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FACEBOOK HOME Is this the new face of Android phones?

KEY LIME PIE Prepare your phone for the new Android OS

GALAXY S4 ULTIMATE FACE-OFF SAMSUNG’S FLAGSHIP PHONE TAKES ON THE HTC ONE & SONY XPERIA Z

30

Discover what you can really do with Android

Hacker Zøne » Double your battery life » Back up and restore apps » Improve your camera

INNOVATIVE

ANDROID APPS

Incredible apps that will change how you use your phone ISSUE 25

ISSUE 25

£4.99

ALSO INSIDE

» In-app purchases explained » Get MS Office on Android » Secure your phone

ASUS PADFONE 2 REVIEWED

Welcome To issue 25

«

Welcome

HOW TO USE THE QR CODES

Zero-click access to the best apps in the Google Play store

A QR code is a 2D barcode that can act as a shortcut for delivering information, such as weblinks. You’ll notice them throughout the mag – scan them on your phone and you can download apps and send us messages instantly.

““Samsung has gone the other way, chucking everything at the S4 in the hope that there’s a bit of something for everyone“ MY HOME SCREEN On (and off) Andy’s phone this month…

Pocket Casts

Eyes

APPS OUT

Download this free barcode scanner to use our QR codes. Handily, you can scan normal barcodes with it too, to help you find bargains on all your favourite purchases!

APPS IN

ShopSavvy Free

The Room

PicsArt

This month I’ve been testing:

Galaxy S4

RoundR

A worthy update to the S III. The Samsung juggernaut Outlook.com continues at pace

scanning 1 Get Open ShopSavvy, hit the Scan a Barcode button and then hold your phone over a QR code so that it appears in the window.

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S

amsung’s flagship smartphone for the year has gone on sale, and sold out pretty much immediately. The huge demand for the Galaxy S4 perfectly illustrates just how popular Samsung has become as a smartphone manufacturer – a massive turnaround for a company that only three years ago barely registered on the sales charts. We’ve been looking at the S4 this month, and how it compares to the two other big devices of the year, the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z. It’s interesting to see just how different the three devices are. They all have broadly similar specs, are roughly the same size, and are designed to do essentially the same things. Yet each one feels completely different to the next. Samsung’s approach is far less refined than that of the others. Where HTC has taken a move upmarket, going for the ultra high-end with the design and build and stripping back the software to leave you with just the essentials, Samsung has gone the other way, chucking everything at the S4 in the hope that there’s a bit of something for everyone. It’s a much brasher device as a result, and the build quality does not even come close to the One or the Xperia Z. But while the aficionados among us may prefer the more sophisticated approach HTC has taken, the market has spoken, and it doesn’t mind plastic, or care about gimmicks. And maybe that’s the right way of thinking, because it’s in the things that really matter: screen, performance, camera and battery life, that the S4 really shines.

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the link 2 Launch When it has read, the phone will beep and vibrate, then launch the link. You may need to choose an app to launch it with.

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Andy Betts Editor

3

Contents Inside issue 25

CONTENTS www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

»

15 Special offer for USA readers » 70 Exclusive subscription offer

Launcher

Previews, news and speculation from the Android world 06 Facebook Home: the new face of Android?

GALAXY S4 ULTIMATE FACE-OFF

We take a look at the new app and phone for Facebook

10 Million Sellers

We chat to the makers of Zinio, one of the Play store’s top downloads

11 Sony Xperia Tablet Z hands-on

First look at the fantastic new tablet from Sony

18 Samsung takes on the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z Visi

t th

for b

eA

ndr

ack

12 10 things you need to know about in-app purchases

We get you up to speed on the murky world of in-app purchases

oid M

issu

aga

es a

zine

nd

onl

ine

16 Messages

Sound off about anything and everything to do with Android

4

pa

t

boo

ks

24 Get ready for Key Lime Pie Prepare your phone for the next Android update

14 Travel apps

A collection of some of the best-looking travel apps

sho

06 Facebook Home Is this the new face of Android phones?

88 Asus Padfone 2 reviewed

We test the phone/tablet combi. Is it the best of both worlds?

Hacker Zøne Explore the limits of your Android phone

Contents Inside issue 25

«

58 Hacking tips and tricks

Essential tips for getting the most out of your Android device

60 10 Essential hacks you must try today!

Practical hacks that will help you get more from your phone or tablet

Reviews

Cutting-edge tablets and smartphones on test 88 Reviews

88 Asus Padfone 2 90 Toshiba AT300SE 92 CAT B15

Tutorials 92 CAT B15

Essential guides to getting more from your phone or tablet

Rugged Android phone reviewed 94 Accessories in full Power up your phone or tablet

34 Turn your Android device into a mobile office

Get ahead in the office with help from your Android device

38 Tutorials

38 Save and share photos in Google+ 41 Add feeds in Google Currents 42 Secure your phone with 2-step verification 44 Send meeting requests via your Calendar app 45 Apply filters in Twitter 47 Control location services 48 Take control of Google and third-party accounts

with this collection of goodies

90

Toshiba AT300SE

Can Toshiba make an impact with this tablet?

50 Droid Support

Readers’ questions answered, plus troubleshooting tips and tricks

56 Android challenge

Replace your laptop: Can you get by using just an Android phone instead of a laptop? We find out

42 Secure your phone 72 30 most innovative Android apps Incredible apps that will change how you use your phone

Check our website daily for even more news

Use 2-step verification to secure your Google account from hacking

Apps

Your complete guide to Google Play 72 30 innovative apps

Apps that will change how you use your phone

78 App reviews

The latest apps on test

84 Note apps Google Keep vs Evernote

86 Game reviews

The latest games reviewed

App review index 86 83 87 79 83 84 78 83 83 84 82 83 83 87 79 80 87 80 81 87 79 82 87 83 82 80 83 79 86 87

10000000 3G Watchdog AVP: Evolution Burn Note Comic Book! Evernote F1 2013 Timing App Feedly Google Analytics Google Keep Google Translate HeyTell Janetter for Twitter Lazors Must-Have Recipes Opera browser beta PAC-MAN + Tournaments Photo Effects Pro Qustodio Parental Controls Ravensword: Shadowlands Rethink Sky Movies Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor Traffic Monitor Traxsource Uber Unity Launcher WiFi Signal Booster Zombie Minesweeper Pro Snooker 2012

»www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

5

All the latest from the world of Android devices 901 MILLION 105, 901, 900 20, 561, 280 Monthly active users

Mobile users are American

219 Billion PHOTOS SHARED FACEBOOK USERS BY AGE 55-65 3% 45-54 5% 13-17 12% 35-44 14% 26-34 23% 18-25 43%

Are from the UK

408

1.06 BILLION

Mobile monthly active users

TOTAL USERS

Post

Photo

Gift

What’s on your mind?

141.5

AVERAGE NUMBER OF FRIENDS PER FACEBOOK USER

1.13LIKES TRILLION

THE

big

STORY

Facebook Home: the new face of Android? Facebook can no longer be classed as a social network – it’s now a real alternative to the Android operating system. Here’s why…

U

nless you’ve had your head in the sand for the past decade, you’ll have clearly noticed Facebook’s dominance as a social media platform. Despite rivals in the form of Twitter, Pinterest, Path and Google+, Facebook still remains at the top of the social media pyramid, and with a

6

fanbase that now exceeds a billion users, the time has come for Mark Zuckerberg to move the company in to unknown territories. Facebook’s new venture comes in the form of a partnership with HTC to launch a mid-range Android phone called the HTC First, plus its own unique skin

which can be applied to a number of Android devices called Facebook Home. As a phone, the First isn’t the most spectacular of devices. It has average specs, a pretty standard design, but at least it should come with an acceptable price tag. Facebook Home is an entirely different prospect

Stay up to date Catch up with the latest Android news and gossip

altogether and one that could change the landscape of the Android operating system for some time. “It doesn’t matter that Facebook Home will be launched with an Android operating system on an HTC smartphone. If Facebook’s new concept works, it will become the standard for phones and operating systems from now on” says Roslyn Layton,

“With Samsung saturating the mobile market, it’s hard to find gaps that can be filled” vice president of Strand Consult. “Facebook’s announcement is an important milestone for investors, for it demonstrates that the gold mine for Facebook is not advertising, operating systems or hardware. The key for Facebook is to monetise its users for the very communication it offers: SMS, voice, and data-enabled services.” To be able to monetise such services, Facebook will have to look to adapt Home very quickly from a simple skin that keeps you in contact with your Facebook profile to a communication powerhouse. There’s been much talk about Facebook’s willingness to follow in Amazon’s successful steps. Both the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD had a totally independent skin designed by Amazon, but with Android at its core. Both tablets have been successful, with many preferring the budget pair to many of the high-end Android tablets now available on the market. With the added bonus of having full access to the Amazon library of music, movies and books, Amazon has the money and power to cater for everyone. Even Google is looking to build on the amount of media available in the Play store, with Play Magazines now a major competitor to the likes of Zinio. Fred Huet, managing partner at Greenwich Consulting, thinks Facebook may have a tough time competing with the likes of Amazon and Google on

“Increasing revenues, traffic and metadata” Fred Huet, managing partner at Greenwich Consulting this front. “The biggest challenger to Facebook Home would be Google, with traditional apps such as Gmail, Google Search, Google Maps and YouTube in the background. That means less traffic, clicks and revenues.” But he firmly believes that Facebook can remain unrivalled with being a communication

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powerhouse: “With 1,800 texts a month sent by the average American teenager, Facebook Home will capture all that traffic, thus increasing revenues, traffic and metadata about users that they can use to better target with ads.” If we look away from the media side of things, for Facebook to be a major player in the mobile industry and ultimately for Facebook Home to be a real success, it will very quickly need to identify the

know it. Communication is at the forefront of what Facebook does best and Home encapsulates that perfectly, but it’s in the other areas where Facebook will have to vastly improve if it wants to really challenge Google for the Android crown. But with a fanbase as large as what Facebook has and with its first partnership with HTC already in full swing, maybe we’ll all own a Facebook device in the next couple of years.

Going against Android

How other companies fared with their own take on the Android OS?

Kindle Amazon developed an entirely unique skin loosely based on the Android OS and implemented it on both the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD. It’s easy to use and ties in with the Amazon storefront surprisingly well.

market it is aiming itself at. With Samsung saturating the mobile market, it’s hard to find gaps that can be filled, but it will be something that needs to be considered by Zuckerberg and company. Sri Ramanathan, CTO of Kony Solutions, believes that Facebook should play on the openness of the Android platform to really nail a suitable target audience: “By using the ‘open-ness’ of Android, they’ve been able to make a very native application that integrates deeply into the existing capabilities of Android. It also integrates seamlessly with other applications on your phone. Facebook Home is going to appeal to a generation of users who are very connected to Facebook and who want to use it for the majority of their phone activity.” He –v advertisers and has the potential to completely change the Facebook business model. More advertisers will come to Facebook because the company is better leveraging mobile and tapping into this key demographic.” Facebook’s transition into mobile is a bold move to say the least, but one that could change the landscape of the Android operating system as we

TouchWiz Samsung’s own custom skin, TouchWiz, has its problems, but it has been constantly updated to provide a truly unique Android experience. It’s a great skin for those who are new to the Android OS platform.

Nook The Nook’s custom skin is very loosely based on that of the Android OS, but it has many problems. It has been dumbed down for the average user, including the app store which houses just a few hundred titles rather than the thousands in the Play Store.

7

Disliked

Three old Facebook phones that are worth forgetting

Start your phone and you’ll see all your latest Facebook statuses from your friends

Incoming messages appear on your lockscreen. Tap on one to launch the full conversation

HTC ChaCha

This is you. Drag up to unlock the phone, or sideways to launch into the app drawer or camera app

Why it failed

People didn’t take too kindly to the ChaCha’s physical keyboard that promised to offer quick shortcuts to your Facebook profile, but instead made the Facebook integration a very clunky affair.

Operating system ........... Android 4.1/ Facebook Home UI Processor.......................... Krait 1.4GHz dual-core Memory..............................1GB RAM, 16GB storage Dimensions ......................126 x 65 x 8.9mm Weight ...............................123.9g Display size........................4.3-inch LCD Display resolution ...........720 x 1,280 pixels

INQ Mobile Touch

Connectivity ..................... Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/ g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA+, micro USB

Why it failed

Without a big name behind it, the INQ Cloud Touch soon fell into obscurity. Its Facebook integration wasn’t bad, but the phone itself was immensely underpowered compared to its competition.

Camera.............................. 5-MP rear, VGA front, 1080p video recording

HTC First

HTC has another crack at making a Facebook phone. Can it possibly find a market beyond its niche audience?

HTC Salsa Why it failed

The Salsa was a big step up from the ChaCha, but the Facebook integration was still slow to use and photos rendered horribly. The £300+ price tag on launch didn’t help it out either.

8

Whether a Facebook phone is truly needed remains a dubious question, but HTC has forged ahead with bringing the HTC First to the market. With full backing of the Facebook team, HTC has looked to implement its own take on the Android OS, offering the standard Android features with Facebook’s completely new launcher, Facebook Home, at the forefront. There’s plenty of inspiration from the likes of Amazon here, who has previously launched its own spin on the Android OS, but whether Facebook has a committed enough fanbase to follow its success remains to be seen. It’s certainly an important phone for HTC considering its current financial problems, as the First follows a number of unsuccessful efforts at making Facebook phones. It includes a very average set of specifications which means anyone looking to get some decent bang for their buck may be left a little underwhelmed with what’s on offer here, so pricing will be key for HTC when it comes to finally launching the device all over the world. Perhaps most interestingly the Facebook functionality can be turned off, leaving you with fully stock Android.

Facebook Home

Key features that will define the new Facebook Home user experience

Messaging has undergone a massive overhaul within the Home launcher by adding the new Chat Heads feature. This creates a small picture icon representing one of your Facebook friends from which you can send messages to without needing to open up the Facebook home. With Chat Heads you can also send messages to multiple friends at the same time and receive notifications when messages are sent to you.

Will Facebook be taking over your Android device? Home is only being released to a small number of devices, at first, so take a look to see if you’re one of the lucky few who will be able to get your hands on it.

HTC One

system that enables users to chat to specific friends no matter what you’re currently doing on your device. Named Chat Heads, the feature creates icons of chosen contacts from which you can place around your phone and interact with whenever. At the same time you can group your heads together to instantly send a message to multiple friends. Despite Chat Heads arguably being Home’s best feature, it doesn’t come ready to use and instead users will need to venture to the Facebook Messenger app’s settings page to activate it. Home is a bold move by Facebook and the ideas and concept behind it make for a sure-fire winner on paper. The app/launcher itself isn’t as fluid as we would have liked, however. Clunky loading times are the main problem here, with scrolling through posts a real chore. The lack of widget support is also a concern and will no doubt put off those who use widgets for their calendar, notes and other work-related apps. Chat Heads is by far the best feature currently included in Home, but it’s so well-hidden that many users won’t even realise it exists. It’s early days for Home and if the team at Facebook’s Californian headquarters can fix all the teething issues that have arisen so far, then Home might just be a winner, but for now you should just stick to the default Facebook application.

Samsung Galaxy S4

F

acebook Home is without doubt a product aimed at keeping users of the social media site in contact with their profiles and friends at all times, and in return Facebook can promote new adverts and products directly to them. After installing Home you’ll be greeted with the newest post created by one of your friends. Each post covers your entire screen and whether it’s a picture, text or supported advert, Home does a good job at making sure each post has a stylish, uniformed design. All posts can be interacted with, but the process of scrolling through them and wanting to leave a comment is a painfully slow experience at present. Despite Facebook claiming it has done extensive testing on the Home service, the slow loading speeds will put off many users and that’s an oversight. Through the main screen of the Home launcher you have access to your apps, photos, and of course, your Facebook profile. Home doesn’t support widgets, so any that you’ve placed on your home screens previously will have been removed, leaving odd-shaped gaps throughout. You can move app icons to fill the gaps, but the lack of widget support isn’t ideal. The app drawer remains the same and the new fade effect that has been included works a treat. What Facebook has also introduced is a new messaging

HTC One X+

Android’s new Home?

Samsung Galaxy S3

Your app drawer and various home screens look totally different when using Facebook Home. All of the widgets you had previously added will be removed and all the icons will have been bunched up to fill the gaps. Open up the app drawer to see the new fade effect in action and add any other app icons to your home screens, if you so wish. You’ll also find direct links to your Facebook account at the top of your main home screen.

HTC One X

Despite Home bringing an entirely different look to Facebook, all the usual Facebook features are included. Posts are listed in chronological order and update automatically when someone adds something to their timeline and you’ll find each post can be interacted with by leaving a comment or like. Open up the settings to change how often Home updates itself, as it can drain a lot of battery fairly quickly, which no one wants.

Chat Heads is a new feature that takes inspiration from the likes of Google+ to offer a great way of staying in contact with your Facebook friends without ever needing to open up the app.

Widgets cannot be added to your lock or home screen while Home is the default launcher on your phone. Revert back to a different launcher if this is a problem.

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Interact with posts by leaving a comment, or like on their picture or text-based status. Some posts also include external links that you can press to be taken to a website.

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Stay up to date Catch up with the latest Android news and gossip

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Millionsellers

VITAL STATS ZINIO

Price: Free

The inside story on Android’s most popular apps

Zinio T

here’s no denying that magazines are slowly moving into fully digital products, enabling users to download their favourite issues straight on to their phone or tablet. To cater for this, the rise of digital magazine platforms has also increased and one of the best that’s currently available is Zinio. What makes Zinio stand out from the competition is the fact it offers 5,500 magazines on its newsstand, with many having back issues for you to also access. There’s also a great choice of reading customisations, enabling the user to pinpoint their best reading experience, while prices are competitive too. So if you’re looking for a way to take your favourite magazines with you, then look no further than Zinio.

Inside Zinio: The features that make the service great

Get updates

Find back issues

As well as being one of the best places to offer the latest issues for magazines, Zinio also offers back issues of magazines. This is a great feature for those missing a particular issue

Free previews

If you can’t decide whether or not to purchase a certain issue, check out Zinio’s preview feature that lets you take a look at a few pages of the issue for free

A brief history of…

Android skins 10

Via the Push feature, users can get notifications when a new issue of their favourite magazines have been added to the Zinio newsstand. They can then open the notification to download them

Cheaper than print

Depending on the publication, you can find considerable discounts for your digital purchases compared to the print versions. Many magazines also offer great subscription deals for their digital readers

Among Android enthusiasts there are no topics more controversial than that of the skin. The overlay that manufacturers place on their devices’ user interface attracts and repels users in equal measure. In their early days they were designed to fill in some of the gaps in the Android OS, but now they serve merely for purposes of differentiating one company’s products from another.

Q&A with Jeanniey Mullen, Zinio’s global executive vice president

Launched: 2011 Installs: 5m-10m Play store rating:

What makes Zinio different from other digital providers? Zinio is the original newsstand to the world. With a selection of over 5,500 of the world’s favourite magazines, we offer reading fans the ability to connect with their passions in the most convenient and satisfying manner. Zinio offers a robust experience that encourages reading fans to explore content in topics that most interest them, and to dive deep and discover articles, issues and magazines that best match their personality. Our Explore section is unique. It offers free access to over 4,000 articles across all categories. How selective are you of the magazines you choose to add? We know we have a diverse group of readers, so we reflect that. You can find the top-selling magazines like Wired, Wine Spectator, The Economist and Elle on Zinio. You can also find New Scientist, Mental Floss, Wallpaper and Juxtapoz too. No matter what your interest, Zinio has a collection of titles in every topic to keep you informed, engaged and excited. Over the years we have been honoured to host some of the world’s favourite magazines like PC Magazine and Newsweek as they migrate to a digital-only state. We have also watched as some of our favourite niche titles gain increased notoriety with Zinio. How are you looking to develop Zinio in the future? The great thing about being a part of a digital reading revolution is that the innovation never stops, and neither does the Zinio development list. We have a full set of features in the works. These include consumer experience enhancements like recommendations, development on expanded platforms, and even new ways to purchase and enjoy magazines. We rely a good deal on customer feedback to drive product enhancement decisions and we think our fans will be excited to see some of the new elements coming to life in 2013. Which Zinio magazines do you read again and again? I have become addicted to Us Weekly and Star! through Zinio. It has become way too convenient for me to connect with the hottest gossip around. That said, you will always find the latest issue of New Scientist, The Economist, Star Wars magazine and Fitness in my library. I am afraid that issue has revealed too much about the success driven, nerdy, workout-a-holic in me!

2008

2009

Unskinned

Enter Sense

The first clutch of Android devices were completely unskinned, sporting the fledgling Android’s bare bones UI, warts and all. It wasn’t pretty…

HTC launched the first skinned device with the Sense-sporting HTC Hero. It added some muchneeded polish to the still very rough and ready Android 1.5 UI.

CROWD SOURCE Opinion from the Twittersphere

Sony takes on the iPad

Hands-on with the Sony Xperia Tablet Z, a true highend competitor to the iPad

S

ince is was first unveiled, Sony’s Tablet Z has been seen as the most likely candidate to make a dent in an Android tablet market dominated by the budget Nexuses and Kindle Fires, or the ubiquitous Galaxies. It certainly is one of the most strikingly designed tablets we’ve seen. It takes its styling from the Xperia Z smartphone, and while we found its harsh angles uncomfortable to hold in small form, on a tablet it is perfect. So light (485g) and thin (an incredible 69mm) is the Tablet Z that you think it might snap in half. It won’t of course, because the device is surprisingly tough, with the same IP57 rating for dust and water resistance that the phone had. The 10.1-inch display is impressive, with a better-thanHD resolution. Like most Android tabs the display is widescreen – not ideal for use in landscape, and the large bezel makes the Tablet Z even longer.

@lgrobot What is your favourite Android app icon?

The Tablet Z runs Android 4.1 with Sony’s skin adding the usual selection of Sony apps but otherwise being fairly light. Performance was good, as expected, with a 1.5GHz Krait processor and 2GB of RAM. 4G LTE is the features. highlight of some strong connectivity features The Xperia Tablet Z will be available towards the end of May with a price that looks set to be upwards of £400/$600. Fair play to Sony for producing a premium product rather than trying to compete with some lossleading devices. Android has struggled to compete with the iPad at the top end of the market, and the quality on show here might finally give the green robot a chance.

Operating system Processor Memory Dimensions Weight Display size Display resolution Expansion slot

Android 4.1 quad-core 1.5GHz Krait 2GB RAM 266 x 172 x 6.9mm 485g 10.1-inch 1,920 x 1,200 pixels micro SD

Xperia targets mid-range market With the Xperia SP and Xperia L, Sony has added two new mainstream phones to its range Operating system

Xperia SP Xperia L Android 4.1

Sony has also fleshed out its Xperia smartphone range with two 1GHz 1.7GHz mid-range handsets. The Xperia SP brings some of the features of Processor dual-core dual-core Sony’s flagship devices to a more affordable price point, and sports Memory 1GB RAM excellent design and build quality surpassing equivalent handsets 130.6 x 67.1 x 65 x Dimensions x 9.98mm 128.7 such as the Galaxy S III Mini. It is powered by a very-fast 1.7GHz 9.7mm dual-core processor, has a crisp 4.6-inch 720p display and a Weight 137g 155g larger-than-average 2370 mAh battery. The Xperia L is a more basic Display 4.6-inch 4.3-inch size model with a curved back akin to the old Sony Ericsson Arc range and Display 1,280 x 720 854 x 480 comes with a 1GHz dual-core processor. Both phones run Android 4.1 resolution pixels pixels and are equipped with an eight-megapixel camera, and a host of very Expansion micro SD impressive features. slot

TouchWiz debuts

Skin overload!

2011

2013

With rounded app icons in tow, Samsung’s iPhone-inspired TouchWiz made its debut. The skin now forms a major part of all Samsung devices.

Skins reached their nadir. Bloated offerings from HTC, Motorola and Samsung saw eye-candy and unwanted apps come to the fore.

Today skins are largely being stripped back, thanks to the likes of HTC, Google and Motorola. Only Samsung forges ahead with its all powerful TouchWiz UI.

2010

Back to stock

@chrisjenx @Airbnb is pretty nice, Stock Android Camera, @CircleApp, @Expedia all nice! @marcwiIlmore I like the Pintrest and Dropbox icons, only ones on my homepage that aren’t square. @_docmccoy Falcon Pro and Pocket Casts are lovely little icons, really clean and modern @PearCidre Heroclix Rules and the new Outlook app.

@lgrobot So, which is the worst name: ZTE Geek, or Galaxy Mega? @ed_shaw ZTE Geek by a whisker. @co_durhamspurs I think the zte geek just sounds wrong also anytime I hear the word mega I instantly assume awesome @dpmcalister Galaxy Mega. Very bland. Should have gone with something like Galaxy Star: themed (space), iconic, short and easy to brand ( ).

@lgrobot Anybody got any new apps they can recommend? @chokewho not new but worth a look Springpad, 1Weather @rottweiler67 CSR racing. Amazing graphics and runs on phones with gingerbread+. Plus it’s free! @TerryHastings The new Eyes game is brilliantly scary, it almost made me wet myself!

twitter Follow us @lgrobot to join in the conversation

11

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1The ‘freemium’ model 2Alternative to paid apps The term freemium was coined to describe the type of app that is listed as a free download, but includes a range of in-app purchases that can make the app better, longer or just easier to use. The most common of these are apps that require small donations to remove any adverts that are implemented within the app.

One of the beneficial elements of in-app purchases, is that for the most part, you don’t need to purchase them to still use the app. Many of the more expensive apps on the market now have free alternatives which include in-app purchases that you can choose to download, if you so wish.

Changing your Google Play account to stop people from making in-app purchases on your device is pretty easy. Go on to the Google Play store and choose Menu and then Settings. Scroll down and select User Controls and add a PIN. Every time someone interacts with an in-app purchase they’ll need to enter the PIN before continuing.

Despite the problems with in-app purchases, they’re certainly good news for software developers. In a recent study by Distomo, they found that 34 per cent of free apps generated some type of in-app revenue.

across 9Sync devices

8 Child friendly?

The most common place to find in-app purchases are in child-orientated games. Many of the big franchises that have arrived on the Android OS, including the likes of The Simpsons, have a wealth of in-app purchases to entice players to part with their pocket money.

12

Many people are under the illusion that in-app purchases solely happen with many of the games on the Google Play store. However, apps like Adaptxt originally are a free download, but you can then purchase additional dictionaries for a small price.

4Record profits

10Avoid costly bills

As long as you use the same Google account across multiple devices, then you should have no problem accessing all your in-app purchases across all devices. Some games can be temperamental in recognising purchases made on another device, so be careful what you purchase.

3Not just games

things you need to know about...

In-app purchases

7In the news

In-app purchases have never been favoured very well in the news and most of the time we see cases where children have accidentally purchased multiple in-app purchases while putting together an astronomical bill. Should more be done to control in-app purchases?

5The price isn’t right

Many of the micro transactions you come across within apps can cost just a few pounds, but many apps offer in-app purchases in the hundreds. Apps like Co-Pilot offer additional maps for their GPS software for a very costly sum.

6Android vs iOS

It isn’t just Android apps who are big on in-app purchases, a recent survey conducted by Verizon showed that 72% of all app revenue on iOS phones and tablets was generated by in-app purchases.

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Play store picks Our favourites from the Play store this month A Game of Thrones George RR Martin

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• 1.7Ghz quad-core • IP55 & 57 rated • 5” HD Super SONY XPERIA SAMSUNG GALAXY processor Android Z phone AMOLED display • 4.7” display • Quad-core • 13mp cameraS4 SONY SONY SONY XPERIA XPERIA XPERIA Z ZZ SAMSUNG SAMSUNG SAMSUNG GALAXY GALAXY GALAXY HTC HTC ONE ONEONE HTC ONE XPERIA Zprocessor SAMSUNG HTC ONE • Unique Ultra-Pixel • GALAXY 16/32/64GB SONY XPERIA Z SAMSUNG GALAXYSONY HTC S4 S4 S4 camera • 5” full HD display memory S4 options S4 • Dual frontal stereo • 13mp camera • MicroSD Memory • 1.7Ghz quad-core •• IP55 & 57 rated • 5” HD Super speakers PlayStation card slot processor Android AMOLED display • •32GB internal & certifi ed phone • Dual camera and quad-core • IP55 57 rated •• 5” Super • •1.7Ghz • 4.7” 1.7Ghz •1.7Ghz 1.7Ghz quad-core quad-core • & • IP55 IP55 • Quad-core IP55 &&& 57 & 57 rated 57 rated rated 5” •• HD 5” •13mp HD HD Super HD Super Super • quad-core 1.7Ghz quad-core •IP55 57 rated •5” 5” HD Super display • camera • 1.7Ghz quad-core • IP55 & 57 rated • 5” HD Super 25GB cloud storage •phone FREE speaker video display call mode processor Android AMOLED processor processor processor processor Android phone Android Android Android phone phone phone AMOLED display AMOLED AMOLED AMOLED display display display • Unique Ultra-Pixel processor • 16/32/64GB processor Android •Metal display body, just • Quad-core AMOLED display worth £65phone with • 13mp camera Eye tracking for smart •display 4.7” display •13mp 13mp camera • •4.7” • camera •4.7” 4.7” display 4.7” display • •Quad-core • Quad-core • 5” Quad-core • 13mp •• 13mp •memory camera camera camera •Quad-core full HD display options •9.3mm Unique Ultra-Pixel processor • 16/32/64GB thick all pre-orders scrolling & pausing •• 4.7” display • Quad-core • 13mp camera • Unique Ultra-Pixel processor • 16/32/64GB • Dual • Unique Unique Ultra-Pixel Ultra-Pixel Ultra-Pixel processor processor • 16/32/64GB •• 16/32/64GB •MicroSD 16/32/64GB •Unique frontal stereo •processor 13mp camera Memory camera • 5” full• HD display memory options camera 5” full HD display memory options • Unique Ultra-Pixel processor • memory 16/32/64GB camera camera • 5” •camera 5” •full 5” full HD full HD display HD display display memory memory options options options •camera Dual frontal stereo • 13mp • MicroSD Memory speakers • PlayStation card slot • £510 Dual frontal stereo • 13mp camera • MicroSD Memory £580 camera £498 • 5” full HD display memory options • •Dual • 32GB •speakers Dual frontal Dual frontal frontal stereo stereo stereo • 13mp • 13mp • 13mp camera camera camera • • • MicroSD MicroSD MicroSD Memory Memory Memory • PlayStation card slot internal & certified • Dual camera and speakers • PlayStation card slot • Dual frontal stereo 13mp camera • card MicroSD Memory speakers speakers • PlayStation • PlayStation •• PlayStation card card slot slot slot •speakers 32GB & certifi ed • Dual camera and 25GB cloud storage •internal 32GB internal & • FREE certifi ed speaker video call modeand • Dual camera • PlayStation card slot • speakers • 32GB •25GB 32GB 32GB internal internal internal & & & certifi certifi certifi ed eded • • • Dual Dual Dual camera camera camera and and and cloud storage • FREE speaker video call mode 25GB • FREE speaker call for mode • Metal body, justcloud storage worth £65 with • Eyevideo tracking smart •25GB Metal body, just worth with • Eye tracking for smart 25GB 25GB cloud cloud cloud storage storage storage • FREE •£65 FREE • FREE speaker speaker speaker • 32GB internal &body, certifi ed video video call call mode call mode mode • video Dual camera and •thick Metal just worth £65 with • Eye tracking for smart 9.3mm all pre-orders scrolling & pausing 9.3mm thick all pre-orders scrolling & pausing • 25GB • Metal • Metal Metal body, body, body, just just just worth worth worth £65 £65 £65 with with with • Eye • Eye • tracking Eye tracking tracking for for smart smart cloud storage • pre-orders FREE speaker video callfor mode 9.3mm thick all scrolling &smart pausing 9.3mm 9.3mm 9.3mm thick thick thick all all pre-orders all pre-orders pre-orders scrolling scrolling scrolling && pausing & pausing pausing • Metal body, just worth £65 • Eye tracking for smart £580 £510 £580 £510 £498 with £498 £580 £510 £498 9.3mm thick all pre-orders scrolling & pausing

HTC ONE

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

TC ONE

£510 £510 £510

£510

01202 552936

£580 £580 £580

£580

SONY XPERIA Z

£498 £498 £498

£498

WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK

All prices include VAT, but exclude delivery. Prices are correct at time of going to press. Website price always applies. Errors and omissions should be excepted.

01202 552936 01202 552936 WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK 01202 552936 WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK 01202 01202 01202 552936 552936 552936 WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK WWW.CLOVE.CO.UK All prices include VAT, but exclude delivery. Prices are correct at time of going to press. Website price always applies. Errors and omissions should be excepted. All prices include VAT, but exclude delivery. Prices are correct at time of going to press. Website price always applies. Errors and omissions should be excepted.

All prices include VAT, but exclude delivery. Prices are correct at time of going to press. Website price always applies. Errors and omissions should be excepted.

All All prices prices All prices include include include VAT, VAT, but VAT, but exclude but exclude exclude delivery. delivery. delivery. Prices Prices Prices areare correct are correct correct at time at time atoftime going of going of to going press. to press. to press. Website Website Website price price always price always always applies. applies. applies. Errors Errors Errors andand omissions and omissions omissions should should should be excepted. be excepted. be excepted.

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Messages Inside Android Magazine’s virtual mailbag

Letter of the

month

Tough call: which one will you choose?

Samsung or HTC? I was interested in reading your comments about the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in your latest issue (24). I’ve been due for an upgrade for the last couple of months and these are the two devices that I’ll probably be choosing between. I know you haven’t reviewed the S4 properly yet, but would it be fair to say you’re favouring the HTC in general? I detected a positive if slightly ambivalent attitude towards the S4, while your review of the One was rather gushing in its praise. As a manufacturer-agnostic buyer – I’ve owned HTC, Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry and Motorola in the past – was your attitude based on the devices specifically, or on the brands? It seems to me that the S4 ticks all the boxes in terms of features and future proofing. It will be an expensive purchase and will need to see me through the next two years. I’m not sure your review of the HTC One reflected that, especially in the way you brushed off the importance of having a micro SD card slot or replaceable battery. Much of your praise seemed to be based around the look of the

Are all chargers the same? I hope you don’t mind answering a rather basic question to a relatively non-technical reader. We have a Nexus 4, a Nexus 7 and a Nexus 10. So far, we have been very careful to use the separate chargers provided to charge the phone and the tablets. However, the three plugs appear to be rather similar, if not identical. Can we use them interchangeably? Perhaps I should add that on the Amazon marketplace, there is a ‘Google Nexus 7/10 Tablet/Google Nexus 4 – 12v Car Charger Micro USB’. But the experience of the purchasers seemed to be rather mixed, to put it mildly. C Lim We say: It may sound like a basic question, but it does not have quite

16

device. I don’t doubt for a second that it is better designed and built than the S4 is, but as someone who puts their phone in a case right from day one that’s not really a major consideration for me. Stephen Barnaby We say: The HTC One is the best Android phone we’ve seen, and in many key respects surpasses all other Android devices, and most non-Android ones too. We take your point about putting the phone in a case, although that doesn’t alter the fact that the One feels like a truly premium device – you know exactly where your money has gone the moment you pick it up. And we do like the fact that HTC is willing to do things differently, at a time when so many of the devices we see are almost identical to each other. None of which should knock down the S4, which is a tremendous update to a phone that was certainly our favourite of last year, and will no doubt continue its juggernaut-like progress, destroying everything in its path.

such a basic answer. Each of the chargers uses a micro USB connector, so in that sense they are interchangeable. However tablets generally require a 2amp charger and those for phones may have a lower output, so while they may charge the tablet, they do so much slower. Conversely using the 2A charger on the phone will charge it faster, although it may in the long term lead to greater wear on the battery. We tend to view the potential downsides as being offset by the convenience of a single charger, but you may prefer to keep them separate. One final point: we have found the Nexus 7 to be somewhat picky about which charging units it works with – some don’t register at all.

Tutorial confusion 1. Page 30 (issue 23). I have a

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet, and also the ES File Explorer. Nowhere can I see a tutorial in this app, nor even a Help file. In fact almost all the suggestions in the article do not appear to apply to the app that I have with that name. Why is this? 2. Page 32 (issue 23). Not long after buying this tablet there was an Android update, which I assumed was Jelly Bean. Your text expansion tutorial is for 4.2. My device settings tell me I have 4.1.2 and that it is the latest update. Why, then, can I not find a dictionary in the Language settings? Nor any predictive text unless I use the handwriting to print feature with the S pen. Nor any auto correct. It seems to me, after using Windows OS for 16 years, that there are just too many versions of Android

and that a tutorial like yours is talking only to a few users at a time. The first two tutorials in the mag are no use to me, so I haven’t yet explored the others which appear to be only for phones. So many apps I have tried appear to be designed mainly with geeks in mind, as finding out how they work takes ages: there are very few icons with meaningful symbols! ES File Explorer is one of them – no help file, no tutorial, no clear folder hierarchy etc, at least on the one I have on my tablet. The app named My Files seems the only one that is logically designed. Before buying, I suspected that Android tablets are mainly toys, rather than serious computers, designed for emails and social networking and downloading songs. I think I was right and am beginning to regret shelling out a load of money for a plaything. They

Get in touch!

Send us your thoughts on all things Android

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[email protected] Got questions or comments? Drop us an email and let us know

Pro-quality music apps are still quite scarce on Android

may be fun to play with, but as for any meaningful work they appear to be almost useless. I have seen accolades for Polaris Office, but I find it almost impossible to use. Give me Word any time! Am I alone with these thoughts? A Phillips We say: In response to your first question the tutorial appears briefly

TRENDING Let us know your thoughts on these hot topics • Which keyboard app do you use? • What do you think of Key Lime Pie? • S4 or HTC One? • What are your must-have tablet apps? Get in touch! [email protected]

when you first open the app. We’re not sure why the other parts of the tutorial don’t apply to the version of ES File Explorer you have, as the app should be the same whether it is installed on a phone or a tablet. As for your second point, 4.2 is not the same as 4.1.2. Even though this appears to be a version behind it is true that this is the latest update. Android OS updates are provided by the manufacturer, so you have to wait for Samsung to provide an update, and at the time of writing they have not done so for 4.2. Most of our tutorials can be done on any fairly recent device, phone or tablet. However, due to the manufacturer customisations, some of the menus, labels and icons may look slightly different from one device to the next.

No pro music apps? I’ve recently become an Android convert, thanks to my family buying me a tablet following a serious road accident.

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While the Android OS is very fast, and the range and quality of apps and games is exceptional, there is one area sadly lacking on the platform – professional music production. I am a semi-professional musician and my injuries have left me unable to use my studio or play with my band. I was hoping that my new tablet would allow me to work with professional software such as sequencers, drum machines and virtual instruments. But after extensive research, I’ve found that these don’t exist for Android at the moment. The iPad has a wide range of professional music software (and hardware) and is increasingly used in studio and live environments. I can see no reason why Android devices cannot be used for this. Yet music software developers seem to be ignoring the platform. I don’t want to have to pay several hundred pounds for a tablet, plus the added cost of the software, to create and play my music when I already have a device here which cost just a couple of hundred pounds and is easily as capable as the iPad. Michael McGreevy We say: It’s true there’s a lack of high-quality music apps for Android when compared to iOS – some might say professional apps in general are lacking. For audio apps specifically the main problems have been latency, which makes real-time audio input a real problem (and for which there is a solution from Sonoma Wire Works now available to manufacturers), as well as the simple fact that such a large range of devices has made it more difficult for accessory manufacturers to work with. The best long-term bet looks like FL Studio Mobile (see www.image-line.com/ documents/android.html for a demo) which will hopefully be out this year. In the meantime, we’d recommend Audiotool Sketch and Caustic 2 as market-leading audio apps worth a look.

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The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. © Imagine Publishing Ltd 2013 ISSN 2047-1580

17

Feature

»Galaxy S4 face-off

GALAXY S4 ULTIMATE FACE-OFF The three biggest phones of the year go head-to-head

T

he Samsung Galaxy S4 is the most hotly anticipated phone of the year. As the new flagship from Android’s biggest manufacturer, and the follow up to the best selling Android device ever, it looks set to shatter all records yet again. We put the S4 up against the other big two devices of the year so far, the HTC One and the Sony Xperia Z to find

18

out which comes out on top of the class. The three handsets all share the same basic specs, yet take completely different approaches to design, usability and functionality. All have their own unique characteristics, and all are incredibly powerful mobile devices. So where should your money go? Read on to find out.

Feature

»Galaxy S4 face-off

Samsung Galaxy S4 Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.9 GHz

HTC One

Sony Xperia Z

Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7 GHz Krait

Qualcomm quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait

Memory

2GB RAM, 16/32/64GB internal storage

2GB RAM, 32/64GB internal storage

2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage

Camera

13-MP rear, 2-MP front, 1080p video recording

4-MP rear (ultrapixels), 2.1-MP front, 1080p video recording

13.1-MP rear, 2.2-MP front, 1080p video recording

Platform

Android 4.2.2

Android 4.1

Android 4.1

Resolution

Five-inch, Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 1080 x 1,920 pixels

4.7-inch, Super LCD3 capacitive touchscreen, 1080 x 1,920 pixels

Five-inch, TFT capacitive touchscreen, 1080 x 1,920 pixels

Weight

130g

143g

146g

Dimensions

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm

137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm

139 x 71 x 7.9 mm

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HDSPA, 42.2Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76Mbps

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA+ LTE, 50 Mpbs UL, 100 Mbps DL

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, HDSPA, 42Mbps; HSUPA, 5.8Mbps

Expansion slot

micro SD up to 64GB

None

micro SD up to 64GB

Battery

2600mAh

2300mAh

2330mAh

Design and build T he Galaxy S4, HTC One and Xperia Z are roughly comparable in size, but their differences in design make them feel completely different in the hand. With its hard angles the Xperia certainly feels the largest and fits in the hand less comfortably than the others. It’s not an unattractive design from a purely aesthetic sense, its monolithic appearance giving it a cool, imposing look, but if you’ve got smaller hands especially, then you will notice its size. The S4 introduces more curves – not quite as exaggerated as they were on the S III – and is extremely thin and light and feels a natural fit to the hand. With a smaller bezel the screen absolutely dominates the device, and this reduces the overall importance of the design of the S4. Given that it is best described as functional rather than premium this is no bad thing. Conversely the One is almost all about the design. It is beautiful, it is high-end and it is unique. It’s a device that illustrates how much importance HTC puts on design and stands head and shoulders above its rivals. The same applies to the build quality. The One has been carved from a single block of aluminium and is virtually flawless where the external parts fit together. It feels rock solid as a result. Both the Z and S4 are predominantly plastic (and glass) products. It isn’t a given that plastic is automatically worse than metal, so long as the right plastics are used. Of the two the S4 has the lightest and flimsiest (and cheapest) feel, not befitting the most expensive smartphone on the market. But design is not all about

appearance. We’d say that integrating an IR port into the power button of the One is clever design, but positioning it in the difficult to reach top-left corner of the device isn’t, especially when it is the only button

“A device that illustrates how much importance HTC puts on design… head and shoulders above its rivals”

Samsung Galaxy S4 What’s good •Physical home button makes phone easy to unlock •Removable backplate lets you change the battery What’s bad •The plastic casing does not feel premium •Aesthetically unimpressive

HTC One What’s good •Looks beautiful •Extremely high-end build quality is unrivalled What’s bad •Power button is poorly placed •No menu button causes •issues in a few apps

that can wake the phone. The Z places the power button midway down the right-hand edge, as does the S4, which also has a physical home button. It may not look as tidy as the other devices, but it makes it a heck of a lot more accessible. The S4’s build is typically plasticky, and no match for the HTC One

Sony Xperia Z What’s good •Buttonless front fully supports modern Android UI •Sealed ports make device splashproof What’s bad •Angular design makes it feel uncomfortably large •Styling somewhat bland

Verdict The S4 lives up to Samsung’s reputation for utilitarian design. The HTC One is in a class of its own, the product of true craftsmanship.

19

Feature

»Galaxy S4 face-off

Hardware and features A s you’d expect all three devices conform to the basic required specs of a flagship 2013 smartphone: fast quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 4G connectivity and 1080p display. The S4 is also available in some markets in a 4G-less octa-core version. Perhaps surprisingly the screen on the Xperia Z is the weakest of the three, displaying washed out blacks and limited viewing angles. We didn’t find it to be too much of an issue when watching videos, but when viewing photos or playing some games the limitations were evident. The S4 and One use differing screen technologies but impress in equal measure, with bright and vibrant colours and strong contrast. Due to its slightly smaller screen (4.7-inch compared to five) the One has a higher pixel density but at this level it is not discernible. Because of the similarities in basic features you have to look deeper to find the important differences, and also to see where the manufacturers’ priorities lie. The Xperia is water and dust proof, giving it a toughness in everyday use that you don’t get from the others. The One sports a set of stereo speakers on the front that produce the loudest and highest quality sound output we’ve ever heard from a phone. It also has an infrared port to control your TV, and is very useful. The S4 also has this port, along

with a remarkable nine sensors that enable features such as eye and motion gestures, as well as a suite of health apps with accessories. For the main camera the S4 and Xperia Z both use 13 megapixel sensors, and the HTC One four megapixels – or ultrapixels as the company calls them. The cameras are generally on a par. The 13-MP shots inevitably contain far more detail than the HTC can produce in good light, but drop off in performance in lower light. We’re not convinced by HTC’s argument that fewer, bigger pixels is better, but the wider aperture and image stabilisation does mean it takes the best images in low light conditions. But on the whole we’d say the S4 edges it as an all-rounder, especially with the help of its fantastic feature-packed software.

HTC One What’s good •Front speakers are immense •Low light photo quality impresses What’s bad •No expandable memory •Photos lower res and lack detail

Sony Xperia Z What’s good •Reassuringly tough in most conditions •Camera quality reliably good What’s bad •Few imaginative extras •Slowest processor of the group

Verdict

Galaxy S4 camera on test T

20

What’s good •Excellent camera quality, especially in good light •Stunning screen What’s bad •Gesture support can be gimmicky

Samsung’s new flagship device contains a kitchen sink load of exciting features

“A remarkable nine sensors that enable features such as eye and motion gestures”

he camera on the Galaxy S4 contains an unparalleled number of additional features to take you beyond mere snapshots. The camera app has been largely brought over from the Galaxy Camera, so has a real intuitiveness, and also reduces the number of third-party camera tools you would normally use to augment it. As with the rest of Samsung’s software the features range from gimmicky to essential. Ironically the ones Samsung has given most publicity are in the former camp – Dual Shot, where you can use the front and rear cameras at the same time, is pure cheese, and the Sound and Shot function is of limited value. Eraser mode, which removes photo bombers, is great, however, as is Drama Shot.

Samsung Galaxy S4

The S4 packs in much more than Sony manages, while HTC’s ultrapixel camera seems like an unnecessary, and not wholly justified, risk.

Drama Shot

Eraser

Dual Shot

Takes a burst of shots then composites them together to show the movement of people or objects in the same shot. Works pretty well, depending on how busy your background is.

Gives you the tools to remove someone who steps into your shot. It does work, but needs to be enabled separately, so unless you’re expecting an intruder is unlikely to be used.

Add your own face, shot via the front camera, to other photos you’re taking. It’s cheesy and gimmicky and likely to be of ironic value only. Or maybe we’re just too old for these things.

Feature

Galaxy S4 face-off«

Processor & graphics

Sony Xperia Z What’s good •Handles apps and games with ease •Power saving features extend battery life What’s bad •Can be laggy when scrolling Gets warm under heavy use

Verdict Samsung clearly went all out on performance with the S4 and it shows. This is a blazingly fast smartphone that has no obvious rival.

Browser

GLBenchmark

4517

19780

23212

What’s good •Very fast and smooth for all tasks •Audio quality is fantastic What’s bad •Gets warm under heavy use •Battery is not replaceable

GPU

AnTuTu

25368

ur benchmark tests showed the Galaxy S4 to be ahead of both other devices in the areas of processor and graphics, with it being comfortably the best for graphical performance. The Z, with its processor clocked at a slower speed, was inevitably less impressive in this regard. However, in our third test, using the Vellamo benchmark for HTML5 performance, the HTC One came out on top with the S4 and Z almost level behind it. By and large the tests backed up our real world experiences, with the S4 feeling the most powerful and the Z the least.

HTC One

Samsung Galaxy S4

HTC One

Vellamo

Sony Xperia Z

2172

Performance tests O

What’s good •The fastest phone currently available •Battery life is astoundingly good What’s bad •Still occasionally slower than you’d expect •TouchWiz skin is very heavy

2385

Galaxy experience. It is by far the biggest and heaviest of the skins, and noticeably so. Despite the extreme power the S4 has at its disposal you do still very occasionally find that relatively simple things still take fractionally longer than you’d expect them to. This is presumably down to the sheer amount of stuff that the S4 has going on – when you’re focused on one power hungry task, such as 3D gaming, the device absolutely flies. The other two phones have much lighter skins yet produced different results in general use. The Xperia was surprisingly laggy at times. By no means a slouch, but simple things like transitions and scrolling were never as smooth as they should be. Further optimisations in future updates could fix this. The One had no such troubles, and its perceived speed was as impressive as the S4’s. It’s also worth noting that under heavy use the Xperia Z and One both got much hotter than the S4 did. The other major consideration for performance is battery life. Here there was a marked difference between the three. The Galaxy S4 lasts for comfortably a day, and into a second, as good as you’ll get outside of a phablet or a battery life-centric phone (such as select models from Motorola). In second place HTC, and third Sony. Both could also get through a day, but you will need to manage them more. With the S4 you can pretty much ignore the battery altogether.

Samsung Galaxy S4

2126

As far as battery levels go, the S4 is a run-away success

“With the S4 you can pretty much ignore the battery altogether”

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iven that our three phones are all powered by fast quad-core processors: 1.5GHz for the Xperia Z, 1.7GHz for the HTC One, and 1.9GHz for the Galaxy S4, it is safe to say that performance on the whole would never be an issue for any of them. It’s also a logical assumption that the faster CPU would deliver better results in benchmark tests and that was also the case, although the HTC One was not far behind. That said each device does have its own manufacturer skin to deal with, which does introduce an important variable in real world use. Samsung’s TouchWiz interface is an integral part of the

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Performance G

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Feature

»Galaxy S4 face-off

Gestures: genius or gimmick? The best and worst of the S4’s touchless controls The S4 supports a number of gestures that enable you to control the phone without touching it. Some have more practical use than others, and some we struggled to even get working, as you’ll find out below.

Air View What it is: Hover your finger over an email, date or picture and a little window shows a preview. Does it work: Yes. It is most useful in productivity apps, rather than things like the gallery. Air Gestures What it is: Swiping your hand above the screen has the same effect as swiping the screen. Does it work: For some functions like answering a call, yes. However the system was frequently too sensitive.

Software S amsung’s software for the S4 is by far the most comprehensive, but also the least well considered. Sony’s software is predominantly about integrating the Xperia Z with other Sony products and services. If you’re a fully committed Sony fan this is great; if not, you won’t find too much use for lots of it. A case in point: the Xperia Z can function as a DLNA remote control for certain Sony TVs, while the S4 and One can be used as infrared remotes for any TV. Nonetheless the Z is at least lean and fast and subtly stylish, keeping reasonably close to what native Android looks like. The One runs Sense 5 and has also been stripped right back from its previously bloated incarnations. It has two main features of differing levels of value. BlinkFeed is a new type of home screen that puts news and social network updates right under your nose whenever you turn on your phone. It’s useful to an extent, but we preferred the more traditional home screen, and quickly set BlinkFeed to a secondary screen. The other app is Zoe movies. This collates photos and videos taken at the same time and same place into a nicely edited movie. It requires no user input and actually succeeds in

getting you to shoot more video than you probably ever have done before. But while Sony and HTC are stripping back their software, Samsung is adding even more apps to TouchWiz. There’s the usual collection of S-branded apps: S Planner, S Voice, the new S Translate – which mostly have parity with or are slightly worse than their Google equivalents. There’s a whole host of touchless controls, ranging from the useful (answer a call and put it straight to speakerphone by wafting your hand over the screen), to the intriguing (get a preview of emails by hovering your finger over them in your inbox), to the pointless (videos pause when you look away from the screen – although we couldn’t get it to work, and are not sure we want our videos to pause whenever we glance away). The camera is impressively rammed with features, and there are also lots of tricks to work with other Samsung kit. We haven’t been able to test these, and chances are you won’t either unless you own the right Samsung TV or have lots of S4 toting friends knocking around. There’s certain to be something you like, as well as lots you never use (and probably a few things you won’t even find). We just wish we could get rid of the bits we don’t want.

The best S4 apps

Samsung Galaxy S4 What’s good •The camera is packed with some useful features •Some innovation on controlling a phone What’s bad •Some gestures are gimmicky •Too much extra software over complicates the experience

HTC One What’s good •Zoe movies brings new life to the video camera •Very easy to use UI What’s bad •BlinkFeed won’t be everyone’s ideal home screen •Some default settings are not perfect

Sony Xperia Z What’s good •The skin is very lightweight •Lack of bloat keeps things easy to use What’s bad •Too much focus on Sony products •Camera app trails the other devices

Verdict The devices all have a different approach to software. HTC has the most well thought out, but the S4 has something for everyone.

Smart Scroll What it is: Scrolls a page based on the angle of your head or the way you tilt the phone. Does it work: Not consistently to be able to rely on. Finger scrolling still takes some beating. Smart Pause What it is: Detects your face when watching a video then pauses said video when you look away from the screen. Does it work: We mostly couldn’t get it to do anything, and when it did we forgot it had activated and checked back.

22

Samsung Hub S Health

S Translate

Music Player

Samsung’s very own integrated store for music, videos, games, books and educational resources. It is a great looking app, but most will prefer Google Play.

This app can give near real time translations, offline, for nine languages. It’s a niche tool best suited for download – not as good as Google’s own Translate app.

The revamped music player integrates with the Samsung Hub and also sports plenty of additional features from playlist support to the innovative Music Cube.

A suite of tools to take advantage of the burgeoning fitness market. The built-in, but not wholly accurate, pedometer tracks the number of steps you take.

Feature

»Galaxy S4 face-off

Upgrades and hackability F or many users a key issue when choosing a phone is how frequently (and how quickly) a phone will receive official updates, especially when a new version of the Android operating system is released. Also, for many there’s the question of how open a phone is to being rooted and modded, and how active the developer scene is for the handset. This is a difficult category to judge since we can only go on the past performance of the manufacturer and on the popularity of that manufacturer with developers. On the subject of updates all three have a reasonable record for updates. The S4 already runs the up-to-date

Samsung Galaxy S4

HTC One

What’s good •Should get several OS updates •Will get new TouchWiz features What’s bad •Updates may be slow to arrive

Verdict W

ith the S4, Samsung set out to make the fastest, most powerful and most feature-packed smartphone money can buy, and it succeeded. There has never been a smartphone that can do as much as this. Although there are no radical inventions or completely new ways of thinking in the S4, the device is an improvement on the S III in virtually every way – and that was the best selling Android phone of all time. It’s interesting to see just how far Android is being pushed into the background on the S4. The allenveloping TouchWiz UI has some Android elements but is a much more important part of the device than either of the skins that Sony or HTC

Android 4.2.2 so has no updates due, while the Xperia Z and HTC One are both due updates to this version at some point in the near future. All three should get the update to Key Lime Pie in due course, with past performance suggesting Samsung should win the race to the update, with Sony in second place. It’s unlikely to happen for any users until some time in Q3. In which case, many will want to take the unofficial update route. Here, again, you can expect Samsung to win out with more ROMs and mods, with HTC and Sony in second and third position respectively.

Sony Xperia Z What’s good •Should get full OS updates •Firmware updates will improve performance What’s bad •Unclear how many OS updates will be available •Updates can be slow to arrive

What’s good Should get full updates •Should What’s bad Lacks huge support from •Lacks developer community

Verdict We’d expect the S4 to have the best support for both official and unofficial updates.

The S4 may not be subtle, but it’s a truly powerful handset

attach. The inclusion of multiple S-branded apps as well as the Samsung Hub shows off just how powerful Samsung is, and possibly even hints at a time when the company might want to take more control over the platform it uses. Google Maps is the only stock Android app that Samsung is still reliant on. The sheer weight of features in the S4 does come at a cost. The phone lacks the simplicity in use of the Xperia Z or One, to such an extent that the UI comes with an Easy mode option for those that find it all a bit too much. But we suspect many won’t find it too much, though, and will concur with Samsung’s evident view that more is most definitely better.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

HTC ONE

We do prefer the HTC One for the attention to detail shown in its design and build, and we also admire its more refined approach to software. The Xperia Z is a very solid all-rounder yet even after such a short space of time is starting to look a little old. Ironically, though, it has the feature that may prove most influential in the long-term – the semi-ruggedised build gives you more confidence in handling the phone than you get from the precious HTC One. But the S4 wins out in all the most important areas. It is more powerful, it does do more and, crucially, it does it without impacting on battery life. For these reasons it is the most compelling phone on the market now. SONY XPERIA Z

Design & Build Hardware & Features Performance Software Hackability

And the winner is... Samsung Galaxy S4

The follow up to the biggest selling Android smartphone is every bit the juggernaut that we expected. Get past a cluttered UI and disappointing build and you get a lightning-fast, ultra-powerful and feature-packed device

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Key Lime Pie

»Get ready for the new OS

Get ready for Key Lime Pie

Prepare your phone for the latest update to the Android operating system

W

ith every passing update Google looks to continually bring the biggest and best features to your phone or tablet. Key Lime Pie is no exception to this rule and we happily welcome in a new era for the Android platform. With some Android devices soon to get a software overhaul then, we’ve put together some invaluable information regarding what you can do to prepare your phone for the Key Lime Pie update.

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We’ll first show you the lucky smartphones that we reckon Key Lime Pie will hit first, as well as identify the phones that will probably require some hacking to get you the Key Lime Pie experience when it comes out. You will also find some essential tips on making sure your phone is as ready for the latest update as it possibly could be and we’ve even chucked in a complete guide to the newly designed Google Play store app too. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

»Get ready for the new OS

Which devices will get the Key Lime Pie update?

We round up which devices are likely to get treated to Google’s shiny new OS

L

et’s face it, the Android operating system is fragmented over hundreds of devices. Be it phones or tablets, many devices are often left on older versions of Android and many have yet to see the Android 4.1 update, despite it being out for over a year now.

But after plenty of research we’ve put together a list of the devices we reckon will see the Key Lime Pie update first, ones that we think will get it down the line and some of the devices we expect you’ll need to hack to get your slice of the Key Lime Pie experience. If your device isn’t there, you’ll find out soon enough.

Definitely getting KLP Samsung Galaxy Note II

Asus Nexus 7

HTC One

Samsung Galaxy S4

Sony Xperia Z

Samsung Galaxy S III

Maybe getting KLP Acer Iconia Tab A500

HTC One SV

Motorola RAZR HD

Sony Xperia T

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

HTC One S

Samsung Galaxy Note

Hack only Sony Xperia S

LG Optimus 2X

Samsung Galaxy S2

Huawei Ascend P1

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

HTC Sensation XE

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2

Sony Xperia Arc S Orange San Francisco II

ZTE Era

How to install an unofficial KLP ROM

Want to test out Key Lime Pie on your phone? Follow our guide to get started

C

ompanies like HTC and Samsung often bring out the latest updates to their devices months behind its official release, so why not turn to hacking your phone to get an unofficial KLP ROM in a couple of weeks, rather than having to wait for a couple of months. Follow this guide to get the Key Lime Pie update on your rooted Android device.

1

You’ll need to have rooted and unlocked your phone first; this method differs for every phone and tablet.

2

Locate a KLP ROM to use. xda-developers.com is a good place to start. Be sure to check the installation instructions before you begin. Download the ROM and any other required files and copy it to your SD card.

3

Download the free ROM Manager app from the Google Play store. Open it

Fig 3

(Fig 3) and click the Flash ClockworkMod Recovery button and follow the instructions.

4

Download the Titanium Backup app from Google Play and use it to back up your phone’s apps and data.

5

Fig 7 In ROM Manager click Backup Current ROM and follow the instructions.

6

When the phone reboots open ROM Manager again. Click Install ROM from SD Card then select the ROM (Fig 6) you are installing.

7

When prompted tick the two buttons to wipe the caches (Fig 7). Now wait patiently for the ROM to install.

8

When finished you can now get your first taste of the Key Lime Pie OS. Set up your Google account, restore your Titanium Backup data and reinstall your apps.

9

Open ROM Manager up again and select Manage and Restore Backups. Choose the backup you made in step 5 and tap Restore Fig 9 (Fig 9).

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Key Lime Pie

»Get ready for the new OS

Prepare your phone for Key Lime Pie Make sure your phone is ready for the latest OS update with these tips and tricks Perform a malware scan

Remove duplicate contacts

Before the Key Lime Pie update hits your device, it’s important you first make sure that your phone is clear of all viruses and malware that can harm it. Google Play has a host of antivirus apps for you to download and one of the best is AVG Antivirus which can be downloaded for free. The app does a full scan of your phone to identify potentially malicious files which can then be removed from your phone completely.

Whether you’re setting up a new phone from scratch or installing an OS update, one of the annoying problems faced by many is dealing with duplicate contacts. When your phone attempts to connect to your Facebook and Twitter accounts, it can create multiple accounts for the same contact. Open up the People app on your phone and manually go through your contacts to make sure that the same person doesn’t appear more than once.

Clean up your SD card

Installing the update

Consider the cloud

There’s no doubt that with the new update on your phone you’ll want to be adding lots of new content. With this in mind, you might want to consider venturing in to your SD card and deleting some of the old and unwanted files on there. This means you can save your newly downloaded files to your SD card instead of taking up your phone’s precious internal storage.

You’ll find that the update can reach your phone in a number of ways. For most it will appear as a system update that simply requires you to press the Install button. If you have a Samsung device, the update will appear via Kies.

Before we discuss backing up your files, use Google Drive, Dropbox or Mozy to back up your larger media files. Mozy is great for storing movies.

Back up your data Creating a backup of your data is vital before installing a new update. It can be a reassurance knowing all your apps, files and contact details are safe if something goes wrong. There’s no limit to how much you can back up and apps like MyBackup put you in full control of the files you choose to back up and the ones you don’t mind losing. The backup process can take a while to complete and mean you won’t be able to use your phone while it’s doing it, so keep that in mind before starting.

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Clear your cache By cleaning your phone’s cache you can help give your phone a bit of a speed boost when the new update has been installed. The best app for this is App Cache Cleaner Pro, which will thoroughly examine your device to free up some space.

Organise files If your phone is cluttered, be sure to download the File Manager app and put all your loose files in their correct place. After installing the new update, you may find that some loose files will be deleted, but by placing them in a folder they should stay safe.

Restore your data With the new update on your device, it’s time to restore your data that you backed up previously. The process is simple enough, but just like the backing up process, it can take a considerable amount of time to finish. Once the restoring process has finished, you’ll have all your data available to you and the KLP update to explore as well.

Install these applications With the KLP update ready to go, you might consider installing a few apps. If your phone doesn’t come with it as standard, you should definitely download the Google Chrome app. Alongside Chrome, check out the Skype app if you haven’t already. The final app to download is SwiftKey Flow, which is a superb substitute if you dislike the stock keyboard.

Key Lime Pie

»Get ready for the new OS

Get to know the redesigned Google Play app Get inside the workings of the new Play store app and its incremental, but impressive, changes

T

he Google Play store is the hub for all the content you could possibly want to add to your phone or tablet. At its heart are over 700,000 apps all vying for you to part with some storage on your device and try them out. Over the past couple of years, Google has implemented various sections to its Play store empire and now contains dedicated hubs for magazines, films and music. Google has recently started rolling out the latest update to the Google Play store app, with the aim to make it easier to use and give you even quicker access to the content you want to enjoy. Although there isn’t a whole array of new features to take a look at, there’s a whole bunch of design tweaks you’ll want to check out right away!

Previews A new section to the Google Play store is being able to get previews of certain books, movies and magazines available straight from the home page. Google looked to include a similar feature in previous updates and regularly updated the content that was included.

More information As you scroll through the home page, the one thing you’ll notice is that Google has implemented a lot more compared to previous updates. You’ll find pricing information for everything that’s included and it’s even easier to access the content you want to see.

Toolbar The toolbar that lines the top of the app is pretty much the same as it was in previous versions. You can search for a specific file using the magnifying glass, check your downloads via the arrow icon and also find more details about your account through the menu button.

Recommendations

Categories Each category of the Google Play store now has a new bar to represent it. This time around there’s also a dedicated games section for you to explore. Simply press on any of the tabs to be taken to that specific category’s main hub on the Play store.

Google does a good job at offering its users a new selection of recommended files on a weekly basis. The layout is slightly different in this update, with Google displaying the thumbnails for its recommendations and a See More button where you can see other items that are recommended.

Category system

Preview page

Scrolling

Install

Each section of the Play store has been changed to display its content differently. The Magazine section contains a thumbnail of each magazine that opens up each issue’s preview page. You can also find pricing information for some magazines on this screen.

Although the preview page doesn’t contain many new features as such, it has been overhauled to make it easier to use. Previews of the application can be made full screen by selecting them, and you can press on the stars to leave your own rating for the file if you see fit.

Whether it’s apps, movies, music or magazines, Google has discovered quicker ways to find your content. You can now find the best content by scrolling through the various filters listed at the top of each page. Use the magnifying glass to search for a file.

When you’re looking at a specific list of apps, press on the menu button located to the right of each listing. This will open up a small menu from which you choose to add that app to your wishlist, or install it on to your device without needing to actually go in to the app’s page.

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Feature

»Rise of the phablets

phab.let [ ‘fablit ] noun

A class of supersized smartphone with screen sizes ranging from 5.1 inches to 6.9 inches. ORIGIN Ian Scales, TelecomTV.com, June 2010: blend of PHONE and TABLET

RISE OF THE PHABLETS Smaller than a tablet but bigger than a phone. Love them or hate them, phablets are here to stay

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Feature

»Rise of the phablets

The phablet range Our pick of the best phablets money can buy

D

espite phablets still being a fairly niche product within the smartphone market, that hasn’t stopped companies hoping to get the attention of some of the users for whom five inches is too small and seven inches is just too big. It’s still a sector that has largely been ignored by many of the big name Android manufacturers and instead it has fallen on the likes of the smaller manufacturers in Huawei, ZTE and Asus to carry on flying the phablet flag. Each phablet that has been announced or released has looked to capitalise on the flaws of using a phone or tablet as their main selling point. The

phablet’s larger screen can be a great addition if you enjoy a spot of web browsing or media viewing, while some come with their own stylus to facilitate drawing and text creation. On the other side you have the fact that a phablet still has the same functionality as a phone when it comes to making calls, albeit you may look a little strange, but the capabilities are still there. Below we’ve collected four of the biggest and most interesting phablets that have been, or will soon be available to users. Which one have you got your money on?

Samsung Galaxy Note II

ZTE Grand Memo

Dimensions: 151 x 80.5 x 9.4mm CPU: Exynos quad-core 1.6GHz Camera: Eight megapixels Battery: 3100 mAh Weight: 180g

Dimensions: 159.9 x 82.6 x 8.5mm CPU: Snapdragon quad-core 1.5GHz Camera: 13 megapixels Battery: 3200 mAh Weight: 198g

After the overwhelming success of the original Note, Samsung brought out a bigger, better and more rounded follow up device in the Galaxy Note II. It still comes with the Note’s trademark S Pen and not much has changed on the features side of things. It does however include a much beefier processor than before, a massive battery and a more sleek and refined design – even if the plastic chassis still remains.

By far the best feature of the Grand Memo is not its staggering size, but in fact the 13-MP camera that can be found on the rear of it. It also has the standard phablet features, as well as familiar tablet features. Its massive size means it could be a bit of a problem for you to use as a phone, but it’s thin enough to be held in one hand. At 198g the Grand Memo isn’t too heavy to hold in one hand for prolonged periods of time either.

S PEN COMES AS STANDARD

SUPER AMOLED SCREEN

SMART EYE TRACKING

GRAPHICS ACCELERATOR

DOLBY DIGITAL SOUND

FACE RECOGNITION

Samsung Galaxy Mega

LG Optimus VU II

Dimensions: 167.6 x 88 x 8mm CPU: Krait dual-core 1.7GHz Camera: Eight megapixels Battery: 3200 mAh Weight: 199g

Dimensions: 132.2 x 85.6 x 9.4mm CPU: Snapdragon dual-core 1.5Ghz Camera: Eight megapixels Battery: 2150 mAh Weight: 159g

Samsung Galaxy Mega looks like an enlarged Galaxy S III, but the new phablet, which comes with either a 5.8-inch or 6.3-inch screen, is aimed at people who find the Galaxy Note II just that bit too small. It comes with the latest crop of Samsung features, including Air View, Pop-up Play and it’ll even ship with Android 4.2. Despite its gargantuan size, the Galaxy Mega is a pretty light 199g, and is just 8mm slim.

There’s no denying that the VU II is an oddshaped phablet, ditching the rectangular look for a square one. It includes a metallic frame that surrounds the device, but its chassis is made entirely of plastic. Located on the top of the VU II is a stylus that can be used to control the phablet and take advantage of the stylus-orientated apps LG has included. On top of all of that, it’s going to be one of the first phablets to launch with 4G.

UP TO 64GB MICRO SD

AN IR REMOTE WITH WATCHON

STREAM PHOTOS BETWEEN DEVICES

UNIVERSAL REMOTE

NOISE CANCELLATION MIC

1080P VIDEO RECORDING

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Feature

»Rise of the phablets

Phablet v the rest Which device is the best choice for everyday life?

Phablets in the real world How do phablets stand up when they are used in everyday scenarios?

Making a call

Making a phone call

Sending a text

Read a book

Streaming a video

Taking a photo

Verdict 30

Phone

Phablet

Tablet

Making a simple phone call is the bread and butter of any phone. The smaller size means it’s a lot easier to hold to your head for a longer period of time.

Despite the phablet having full phone capabilities, holding a six-inch device can look silly. The larger screen also means you can press buttons you didn’t mean to.

Tablets aren’t designed for phone calls so there are few (the Asus Fonepad is one example) that even have the capability. We doubt it’ll catch on.

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

The smaller size of a phone means you’ll be able to text with a single finger and there are now plenty of third-party keyboard apps that users can download. Not ideal for bigger fingers though.

As well as being able to text with your fingers, the phablet has the added benefit of being able to use a stylus to make typing easier. With a bigger screen you can also be far more precise.

There are apps on Google Play that add full text capabilities to your tablet. The only problem with typing on a tab is that it’s definitely a two-handed job, and it therefore lacks functionality.

SECOND

FIRST

THIRD

Although you have plenty of choice when it comes to reading, the smaller screen might be a hindrance. It’s also difficult to read full pages – a problem you won’t have with a phone’s rivals.

With a bigger screen the phablet is a perfect solution if you want to read. It’s small enough to put away, but the screen is still big enough for you to view large quantities of text at one time.

Its larger frame means it’s a pain to use as a book substitute when you’re on the move, but text does look amazingly crisp and clear when you’re reading on the massive screen.

THIRD

SECOND

FIRST

Your phone can be used to stream video on, but the smaller screens won’t be up to scratch for many. Most phones include either a micro USB or micro HDMI port that can be used to connect to your TV.

If you’re keen on watching movies on the go, the size of a phablet is a great choice. Once again it might still be a little small, but the likes of the ZTE Grand Memo include full Dolby Digital sound.

Using a tablet to stream movies is a good choice if you’re lounging around your home as the screen size is perfect for being on a lap. You also have plenty of viewing options.

THIRD

FIRST

SECOND

Cameras are an area that have vastly improved, with manufacturers finally realising that users do want a decent phone camera. Most now include some great photo features.

Although cameras are often an overlooked feature on phablets, they’re very useable. Built-in styluses also have the addition of being able to perform really detailed photo editing.

Most tablets do come with some sort of camera, but using them is a different story altogether. The much larger size of a tablet means using it as a camera isn’t easy to do.

FIRST

SECOND

THIRD

Although it doesn’t necessarily excel in all areas, what the phablet does offer is a great middle ground for those who want the functionality of both a phone and tablet, while not having to compensate on the screen size and usability of their device. If you’ve got a decent budget, then a phablet is definitely a great alternative to both a phone and tablet

Holding a phablet to your head is like a throwback to the old days of mobile phones. A good solution would be to invest in a Bluetooth headset to make it look a little more bearable.

Put it in your pocket A common problem with the bigger phablets is that pockets tend to be a bit small to cater for them. Having to stretch your pocket to fit the phablet in will not just damage your trousers, but also damage your device.

Messaging The bigger screen means you can be far more precise with your typing and being able to use a stylus is also a good addition to have. But if you prefer typing with one hand, then you’ll probably find a phablet to be too big to use.

Feature

Rise of the phablets«

Master the S Pen

Do you own a Galaxy Note? If so, you’ll want to check out these invaluable tips for using the included S Pen stylus

T

he S Pen is a free stylus that ships with the Samsung Galaxy Note range of phablets. As well as being a great way of moving around your device, it also includes several features that make it more than an accessory. Take a look at the following tips and tricks that will help you discover new ways in which you can use Samsung’s very own stylus.

Find new exciting uses for the S Pen that ships with the Note 2

Home and menu shortcut

Never touch your phablet

Take a screenshot

Take a number

Quick Command menu

Adjust sensitivity

The S Pen is great for using shortcuts on your Note. With the S Pen in hand, drag from the top of the screen to the bottom to go to your home screen, and drag from the bottom to the top to access your app drawer.

If you’re in the middle of a phone call, but need to make a note of a number or jot down some directions, remove the S Pen from its holder to get the S Note app to appear automatically. The call won’t be affected and you’ll be able to jot down any details you need.

Cut out images

Cutting out certain areas of an image is easy using the S Pen. Simply hold the S Pen down on a particular part of an image and begin tracing the route you want to cut out. Once done you can paste it into an email or save it within the S Memo app.

The Note devices include AirView technology, which enables the user to control their device with the S Pen without needing to touch the screen. By hovering the S Pen just above the screen, you can control your device.

By pressing the button on the S Pen itself and then swiping upwards on the screen, the Quick Commands box will appear. On this menu, you can access different menus and apps stored on your device. You can also call a contact, send an email or go directly to a website. Press the back button to get rid of the menu once you’ve finished with it.

Press and hold down the S Pen button and tap and hold the S Pen directly on the screen of your Note. Soon you’ll hear the camera shutter go off and a screenshot will have been taken and saved.

If you want to take advantage of the different handwriting tools available to Galaxy Note users, make sure you open up the S Pen settings menu to alter the sensitivity. Having a high sensitivity can adversely make your writing look scruffy and shaky.

Add annotations

After saving images on your Note device, you can use the S Pen to leave annotations and notes on them for later reference. Once added, you can send them to your friends and family and there’s also an option to revert the image back to its original state.

Pop up notes

Press and hold the S Pen button on the side of the stylus and press anywhere on the Note’s screen. This will automatically bring up a blank page from the S Memo app on which you’ll be able to add a note or drawing and save it automatically. You can also add this note directly on to your home screen, if you so wish.

S Pen alert

One of the latest features included on the Note 2 creates an alarm to go off whenever you walk off without the S Pen attached to the device. Due to the size of the S Pen, this is a great way of making sure you don’t lose it.

A stylus is one of the great advantages of a phablet device

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Feature

»Rise of the phablets

Essential phablet apps Load up your phablet with these brilliant apps

Best for... Gaming Pen Pilot

Due to a phablet’s awkward screen size and the level of modification required to alter games to fit them, developers tend to solely focus on tablets and phones. With this in mind, there’s a distinct lack of games solely available for phablet users, but we’ve managed to track down one that does warrant a download. Pen Pilot is a cross between an action and puzzle game that sees you needing to guide a pilot through different obstacle courses. Each course has different targets you need to navigate and you control this by simply moving your finger or stylus. Although the 30 levels on offer won’t take you long to get through, there are also set times to beat. If you want more, then there’s also plenty of in-app purchases you can buy to add more levels and courses to this already brilliant game.

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Best for... Kids Little Picasso

Best for... Solving equations Math Pimp

Best for... Creating images LayerPaint

Best for... Photo editing Makeup

Little Picasso combines both a game and colouring aspects to create a fun and enjoyable experience for young children. They can choose to use a stylus or their finger to colour in different characters using the palette of colours available in the app and also learn about what they’re currently colouring in. Alongside the colouring aspect of things, Little Picasso also includes an engaging story with a variety of characters that your children can follow along with and learn about the world around us.

Use this clever application to calculate numeric, symbolic or geometric data and gather all the information in one easy-to-fathom place. The app’s annotation feature means others can send their work to you on which you can make changes by using a stylus. You’ll also find great cloud integration that enables you to send your finished equations and graphs straight to the cloud. For those on a Galaxy Note II there’s also a dedicated S Pen menu that helps provide an intuitive work flow.

Although it isn’t as thorough as Adobe Photoshop, Layer Paint provides a decent solution for those who want to create images on their phablet. By stacking layers on a blank canvas you can begin to piece an image together, and then once finished, you can share it with whoever you want. The best feature of LayerPaint has to be the range of tools that are available to you as soon as you open up the app. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced user, there’s something here for everyone.

Makeup claims to be the world’s most advanced virtual makeover application and in many cases it’s justified in thinking just this. You can perform a wide variety of tweaks to any photos stored on your phablet and also correct any errors that you come across. On a recent update, a new freehand feature was added that lets you create your own shades of makeup to apply to your favourite images. After you’ve completed the necessary edits, Makeup will then show you the before and after images – spot the difference!

Feature

»Rise of the phablets

Best for... Education iAnatomy

Best for...

iAnatomy provides one of the best app experiences if you’re using a phablet with a stylus attached. The app gives you a virtual tour of the human body, enabling you to interact with its different parts and find out more about them. Each major organ is covered in a lot of detail and you can find a series of images that show different variations of each. Within each picture are several annotations which offer a selection of further information for you to read about, but you can also add your own and email them to a friend directly through the app. The Draw feature enables you to use your stylus to draw on a particular image and add your own notes and other information to it. All your changes can be saved within the app and accessed whenever you like.

This is one for those who are lucky enough to have a phablet with an included stylus. SignDoc offers users a simple way of signing digital copies of contracts and business documents without needing to go through the hassle of printing the document out. Before signing anything, the app requires you to input your signature a few times so it can tell if someone is attempting to forge your signature on a document. After signing something, the SignDoc will then return the document back to the original sender.

Signing documents

SignDoc Mobile

Best for... Making videos FlipaClip Despite the lack of video editing apps that are available to phablet users, one app that is a viable solution is FlipaClip. Although you don’t directly take videos through the app, you can piece together various photos on your phablet into a video. One of its best uses is being able to put your various drawings into a film strip to create a stop-motion effect. For a free app, FlipaClip is definitely something you need to check out on your phablet right now.

Best for... Hacking

GMD SPen Control You won’t find too many hacking apps made for phablets, but GMD SPen Control is a superb app for those who have rooted their Galaxy Note device. Through this app you can fully customise how your S Pen performs when using it with your phablet and also create your own unique gestures that are for sole use on your device. As well as customising your S Pen experience, you can also use GMD to remove finger input completely from your phablet and fully rely on the S Pen for your phablet input.

Best for... Writing Papyrus Beta One of the advantages of having a bigger screen is being able to have a great writing and drawing experience. The Play store is awash with various writing apps, but the one best suited for phablets is Papyrus Beta. All your standard writing features are included with the app, as well as an assortment of tools and additional features for you to explore. There’s a good handwriting indicator that helps improve your style of writing and plenty of stylus-exclusive features to help you master writing with a virtual pen. If you create multiple notes through Papyrus, you can also export them into a PDF, PNG or JPEG file for printing or sharing with your friends and family.

33

Tutorials » masterclass

Turn your Android device into a mobile office We look at how your device can offer a complete office suite in the palm of your hands

A

n Android device can be fun. You can make light work of tasks by ensuring you have the right applications installed and here we’re are looking at a range of techniques that will help to make life a lot easier. When you break down office life on a computer, you essentially get down to the need to write, produce a spreadsheet or presentation and make notes. So over these pages we are looking at the ability to use Microsoft Office on your Android device, remotely access and control presentations that are running on Windows, Mac or Linux computers, and take notes that can go everywhere with you on Gmail. We will also be looking at how you can save

Top Android office tips

Ask your own question online at littlegreenrobot.co.uk

If I store an item in Google Drive, will Google be able to read it?

To answer this we must delve into the terms of service. These state that anything you upload remains your IP but Google can scan your files and target adverts to you using the information that they contain. If the authorities wanted your data, Google can hand it over if there is a legal demand for it.

“You can be flexible in your working life, and be able to work in and out of the office” files to the cloud and work on collaborative projects with colleagues, ensuring they have the right level of access. And we also delve into the realms of video conferences using Google’s very own Hangouts tool that has features which go beyond social. By having this kind of power outside of the office, you can be flexible in your working life, and be able to work in and out of the office without having to lug around a large and expensive laptop with you.

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1. Having your browser’s bookmarks with you wherever you go is useful, letting you get to important or useful information fast without having to make a note. The free tool MyBookmarks lets you import Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Chrome bookmarks to your Android browser. 2. The Outlook calendar can be synced with Android via Google Calendar Sync. Head to http://support.google.com/ calendar/topic/2586645?hl=en&ref_ topic=13950 to see instructions for syncing with an Android device (2.3+). 3. Keep your device secure. After all, if you are using it for work then you may have information that you don’t want others to see or get their hands on. So go to Location and Security in the Settings app and select Screen Unlock Pattern to enable extra protection. 4. You may also have to back up data. There is a great app call My Backup. It is free for 30 days but the Pro version is excellent and it lets you place files such as contacts safely in the cloud.

Other useful apps for work

5. Does your work require image manipulation? It is hard to get better than Adobe Photoshop Express, which is a free app by one of the biggest experts in its field. Images can be cropped, rotated, adjusted and shared in this super-powerful editor.

Looking at ways to make light work of your load

Create to-do lists

Keep track of space

Get a better keyboard

Google Keep lets you jot down thoughts, take photos and dictate notes and have everything to hand on a neatly arranged main screen for speedy viewing. You can produce a list of checkboxes too.

You often need to get at files fast – and ensure you don’t run out of room. With the File Explorer app, you can search the files on your phone, view and edit files. Use it with Google Drive and Google Docs too.

There are many good alternative keyboards. Swype enables you to type without lifting your finger and SwiftKey X has a good predictive engine to save time. It can even plug into your Twitter and Facebook.

Be organised

File manager

Swifter typing

» Android 2.1 and above

Share files on Google Drive

Upload important work documents to the cloud for colleagues to remotely view and edit

G

oogle Drive lets you create and edit documents before saving them in the cloud – remote servers owned and run by the search engine giant. One cool feature of this is that files can be accessed by more than one person. So you may have a colleague who wants to see your report. With the sharing option in Google Drive, you can let them view it. Even better, you can also allow them to make amendments and work with you on the document. It allows for great collaboration – something you could not do without the power of cloud computing.

2min

guide

ss id cla ro ice ter nd ff as ur A ile o »mn yo mob r Tu o a int

Works with

Chat to as many as ten different people using the face-to-face video Hangout feature in Google+

Use Hangouts for conference chats in the Google+ app

Go to Google+ and tap the G+ icon in the top-left of the screen. Now select Hangouts from the left-hand menu. You will see images of people you know.

1

Open Google Drive 1 Go to the Google Drive app and you will instantly see a list of documents that you have saved or uploaded. Scroll through them until you find the one that you wish to share with others and then tap the arrow icon next to the file name.

Offline reading 2 As well as being able to open the document that you have selected, you are also able to decide whether or not to have it readable offline. More crucially, you can Add a collaborator, effectively sharing the document. Tap this option. You can also tap in email addresses. When you are ready to converse, simply tap Start Hangout. The screen will go black and will notify the others that you want them.

2

a collaborator 3 AAdd window will appear. It will prompt you to

Edit or view? 4 The next step will allow you to decide

add people or groups to collaborate with. When you type in this box, it will go through your contacts but you can also add names that are not stored. Select Add when you have inputted a collaborator.

whether or not the person you are sharing the document with can edit the document or simply view it without having the ability to make alterations. A notification will be sent.

Your video image will now appear on the screen. When Hangouts makes contact with a friend or colleague they will appear too. You can use the red phone to end the chat.

3

35

Tutorials Use full MS Office on your Android device Works with

» Android 4.0 and above

Get the power of Microsoft Office on your device and link it to a cloud service

A

lthough there are great word processors out there for Android, having the familiarity and flexibility of features of Microsoft Office is hard to beat for those who work with it on a daily basis on a desktop or laptop computer. CloudOn, an app which can be downloaded for free from Google Play, lets you access the power of Microsoft Office on your Android device. What it also does is enable you to save your files to the cloud using one of four existing services: Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and Box. You are also able to pull

documents from any of these services and edit them on your device before making notes and saving them back. The app also lets you open up other file types as well, including images and PDFs using the built-in File Viewer and Adobe Reader. CloudOn doesn’t only cater for word processed documents. It also lets you use Excel and PowerPoint to create, review and edit spreadsheets and presentations. There are facilities for renaming files and sharing them as links or attachments via email.

up to CloudOn 1 Sign When you open CloudOn, it will ask you to sign in or create an account. We’re assuming you don’t have an account so tap the latter and then select a storage account from either SkyDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox or Box.

a document 3 AChoose list of the documents in your storage account is listed. By the side of each, you will see the file type, for example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Reader. Tap on the file you want to access and it will be opened.

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editing 4 Get Now you will see a familiar word processing layout. At the top there is a series of menus. Tap one of these and icons appear underneath offering various functions such as bold, italics or pie charts and so on.

Seeing your files 2 With access to one or more of your cloud services, you can begin to view files. Other storage options can be accessed by tapping and signing in. Tap the storage account where the document you want to access is located.

Using the keyboard 5 When you tap anywhere within the text, the keyboard will appear and you can make amendments that will then be saved to your cloud storage facility. You can add a note about your amendment and editing times are also shown.

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» Android 2.3.3 and above

Remote control slideshows from your phone Use LibreOffice Impress Remote to deliver more effective presentations at work

L

ibreOffice has gone from strength-to-strength and not only is its desktop offering more powerful than ever, it also enables you to use an Android device to remote control presentations running on a computer. To do this, both need to be connected via Bluetooth. Once this is done, whatever presentation you load on the computer can then be controlled from afar using your smartphone or tablet. All you need to

LibreOffice on computer 1 Head to Settings on your Android device and ensure Bluetooth is switched on. Now go to your computer and ensure it is switched on too. Now open LibreOffice’s presentation tool on your computer and go to Tools>Options>LibreOffice Impress>General. Enable remote control.

do is use the volume control. Volume up advances one slide and volume down goes back if you need to. As well as enable this functionality with the slides, you can access speaker notes, which is handy as you talk through your presentation, ensuring a much slicker delivery. Here we look at how to get connected and display the slides.

Impress on Android 2 Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on Android (go to the Settings app). Now download and open the LibreOffice Impress Remote app on your Android device. When launched, it will search for computers in your vicinity. Tap your computer and follow the pairing request.

the two 3 Connecting Android will connect to the computer. Once it has, the screen will show a single button, saying Start Presentation. When you tap that, whatever presentation you have on LibreOffice on your computer can be remotely controlled using your Android device.

2min Sync notes and Gmail with GNotes guide Works with

» Android 2.1 and above

Write notes using an app which makes light work of the process and saves them to your Gmail account

Download the GNotes app from Google Play (it’s free) and open it. You are able to start writing notes straight away but we can’t keep the notes in the cloud so we will sign up to our Gmail account first. Tap Setup to start.

1

Having selected the Email option, we have two choices. By selecting XOAuth, we can allow the app access to our Gmail account. Tap Grant and enter your details. Other email accounts can be added via the Email/Password tab.

2

At this point, any notes you go on to make will be synced to your Gmail account under the label Notes. The app will show you exactly where this is with an explanatory screen. You can now write a note. Tap ‘+’ in the right-hand corner.

3

By tapping the four boxes in the top-right of a note, you can access many options including the ability to record or handwrite a note. Files can be attached and you can also include a photo. The Camera option lets you take a photo.

4

37

Tutorials Save and share photos in Google+ Works with

» Android 2.3 and above

Get rid

If at any point you aren’t happy with the photo you shared with your contacts on G+, simply long press on the image and choose the Remove option. Not only will this remove it from your feed, your friends will no longer be able to see it on their account

Popular photo service Picasa is being phased out in favour of Google+. Here’s how to get started with sharing your pics

G

oogle is constantly looking to improve the features in Google+ and the photo sharing feature is one that has seen a radical change recently. No matter how many photos are stored on your phone or tablet, you can upload all of them to your G+ account with just a few taps on the screen. Apart from being a nice place to store them, G+ has a great sharing method designed to let users share their favourite photos with their friends, family and anyone else who they’re connected to on the social network. To take it a step further, Google has also added an Instant Upload feature that adds any newly taken photos on your device directly to your account, making it the quickest way to save and share your photos. In this tutorial, we’ll be guiding you through the process of saving your photos to your G+ account, as well as showing you how you can then create posts and share said photos with your G+ contacts.

Preview other posts 1 When you first go into the Google+ app, you’ll be welcomed by the What’s Hot section. Here you can look at people’s different photos they’ve posted and get a good idea of what your photo will look like once it has been completed.

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Be selective

By default, any photos you want to share will be sent to all your contacts. If you’d prefer to specifically choose the contacts you want to share with then make sure to choose the Recipient option when you begin creating your photo post in the first place

Show patience

Depending on the quality of the image, you may notice your post won’t appear straight away on your feed if it’s particularly large. Make sure you press on the refresh icon at the top of your feed to make sure the image publishes correctly

tab 2 Photos On the home page, press on the G+ symbol in the top-left. This will open up a side menu from which you need to select the Photos tab listed halfway down. Once selected, the app will open up all the photos stored on your phone.

Make edits

A clever feature of the Google+ photo sharing feature is that it automatically centres your shared photo to only show the main subject matter. If you aren’t happy with what is displayed you can alter what is shown by editing the post

What to share? 3 As well as displaying all the photos stored on your device, this part of the app will show the screenshots and sent photos you have on your phone. Select as many photos as you like and press the arrow at the top of the app to continue.

quick Best apps for sharing your photos tips 1 Instagram

Upload, edit and share any photos stored on your phone or tablet with millions of people.

2 Flickr

Still the most popular website for budding photographers. Take a look at Glimmr as the best Android client.

3 WhatsApp

Take advantage of WhatsApp’s free messaging and send your photos to any contact with the app.

4 500px

This great service has a quality official client, but take a look at 500px beta for new features.

5 Facebook

The Facebook app has improved dramatically and now you can share your photos with your online friends.

Ask your own question online at littlegreenrobot.co.uk

Is it possible to send photos from the Messenger section of G+? Share your picture 4 You can now begin to create your post, which includes the photos you selected. At the top is the recipient bar, within which you need to select who will be able to see the post you’re creating. There are a range of predetermined options for you to choose from.

your recipients 5 IfPick you want to select your recipients manually, press on the bottom tier of the menu. You’ll now be presented with a screen enabling you to sift through all your Google+ contacts and Circles to choose who can see the photo you’re about to post.

If you decide you want to share a certain photo with just a single contact, then you might want to take a look at sending the photo through the Messenger section of G+. This will mean you don’t need to create a full post for the photo and it’s generally quicker.

Can I customise the types of photos that are uploaded in the Instant Upload option? Unfortunately there’s no way to set the types and formats of the photos that can be uploaded once you’ve enabled the Instant Upload option. To choose specific types of photos, you’ll need to manually upload them.

Finish your post 6 Navigate back to your post and fill in the rest of the details that are required. As well as having the picture attached, you’ll also want to add a bit of text alongside it and even tag your current location, if you so wish. Press the Share button once completed.

Start to share 7 You should find your post will share instantly with your selected contacts, but it can take longer in some cases. If the image is particularly high resolution, you’ll find it can take around a minute or so for your photo to be shared for people to see.

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your post 8 IfCheck you now go back to the What’s Hot section mentioned in step 1 you should find your photo has been shared, along with the accompanying text listed underneath. If you aren’t happy with the finished product, long press on it and hit the Remove button.

photos 9 IfAuto-upload you have numerous photos you want to share with your contacts and Circles, then you might want to consider enabling the new Instant Upload option from within the main Google+ settings menu. This will create posts of every photo stored on your device.

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39

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Works with

» Android 2.2 and up

Add feeds in Google Currents Google Reader will close on 1 July, but Google’s other news-based Android client makes a fine alternative

Specific sources

With so much on offer in Google Currents, you may have a small problem finding the source you’re looking for. A quick fix for this issue is to use the magnifying glass icon to search for a specific feed included on Google Currents

G

oogle Currents has certainly evolved into a brilliant way of gathering all your favourite news sources in one place, enabling you to read the stories you want online or offline. Currents includes many of the biggest newspapers, magazines and websites from all over the world and Google is constantly adding new sources for users to enjoy. With so many sources to check out, you need to know how to add them to your current feed. Across this page we’ll be guiding you through the process of adding new exciting feeds to your current crop of news sources, as well as showing you places where you can find even more news outlets to add to your bristling Currents account. It is a great replacement for Google Reader, and an easy way to keep up with the news that matters.

Search by categories

By scrolling down through this page, you’ll uncover all the various categories that Google Currents covers, and each has a range of feeds you can subscribe to. If you can’t decide on feeds you want to add, take a look at the Featured and Recommended feeds at the top of the list

In library

Once you’ve pressed the Add button next to a source, the button will now change to say In Library. This means when you next go through your news sources, you should find your new source listed and all the articles that have been uploaded available to you

Add feed

Next to each source listed on this screen is an Add button, which when pressed will convert that source into your current library. Each source varies in size and the amount of articles they upload each day for users to read

Uncover cool features in Currents

There’s a lot to discover in Google Currents, but here are three features that you should definitely check out first

See more

If you want to add numerous feeds from a specific type of category, make sure you press on the See all button located at the top of each category. This will open up a new menu from which all feeds you can subscribe to will be listed

menu 1 Side Press on the Currents logo at

Top headline 2 As you start scrolling through

feeds 3 Individual Most of the bigger feeds you

the top to uncover a side menu which offers a wide range of different options for you to look at. From this menu, you can take a look at some categories for you to add, as well as Google’s very own pick of the week.

each of your feeds, each category is separated by an intro page that includes a bright image representing it. By clicking on the image, however, you’ll be able to read the story it’s attached to.

can subscribe to have their own dedicated page from which you’ll find all their familiar branding and all the latest headlines they’ve uploaded. Simply press on any story to open it up and have a read.

41

Tutorials Secure your phone with 2-step verification Works with

» Android 2.2 and up

Google’s Authenticator tool can help you protect your account from hackers

M

obile devices are precious commodities, they’re not cheap and contain a wealth of information. Keeping information and data safe and secure is more of an issue than keeping a device in your possession. A device is much easier and quicker to replace than personal information. Android devices are awash with Google services and keeping account information is critical. To drastically reduce the chances of having personal account information stolen, Google has introduced

2-step verification via Google Authenticator. The app adds another level of security to a device, making it more difficult to steal information. Turning on the 2-step verification process introduces codes that users will need to add during the sign-in process. To set up 2-step verification users will need to access their Google account via a browser. The process involves adding a phone number for a mobile device. Google will then send an authentication code to the phone via SMS or a call.

up app 1 Set Head to the Google Play store and

42

How it works 2 To help the user through the testing setup

download Google Authenticator. Install the app and tap the app icon to get started. The opening screen will explain the 2-step process and tell you what you need. Now tap Begin setup. This will open the Add an account screen with details.

process, Google Authenticator provides a couple of options via the menu. Settings and 2-step verification simply tell the user which URL to visit to turn it off. How it works offers a quick step-by-step guide to give you a more detailed run through.

Manual accounts 3 The Add an account screen displays the

on a computer 4 Continue Selecting the default Google account will

Sign in 5 The previous step will open the Accounts

option to manually add an account. There are two options, including Scan a barcode. To use this option the ZXing barcode scanner will need to be installed. Tap the barcode option followed by Install. More on this later.

bring up a message stating ‘Continue on a computer’. Take note of the URL: http://accounts. google.com/security, and head to this address on a computer to continue. This will run through the set up 2-step verification process.

screen. Now you need to sign in using your credentials to access the Security section. Locate 2-step verification and click Settings to continue. Now click Start setup to view the Set up your phone screen.

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Can I use this with other apps?

Set up phone 6 The first step is to add a phone number to send codes to. Google will use this number to send a numeric code whenever a user signs in from an untrusted computer or device. Choose from Text message or Voice Call as the method to receive the code and click Send code.

Trusted computer 8 There is always the chance that the chosen phone may get lost. To compensate there is the option to access an account from a trusted computer. Typically, this would be the computer that the set up process is taking place on. Click Next to continue.

Mobile apps 11 The Mobile application option enables users to switch to an app when in the rare event that there is no data coverage. Click the Android link for instructions. Scan the barcode, you may need to sign in again, and add the verification code to complete the setup.

Verify phone 7 The previous step will send a verification code via the chosen method, either text or voice. Once the code has been received, enter the six digit code and press the Verify button to continue. If code is not received, just click ‘Didn’t get the code?’ and start again.

Confirmation 9 The final step is to turn on 2-step

No, it will work with your Google account only. 2-step verification needs to be applied by the developer or service provided on an app-by-app basis. Some other apps may already use it, such as those from financial institutions, while Twitter is rumoured to be introducing it in the near future.

codes 10 Get Users can get codes from a variety of

verification. Clicking Confirm will add the process to the selected Google account. This means that a code will be asked for when signing in from an untrusted computer or device. You should now see a confirmation message.

sources. A backup phone number can be added to the current list. Click Add a phone number and follow the on-screen instructions. Click Show backup codes to get some printable codes for use when the verified option is unavailable.

Open app 12 Once the setup is complete users simply

13 Deactivate To switch off 2-step authentication, head

get a code via the Authenticator app. Tap the app icon to open. This will generate a code that can be used during an account sign in. For improved security and added peace of mind, the code will update every 30 seconds.

back to http://accounts.google.com/security and sign in. This can be done via any device, but the trusted computer will need no code. Sign in again and select Settings. Click Turn off 2-step verification and click Turn off to complete.

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Tutorials Send meeting requests via your Calendar app Works with

» All versions of Android

Invite friends or colleagues to an event via email, and wait for their interactive reply

A

meeting will typically include more than one individual with attendees travelling from different locations. Organisation is the key to a successful meeting and the Calendar app enables users to send out invites to guests via the app and an inbox. The first step is to create an event. This is a simple process that involves picking a date and time. An event brings together a host of information including what the event is, where the event is to be

New event 1 Head to the Apps screen and tap the Calendar icon to open. Now slide the calendar to the left or right to choose the week where the event is to occur. Now tap the date twice to open the New event window.

Add guests 4 The next step is to add the guests who are invited to the meeting. Tap Guests and type in an appropriate email address. If the email address exists in Contacts it will be auto-completed. Repeat the process to add more email addresses.

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held, date, time, length of meeting and reminders. Guests are included via an email address. The invite is sent automatically to the address as soon as the Done button is tapped. The email, or invite, replicates the event information, but also has the option to accept, decline or even sit on the fence. To make sure that guests do not forget the event, an iCal file (Mac users only) is also included as an attachment.

and where 2 What By default, the event will be applied to the Calendar of the default account holder. The first step is to give the event a memorable name in the What field. Next, tap Where and add the location of the new event.

reminder 5 Add Give the event a short description, via Description and modify the Repetition if applicable. The event can be repeated daily, weekly, monthly and annually. Set a reminder, set how you receive it and tap Done to finish.

Date 3 The time and date selected in the first step will be applied to the new event by default. To modify both, tap the From and To fields and select the desired option. Alternatively, tap the All day check box to remove the time option.

Invite 6 Selecting Done will automatically send out invites to the attendee’s inbox. The invite will differ depending on the email service used. The invite will include the date, location and the option to reply. An iCal file will also be included.

Works with

» Android 4.0 and above

Apply filters in Twitter

Finalise your changes

Once you’ve added all your changes, press on the Done button at the top-right of the app. You’ll then be taken back to your tweet with your edited image attached to it. Finish off the tweet and press Send to add it to your news feed

Before you tweet pictures you can now add Instagram-style filters from within the Twitter app

Camera or photo?

As well as being able to use Twitter’s own camera function to add an image to your editing suite, you can also choose a saved image from within the Gallery app. As well as images you’ve personally taken, you can also access images sent to you through messaging apps

T

here are now hundreds of photo editing apps available for download from the Google Play store, but many are clunky and can be difficult to use. If you want to add basic edits to your photos before sharing them with the world, then a recent update to the official Twitter app might just be for you. The new update enables users to attach a photo to a tweet they’re composing and carry out some edits to personalise the image. The main tool at your disposal is the filter page, which enables you to add one of nine stylistic filters to your image. Twitter has also included a nifty cropping tool and a wizard tool to help eradicate any issues with the photo. In this tutorial we’ll take you through all the new editing tools now available in Twitter.

Quick scroll

Although the filter overview screen is great to see the styles of what’s on offer, it can be hard to see all the details. An alternative to this is to simply scroll left and right on the screen to see what each filter adds to the image you chose to edit

The photo editing process

Twitter’s new photo editing process can be completed in just three simple steps that require no previous knowledge or expertise

Apply a filter

After importing your photo into Twitter, the first menu you’ll come across is the filter one. Currently there are nine different filters to choose from, all of which offer a different stylistic element to your chosen photo. Press on any of the filters to see a preview.

Move and scale

After applying a filter to the photo, choose the frame symbol located on the editing screen. This will take you to the Move & Scale page where you can reposition and crop your image to only show what you want to show. This is a great tool if the image is an odd shape.

Compose your tweet

Once you’ve applied both sets of changes, go ahead and press the Done button located in the top-right. You’ll now be taken back to the tweet you’re putting together. Add any text you need to include and press the Send button to complete.

The perfect image

Sometimes no matter what edits you make, you can never get it exactly how you want it. Although it isn’t a miracle cure, the wizard tool at the bottom-left of the page can help make some minor tweaks to improve the image’s overall quality

Make additional edits

If you want to take your editing one step further, you may consider applying all the small changes in Twitter, saving them and then opening the image in a more thorough photo editing app. Apps like Aviary and Instagram are the obvious choices to head to

45

FOR THE GNU GENERATION

www.linuxuser.co.uk

Available from all good newsagents & supermarkets today

ON SALE NOW:

» Start writing Python » Learn to be a System Admin THE LATEST NEWS

ESSENTIAL GUIDES

DEFINITIVE REVIEWS

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

EXPERT OPINION

BUY YOUR ISSUE TODAY Print edition available at www.imagineshop.co.uk Digital edition available at www.greatdigitalmags.com Available on the following platforms

facebook.com/LinuxUserUK

twitter.com/LinuxUserMag

Works with

» All versions of Android

Control location services

Grasp your settings to change how Google tracks your location

A

n Android device has a host of Googlerelated services which users can take control of. These are neatly brought together under Google Settings found via the Apps screen. Included in the lineup are location services, Maps & Latitude and Location. These control if the user is tracked and how the

information is used. Location offers the simple option of letting Google apps access a user’s location. Maps & Latitude works on a grander scale with a whole selection of options. Users can decide on how a location is reported, enable location sharing, share with friends, take a look at their location history and manage check-ins.

[FIG 2] The location of a device can be selected automatically, but there is the option to manually choose a location. Choose from the current location, enter an address or use your contacts

[FIG 4] Enabling Location history allows users to build up a picture of where they have been. It will take a couple of days to populate, so immediate use will result in no information

1. Settings app Head to the Apps screen, locate the Google Settings app and tap to open. This offers configuration options for a range of popular Google services including Maps & Latitude and Location. The changes you make here will affect how all of your apps use your location data. Tap Location to open the Google app’s location settings screen. This offers one simple control, whether or not to let your Google apps have access to your location. Switch off to stop access, switch on to allow access. Note, these settings only apply to Google apps.

2. Location reporting Tap Maps & Latitude to head to the Maps app and its associated Location settings.

The first option is Location reporting, which does not update your location by default. Tap the link to reveal a list of Location settings options. To update automatically, select Detect your location. To do so manually, simply select the Set your location option. This will redirect to Maps – choose a location using one of the available options.

3. Location sharing To share your location with friends and family on a map first, tap Manage your friends. At the bottom of the screen is Share location with family and friends, tap to continue, hit Agree & Continue and your location will appear onscreen in an info box. Tap the icon to Check in if you have a Google + account.

4. Location history

Ask your own question online at littlegreenrobot.co.uk

When my location is recorded how accurate is the positioning?

A location is reasonably accurate. My Location states on Google Maps that it is accurate to 30 metres, approx 100 feet. However, it is likely to be more accurate than this, especially if an object is static.

To store your location history for future use (and the data is also used in apps such as Google Now), tap Enable location history. Tap Enable location history at the bottom of the screen. Once again, tap Agree & Continue and again to save the selection. This takes a few days to populate. To view your locations, visit the Latitude site at google.co.uk/latitude.

5. Check-ins There is the option to disable or enable automatic check-ins and do the same with Check-in notifications in a single tap. If Automatic check-ins is enabled there is the option to Manage your places, which lets you view and modify check-in places, and remove any for privacy reasons.

47

Tutorials Take control of Google and third-party accounts Works with

» All versions of Android

Manage, add and remove accounts stored on your device

E

very Android user has a favourite selection of apps and many of these apps will need a sign in, which in turn means an account is created. There is the option to sign in every time an app is called upon, but this is inconvenient, irritating and time consuming. The alternative sits in the depths of the Android OS ecosystem under the Settings banner. Here lies a list of accounts related to the device. Logging in to an account will add an account to the list. If an installed app is

Account settings 3 Typically each account will include an account sync setting and an option to sync. App settings will redirect to the account settings, so these will differ for each account. The Settings can be modified and will be automatically saved when returning back to Settings.

48

not on the account list there is the option to add an account. Third-party apps and Google apps sit side-byside in the list, but these react slightly differently. Third-party apps like Dropbox and Twitter offer the option to sync now to update manually. Those with settings typically enable the user to go directly to the app to modify, with no need to sign in again. For the more cautious, or those who no longer need quick access to an account, it can simply be removed from the list.

1 Accounts The installation of new apps that need a

Add an account 2 Tap Add account to view a list of accounts

login can be managed via Android’s Settings app. To take a look at accounts that have been automatically added, locate Settings and tap to open. Slide up to locate the Accounts tab which will list active accounts.

that can be added. Note, not all accounts are automatically added to the list. To add an account, tap an option from the list, eg Guardian. This will redirect to the app Sign in screen. Choose an option and sign in to add to the Accounts list.

account 4 Google The default Google account differs from third-party accounts, with different standard and sync options. The Google account includes a selection of Privacy options which link to Maps & Latitude, Location settings, Google+ and Ads. Each option links directly to an information box.

Google sync settings 5 The Google sync settings are again different. Tap the account email address to list all the Google sync services. These include Calendar, Chrome, Contacts, Gmail, Google Play Books and Google Play Magazines. These are all set to sync. To switch off simply tap the check box.

quick Take control of all types of accounts tips 1 Automatically add account

Removing an account will only remove an account from Accounts. Sign in and it will be added to the list.

2 Permanently delete

To remove an account from the Accounts list permanently the app will need to be deleted.

3 Email account

Check the settings for an email account by selecting an account from the list.

4 Add an email account

To add an new email account via Accounts simply select Email followed by Add Account.

5 Dropbox account

To unlink a Dropbox account from the current device, select Dropbox> Account settings>Unlink.

2

Manage your min Google account

guide

Take control of the Search options related to your Google account

Sync settings 6 The sync settings for third-party apps are similar from account to account, but are typically presented differently. For example, The Guardian sync is switched off and will need to be tapped to continue. Alternatively, Twitter uses a simple check box to switch sync on or off.

history 1 Location To take control of location history, tap

now 7 Sync Each account is synced according to its

the Manage location history option. This will head to Maps and reveal a selection of options to work with. Tap Display to switch on Zoom Buttons, flick the Scale Bar on and off and tap Bubble action to decide its action.

2 Search Select Show recent searches to activate some suggestions. This will display a new option, Manage Web History. Tap to select a browser, if applicable. This will redirect to the Google Accounts page online. Sign in to pause, delete or remove items from your history.

settings but accessing an account via Settings enables the user to sync the selected account. First select an account from the list, tap the menu icon and select Sync now to sync the currently selected account.

Remove an account 8 An active account can be removed via Accounts. Select an account and tap the menu icon. Depending on the account the menu will include Remove account. Tap and select Remove account. Alternatively, tap the username, select the menu icon and tap Remove account.

domain 3 Search Google comes in many flavours and offers the option to search via the local domain eg, www.google.co.uk, or switch to the main search engine, www.google.com. Tap the checkbox to switch between the two options. It will take a while to find the local domain.

searching 4 Safe By default, the SafeSearch option is set to Moderate which ensures that certain unwanted content is not displayed. To remove any restrictions, or increase the filter to Strict, tap SafeSearch filters and select a new option from the list.

49

DroidSupport »troubleshooting advice »hints and tips expert »emailGotan an Androidrelated problem that you need solving? Let us know!

[email protected] Share your tips & tricks

Join us on Facebook and Twitter to share and receive some great tips and advice

»facebook /littlegreenrobot

Like us on Facebook and join in our Android community

»twitter @lgrobot

Follow us on Twitter to send your thoughts and questions

Did you know? You can disable word prediction on an Android phone or tablet via Settings> Language & keyboard>Advanced settings (varies by device). This will be especially useful if you input unusual terms for work or a specialist industry, and can actually speed up your typing over a period of time.

Android and iOS can play nicely together thanks to Google

50

How to share calendars “I have a Samsung Galaxy S III and my wife has an iPhone 4, but we want to sync calendars. Is there a specific calendar that can sync between the two and let us view the same on each device?” Lee Rushton

You actually have everything you need to synchronise the same calendar between you and your wife on your Galaxy and iPhone already. If you set up one Google account for both of you and then set the Calendar function to synchronise, you will both be able to input the account name and password onto each phone and that is really all you need to do. If either of you make any changes on the account such as adding or deleting entries they will be seen immediately on each device and will be recognisable by each of you. Also, you can set up multiple calendars and give each one a different colour for easy recognition, which will help you both manage your lives together yet be able to keep them independent when you need to. You could have a calendar in your name and your wife one in hers, yet still be able to have them both synchronise automatically under the same

A

Google account. There are apps that can be downloaded on both platforms to add new features and this is particularly useful on an iPhone. The coloured calendars can be highlighted in many different ways and will in effect look more similar to the Android calendar than the stock iOS solution. There are other services and apps that you can use to share one calendar, but few we have seen work as easily as the Google solution or have such an easy setup process. A Google account can synchronise a multitude of personal information

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Ringtones, notifications and connections

DroidSupport

Ask your questions

Got a problem with your Android phone or tablet? Send it to us and we’ll find the solution

“Having given up a Nokia N8, and prior to that an N95, to join the band of Android by the purchase of a Samsung S III, I am totally baffled because I am unable to fathom how to have different sounds for texts and phone calls. I have read the manual until my eyes are sore but to no avail. I am also unable to connect to my Windows 7 computer by the use of the Samsung USB cable due, as the computer tells me, there is no driver available for the phone. Barry Burton

A

It is understandable that you are struggling to add new tones to your device because there is no official explanation, but the solution is a lot simpler than you may think. If we look at the Windows 7 problem first, we would suggests going to http:// www.android.com/filetransfer and downloading Android File Transfer to your PC. We have seen this work for connecting Android devices even when

there are problems elsewhere with regards to the PC seeing the device. It can be extremely difficult to locate the exact problem and Samsung Kies is not the best PC Android software for dealing with direct connections. Once you have the connection problem resolved you can add sound files to the Notifications folder and they will be shown in the list when you want to choose a new one in settings. You may have to create

You can set any music track as a ringtone with one tap

The Notifications folder can be managed any way you like

the folder, but you will not cause any damage by doing so. In the music app, you can hold your finger down on any song and you should see an option pop up that lets you set it as a ringtone. None of this is obvious at first, but as we said, once you know the

process, it is very quick and easy to use no matter how often you want to change your tones. You will also find apps on Google Play that will let you trim tones to a suitable length and others that can automate the entire process even further.

hints&tips Get more from your Android phone with our handy hints

1

True brightness control

All Android devices let you control the brightness either automatically or manually, but Lux Auto Brightness (available from Google Play) offers more options that will suit your exact conditions. Even the colour temperature can be changed when reading at night.

2

Multitasking on any screen

Sidebar Pro is an efficient solution that offers multitasking from any screen on your phone. No matter what app you are using, or where you are in the operating system, the app offers a simple bar that can be tapped once to open another function or app.

3

Lose the lag

If you are an advanced Android user and have rooted your device, Seeder is a clever little app which can reduce the lag you experience when using it. The lag is not physically reduced, but it does a very good job of masking the unwanted effect.

51

DroidSupport Galaxy sync issues

I have a Galaxy S II phone and a Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. They are paired via Bluetooth but I cannot get the calendar from the phone to sync with the same ‘aCalendar’ on the tablet. Clicking ‘sync’ starts the rotating icon for maybe a half a second and everything stops… no transfer.

Terry Cullen In theory you should be able to synchronise your aCalendar software between your phone and tablet, but there could be a number of reasons for it not working properly. We have to look at the software, your internet connection and add in the Bluetooth and hardware, which starts to make it all slightly tricky to pinpoint. In your case, however, it sounds as though you have the Outlook calendar synchronising to your phone fine, so why not mimic the process and cut out the middle man? You could synchronise your calendar directly to the tablet by using your phone as a hotspot via one of many apps that are available in Google Play. Your network provider would not need to know you are tethering and you would be guaranteed of the same information on each device that way.

A

From Ace to YouTube

I have a YouTube channel, and on it I really would like to put on screen videos from my Ace 2 and on to YouTube. But no matter how long I search for something that meets the specific needs for my purpose, I cannot find anything! If you could help, I would be so grateful. The app really must record audio.

Zoë Cox Apologies if we have misinterpreted your question, but it sounds as though you want to upload videos from your Ace 2 directly to YouTube. If this is the case then all you need to do is

A

It is very easy when installing multiple apps, music and videos to run your available memory to a low level. You should, however, try to keep a reasonable amount free to allow the running of large apps and system processes.

capture a video and use the ‘share’ function to unload it to YouTube. You will have to log in to your account to do this, but this should then give you the opportunity of adding it to your channel. Google owns YouTube and so the integration with the service is high and it is supposed to work perfectly with no modification from the user. The Ace 2 has a decent camera and will capture audio by default as well, so we are unsure as to what is missing in your current setup that does not allow this. With the ability to make amendments to your uploaded videos using the mobile app and multiple apps in Google Play that let you add effects, Android and by association the phones running it, is one of the very best platforms for quick and easy YouTube creation. You should be able to upload YouTube videos from most Android phones

Syncing over Bluetooth is not always reliable or even possible

52

Did you know?

Too many duplicate contacts!

“A few months into my Android experience I’ve been saying yes each time apps (Facebook, mail apps etc) offer to sync my contacts. Thinking it would keep things straight, I thought it was a great idea but, of course, in reality what it’s done has created many copies of each contact so that I now show roughly 2,000 contacts when, in fact, I probably have just under 300! Is there a method short of resetting the phone and starting over again to just have Google Mail manage my contacts?” Tim Mathews The problem you are experiencing is not unusual and there are many ways to solve it. However, when you are using multiple services that use contact integration, you will potentially come across this problem many times. One option, which is admittedly manual, is to tap the link icon when in a contact and to then select the option to join it to another contact. It will solve the problem, but will need to be done manually for each duplicated contact. A better option would be to head on over to Google Play and search for ‘Contact Remover Plus’. This app can be used over and over again and will let you copy, move and delete contacts in batches, which is a good compromise between having the control you need and the automation to speed up the process.

A

Got a great tip, or found a cool shortcut? Let us know!

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Like us on Facebook and join our online community

»twitter @lgrobot

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»email

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Discovered anything good about your Android phone? Let us know!

quicktips

5

top tips for...

DroidSupport

Share your tips

ANDROID AUTOMATION

the app 1 Get We mentioned Contact Remover Plus in the answer to the related question, and to start removing duplicate contacts in bulk, all you need to do is download the app in Google Play and let the app populate all of your contacts. You can now tap each check box and delete them in bulk.

Check your accounts 2 The next part you should check is which accounts you have set up on your Android device. Go to Settings>Accounts and then see how many accounts are listed. It is likely that with multiple accounts, including Facebook and Mail, you will run into duplication problems for your contacts.

Profiles can be activated based on many different factors

1One touch profiles the sync 3 Lose Decide which account you want to use as

links 4 InAutomatic the contacts app, also known as ‘People’,

your default contact list and then tap one of the others. Here you should be able to turn off the sync feature, which will stop contacts duplicating over multiple accounts. Repeat this process for each account which is not your default.

tap the menu icon and then select Settings. Here you should see a ‘Suggest contact link’ option, which should alert you to similar contacts that you can merge if a second one is added. This lets you prevent duplicates before they are created.

Apps like Profile Manager let you create your own profiles based on your particular needs. The automation is low on most of these solutions, but they do offer the ability to tap once to activate a profile, and some offer timed profiling, which can be set to come on automatically.

2Use your location

Some apps will let you change the state of your phone based on the location. The phone will use the GPS antenna to determine where you are and will then activate it accordingly. This can be useful for silencing your phone before a meeting or when travelling to the office.

3NFC tags

If your phone is equipped with an NFC chip you will be able to control the device using special tags. They are cheap to purchase and can be placed in set locations to activate a particular state. For example, you could have one in the car, the bedroom or anywhere else and the profiles will activate when near to them.

4Take it further contacts 5 De-duplicate There is also a setting in the contacts app called ‘De-duplicate contacts’ that can be used to sweep your entire database and remove any that are exactly the same for every attribute. It is a one-tap process and works well, but is not suitable for contacts that are not 100 per cent identical.

Don’t waste time 6 Contacts will build up over time through multiple accounts and although some housekeeping is required, you shouldn’t spend too long dealing with duplicates. Ultimately, they are unlikely to get in the way, so there is rarely a need to continually manage them on a regular basis. Check our website daily for even more tips & tricks

Some solutions, including the excellent Tasker, let you activate specific tasks based on events which can save you lots of time every day. Almost every eventuality is covered and you may be surprised at what can be done.

5The simple stuff

Don’t forget the simple profile management and automation that is included in Android by default. For example, you can set the brightness depending on your lighting conditions and also set apps to update automatically.

»www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

53

DroidSupport auction company uses Java and after visiting a PC World store, they were able to install Java for Android. This didn’t work and I contacted the auction company again – they said I also needed Flash Player which I managed to find via a Google search. However I still can’t access the live online auction sites.

Martin Harley This is a tricky situation for us to solve because we do not know the exact website that you are trying to use. This, however, does lead us to the main point of our answer, which is to not automatically presume that the Android device is the problem. Modern websites should ideally be able to handle many different types of internet protocol including Flash, Java and many others, but it is also common for them to offer support for the huge number of mobile devices that may visit. With HTML5 fast becoming an alternative and

A

Flash & Java I recently bought a Samsung Tablet 2 10.1 3G for the sole purpose of using it to buy from live online car auctions. The

other technologies being used, it is not always acceptable for a site to expect the visitor to do the work of making their equipment compatible. If the devices are commonplace, the onus is on the website owners to make the site work with as much of the population as possible. In your case, if you have Flash and Java installed and it is still not working, the site owners will need to be contacted again to find the right solution for you.

My volume keeps dropping

On my S3 I find I am forever needing to adjust the ring volume up from zero, I have no idea what I do to cause it. The second more aggravating gripe is the keyboard. Using SwiftKey 3, I cannot count how many times I have had to reset the input method. Any advice?

Steve Stevenson

The volume problem is not unusual and the general view is that it could be related to the headphones you are using. It could, however, also be a hardware problem with the volume keys. There is a quick workaround called Persist (Volume Control), available from Google Play, which seems to have solved the problem for many users. The SwiftKey problem is even more difficult because even the developer of the app quotes Android as being the problem at this time. With luck, a workaround may be issued in the future to solve it once and for all.

A

Where can I get help with my Goggle account? I have been having problems with my Google account and

Your device has been modified

“My question relates to the Samsung Note 2 phone running on Android 4.1.1. For some reason, whenever I check for a software update under Settings>About Device>Software Update, a message appears saying: “Your device has been modified. Software updates are not available.” I have not rooted my phone (or even attempted to) and only loaded apps from either the Samsung store on my phone or Google Play.” Len Sullivan, via email This is a very difficult problem to solve because after numerous checks, it would appear that there is no obvious way to resolve this issue. It seems that when you update the Note 2 to a new OS, trying to update again to the latest version can cause this problem. For whatever reason the device is seen as modified, which it technically is, and then the next update is barred which would appear to be a fault in the way the software is delivered or with the actual Android operating system. There are, however, some straightforward procedures you can try that users have claimed to work. Firstly, if you

A

Software updates can be problematic from time to time

54

have an SD card installed you need to remove it. Restart your phone and then check to see if the update is now available without the SD card inserted. When the SD card is inserted again, you should still see the correct update message. If this method does not work, a more serious method is to reformat your device completely and then try to update. This may sound extreme, but if you have a decent backup procedure in place it should not take too long to get all of your apps and data back. Our experience suggests, however, that the SD card method should work for you.

Got a great tip, or found a cool shortcut? Let us know!

»twitter

/littlegreenrobot

@lgrobot

Like us on Facebook and join our online community

Follow us on Twitter to send us your tips & tricks

»email

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Discovered anything good about your Android phone? Let us know!

Safely wipe your Android device “I want to upgrade my Android phone and sell my current device on eBay, but am concerned that my data may still be available to anyone who buys it. I understand how to reset my phone, but a friend told me that this can leave some bits of data behind that would still be accessible to others. Is this true?”

DroidSupport

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Update 60% Complete

Martin Bloomfield, via email Yes, what your friend says is true to a point. Theoretically anyone who buys your phone could gain access to some of your information, but they would have to know what they are doing and likely purchase it with the express intention of doing so. If, however, these two events do collide then you will want to have done all that you can before you sell the device to protect your data. We will show you in a step-by-step below how to ensure that as much data as possible is removed. You can then be fairly certain that all will end well, but if you want to be 100 per cent certain that your device is clean you will want to take time over the process. Sometimes temporary files can linger around unexpectedly so don’t follow this process and then send off your phone. Use the steps and then tinker with

A

A free app can solve your hardware volume problems

after much investigation I know it is not my fault. Where can I go to for support?

Tommy Clifton This is a question that has been asked many times, Tommy, and it all comes down to what you should expect for what is financially a free service. Google offers Gmail, Calendar and all of its other products for free and so to expect a full technical support helpline may be asking a bit much. Of course, we understand how Google makes money and in some ways we all help the company do that by offering information about ourselves, but the fact remains that we are given a very generous amount of online space and a huge variety of services for no outlay at all. However, if you feel that there is a big problem and that help is required, head on over to http:// www.google.com/contact where you will be able to read a variety of support articles and also find ways to ask for priority support. The links include an account recovery form which is very useful if your account has suddenly disappeared, and almost every other popular issue should be covered on this page. The process is still somewhat clouded, but hopefully you will find what you need and solve the problem once and for all. Good luck with it all!

A

update update » We bring you the news and

rumours on the latest Android updates, and the phones that can run them…

W There are apps that can help you wipe your data for good

the phone now and again to ensure that temporary files are overwritten. You could even set up a dummy Google account and use that for the last few days to overwrite as much as possible.

factory reset 1 The Go to Settings and find the Factory Reset option. You will be warned that this will remove all of your data, but continue anyway if you are happy that you have all of your important information backed up.

it again 2 Do This may sound strange, but we would advise you to do another factory reset just to be on the safe side. Tests have shown that on occasions, one reset can still leave some residual data lying around.

cards 3 Expansion Our advice would be to check that no third-party apps are left installed and to not sell on an expansion card with the phone. These cards are known to leave data active even when they have been formatted.

ith Key Lime Pie – expected to be known as Android 5.0 – on the horizon, the non-Nexus devices are likely to continue to be one version behind. The rollout of Android 4.2 has been slower than ever, with few handsets getting what was admittedly a minor upgrade to date. Hopes that this would mean manufacturers would skip 4.2 entirely, going straight for a more timely 5.0 update instead, appear to have been dashed for some devices. HTC models such as the One X, One X+ and the One SV are set to be updated to 4.2 in the summer, with rumours suggesting that it will be the final update for the One X. The Galaxy S III and Note II will also get 4.2 as part of the software update that brings some of the features of the S4 to those devices. At the time of writing that was pegged for May or June. As ever the best way to get the latest version of Android as quickly as possible is via a Nexus, with all the most recent devices guaranteed to get it normally within days of it being announced. It’s unlikely that other devices will start seeing the Key Lime Pie upgrade program kick into action until September, and the process is likely to go on until next year, by when another update will inevitably have arrived.

55

Challenge Can you replace your laptop with your phone? Is there a need for hefty laptops when you have an all-powerful Android device to hand?

Best Bluetooth keyboards Avantree Mini Roll-able Keyboard

Freedom i-Connex Combi

YourType Android Keyboard + Stand

Freedom Pro Bluetooth Keyboard

Price: £18.99/$28.99 More info: www.mobilefun.co.uk This mini roll-up keyboard is truly portable and can connect to any smartphone or tablet.

Price: £59/$69.99 More info: www.belkin.com This stylish combo means you can keep your tablet and keyboard in the same place.

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Price: £79.95/$104.95 More info: www.proporta.co.uk Get a true typing experience when using this keyboard and stand combo.

Price: £59.95/$90.99 More info: www.mobilefun.co.uk With big keys and a Qwerty setup, the Freedom Pro comes well recommended by us.

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he technology in smartphones is constantly improving in all areas, enabling users to perform things that could only be done on a laptop until recently. With this in mind, we’ve asked whether it is possible to put away your laptop and solely use your phone instead? We’ve put together a list of apps that cover a wide variety of tasks you can do on a laptop to see if your phone is a viable substitute.

Working with documents As Android users, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to word processors. The best of the bunch is Kingsoft Office, which can first and foremost be integrated with all your Microsoft Word

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whether it be watching videos, browsing the web or playing a game – your laptop can cater for it all. Cloudskipper Music Player is a superb mobile audio streamer that includes some handyediting tools. It would be great if it had a few more ways of integrating your playlists in one place, but that isn’t too much of an issue. VLC is one of the most highly regarded desktop clients for watching videos and you can expect the same exceptional experience when using the VLC for Android Beta app. Where Android phones have yet to catch up with their laptop counterparts is the gaming side of things. Apps like OnLive offer access to some of the biggest AAA titles, but there are compatibility issues with some games and nothing beats the experience of playing a game with either a proper controller or mouse and keyboard.

One of the most overlooked aspects of laptop usage is the utility and data management side of things. Whether it’s managing your battery, storing files, dealing with updates and general management, your laptop can handle all of this with ease. Thankfully, some of the best apps in the Play store can fill this void on your phone. Easy Battery Saver can be used to keep on top of your battery life and offer improvements, AndroZip File Manager can give you access to all your files, including hidden ones on your device. Both the AppMgr Pro III and App Update Notifier are suitable choices when you need an app to help manage updates and downloads.

documents, presentations and spreadsheets. Apart from the editing, there’s also the ability to create documents from scratch and share them to your contacts. Email is also another strong point of the catalogue of phone apps available, and with the likes of Gmail and Outlook having brilliant Android apps, you won’t have any problem managing your inboxes. To help manage all of your documents and emails you’ll want to invest in some suitable cloud storage. Once again there’s plenty of choice, but the likes of SkyDrive are much harder to use on your phone when compared to their desktop counterparts.

App checklist Gmail

Price: Free Developer: Google Inc.

VLC

Price: Free Developer: VideoLabs

Cloudskipper

Price: Free Developer: cloud.tv

OnLive

Price: Free Developer: OnLive

SkyDrive

Price: Free Developer: Microsoft

App Update Notifier Price: Free Developer: Paradise Android

AppMgr Pro III Price: £1.32/$1.99 Developer: Sam Lu

Easy Battery Saver Price: Free Developer 2Easy Team

Kingsoft Office 5.3.3 Price: £1.32/$1.99 Developer: Kingsoft Office Software Corporation Limited

AndroZip File Manager Price: Free Developer AgileSoft Resource

Verdict:

Complete

85

%

Having fun with your media files We also like to have fun on our laptop,

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AndroZip gives you full access to files

[tip] VLC caters for a wide range of obscure file types, so no matter what format your video is in, VLC should be able to open it.

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Simple utility tasks

[tip] Take advantage of the 30-minute demos of each game on OnLive so you can try before you buy.

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SkyDrive is great, but better on a desktop?

The quality of the apps on the Play store means that for the most part you can use your phone as replacement for your laptop. It isn’t perfect, however, and we’d love to see more media player apps follow their desktop counterparts.

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Explore the limits of your Android device

Hacker Zøne Tips and tricks

status update Which devices are best for the hacking scene?

Samsung Galaxy S4

Rooted? Yes Active Development: ■■■ Medium You can expect this new device to be adopt by devs just a widely as its predecessor the Galaxy S III was.

Sony Xperia Z Rooted? Yes Active Development: ■■■ Low Minimal ROMs or mods for the Z so far, but bloat-free ROMs are available. Remember you will need to unlock the bootloader first as well.

Back up with App Wererabbit

If you’re forever downloading apps, you’ll need a decent app manager and AppWererabbit (Toolbox) is an easy-to-use alternative to the more widely known Titanium Backup. AppWererabbit’s home screen lists all of your apps; tap on any to launch the available options, including Manage which helpfully takes you straight to the App Info page. From here, you can perform additional

HTC One

Keep track of wakelocks

Rooted? Yes Active Development: ■■■ Medium Most of the usual suspects are present and correct. Hopefully there will be more unique tweaks and mods still to come.

Review which apps are holding batterysapping wakelocks

you keep track of wakelocks. Download and wait a few hours so it can gather information about how your apps are working. When you eventually launch Wakelock Detector, it displays partial wakelocks by default, but tapping the Wakelock Type and Sort By buttons enables you to drill down into these stats. Tapping on any app opens up a menu with additional information, so you can review exactly how your apps are using wakelocks.

AppWererabbit’s interface gives you easy access to all of your apps

App ‘wakelocks’ are a double-edged sword: they’re a battery drain, but they can also be handy for keeping the screen awake when you’re watching a movie, or keeping email apps running in the background. Wakelocks can be beneficial, but you’ll want to keep an eye on them for the sake of your battery lifespan. The Wakelock Detector app helps

Launch the app 1 Download Intelligent Ringer

Set your limits 2 Some important options are

Pocket mode 3 Pocket mode is additional

the sliding Sensitivity scale, which changes Intelligent Ringer’s sensitivity to surrounding noise levels, and the boundaries for minimum and maximum volume.

volume that’s added when Intelligent Ringer detects your device is in your pocket or bag. Once you’ve set the additional volume, scroll down and activate.

Nexus 4

Rooted? Yes Active Development: ■■■ Yes At such a low price the Nexus 4 is set to become one of the must-have devices for developers. Great news for the rest of us!

tasks such as reviewing app permissions and requests. AppWererabbit’s standout feature is its automatic backup functionality. From the main screen, tap the three dots in the corner and select Backup all to back up your apks (this doesn’t include app data and settings). You can send these backups to Dropbox’s cloud servers or share via email, and whenever new apps are downloaded, AppWererabbit automatically creates a backup, so you don’t need to worry about manually backing up new apps. Although the advanced options require root, AppWererabbit is worthwhile even if you haven’t rooted your device, especially since the automatic backup functionality works regardless.

DriveDroid

Once you’ve mastered hacking your device, you may want to start

quickhacks Automatically adjust ring volume Intelligent Ringer monitors noise levels and adjusts the ringtone volume accordingly, saving you the embarrassment of ringtones in quiet cafes, and ensuring you never miss a call because your phone is tucked away.

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from Google Play, open the app and tap Start. The app begins monitoring surrounding noise levels. Tap Menu>Settings to modify Intelligent Ringer’s default setup.

Discovered a great hack or tweak? Let us know!

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modifying your PC. Linux is an open source computer operating system available in many different flavours, called ‘distributions’. Each distribution has a unique combination of the Linux kernel, tools and apps, and is accessed via an image file which is used to create a bootable CD or USB drive. DriveDroid helps by turning your Android device into a bootable USB drive for trying new Linux distributions on your PC. Download the app, ensure USB mass storage is enabled and attach your device to the PC. DriveDroid comes with a built-in Linux store, enabling you to download distributions from inside the app. Tap the ‘+’ in the corner of the screen and select Download Image to browse the available distributions. Alternatively, create a blank image by tapping the ‘+’ and selecting Create blank image. Name your image and specify its size, and it’ll appear as an empty USB drive on your PC. Once you’ve got an image file, select it in DroidDrive and your phone will ‘host’ it. Restart your PC and the image file will boot on your computer.

Hacking the easy way

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Boost your sound with Awesome BEATS

Access a range of Linux distributions from inside the DriveDroid app

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The sound quality of mobile devices isn’t always great, which can be particularly painful for music lovers. AwesomeBEATS is an app that boosts sound quality, in a similar way to CyanogenMod’s DSP Manager. The installation is trickier than most apps, but this is understandable considering the range of ROMs supported in a single package. To install, download the AwesomeBEATS zip (http://forum. xda-developers.com/showthread. php?t=1728391) to your device. Boot into Recovery and install the zip, which launches an installation screen. When prompted, select a version that’s compatible with your ROM and reboot. You’ll need the

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MUSICFX to launch the AwesomeBEATS control panel. You can modify all of your sound settings from this screen.

Root your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III

The CASUAL rooting tool now has support for rooting the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III. To root this device using CASUAL, download the program onto your PC by visiting http://forum.xda-developers.com/ showthread.php?t=2189536. Once the jar file has finished downloading, check your version of Java is up to date by visiting http://www.java. com/en/download/installed. jsp?detect=jre&try=1. If it isn’t, you’ll need to update before you can launch CASUAL. Once you’re ready to root, enable USB Debugging and attach your Samsung to the PC. If your device isn’t recognised, try another USB port. Then, simply press Do It and follow any instructions that appear onscreen to root your AT&T Samsung Galaxy S III.

Make sure you select the correct version for your current ROM

latest versions of BusyBox and Terminal Emulator at this point, but both are available for free from the Play store. Open Terminal Emulator and type the following, hitting the ‘enter’ key after each word: su awesome reboot Once your device has rebooted, open Settings and select Sounds. Tap

Get up to speed on all the terms you need to know when hacking your phone

OS

Short for ‘operating system’. Often the Android ROM will be referred to as the OS – this just means the system files on the Android device that make up your user experience, similar to Windows, Mac OS X or Ubuntu on a desktop computer.

ROM

Stands for ‘read-only memory’. In the context of Android, the ROM refers to the files that make up the operating system installed on your device. Gaining root privileges allows for replacement of the standard ROM with a custom one.

Root

‘Rooting’ your phone gives apps access to parts of the OS that are normally hidden from consumers. This enables you to run more powerful software and install custom ROMs on your phone.

ROM Manager

An app available from the Android Market that enables you to install a whole new version of your OS with a single click. It requires a rooted phone to use and is ideal for those new on the scene.

Titanium Backup

This app from the Market enables you to back up everything on your phone – apps, data, settings and all. It means that you can restore your phone to how it was, even after you’ve updated or changed the ROM.

Unrevoked

Available from www.unrevoked.com, this is a one-click tool that can be used for rooting many popular HTC smartphones.

ADB

Stands for ‘Android Debug Bridge’. ADB is mainly used for software development, but it also has some uses for hacking your phone. It can be used to push files onto the system folder, for instance.

Nandroid

CASUAL is an easy-to-use, one-click rooting solution

Get great new features without getting your hands (too) dirty

Remote Turn Off

FolderMount

C Shaker

From: XDA Developers: http://forum. xda-developers.com/showthread. php?t=2207126 Need root? Yes Turn off your Android device remotely by sending it an SMS message. Handy if you have a tendency to leave it at the office…

From: Google Play Need root? Yes Enables you to take folders of application data and mount them to your SD storage card, freeing up precious internal memory. FolderMount can also link folders to a USB drive.

From: Google Play Need root? No Perform tasks such as launching apps or turning on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, by shaking your device. Shake-sensitivity can be scaled, if you’re worried about damaging your phone.

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Check our website daily for even more tips & tricks

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You might come across the phrase ‘perform a Nandroid backup’. This means using a custom recovery tool to make a back-up image of everything currently on your phone: OS, apps, data, etc. It’s very useful should you wish to restore your phone to its previous state later.

Radio

‘Radio’ refers to the software on your Android device that deals with making phone calls and data connections. Updating your radio version can bring better battery life and signal strength to your device. Some ROMs require the latest radio.

Flash

The storage in your device comprises flash memory, a type of solid-state storage. The terms ‘flash’ or ‘flashing’ mean installing new software onto your device’s storage.

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Hacker Zøne

Explore the limits of your Android device

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10

Essential Hacks that you must try today!

Amazing practical hacks that will help you get the most from your phone or tablet

D

o you root your Android device as soon as it comes out of the box? Do you chop and change ROMs on a weekly basis, just because you can? Then chances are you’re ready for a project a bit more ambitious. Over the next ten pages we’ll guide you through some of the ways you can put your enthusiasm for all things hacking to productive use – from running Android apps on your laptop to setting your tablet up as a fully functioning computer. We’ll even show you some of the things you can do with that old Android phone going sat unused in your drawer. You don’t need to be an

Discover how to:

Double your battery life Increase your RAM Add extra storage Automate common tasks Speed up Wi-Fi 60

expert, of course. While some of the projects here do require you to at least be familiar with the ins and outs of flashing ROMs and using a custom Recovery – see our guide in issue 16 for a comprehensive introduction – and also to have a device that is already rooted (and with an unlocked bootloader if needed too), we’ve also thrown in a few ideas that you can take on without any real knowledge of the more technical side of things. Hopefully the projects here will also give you inspiration to go even further with your hacks and tweaks, and truly unlock the potential of your Android device.

Improve your camera Save large games to SD card Share saved game data between devices Back up and restore apps Remap your hardware buttons

» Android 2.1 and later Difficulty » Intermediate

Share your saved games across devices

Hacker Zøne

Works with

Want to play the same game on two different devices? DataSync is the answer

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f you own more than one Android device there’s a good chance that you have installed some of the same apps on them. While this is fine for most things, it can be a major source of frustration when it comes to games. You reach a certain level on your phone, but when you pick up to play on your tablet you have to start right back at the beginning. What you need is to be able to share your progress between your devices. By syncing progress from one Android to another or even by saving your

& grant 1 Install Superuser permission Available free from Google Play, DataSync will need Superuser (root) permissions assigning upon first run. Once this is done, you will be presented with the Queues view. For now, ignore this and instead swipe left to view the applications you can sync.

to sync 4 Time With your method of syncing established, it is time to choose the app or apps that you want to sync between your devices. All you need to do is return to the main screen of the app and in the Applications tab scroll through the list, tapping the apps you want to sync.

progress to the cloud, you can introduce cross-device continuity into your gaming world. This might prove useful for a game with levels that require a particular amount of control, or if you simply want to get a better appreciation of the graphics. All of this (and quite a bit more) can be achieved using DataSync, a free application from Google Play that requires two or more rooted Android devices for successful use.

Prepare your account 2 DataSync can sync your mobile game or app data to Dropbox or Box cloud storage accounts. You’ll find the option to use this paid feature in the Settings menu, and naturally you will need to input your username and password for your preferred cloud service.

your queue 5 Save and sync As apps are added to your queue, you’ll notice the total increase at the foot of the screen. When you’re done, click the save icon and name the queue, then tap the sync button to sync with another device, cloud storage or a local backup.

to another 3 Syncing Android device If you are planning to sync your app, game or data with another device, use the networking section of the Settings menu, where you will see options to add a device and specify a server port (although the default 4444 option should be okay).

your synced app 6 Using Whether you plan to sync via Bluetooth, the cloud or your local network, other Android devices must also have DataSync installed. A sync can be completed by tapping the sync button on the other device – soon you’ll be seamlessly picking up where you left off.

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Hacker Zøne Works with

» All rooted Android devices Difficulty » Advanced

Get much longer battery life By undervolting your battery you can considerably increase the time you need between charges

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attery life continues to be one of the biggest concerns for Android users. There are many simple ways you can improve on it – reducing your screen brightness, reducing the number of apps syncing in the background, even switching off 3G or 4G when in areas of limited coverage. Your experiences with any or all of these methods may vary. Yet there is one technique you can use that is guaranteed to work every time: undervolting. This hack reduces the voltage the processor uses, and can be set at different levels for different clock speeds. Thus, if you want to try and minimise battery usage when your phone or tablet is in standby mode you can focus your undervolting efforts on the slowest clock speeds, or if you’re a power user you might tweak the voltages at the higher clock speeds to try and eke out a little extra performance under more intensive tasks.

“This hack reduces the voltage the processor uses, and can be set at different levels” Undervolting is a relatively safe process, although if you set the voltages too low your device may become unstable or even crash altogether, so you should take small steps to begin with. It’s also worth bearing in mind that it only affects the processor, and the greatest battery drain – the screen – will remain as power hungry as ever. Ideally undervolting should be used as part of a wider series of tweaks to squeeze out as much power as you possibly can from your device’s battery.

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Safety first

Before you begin you must perform a Nandroid backup on your device. As with most hacking topics this is an essential way to enable you to restore your device should anything go wrong. If your device becomes unstable or unresponsive due to selecting a too-low voltage, hold down the power button or pull the battery in order to reset it. If you set the voltages so low that your device will not boot at all then you will need to restore a Nandroid backup or reflash the kernel in order to return to the default values.

the 2 Flash kernel Having installed the app, open it and flash the latest version of the kernel. Go to franco. Kernel updater and select Download latest stable kernel, then choose the option to flash it and reboot your device. The entire process takes less than a minute.

apps 5 Test work

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you 1 What need

the 3 Tweak voltage Re-open the app and select Frequencies/ Voltages followed by Voltages from the list. Hitting the -25 mV option reduces voltages by a small amount, and is a good starting point. You can also tap a frequency and input your own number. Remember – take small steps.

6 Manual flashing

Now test a few apps and games, and put the device into standby, to make sure that it all seems to be working. It’s a good idea to leave some time between tweaks, just to be sure they’re okay, but once you’re happy with the changes, go ahead and experiment further.

If you can’t use Franco’s kernel then you might need to manually flash one that works with your device. Head over to the forum for your handset at xda-developers.com to locate a suitable kernel. Once found, download and flash it in the same way you would flash a custom ROM.

the 8 Adjust voltage

and 9 Save test

The principle of using this app is the same as with the Franco one. Swipe to the Voltages screen and you’ll see the different clock speeds you can adjust. Select one and move the slider down to your required level. The CPU History gives you an idea of which speeds are most used.

As before, save your changes and ensure they are applied when you boot your device, then reboot. Test a few apps and use the device normally for an hour or so to ensure there are no problems. You can now return to the app and push those voltages lower if you wish.

Before you begin you need to root your device and perform a Nandroid backup. You will also need a custom kernel that supports undervolting. We’re using Franco’s kernel with the franco. Kernel updater app.

and 4 Save reboot Tick the Set voltages on boot box to ensure your settings are applied. Exit the app and reboot. When it restarts it should be using the new lower voltages that you have set. You probably won’t notice any difference, but you can check in the franco app to make sure the settings are in use.

7 Voltage control With your new kernel flashed, download the Voltage Control Extreme app. This gives you a range of controls for the kernel, including over and underclocking, as well as access to the voltage settings. You will need a compatible device and kernel, and most popular ones are supported.

10 Overvolting Finally, if you’re a particularly hardcore user you might want to go the other way and overvolt. This supplies more power to the CPU, and could be used in conjunction with overclocking. Be warned, though, this may shorten the lifespan of the battery and processor.

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Hacker Zøne Automate common tasks

Works with

» Android 2.3.3 and later Difficulty » Intermediate

With MacroDroid you can program Android to complete a whole range of everyday tasks

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hose nighttime emails can prove particularly annoying, especially at 3am. A common way of avoiding the alerts is to disable connectivity as you go to bed, but if you’ve had a long day or a busy evening, you can very easily forget to do that. So why not automate the process? Using a tool such as MacroDroid (Google Play, from free) you can program Android to behave in particular ways based on time, location and other criteria. Creating a trigger and an action is simple, and by adding constraints to the macro

program you can, for example, make a call at a particular time of day or answer calls automatically. MacroDroid can also be used to disable Wi-Fi connectivity and mobile data at a particular time and then reactivate it later on – such as when you go to bed and when you intend to wake up. Creating a macro to do this is straightforward, and a good way of exploring the potential of this app. It might just give you a good night’s sleep, too! Follow the eight steps across these pages to get started.

a new macro 1 Add You’ll find MacroDroid available in the Play store, where it is listed as a free app. After installation, launch the app and select Add Macro to begin. Note that you can find details about triggers, actions and constraints by long-pressing the corresponding item.

an action 3 AAdding trigger requires an action, so browse through the list for Enable/Disable Wifi. The Enable Wifi option should be chosen here, putting you half way towards your smartphone connecting to your local wireless network each morning. To finish, you need to add a constraint.

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macro behaviour 4 Limit Your macro isn’t quite ready yet – you need to add a constraint which will limit the action we’ve already set so that it only works under certain conditions. Set a Time of day duration from the point you wish to disable wireless, ending one minute before the trigger time set earlier.

Select your trigger 2 For this tutorial we’re creating a macro that will disable and enable Wi-Fi at particular times of the day. To start with, we need to select our trigger, in this case the Day/Time Trigger option. Select, and set the time with which to trigger the macro using the intuitive selection boxes.

Save and name 5 Confi rm your constraint and tap the right arrow to give the macro an appropriate name and save it. Make sure the name you assign is descriptive, as you might end up with quite a few macros that you will need to quickly identify, so keep it memorable.

» Android 1.5 and later Difficulty » Easy

Increase your RAM and edit 6 Review A saved macro can be found in the List Macros screen, where the trigger, action and constraint will be neatly summarised along with a toggle to simply switch the macro on and off. Also be aware of the pen icon, for editing, and the trash can for deleting.

Is your Android running out of precious memory? By blocking applications from automatically launching you can keep vital resources available for the apps you really need…

Startup Manager, 1 Install assign permissions more triggers 7 Find Additional triggers, actions and constraints can be unlocked in MacroDroid via the Settings>Enable Root Features checkbox, while the Template Macros screen lists several pre-installed macros that you can use as they are, or as a starting point for your own.

the limit 8 Beat The free version of MacroDroid is limited to just three macros. If you foresee this application proving particularly useful, the upgrade button enables you to remove this block and enjoy unlimited macros, as well as the ability to import and export macro lists.

Hacker Zøne

Works with

You’ll find Startup Manager in the Play store (choose between the free ad-supported and paid versions). After installation you will need to assign Superuser/root privileges to the app, something that is only possible if you have rooted your handset.

startup items 3 Disabling Each item listed is accompanied by a blue circle with a minus symbol – by tapping this you disable the app in question, preventing it from being launched when you start Android. Mistakes can be undone by tapping the grey ‘+’ symbol that appears instead.

your 2 Manage startup items Upon launching, Startup Manager will scan Android to check for apps that are configured to open at startup. There are three views: User, System and Customize. Use the Disable All button in the User view to instantly block apps from opening automatically.

startup apps 4 Customise The Customize view is probably the most important. Using the Add Startup Items button you can select apps that will load when your phone boots. As a final check, activate the third option in the Settings screen to see which items couldn’t be disabled.

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Hacker Zøne Works with

» Android 2.3 and later Difficulty » Intermediate

Save large files to an external card Save space by forcing apps to store data on your SD card

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espite your phone shipping with 16 or even 32GB of internal storage, you might have noticed this total slowly ebbing away, chipped at with every app you install from the Google Play store. One common reason for this is that associated data – things such as podcasts or large games (typically the ones that appear to install quickly before announcing that they need to download more data) – takes up space on your internal SD card. A solution to this might be to move some of your standard, small data files – photos, music etc – to your external SD card.

1 Understand folder pairs After installing FolderMount from the Google Play store and assigning Superuser permissions as required on the first run, tap the ‘+’ symbol to add a new folder pair. Folder pairs are synced to fool Android into allowing app data storage on an external SD card.

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gure 2 Confi folder pairs Assign an appropriate name and then select the Source folder – the location on your Android phone where the app or data you wish to move currently resides. Tap the tick symbol to confirm the request, and repeat the process for Destination, adding a folder if necessary.

This can be fiddly and inconvenient, however, but there is a better solution in the shape of FolderMount, a root application that enables you to automatically store games, podcasts, navigation software files and so much more on your external SD card. FolderMount, a free download, works by enabling you to pair folders, tricking the Android OS into thinking that the data file is on the internal storage rather than the external SD card. The end result is a smartphone or tablet with improved performance. Here’s how it works.

3 Exclude media files One of the most common uses for FolderMount is to move space-hogging video files to your external storage card. A drawback of this, however, is that you might end up with duplicates in your phone gallery. Use the Exclude from media scan option to avoid this.

a saved 4 Edit folder pair

is not 5 Data duplicated

When a new folder pair is added by a user, FolderMount will offer to move the data. Tap the Yes command to agree and wait patiently for a moment. Once the data is moved to the external storage location, tap on the pin icon, which should turn green instantly.

Although data might appear in both the source and destination locations, it is in fact only present in one place. You can check this by unpinning the paired folders. Use the Settings screen to ensure that your paired folders are mounted when you boot Android.

» Any device with USB OTG Difficulty » Easy

Increase your storage

Seamlessly add a USB flash drive to your device and make extra room for a multitude of media

A

s our phones get faster and their screens get bigger they are becoming more and more useful for consuming content. But HD movies are enormous files and you won’t fit many into the typical storage allowance on most phones. But if your device has USB On-The-Go support you can easily add temporary storage to your device, onto which you can store full-length movies or a larger music collection. You could access documents brought with you from your work computer, or if you add a memory card adapter you could even remove the card from your camera and instantly view, edit and share the photos as soon as you take them. Using the USB OTG Helper app on a rooted device the entire process can become completely seamless too.

a drive 1 Mount Head over to the Play store to download

Access your files 2 You’ll now see your drive listed – most file

USB OTG Helper. Plug a USB drive into a micro USB adapter and attach it to your phone. The app should launch automatically and detect the drive. Tap the Mount button to access the drive.

systems are supported including those used on Windows and Mac. Tap the drive to view files then simply access the files as you would normally. They will open in their associated app.

Works with

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Works with

and unmount 3 … When you’re finished you must remember to unmount the drive to prevent any errors occurring if you unplug it while it is still in use. Return to USB OTG Helper and tap the Unmount button. You can now safely unplug your drive.

» Nexus 7 Difficulty » Intermediate

Improve Nexus camera quality

The Nexus 7 comes with a very basic front-facing camera, but you can upgrade its video to 720p with a simple hack

a drive 1 Mount The Nexus 7 doesn’t provide access to the camera at all, by default. The camera app is installed but the app icon is missing. Head to the Play store and download Camera Launcher to add that icon.

the mod 2 Flash In order to add support for 720p video you must flash the file located in this thread: http://bit. ly/10VCZeQ. Your device must be unlocked and rooted and you should flash the file like a custom ROM.

Restart the device 3 An app such as ROM Manager is the easiest way to flash a zip file, if you’re unsure on how to do it manually. It should only take a few seconds to complete, and once it is done, restart your Nexus.

shooting 4 Get Now launch the camera app and switch into video mode and you will find you can now shoot in HD. With the software limitation on quality removed, your video calls on Skype should also be improved.

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Hacker Zøne »

Works with Android 1.6 and later Difficulty Easy

»

Boost your Wi-Fi signal Don’t feel limited by your current wireless networking speed – use a Wi-Fi boosting app to make sure you’re always connected to the fastest available signal

Works with

» Android 1.6 and later Difficulty » Easy

Remap your buttons

Improve your mobile efficiency by remapping hardware buttons to launch favourite apps

H

ow many of your Android device’s hardware buttons do you use? You might, for instance, never use the camera, thereby inadvertently creating a redundant button. But it doesn’t have to be this way – you can configure your Android camera button (or any others) to behave in a particular way, launching specific apps that can make life easier. This is made possible with an app such as Home2 Shortcut, with which you can reconfigure the Home, Search, Menu, Back and Camera buttons on your phone or tablet in order to quickly launch your favourite apps without browsing menus.

A popular way to deal with weak wireless signals is to install the free Wifi Booster 2013 app from Google Play. Note that this is an ad-supported app.

1

Shortcut 1 Home2 After installation you will want to run Home2 Shortcut and start configuring Android’s hardware buttons. However, due to the nature of the app and its ability in reassigning key mappings, the ‘Complete action using’ box will be displayed. Avoid tapping the Always option!

Get started 2 Get started by tapping Choose Application to assign an app to a double-tap of the Home button. Continue by configuring the double-tap speed, which features several options, from Very very short to Very long. This can be changed after mapping the hardware key.

The app features a very simple UI, enabling fast wireless signal optimisation at the tap of a button. Optimisation occurs in the background – you don’t have to do a thing!

2

application 3 Home Even if you don’t want to configure the One downside of wireless booster apps is the impact on your device’s battery. Wi-Fi boosters require additional power to increase wireless speed, so don’t use one if your battery is low.

3

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Home button, you still need to select your preferred home application. With this set, you shouldn’t have any problems returning to the home screen, so you can turn your attention to the key you wish to remap.

Set new actions 4 Use Other key settings to find the long press option for your phone’s camera button, and tap the Choose Application button to find the app you wish to use. Click OK to confirm, then Back and Close. You can now try your remapped hardware button.

» Android 1.5 and later Difficulty » Intermediate

Back up and restore your apps

Hacker Zøne

Works with

Avoid factory reset blues by restoring backed up software in minutes

W

hether you’re resetting your phone to factory settings in order to overcome a problem or you’re updating Android, losing your apps can prove a bit of a nightmare. Sure, you might use Google Play to get your apps back, but installation this way is slow, with software only available to be reinstalled one at a time. So what other solutions are there? ES File Explorer is popular, but perhaps the ultimate backup/restore app for Android is Titanium Backup, a tool that

gure your phone 1 Confi After installing this free app from Google

can easily and quickly back up and restore apps from a folder on your SD card or elsewhere. With Titanium Backup you can do so much more than back up apps, with messages, calls, bookmarks and Wi-Fi access points among the options. There is a caveat, however – in order to use Titanium Backup, your Android device must first be rooted. This is a small price to pay for such flexibility though.

storage in 2 Check Titanium Backup

Play, you should see notices to alter your system configuration. You can save time with this beforehand, however – open Settings> Applications and check the Unknown sources box, then Developer options and check USB Debugging.

Upon first launch you will need to make a couple of checks. First, ensure that you are happy with the listed backup directory – you can change it in the Preferences menu. Also check that your Android storage is sufficient to run a backup.

up apps in batches 4 Back Scrolling through the list and backing up

Setting backup options 5 Backing up your apps in bulk is easily done

applications one at a time might prove heavy going, of course, which is why Titanium Backup offers a batch option, available via the icon in the top-right corner. Use this to back up apps, system data, or both.

by tapping Run, confirming the selection and tapping the green tick to finish. Depending on the number of apps, this might take a while to finish. App backups are stored in the location you checked earlier.

to back up 3 Prepare Via the Backup/Restore screen, view the list of the apps that will be backed up. To back up an app, tap it and select Backup! from the sub-menu. Closer inspection will reveal the Restore option. Tap this to restore the app from its backed up state.

apps 6 Restoring In the Batch screen, scroll down to the Restore section and use the appropriate option to restore your backup. Titanium offers more than just backups, and you will notice many options here, including delete tools and even moving downloaded apps to the SD card.

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Apps 30 most innovative apps »

Ground-breaking software that will change the way you use your Android device

T

here are thousands of apps on the Play store that are worth your attention. So many in fact that it can get a bit daunting choosing which ones deserve some of the space on your Android device. But don’t worry, because that’s where we come in. Some apps make your Android device look nice, others alter some of the tasks it can perform, but there are a rare few which actually revolutionise the way you use your phone or tablet. Here then are the 30 most innovative Android apps, along with the reasons why you should have them on your phone.

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Apps

»30 most innovative apps

Notif Pro

Skyvi (Siri for Android)

Awesome Drop

Price: £0.61/$0.99 Add reminders to your notifications bar

Price: Free A viable alternative to Apple’s Siri AI engine

Price: Free Drag and drop in a web browser to sync files

Notif lets you leave yourself messages and reminders in the notifications bar of your device. Got some things you need to pick up from the shop? Leave yourself a list in the bar. A nice looking app with huge potential, no forgetful Android user should leave home without it.

Siri has been hanging around on Apple devices for a while now, but there are plenty of options available to Android users who want their own digital assistant. Skyvi is one of the best around, and lets you send texts, search the internet, and even have a chat with your phone.

There’s something so simple about Awesome Drop that it almost beggars belief. Point your PC’s HTML5-enabled web browser to a URL, type the code you find there on your phone and you can simply drag and drop files to your browser and sync them with your phone. It’s that easy and an app we think can be of great use of you.

Popup Widgets

Price: £0.99/$1.52 Shrink your widgets to save more space on your home screens Widgets are great. Not only do they let you customise your home screens, they give you quick access to the apps and information you need. The problem is, they can take up a lot of space. Some people don’t mind that, but if you prefer your home screens to be sleek and organised, Popup Widget is the app for you. This neat little app lets you create app icon-sized shortcuts that, when tapped, bring up a widget. You can arrange them just like you’d arrange your apps, and when you access a widget it pops up in front of your homescreen, letting you access its features without having to find somewhere to put it that doesn’t spoil the look of your phone or tablet. You can even change the size of the widget when it pops up, play around with the ensuing animation and alter the settings so the widget disappears when you swipe away. Widgets give you the freedom to have a home screen that suits you, and Popup Widget extends that freedom with a neat, stylish UI.

Field Trip Price: Free

Uses your location to keep you up to date with deals, facts and interesting places around you. Perfect for ensuring you get the most out of the cities you visit.

AutomateIt Pro Price: £1.00/$1.60

Using simple strings of if/and code you can use this app to make your phone work for you, including turning on your music player when you insert your headphones, for example.

iOnRoad Augmented Driving Pro Price: £2.99/$4.99

Mount your Android device to your windscreen and this app warns you of upcoming dangers. You’ll need to watch the road, but it’s a clever use of your device’s camera.

CamScanner Price: Free

Scan a document on your phone and this app will automatically change it into a PDF, saving you a lot of hassle with scanners, wires, and emailing things to yourself.

Swapps! Price: Free

A swipe from the left-side of the screen instantly brings up a list of all the apps you’ve got installed, whatever app you’re in or home screen you’re on.

Popup Widgets in action

Choosing your widgets

Changing a widget’s size

Once you’ve brought up the app and tapped to create a new widget you’re given a long, detailed list of all the different widgets you’ve got installed on your Android device.

When you have selected the widget you want to make a shortcut for, you can set the size the widget will be when it pops up with just a few swipes. It’s a very intuitive process.

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Apps 30 most innovative apps »

Access your settings from the bar in the middle of the app, changing things with a few taps

GO TouchHelper

Price: Free A gorgeous app that gives you quick access to the most often-used parts of your device If you’re not sure about switching to a different launcher app, GO TouchHelper offers the perfect solution. Essentially it’s an app that collates the most important parts of your Android experience into one easy-to-understand screen. You’ll see the people you contact most frequently, the last text message you received, the time, your alarms, and a host of other useful and pertinent information. There are themes you can download to change the look of the app too, although the default setting is probably one of the nicest looking apps we’ve seen. GO TouchHelper’s strength is that it bypasses a lot of what goes into customising your Android device. Here’s everything you need presented in one great-looking package. You’ve still got the rest of your phone for your apps and files, but the main stuff you’re going to be using on a regular basis is collected in one handsome and incredibly easy-to-use application. And if you want you can make it look like your phone is running the Windows Phone OS. GO TouchHelper is a great idea, brilliantly implemented, that makes you think about the different ways you use your Android device. And it looks great too.

WiFi Mouse Pro

Price: £2.52/$3.86 Turn your Android device into a wireless mouse and keyboard It feels pretty old fashioned using a mouse nowadays, so why not use your Android device instead. Grab WiFi Mouse from the Play store, then install a bit of software on your PC and in no time you can be using your tablet or phone to navigate through your computer. • The app can act as a remote control as well. • Multi-touch gestures let you switch window focus and much more. • Swap between right and left-handed mouse modes with ease. • Lets you use speech to text input quickly and simply.

Your most regularly used apps appear in the home bar, so it’s quick and easy to get straight to them

Onavo Extend

Price: Free Extends your Android data plan An ingenious app that could save you money on your 3G, Onavo Extend essentially compresses the amount of data you’re using, finding some pretty impressive savings for you in the process. If you often find yourself going over your data limit, then you need to grab this app right now.

Shush!

Price: Free Turn your ringer back on after a set time Shush! is a clever, free application that lets you set a time limit for turning your phone on silent. Mute your phone and Shush! will then pop up to ask you how long you want it to be quiet. This essential download means you’ll never miss an important call because you forgot to put your ringer on again.

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GMD Gesture Control Price: £3.53/$5.56 Use multi-touch gestures to navigate your Android device

There are some things the iPad does out of the box that your Android device simple doesn’t, and chief among them is multi-touch gestures. But, if your Android is rooted, you can buy GMD Gesture Control from the Play store and set up and use custom swipes to change applications, close what you’re working on and an awful lot more.

Filter

Price: Free Dim your screen far more than the native settings allow Staring at a screen is a decent way to get a headache, and while Android has built-in brightness controls, sometimes they’re not enough. That’s where Screen Filter comes in. Fine grained controls let you set your level, and you can even use Locale or Tasker to change brightness.

Apps

30 most innovative apps«

Waze

Sidebar Pro

Price: Free Community generated traffic alerts Waze is designed so you don’t have to combat the long commute to work alone. It’s a social network for drivers that lets you add alerts and recommendations to keep others abreast of what the flow of traffic is like. Just driving with the app open sends details to the Waze servers about traffic speed. A great idea that can only get better as more people pick it up.

Vivino Wine Scanner Price: Free

Take a photo of the wine you’re drinking and this app will match it with its database of over 500,000 tipples, showing you reviews and tips.

Running Trax Price: Free

Viddy

The Android OS is all about individuality. There are so many layers of changes you can make to your phone or tablet that there’s no reason two devices should ever look alike. Zooper Widget embraces that philosophy wholeheartedly, letting you create your own unique widget using the parameters of the app. You can choose your font, positioning, angle and the information that the widget displays. Best of all, it’s a widget built with your device’s battery in mind, designed only to use power when you want it to. There’s a huge amount to customise, and some great templates to start you off too. Along with a clock and the weather, you can add your calendar to the widget and keep up to date with what you’re supposed to be doing. Smart and brilliantly designed, Zooper Widget manages to capture the Android ethos – it’s stylish, individual and it just works.

An RSS reader might not sound like the sort of app you’d put on a list concerning cutting-edge innovation, but Feedly is such a unique way to keep up to date with your favourite sites and blogs it’d be wrong not to. Slick, polished and special, try this and you’ll never go back.

Keep track of your thoughts, ideas and plans with this stylish and easy-to-use note-taking app from Google that syncs across all of your desktop and mobile devices.

Sick of jogging to the same old songs? Running Trax updates weekly with 40 new songs to keep you running, for a subscription price of just £4 a month.

Price: £0.99/$1.99 Build your own custom time and weather widget

Price: Free A gorgeous RSS reader designed for Android devices

Price: Free

Sidebar Pro makes the most of the swipeable nature of touchscreen devices, letting you drag a customisable bar in from the side of the screen. You can access your favourite apps, kill programs that are running in the background, and flip a series of toggles. Clever and elegant, Sidebar Pro adds an extra level of control to your overall Android experience that feels like it should always have been there.

Zooper Widget

Feedly

Google Keep

Price: £1.28/$1.99 Adds a swipeable sidebar to your Android experience

Price: Free Instagram for video. Capture a 15-second clip, add one of a wide range of different and exciting filters, then upload them to your social networks and share with your friends.

Gifinator Price: Free

A brilliant app that lets you quickly create an animated gif, then share it with your friends. Fun to use and surprisingly addictive, you’ll be ‘giffing’ everything.

Device Info Ex Live Wallpaper

Price: £0.72/$1.12 Displays pertinent information about your Android device Live wallpaper is cool, but it’s rarely useful for anything other than showing off. That’s where Device Info Ex Live Wallpaper comes in. Using this app you can use your wallpaper to display a mind boggling array of facts and figures about your device, from internal memory usage to CPU specifications.

Magnifying Glass

Price: Free Use your device’s camera to zoom in on things Magnifying Glass lets you use the camera on your Android smartphone to magnify text for a much closer look. A simple user interface makes zooming in a piece of cake and the app uses the focus modes and flash of your device’s camera to ensure the image you’re looking at is crystal clear.

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Apps 30 most innovative apps »

Toucher

Tapping on the Brightness button lets you cycle through four different settings to pick the one that’s right for you

Price: Free Everything you need right at your fingertips Sometimes it’s the simplest ideas that you get the most out of. That’s especially true with Toucher, an app that lets you put a single finger in charge of the most important aspects of your Android device. Once you’ve installed the app you’ll see a grey circle at the side of your screen – tapping that opens up the Toucher launcher, which gives you access to a variety of different options. You can set up your favourite apps, for example, and access them at anytime by tapping the circle, which handily hovers in the corner even when you’re in a different app. You’ll also get quick access to a set of toggles that let you play with the basic settings of your phone, like turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth or changing the brightness. It’s great to have constant, quick access to the apps you use the most, and you can customise them too, if something new enters your app rotation. Throw in downloadable themes that let you change the way the launcher looks and you’re left with a strikingly simple idea that gives you an extra degree of control over your Android device, and looks brilliant while it’s at it.

Up close with Toucher

If you need to turn Toucher off, simply go to the app and hide the touch point

Emoji Keyboard

Price: Free Turn your Android keyboard into a hotbed of signs and symbols Rooting your Android device gives you lots more freedom to play around with the way things are presented, swapping out the fonts, for example, so they display tiny, cute emoticons. Obviously you’ll need some way of sending these Emoji, and that’s what Emoji Keyboard is for. With a few taps you can add a massive array of faces, symbols and signs. Simple and fun, Emoji Keyboard lets you express the gamut of human emotions, all from the comfort of your rooted device.

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Set the position

Choose your apps

Long press on the Toucher point to move it around the screen. When you’re happy with where it is, just lift up your finger and it’ll stick in that spot.

Choose any of the apps on your device to sit in the favourites section. Tap on the one you want and it’ll be there next time you open the app.

Gesture Launcher Price: Free Open apps with a quick onscreen scribble If you’re sick of searching when you want to start an app then Gesture Launcher could revolutionise your Android use. You can set different scribbles to different apps so all you need to do is open Gesture Launcher, doodle the right shape on the screen, and your app will load.

Lock Pattern Generator

Price: Free Create new lock patterns to protect your Android device The lock pattern on your Android device is probably pretty easy to crack, but this app lets you generate complex patterns to make sure your phone or tablet doesn’t get any unwanted attention. Fast and simple to use, this takes one of Google’s innovations and moves it a step further.

We don’t keep secrets

TM

Learn the truth about iPhone, iPad, Android, Photoshop and more with the Tips & Tricks series’ expert advice and tutorials

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Apps

Playmarkers

Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

15min wonder F1 2013 Timing App

! 5 15 10

F1 2013 Timing App Follow the thrills, spills and spins wherever you are in the world Are you looking for the full F1 racing experience? Follow your favourite driver wherever you are with the F1 2013 Timing & Track Position app, the only official F1 Timing app available on the market. This brilliant app delivers up-to-the-minute track positions and data streamed from the track directly to your Android device. Whether you’re on the go or sitting in the comfort of your home in front of the TV, the app delivers live F1 racing data to your Android device. Once you’ve tried this fantastic app you’ll never be able to watch Formula One without it again. F1 Timing works on a variety of the most popular Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy S, HTC Desire, Nexus One, Motorola Milestone and Sony Ericsson X10 to name a few. The F1 Timing app instantly delivers track positioning and data

Want your money back? You’ve got 15 mins to decide!

stream from the race course to your smartphone. Follow your favourite drivers through the interactive 3D map and watch the race unfold before your very eyes. The map includes all sorts of features, including the ability to focus on a driver and rotate the map. The F1 Timing App puts you in the driver’s seat like never before. The Live Leaderboard lets you know who’s in the lead. You can even view pit stops, so you’ll be the first to know who will cross the finish line first and emerge victorious. There’s plenty of useful data available at your fingertips just waiting to be discovered. Not only can you view an interactive map, you’ll even receive live tyre data feeds to your smartphone. If you’re a data junkie this is a must-have – find out the exact tyre type and compound each driver is using at any point in the race. Not only that, you can even view the two previous tyre

types used. Depending on the weather conditions, tyre types can be a factor in influencing the results of the race. The Live Timing feed delivers a host of useful data to your Android device. Receive up-to-the-second positions, lap times, gaps, sectors times, circuit data, speeds and race

Zoom in on live maps and watch the race unfold in front of your eyes Follow a race with fully interactive 3D maps

! 5 15 10 ! 5 15 10

»0-5 minutes The

interactive map is a whole new experience.

»

5-10 minutes It’s amazing all the data available at your fingertips.

»10-15 minutes This is an app that will change the F1 racing experience forever.

keep

refund

status. DRS (Drag Reduction System) Zones, a new addition to F1 in 2011, have been brought to the app. What’s a DRS Zone? They’re a point in the track where drivers can gain an aerodynamic advantage to pass fellow drivers on their way to victory. These zones are clearly marked on the track, so you’ll know if a last second come-from-behind victory could be on the cards. You’ll never need to worry about checking Formula1.com again for the latest news. Breaking F1 news as it happens is instantly delivered to your home screen so you’ll never miss an important news story again. You can tinker the news settings to make sure your racing experience is perfect. Our only major complaint is at £19.99/$33.99 the app is very pricey. The free version is hardly worth downloading – it’s just an advertisement for the paid version. You can barely do anything. If you’re a serious F1 racing fan this app is a must-have, but if you’re a casual viewer you might consider saving your money.

» like this? try this! Livesports24 F1 Racing

View up-to-the-minute leaderboards, including team, position and best lap results.

» specification Price £19.99/$33.99 Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: 2.1 and up

» verdict Performance Design Value Without question, the best racing app out there today A host of information is at your fingertips, including tyre type and DRS zones

»best free alternative 78

UNOFFICIAL LIVE F1 TIMING » F1 nuts will appreciate this app, but it’s not a patch on the official offering.

Rethink

Must-Have Recipes

Rethink

WiFi Signal Booster

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tasks done the new way Smartphones were supposed to make our lives a lot simpler, not more hectic. Feeling overwhelmed with all the apps you have to check and the tasks you have to remember on a daily basis? Take control of your smartphone – and your life – with Rethink. Rethink is a revolutionary way to keep track of all your daily tasks in your busy life. This isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill task manager app – Rethink takes task management a step further by allowing you to create context-

» like this? try this! Tasks To Do

Let this application make you super-organised and efficient.

»best free alternative

sensitive task reminders. You’re no longer bound simply by time – you can create tasks that are triggered by events in your daily routine, so you can concentrate on the important things in life and not have to worrying about picking up bread and milk at the supermarket. Rethink offers the perfect balance between simple, yet effective, in one powerful app. Setting up task reminders is quick and easy. You can set up task triggers when you arrive at a specific location, contact friends and family, connect to a Wi-Fi network or at a specific time of the day. For example, if you need to buy some stamps from the post office you can create a reminder next time you’re driving by so you’ll remember to stop in. Do you ever finish a

conversation with a friend and only seconds later realise you forgot to mention an important detail? Create a reminder next time your friend calls or sends an SMS message so you won’t forget. This is only the beginning of how Rethink can make your life a whole lot easier. There are a host of extra features including the ability to trigger multiple tasks, synchronise

tasks with your default calendar, and colour code tasks for easy management. Never feel overwhelmed again with Rethink, the application that promises to change your life.

» specification Price £1.35/$1.99

Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: 2.2 and up

» verdict Take your mind off daily tasks and let Rethink take care of the rest

ANY.DO » The simplicity in this app’s design means it won’t get in the way of any of the tasks you actually need to do.

Must-Have Recipes Cooking has never been this easy Whether you’re a master chef or you’re looking at improving your cooking skills, the Must-Have Recipes from BHG app has something for everyone. Better Homes and Gardens delivers its top recipes, cooking tips and advice in this cracking app for free. With over 500 recipes to try, you’ll be a world-class chef in no time. Recipes include mouth-watering full courses, main dishes, salads, side dishes and even grilling favourites. This isn’t your garden variety cookbook app – each recipe includes full colour photos of the finished dishes. If you aren’t as handy around the kitchen as you’d hope, there are 75 how-to videos that will teach you the ropes and make cooking seem easy. Do you want to spice up a certain recipe? Add special notes to any recipe to add your taste of flavour. If 500 recipes isn’t enough, you can purchase additional recipes in batches of 100.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.3.3 and up

»like this? try this!

Burn Note

BETTY CROCKER MOBILE COOKBOOK » Each recipe includes a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions to follow.

WiFi Signal Burn Note Booster A free wireless signal boost

Protect your private conversations

There’s nothing worse than a weak Wi-Fi signal. When you’re downloading content on your phone the last thing you want to be worried about is your network signal. Weak network signals are a thing of the past with WiFi Signal Booster. This app is easy to use, yet powerful. Simply connect to a Wi-Fi network, press WiFi Boost and you’ll have a strong Wi-Fi signal in seconds. How does this work? It simply refreshes your Wi-Fi signal so you’ll always have the strongest connection.

Burn Note brings the security of the BlackBerry to your Android device. The classic ‘this message will selfdestruct’ line from the classic spy comedy Get Smart is the best way to describe this useful app. Burn Note is a secure way to send messages and keep them private. Each message sent is deleted instantly without a trace. Once the receiver downloads the message the clock starts ticking. Once time is up the message is deleted. Messages can be sent to fellow users, email recipients and links to use anywhere.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 1.6 and up

» Price Free » Designed for Phone/tablet » Requires Android 2.1 and up

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Apps

Playmarkers

Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Photo Effects Pro Dress up your photos with unique effects in seconds Let’s face it, there are a slew of photo editing apps already available on the market. What sets this one apart from the pack? Not only is Photo Effects Pro free, it has a host of easy-to-use effects at your disposal. With over 50 free space effects, you’ll transform your photos from average to amazing in seconds. These unique effects include Pencil Sketch, rounded corners, Tint image, shaded image and many more. The app includes all the basic abilities you’d expect like cropping, rotating and adjusting contrast, plus you can dress up your photos with unique frames. You watch the effects transform your photos and then, best of all, you can instantly share them with the world via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or dress up your phone’s home screen by using them as wallpaper.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.1 and up

»like this? try this!

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP EXPRESS » Super-powerful, market-leading portable software from Adobe.

Uber Hail a limo straight from your smartphone Why hail a cab the old fashioned way when you don’t need to? Limos have finally moved into the 21st Century with the introduction of Uber. Touted as everyone’s private drive, Uber lets you request a private car all from your Android device. You’ll never whistle for a cab again. Not only can you request a cab, the driver will know your exact location. Paying for your ride couldn’t be easier – the fare is charged directly to your credit card and you’ll even receive an electronic receipt in-app and via email. Uber is only available in a select few major cities across the world, including New York, San Francisco and Toronto, but the service is quickly expanding. The only downside about the app is the GPS can be finicky – it could take the driver a couple minutes to figure out your exact location.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone » Requires Android 2.1 and up

»like this? try this! 80

GETTAXI – TAXI CAB APP » Simplifying the booking process even further, so you never have to leave the app.

Photo Effects Pro

Opera Browser Beta

Uber

Opera browser beta

Opera’s new rendering puts it back among the web giants Opera browser beta is a first look at the future of the Opera Mobile web browser. It’s a major change for the software, moving to the WebKit rendering engine for the first time, putting it alongside the likes of Chrome in terms of its speed, accuracy and functionality. For existing users of Opera Mobile this move takes some getting used to. The entire UI of the app has been redesigned, with some of the elements that made Opera Mobile so successful in the past being reworked – there’s a nice tab switching feature, for instance, while the Speed Dial page now also includes additional panes for your browsing history, as well as a Flipboard-style highlights screen. It is fast, and for the most part creates the pages as you would expect, although like with Chrome you will occasionally see fonts being displayed at different sizes where you would expect them to be the same. As a beta app, Opera Browser is still very much a work in progress, with features like the bookmark-syncing service Opera Link yet to be fully implemented (at the time of writing). However, it is fast and stable enough to use as your main browser, and with improvements delivered regularly, gets better all the time.

Get to know the Opera browser

If you’re a fan of Opera browser on your PC, you’re going to love bringing this powerful, yet simple browser to your Android device

Discover

Get the news relevant to you delivered directly to your browser. The unique Discover features send recommendations for news, entertainment and other popular content tailored to your likes.

Speed Dial

Opera’s unique Speed Dial feature saves you time by displaying your favourites, bookmarks and saved web pages for your pleasure. Customise by adding folders or reorganising with a finger swipe.

Off-Road

Suffering from a slow Wi-Fi connection? Looking for a much-needed speed boost? Select Off-Road mode to save your precious data and browse the internet at lightning-fast speeds.

Qustodio Parental Controls

Speed Dial

View your most frequently visited websites with Speed Dial. Add links to your favourite sites here for quick access. This page works alongside the more traditional bookmarks page

Qustodio Parental Controls

The best app for protecting your child Tabbed browsing

The tabbed browsing UI has been redesigned. Your tabs still appear on their own screen rather than at the top of the window as on some other browsers, but they are much larger and more accessible than they were on the older versions of Opera

Fast search

Opera browser beta has done away with the dedicated search box, and instead you can simply type whatever you want to search for into the address bar

History view

A quick swipe to the left reveals your browsing history for easy access. Well organised and laid out, the pane makes your history more readily available than on any other browser, and quickly becomes a feature you will start to use more often

» like this? try this! Google Chrome

The king of browsers. There’s a reason why it’s the default Android offering.

Do you share your smartphone with your children or teenager? If so, parental controls are a must, especially for young children. You don’t want your child to stumble across something online and be scarred for life. While parent control software has been around for years on PCs, there aren’t as many options available for protecting your child on your Android device. Qustodio is a parental control app that promises to keep your child safe on the go. This powerful app enables parents to manage and monitor how their kids are using their Android phone or tablet. Install the app on each of your devices for the utmost protection. What sets Qustodio apart from the rest of parental control apps out there? It enables you to monitor your child’s web surfing activities and block harmful websites based on filters, set access time limits and

» like this? try this! Norton Family parental control

Help understand and manage your child’s mobile activities, so they can surf worry-free and safely.

quotas, and display whether your child is spending most of their time doing homework or playing games. The premium version is money well spent – you can monitor and block apps and games. Qustodio lets you rest at ease and never worry about your children’s online activities again.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

» specification Price Free Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: Varies with device

» verdict EDITOR’S CHOICE

Performance Design Value If you’re looking for a quick, reliable browser you can’t go wrong with Opera Protect your child by blocking access to apps they shouldn’t be using

81

Apps

Playmarkers

Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Google Translate Break through language barriers For cosmopolitan types, having instant access to translations is a must. Samsung clearly thinks so, as it has built translation directly into the S4. But Google Translate was first, and with a recent update is now even better. Google Translate is hands down the best language app on the market, and should be your go-to translation app while on the move. This brilliant app brings the powerful web-based version to your Android device. With the app you can translate text and speech in over 60 languages spoken worldwide, with many of them

being able to be downloaded for use offline. Google Translate takes text translation to a whole new level – learn the pronunciation of words and phrases by listening to your translations spoken aloud. Typing your translation can be timeconsuming and a real bore – so you can translate in a variety of ways, including voice, handwriting and even through your smartphone’s camera. This powerful app isn’t only a translation tool – view dictionary definitions for words and phrases instantly. If you’re constantly translating the same words or phrases, save them to your favourites to view at a glance. The newest and best feature is Google Translate’s offline language support. Users with Android 2.3 and up can translate even without Wi-Fi access.

» like this? try this! Online-Translator.com

This app offers the standard translation features, but also includes an offline phrase book perfect for travellers.

» specification Price Free Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: 2.1 and up

» verdict

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Performance Design Value

Google Translate

Traxsource

Sky Movies Enjoy your favourite movies while you’re on the go Netflix isn’t the only movie streaming app in town. Sky Movies has recently launched its movie app for Android devices. The Sky Movies app is supported on all Android devices, but you’ll only be able to enjoy movies with Sky Go-compatible devices, including the Samsung Galaxy devices, HTC devices and LG Nexus 4. This app is a must-have for movie fans. With over 600 movies on demand at your fingertips you’ll be able to stream and enjoy your favourite movies while you’re on the go. All you need to enjoy films is Wi-Fi access or a mobile data connection. These movies are going to cost you – not only do you have to pay for movies, they’ll also use a ton of your data, something to be aware of if you’re on a data-capped plan. The movie selection is very impressive, especially compared to Netflix’s offering in the UK.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up this? »like try this!

BBC iPLAYER » The ultimate catch-up TV service is feature-packed and works an absolute treat.

Traxsource Enjoy underground music from your Android device The internet is all about the ubiquity of content. Unlike TV or radio, anyone can post content about almost anything. Traxsource is similar to YouTube, but instead of videos it allows music sharing. Traxsource is the ultimate underground music store. It lets you discover music outside the mainstream and features sweet-sounding content from DJs, clubbers and aspiring artists. Downloading and enjoying music couldn’t be any easier. Browse, listen and add music to your cart in seconds. Your account is synced up to your Traxsource account online and you can transfer your tracks to your wishlist in an instant to save for later. Browsing for music is easy. You can browse by your favourite music genre, listen to the top DJs on charts and even search top sales charts. Best of all you can try before you buy and keep a playlist of your favourite tunes in-app.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

Google Translate is our favourite translation app out there this? »like try this!

82

Sky Movies

GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC » It’s getting better and better. Google’s answer to iTunes is well worth a look.

quickhits Feedly Your personal breaking news desk

Janetter for Twitter

Unity Launcher

Google Analytics

Tired of scouring the web for your favourite content? Save time with Feedly, the ultimate news aggregating app. Feedly gathers up content from your favourite websites including RSS feeds, blogs and YouTube videos and delivers you instant updates. Unlike other news aggregator apps, Feedly delivers content in unique pocketsized cards which are quick to load and easy on the eyes. It works on loads of devices and there’s no need to waste time customising, as Feedly instantly syncs and does all the hard work.

Looking for an easy way to manage your Twitter accounts? Janetter is a simple, yet powerful way to use Twitter to its fullest. Cycle through all your favourite bookmarks with the simple swipe of a finger and update your bookmarks simultaneously. Display thumbnails of tweets with photos for easy viewing and filter tweets with keywords you won’t want to see. If you’re a heavy Twitter user, the Pro version is well worth a look too.

You don’t need to have an Ubuntu phone to enjoy its powerful app launcher technology. Unity Launcher brings the app launcher to your Android. After spending a minute or two tweaking the app you’ll be browsing apps in seconds. Adding an app to the launcher is easy. Simply select your desired apps and pin them to the launcher. The customisation doesn’t end there – add shortcuts, reorganise apps and change icon backgrounds.

This is an app from Google, so you know it has to be good quality. Google Analytics lets you view up-to-date info from your online profile. View real time statistics, customisable dashboards and intelligence events on your phone. If you’re running an online business, this app is a must-have. It lets you drill down and really understand visitors. The app isn’t without its limitations – you can only add and manage your Gmail account.

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

» Price Free (£4.99/$6.99 for pro) » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

» Price Free (£1.30/$1.99 for pro) » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.1 and up

HeyTell

A virtual walkie-talkie for your Android device

Traffic 3G Watchdog Monitor

Are you tired of constantly exceeding your phone’s minutes and incurring costly charges? Are you looking to take a break from SMS messages? HeyTell is your virtual walkie-talkie app. It lets you exchange short voice messages with your friends and family. Best of all you’ll save your precious daytime minutes – one message uses about the same data as an email. If you’re looking to hold an online meeting HeyTell has you covered – exchange voice messages with up to 25 people simultaneously.

Never exceed your data cap again

Keep a lid on your device’s roaming charges

Magically turn yourself into an action hero

Looking for an easy way to manage your data usage? Look no further than 3G Watchdog, your data guard dog. Not only does this powerful app monitor your data usage, you can customise it for daily, weekly and even monthly reports. It will warn you when you’re going close to your data limit – you’ll receive a warning to cut back on your data usage or suffer a shock come bill time. We all know apps are notorious for using a lot of data, so it’s time to fight back.

With so much rich content out there you can easily blow through your phone’s data plan before you know it. Traffic Monitor helps keep track of your Wi-Fi and cellular traffic, allowing you to keep track of phone calls, roaming charges and SMS messages. You can quickly browse your daily data usage. If your device seems slow, test speed with the built-in speedometer. The app even lets you kill apps that are slowing down your performance.

Have you ever dreamed of staring in your very own comic books? ComicBook! makes those dream a reality. In seconds transform your average pedestrian photos into comic heroes and villains. There are a host of special effects, including image filters, comic fonts, customisable captions, a library of classic comic graphics and over a dozen multipanel page layouts. You can even add captions and create your own book to share.

» Price Free (£2.16/$2.99 for pro) » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 1.5 and up

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 and up

» Price £1.19/$1.99 » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.3.3 and up

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 1.5 and up

Manage your Twitter accounts from one app

Browse your Android device in seconds

Gain insight into your website visitors

Comic Book!

83

Apps head tohead to head If push comes to shove, which one of these smooth note-taking apps comes out on top?

EVERNOTE vs GOOGLE KEEP Evernote has long been at the top of all note-taking apps on the Google Play store, but Google has recently launched its own rival to the crown, Google Keep. We’ve put both head-tohead to see which one deserves a place on your Android device

» specification Price Free Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: 1.6

Evernote The homepage has a list of creation options to help create the type of note you need for that specific time. You’ll also find options for non-text notes. All your notes are saved in chronological order and can be customised at any point. The mass delete option is a great little feature for clearing unwanted notes. Evernote has an accompanying desktop client that you can use to edit and save notes. You can also easily share notes via email and Bluetooth. Evernote has recently launched a partnership with art-based app Skitch, enabling you to sync imagebased notes through your Evernote account. One of the best things about Evernote is how customisable it is. There’s a wide variety of features and plenty of text editing features to boot.

And the winner is...

EVERNOTE 84

» specification Price Free Designed for: Phone and tablet Requires Android: 4.0.3

Google Keep

CREATING NOTES

Keep comes with a handy guide to creating your first note and the rest of it is pretty self-explanatory. Creating media notes isn’t as simple, however.

STAYING ORGANISED

Although the ultra-modern look of Keep is really nice on the eye, it can leave your messages looking rather clumsy and in no particular order.

SEND AND SHARE

All the usual sharing options are present and you can even sync your notes to your tablet and desktop computer. Send your notes to contacts via Gmail.

LINKING WITH OTHER APPS

Google Keep links with many of the other Google apps available for download from Google Play. Syncing it with Google Calendar opens up new features to explore.

EXTRA FEATURES

Google has yet to implement many extra features in Keep, but that’s primarily due to it being such a new app. Expect some big additions soon.

Google Keep is a solid enough start but lacks the features and overall usability that Evernote can currently offer. We expect big things from Keep in future updates, so expect us to revisit this headto-head in due course to see things hotting up nicely.

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Games

Playmarkers

Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Zombie Minesweeper

10000000

Zombie Minesweeper The things people do for love Any game that involves zombies, Minesweeper and a love story is going to be a winning combination, and thankfully Zombie Minesweeper is just that. You’re put in the shoes of a girl on her way to a date with her boyfriend, but there seems to have been a pesky zombie outbreak and mines have been littered all over the place. In essence, the game works in the same way as the classic Minesweeper game: you need to try and navigate the correct path to your goal – in this case a detonator – while making sure not to set off any mines in the process. Level variation isn’t the best, but there are plenty of to get through, with later levels being remarkably difficult. At the same time you’ll be attacked by waves of mutant zombies, be it in the form of a bear, snail or rabbit. Killing them with your equipped shotgun will keep you alive, but you need to carefully manage your ammo as well. On occasion

what we’ve been playing Star Wars Pinball £1.32/$1.99

What isn’t there to love about this pinball and Star Wars hybrid? All the movies are represented and all the familiar sound effects and characters are present.

Temple Run: Oz

£0.65/$0.99

Even though the Temple Run formula has been done to death, the Temple Run: Oz game offers some really unique features, including flying in a hot air balloon.

»twitter

Recommend a game…

86

@lgrobot

Be quick on your feet to solve the puzzle

you’ll encounter bombs that you can use to get rid of multiple enemies at the same time, but there’s little else in the arsenal of weapons, which is a bit of a pity. Another problem is that if you aren’t quick at figuring out the correct Minesweeper path to follow, then you’ll soon run out of the ammo keeping off the zombies from gnawing at your head.

Take advantage of each monster’s special ability

There are some lovely 3D graphics on display here and they are made even better with the 2D sprites that appear on your screen from time-to-time. The same can be said about the music and it’s as eerie and chilling as you’d expect. Despite the tense music, the developer has done a good job at keeping the comedic value throughout.

10000000 Dungeon crawling with a very different twist Dungeon crawlers tend to be rather repetitive affairs, but 10000000 looks to turn the genre completely on its head. As well as including the usual dungeon crawling aspects, 10000000’s main selling point is with its puzzle aspects it has implemented. As you explore various caverns, a jumbled match of icons will appear underneath, with the idea of piecing the icons together. Once you’ve done so, you’ll unlock the item they represent and many of which you’ll find you need to beat monsters or find secret parts of the cavern.

There’s plenty of pressure to do this quick, as you’ll soon find you’re up against the clock to match up the icons before a monster kills you. There are power-ups and upgrades you can buy to help better prepare your hero, but the choices are pretty limited. All in all, 10000000 won’t appeal to die-hard dungeon crawler fans out there, but should certainly please the casual gamer.

» Price £1.59/$1.99 » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.1

Combining these two elements makes for a surprisingly good puzzle game which has enough bloodsplattering fun and longevity to keep you playing for a while.

» Price £0.97/$1.47 » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android Android 2.3

PAC-MAN + Tournaments

Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor

Ravensword: Shadowlands

quickhits PAC-MAN + Tournaments PAC-MAN is going back to his roots

PAC-MAN is one of the most iconic characters in the video game industry and his latest foray on to the Google Play store looks to take players back to his roots. This is classic PAC-MAN and includes all 256 levels as the original arcade game did back in the day. Alongside this is a new tournament mode that enables players to compete against each other for real prizes. It’s a nice blend of both classic gaming with new techniques to freshen it up. To control PAC-MAN you’ll find a virtual joystick at the bottom of your screen as you play. It’s fairly easy to use, but if you’ve got big

fingers, don’t be surprised to get the odd movement wrong. Levels get progressively harder and the longer you go the more strategy that’s needed to navigate around the course successfully. After playing for a while, you’ll soon realise that despite Android games getting graphically better on a weekly basis, games like PAC-MAN will have an everlasting appeal to hardcore and casual gamers alike. For a free download, PAC-MAN + Tournaments is definitely worth checking out.

Capture captors when they turn blue

Lazors Free

Using a laser as a guide, in this clever puzzle game you need to move blocks and mirrors to bounce the laser to hit certain targets. Not as easy as it sounds at all!

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2 Pro Snooker 2012 Free

Take part in various snooker tournaments in one of the first 3D snooker games for Android. Perfect your shot with a variety of advanced controls. It’s really hard to fault this game at all.

AVP: Evolution

£3.24/$4.99

It’s the classic Aliens vs Predators formula, but this entry attempts a 3D version and with great success. Collect different weapons and face off against opponents.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Ravensword: Shadowlands

Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor

Games don’t come much bigger than Ravensword: Shadowland and it truly is a game of epic size. At its core, Ravensword is a traditional RPG that enables you to explore the kingdom of Tyreas and the mysteries it holds. Ravensword’s kingdom is massive and the exploring aspect means you’ll never know what you’ll find around the corner. The various villains and monsters you come across come in different shapes and sizes and each has their own strengths and weaknesses for you to exploit. Due to its size, it can be quite easy to get lost and this is even more frustrating if you’re playing a time sensitive quest. On top of all this, you’ll still find all the traditional RPG elements included, meaning all those wanting some classic Dungeons and Dragons-styled gameplay won’t be disappointed. If you need a game to take up a few hours of your time, look no further than Ravensword: Shadowlands.

If you were under the preconception that a spider exploring an abandoned mansion to find out why it’s empty is a stupid idea for a game, then chances are you’ll want to stay well away from Spider: Secret of Bryce Manor. The game is a mixed bunch of genres and puts you in control of a spider hero as he explores Bryce Manor to uncover the mysteries of why it was abandoned. To do so he must traverse different areas of the mansion, each with its own dangers and obstacles you must overcome to progress. Dangers come in the form of bugs and household objects that can injure you and the game is pretty unforgiving with the health it gives you. The platformer aspects of the game work surprisingly well and the control system is a pleasure to use. It’s also a beautifully drawn game and the interaction you can have with the world around you, creating webs between items for example, is a brilliant addition.

» Price £4.63/$6.99 » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 4.0

» Price £1.28/$1.99 » Designed for Phone and tablet » Requires Android 2.2

An RPG of epic proportions

Platform game with a dark twist

Check our website for even more game reviews

Toy Story: Smash It! £0.65/$0.99

Take over as the famous band of Toy Story characters as you try and defeat the invading alien race. Each character has their own special moves based on the film series.

Real Boxing £2.99/$4.99

The most impressive boxing game we’ve seen on Android. Put together combinations to drain your opponent’s health bar and get the KO victory. Not as flowing as some of its console counterparts.

Shiver: Hitchhiker £1.97/$2.99

This spooky hidden object game wants you to explore the mystery of the vanishing hitchhiker. The short story is compelling and there are some good ideas used.

»www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

87

Reviews

Asus Padfone 2

The Padfone 2 is a superb marriage of tablet and smartphone, though Dumb tablet the tablet is definitely the poor cousin The 10.1-inch tablet doesn’t have a life of its own. The phone needs to be docked before you can use it

Smart battery

Neither phone nor tablet have any memory. The phone and tablet both have batteries that can combine to give great life. It’ll also work so that your phone is almost always well charged

USB

micro USB provides charging in both tablet and phone, but Asus uses a modified cable and standard ones tend to come adrift readily

I

f you’ve got some spare cash burning a hole in your pocket and you can’t decide whether you want a new phone or a tablet, the Asus Padfone 2 might come to your rescue. It’s both. The phone is a fully fledged handset, self-contained and able to work on its own – in all the ways you expect a high-end Android handset to. But when you fancy a 10.1-inch tablet instead, you have one of those as well. The phone slots into the back of a tablet shell and gives its big screen and battery a heart. The combination price of £599

88

Great phone

No memory expansion

Half of the Padfone 2 is a very decent smartphone rivalling some of the biggest names on the market, especially with a quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM

Neither phone nor tablet have any memory expansion capability so you may need to pick whether you want to prioritise your phone content or tablet content

is high enough to initially take some of the gloss off what is undoubtedly an innovative product – you might have been hoping more for a two-for-theprice-of-one deal – and it might be more than you’d ever have expected to spend on a phone. But if you are in the market for both a phone and a tablet, the price combination is quite attractive. Asus has married the two elements in such a way that the combination offers a couple of distinct advantages too – most notably when it comes to power management.

One thing to be aware of right from the start is that the tablet doesn’t do anything on its own. It has no internals, as such, and it needs the phone to be slotted in before it will even switch on. The tablet then uses the phone’s 13-megapixel camera (hampered down to 5.5 megapixels) and headset

good for...

Work Working with documents is unsurprisingly a treat on the tablet

Review Asus Padfone 2 slot, the phone’s Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and 4G connections, and, of course, its processor and memory. The small phone screen, too, transforms into a large tablet one. The layout of apps and widgets on phone and tablet are managed separately so you can personalise things as if they were two separate devices, but when you download apps and other data you do so to the handset as the tablet has no storage of its own. Some apps can be set to automatically switch between devices when you dock and undock so it is always optimised for the screen size you are using. That’s not the bed of roses you might think, because memory is limited. There’s no memory expansion on either the phone or the tablet, and the 32GB on the handset is down to just over 25GB of actual free space out of the box. This is one of the downsides to the two-in-one approach, since the likelihood is you’ll use a phone and tablet in different ways – the phone for music; the tablet for movies, for example – and you may need to compromise between them. In design terms Asus has done its usual slick

the Nexus 4. It is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM in support, and it zips along. Its 4.7-inch screen, with 1,280 x 720 pixels looks great. The phone runs Android 4.1. It isn’t Vanilla Android, but the skin is light and subtle and the tweaks feel necessary rather than bloat. The tablet is slightly less impressive. The 1,280 x 800 pixels on offer are barely any more than you get with the phone, but stretched across an extra five inches of screen. The drop in relative resolution is noticeable, taking the device from high-end phone to mid-range tablet. To help things somewhat Asus has implemented a special ‘outdoor’ brightness mode that racks up the brightness, but this pushes the battery hard. You can still take calls when the phone is docked – via speakerphone or a Bluetooth headset. As well as providing the larger screen the tablet houses its own battery, and its use has been implemented very intelligently. You can set things up so that the tablet battery is used first so you have a well charged phone when you undock, and can use the tablet battery to charge the phone. This really comes in handy if you find phone power running short

information Price £599 »

More information www.asus.co.uk

Battery life Battery life is generally excellent and you can charge the phone from the tablet

technical specs

»Operating system...............Android 4.1 »Processor...................................Quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4

»Memory.......................................32GB storage »Dimensions..............................phone: 137.9 x 68.9 x 9mm

tablet: 263 x 180.8 x 10.4mm

»Weight ..........................................Phone: 135g, tablet: 514g »Display size...............................Phone: 4.7-inch, tablet: 10.1-inch »Display resolution...............Phone 1,280 x 720 pixels, tablet: 1,280 x 800 pixels

Asus Padfone 2 N/A

better than

job. The tablet is a bit of a block, but it has a nicely rubbery back and gently curved edges. The handset has the optical illusion of being tapered thanks to a metal strip along the long edges that is thinner at the bottom than the top. The phone feels solid in the hand and its build quality is good. The docking mechanism is secure and easy to operate – you just push the handset into the slot till it will go no further, and it slides out easily too. The switch from phone to tablet mode happens automatically, and almost seamlessly. The phone’s specs are very good, matching leading devices like

Gaming The big screen is good for gaming, but the tablet’s pixel density could be better

during the day as there’s no need to hunt around for the mains adapter. Because both devices have micro USB slots you can charge them both individually. For some reason our review unit didn’t come with the slightly modified micro USB cables that Asus wants you to use, and our normal charge cables kept slipping out. That said, the relatively low screen resolution of the tablet, and the lack of micro SD storage on both devices could be ongoing issues, but in general we can’t help thinking that the Padfone 2 is a fantastic piece of kit. It’s a great idea, and Asus is one of relatively few companies with the design and build chops to pull it off. It’s not an option if you ever think you might want to use the tablet and phone at the same time, but there’s undoubtedly lots to like.

Long life There’s plenty of battery power here to last you through extended periods

Time saving

N/A

worse than

Performance

A fast and capable phone coupled with a fast but less impressive tablet

Design

Clever docking mechanism and some stylish hardware

Features

A truly innovative two products in one, with high-end specs to match

Value for money

Not cheap, but cheaper than separate units in almost all cases

Verdict »A fantastic idea well

implemented, though the tablet does feel like an add-on rather than an equal

Install apps once for both tablet and phone for the perfect marriage

89

Reviews

Toshiba AT300SE With the AT300SE, the PC manufacturer has yet another crack at the Android tablet market. Does it finally have a hit on its hands?

USB charging

Charging via USB is a big plus for any tablet as it means you don’t need to carry additional cables

10.1-inch screen

The 10.1-inch screen is bright and clear, though the resolution puts it a clear step behind the best of the competition. It’s a long way short of being a Retina display

Looks good

The general build is pleasing on the eye and the stippled backplate helps with grip

Minimal connectivity

Connectivity options are thin on the ground. We especially missed HDMI-out support, which is standard on most devices at this kind of price point

W

Stereo speakers

Twin speakers on the bottom of the chassis deliver stereo sound. However, due to the odd positioning they’re likely to become muffled as you rest the device in your lap

Two cameras

Front and back facing cameras give you photography and video chat facilities. The former is excellent for Skype or Hangout use, but the device is likely too large to encourage use of the main one on the rear

90

e’re heading rapidly into what has been described as the post-PC era. Mobile devices and mobile operating systems are at its heart, with traditional computers being reduced to specialist products. The transition has seen some manufacturers thrive, with companies like Samsung and Apple leading the way into this brave new world. Others, who had dominated the PC and laptop era, have struggled to make any kind of impact in the tablet space. Toshiba among them. The name of its new tablet alone – AT300SE – betrays this struggle. It’s the name of a computer – a machine – rather than some cool gadget accessible, nay, desirable, to anyone. Can Tosh really hope that this is the device to finally make its mark?

good for...

Work Some applications are provided to help you work on the move

Review The AT300SE is actually a revamp of a 2012 model, the AT300, rather than being an entirely new product. But that’s really of little consequence as it sits in the market right here, right now, competing with the rest of what’s available for your attention. So we’ll assess it for what it is here and now, rather than for how it came to exist at all or

Twin speakers on what is effectively the long bottom edge of the tablet deliver somewhat disappointing sound. There isn’t a lot of bass, maximum volume isn’t particularly loud, and of course if you use the tablet lounging around and propped against your clothing the sound is made quieter. Good headphones usually deliver better

“That Tegra 3 is a five-core processor … kicking in when processor demands are low” how it compares to that earlier model. The device is pitched directly into a market sector that is rather crowded, and so has a very familiar sounding set of specifications: a ten-inch screen, a 1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in memory. That Tegra 3 is actually a five-core processor, with the fifth core kicking in at times when processor demands are low – in order to help save battery power. That’s not new, of course. In design terms the AT300SE is quite sleek. Its all plastic body is finished with a silver back that’s stippled to assist with grip. The curved edges look neat, and the

quality audio than the speakers on a tablet, but in this case, unfortunately, they don’t and the tinny tones still reign supreme. There is some good news in that the Toshiba AT300SE runs the almost up-to-date Android 4.1, and it comes with a strong range of applications built in. Evernote, Skitch and Chrome are among these, and you also get a file manager and DLNA app. For those interested in using the Toshiba AT300SE for work there’s a wireless printer app, ThinkFree Office Pro and Splashtop for remote access to a desktop screen. Toshiba also seems to

Toshiba AT300SE

information Price £299 »

More information www.toshiba.co.uk

Battery life The battery ought to get you through a good day’s productivity

technical specs

»Operating system...............Android 4.1 »Processor...................................Quad-core 1.3GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 »Memory.......................................16GB storage »Dimensions..............................261 x 180 x 10.5mm »Weight ..........................................625g »Display size...............................10.1-inch »Display resolution...............1,280 x 800 pixels »Expansion slot.......................micro SD

Toshiba AT300SE Toshiba AT200 issue 011

better than thickness of the tablet, at 10.5mm, makes it feel solid and secure, especially when held in both hands. It isn’t totally robust though. We could flex the back a little between our hands. But it feels quite tough. The average weight of 625g ought to make it fairly comfy to hold for reasonable extended periods. Connectivity options aren’t the best. There is a headset connector and micro SD card slot, a volume rocker and micro USB power connector, and that’s it. If you need HDMI look elsewhere. The plus side of charging via USB rather than a proprietary connector is welcome though. The ten-inch screen looks a little lost inside a thick bezel and its 1,280 x 800 pixels don’t mark it out as anything special. In fact it is perfectly fine for everyday use, but there are higher resolutions to be had on tablets and 1,280 x 800 is pretty much workaday. As is so often the case with tablets, the very reflective nature of the screen can make it difficult to use if you are sitting near a window.

Travel Charging via micro USB means one less thing to carry around with you

think you will want to use its very own eBook store and a Play store alternative in the shape of Toshiba Places, which sells music, video and games. We’re not convinced that you will. What the Toshiba AT300SE does, it does well enough, but it does suffer from something that’s totally out of Toshiba’s hands. That is the fact that the still excellent Google Nexus 10 has a higher resolution screen by a country mile (2,560 x 1600), double the RAM and a newer version of Android. Because the Nexus comes from Google it’ll keep getting software updates before the competition too, and the 16GB version costs only £319 which is barely any more than the AT300SE. If you want a tablet that handles all the basics and a bit more, and you don’t have the patience to shop around, then this tablet will suffice. But the moment you start comparing it to the rest of the market – packed with innovative designs or aggressive pricing – then the AT300SE shows itself to be a thoroughly average piece of kit.

Gaming The quad-core processor can handle demanding gaming apps with ease

Media

Nexus 10 issue 020

worse than

Performance

That quad-core processor is powerful and able to handle all apps and games

Design

Tidy and ergonomic without really offering anything outstanding

Features

All the basics are certainly here, but there are no surprises or wow factor

Value for money

You’d do better paying a little more for a Nexus 10 slab

Verdict » The tablet is average in

virtually every way. It does what it does well enough, but there’s a real lack of surprises

The micro SD card can be a storage destination for large media files

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Reviews

CAT B15

Can being rugged and tough really be a substitute for style and sophistication? The B15 puts the theory to the test

Stock Android

You’ll find a vanilla version of Android 4.1 pre-installed on the phone without too much interference from CAT involved. There are some official CAT applications which are helpful if you regularly use the company’s store

Hard exterior

Both the metallic and rubber edgings make sure that the B15 can withstand the harshest of conditions. It’s waterproof up to one metre, dustproof and can withstand being dropped on to a concrete floor without breaking

Lack of power

Despite the dual-core processor doing a good job at keeping things ticking over nicely, the 512MB of RAM lacks the power to help the B15 complete some more of the advanced tasks that are occasionally required

Dual-SIM

We don’t encounter many dual-SIM phones, so to see the B15 include this feature is a massive plus. It’s simple enough to change between the two if you aren’t sure how the process works too

More storage

The 4GB of storage won’t be enough for people who want to put some media files on the phone, so you’ll need to use the B15’s micro SD slot to expand the memory up to 32GB

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Wet, wet, wet

Although the display may include a rather basic 480 x 800 resolution, one of its outstanding features is its wet finger tracking software that lets you use the capacitive touchscreen no matter how wet it is

“It absolutely excels in being a rugged, tough and durable smartphone” good Being tough for... There’s no need to worry if you drop your device on the floor or in water

Review CAT B15

T

he B15 is never going to win any style points, but then this isn’t your typical phone. At its core, the B15 is all about being tough and is primarily aimed at those needing a phone to keep up with their rough and tumble lifestyle. If you don’t fancy your HTC One’s chances of surviving your workplace then this is the kind of the device you need instead. The hardened exterior of the phone lends itself well to this and the IP67 rating for ruggedisation means it is waterproof at up to one metre for 30 minutes and is also dustproof. It can also withstand drops from up to 1.8metres. All the standard ports can be found around the edging and each has their own rubberised cover to keep them well sealed. Our testing gave us no reason to doubt the phone’s rugged credentials. Between the side volume rocker and headphone jack is a dedicated camera button. It can be a bit temperamental to use, but you won’t really want to use it too much, anyway, as the five-megapixel camera offered here isn’t really that good. Colours certainly look vivid, but overall image quality is slightly grainy and a lot of our images came with a small level of distortion added.

Stock Android Running a stock version of Jelly Bean means you get Android’s best features

Removing the backplate can be a bit of a pain, but for a phone that’s meant to be tough, perhaps that’s actually a good thing. What you’ll initially find when the plate has been removed is a large 2000mAh battery. It can easily provide you with a whole day of average usage before needing to be charged, but if you plan on streaming a lot of media the battery life will lessen considerably. Also there is a micro SD slot that can handle a storage card up to 32GB. With the B15 you get a paltry 4GB of internal storage, so the option to expand is very welcome. What you’ll also find under the backplate is arguably the best feature of the B15. There’s room for dual-SIM cards which helps give you superb network coverage wherever you are, and to ensure you can keep your work and business lives separate. We don’t see many phones with this feature included, so to find it in a phone like the B15 was a really nice surprise. Turning on the phone reveals Android 4.1 in all its glory and even better when you consider the phone runs the stock Android OS. The four-inch screen is decent enough and includes a handy wet finger tracking software enabling you to use the capacitive screen when it’s pouring down, but the poor 800x480 resolution leaves the colours looking grainy and pretty dark throughout. Moving through the phone is fairly nippy, thanks to the dual-core processor and you’ll find a selection of decent apps already pre-installed. On top of that you’ll also find the full range of Google apps already at your disposal and a handy Bluetooth Proximity app that gives your Bluetooth connection a bit of a boost when needed. If you’re already a CAT customer, then you’ll be pleased to see the range of CAT-based apps available to you as well. Where the B15 does let itself down is with its sometimes sub-par performance. The lowly 512MB of RAM is somewhat less than we’ve become accustomed to and is very noticeable when using more intensive apps, or trying to use multiple apps at the same time. But then perhaps that is to be expected. Although priced in line with a typical mid-range device if you take off £100 or so for the ruggedisation then you’re very much into entrylevel territory, and that is where the specs of this device lay. So in all it’s very much a love-hate relationship with the CAT B15. The device is fine for all basic tasks but nothing more ambitious and the camera is underwhelming. But it absolutely excels in being a rugged, tough and durable smartphone that will be useable in nearly any situation, and that is the priority of a niche device such as this. If you can look past its faults and enjoy a hectic lifestyle, then the CAT B15 is a well-priced device in a market with relatively limited options.

Apps There’s a good range of pre-installed apps included and more available on the Play store

Browsing

information Price £299.99 »

More information www.catphones.com

Battery life 2000mAh battery copes well with the phone’s dualSIM capabilities.

technical specs

»Operating system...............Android 4.1 »Processor...................................Dual-core 1GHz processor »Memory.......................................512MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable to 32GB)

»Dimensions..............................125 x 69.5 x 14.95mm »Weight ..........................................170g »Display size...............................Four-inch »Display resolution...............800 x 480 pixels »Expansion slot.......................micro SD

CAT B15 N/A

better than

N/A

worse than

Performance

Not slow by any means, but the lack of RAM hinders the phone occasionally

Design

It’s not sleek, obviously, but the rugged build lends it a reassuring toughness

Features

Stock Android is a big plus and the range of CAT-based apps are good too

Value for money

You do pay a small premium for the ruggedisation, on top of average specs

Verdict » There’s no doubting the B15’s

tough credentials, and though it lacks in certain areas should fulfill its main purpose well

Chrome is readily available for you to use and browse the internet

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Accessories EDITOR’S CHOICE

Hefty unit

Powerful sound

Minx Air 100

You’ll find two drivers located within the mesh front of the Minx Air. Both work perfectly in sync to offer incredible and immersive sound without having any sound interference that can impact on the quality. On top of that, you can use one of the Minx Air apps to tinker with each driver

Does the Minx provide awesome sound for the hefty price tag?

T

he Minx Air 100 is a big unit, but one that screams style and sophistication as soon as you take it out of the box. Along the front of the Minx is a mesh grille and every bit of it is used to create a fantastic sound experience from the two four-inch drivers that are enclosed. Along the top are your basic playback and Bluetooth controls and around the back are all the standard ports. There’s also a handle to help you lift, but you won’t want to move it around too much as it’s surprisingly heavy and the handle doesn’t have any grip.

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Controlling the Minx can be done in a variety of ways. For one you can connect to the unit through Bluetooth and stream your music wirelessly with little to no interference, but you can use the 3.5mm audio jack to connect your Android device to the unit, or use one of the dedicated Minx apps. By venturing on to the Play store you can download a few Minx apps to help wirelessly control the unit and also link it with many internet radio sites. The apps are pretty good to use, but we recommend sticking with Spotify and TuneIn Radio for streaming.

Sound quality is beyond what we expected from this piece of kit and it’s really hard to find any real fault with it. It can be customised to your exact preferences and musical tastes and the range of presets at your disposal is also impressive. The two drivers enclosed in the front mesh may not be the biggest you’ll ever see, but they provide enough power to keep even the most die-hard music fans happy. If you’re on the lookout for a new speaker that gives you plenty of bang for your buck, then look no further than the Minx Air 100.

The Minx Air isn’t the biggest speaker we’ve come across but it’s surprisingly heavy. There’s a decent handle located at the back of the speaker which can be used to move the unit around

» specification Price £329.95/$TBA More information www.cambridgeaudio.com

» verdict Performance Design Value The pinnacle of design and sound technology in one expensive package

Accessories

Nexus 7 Desktop Sync and Charge Cradle Charge, sync and enjoy your Nexus 7 with this cradle Despite this charging cradle not being the most aesthetically pleasing of products, it does go above and beyond what you’d expect it to do. You can safely slide your Nexus 7 into the holder with no worries that it’ll topple over thanks to the weighted back of the cradle. If you use a case on your Nexus 7, simply remove the holder within the cradle so it can also be fitted without too much effort. As well as charging the tablet, you can use the accompanying cable to attach the cradle with your computer and begin transferring your documents » Price £19.95/$30.99 » More information and media files between the two devices. If you decide to purchase one of these cradles, there’s no doubt you’ll www.mobilefun.co.uk get plenty of use from it time and time again.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Freedom i-Connex 2 A full Qwerty keyboard for your Android phone or tablet Using a Bluetooth keyboard is generally a much easier process than using the virtual pad on your phone or tablet. The i-Connex looks to capitalise on this by offering users a full-size Qwerty keyboard that can be folded in half and easily transferred from place to place. All the keys feel solid to use, but the spacebar could do with being bigger as it’s easy to hit a different key by accident. You’ll also find several shortcuts to some basic functions lined on the left-hand side of the keyboard and once again they work a treat. Along this side you’ll also find the Bluetooth » Price £49.99/$69.99 pairing switch which is used to connect to your » More information device and we didn’t encounter a single issue when www.freedominput.com trying to connect the two devices together.

Evernote Smart Notebook

There’s more than meets the eye with this smart notebook

If you’ve ever been in the situation where you want to create a digital copy of any text you’ve written down without needing to type it out again on your phone or tablet, then the Evernote Smart Notebook is a great solution for you. In essence this is your standard notebook in which you can write, doodle and jot down things in, but what makes it stand out from your standard notebook is the smart technology involved within it. By writing into the notebook, and then taking a picture of it through the Evernote app, your written text will be changed to a digital format, but one that’s easier to read than if you tried it with a regular notebook. If you have scruffy handwriting, fear not.

By taking a picture, the app will fill in the gaps for you and leave you with a perfectly legible piece of text to save straight into the Evernote app. Located at the back pocket of the Evernote Smart Notebook are an assortment of Smart Stickers that can be used to tag your work when you’ve taken a picture of it. By applying one of the stickers you can then take a picture of it and the app will automatically put it in a category based on the sticker. It works surprisingly well, but make sure you create your categories beforehand. There are a limited number available so you may find you’ll need to purchase more in due course. A great product for people who regularly use the Evernote app.

» Price £19.99/$24.95 » More information http://evernote.com

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Accessories

Battery boosters Which one of these portable chargers should you buy?

Family Charging Station

» Price £TBA/$19.99 » More information www.scosche.com

Okay so we might be stretching what a portable charger really is here, but the Maxima is a fantastic charger that’s capable of charging up to three devices at the same time. The unit comes with a variety of different heads that can be attached to the Maxima for your phone to connect to. It comes with a handy metal bar that stops your devices from falling over and also a UK mains charger if you need to give the Maxima a recharge.

The solBAT II is an environmentally friendly and convenient way to give your phone a quick charge. It sports a rather unassuming black fascia with a solar panel on its back. By using the suction pads, you can attach the charger to any surface and start using the solar panel to charge your phone via micro USB. There’s an array of signals at the front to let you know when the device is charging, but they can be a bit temperamental.

Kensington AbsolutePower

» Price £99.99/$119.99 » More information www.kensington.com

For the wallet-busting sum of £99.99/$119.99, the Kensington AbsolutePower comes with an array of connectors, enabling you to charge anything from your Android phone all the way up to a laptop. The charger itself is small and sturdy and has three ports to allow three separate devices to be charged at the same time. It’s larger than most other portable chargers, but you get a lot more charging time out of it before needing to recharge it.

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solBAT II

» Price £17.99/$24.99 » More information www.mobilefun.co.uk

“An environmentally friendly and convenient way to give your phone a quick charge”

Boasting a massive 6600 mAh capacity, the Dual Power Bank is a compact charger that enables you to charge two separate devices at the same time. At the front of the charger you’ll find a small LED display that indicates the current level of charge the unit has left and a small button that toggles the display on and off. The Power Bank does exactly what you’d expect it to do, but the aluminium casing can get a bit hot after prolonged use.

PowerSkin Hybrid Battery Charger

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Accessories

Dual Power Bank

» Price £39.99/$61.19 » More information www.thumbsupuk.com

» Price £54.99/$79.99 » More information www.power-skin.com

What could be more portable than a charger that literally sticks to the back of your phone. The PowerSkin PoP’n has a wall of suction cups that line the back of the charger and after sticking it to the back of your phone you can use the attached micro USB dongle to start charging — no wires and no fuss. Under the plastic case is a 2000 mAh unit which will give your phone a quick boost when needed, but don’t expect it to charge anything bigger.

i1Eco Universal Charger

» Price £22.99/$33.99 » More information www.idaptweb.com

Although the i1Eco sports an odd design when compared to other chargers, it does exactly what you’d expect it to do. The i1Eco enables you to charge two things at the same time, with one through a USB connection and the other through an interchangeable head. Once your device has finished charging the i1Eco automatically turns itself off to save electricity, but can then be brought back to life by pressing the button located on its side.

Powerseed PS-15000 » Price £50.00/$TBA » More information www.powerseedhk.com

The first thing you notice about the Powerseed charger is that it’s very heavy because of the power it includes under its plastic chassis. By using the two USB ports on it you can connect two devices at the same time and keep an eye on the charge level by taking a look at the small LED lights on the front of the Powerseed. Also included is a coiled cable that can be used in conjunction with one of the several connectors that are also included in this bundle.

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NEXT MONTH

From Paz Sarmah Used Samsung Galaxy S II

Hot Shots Your amazing Android snaps

Taken a great shot with your Android phone or camera? Send it to us at:

email »[email protected]

From Tasch Bliss Used Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro with Vignette

ALL NEW ANDROID IS HERE! Everything you need to know about the fantastic new update to the Android operating system

MASTER YOUR GALAXY S4 Get to grips with the best new features in the S4

From Russ Lewis Used Samsung Galaxy S III From Philip Head Used Samsung Galaxy S II

THE LATEST DEVICES ON TEST Sony Xperia Tablet Z and other amazing Android kit reviewed

Issue 26 goes on sale:

13 June

R E K C I U Q D A LO R E T S A F WORK R E D R A H Y PLA Experience the speed and performance of the new SanDisk Ultra® Plus SSD The SanDisk Ultra Plus SSD delivers consistently high transfer speeds and low latency times making it a great drive for read intensive and interactive applications. Plus, its overall increased performance gives you faster boot and load times too1 – everything you expect from a Solid State Drive built by a global leader in flash memory storage solutions. To find out how a SanDisk SSD could upgrade your PC to faster performance, and for your chance to win a Ducati Monster 696, go to

www.aboutsandiskssd.com/gtm

Buy a SanDisk SSD from these resellers for your chance to win:

1 As compared to 7200 RPM SATA 2.5” hard drive. Based on published specifications and internal benchmarking tests. Open to residents of Great Britain, aged 18 years or over only. Entrants must purchase one (1) SanDisk Extreme, SanDisk Ultra or SanDisk SSD (sometimes termed SanDisk ‘Pulse’) product in 120GB and above capacities from any of the following participating Great Britain resellers: Scan, Ebuyer, or Dabs in order to be eligible to enter the Prize Draw. Proof of purchase must be retained. Internet access is required. Entries must be submitted between 00:01 GMT/CET on 19th March 2013 to 23:59 GMT on 21st June 2013. See www.aboutsandiskssd.com/playharder-uk for full terms. SanDisk and SanDisk Ultra are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s). © 2013 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved.