November 14, 2014

Google Hangout Videos - How to Use














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November 11, 2014

Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When You’ll Get It


Lollipop is the name given to Google’s latest Android operating system update. Also known as Android 5.0, it will become the sequel to Android KitKat, which ran from versions 4.4 to 4.4.4. The OS was announced along with three new Nexus devices via the company’s official blog on October 15th and will start to become available to compatible devices via an over-the-air update in the coming weeks.
Google’s Android updates tend to be impressive, feature-rich affairs. Given that Lollipop will also mark a complete break from Android 4.x JellyBean/KitKat, it is certain to be even more impressive than normal. So, what features does the new release have in store for its lucky users?

Battery Saving Mode

A smartphone with a battery saving mode is hardly revolutionary — Samsung and HTC have been offering such a feature on their devices for several years. Oddly, stock Android on Google’s Nexus range never had such a feature integrated. Instead, you had to use other tips and tricks to improve battery life.

Android 5.0 Lollipop Battery saver 640x376 Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When Youll Get It

Not only will the device switch to a power-saving mode when the available battery level drops below 15 percent (thus giving you an extra ninety minutes of usage), but developers can take advantage of Android Runtime (ART), which is what Google uses to convert developer code into a functioning app.
The benefits of ART over the old Dalvik Runtime are two fold; firstly, it allows devices to more effectively distinguish between important activity and everyday activity, telling the device not to wake for the latter (initial testing suggests that the Nexus 5 will last 36 percent longer with Lollipop installed). Secondly, developers will be able to better understand what is draining the battery in their apps and tweak it accordingly. It means we should see more power-efficient apps becoming available in 2015.

Screen Pinning

One of the biggest etiquette faux pas of mobile phone usage is browsing through other people’s photos, messages and apps without the owner’s permission. Everyone knows it shouldn’t be done, but sometimes the urge to start swiping after borrowing a friend’s phone to make a call is just too great.

screen pin android5 Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When Youll Get It

Screen pinning finally puts an end to the problem. It enables you to pin a single app into the foreground of the phone’s screen, meaning whoever is borrowing your phone cannot get overly curious and start looking at your holiday snaps after using it to order a takeaway.
It works by removing the functionality of the home and recent apps buttons so the user can only interact with the app on the screen. To exit a pinned screen, you’ll need to press recent and back at the same time, then enter the PIN code.

screen pin android5 2 Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When Youll Get It

This feature also has parental control benefits — for example, parents can give the phone to their kids to play a game without the worry that the child will call someone or delete something accidentally.

Multiple Accounts

There are numerous reasons why someone might want to use multiple accounts on a device. Perhaps the device is a shared family tablet, perhaps your kids keep stealing your phone, or maybe your employer uses Google Apps but you want to keep work and play entirely separate on your gadget.
Whatever the reason, it’s not been possible on phones until Lollipop. With the release of Android 5.0, however, you’ll not only be able to add multiple user accounts, but also guest and temporary accounts. Aside from practical benefits such as those listed above, it also has security benefits — no more worrying about configurations being changed, data being deleted, or personal emails being viewed.

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There are three types of accounts that you’ll be able to set up on Lollipop. Firstly there is the standard user account, which has full access to settings and apps and is identical to how you use your Android 4.x device. Secondly, there is the guest account. A guest/temporary account uses sessions, and when the session ends no data is recorded or saved. Thirdly, there is the profile account. This account lets the main user determine how the device is used — for example, disabling certain apps or restricting phone calls.

Smart Lock

We’ve all done it and been frustrated by it — you’re in the middle of using your phone to write a text or surf the Internet when you get briefly distracted by something else. By the time your attention returns to your phone it has locked itself, meaning you need to re-enter your pin code to get back to what you were doing. When done once it’s okay, when done several times per day it gets annoying.

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Lollipop addresses these annoyances with Smart Lock. Smart Lock will allow Bluetooth enabled devices to unlock your device when they are within signal. In practice, this means if you’re at home and your partner’s phone is nearby, your Android 5.0 device will not lock itself, saving your time and frustration. The feature will also work with Chromebooks or desktops that are running Chrome OS.

Notifications

The notification system is due to get a major overhaul in Lollipop, removing the need for third party notification managers like Floatify. The idea behind their redesign is to bring a user’s attention to a notification without interrupting their workflow or current project.
In practice, this means that instead of seeing an incoming call or text message take over your entire screen, you will instead see a small bar pop up at the top of the screen that gives you the choice of either ignoring or responding to the event.

lockscreen android5 Android 5.0 Lollipop: What It Is And When Youll Get It

Lock screen notifications have also been revamped. It is now possible to view, manage, and respond to individual notifications without fully waking the phone or actually opening the specific app. Of course, this can be disabled if you have privacy concerns. Say goodbye to all those lockscreen replacement apps.
Finally, there is a new “Interruptions” feature. It allows you to decide which apps you want to let interrupt you, and which you don’t care about. It means there will be no more games that continually pester you with spam notifications and thus helps ensure the important stuff doesn’t slip through unnoticed.

Multitasking

Multitasking has become more streamlined with the Chrome experience. It is now more akin to looking at all the open tabs when using Chrome on a mobile device rather than the traditional scrollable list of recent apps.

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Not only does this mean you can switch apps faster, it also means you can see multiple tasks within individual apps. For instance, in Gmail, if you’re drafting a new email as well as checking your inbox, you will see two separate Gmail tabs displayed — one for each separate task.

When Will I Get It?

At this early stage it is impossible to precisely confirm when each of the devices will get the updates. For example, it was recently confirmed that the update for Nexus 5 was delayed due to a battery draining bug.
Here’s what we know so far:
Google
Nexus 4 — November 10th
Nexus 5– November 10th
Nexus 7 — November 10th
Nexus 10 — November 10th
Motorola
Moto E — confirmed, expected by end of 2014
Moto G — confirmed, expected by end of 2014
Moto G LTE edition — confirmed, expected by end of 2014
Moto X — confirmed, expected by end of 2014
HTC
HTC One — confirmed, within 90 days of receiving the Android Lollipop source code
HTC One M7 — confirmed, within 90 days of receiving the Android Lollipop source code
HTC One M8 — confirmed, within 90 days of receiving the Android Lollipop source code
Samsung
Samsung has not yet formally announced its release schedule, but leaks suggest the Galaxy S5 is expected to get Android 5.0 Lollipop in December and the Galaxy S4 will reportedly receive the update in early 2015. They also recently hinted in a tweet that Lollipop would be available on its new flagship Galaxy Note 4 phablet.
Sony
Sony has committed to offering Lollipop on its Xperia Z range and has already shown off an early development version of the new OS running on the Z1, Z2 and Z3. There are no official release dates in place.
LG
LG G3 — confirmed, late November or early December

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-5-0-lollipop-youll-get/
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November 6, 2014

14 Ways to Make Free Internet Phone Calls

Make Free Phone Calls With Free Internet Phone Services and Programs


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November 5, 2014

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Apple iPhone 6 Plus - 2 Reviews






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November 4, 2014

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 Review

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November 3, 2014

Tablet Review: Amazon's Fire vs Google's Nexus 9

Tablet Review: Amazon's Fire vs Google's Nexus 9


Nov 3, 1:18 PM (ET), By ANICK JESDANUN
(AP) This combination made from photos provided by Amazon and Google shows the Amazon...
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NEW YORK (AP) — New tablet computers from Amazon and Google both run on Google's Android operating system, but that doesn't mean they work the same. In the new Fire HDX 8.9, Amazon continues a practice of modifying Android extensively to drive you to Amazon services. Google Inc.'s new Nexus 9 offers as pure of an Android experience as you can get — which means driving you to Google services.
Two tablets. Good for different reasons. Customers will need to decide: What do they want a tablet to do?
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AMAZON FIRE HDX 8.9 (Starts at $379)
What's New: Apps open slightly faster and sound is much better in this year's version of the tablet. There's less distortion using speakers. For headphone use, the new model supports Dolby's Atmos technology for three-dimensional sound, though Amazon's video service is only starting to make Atmos movies available. Amazon is also bringing the Firefly feature introduced in its Fire phone over the summer. Firefly uses the device's camera to pull out phone numbers, scan bar codes and even identify everyday products — which you can then buy through Amazon. You can use it to compare prices in retail stores, but its size makes it difficult to stay discreet.
Also new —Amazon now lets you share tablets with separate profiles for two adults and four kids. The kids' profiles offer time limits and other restrictions, such as playing games only after spending a half-hour on educational books. An upcoming update also will let you share Amazon content across multiple devices, similar to what Apple has done with its Family Sharing feature.
Even without a major change from last year, you're still getting one of the sharpest displays, at 339 pixels per inch. The Fire is also lighter than Apple's super-light iPad Air 2, though you're also getting a smaller screen at 8.9 inches, as measured diagonally, compared with the iPad's 9.7 inches.
Like the previous model, the Fire offers one-button access to live customer support. Amazon's Mayday advisers appear in a video box on your screen and can help you find apps, operate the camera or figure out why something isn't working properly. It's a great tool for the less technically inclined.
What's Unique: What distinguishes the Fire most is its tie-in to Amazon.com Inc.'s services. The home screen offers quick access to Amazon videos, songs, e-books and shopping. If you use a lot of Amazon services, the Fire is the tablet for you. If you want to stray from Amazon services, you might run into problems. Many leading apps are available, but it's not the full selection available with Android. For instance, I wasn't able to download Android apps to check my personal bank account or to track results for Sunday's New York City Marathon. I used Google's Nexus 9 for both.
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GOOGLE NEXUS 9 (Starts at $399)
What's New: The Nexus offers you a taste of Lollipop, the latest version of Android. Lollipop lets you interact with email and other notifications right from the lock screen, and it lets you unlock the device using the presence of a trusted device, such as an Android smartwatch. Like other Lollipop devices, the Nexus supports multiple profiles — up to eight, with no restrictions on which are for adults. A swipe from the left gets you the Google Now virtual assistant, if you've turned that on.
Made by HTC, the Google-designed device is slimmer and lighter than the previous Nexus 10. The dimensions have changed to match the iPad's and are now better for viewing photos, Web pages and documents. The Nexus also comes with a near-field communication chip, enabling mobile payments through Google Wallet. Apple's iPads lack this chip and allow Apple Pay only for online purchases. That said, I promise to make fun of you if I catch you waving a giant tablet to pay for groceries.
By Comparison: The new dimensions have created a lot of wasted space when viewing video, unlike on the Fire and many other Android tablets. Audio wasn't as loud, video as bright or text as sharp as on the Fire at maximum settings. Google clearly tries to steer you to its services, with the default home page icons consisting entirely of Google apps such as YouTube and Gmail. But there's a vast selection of other apps you can install. Although many apps still come to Apple devices first or have more features for them, most Android apps work on the Nexus — but not necessarily the Fire.
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SO, WHAT TO BUY?
Apple's iPad Air 2 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S go further than the Fire HDX 8.9 and Nexus 9 in letting you unlock the devices with fingerprint IDs. The Galaxy's screen produces richer colors than most tablets, while the new Air is alone in having an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare. But both start at about $500.
The Fire and Nexus devices are more affordable and should meet many people's needs. The Fire is great for those newcomers, thanks to its Mayday help offering. Those newcomers — along with casual users and Amazon power users — also might not mind the reduced app selection. But if you need to do more at this price point, the Nexus 9 is likely for you.

Source: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20141103/us-tec-digital-life-review-android-tablets-73f020d4f6.html
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