps like Dashlane, which generate, save, and replay login credentials wherever they're needed. This smart, cross-platform service makes sure that your passwords, payment information, and other vital information is stored securely but never out of reach.LastPass$12After a major overhaul to this powerful password manager its appearance finally matches its performance. With LastPass, you can access your saved passwords, secure notes, and filled forms from your Android, and you can also create new ones that sync to all your devices. The new version of the app ingeniously melds the password manager with a built-in browser, putting the app's auto-login features at the forefront. Staying safe has never been easier.Net Nanny$12.99Smartphones are a problem for parents. Give one to a kid and they could have too much freedom, use it to talk with strangers on the Internet, access inappropriate content, or just rot their brains with Candy Crush. Don't give a kid a smartphone and they'll be hard to get a hold of, have no emergency contact, and so on. Net Nanny offers a solution with fine parental controls that give kids the benefits of owning an Android while minimizing the risks.Norton Family Parental Control$49.99When it comes to parental control, it's hard to do better than Norton family Parental Control. You certainly get what you pay for, as this app sports powerful Web filtering, call and text blocking, location tracking, and app management. Best of all, parents can use it to control an unlimited number of devices, so it will suit families of all sizes. The only downside? It doesn't block anime.NordVPN$8.00With NordVPN you can rest assured that no prying eyes will see your Internet traffic. This app sports an excellent interface, a handy server selection tool, and a hundreds of available VPN servers across the globe. NordVPN's signature feature is its assortment of specialized servers, which are optimized for activities like peer-to-peer downloading, video streaming, and access to Tor.OrbotFreeTor is probably more famous for providing access to the so-called Dark Web, but it also provides a useful way to connect to the Internet while keeping your movements private. Working with a special browser, Orbot connects you to Tor within seconds. However, I have found in my testing that it sometimes takes a few attempts to get online.Private Internet Access VPN$6.95On the desktop, Private Internet Access VPN offers the protection of a virtual private network along with numerous advanced features. The same is true on Android, where you can connect to any of its over 3,000 global servers. This service also has the option to block ads and online trackers, if you so wish. It might not be much to look at, but it's among the most powerful VPN services available.Back to Top ↑ShoppingAmazonFreeAmazon is the Internet's marketplace; the one place where you can buy just about anything—and it's cheap too! On Android, two of my favorite features are the barcode scanner and photo search, making it easy to surreptitiously comparison shop from one of the brick and mortar stores the site is killing. You can also make purchases from Amazon's streaming video store, but Kindle ebook titles are still unavailable for purchase. Depending on where you live, you can take advantage of super-fast shipping that can sometimes deliver a package before you even get home.Google WalletFreeGoogle Wallet has gone through many permutations over the years. Its latest is as a person-to-person payment app, letting you easily send money without pesky cash or credit cards getting in the way. And in that role, it really excels. It's a strong alternative to our top choice, Venmo.GrouponFreeThe original deal locator for mobile, Groupon partners with businesses to offer low prices to a limited number of people for a limited time. While the value of Groupon's offerings is sometimes debatable, it offers a useful way to try a new restaurant or a totally new activity in your area.PinterestFreePinterest is a social network of stuff, a place to "pin" things that interest you on themed boards. The Android app offers a great way to gather images from around the Web for making lists or just collections of stuff that catch your eye. I've used it to help redecorate my living room and for selecting a tattoo artist. It easily integrates with your browser for fast pinning, and you can view the pins of others for added inspiration.Samsung PayFreeHere's the bad news: Samsung Pay only works on a handful of devices and, yes, only Samsung devices at that. But if you can get your hands on a phone with Samsung Pay, the world is your electronic payment oyster. Whether it's sending money between devices, paying for something on your phone, or using the built-in magnets to trick card-swipe readers into thinking they've just read a credit card, Samsung Pay does it all. It's nothing short of astonishing.SliceFreeFor all our technical savvy and disruptive startups, physical package delivery is still the backbone of ecommerce. The Slice app automatically detects shipping details from your email and then tracks the packages for you. You can watch your precious commodities make their stately way to your doorstep, get alerts when they are delivered, and even receive warnings if they've been recalled or the price has dropped. In short, Slice is an online shopper's best friend.WallabyFreeOdds are, at least one of your credit cards has some kind of rewards program—be it cash-back, miles, or points. But it's a hassle remembering which ones to use, and where. Enter Wallaby, an app designed to help you maximize your rewards. Consider this handy shopping buddy the next time you look to spend some plastic cash.VenmoFreeThere are lots of ways to pay for things with your phone. But Venmo has a smart mixture of clean design, ease of use, and social functions that give it an edge. It doesn't do much, but it does let you easily send and receive payments from friends. And unlike other payment systems, it has momentum. It's usually the app people ask about when the group is splitting up the check.Back to Top ↑Social Media & CommunicationCircle of 6FreeWhile most social apps are there for fun, Circle of 6 is here for when you're not feeling safe. Two quick taps sends one of three pre-written text messages to as many as six of your contacts. One message sends your GPS location and a request to be picked up, while another asks your friends to quickly get in touch with you. The app also includes links to the RAINN and Love is Respect hotlines.EventbriteFreeIf an event isn't being organized on Facebook, it's probably being done through Eventbrite. This service makes it easy to manage invites, RSVPs, and even ticket purchasing. Attendees get handy reminders about the events they planned to attend, organizers can see guest lists. I particularly like that Eventbrite can generate QR codes, making event check-in a breeze.Facebook MessengerFreeThe problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. But the odds are that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It's simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. But for me, the best part will always be the gorgeous stickers.Google HangoutsFreeLike Facebook Messenger, nearly everyone you know is probably already using Google Hangouts whether they realize it or not. All you need is a Google Account to send instant messages, images, and even participate in video conference calls with up to 12 other participants. Very few other services come anywhere close, and none offer it for free. Tight integration with Google Voice means that you can also use this app to send and receive voice calls and text messages. For some, it's the only communication app they need.LinkedInFreeMost people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation; after being laid off or after a day in the office so bad that you're just not going to take it anymore. While that might still be true, the LinkedIn app aims to be a companion to LinkedIn Web service that you check every day. Sure there's the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It's also sometimes the only way to chat with a businessperson you're looking to connect with. It's like Facebook for grown-ups.Nintendo MiitomoFreeWhen Nintendo released Miitomo, we were confused, enthralled, and then obsessed in rapid succession. In this app, you create a cute avatar of yourself (or, as it is heavily implied by the game, another you that is simultaneously you and not you) called a Mii. You answer questions in the game, like "what's your favorite food?" and then watch as your friends' Miis spout answers back at you. But the most fun is dressing up your Miis and posing them for bizarre photos. PCMag has a full review of Miitomo on the iPhone.SnapchatFreeAt first, Snapchat was a little dangerous, popular with the hip and the young, and utterly baffling to everyone else. With Snapchat, you quickly snap and exchange photos with one or several friends. The app also supports video snaps, as well as voice and video calling. The catch is that whatever you send will vanish after a few seconds. Though it's popularly associated with sexting, it's also just a fun and ephemeral way to share the world around you. New updates make the service much easier to use, let you save old snaps, and build ongoing public stories. The more things change, the more they just turn into Facebook.Signal Private MessengerFreeThere are a lot of apps out there that pay lip service to security and privacy, but Signal was built from the ground up with the goal of letting people easily communicate without having to worry about being overheard. The Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement (though it works just fine as a standalone app, too) for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. A recent update has greatly improved the app's look and feel, proving that security and usability don't have to be at odds.Twitter PeriscopeFreeStreaming live video used to be a real pain, even on a desktop computer. But apps like Meerkat and Periscope changed all that. Periscope has Twitter's blessing, and it lets you share video and chat with other users with ease. Best of all, it saves your Periscopes for later viewing. Periscope is a lot of fun, but it's facing stiff competition from the Facebook app's recent addition of live video streaming.WhatsApp MessengerFreeIn a world rife with messenger apps, WhatsApp is among the most successful, boasting an enormous and dedicated user base. Add to that an integrated Web version that lets users take their chats to the desktop. Recently, this app was bolstered by encrypted messaging provided by the minds behind Signal. It might just be the largest secure messaging service out there.WickrFreeSometimes the most secure message is one that simply doesn't exist. That's the thinking behind Wickr, a fully encrypted secure messaging service that even handles media messages. The twist is that you set a lifespan for each message, ensuring that your private messages stay private, the way Snapchat message do. And, if you doubt their security chops, here's what the company's founder told the FBI when they asked for a backdoor.Back to Top ↑TravelDuolingoFreeIf you're looking to learn another language, Duolingo gamifies language learning with bite-sized lessons and a friendly interface. Starting with simple vocabulary and building from there, Duolingo is your guide to learning a new language or brushing up on one you already know. The more you use the app, the more you unlock and—with practice—the more you learn. This free app currently supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Or more practical choices, like Esperanto and Klingon.Google MapsFreeGoogle Maps has been your guide for years, and this excellent app just keeps getting better. With just a few taps, Google Maps tells you exactly how to get to your destination. It even supports walking, bicycle, and mass-transit directions, as well as Uber. The app's road knowledge is so keen that it can tell you which lane to be in while using turn-by-turn directions. And because this is Google, you can easily search for locations nearby.Google TranslateFreeProbably my biggest fear as a traveler is being unable to communicate with other people. Google Translate takes a bit of the edge off, quickly translating either written text or spoken words. You can even use the app to do the speaking for you, and input text through your camera or handwriting. The app can translate 103 languages with a data connection and 52 when you're offline. It can't handle Tamarian, but it's sure to be a handy tool here on Earth. It even works on your watch and while using other Android apps!SwarmFreeIf you miss the check-ins and badges of the old Foursquare, check out its twin: Swarm. This bright, colorful app is laser-focused on check-ins, making it easy to let your friends know where you are and earn cute badges in the process. Some classic features have now returned to Swarm, like leaderboards and mayorships. It seems silly, but it's actually a great way to remember that perfect breakfast spot you visited last time you were in town.TransitFreeWho needs Uber when so many cities offer world-class public transit? The Transit app shows mass transit options—including busses, ferries, and trains—and the estimated time of arrival in 87 cities in North American, Europe and Australia. Here in New York, it even tells you how many bikes are parked at local Citi Bike stands. This app keeps you in the know no matter where your travels take you.UberFreeUber certainly has its problems. Between its questionable business tactics and its bad press, it's understandable to be suspicious. But the truth is that if you're looking for a way to get a ride, regardless of what city you're in, Uber will be there. You can even use it to order food in some areas. A great feature: You can request a wheelchair-accessible vehicle through Uber.Weather UndergroundFreeWeather Underground combines a slick design with a focus on really useful weather information. I particularly like the ability to report weather conditions in your area and the extremely useful comparative forecasts that deftly show how conditions have changed since yesterday. With an accompanying set of useful widgets, it's the best weather app on Android.Back to Top ↑UtilitiesArrow LauncherFreeWhen Microsoft started rolling out apps for Android, I don't think anyone anticipated the venerable software manufacturer to go and roll their own theme for Android. And yet, we live in a world where Microsoft's Arrow Launcher is a thing. With a focus on productivity, it puts your most recently used apps at the forefront and has numerous customizable settings to tweak it to your needs. If you've grown tired of stock Android or, God help you, TouchWiz, give Arrow a try.Netgear Wifi AnalyticsFreeNetgear's free Wi-Fi Analytics app lets you get the lay of the Wi-Fi landscape. With a few taps, you can see the strength of networks in the area and what channels have the most interference. It's the perfect companion to our article on how to set up your wireless network.SwiftKey KeyboardFreeAn impressive keyboard replacement, Swiftkey suggests what it thinks is the most likely next word as you type. A pioneer of this technology, SwiftKey can speed up your typing by inserting whole words with a tap. The app also supports Swype-like input, over 100 languages, and 80 colorful themes.Swype Keyboard99 centsSwype was the first to introduce dragging your finger from letter to letter to input text, which has since appeared in SwiftKey and even Google Keyboard. The developers are not resting on their laurels, however: Their app has numerous input options, including the powerful Dragon Dictation, gestures, handwriting recognition, and SwiftKey-like predictive text. Swype is a sprawling app that makes mobile typing a breeze.Tasker$2.49I'll be honest: I am intimidated to the point of fear by Tasker. But I recognize that this is perhaps the most powerful app available in Google Play. With it, you can script basic actions for your Android to perform when specific conditions are met—like flash the LED when you receive a text message. Learning to use something this powerful can be tricky, but the rewards seem worth it.Zooper Widget Pro$2.99Many Android apps come with handy widgets that you can place on the desktop or lock screen. But who wants to merely accept what they're given? Zooper Widget Pro lets you easily assemble widgets to meet your exacting needs. It's the perfect tool for truly getting the most out of your Android.Back to Top ↑VideoCrunchyrollFreeWhen we wanted to watch anime back in the bad old days, we had to duplicate third-generation VHS tapes of Neon Genesis Evangelion or, God help you, pay some shifty guy for a CD of RealPlayer files. But now, the streaming service Crunchyroll spoils anime fans with choice. Boasting an extensive backlist of popular anime, this app even debuts episodes shortly after they premiere in Japan.Hulu$7.99 per monthHulu has long been the king of streaming TV. It's the best choice for when you want to see current shows and not wait until they're collected for sale or streaming on another service. But it also has a deep well of great movies to draw from, including many obscure gems. If you need to see Brooklyn 99 on your Nexus 6P, then this is the app for you.Netflix$7.99 per monthDespite ups and downs in the quality of its library, Netflix dominates the world of streaming TV and movies. Although Hulu has more TV and more varied movie offerings, the sheer volume of movies and TV in Netflix is still remarkable. The service also creates its own—sometimes indispensible—content, including original comedies, cartoons, dramas, and documentaries. Some of the shows have become cultural phenomena, making Netflix a must-have. Shows such as Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and The Crown (the most expensive TV show ever made) are often the conversation topics of the day. And now with offline viewing capability in the mobile app, you can download select episodes to watch at your leisure.Sling TV$20Have you ever needed (I mean, really needed) to catch your favorite show but found yourself nowhere near a TV? Technology is finally here to solve the problem with Sling TV, an inexpensive service that lets you watch live TV via the Sling TV Web service on any Android device. Get ready to cut the cord and kick cable out of your life.WWEFreeWhen we reviewed the official WWE app for iPad, it earned perhaps the most begrudged Editors' Choice in PCMag history. But that itself should speak volumes about the quality of the app and, uh, the quality of the wrestling content. Whether you're watching the latest bout or catching up on classic matches, this app is there to assist. It might even give you a new appreciation for the bizarre, semi-fictional meta-sport that Americans have loved for decades.Back to Top ↑Workplace ProductivityAsana$800Trello and Best To-do list & Task Manager. Free, Online & Mobile are great for personal to-do lists and small projects, but Web service Asana is the 800-pound gorilla of task management for teams. Collaboration tool Asana is all about workflows and checkbox tasks that can be assigned to individuals. It's a powerful tool with an excellent interface, and new features are added regularly.DoodleFreeThe hardest part of scheduling a meeting is getting everyone to agree. Jeff is free Monday and Wednesday. Jill is available Monday, but not Tuesday. And the other dozen people have their own schedules to contend with. Doodle lets you suggest times, and then see which work best for everyone. It's an invaluable planning tool.DropboxFreeDropbox pioneered the personal cloud service, where all your stuff would be available no matter what device you were using. On Android, it holds its own—even against the highly integrated Google Drive. Dropbox can also act as a seamless backup for your images, automatically uploading every photo to the cloud. If you're a heavy Dropbox user, this app is a must-have.GoDaddy Bookkeeping Essentials$9.99 per monthIf you're a freelancer, the most important thing you need to do is get paid. Enter GoDaddy Bookkeeping. In addition to having the most doubled letters of any app I've yet seen, this app lets you save and track your invoices so you're always on top of your finances. The app even prepares you for tax time. It's a must have for any freelancer. You can read more about the service in PCMag's full review of GoDaddy Bookkeeping Essentials on the iPhone.Google DriveFreeIf you use Android, you have a Google Account, and that means you have access to the excellent Google Drive cloud storage service. With Drive, you can easily access synced files across all your devices no matter where you are. With the additional Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Photos apps from Google, Drive is the center of a productivity hub on your Android.Microsoft Office LensFreeDespite the fact that we are well into the 21st century, paper still persists in offices. But Microsoft Office Lens lets you turn physical documents into digital ones using your Android. It can even capture doodles and notes from a whiteboard. If you want portable document scanning, but aren't keen on getting an Evernote account, this might be the solution for you.Microsoft WordFreeMicrosoft Word is, simply put, the alpha and omega of word processing, and one of the key apps in Microsoft Office 365. You'll find it on every kind of computer in every kind of setting, and now it's available for free on Android. Word plugs into Microsoft's cloud infrastructure to keep your documents in order, but its main selling point is that this really is Word. What you make on your phone will look exactly the same on the desktop. For the worker on the go, it's essential.MyFax$10.00While fax machines might not be as visible as they used to be, they continue to be an important part of how companies and governments do business. Enter MyFax, the service that lets you send and receive faxes without the hassle of a fax machine or a dedicated phone line. All from your Android. You can also use this service to send and receive faxes from your email client of choice. Simple!SlackFreeSlack has gone from the new hotness, to controversial productivity tool, to essential office tool faster than you can say "hot take." With a familiar, instant messenger feel, it's easy to get started with Slack. But the service became popular because of its wealth of advanced features, like customizable alerts and a Do Not Disturb function. You can even host VoIP calls through Slack with your coworkers. A free account will get you started, but a monthly fee unlocks even better search tools. And be sure to install the Giphy plugin for maximum productivity.

This answer may contain sensitive images. Click on an image to unblur it.Wikipedia has a good article summarizing the evidence linking bin Laden and al Qaeda to 9/11.Responsibility for the September 11 attacks - WikipediaExcerpts from this article are below:Two weeks after the September 11 attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation connected the hijackers to al-Qaeda, a global, decentralized terrorist network. In a number of video, audio, interview and printed statements, senior members of al-Qaeda have also asserted responsibility for organizing the September 11 attacks.It is believed that Osama Bin Laden, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, andMohammed Atef were the ones who plotted the attacks after meeting together in 1999. It is also believed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the one who planned the attacks and that Atef was the one who organized the hijackers.Identifying the hijackersFurther information: Hijackers in the September 11 attacksThe FBI investigation into the attacks, codenamed operation PENTTBOM, was able to identify the 19 hijackers within days, as they made little effort to conceal their names on flight, credit card, and other records.By checking flight manifests and comparing them with other information, like watch lists, customs officials were able to find the names of all 19 hijackers quickly.Passengers and crew aboard the flights provided information about the hijackers while the hijacking was in progress. Two flight attendants on American Airlines Flight 11, Betty Ong and Madeline Amy Sweeney, contacted airline personnel on the ground. Sweeney provided the seat numbers of the hijackers, and descriptions of the men, identifying Mohamed Atta as one of the hijackers.A flight attendant on United Airlines Flight 175 called a United Airlines mechanic and reported that hijackers had killed the crew.While the hijacking was in progress on American Airlines Flight 77, several passengers, including a flight attendant, Renee May, contacted and reported details of the hijacking to persons on the ground.Sales clerks identified two individuals to whom they sold tickets on Flight 77 as the hijackers Hani Hanjour and Majed Moqed.During the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93, Jeremy Glick identified the hijackers as Arabic-looking and carrying box-cutters.Mohamed Atta's luggage did not make the connection from his Portland flight to American Airlines Flight 11. In his suitcase, authorities found a handwritten letter in Arabic. As well, a handwritten letter was found at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and another in Hazmi's vehicle.When examining Mohamed Atta's left-behind luggage, the FBI found important clues about the hijackers and their plans. Atta's luggage contained instructional videotapes for flying large aircraft, a fuel consumption calculator, and a flight plan, along with a copy of the Quran.His luggage also contained papers that revealed the identity of all 19 hijackers, along with a copy of Atta's last will and testament.The passport of hijacker Abdulaziz Alomari was also found in Mohamed Atta’s left-behind luggage.Various items of evidence were found in vehicles left behind at the airports, in luggage that did not make it onto the flights, and at the crash scenes. A rental car belonging to the hijackers was found at Boston's Logan International Airport, which contained an Arabic language flight manual and documents from Huffman Aviation in Florida. There, investigators were able to find Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi's previous address in Hamburg, Germany.Nawaf al-Hazmi's 1988 blue Toyota Corolla was found on September 12 in Dulles International Airport's hourly parking lot. Inside the vehicle, authorities found a letter written by Mohamed Atta, maps of Washington, D.C., and New York City, a cashier's check made out to a Phoenix flight school, four drawings of a Boeing 757 cockpit, a box cutter-type knife, and a page with notes and phone numbers.In New York City, a passport belonging to Satam al-Suqami was found by a passerby before the towers collapsed, and given to a NYPD detective.The passports of two of the hijackers of Flight 93 were also found intact at the crash site.On September 27, 2001, the FBI released photos of the 19 hijackers, along with information about the possible nationalities and aliases of many.Assigning responsibilityFor several months after the 9/11 attacks, no one, nor any group, claimed responsibility for the attacks, so the primary responsibility fell solely upon the hijackers, all of whom were killed and all of whom left no message or any claim of responsibility, explaining why they had carried out the attacks. As the media covered the 9/11 attacks unfolding, many quickly speculated that bin Laden was behind the attacks.On the day of the attacks, the National Security Agency intercepted communications that pointed to bin Laden, as did German intelligence agencies.This helped rule out other immediate suspects, such as Croatian nationalists, who had bombed Grand Central Terminal on September 11, 1976.Authorities in the United States and Britain also obtained electronic intercepts, including telephone conversations and electronic bank transfers, which indicate that Mohammed Atef, a bin Laden deputy, was a key figure in the planning of the 9/11 attacks. Intercepts were also obtained that revealed conversations that took place days before September 11 between bin Laden and an associate in Pakistan. In those conversations, the two referred to "an incident that would take place in America on, or around, September 11" and they discussed potential repercussions. In another conversation with an associate inAfghanistan, bin Laden discussed the "scale and effects of a forthcoming operation." These conversations did not specifically mention the World Trade Center or Pentagon, or other specifics.The investigators were quickly able to link the 19 men to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, also by accessing material in their intelligence agency files. The New York Times reported on September 12 that: "Authorities said they had also identified accomplices in several cities who had helped plan and execute Tuesday’s attacks. Officials said they knew who these people were and important biographical details about many of them. They prepared biographies of each identified member of the hijack teams, and began tracing the recent movements of the men." FBI agents in Florida investigating the hijackers quickly "descended on flight schools, neighborhoods and restaurants in pursuit of leads." At one flight school, "students said investigators were there within hours of Tuesday’s attacks."The Washington Postlater reported that "In the hours after Tuesday’s bombings, investigators searched their files on [Satam] al-Suqami and [Ahmed] al-Ghamdi, noted the pair’s ties to [Nabil] al-Marabh and launched a hunt for him."Based on the evidence, authorities in the United States quickly asserted that Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organization were solely responsible for the attacks, and other suspects were ruled out. TheGovernment of the United Kingdom reached the same conclusion.Although he denied the attacks at first, Osama bin Laden had since claimed full responsibility.Author Laurie Mylroie, writing in the conservative political magazine The American Spectator in 2006, argued that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his family are the primary architects of 9/11 and similar attacks, that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's association with Osama bin Laden is secondary, and that Al-Qaeda's claim of responsibility for the attack is after the fact and opportunistic.In an opposing point of view, former CIA officer Robert Baer, writing in Time magazine in 2007, asserted that George W. Bush Administration's publicizing of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's claims of responsibility for 9/11 and numerous other acts was a mendacious attempt to claim that all of the significant actors in 9/11 had been caught.Al-Qaeda and Osama bin LadenAftermath of the bomb detonation on the World Trade Center in 1993September 17, 2001 – A small portion of the scene where the World Trade Center collapsed following the September 11 attacks.September 14, 2001– "The Pile", ManhattanSee also: Hijackers in the September 11 attacksIntelligence experts speak of a "short list" of prime suspects—groups that possess both the means and the motive to carry out the crime. Two of the passengers had been identified as al-Qaeda members and were on the FBI's terrorist-alert list prior to 9/11: Khalid Almihdhar and Nawaf Alhazmi[1][2]. It appears certain that all hijackers had Arab origins, and none were Afghan; moreover, both in their immense scale, careful planning and refraining from claiming responsibility, the attacks are reminiscent of al-Qaeda's previous attacks such as the 1998 US embassy bombings that killed over 200 people.World Trade Center bombing of 1993Main article: World Trade Center 1993 bombingsIn the World Trade Center bombing (February 26, 1993) a car bomb was detonated by Arab Islamist terrorists in the underground parking garage below Tower One of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,500 lb (680 kg) urea nitrate-fuel oil device killed six and injured over a thousand people.It was intended to devastate the foundation of the North Tower, causing it to collapse onto its twin.The attack was planned by a group of conspirators including Ramzi Yousef,Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, El Sayyid Nosair, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal Ayyad, Ahmad Ajaj, and Abdul Rahman Yasin.They received financing from al-Qaeda member Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Yousef's uncle, who would later allegedly admit to planning the September 11 attacks.Statements of motives prior to September 11, 2001[edit]Main articles: Motivations of the September 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden Fatwa, Videos of Osama bin Laden, and Wikisource:Osama bin Laden's Declaration of WarStarting in 1996, Osama bin Laden stated in public proclamations (fatwas) and in interviews with journalists his common list of grievances which he cited as the reason for his declaration of war against the United States.In 1998, bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri (a leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad) co-signed a fatwa (binding religious edict) in the name of the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, declaring:[t]he ruling to kill the Americans and their allies civilians and military – is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) and the holy mosque (in Makka) from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, "and fight the pagans all together as they fight you all together," and "fight them until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah".In an interview with journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai published in TIME Magazine on January 11, 1999, Osama bin Laden was quoted as saying:The International Islamic Front for Jihad against the US and Israel has issued a crystal-clear fatwa calling on the Islamic nation to carry on jihad aimed at liberating holy sites. The nation of Muhammad has responded to this appeal. If the instigation for jihad against the Jews and the Americans in order to liberate Al-Aksa Mosque and the Holy Ka'aba Islamic shrines in the Middle East is considered a crime, then let history be a witness that I am a criminal.Planning the 9/11 attacksAccording to interviews by Al-Jazeera as well as United States interrogations of al-Qaeda members Ramzi bin al-Shibh and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (captured in 2002 and 2003 respectively), Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the instigator and prime organizer of the attacks. Bin al-Shibh may have been picked as a hijacker but he failed to get into the United States.Khalid Mohammed had provided funding to his nephew Ramzi Yousef for the World Trade Center bombing in 1993. In addition, he collaborated on Oplan Bojinka which called for ten or more airliners to be bombed in mid-air or hijacked for use as missiles.Planning for Oplan Bojinka began in 1994, and was funded in part by Osama bin Laden, but was thwarted by an accidental fire in 1995.In mid-1996, Khalid Mohammed presented a new plan to the leadership of al-Qaeda that called for several airplanes on both east and west coasts to be hijacked and flown into targets.According to the bin al-Shibh and Khalid Mohammed, six of the hijackers played active parts in the planning, including the four who became the pilots. The other two were Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi.CIA operatives reportedly monitored the movements of these two known militants when they visited the US but did not notify the FBI or gain an inkling of what the hijackers were planning. However, during a 2006 Moussaoui trial cross-examination, FBI agents stated that the bureau was aware, years before the attacks in 2001, that al-Qaeda planned to use planes to destroy important buildings. Philippine Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon had noted such plans during the 1995 investigation of Oplan Bojinka, of which Razon saidI didn't imagine that they would ram a 757 aircraft into the World Trade Center. I thought the suicide mission [would involve] a Cessna light aircraft loaded with several kilos of explosives, like a Japanese Kamikaze World War II pilot diving into a target.The targets ultimately chosen were the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the United States Capitol. Flight 93 was apparently meant to crash into the Capitol. The White House was considered as a target; initially dismissed as being too difficult to locate from the air, it was later included in the plans.In the communications that developed as the scheme took form, the Pentagon's code name was theFaculty of Arts, Capitol Hill was the Faculty of Law, and the World Trade Center was coded as the Faculty of Town Planning.Al-Qaeda statements after 9/11Al-Qaeda's spokesman, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, said in a video sent to al Jazeera and broadcast in October 2001 the following:The Americans should know that the storm of plane attacks will not abate, with God's permission. There are thousands of the Islamic nations' youths who are eager to die just as the Americans are eager to live.Osama bin Laden statements after 9/11Prior to his death on May 2, 2011, the FBI listed bin Laden as one of the "10 Most Wanted" in connection with several incidents including the USS Cole bombing and the 1998 United States embassy bombings in East Africa. The FBI's "FBI Most Wanted Terrorists" poster does not specifically hang responsibility for 9/11 on bin Laden, instead it only states "Bin Laden is a suspect in other terrorist attacks throughout the world."FBI spokesman Rex Tomb said, however: "There's no mystery here. They could add 9/11 on there, but they have not because they don't need to at this point. … There is a logic to it", namely, the long-standing practice of only putting criminal charges on the notice. Bin Laden was charged with the 1998 embassy bombings, not 9/11. David N. Kelley, the former U.S. attorney in New York who dealt with terrorism-related cases at the time of bin Laden's indictment for the 1998 bombings, explained that, "It might seem a little strange from the outside, but it makes sense from a legal point of view. If I were in government, I'd be troubled if I were asked to put up a wanted picture where no formal charges had been filed, no matter who it was."Immediately after September 11, 2001, bin Laden praised the attacks, but denied responsibility for them.On September 16, 2001, an Al Jazeera news presenter read a message purportedly signed by Osama bin Laden, in which the following words were stated: "I stress that I have not carried out this act, which appears to have been carried out by individuals with their own motivation."In an interview with bin Laden, published in the Pakistani newspaper Ummat Karachi on September 28, 2001, he stated: "I have already said that I am not involved in the September 11 attacks in the United States. As a Muslim, I try my best to avoid telling a lie. I had no knowledge of these attacks, nor do I consider the killing of innocent women, children and other humans as an appreciable act."There was reportedly no way to prove the e-mail published in Pakistan came from bin Laden. The Taliban denied he had access to any communications.In late October 2001, Al Jazeera journalist Tayseer Allouni conducted an interview with Osama bin Laden which was videotaped. Al-Jazeera refused to broadcast it and terminated its affiliation agreement with CNN due to CNN's broadcasting of the interview on January 31, 2002.In the interview, bin Laden addressed the September 11 attacks, saying:If inciting people to do that is terrorism, and if killing those who kill our sons is terrorism, then let history be witness that we are terrorists ... We will work to continue this battle, God permitting, until victory or until we meet God before that occurs.In November 2001, US forces recovered a videotape from a bombed house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan which showed a man purported to be Osama bin Laden talking to Khaled al-Harbi. In the tape, bin Laden talks of planning the attacks. Translations from the tape include the following lines:...we calculated in advance the number of casualties from the enemy, who would be killed based on the position of the tower. We calculated that the floors that would be hit would be three or four floors. I was the most optimistic of them all...We had notification since the previous Thursday that the event would take place that day. We had finished our work that day and had the radio on...Muhammad [Atta] from the Egyptian family [meaning the al-Qaeda Egyptian group], was in charge of the group...The brothers, who conducted the operation, all they knew was that they have a martyrdom operation and we asked each of them to go to America but they didn't know anything about the operation, not even one letter. But they were trained and we did not reveal the operation to them until they are there and just before they boarded the planes.In May 2002, FBI Director Robert Mueller noted that his organization had not uncovered a single piece of paper, "either here in the U.S. or in the treasure trove of information that has turned up in Afghanistan and elsewhere", that mentioned any aspect of the September 11th plot.In late November 2002, a letter attributed to bin Laden and translated by British Islamists surfaced, often called bin Laden's "letter to America". It states the motive behind the September 11 attacks as being: "because you attacked us and continue to attack us" and justifies the selection of a civilian target. Itemizing a list of perceived Western wrongdoings, the letter concludes that "the oppressed have a right to return the aggression" and hinted at further attacks. Also included are a list of demands, advice, and a statement of grievances against the American government and its people.On February 11, 2003, Al Jazeera broadcast an audio tape purportedly from bin Laden.Shortly before the US presidential election in 2004, in a taped statement, bin Laden publicly acknowledged al-Qaeda's involvement in the attacks on the US, and claimed a direct link to the attacks. He said that the attacks were carried out because "we are a free people who do not accept injustice, and we want to regain the freedom of our nation."In an audio message that surfaced on the Internet in May 2006, the speaker, who is alleged to be Osama bin Laden, defends Zacarias Moussaoui, who was undergoing a trial for his participation in the September 11 attacks. The voice in the audio message saysI begin by talking about the honorable brother Zacarias Moussaoui. The truth is that he has no connection whatsoever with the events of September 11th, and I am certain of what I say, because I was responsible for entrusting the 19 brothers—Allah have mercy upon them—with those raids, and I did not assign brother Zacarias to be with them on that mission.Other suspects within al-QaedaAs of 2004, several people—including Mohammed, bin al-Shibh, and Mohammed al Qahtani, the 20th hijacker—were being held by the US as illegal combatants; however, the United States had no one on trial for the attacks. In Germany, Mounir El Motassadeq was convicted of over 3000 counts of accessory to murder for helping finance the hijackers but the verdict was put aside and a new trial scheduled.Abdelghani Mzoudi was acquitted in Germany on the same charges.Anwar al-AwlakiImam Anwar al-Awlaki has been linked to Al-Qaeda and persons involved in the attacks, though he denied any connections. In 1998 and 1999, he served as Vice President for the Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW) in San Diego, founded by Abdul Majeed al-Zindani of Yemen, who has since been placed on many terrorism lists.During a terrorism trial, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Brian Murphy testified that CSSW was a “front organization to funnel money to terrorists,” and US federal prosecutors have described it as being used to support Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.The FBI investigated al-Awlaki beginning in June 1999 through March 2000 for possible fundraising for Hamas, links to al-Qaeda, and a visit in early 2000 by a close associate of "the blind sheik" Omar Abdel Rahman (now in prison for his role in the1993 World Trade Center attack). The FBI's interest was also triggered by the fact that he had been contacted by a possible "procurement agent" for bin Laden, Ziyad Khaleel, who helped purchase a satellite phone to call his Yemen communications hub that was used in planning the attacks.But the FBI was unable to unearth sufficient evidence for a criminal prosecution.While al-Awlaki was an imam in San Diego, witnesses told the FBI he had a close relationship with two of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks (Nawaf Al-Hazmi andKhalid Almihdhar) in 2000, and served as their spiritual advisor.The 9/11 Commission Report indicated that the hijackers also "reportedly respected [him] as a religious figure."ties say the two hijackers regularly attended the mosque he led in San Diego, and al-Awlaki had many closed-door meetings with them, which led investigators to believe al-Awlaki knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance.He left San Diego in mid-2000, traveling to "various countries".In January 2001, he headed east and served as Imam at the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area.Esam Omeish hired al-Awlaki to be the mosque's imam.Fluent in English, known for giving eloquent talks on Islam, and with a mandate to attract young non-Arabic speakers, al-Awlaki "was the magic bullet", according to mosque spokesmanJohari Abdul-Malik; "he had everything all in a box.""He had an allure. He was charming."Shortly after this, his sermons were attended by two of the 9/11 hijackers (Al-Hazmi again, and Hani Hanjour; which the 9/11 Commission Report concluded "may not have been coincidental"), and by Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.Furthermore, when police raided the Hamburg, Germany, apartment of Ramzi bin al-Shibh (the "20th hijacker") while investigating the 9/11 attacks, his telephone number was found among bin al-Shibh's personal contact information."In my view, he is more than a coincidental figure," said House Intelligence Committee member Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA).Writing on the IslamOnline.net website six days after the 9/11 attacks, he suggested that Israeli intelligence agents might have been responsible for the attacks, and that the FBI "went into the roster of the airplanes and whoever has a Muslim or Arab name became the hijacker by default."On August 31, 2006, al-Awlaki was arrested with a group of five Yemenis by Yemeni authorities. He claims it was with regard to a "secret police investigation" over "tribal issues", but it has been reported to relate to charges of kidnapping a Shiite teenager for ransom, and involvement in an al-Qaeda plot to kidnap a U.S. military attaché.Al-Awlaki blames the U.S. for pressuring the Yemeni authorities to arrest him, and says that in approximately September 2007 he was interviewed by FBI agents with regard to the 9/11 attacks and other subjects. Gregory Johnsen, a Yemen expert, noted that his name was on a list of 100 prisoners whose release was sought by al-Qaida-linked militants in Yemen.Although al-Awlaki was covered as relatively minor figure in the 9/11 attacks, his involvement was noted again in 2009 after the Fort Hood shooting where the suspect had been found to be communicating by e-mail to Awlaki in Yemen, he was later linked to several terror plots and attacks in the US, Canada and UK, including the Northwest Airlines Flight 253 attack by his former student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.TalibanOn October 4, 2001, British Prime Minister Tony Blair released information compiled by Western intelligence agencies connecting Osama bin Laden to the Afghanistan's Taliban leadership as well as being the leader of the al-Qaeda organization.The Taliban government gave safe haven to Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the attack, and his al-Qaeda network may have had a close relationship with the Taliban army and police.On the day of 9/11, the Taliban foreign minister told the Arab television network Al Jazeera: "We denounce this terrorist attack, whoever is behind it."The United States requested the Taliban to shut down all al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan, open them to inspection and turn over Osama bin Laden. The Taliban refused all these requests. Instead they offered to extradite Osama bin Laden to an Islamic country, for trial under Islamic law, if the United States presented evidence of his guilt.The Taliban had previously refused to extradite bin Laden to the United States, or prosecute him, after he was indicted by the US federal courts for involvement in the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.The Taliban deemed eyewitness testimony and satellite phone call recordings entered in the public record in February 2001 during a trial as insufficient grounds to extradite bin Laden for his involvement in the bombings.[citation needed]Invoking the Bush Doctrine, which stated "We will make no distinction between the terrorists and those who harbor them", the United States and Britain invaded and overthrew the Taliban regime in 2001, using air power, special forces and the Northern Alliance as a land army.On November 29, 2007, a videotape was released that The Central Intelligence Agency says is likely to be from bin Laden. In it the speaker claims sole responsibility for the attacks and specifically denies any prior knowledge of them by The Taliban or the Afghan people.Financing the attacksAccording to the 9/11 Commission Report, the 9/11 plotters spent between $400,000 and $500,000 to plan and conduct the attack:al-Qaeda funded the plotters. KSM [Khalid Sheikh Mohammad] provided his operatives with nearly all the money they needed to travel to the United States, train, and live... The US government has not been able to determine the origin of the money used for the 9/11 attacks. Ultimately the question is of little practical significance.CNN and other news outlets reported in September and October 2001 that $100,000 was wired from the United Arab Emirates to lead hijacker Mohamed Atta prior to the attacks, by Ahmed Omar Saeed (Syed) Sheikh, a long time Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence asset.The report, which was later confirmed by CNN, stated that "Atta then distributed the funds to conspirators in Florida... In addition, sources have said Atta sent thousands of dollars – believed to be excess funds from the operation – back to Syed in the United Arab Emirates in the days before September 11. Syed also is described as a key figure in the funding operation of al-Qaeda"The day after this report was published, the head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, Gen. Mahmood Ahmed, was fired from his position.Indian news outlets reported the FBI was investigating the possibility that Gen. Mahmood Ahmed ordered Saeed Sheikh to send the $100,000 to Atta, while most Western media outlets only reported his connections to the Taliban as the reason for his departure.The Wall Street Journal was one of the few Western news organizations to follow up on the story, citing the Times of India: "US authorities sought [Gen. Mahmood Ahmed's] removal after confirming the fact that $100,000 [was] wired to WTC hijacker Mohammed Atta from Pakistan by Ahmad Umar Sheikh at the instance of General Mahmood."The 9/11 Commission Report concludes: "we have seen no evidence that any foreign government – or foreign government official – supplied any funding."The difficulty in tracking the funding is due to the traditional means of zakat, a Muslim form of charitable giving essential to proper following of the faith and hawala, another ancient system of transferring funds based on trust and connections, including family, clan, and regional affiliations.