6 technologies that will change PCs in 2015

Intel's RealSense 3D depth-sensing camera

Intel's RealSense 3D depth-sensing camera in action.
Credit: Agam Shah/IDG News Service
Laptops and desktops will be interactive, get 3D depth-sensing cameras and be wire-free

By Agam Shah
Follow

IDG News Service | Dec 16, 2014 6:12 AM PT

In an era of slick gadgets, PCs are the dinosaurs, ensnared in wire clutter, sporting tired 2D cameras and stricken with the occasional blue screen of death. Technology coming up in 2015, though, is set to make PCs more interactive, fun and perhaps nosier than you'd like them to be.
Featured Resource
Presented by Tibco Software
10 Best Practices for Cloud Business Intelligence: Enabling the Business

Business driven Business Intelligence (BI) and analytics represent a shift in the enterprise that is
Learn More

Apple's iPad changed the way people viewed computers and spurred PC innovation. Hardware makers drew ideas from mobile devices, gaming consoles and even 3D printers to rethink the PC, and the resulting new technologies will have a profound effect on how laptops and desktops are used next year and into the future.

Perhaps the most interesting idea is Intel's "wire-free" PC, in which wireless technology will replace display, charging and data transfer cables. Chip maker Intel next year will show an experimental laptop that has no ports, and relies completely on wireless technology to connect to monitors and external storage devices.

Interactive computers will have 3D cameras that behave more like eyes, with the ability to recognize objects and measure distances. Sensory input through sound, voice and touch will help PCs respond to and anticipate our needs.

And like every year, PCs will get thinner, faster, lighter and have longer battery life. Games and movies will look smashing with higher-resolution displays. The new technology, however, will come with a price.

Here are six disruptive technologies that could change the face of computing in the next year:

Wireless charging

Place a laptop on a table, and it'll automatically start charging. No wires needed, no need to carry a power brick. That's how Intel views wireless charging for laptops, which could become a reality next year. Intel wants to make wireless chargers as easy to find as a Wi-Fi signal, and wants to bring the technology to cafes, restaurants, airports and other public places so laptops can be recharged without power adapters. The first laptops with wireless charging could come out next year, and Intel has shown a few prototypes laptop being recharged on a table.
Intel is pushing wire-free PCs Mark Hachman

Intel plans to make the wire-free future of the PC a reality as early as the first quarter of 2015.



Intel is backing the Rezence magnetic resonance wireless charging technology, promoted by the Alliance for Wireless Power, or A4WP. The power flow will initially be limited, enough to wirelessly recharge ultraportables and hybrids. Plans call for increased power output to recharge mainstream laptops. But getting the technology to public places and entertainment spots could take some years. Some cafes and restaurants already provide wireless charging bases for tablets and smartphones, and are interested in adding laptops to the mix.

Beam the image, Scotty

It may also become possible to connect laptops wirelessly to displays, which could eliminate expensive HDMI or DisplayPort display cables. A wireless display will start working as soon as a laptop is within range. Intel envisions a laptop ultimately being able to connect to multiple wireless monitors, which could be useful in classrooms or meetings. One laptop will be able to stream to monitors on multiple desks. Intel is pushing the initial idea through a "smart dock" that connects a laptop to a wireless monitor.

Wireless displays will gain momentum with the growing adoption of WiGig, a faster version of Wi-Fi that can handle wireless 4K video streams without any lag. In addition to Intel, Qualcomm will bring WiGig to smartphones and tablets next year, so users will be able to stream Netflix directly from a smartphone or tablet to a wireless TV. Display makers will also build WiGig technologies into monitors and TVs in the coming years.

Creative desktops

From its origin as a dull white box, the desktop has become a hub of creativity and imagination, with technologies like depth-sensing cameras and 3D printing spinning off a variety of innovations. One example is HP's Sprout, which looks like a normal all-in-one PC, but packs the latest imaging and collaboration technology. At the base of Sprout is a giant touch pad called a Touch Mat, which is a dual-purpose digital canvas on which images can be scanned and also manipulated. A 3D depth-sensing camera lodged in Sprout scans the objects placed on the Touch Mat -- for example, if a coffee mug is placed on the canvas, the 3D camera will scan it to depth and size. A projector on top of Sprout can then reflect the scanned image of a coffee mug on the Touch Mat, which artists can then manipulate by touching the digital canvas. HP says the scanning and manipulation could be useful for creating objects that could be 3D-printed. But at $1,899, Sprout is considered an expensive experimental desktop.
What Readers Like

ios 8 problems
iOS 8 problems not so magical: Slow, Laggy, Bloaty, Crashy, Buggy, Drainy and...
scarlett johansson naked selfie 2
Naked celebs: Hackers download sext selfies from iCloud #thefappening
Android 5.0 Lollipop Features
Got Lollipop? 10 cool things to try with Android 5.0

Otherwise, Dell has developed a "smart desk," with an all-in-one PC beaming a virtual keyboard onto a desk on which users can type. It's an interesting concept, but a proper keyboard may be a better idea.

Interactive computers

Computers will become more perceptual with a combination of gesture, voice and visual recognition technologies being installed in PCs. Starting next year, 2D cameras in PCs will be replaced by Intel's RealSense 3D cameras, which will be able to recognize objects and even measure distances between items. The camera's Kinect-like gesture recognition capabilities will also make PC gaming hands free and interactive. Intel has lofty goals, aiming to combine visual, voice and sound input to recognize human moods and reading habits. While those won't happen in the coming year, the 3D camera will certainly make Skype chats more fun.
Fingerprint reader on Lenovo laptop Lenovo

Fingerprint reader on laptop

Biometric sensors

Soon, your body could log you into an e-mail account. By the end of this year, Intel will be providing software so users can log in to websites via biometric authentication. It serves two purposes: biometric authentication is relatively reliable and secure, and users won't have to remember dozens of passwords for different sites. Apple already uses biometric authentication to authorize credit card payments through its Apple Pay service, and Intel wants to bring a similar concept to PCs. Expect the fingerprint reader to become more useful starting next year.

Thinner, faster, lighter, better
Popular Resources

White Paper
Take Your Storage Technology to the Next Level
eBook
Sponsored
Top Tools for Optimizing Your Sales Team

See All

Laptops, tablets, hybrids -- with so many options available, buying PCs isn't easy, and it won't get any easier next year with more innovative designs set to become available. Computers will get thinner as PC makers introduce laptops that are as thin as 15 millimeters. Computers will offer longer battery life with the new Broadwell and Skylake processors from Intel and Carrizo chips from Advanced Micro Devices. New DDR4 memory will make applications and games run faster in desktops. Next year, Microsoft's Windows 10 OS will replace the controversial Windows 8. Expect the OS to take advantage of these new technologies.



Source from: http://www.computerworld.com

From smartwatchesto webrtc 10 most

Alina Lewis and Shruti Dhapola

The constant evolution of technology is a reflection of the true human nature. As we aim to live more comfortable lives, innovators constantly strive to help us achieve our goals through new developments in science and technology.

In 2014, we saw the emergence of interactive apps and personal cloud services, online retail matured and almost everything including products and services started getting digitised.

As we move on to 2015, here’s a look at the top 10 emerging technology trends that are poised to take off in a big way.

1. Mobile payment systems

Apple Pay

The growing popularity of Apple Pay will cause a wider acceptance of mobile payment systems – a technology segment that does away with the need for physical cash by allowing you to make payments with your smartphone.

Also called as digital wallets or e-Wallets, mobile payment systems allow you to make in-store and online payments as well as money transfers by downloading an app onto your phone and linking the service or app account to a bank account or credit/debit card.

Popular mobile payment systems, other than Apple Pay include Google Wallet, PayPal, LevelUp and Square Wallet. As of now, a majority of these are available only in the US, though we may some of them expand to other countries in the coming year.

2. Apps for on-demand services

Foodpanda’s food-delivery app was launched in India this year

On-demand radio and TV apps are dime a dozen. But in 2014, we saw the rise of other on-demand apps that proved real life savers by giving you an urgent ride back home and meals delivered in no time.

While this year saw a flood of radio cabs and food delivery apps catering to your needs, not to mention the rich and the lazy, you can expect on-demand services to expand into other segments, too, including on-demand beauty services, hotel reservations and even emergency health services.

TheStylisted, for example, is an app that lets you schedule in-home beauty treatments by professionals in New York and Chicago. Similarly, the DogVacay app helps find a pet-sitter near you, make reservations and pay right through your phone.

3. Beacons

Apple iBeacon

Beacon technology uses Bluetooth to sense the location of a device and work with apps to carry out certain operations. In the coming year, we may see several applications making use of this technology.

For example, McDonald’s is currently testing beacons that will deliver coupon offers, alerts, employment opportunities and customer surveys right as customers enter its stores. Microsoft’s 3D SoundScape headset relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth beacons placed in strategic intervals, to help the blind travel independently on roads and public transport.

Apple announced iBeacons in 2013 that could trigger actions based on where an iOS device is positioned. If well implemented, you could walk out of one room, have your AC switched off and as you walk into the next room have a TV switched on to play your favourite show.

4. Social payments

Line Pay – a mobile payments system in the messaging app

Messaging app Line recently launched Line Pay to allow users to transfer money and purchase items directly from the app. The service will also let users pay for goods when offline.

Payments via social apps are quite common in China and Korea, where WeChat and Kakao Talk are dominant players.

Globally, mobile payments through social apps is an emerging trend and we’ve already seen some early adopters including Snapchat. Facebook and Twitter are also working on in-app payment services on their respective platforms.

5. WebRTC for mobile devices

WebRTC-compatible Wire app allows sharing of pictures, HD audio and other rich media

Media streaming is picking up at an exceptional pace, but with a majority of activity being carried out on smartphones there’s a pressing need for quick load times in videos, games and other media without compromising too much on the quality.

This need can be fulfilled WebRTC, a free browser-based technology that can help in providing seamless video and audio services. In addition to videos, WebRTC allows lag-free and faster loading of games and music, without gobbling too much of the network’s bandwidth. WebRTC is currently powering Google Hangouts and Amazon’s Mayday services.

Future mobile apps will leverage WebRTC. Skype co-founder Janus Friis recently launched Wire, a chat and voice messaging app that uses WebRTC.

 

Source from: http://tech.firstpost.com

High-tech tricks: Google, HTC play April Fools' Day pranks

Relaxnews
Published Tuesday, April 1, 2014 1:39PM EDT

 

A round-up of some of the best tech companies' April Fools' Day pranks

Nest

The company behind the smart, learning thermostat has posted a video outlining its partnership with Virgin Galactic to bring the world's first space tourists something called Total Temperature Control. It means that as well as travelling to the outer reaches of the Earth's atmosphere, each passenger on board the space craft gets his or her own Nest thermostat to perfectly customize the temperature around each individual seat.

Google

Desperate to address the negativity around Google Glass and anxious to be seen as more of a hipster brand with ironic chic, the search giant has announced the launch of Google Glass Solo -- the world's first smart monocle. Described as the first device in an upcoming range known as Glass OLE (one lens experience) it offers a more socially acceptable alternative to the standard Google Glass headset because it can be worn around the neck on a lanyard or tucked into a waistcoat pocket when not in use.

Samsung

The South Korean company has been very focused on its pranking. As well as a story in the UK claiming that it is co-opting pigeons and fitting them with miniaturized transmitters in a bid to bring free wi-fi throughout central London -- a project it calls Fli-Fy -- it has also announced the smart glove. Called Samsung Fingers, the glove has an integrated flexible screen in its palm and each finger offers different features -- a built in speaker, microphone, and temperature and movement sensors. The company intends to market the product under the strap line ‘Talk to the hand."'April

HTC

Proving that great minds think alike, HTC has also chosen April 1 to launch its first smart glove, or ‘Gluuv' as it calls it. It boasts built-in solar panels, boom box speakers, an 87-megapixel camera and of course, seamless integration with its latest flagship phone, the recently launched HTC One (M8).

BMW

The German carmaker has been busy perfecting something it calls the Force Injection Booster. A new technology that will make it feel like you're driving extremely fast and recklessly even when sitting in traffic, it captures kinetic energy and uses it to create the sensation of g-force in the cabin. At the same time a small electrical current runs through the car's seats to ensure sensual stimulation. The technology is balanced with something called AirNet which ensures that no matter how intense the simulated ride gets, that occupant's hair stays in place so that personal style never compromises driving performance.

Under its Mini brand, the company has also revealed the Cooper Tea, the first car to run form a special bio fuel derived from tea leaves and a special edition of the Paceman aimed at football fans that is carpeted in Astroturf and combines mobile goalposts in the trunk.

 

Source from: http://www.ctvnews.ca

LG Optimus G tips and tricks

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

We round up the best tips and tricks for your LG Optimus G in one handy place

The LG Optimus G is a 4G LTE device available on AT&T and Sprint and it features a stunning 4.7-inch display with 32GB internal storage. With Android Ice Cream Sandwich and an 8-megapixel camera, it's a top device.

We said in our review of the device on Sprint:

"The LG Optimus G for Sprint is a really nice smartphone which packs a ton of power into a great-looking form factor. It feels great in your hand and it's mostly a pleasure to use. Some issues remain about the size of the 4G LTE network and some of the software but these are relatively minor. 

"LG has done a great job with the Optimus G and as its 4G LTE network grows, the Sprint version is definitely the one to get."

• LG Optimus G review for Sprint

If you've just bought an LG Optimus G and want to know how to use it, here are our top tips and tricks so you can get the most out of one of LG's finest.

How to set up email on your LG Optimus G

One of the things people love most about LG's Optimus G is the fact they can check and send email. Unfortunately, for novice users, getting to that point can be a bit tricky, especially when you're just getting started.

Thankfully, we've broken it all down for you below. We show you how to set up your personal email on your LG Optimus G like a pro. With any luck, you'll be sending and checking emails in no time at all.

1. Wake your LG Optimus G.


2. Next tap Settings.


3. Tap Accounts and select add acount.


4. Login with the email account you want to sync and tap Next.


5. Choose your sync preferences.


6. Tap Done.

How to hard reset your LG Optimus G

Unfortunately, even the best phones with the best software can have problems and the LG Optimus G is no exception. So if your Optimus G is having software issues,the next best thing you can do is a complete hard reset to fix it. A hard reset is a basic software process that completely erases all information on the smartphone, bringing it back to a factory state. It essentially wipes the phone clean.
Here we show you how to hard reset your LG Optimus G with step-by-step instructions. See below:

1. From the Home screen, tap Apps.


2. Tap Settings.


3. Tap Backup & reset.


4. Select Factory data reset.


5. You will see a warning – read it and tap Reset phone.


6. Now tap Erase everything.


7. That's it. Your Optimus G will reboot.

To reset your Optimus G through itshardware, read this additional guide.

1. Turn off your Optimus G


2. With the device turned off, press and hold the Volume Down key as well as the Home key at the same time.


3. While both the Volume Down key and the Home key are held down, press the Power button.


4. As soon as the phone boots up, release all buttons.


5. Scroll and select wipe data/factory reset by pressing the Volume Down key. Then press the Power button.


6. Next, select Yes – delete all user data by pressing the Volume Down key. Then press the Power button.


7. As soon as the wipe has been completed, press the Volume Down key to scroll to and select wipe cache.


8. Next, press the Power button to select reboot system now.


9. Your device will reboot into factory condition.

How to switch the ringtone on your LG Optimus G

If you're a bit bored with your default ringtone on the Optimus G and just want a change, make sure to follow our guide. With any luck, you'll be able to switch ringtones in no time and customize calls however you please.

To change the tone, follow these simple steps below:

1. From the home screen, find and select the Settings app.


2. Once inside the app, scroll down and tap Sound settings.


3. Next, tap Phone ringtone.


4. Finally, scroll to the ringtone you want, select it and then tap Save.

How to connect your LG Optimus G to Wi-Fi

To connect to Wi-Fi on your Optimus G, see our guide below.

• From the Optimus G home screen, navigate to and tap on the Settings app.


• Once inside settings, scroll down and tap Wi-Fi. It should be near the top.


• Next, switch Wi-Fi networking on.


• After a few moments all of the nearby Wi-Fi hot spots will pop-up for you to see.


• Select the Wi-Fi network you wish to use and tap Connect.

How to create a portable Wi-Fi hotspot on your LG Optimus G

The LG Optimus G is a great device, giving you all the power of a high-end smartphone with a good sized screen and a number of other features. It’s also useful if you need to connect to the internet using another device that doesn’t have 3G or a wired connection, as it can share its cellular data connection.

So if you want to use your Optimus G as Wi-Fi hotspot but aren’t sure how to proceed, read on.

• Grab your LG Optimus G


• From your homescreen, tap ‘Menu’


• Go to ‘All Settings’


• Hit the ‘Networks’ tab


• Tap ‘Connectivity’


• Choose ‘Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot’


• Tap ‘Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot’ again to activate the hotspot


• If you wish to add a password to your hotspot, for instance if you’re in a public place and don’t want your connection open to everyone near you, go to ‘Configure Wi-Fi Hotspot’ and follow the steps to add security. (We recommend WPA 2)

How to create a playlist on your LG Optimus G

One of the great things about the LG Optimus G is that it’s been endowed with a whopping 32GB of internal storage, meaning you’ll be able to carry a whole load of music and videos around with you, wherever you go.

Sometimes, you’ll want to listen to a mix of music from your library including some songs but excluding others. No one wants to find their stride on the treadmill at the gym, only to have your music skip to a slow ambient tune! The best way around this is to create a playlist and we’ve thrown together a brief guide to show you how.

• Grab your LG Optimus G


• Go to your Music Library


• Tap the ‘Playlists’ tab


• Hit the ‘Menu’ key


• Choose ‘New Playlist’


• Enter the name you’ve chosen for your playlist


• Press ‘OK’


• Select the songs you want to add and tap ‘Add’


• This will now add the songs to your list. Repeat the steps above to create as many separate playlists as you wish

How to use social networking widgets on your Optimus G

One of the great things about the LG Optimus G is that it allows you to stay connected to all of your social networks, right from your homescreen which, let’s face it, is why most of us use smartphones in the first place. By adding a Social Network widget to your homescreen, you can get up-to-the-minute updates on statuses, giving you the edge when it comes to what’s going on in your friends and family’s lives.

Here’s how to get the widget set up:

• Grab your LG Optimus G


• Start at the home screen


• Make sure you have enough space for the widget on your chosen screen, or it won’t work


• Touch and hold an empty spot on the screen


• Tap the ‘Widgets’ tab


• Scroll to the right until you see ‘Social+’


• Tap ‘Social+’ to add it to the home screen


• Input your details as normal


• You can now view your social networks right from your home screen

How to share files via Wi-Fi on your LG Optimus G

With its 8-megapixel camera and 1080P video capture, the LG Optimus G is up there amongst the best camera phones on the market and if you happen to own one of these bad boys, the chances are you’ll be using the snapper to its fullest capacity. There’s also 32GB of onboard storage to play with, giving you plenty of space to shoot away to your hearts’ content!

So, once you’ve captured a ton of quality shots, it’s time to work out how to share them. Well, you could mess about with emailing or using cables, but why bother when you can set up your own Network using your connection.

Here’s how to get started:

• Grab your LG Optimus G


• From your homescreen, tap the ‘Menu’ key


• Hit ‘All Setting’


• Choose the ‘Networks’ tab


• Tap ‘Connectivity’


• Select ‘File Networking’


• Hit ‘Share My Folder’


• Tap ‘Set Password’ if you wish to add security to your device


• From your laptop or PC (which must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your device)you can access the folder by going to your browser and typing \\ followed by your device's name into the address bar!

Source from: http://www.thefullsignal.com

HTC One (M7) tips and tricks: 17 ways to improve the classic

That’s right, every now and again we like to delve into some of the features behind the smartphones that really set them apart from everything else that is out there. Today, it's the HTC One (M7)'s turn. The original HTC One is still a capable handset, and until we're blessed with the HTC One (M9), it's not time to abandon the old favorite. Here are some of our best HTC One (M7) tips.

Find out how to make your handset even better with these HTC One (M7) tips / © ANDROIDPIT

Take a screenshot with the HTC One (M7)

Let's get the obvious out of the way first. To take a screenshot on your HTC One, all you need to do is hold down the "power" button and "down volume" key simultaneously. Click. Done.

Save your HTC One (M7) battery life

The HTC One has a dynamite Power Saver mode, which dials down the power devoted towards the phone's CPU, display, vibration and data connectivity. You should have this enabled permanently and you can do so by sliding the notification panel open, tapping "power saver" and then selecting which phone features you like to conserve power for.

Browse the web in all its glory

I find that often I’m perturbed by the amount of content I can’t see when I’m using my smartphone’s Internet browser. Sure, there are mobile sites designed to accommodate the smaller screen of the devices, but often they’re clunky and more tedious to navigate around. With the HTC One, you can enable a full-screen mode in the browser to let you see more of what you want.

To enable Full-Screen mode on your HTC one, tap the top of the screen to reveal the URL bar. From there, tap the icon with three dots and select Settings > General and click off the “Fullscreen” box.  And there you go, this option hides a ton of filler from the browser and lets you use all of the HTC One screen for your browsing adventures.

Go to a webpage and tap the three dots (options) button, then tap settings. From here you can customize the way your internet app works. / © ANDROIDPIT

Transfer files from your old phone

Thankfully, HTC makes switching to the One easy as pie. To transfer data - including contacts and iTunes files – from an old phone to your new one, simply go to Settings > Transfer Content and select which device your upgrading from (iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry or another Android).

Automatically upload photos to the cloud

To ensure you never lose another photo, open up the camera, tap the three dots in the bottom-left corner of the screen and then select Camera Options > Auto upload. From there, all you have to do is pick a cloud service and your HTC One will automatically upload every photo you take.

Enable animated photos

HTC's Zoe feature captures 20 images in rapid succession automatically when you take a photo, to create short animated clips. To enable Zoe mode, simply tap the camera icon on the left side of the screen in the middle. You can tell Zoe mode is enabled because your camera symbol will slowly change color as you're taking a photo.

The HTC One (M7), despite housing only a 4 MP camera, can still produce some great snaps. / © ANDROIDPIT

Take control of your LED notifications

Yeah, notifications are great. But I don’t always want a LED notification telling my OCD self that I need to check my phone at this very moment for a Facebook update from my long lost aunt. Well, a little bit of a goods news is that with the HTC One you can determine what type of notifications you want firing up your phone’s LED.

Head to Settings > Display > Gestures and Buttons > Notification Flash and pick and choose to your hearts content.

Transfer files from your old phone

Thankfully, HTC makes switching from another phone to the One (M7) easy as pie. To transfer data – including contacts and iTunes files – from an old phone to your new One, simply go to Settings > Transfer Content and select which device your upgrading from (iPhone, Windows Phone, Blackberry or another Android).

Do a hard-soft reset

When an application crashes or your phone hangs, for whatever reason, a hard-soft reset is often the cure to what ails your phone. Unfortunately, not many people know how to do this on their HTC One and often revert to turning the phone off, removing and replacing the battery pack, and then turning the phone back on. Thankfully, there’s a combination of keys that you can press that will simulate the same effect.

In fact, it’s not so much a combination as just…one button. That’s right. Just hold down the Power button for about 10 seconds and you’ll get a warning informing you that you’re about to perform a hard-soft reset on your device.

Holding down the power button of your One (M7) for ten seconds will perform a hard-soft reset. This will not delete any of your files. / © ANDROIDPIT

Disable beats audio

Not everyone likes thumping bass. To disable Beats Audio, all you have to go is go to Settings > Phone > Disable Beats Audio.

Go to sleep HTC One. Go to sleep.

There are times during the day (or night) where I’m not too concerned about my phone. In fact, there are often large periods of times where my phone will just be sitting next to me on my desk for hours at a time and just sapping away at the battery due to notifications, fetching e-mails, and other tasks that I really don’t need it to be doing at the moment.

The HTC One has a Sleep Mode that you can enable that will tell your device, after periods of inactivity, to turn its 3G Connectivity, saving a tons of battery in the process. Head over to Settings > Power > Sleep mode to enable it.

Lock it up.

As silly as it sounds, you should most likely have some kind of a lock screen enabled on your device. This is handy from keeping friends, family members, or kids snooping around on your device if you leave it around or to add an extra layer of protection in the event that your smartphone is stolen from you.

The HTC One has a nice built in lock screen with several options to choose from.  You can either choose a pattern unlock, a password, a PIN, or a Face unlock. Do note, however, that we don’t recommend a face unlock as it’s more of an interesting feature rather than one that is extremely secure (it can be unlocked using a photo of the owner).

To enable your lock screen, head over to Settings > Security and you’ll find all the options over there.

Setting up a lock-screen pin number is one of the best ways to secure your phone. / © ANDROIDPIT

Make your HTC One faster

A default option on your HTC One is that when you switch apps on your device, the screen will either fade in or out. While this can be a pretty nifty visual trick, this does suck a bit of processor power from your device and can make it lag as time goes by. Thankfully, this effect can either be scaled up, down, disabled completely.

By changing the scale of this animation, you can make the animation either super quick or make it so that it seems like you’re changing apps in a slow motion. However, if you disable it completely, you’ll notice a little bit of boost in efficiency when you’re switching between apps. First, you’ll need to enable Developer Options (go into About Phone and tap on Build Number about 6-7 times).

• Go to Settings > Developer Options > Advanced.


• Scroll down to Animation and uncheck the Animation box.

Disabling animations is a sure-fire way to improve performance, and battery life / © ANDROIDPIT

Enable HTC Car

HTC has a car mode with easy access to music, maps, navigation and phone calls. The mode launches instantly when you mount your HTC One in an HTC Car Kit. To access the voice command feature, all you need to do is tap three times on the screen then say your request out loud.

Customize BlinkFeed

HTC's BlinkFeed comes pre-subscribed to a number of content sources. To change them, simply pull down on the stream and click the three dot icon on the right-hand side. From here, you can choose from a variety of content services, including Facebook and Twitter.

Or ignore BlinkFeed completely

While you can't disable BlinkFeed entirely, you can ensure it's not the first screen you see when unlocking your phone. To do so, simply long press the thumbnail at the top of the screen. Here you'll see the option to "set as home." Select any screen other than BlinkFeed and – ta-da! – you can bypass BlinkFeed completely.

Few users really liked HTC One's BlinkFeed, so this is a way to escape it. / © ANDROIDPIT

Use your HTC One as a TV remote

Your HTC One even has the power to control your TV. To enable the TV remote function, simply open HTC's pre-installed TV app.

What are some of your favorite options or tips for the HTC One?

 

Source from: http://www.androidpit.com

Review: Lee Mack, LG Arena Birmingham

Lee Mack was at LG Arena

After achieving Best Male Television Comic at the British Comedy Awards last year, Lee Mack has returned to stand-up with his fantastic new tour Hit the Road Mack.

There was an unfamiliar energy about his on stage presence, as he paced from side to side, continuously wiping sweat from his face.

He appeared very anxious, possibly due to the shear size of the venue, but the nerves soon settled, and he started to embrace his position in the spotlight.

After a knock knock joke, he started to interact with the audience, discussing star signs, miserable walking holidays and his family life.

Mack is generally a fairly safe comic, and he didn’t take too many risks by venturing into controversial topics, but to be quite honest, he didn’t need to.

His fantastic ability to effortlessly communicate with the audience really worked in his favour. He seemed far more comfortable with conversational comedy, where he could ad-lib and play with the audience, rather than performing a scripted routine.

His pre-rehearsed material was possibly delivered too fast, but nevertheless, his performance was something to be admired.

He later attempted a sexual magic trick to an attractive lady in the front row, before playing a game where the audience shouted out the punch line to his jokes.

At this point, his continuous imitations of the Birmingham accent did get a little tiresome, however he made up for it with his natural charm and quick wit.

For the encore, we saw an unpredictable Q and A finale, where Mack bravely invited the audience to ask whatever they liked.

He talked about his relationship with writing partner Tim Vine, and the success of his BBC Sitcom Not Going Out. Mack then discussed how he liked to try and outwit his seven-year-old son when it comes to comedy, however it doesn’t always end with success.

We saw a repeat of the earlier magic trick to conclude the show, except this time there were lights, magician’s assistants and a cape for this established comedy superhero.

There was also a puff of fire across the stage to bring an end to this fantastic performance from one of the hottest names in British comedy.

 

Source from: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk

HTC One M8 tips and tricks , That we should know.

How to Get the Most Our of Your HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 is without a shadow of a doubt the best phone to come out of HTC's labs for quite some time. More than just a cosmetic revision of last year's popular HTC One, this new phone boasts a beefier processor, improved software and a raft of new features that allow it to compete with the Sony Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5 on more than equal terms.

However, if you're a newcomer to smartphones - or are moving over from another operating system,such as iOS - then chances are you'll find the HTC One M8 ever so slightly intimidating. That's where we come in.

Below you'll find handy hints, tips and secrets that will let you tame your powerful new mobile companion and look impossibly cool in front of your mates. Maybe.

20) Disable BlinkFeed

BlinkFeed is HTC's way of aggregating everything that is important to you, including RSS feeds, social networking updates, forthcoming calendar appointments and more. It's a pretty swell application, but Android purists often complain that it feels like it's being forced upon them. If you fall into this camp then you'll be pleased to know that there's a way to disable it completely.

On any homescreen, simply perform a "pinch zoom" gesture with two fingers. You'll see an overview of all your homescreens, with BlinkFeed appearing on the far left. Long-press BlinkFeed and then drag it to the "remove" icon - it will be banished forever, or at least until you decide that you want to reinstate it.

19) Use gestures to control your phone quickly and easily

The HTC One M8 is all about gestures, and it comes with a series of quick swipe gestures - branded "Motion Launch" by HTC - which can be used to open certain applications even when your phone's display is powered down and it's sitting on your coffee table.

A double-tap wakes or locks the phone, while swipes from the left and right open BlinkFeed or your home screen respectively. You can wake the phone in the state it was when it locked by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, and swiping downwards fires up the dialer so you can make a call quickly.

18) Take a photo in just two button presses

Sometimes the art of taking a good photo is being quick enough to capture the moment before it passes, and in the case of smartphones it can sometimes take a few seconds for your camera application to even load - by which time the opportunity to be the next David Bailey has long since passed.

Mercifully, HTC has bestowed a quick-snap feature on the One M8 - simply long-press the Volume Up button to activate the camera when your phone is in sleep mode, and then press Volume Down to take the shot.

17) Control when your phone should be heard

There's nothing more annoying that your phone making a commotion when you're in a quiet office, especially when you own a HTC One M8 with its BoomSound technology and powerful stereo speakers. By using the phone's built-in Do Not Disturb mode you can switch off all of these sounds in one fell swoop, and it's even possible to schedule when your want the mode to be enforced.

Simply got to Settings > Sound and switch "Do Not Disturb" on. To schedule when you'd like it to be active, tap the Do Not Disturb field a second time.

16) Hide annoying and pointless applications

HTC has done a decent job of keeping bloatware applications to a minimum on the One M8, but you may still find yourself wanting to get rid of some of the more annoying programs in your app drawer. Bloatware is so named because it cannot be uninstalled, but you can still hide it from view.

In the app drawer, tap the three dot icon in the top-right corner of the display and then select Hide/Unhide apps. Tick the ones you want to remove from view and you'll be on your way to a less cluttered phone.

15) Answer a call just by picking the phone up

There's nothing more natural than scooping up a phone and answering it in one motion, and the HTC One M8 allows you to do just that. Using the proximity sensors located near the top of the device, the handset can tell when you've placed it next to your ear and will automatically answer the call.

14) Customize the LED for certain notifications

LED notifications are handy when your phone is muted as they allow you to see when you've got messages awaiting your attention. You can customise when the LED fires by going to Settings > Display & Gestures > Notification Light.

13) Change channels with your phone

The HTC One M8 boasts an IR blaster, which means you can use it as a conventional remote control to change channels, toggle the volume and generally perform other tasks. You'll need to tell the phone which brand of TV you own for it to work properly, but once you've done this you'll never have to fumble around the living room for your remote ever again. You'll find this feature in the TV app.

12) Free up storage by saving your photos to an SD card

The HTC One M8 comes with a memory card slot, which means you can free up valuable internal storage space by purchasing cheap and roomy external media. After fitting the card you should see a prompt appear the next time you open the camera application which will give you the option to save all videos and photos to SD. You can change back to internal storage at any time by dipping into the camera app's settings menu.

11) Show your battery level as a percentage

By default, the HTC One M8 displays your current battery stamina as an icon rather than a percentage, which gives a quick visual indication of how much juice remains in the tank but isn't entirely precise. Thankfully, you can display a percentage by going to Settings > Power > Show Battery Level.

10) Enable developer mode

Android phones come with Developer Mode disabled by default, largely because the options included within it aren't going to make a lot of sense to novices. However, there are certain things you'll want to do which require this mode to be active, and switching it on is really easy - drop into Settings > About > Software Information > More, and then tap the "Build" section several times until you see a prompt informing you that you are now a developer.

9) Make your phone even faster by enabling ART runtime

With Developer Mode enabled (see the previous hint) you can switch on the experimental ART runtime. Android currently uses Dalvik Runtime, but Google is going to move over to ART in a future update. ART is a "Ahead of time" compiler, and should - in theory - make your phone feel faster. You can always revert back to Dalvik if you don't find it to your liking, but we think that the difference is genuinely noticeable.

8) Create an animated GIF from a Zoe clip

HTC's Zoe shooting mode complies a video from a set of images, and is a great way to share precious moments with others. It's even easier to exchange these memories thanks to the option to transform a segment of a Zoe clip into an animated GIF file, which can be viewed on most phones, tablets and computers. Simply select the Zoe clip, tap "Edit" and then select "GIF Creator".

7) Snap a selfie in double-quick time

Selfies are relatively tiresome, but they seem to be in fashion at the moment, and HTC is making sure it stays on the cutting-edge by including a "Selfie" shooting mode in the One M8's camera app. Simply tap the Shot Type icon in the bottom-right corner of the camera application and select Selfie, and the front-facing camera will be ready for your moment of vain, self-indulgent glory.

6) Transfer data from your old phone

While moving from one Android phone to another is fairly easy thanks to the fact that much of your data is tied to your Google account, it's less straightforward to move from another phone maker, such as Apple. HTC has your back though and has included a transfer option which allows you to port a surprisingly large amount of content and data over from your previous device.

5) Enable faster typing

Trace-to-type has been available on Android for ages thanks to the availability of the Swype keyboards, but many handset makers are now baking it into the firmware - and HTC is no exception. When the keyboard is open, long-press the key with the "cog" icon to access the keyboard settings menu. Make sure "Trace keyboard" is ticked and you're away.

4) Secure your phone with Kid Mode

Smartphones are amazing, and given how much they keep adults occupied it's little wonder that kids are just as enthralled by them. However, before handing over your shiny new HTC One M8 to your offspring to keep them quiet during a long car journey you'll want to make sure that they don't mess about with your settings or access any apps they shouldn't.

That's where Kids Mode comes in. You can turn it on by long-pressing the power button and selecting Kids Mode, and once triggered, it can only be disabled by entering the owner's date of birth and a unique pin code.

3) Mute your ringer without cutting off the caller

Unwanted calls are bad enough, but having to end them during a meeting to ensure that your ringtone doesn't annoy anyone is even worse - not least because the caller knows you've willfully cut them off.

With the HTC One M8 you can avoid this potentially sticky situation by simply flipping your phone over when it rings; the caller's phone will continue to ring through, making it seem less like you're trying to avoid them.

2) Access Quick Settings even faster

Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen and you'll notice that instead of the usual notifications pane you'll be presented with your Quick Settings page - a screen that normally takes another tap to access.

1) Customize Quick Settings to suit your needs

The Quick Settings menu is packed with handy shortcuts, but you may find that some are less useful than others. Fear not, as you can mess about with the order of the settings by tapping the Pen and Paper icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Using this method, you can push up the more important toggles to the top of the Quick Settings menu.

Source from: http://www.trustedreviews.com

Moto G (2014) tips and tricks: 7 to spruce up your Motorola smartphone

The second generation of the Moto G (2014) comes packed with a bunch of features that were present in the original Moto G and also brings with it a few tricks up its sleeves. We’ve selected some of our most interesting tips, most frequently asked questions, and more that will help you adapt to your brand new Moto G.

Tips for new Moto G (2014). / © ANDROIDPIT

Transfer your data with Motorola Migration

This app comes natively on the Moto G but can also be downloaded directly from the Google Play Store. Through it you can transfer contacts, call history, SMS messages, among other settings and preferences.

The Motorola Migration assistant in action. © ANDROIDPIT

Motorola Migrate INSTALL

Replace the back cover without frustration

The new Moto G has a back cover that can be swapped out with different colors to help customize your smartphone to your liking. However, this isn’t the most easy thing to do because the only opening in the frame is in the micro USB port at the bottom of the device.

Use your thumb and rest it on the center of the back of the device to gain some support and then pull up from the opening in the micro USB port with your fingernail. This will pop the back cover off easily and without worry.

Save battery

Motorola has a feature that will save you on average about 30% more on your battery life. You can enable this feature by heading to Settings > Battery. Once activated, the option will optimize the use of 3G data as well as adjust the display brightness and temporarily disable location services and GPS.

As well, disabling the light sensor will help save a bit of battery as well since it will turn of the sensor from always scanning for light conditions. Heading to Settings > Display > Brightness and uncheck Automatic Brightness.

Change the wallpaper

Sure, the wallpaper on your smartphone can say a lot about you and so you should definitely make sure to customize your Moto G with someone that screams “you!”

We recommend two of the best wallpaper applications on the Play Store which showcase some extremely stunning wallpapers available for your device.

Zedge

One of the best (if not the best) apps has several categories of static and dynamic images. One of the nice things about Zedge is that is also has free ringtones that can be used for actual ringtones as well as notification sounds for events and applications.

ZEDGE™ Ringtones & Wallpapers INSTALL

Zedge and a ton of selection of options for wallpapers.  / © ANDROIDPIT

Pattrn

Looking to give yourself a little bit of a more vintage look? Pattrn features wallpapers based on different prints and designs, ranging from lines and modern shapes to flowery prints in pastels. From retro, vintage, and more.

Pattrn INSTALL

Wallpaper selection by Pattrn / © ANDROIDPIT

Improve the sound on headphones

The Moto G comes with a sound equalizer to improve the playback of music and videos. By default, the 3D stereo audio option isn’t enabled which gives a greater amount of echoes and treble.

To turn it on, head to Settings > Sound> Audio Options and then you can disable or customize sound effects within the headphones option.

What are some of your favorite tips and tricks for the new Moto G? Be sure to share them with us in the comments below.

 

Source from: http://www.androidpit.com

10 Samsung Galaxy S5 problems and their solutions

As experience has shown on more than one occasion, it is quite common to see a new smartphone attract a few teething problems. If we're lucky, the problem is widespread and the solution becomes quickly known or the manufacturer gets right on it and fixes it pronto. But this doesn’t always happen and some problems only appear after a while. Here are the ten most common Samsung Galaxy S5 problems and their solutions.

The Galaxy S5 is not without its problems. Here are the solutions. © ANDROIDPIT

• Galaxy S5 review


• Galaxy S5 tips

1. Camera crashes

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has one of the fastest cameras on any smartphone, both in terms of focusing time as well as shooting. Unfortunately, this quick draw speed sometimes causes issues whereby the camera app actually crashes instead of capturing that magic moment. This problem may simply be because the image stabilizer option is enabled. This option helps you get more luminous, clear pictures in low light without using the flash, but of course it also involves additional image processing that not only makes taking pictures slower, but also occasionally leads to the camera app crashing. To check if you have this option enabled or not by going to the camera settings > Image Stabilizer.

Another problem with the camera closing unexpectedly is followed by the following message: "Camera failed" or "the camera application is not responding". This error is a more serious hardware issue and was present on multiple devices, so Samsung responded and advised that users who have this problem should contact the store they purchased their S5. If the fault is found to be the hardware issue, Samsung can ship a replacement S5.

2. Water damage

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is water-resistant and this water-resistancy is listed in the specifications. However, there have been more than a few people that have confused water-resistancy with water-proofness and joyfully given their Galaxy S5 a bath. And then been less joyful when they have water damage issues. Do not forget that the back cover of the S5 is removable and, therefore, it is not waterproof like the Xperia Z3.

The Galaxy S5 is water-resistant, but that doesn't mean you should try getting it wet. © ANDROIDPIT

Suffice to say, it is not advisable to submerge your Galaxy S5, for fun or necessity. The IP rating is generally accepted as being sufficient to with stand a rain shower or the like, but not prolonged submersion. If you really must immerse your S5, make sure the back panel is tightly closed and all ports are closed. In the event that your S5 stops working after getting wet, do not try to turn it on. Pull it apart and dry the components, then insert them in a bag of rice for a day or two before reassembling and trying to turn it back on.

3. Too much lag?

It is well known to all that thanks to TouchWiz and bloatware, Samsung devices tend to suffer the most from lag of any smartphone. In case you don’t know what I mean, the word “lag” refers to the delay or stutter when we swipe through screens or pages, or the delay when launching apps or switching between tasks.

To treat S5 lag, I recommend you disable some animations and the home key shortcut to S Voice. For the first, long press on a blank space on a home screen and tap Home Screen Settings. Then change the transition effect to nothing. You can also remove My Magazine if you’re not a fan (it is possibly the laggiest part of the S5). To disable the S Voice shortcut, we just have to open S Voice, then go to Menu > Settings > Open via home key and uncheck the option. Here's some more tips to speed up the Galaxy S5.

4. Overheating

If you experience excessive heating of your S5 and, above all, in the vicinity of the battery, a simple sidestep is to go to Settings and lower the screen brightness, as it is the biggest battery drain. It is also highly advisable to lower the screen timeout to 15 seconds. Once you do wait a bit to see if the temperature drops.

If you still experience an overheating problem you think is problematic, then you may have a physical problem with the battery itself. Take a look to ensure it is not swelling or leaking and if you can’t see anything out of order, take it to a technician for a proper inspection. Of course, prolonged screen on time is always going to lead to heating up, as are graphics-intensive games and tasks.

5. Display problems: auto-brightness, ghosting

If you have experienced problems with auto-brightness levels – either the screen is too bright or too dark for the ambient light conditions – then you may have a dirty or faulty sensor. Take a look and make sure there’s nothing gunking up the sensor on the front of your S5 and if you can see something under the glass you may need a repairman to assist.

On the other hand, many users also suffer from the so-called ghosting that causes some pictures to stay on the screen as a faint background. This is occasionally solved with a software update or some attention to on-screen elements that are the cause of the ghosting: there are apps available that supposedly repair screen burn-in. Another trick is to keep your screen brightness at a low manual setting to minimize the severity.

6. Touch response issues

Currently, the management of our smartphone is really intuitive and the least we expect is that when you touch the screen it reacts instantly. This may not be the case in your Samsung Galaxy S5. Many users have reported problems with a lack of calibration on the touch sensor. This means the smartphone does not respond exactly where the screen is touched, but few millimeters to either side.

The service menu on the Galaxy S5 lets you test features like touch responsiveness. © ANDROIDPIT

As usual, the solution to this problem lies in an update. If you have the latest update already and the screen sensor still does not work well, then you can try a factory data reset (make sure you backup fully first!). If the problem still persists, I recommend going to the secret Galaxy S5 service menu for helping us test phone problems like sensors and touch response. To enter this menu, go to the dialer and enter *#0*#. There we can see in "Touch" if it reacts well to touch and see if there are problems. If so you'd better take your S5 to a technician for further examination.

7. Sensor problems

Now let's talk about other sensors. Let's start with the fingerprint sensor. From my personal experience I can say that it does not always work as it should, although it has improved. (The Galaxy Note 4 has significantly improved the responsiveness). Unfortunately there is no definitive solution to this problem on the S5. Other than recording your fingerprint with a natural gesture (based on how you generally hold the phone) or paying extra attention to how you swipe your digit, you’ll just have to get used to this one, or hope that Samsung tries to make further software improvements.

You can check issues with a bunch of other sensors on the S5 too. © ANDROIDPIT

If you’re having problems with other sensors, say with the display or gesture controls, or even haptic feedback or tones, you can take a further look through the service menu mentioned above. Just open the dialer and enter *#0*# and select the "Sensor" option. You might also want to try out the following app, Phone Tester:

Phone Tester (sensors, GPS...) INSTALL

8. Knox problems

Not everyone realizes the S5 includes a special security system called Knox, the biggest surprise being that when making any changes to the software, either via root or by changing the ROM, the S5’s flash counter is increased and is not so easy to reset, meaning a one-way trip to voided warranty land. Another problem that arises from an overactive Knox is that we will also lose automatic official updates and OTA notifications will disappear.

Fortunately, you can disable Knox. We’ve already done a whole article about what Knox is and how to disable Knox on the Galaxy S4, but the same steps are also used for the S5.

9. Wi-Fi problems

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has an option that makes Wi-Fi shut off automatically if the connection is very bad. If your Wi-Fi connection is suddenly lost, that may be the reason. However, Wi-Fi dropout can also happen when you open the Google Play Store or some other application, so you should first check to see if you have the option enabled before we look to other culprits.

It's called Smart Exchange network and what it does is change to your data network when the Wi-Fi signal is very weak. Just head to Settings and your Wi-Fi menu to disable the option and see if the problem persists. If it does, try clearing the cache of the app that causes the disconnection.

10. Sudden death

This problem is the last on the list and may well seem to be the end of your smartphone. Sudden death bug was a particular problem for the Galaxy S3 and unfortunately, the problem has also affected other devices in the Galaxy range. If your S5 starts turning itself off without warning or acting particularly erratically or won’t even turn on (assuming you have a charged battery), the only option left to you is a hard reset. This will erase your data, so make sure a regular backup is part of your S5 care plan.

If a reset does not bear fruit, the only avenue left to you is to take it to a Samsung technician. If the problem lies with an internal component or the motherboard itself, they are the best ones to tackle the issue (and keep your warranty intact).

I hope you have found the solution to your particular S5 problem. If not, feel free to visit our Galaxy S5 forum to ask any other questions you may have or to provide solutions you may have found to some other S5 problems.

 

Source from: http://www.androidpit.com

Android 5.0 Lollipop tips: 5 tricks everyone should know

If you're lucky enough to have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your device right now, you're amongst the lucky few with Nexus, Motorola or LG devices. But the Android 5.0 Lollipop update is coming for everyone, so why not get up to speed on the best Android 5.0 Lollipop tips to give you a head start on what you need to know to get the most out of Lollipop and avoid some of the biggest Android 5.0 Lollipop fails...

We've got all the Android 5.0 Lollipop tips you'll ever need. й ANDROIDPIT

• When will I get the Android 5.0 Lollipop update?

Enable silent mode

This is easily one of the biggest frustrations with Android 5.0 Lollipop: the official death of silent mode. We've shared a couple of tricks to enable silent mode on Android 5.0 Lollipop but one of our awesome Mods and all-round geniuses, Mattia from AndroidPIT.it has come up with a cool silent mode widget that'll flip your device to silent and back again Ц the app is getting the final touches on it right now, but we'll share it with you as soon as it's uploaded to the Play Store. In the meantime, check out the article linked above for all the current options.

The absence of silent mode on Android 5.0 Lollipop is a real pain in the ear.ай Motorola

• Everything you need to know about Android 5.0 security

Lock screen security

Android 5.0 Lollipop comes with a variety of lock screen security options. From the classic pattern, PIN or password, to the more funky Lollipop options like Trusted Faces, trusted Devices or Trusted Places. Whatever lock screen method (or trusted bypass option) you choose, this should really be one of the very first thing's you do with any phone, any time. With the new Trusted options, having a complex pattern lock doesn't even have to be a pain as long as you're hanging out near home/work, have your smartwatch or Bluetooth headphones on or have your beautiful mug in view of your phone (which should always be attached to your body).

Smart Lock lets you set Trusted Devices that can be Bluetooth or NFC equipped. й ANDROIDPIT

Smart Lock also gives you a Trusted Face option. And it works! Shame about the mug though. й ANDROIDPIT

• Android 5.0 Lollipop problems and solutions

Chrome tabs

This isn't a huge problem, and maybe you like having your Chrome tabs dispersed throughout your recent apps stack, but for me it's as irritating a default setting as its possible to have. Fortunately, all you need to do to get your Chrome tabs back to their rightful place (you know, in Chrome) is to go to you Chrome settings and disable ''merge tabs and apps.'' Your Chrome tabs will now be accessible via the traditional button on the URL bar in the Chrome browser.

On the left we see various Chrome tabs mixed between other apps. Why couldn't we just have tabs like in the old version? (Right) / й ANDROIDPIT

• Everything you need to know about Android 5.0 Lollipop

Priority interruptions

Priority interruptions are a key component of the Android 5.0 Lollipop feature set. Knowing that there are times and places when you don't want to be interrupted by anything except the most urgent notifications is a great addition to stock Android's functionality. It may take you a little while to set up exactly how you like it, but once you've got your priorities in order you can enjoy peace and quiet unless your mom's dog runs away or your girlfriend is texting you.

Decide what your priorities are and when you want to be interrupted by them. й ANDROIDPIT

• The absolute best Android 5.0 features

Dead Email app

For some odd reason, Google decided to keep the now useless Email app. When you launch it for the first time, you'll get a splash screen that tells you Gmail is now handling Email services and you can check the box fto launch Gmail instead. But why do that and have a hollow app sitting in your app drawer? Go to Settings > Apps > All tab and find Email and disable that useless waste of space. Your emails will still be handled by Gmail but you won't have the dead app icon cluttering up your precious app drawer.

Great! An app that does nothing. So get rid of Email on Lollipop. й ANDROIDPIT

• Everything you need to know about Android 5.0 battery life

Battery Saver mode

Ok, I lied. I had to add a bonus sixth tip cos it's super important. As soon as you have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your phone, go to Settings > Battery and hit the action overflow button at the top right. Hit ''Battery Saver'' and enable that bad boy. Pick your default battery life point (5% or 15%) and come to terms with the odd orange status and navigation bars you're going to have to learn to live with in order to take advantage of the awesome battery saving potential of Battery Saver.

 

Source from: http://www.androidpit.com

12 iPhone battery life tips and tricks

Getting the most from your iPhone's power pack

Related stories

• iPhone 6 release date: where can I get it?


• iPhone 6L might have a bigger battery, but it won't last longer


• 12 Android battery life tips and tricks

The frustration of a dead battery will be familiar to every iPhone owner. But what can you do to avoid it, other than use your phone less?

Apple is good at squeezing maximum performance out of the hardware in the iPhone and that's one of the reasons that the iPhone's battery is comparatively small. The first iPhone had a 1400mAh battery, and seven years later the iPhone 6 has a 1810mAh battery, although the iPhone 6 Plus has a whopping 2910mAh offering.

Many of the current Android flagships have batteries rated over 3000mAh, but then they have much bigger displays - the 6 Plus aside, of course. But that doesn't mean we still don't struggle to keep our iPhones going for longer, no matter how big the battery pack.

Until the next big leap in battery or charging technology comes along, we'll have to rely on smarts to get the most out of our iPhones. Here are a few simple tips you can follow to get a whole lot more juice from your Apple smartphone.

1. Keep an eye on signal strength

The biggest culprit for rapid battery drain is often a weak signal, but there isn't a great deal you can do about that. If you're in an area with a poor signal then you might consider switching Airplane mode on, which stops the constant searching that sucks the life from your phone.

You should also always use Wi-Fi instead of cellular data whenever possible too, as that offers a more stable connection and will stop all that battery-abusing searching for a signal.

2. Turn off app notifications

Some apps will spam you with pointless news. How many of the notifications you get do you actually want to see? In most cases, very few.

Every one of them is sucking down some battery life, so cut them off at the source. Go to settings > notification centre and tap on any apps you don't want notifications from. Then choose 'none' under the alert style, and turn 'badge icon' and 'sounds' off.

Use WiFi wherever possible, turn off notifications and check your settings

3. Change display settings

Your display is costly to power, so you want it to shut down quickly when you aren't using it.

Go to Settings > General > Auto-lock and see if you can live with a shorter time before the screen auto-locks.

You should also head to Settings > Wallpaper & brightness and turn 'Auto-brightness' off to save some battery. Set the brightness as low as you can and only adjust it up when needed and you'll save a decent chunk of power – although this might mean you can't always see your phone screen in direct sunlight.

4. Stop the animations

You don't need dynamic backgrounds and parallax, '3D' effects. They're fun but they're munching your power. Pick a static image or a favourite photo in Settings > Wallpapers & Brightness, then choose 'Wallpaper' and turn 'Reduce Motion' on in Settings > General > Accessibility.

5. Reduce background refreshing

People imagine that swiping apps closed in the multitasking menu is saving power, but you really need to be taking a look in Settings > General > Background App refresh to really make a difference.

Allowing apps to refresh themselves like this is a big drain on your battery. Go down the list and turn off everything you don't need - Facebook in particular can drain your battery really quickly. These apps still refresh when you actually load them up, which is a lot more efficient for your battery.

Stop background refreshing, get your email manually and check your location settings

6. Get email manually

There's some argument about the benefits of push email (arriving when sent) versus fetch (the phone checks at pre-agreed intervals), and it really depends on how much email you get and how often you have it syncing.

Push should only send from the server when a mail comes in, and it will be more power efficient than checking every five minutes with fetch, but if you get a lot of email then push could drain the battery faster than fetch with a slower refresh time of an hour.

Assuming you're only going to check your email once every couple of hours, getting it manually is going to save you power over both options… but you'll have to actually remember to do it!

 

 

 

Source from: http://www.techradar.com

iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 to be released in 2015

According to a report posted on Stabley Times, we can expect an iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 to be released in the next calendar year. So unfortunately your new iPhone 6 may be superseded sooner than you (and us!) expected.

We have been aware of rumours recently that Apple was planning to ditch the ‘S’ device version altogether, which this latest rumour appears to have debunked. Why so soon with the new devices though?

iPhone 6S to combat growing Android market

There is no hiding behind it, Android has been selling (or at least shipping) a larger volume of handsets than Apple has been in previous quarters. It is widely thought that this move by Apple to release two handsets in one year is geared towards combating an Android saturated marketplace. Another key consideration appears to be the decreasing time that consumers are on contracts for.

Previously consumers weren’t spoilt for choice with contract lengths, but now on various networks around the world (such as Verizon and AT&T), consumers are now open to shorter contract options with carriers allowing customers to upgrade to new handsets more frequently.

iPhone 6S in an iWatch bundle?

One of the more certain releases of next year is the impending iWatch. Being a peripheral device that requires an iPhone to pair with, it would make perfect sense for Apple to release this with a new handset (or an improved handset in the iPhone 6S). As for the 6S, we really are at the start of the rumour mill for this so be sure to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date as more information emerges but we have a clearer idea at this stage of what could be the makings of the iPhone 7.

What could the iPhone 7 include?

Well, this is where it get’s interesting. From the latest information, this is definitely a premium quality handset that we have come to expect from Apple. If no other information comes to light (which would surprise us immensely) you can expect the iPhone 7 to include:

• a 21MP rear camera (described as an SLR-like camera)


• Similar Sapphire display as rumoured with the 6S


• Quad-core A8 chipset


• Internal storage of 256GB


• Facial recognition technology

Could it also be shatter-proof? Apple was recently awarded a patent for a new protection system that uses a motion sensor, processor and internal motor to detect when a device has been dropped, and reorient itself to protect the screen and camera. Sounds a bit space age, but let’s wait and see!

When can you expect to buy the 6S and the 7?

This is still very much in the early days but our gut feeling is that 2015 will be a big year for Apple with the iPhone 6S release rumoured around spring and then the iPhone 7 in September. If these rumours develop further (which we are sure they will) then next year we can definitely expect the iWatch, potentially see the release of a rumoured 12.2″ iPad Plus and two new premium handsets.

What are your thoughts on this? Are Apple getting it right, or wrong with the pace at which they are releasing new devices?

 

Source from: http://www.tapscape.com

iPhone 7/iPhone 6s Rumor Roundup – Will Apple Be Releasing Three New Phones in 2015?

At this point in the game, we don’t know whether Apple will be releasing the iPhone 7 in 2015 or whether it will follow its usual conventions and call next year’s flagship the iPhone 6s.  But based on recent rumors on the device, we may be seeing Apple stick to its guns and release a phone known as the iPhone 6S.

According to Focus Taiwan, Apple’s next flagship phone will be called the iPhone 6s,



while its larger variant would go by the name iPhone 6S Plus.  But what’s most interesting about this report, at least on a business standpoint, is how the purported 4.7-inch iPhone 6S may be the first where Apple partner Pegatron would shoulder more than half of the load when it comes to manufacturing.  There also appears to be a good chance Pegatron will end up manufacturing most iPhone 6S Plus units as well.

Separately, another recent report claims that there won’t be just two iPhone 6S/iPhone 7 variants in 2015, but three.  Citing Apple’s Chinese supply chain partners, GforGames reported late last week that Apple may be releasing a 4-inch iPhone in the second half of next year, with the main target market being female device owners.  The device may also be targeted toward users who put a premium on one-handed usability, which was a key selling point for the iPhone before this year’s larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus arrived.

Rumors on the iPhone 6S/iPhone 7’s specifications and features are still comparatively scant, due to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus being less than three months removed from their release dates.  But if we are to speculate about the phone’s fundamentals, we can expect display sizes to remain the same.  We can also look forward to Apple remaining bullish on an 8-megapixel sensor for the rear camera – after all, Apple wants to sell actual camera performance, rather than on-paper megapixel counts.  iOS 9 is sure to debut on the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and the rumored 4-inch variant.

While Touch ID was the big addition on 2013’s iPhone 5s, next year’s phones’ big “party trick,” as we told you last week, may be the presence of anti-drop technology.  This technology, according to a recent patent, “(moves) the mass in the protective mechanism in response to detecting the free fall” of the phone.

 

 

Source from: http://www.modernreaders.com

From the Editor's Desk: And for our next trick ...

 

Probably my favorite part of covering a major new device isn't the long-form review. It's not the "hands-on," and it's certainly not the gratuitous unboxing videos. It's not the page-view whoring "drop test" — spoiler: phones break when you drop them — and it's not battery tests that in no way reflect real-life use. No, for me where things really get fun are when we start to break down a phone feature by feature, explaining them in even more detail than we do in reviews.

We do it this way for a number of reasons. One of them is "space." Our HTC One M8 review weighed in at 6,000 words. (In the newspaper world I came from, stories were measured by length in column inches. I'd joke, badly, that really long stories had to be measured in pounds.) It simply becomes too unwieldy to go into great depth about every feature that needs to be explored for any phone. So, we break things out into separate stories. Volumes of reference material, if you will.

A side-effect of this is that anytime a new phone launches, there's a deluge of stories on that one device. It's happened before, it's happening now with the HTC One M8, and it'll happen again — in two weeks, in fact, when the Samsung Galaxy S5 goes on sale. It'll happen again later this year with new fare from Motorola and LG and, we presume, new Nexus tablets and phones.

That doesn't mean we've abandoned the news, which is what brings the hard-core audience back day after day. In fact, we're better positioned to be both a news source and reference desk than we've ever been. And you're starting to see the fruits of that labor. We've reworked our back-end to make it quicker and easier for us to do quick, easy stories that might not need more than a few sentences, freeing up more time (and head space) for more important pieces. And you're going to start seeing some new bylines here at and the other Mobile Nations sites, as we make it easier for the writers on all our sites to pitch in on the news — as well as educate themselves on platforms that might not be their daily driver.

More short-lived (but still important) news. More long-term (and even more important) reference content. Grow, or die.

And that's just the start of some really exciting changes this year. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

A few other thoughts on the week that was:

I almost hate to admit it, but I really enjoy how the Facebook app is displaying images and previewing videos now.
You gotta love how more manufacturers are offloading apps to Google Play, so that they can be updated without full system updates. We'll have to see how much of that Samsung does, or how much it does out of its own app store.
I have to RMA my Pebble Steel this week. I'll switch back to the original while I wait for the new one to arrive — but I have a feeling I'm not going to like the change.
I do miss the size and feel of the Moto X. And the Active Display. I don't miss the camera.
Interesting story on the mandating of "Powered by Android" on boot screens now. I wonder if it'll be added to the Verizon HTC One in a future update. (And why it's not there already, given that we first saw it on the Galaxy S5 a month ago.)
Seriously, this is a really good, cheap speaker.
Cosmos is so good. Even better is that my 7-year-old daughter is enjoying it, too.

That's it for this week. So much to do, so little time.

 

Source from: http://www.androidcentral.com