The most useful thing about Android 5.0 Lollipop isn’t the new look: it’s the improvements that mean your device’s battery will last a lot longer. Here’s why Lollipop will last for ages.
That’s why most smartphones still need to be charged every day, why smartwatches are lucky to last until it gets dark and why tablets are essentially enormous battery packs with touch screens glued to the front of them.
Wouldn’t it be great if upgrading your operating system gave you a better battery too? That’s exactly what Android 5.0 Lollipop promises. It turns out that Android’s codenames are pretty accurate: where you can lick all the chocolate off a KitKat in no time at all, Lollipops can be licked for an awful lot longer.
One of the things Google discovered about Android was that just waking a device from sleep for a single second burned through two whole minutes of standby time. That’s because waking didn’t just turn the screen on: the processor wakes up too, and the radio goes on to check for incoming data. Project Volta created a new “JobScheduler” API that’s designed to reduce that by scheduling housekeeping and low-priority tasks more efficiently.
The excellent Ars Technica website decided to test Google’s claims with the Android L Developer Preview, and they found that for once, a tech firm wasn’t telling big fibs. With Battery Saver disabled - more about that in a moment - and Android L running on a well-used Nexus 5, battery life was up by a very impressive 36%. That’s a whole two hours more battery life.
The reason Ars didn’t enable Android L’s Battery Saver was because it has an effect on overall performance. When you enable it and your battery reaches 15% (or if you prefer, 5%), Battery Saver essentially applies the brakes to your device to eke out more battery life: it dims the screen, limits vibration and disables most background data so that apps don’t automatically update. Google reckons that on average, upgrading to Android 5.0 Lollipop and leaving Battery Saver on (it’s enabled by default) should give you an hour and a half of extra battery power.
One of the most important battery bits of Android 5.0 L is the one you won’t see unless you’re a developer: it’s called Battery Historian, and it gives app developers detailed information on how their apps will affect particular devices’ battery life. The hope is that instead of ignoring that information, developers will then ensure that their apps aren’t unnecessary power hogs. *cough* Facebook! *cough*
Other ways to boost battery life in Android 5.0 Lollipop
Last week my pal Scott Adam Gordon wrote a pretty persuasive article entitled Why you should buy the Nexus 6 instead of the Galaxy Note 4. While he made some salient points, I'm not entirely sold. He even called me out in advance, knowing that I would have to respond. So here's my argument for why you should buy the Galaxy Note 4 instead of the Nexus 6.
Full disclosure: I have not yet used a Nexus 6, so these opinions are either based on educated guesses or generalities, not on actual first hand experience with the device. And before the fanboy name calling begins, I'll remind those of you that aren't regular readers just how much of a Nexus fanboy I usually am, and how often I am accused of being a Samsung hater. This is why my love for the Galaxy Note 4 is as surprising to me as it was to Scott.
This is one of the most obvious points to make: that despite the Nexus 6's ''phablet'' scale, it's missing the one feature that makes the Note series so indispensable: the S Pen stylus. Sure, a massive screen is good for multi-tasking, media consumption and all-round phone operation. But you know what makes multitasking, media and phone operation even better: the precision and flexibility of a stylus.
Anyone who's ever used a Note and then done similar things without the S Pen would know just how clumsy, awkward and imprecise the whole thing feels when you revert to using your fingertips. Like an animal. The Nexus 6 doesn't even give you the option. You're stuck clumsily thumbing the screen while Note 4 users are writing notes with a calligraphic S Pen.
The original reason I bought a Nexus 4 was the price and stock Android. The reason I bought a Nexus 5 after that was the price and stock Android. But now stock is starting to look more like a manufacturer skin with Material Design everything and groovy animations and Google Everything. Android 5.0 Lollipop is hardly the clean white canvas on top of which the nasty manufacturers ladle their terrible artwork anymore. No, Android 5.0 is more like a pre-made painting that manufacturers have the option of painting over, but it's anything but ''pure'' in the sense it used to be.
Plus, stock Android is now jam packed full of the kinds of stuff I used to turn to custom launchers, OEMs, third party apps or custom ROMs for. So the customization options of stock are less attractive than they used to be too. So if stock is becoming more and more like an OEM skin, then why not just deal with an OEM skin and be done with it? Heck, even Motorola is doing ''stock plus'' these days, so stock Android is hardly the domain of the Nexus series alone. And if Samsung has Android 5.0 out for the Note 4 in December then the update delay is practically moot too.
As I just mentioned, a large part of the Nexus allure for me was the price. I loved getting a rock solid specs beast for a low price. But if the Nexus 6 costs only $100 less than a Galaxy Note 4, which I firmly believe to be the best Android smartphone so far this year then why not just cough up a little extra and get the absolute best that Android has to offer? Look at the Motorola Droid Turbo for example: it's cheaper than the Nexus 6 and it has a better camera and much larger battery. If bang for your buck is top of your priorities then spending an extra Benjamin on a Note 4 seems obvious to me.
The Nexus 6, despite adding a battery saving mode, Guest Mode, Knox sand-boxing, Google Fit and a few other nice tidbits, the simple fact is that the Note 4 already has these. Plus, the Note 4 has tons more too: heart rate monitor, S Pen software, finger scanner, microSD expansion, removable battery, Download Booster, IR blaster and plenty more. There's even heaps less bloatware on the Note 4. Admittedly, the Nexus 6 is water-resistant and the Note 4 is not, but the list of added extras on the Galaxy Note 4 puts the Nexus 6 to shame.
Sure, the Nexus 6 is a pretty great device and I fully expect to be impressed when I get one in my hands. But the simple fact is that in many ways it is still a base device. Want more storage? Tough. Want a higher resolution camera? Tough. Want more battery life? Tough. The Note 4 has a better camera, microSD expansion and a replaceable battery, meaning that if it's not already better than the Nexus 6 it can be easily made that way. And if you simply hate TouchWiz, then buy a Note 4 GPe or flash a custom ROM on it.
There will always be good reasons to buy Nexus devices and I doubt my Nexus honeymoon is over, but for the first time the Nexus seems to be kind of aspiring to Galaxy Note status. At the same time the design of the Note 4 has improved, the bloatware is lighter, the interface is cleaner, the gimmicks are largely gone and the basics are rock solid. So if the Nexus and Note, two devices that were previously polar opposites, suddenly start meeting on more common ground, you know that only one of them is coming out alive. And perhaps for the first time, the Nexus 6 has bitten off more than it can chew.
Which phone would you buy? Which offers better value for money?
Google has finally unveiled their new Nexus devices and simultaneously lifted the veil that has been hanging over the next version of Android since March of this year. Android Lollipop still hasn’t been officially released, but the latest pre-release version shows us a nearly complete version of the latest Android updates. We have it installed on our Nexus 5 and will show you today some of the major features and design changes.
Already in the initial setup it becomes clear how much the new Android differs from its predecessors. The color-coding is bright and friendly whereas in the past, it was much darker. The icons in the status bar have seen a fresh update as well. Through the initial setup, the user is guide step by step and you can now transfer over data, apps, and other settings from an old phone via NFC. This function is called Tap & Go.
As well, it is possible to select certain apps and data which has been associated with your Google account to help make the tradition smoother and to prevent you from inadvertently bringing old data and apps that you no longer use into the transition.
2. Lock current screen
You can lock the current screen with a specific app or screen without giving access to the rest of the phone. This is handy when you want to share something on your phone with somebody else, but don’t want them to have access to other things that you have on your device. In order to use this, you’ll need to turn it on first in Settings > Security > Screen Pinning. Once turn on, you just need to hit the app switcher button and then you’ll scroll up a bit and a pin icon will appear. If you touch this, Android will pin this to your screen and then you can lock your device with a unlock pattern.
There were a bunch of Easter Eggs in older versions of the Android and Lollipop is no exception. In fact, they’ve pushed the boundaries a bit with this latest Easter egg. If you head into About Phone and then tap on the Android version a bunch of times, you’ll be surprised with a lollipop graphic. From there, if you do a long press on this graphic a mini-game will pop up. As a tribute to one of the most popular, and frustrating, games of the last year, you’ll be treated to a Flappy Bird clone with the Droid as the playable character.
With Android Lollipop it is incredibly easy to create multiple user profiles on your device. Besides the main profile for the owner of the unit, you can set it so that other people can log onto the device and create their own profiles with their own wallpapers, ringtones, apps, and settings. Of course, this is also handy if you’re the only person using the device as you can set up different “accounts” for different settings such as a work profile and an at home profile.
In addition to the general settings, you can also upload a picture of yourself or take one from the device that will be associated with the profile. This image will be displayed in the top right hand corner of the status bar and you can easily tell which profile is currently in use at a glance.
6. Clock background that changes based on time of day
This may seem a bit superficial, but it is definitely visually appealing: depending on the time of the days, the background on the clock changes the color from a friendly blue during the daytime to a dark purple during the night.
7. Fresh transitions, animations, and colors depending on apps.
The new Android update showcases a full compliment of new animations, transition effects, and color effects. This really cannot be captured well in screenshots, but believe us, they’re there.
As well, Material Design is already largely incorporated in this release of Android Lollipop. The new design laws are particularly evident in system apps such as the dialer.
If you adjust the volume, Android Lollipop will also give you the option to set certain periods where you can specify that you don’t want to be disturbed. This is convenient for during the night, if you want a quick break from your device, or also for periods of times where you don’t want to be contact such as meetings or that special anniversary date. Of course, you can also list exceptions to these rules and allow certain calls or notifications to come through regardless of whether or not you’ve got the do not disturb enabled.
Power savings modes have long been consistent with different manufacturers, but they were missing from stock Android. Now with Android 5.0, it has been properly implemented and limits the functionality of the device when turned on. When enabled, you’ll notice an orange-red notification and navigation bar, a different colored user interface. This may seem strange at first, but it’s an easy visual way to know that the device is in power savings mode and, for example, background data has been disabled.
As already mentioned, Lollipop still isn’t quite finish and there might be a change or two to the things that we mentioned here before the final version is released. However, our impressions from the build tell us that this is most likely a nearly complete version of the software and only a few small tweaks will be made before the general release. From what we’ve seen, we really enjoy the fresh design and the new features incorporated within.
Are you a Samsung Galaxy S4 owner debating whether to upgrade to the Nexus 6? No? Why are you reading this article then? Today I’m going to look at benefits of upgrading the, still incredibly popular, Galaxy S4 to the Nexus 6 based on what we know about it so far. Will it be worth getting the Nexus 6 as soon as it arrives? Find out in our Nexus 6 vs Galaxy S4 comparison.
The size of the two devices differs significantly. The Nexus 6 is one of the largest phones to be released this year with a screen size of almost 6-inches. It houses the dual front-facing speaker combination as seen on the Moto X (2014), as well as the curved back and ring-flash on the rear camera. The S4 features a 5-inch display, which seems a tad small alongside 2014’s flagships, with a smooth finish on the back, as oppose to the Nexus 6’s matte backplate. The Galaxy S4 also features the much-maligned plastic encasing which was prominent on the Galaxy series until the Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha appeared in the later half of 2014 sporting some metal. The Nexus 6, on the other hand, seems more like a premium product with its aluminium edges and heavier body (which stands at 184g as opposed to the 130g of the S4).
One of the key areas where the Nexus 6 design differs from Galaxy S4 is its water-resistance. However, this has come at the cost of a non-removable battery, which will be a concern for some Galaxy S4 fans. The Nexus 6 is also missing a micro SD-Card slot, whereas the Galaxy S4 can have its memory expanded up to 64 GB with a sweet little SD card.
The Galaxy S4 houses a 5-inch full-HD (1920 x 1080) screen at 441 ppi. Despite being released a year and a half ago, there are still flagships being produced now with similar display specs (I’m looking at you, Sony Xperia Z3). So this is by no means an outdated handset from this perspective.
The Nexus 6 arrives with a 5.96-inch display in all its QHD glory, that’s a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution. This is currently the most you’re likely to find on a modern flagship, and it goes without saying that the Nexus 6 is going to have a beautiful screen when it finally arrives. That being said, it is still being debated how noticeable such high resolutions are to the naked eye on the “small” displays of smartphones. Both handsets make use of AMOLED display technology.
Upon its release, the Nexus 6 will be running stock Android 5.0 Lollipop. This means material design, extended battery life, and notification-on-lockscreen features. All that good stuff. While the Nexus 6 hardware will always be more capable of handling what Android Lollipop throws at it as new updates are released, Lollipop will still be arriving to the Galaxy S4 in the future, probably before the end of January. Until that point, the Galaxy S4 is upgradeable to Android 4.4.4 running Samsung’s slightly altered TouchWiz interface.
Performance
The Nexus 6 should definitely outperform the Galaxy S4 when it comes to processing. With a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (@ 2.7 GHz) and 3 GB of RAM, the Nexus 6 is pushing the limits of what is currently capable for 2014 smartphone technology. The Galaxy S4 has 2 GB of RAM and a quad-core Snapdragon 600 processor (1.9 GHz), clearly lagging behind the Nexus 6 with last generation specs. In practice, the Nexus 6 should run smoother, with fewer stutters, and a tangible difference gaming graphics which should become even more noticeable in time.
The Nexus devices have never been known for housing great camera technology, with the Nexus 5 being particularly known for its camera problems. Both Nexus 6 and Galaxy S4 cameras contain the same raw-pixel count: 13 MP at the rear and 2 MP at the front.
Not much is known about the Nexus 6 camera in terms of how it performs just yet, except for some Nexus 6 reviews stating that its is a marked improvement over the Nexus 5 version, and it does hold a dual-LED flash over its older Galaxy competitor.
The Galaxy S series cameras are always good, and last years S4 had one of the best Android cameras of 2013. With the same cold numbers, maybe the camera won’t be the main reason to jump onboard the Nexus 6 ship.
Battery
The Nexus 6 battery life should be pretty good with a 3220 mAh capacity. This will be aided by Android 5.0 Lollipop, which can supposedly add around another 30 minutes of standby time compared to Android 4.4.4 thanks to optimized processing. The Nexus 6 also has turbo-charging functionality, to add hours of juice in just 30 minutes, and also built-in wireless charging capabilities.
The Galaxy S4 battery isn’t bad at all with a 2600 mAh capacity. It doesn’t come with some of the nicer battery saving functions found on the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5, and who knows if an upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop will help or hurt its ultimate ability to hold a charge (older devices are often negatively affected in the battery department by updated software), but, as of right now, we can only speculate that the Nexus 6 will perform better in this area.
5.0-inch super AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 pixels @ 441 ppi
Dimensions
82.98 x 159.26 x 10.06 mm
136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm
Weight
184 g
130 g
Processor
2.7 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (quad-core)
1.9 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, (quad-core)
RAM
3 GB
2 GB
Camera
13 MP with OIS (rear), 2 MP (front)
13 MP with ISOCELL sensor (rear), 2 MP (front)
Internal storage
32 / 64 GB
16 / 32 GB
Battery
3,220 mAh
2,800 mAh
Connectivity
LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11ac (MIMO)
HSPA, LTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0
Price
649 USD
329 USD
Conclusion
If you’re looking to upgrade the Galaxy S4 to the Nexus 6, these are the key considerations: the camera sensors aren’t so different, and at this stage we’re unable to say with any certainty which is better. This may be quite telling in and of itself, the Nexus 6 camera is not a clear winner over a device which is a year and half old.
On the performance side you can expect much more from the Nexus 6 than the Galaxy S4 - it will multi-task far better, and run more smoothly overall. If there are any problems in this regard you can be sure we’ll be the first to point it out.
To round things off the Nexus 6 will give you water resistance, lightning-fast (and wireless) charging, and a QHD screen - just remember that you won’t be able to take your Galaxy S4 SD card containing all of your music and videos with you.
What do you think? Is it worth upgrading the Galaxy S4 to the Nexus 6?
We’re all about showing you tricks and tips here and AndroidPIT. Today, we take a look and show you how you can speed up your Wi-Fi connection with a few tweaks! This can also work for 4G connections as well.\
Basically, this tweak will modify the Android file system that is used by Android to connect to the Internet. The file contains a TCP / IP configuration used for the interchange of data and by modifying this configuration, we can change the way our device connects to networks. With this change, depending on the device and the mobile network used, you could expect to see an increase in download and upload speeds while on Wi-Fi, 3G, and even 4G connections.
Requirements
Root Permissions: you will need this for the most reliable results. While the app in question that we can use does have a procedure that will work without root, there’s no guarantee that it will work as well the rooted method.
Sysctl.conf file : This is the file we're going to replace / copy in a system folder, which contains the connection parameters. Download it if you want to follow the manual procedure, otherwise the app will take care of everything. In the link you will find a screenshot of the path and the permissions that you must assign to it.
Internet Speed Master: Thanks to this application we can simplify the process by letting you to change the parameters. Those who do not have or do not want to get root permissions, can experience how Improve Internet Connection .
ES File Explorer (or equivalent): a file manager with root permissions in order to enter in the system folders and change file permissions, which is essential for the manual procedure.
Open it and allow SuperSU (or the equilavant) to give Internet Speed Master root permissions if you have them.
If you have root permissions, press the Apply Patch to apply the changes to the system automatically. If you do not have root permissions or want to try the first method less "risky", press Improve Internet Connection.
Copy the file on your device by connecting it to your PC or using the SD card, if available.
Install and open ES File Explorer (or equivalent) and make sure to allow it to have root permissions.
Now copy the file previously transferred by holding down and selecting Copy.
Enter the folder (device) "/ system / etc /" and and paste the sysctl.conf file there.
Change the permissions of the file sysctl.conf by doing a long press on it: More > Properties> Edit Premissions. Activate the permissions for Reading and Writing to the Owner and disable everything else.
Reboot the device.
Checking out the results
For a quick and dirty way of checking whether the speed increased, install the app Speedtest.net and run some tests both before and after you do the procedure.
If you experience any problems after running these procedures or find that there’s no improvement, you can cancel the procedure by pressing the Restore button from within the app. If you followed the manual procedure, delete the sysctl.conf file that you put in there.
The OnePlus One hasn’t been an easy device to get your hands on due the companies invite-only marketing scheme, but we must admit that despite the barrier to owning the device, the quality to price ratio on this smartphone is superb. The OnePlus One is able to incorporate incredible hardware specs, design, and user experience at an affordable price. Comparatively, the Nexus 6 comes equipped with most of the same, including the new Android Lollipop, but at a much higher price than we’ve come accustomed to with Nexus devices. Is the extra price worth the new Nexus 6? Or is it worth jumping through hurdles to get your hands on a OnePlus One? We’ll find out!
The Nexus 6 provides a quite elegant design, drawing inspiration from the Moto X, and it features a curved back panel and metallic finish. Otherwise, it comes equipped with two speakers, and a power button and volume control on the side of the device, near the center. The Nexus 6 is a well-assembled device that comes with a 5.95 inch display that will appeal to those who were looking for a little bit more real estate space on the screen.
The OnePlus One is very distinct when you take a look at it. The back of the device is marked with a removable back housing that can be swapped out with different colored back plates, but comes standard with a sandstone black one. The elegant metal finish that is placed around the device also enriches the overall quality of it Not only is this device aesthetically pleasing, but also is very ergonomic when held in your hands.
Both smartphones offer displays coming in over 5 inches: the Nexus 6 with 5.95 inches and 5.5 inches on the OnePlus One. According to the numbers, the newcomer has a higher resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels and 493 ppi) compared to the OnePlus one (1920 x 1080 pixels and 401 ppi). While we wait for the Nexus 6 in hands to provide a better comparison, we know that the OnePlus One provides crisp, natural colors and offers good brightness. However, this is compromised when taken out in full sunlight as the display turns almost into a mirror that makes it near impossible to read the display.
The Nexus 6 will be the device that will showcase Google’s latest operating system, Android 5.0 Lollipop. This update will include the new Material Design which will overhaul the UI of the Android system and also include improvements for a more fluid user experience.
The Nexus 6 runs a quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor that clocks in at 2.7GHz while the OnePlus One has a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor at 2.5 GHz. Both devices come equipped with 3 GB on RAM.
Camera
Hopefully this time around, the Nexus 6 will overcome some of the issues that Google has had with cameras in their Nexus devices. By looking at the device and its 13MP camera with HDR technology, it seems promising that this device will finally break the mold of Nexus devices being subpar in the camera department.
The OnePlus One is kept alive by a 3100 mAh battery and definitely held up to our tests: after 14 hours of use, the charge was still at 50%. The Nexus 6 incorporates a 3220 mAh battery that hasn’t been put to any tests, but should be sufficiently large enough to keep this larger Nexus alive. Combined with the expected results from Android 5.0 and Project Volta, we are looking forward to testing how the battery in this device holds up.
Technical Specifications
Nexus 6
OnePlus One
OS
Android 5.0
Android 4.4 / CyanogenMod Cm 11s
Display
5.95 inches, AMOLED, 2560 x 1440 (493 ppi)
5.5 inches, LCD, 1920 x 1080 pixel, 401 ppi
Processor
Snapdragon 805, 2.7 GHz, Quad-Core
Qualcomm Snapdragon 801, quad core, 2.5 GHz
RAM
3 GB
3 GB
Internal Memory
32 / 64 GB
16/64 GB
Battery
3,220 mAh
3100 mAh
Camera
13 MP (rear), 2,1 MP (front)
13 MP (rear), flash LED / 5 MP (front)
Connectivity
WLAN, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, LTE
4G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
Dimensions
82.98 x 159.26 mm x 10.06 mm
152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm
Weight
184 g
162 g
Price
649 USD
299 USD (16 GB) / 349 USD (64 GB)
Price
As you most likely already know, the OnePlus One is already available for purchase, as long as you have an invite. While there are a ton of sites that are offering the phone for resale, the official pricing for the OnePlus One is 299 USD for the 16GB version of 349 USD for the 64 GB version. The nexus 6 has already made headlines for its unexpectedly high price: 649 USD.
Asides from a few areas where we need the device for a hands-on test, such as battery life and the display, the Nexus 6 does seem promising and offers some of the latest hardware. The OnePlus one is up to snuff with everything it seems, except for its subpar camera performance. Each device has its own downfall: the OnePlus One is priced fantastically but requires and invite to even consider buying it. The Nexus 6 packs a ton behind it, but also has the highest price tag to date for a Nexus device.
The Galaxy Note 4 isn't even out in most countries, but as soon as you get it, you may want to take a screenshot. If you are an Android newbie, then you might find it a bit difficult at first to do this. There are not one, not two but three ways to do this!
Press the home and the power button at the same time for a few seconds. As soon as you see an animation on the screen and if the sound is on, hear a click, the screenshot has been taken. You can then swipe your finger down from the top of the screen to share the screenshot right away, or view it in the gallery, where it is also stored.
Like many Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S3, S4, and Note 3, you can use the palm swipe gesture to make a screenshot, one of the many features brought by the TouchWiz user interface. First you have to ensure that it is turned on in the settings of your Note 4, which you can find under the Motions and Gestures menu. Then you simply swipe the screen with your hand from one side to the other. There will be a sort of scan animation, as well as a sound, which lets you know that it worked.
The final method is one that only Note smartphones can do, because it requires the S Pen, the Note 4’s built-in stylus, to work. The cool thing about doing it this way is that you can actually write notes on it, and edit the screenshot after it has been taken. It all starts with the Screen Write option from the Air Command menu.
To access this, pull out the S Pen from your Note 4, which should prompt the Air Command menu to show up. If it doesn’t, you just need to hover the tip of the pen over the screen, as well as press the button on the S Pen.
Next, tap on the Screen Write option from the Air Command menu using the S Pen.
This will capture the screen, and you can promptly start writing, drawing or scribbling all over it.
As mentioned above, your screenshots are shown in the notification screen, which presents a share button for you to share to your various social networks, email address, etc. Plus, your screenshot is also stored in your gallery app.
Which Galaxy Note 4 screenshot method do you prefer?
Next to the Android 5.0 Lollipop wallpapers, sounds and camera apps which you can already download, the Google Keyboard 4.0 from the Android 5.0 developer preview is now ready for install on any rooted device.
The new keyboard brings Material Light and Dark themes, as well as supports more layouts, those being QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY, Dvorak, Colemak and PC. Like mentioned above, your phone must be rooted. When you go to the Android Police site where the APK is hosted, install both the Google Keyboard and the libjni_latinimegoogle.so APK. Back up your current libjni_latinimegoogle.so APK and replace it with the one you’ve downloaded. Ensure that the permissions are set to r-r–r–. Though the APK has been deemed safe to install, please do this at your own risk and follow the instructions they provide carefully.
Have you tried the new Google Keyboard? What do you think?
The Motorola Droid Turbo leaks have been getting me very excited. We've already received an idea of the kind of specs we can expect from this powerhouse device, and now we've received our best look yet at what might be Motorola's most powerful device ever.
Thanks to an out of retirement tweet from Evan Blass (aka @evleaks), we get a clear view of the red and black models, as well as a look at the front of the device. Being developed by Motorola, the Droid Turbo has a similar design aesthetic to that of the Moto X (2014) and recently revealed Nexus 6, but the Turbo also features a kevlar-hardened backplate similar to that of last year's Droid Maxx. Check it out below.
Well, I made the plunge. I got a new Nexus 7 and have been spending the last little while transferring books, music, apps, and everything else over to it. However, one of the apps I use the most, WhatsApp, was a little trickier for me to get than others. By default, WhatsApp isn’t compatible with tablets, but there are work arounds that you can do to make it work and while some involve some complex stuff (such as rooting your device), I found one method that works pretty well. Other than downloading another app and installing an .apk file yourself, this one is pretty straightforward.
Download the WhatsApp .apk from the WhatsApp website. In order to do this and to not be redirected straight to the Google Play Store, either use Chrome or Firefox as your browser and then request the Desktop site. From there, click on the Android download and the .apk file will be downloaded to your tablet. (Alternatively, you can just download it on your PC and then transfer it to your tablet via USB, or email.)
Ensure that you’re able to install Unknown Sources. To check if you are, go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources. This will allow .apks that aren’t downloaded directly from Google Play to be installed on your devices. ALWAYS make sure you know what you’re downloading and installing if you are going to have this setting enabled long-term.
Install TextPlus to your tablet (or a comparable app that is available in your region). This will allow you to get SMS messages on your tablet, which will be required to authorize your tablet to use WhatsApp.
Send out a text message to your own phone (or a friends) from TextPlus to get your devices number. Alternatively. You can head to Settings > Contact Info and find out the number for yourself.
There are different methods of getting around using a WhatsApp on your tablet, but most involve having a rooted tablet and rooted Android phone. I found that this one was simple, and allowed me to get access to one of my favourite apps.
Have you installed WhatsApp on your Android tablet? If so, tell us in the comments how it went!
The Galaxy Note 4 is, without a doubt, Samsung's greatest smartphone ever. The fourth generation of the Note series, Samsung has perfected the line in ways that other OEMs can only dream of. For every mistake Samsung makes in their Galaxy S series, they seem to rectify them in the Note, making it the true Samsung flagship. And the Note 4 is the best they've ever made. Here is the Galaxy Note 4 review.
For many Windows users, taking screenshots is an activity that’s performed several times a day. If your work involves visual representation of ideas to your clients, or you constantly need to give visual assistance to customers over the internet, then a screenshot tool provides a definitive solution to accomplish this task. Fortunately, there are a ton of Windows applications that let you capture and save on screen activity any time but if you need a tool that lets you capture screenshots and record screencasts, annotate them on the fly and share them online in the simplest way, then TinyTake might be what you’re looking for. The application has been developed by MangoApps, and boasts many great features that streamline your screenshot sharing experience.
TinyTake runs in the system tray and quietly sits there to avoid any interruption to your workflow, ready for your call whenever you need to capture a new screenshot or record on screen activity in real time. The application can work without any registration whatsoever, but for using the share feature the sign up is mandatory.
When you click its system tray icon, you’re presented with a list of capturing modes the app supports. You can capture a specific region, a full window, or even full screen. Likewise, on the screencast front, you can capture a video of a specific area on your screen, or record one from your computer’s webcam. TinyTake even lets you share existing images already stored on your computer with others in a snap, both individually or in bulk.
The screenshot capturing procedure itself is the easiest thing about TinyTake. Suppose you need to save a specific region, you can select this option from context menu or by pressing the pertaining hotkey, and outline the required area. TinyTake shows the width and height measurements for the area you outline.
As soon as you grab the screenshot, a preview window will pop up. You can choose to re-do it, annotate it, or just upload it as it is to MangoApps cloud. When you do, a link of the image is automatically copied to the clipboard, allowing you to share it. You can also email the image directly from the app by clicking the email icon at the top right.
TinyTake’s second major strength is its ability to record and store screencasts of any on-screen activity. This can be achieved by first selecting the area you want to record by drawing over it, upon which it begins recording activities within that area. You can also pause and resume recording any time, and click Stop to save final output.
Another brilliant feature is the Bulk Share option which allows you to send multiple images to others in one go. Simply click Bulk Share from the context menu, and drag and drop the required items over the window that pops up. TinyTake then uploads those files to MangoApps, allowing you to send them to whoever you want.
And I’ve only begun scratching the surface here because TinyTake has many additional great features to try. You can download the app for free via the link below. It works on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.
