tech sectiontech sectionIf you want to get around or bypass the firewall on your Android phone, you can download the free software applications SSH Tunnel, Proxy Mobile and Mozilla Firefox from Android Market. You will also need to establish a user account with a SSH service. There are several free SSH services available online that you can use. After you've created a SSH Tunnel on your phone, you will be able to prevent intruders from viewing your Internet activities.
The mobile hotspot function first became available on Android devices with the release of Android 2.2, also called Froyo. Subsequent releases, including Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), continue to support mobile hotspots. Although the function isn't available on every phone, it is supported by at least a few phones from all four major carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. HTC, Motorola, Samsung and LG all make phones capable of creating a mobile hotspot. If you're away from a Wi-Fi connection, you can use the portable hotspot function on your Android smartphone to share your connection with a laptop or tablet, making it…
Full or nearly full memory invariably leads to slow performance, crashes and errors within any system. With their vast computing power, today's smartphones are certainly not immune from the issues associated with memory overload. Good memory management begins with understanding how your phone works and what would make it perform below expectations. Learn how to properly maintain the storage space on your phone so you can avert future problems. While no smartphone can be immune from the occasional glitch or freeze, a phone with lots of memory to spare will always run more smoothly.
Containing over 12 million lines of code and based on the Linux kernel, the Android mobile operating system allows you to easily play your favorite tunes on your smartphone. Although it's possible to move audio files from your computer to your Android phone with a USB cable or an SD card, you have another option: Cloud-sync apps available in the Google Play store, such as Dropbox or SugarSync, which tout their ease-of-use and speed, or Box, which emphasizes security.
Although a Google account isn't required to use an Android phone, it opens the full functionality of the operating system, as Google owns the Android mobile device OS. Your Google account allows you access to all your Google services, including Gmail and Google Maps, through your Android 2.3 device. Your Android phone can store your Google account password to make it faster to log in. If you've deleted or lost the password, you can recover it using your phone.
If you're a veteran consumer of mobile music, you already know that your device's app store includes a list of music-oriented options as long as your arm. By jumping straight to these six proven winners among competing music-oriented services, you'll enjoy specific aspects of music on a broad range of devices, including set-top boxes in your living room as well as the smartphone in your pocket. Some offer free versions with fewer options, in addition to paid versions with more bells and whistles, while others give you a full list of features in a free or cheap app. As of…
Many Android users criticize "short message service," or SMS, as a source of unwanted spam. Throughout the world, unsolicited SMS has become a sizable annoyance. The amount of these unsolicited texts has increased as a result of mobile communication's continued boom. Yet the improvement in smartphone technology has a bright side: a surge of applications designed to streamline mobile use by blocking specified SMS messages. These applications are simple to use, and you may not have to pay to access them.
Android is one of the most popular mobile operating systems in the world. It features an applications framework that allows users to add or replace existing applications and comes with over 10 pre-installed applications that add to the functionality of the smart phone. Ubuntu is a free Linux-based operating system. There are thousands of free applications developed for this OS, many of which cannot run on Android. To run these applications, you must run Ubuntu on top of Android on your mobile device, which must be "rooted" in order to run Ubuntu. Rooting your Android phone is legal, but will…
If your phone does not include push-to-talk functionality as a hardware feature, you can download free apps like TiKL to add this feature if you have a smartphone such as an iPhone or Android. While this service does work over carriers and phone types, it does not work between Android phones and BlackBerry devices because there is no BlackBerry version available.
With the Geovision GV-DVR System, you don't have to be on the premises of your home or business to monitor surveillance footage. Monitor footage directly from your Android-powered SmartPhone. This includes the Samsung Epic G4. For successful remote surveillance, you must configure your actual GV system to permit mobile footage. You also need special software installed on your Samsung device.
Android phones have built-in spell checking that can automatically correct or make recommendations on misspellings as you type. Android's default keyboard can also make recommendations on words that you have not even completed yet. In order for spell checking and auto-complete to work properly, set your Android phone to expect the correct input language.
Motorola’s Droid Bionic smartphone, with its combination of computing power and access to 4G long term evolution (LTE) data networking services from Verizon Wireless, is the fastest Android-based smartphone available as of November 2011, according to multiple reviews. Introduced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, the Droid Bionic became available for sale through Verizon in September 2011. Other Android competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy S II, offer similar technical specifications, but don’t offer the same mobile data speeds.
The Java "wireless.messaging" library provides Android developers with a method to send SMS messages using the Java language. An SMS message is a text-based message you send to another phone number. Text messaging is a basic service offered by wireless services. You must specify a phone number to send the message and the "sms://" protocol to trigger the right services on the Android device.
Android is the mobile platform hackers target the most, the cyber-security company McAfee reported in 2011. Google's smartphone offers hackers great opportunities because Google doesn't vet third-party apps for Android. Hackers can install malware inside an app, so that if you install it on your phone, it can send spam texts, hijack your personal data or siphon money out of your bank account. To protect yourself, only download apps from reputable sources, though even that doesn't guarantee safety. If a Trojan virus does sneak onto your phone, your phone's behavior may tip you off.
When you first get your Android mobile phone, you must program the device to your settings. Among others, you are able to enter contacts into the phone, set the screen brightness, choose a theme, and customize the home screen. Program the phone as soon as you get it to become comfortable with using the Android operating system. After you program the phone, practice using the applications installed on the device. Applications expand the device's functionality.
In addition to printing wirelessly from any PC in your home, the Canon PIXMA MP495 all-in-one printer allows you to print any personal photo stored on your Android phone. To print your mobile photos, use the Canon Easy-Photo Print app. The smartphone application allows you to print your favorite pictures in a variety of size formats, including 4 x 6, 5 x 7 or 8 x 10. As of time of publication, the app is free and is available in the Android Market.
Whenever you edit text using an Android-powered device's onscreen keyboard, you are presented with a virtual QWERTY keyboard to perform the task. This keyboard does not contain any numbers, however, so in order to input numbers into the text field, you must switch the text input to a numeric key pad. You can switch to a numeric key pad any time you are editing or composing text on your Android device by simply tapping a special key.
Android is an operating system built around an application framework and designed to enhance the capabilities of modern smartphones and tablets. The Android Market contains thousands of applications developed specifically for the Android OS. Among these apps is one that allows Android users to use their device as a microphone. Tinychat is a popular video chat-room application that allows people to connect and interact via the Internet. If you have an Android-powered device, you don't need to buy a new mic to chat on Tinychat. You can just install the app that enables you to use your device's built-in mic.
If you find yourself stuck on a level of "Angry Birds," the Mighty Eagle can swoop in to save the day. This massive unlockable bird wipes out all the enemies on your screen. As of the date of publication, the Mighty Eagle is only available for Android users on the T-Mobile network, and you can purchase it for $1 from the T-Mobile Mall.
American cell phone networks use frequencies and technologies not widely used internationally. Therefore, American Android phones do not work in other countries unless they are manufactured with the ability to do so. Phones with the capacity to operate in any country with a GSM network are referred to as quad-band phones, and those that can operate in any country with a CDMA or GSM network are referred to as world phones.
GV-AView is a free application available from the Android Market that allows you to access a GeoVision GV-DVR system on your Android device. By connecting to your Geovision device, you can view live and recorded closed circuit streams on your Android device. The application also allows you to switch between cameras installed on your GeoVision system.
An Android smartphone that has been flashed to a different carrier than it was originally intended to run on can be effectively rooted in the same way that it would be if it still possessed its default settings. The rooting process for a smartphone is independent of the service provider that the device supports.
Android is the name of a mobile operating system developed by Google, Inc. If you are experiencing issues with your smartphone, you might want to reinstall the system's files. Alternatively, you might wish to simply update Android to a newer version. You can either reinstall or update Android on your smartphone by using a specific program on your computer.
Remotely starting a webcam from an Android phone requires software that turns your computer into a server. A compatible app turns the phone into the client, and it connects to the server as long as your PC is turned on. Activate the camera through your data connection to monitor the room it is in, or to see if anyone is using your computer without permission.
Visonic Inc., based in Israel, manufactures and distributes electronic security systems in more than 100 countries. One of the popular alarm systems sold is the PowerMax Home Security System. As an added feature of the PowerMax system, you have the ability to activate and deactivate your alarm right from your mobile phone. To use this feature on your Android phone, you need a Visonic username and password. If you don't have a username and password contact Visonic at 800-223-0020 to get this information.
You can access messages on a BlackBerry from an Android-based device, but must do so in a roundabout manner because there is no direct method or application that will facilitate the procedure. Whether you’re switching from a BlackBerry to an Android device or your BlackBerry is out of reach, your BlackBerry’s messages are accessible, as long as you still have access to the device and it is still activated.
Although Android phones don't have a native option to synchronize directly with Mac computers, you can still sync the two devices by using the free Google account required by your Android phone as an intermediary. Android handsets automatically sync with your Google account, and most Mac software can be set to sync up with the same account as the Android phone. The Google account will then ensure that native apps on both devices are kept up to date with the same data for functions such as email, calendars and address books.
The Android Market contains a number of third-party Web browsers you can use with your Android phone. If you've installed another Web browser, you'll be presented with a "Complete Action" pop-up each time you access the Internet. This pop-up window lets you choose which browser to use. To disable the pop-up, you'll need to set the default browser. You'll still be able to use the secondary browser directly, if desired.
The Huawei M860 is an affordable Android 2.1-powered phone. Being less expensive, it has a lower-resolution screen than other Android phones, at 320-by-480, but still has many options for customization. This phone allows you to access many apps to customize your phone and also has themes and a changeable background image. You can buy accessories, which allow you to further personalize your Android experience.
Android phones have a setting that auto-rotates the screen when you change the orientation of the phone, keeping the content on your screen right-side up. HTC, an Android phone manufacturer, recommends tapping the back of the phone to facilitate the auto-rotate function. Other options for fixing the problem include checking the phone settings, clearing the cache, closing other applications, re-calibrating the G-Sensor and rebooting the Android phone. If these processes do not fix the auto-rotate problem, bring your Android phone to your wireless provider for a factory reboot.
Your Android handset is working fine, when suddenly you see a sign-in or sync error notification in the notification window and you can no longer access your Google applications. While tapping “Clear” on the notification window may solve the problem in the short term, you must fix the root cause of the notification to keep it from happening again in the future.
As people use smartphones to store more and more information, the need for effective security becomes paramount. For Android smartphones, one key way to help secure the device is set up a password that prevents others from accessing the phone's content. "Connect-the-dots" is a variation on the password concept that uses a pattern instead of a set of numbers or letters to gain entry into the phone.
Unlike the Apple iPhone, Android smartphones lack dedicated software for syncing data including contacts, calendars, music, video and other files between the phone and a computer. To fill the void, third-party developers have released software for Mac computers designed to provide phone-to-computer sync functionality. These programs enable you to sync almost anything from your Mac to the applicable app on your Android so that you always have your data with you.
BlackBerry Messenger, better known as BBM, does not work with Android-based phones at the time of publication. However, several instant messaging applications are available for Android devices and can be purchased and downloaded from the Android Market. Though it is not available for Android phones in October 2011, some indications have surfaced that an Android version of BBM is on the horizon.
Many Android devices have cameras, video recorders, MP3 players, e-book readers and expandable applications. All of this functionality can use up your handset’s available storage quickly, so the majority of Android devices have the ability to save files and apps to a removable storage card, known as a SD card. If the SD card won’t mount to your device, several problems may have occurred.
Lacking a connection on your AT&T Android phone can be a substantial inconvenience, particularly if you need to use the phone often. The problem can be attributed to several causes. For example, you may not have a signal if you are standing in a dead zone. Regardless of the cause, you can troubleshoot your phone and regain a connection.
In the erstwhile days of film photography, you could hide your private photographs in an album. Now that Android smartphones come with high-quality cameras and virtually unlimited storage, you might have hundreds or even thousands of photos on your phone. With that convenience comes a danger. Anyone who comes across your phone can snoop through your pictures, and even send them from your phone without you ever knowing. Change your photo album files so that they no longer show up in your Android phone's photo gallery.
Exchange ActiveSync for Windows Live Hotmail allows Android users to sync email, contacts and calendar with an online Hotmail account. Your device must run Android 2.2 or newer to connect to Hotmail through Exchange ActiveSync. Android devices running Android 2.1 or earlier can connect to Hotmail through POP3.
With a mobile phone that runs the Android operating system, you are able to perform a "system dump" (or a "hard reset") on the device. Performing this procedure clears it of any data that you stored on the device, such as text messages and pictures. It also removes any applications that you installed on the device, and resets the settings, something you may want if the phone is going to someone else secondhand.
Smartphones, such as Google’s Android devices, have features like GPS and networking capabilities that allow you to connect to the Internet, pull traffic maps, or use social networking applications. These features also give the operating system manufacturer the ability to track you. Google, and apps created by Google, have access to your information.
You can access a laptop from an Android phone with the help of remote access apps such as VNC Viewer, LogMeIn or TeamViewer. These apps provide a simple interface for connecting to your laptop so that you can control your computer and access the files. Each of the apps require the installation of client software on the laptop that provides the infrastructure necessary to remotely access your laptop from an Android device. Once installed, you can access your computer by inputting the account details for your laptop.
Although Android phones come with pre-installed applications and a default template issued by the manufacturer, they can also be customized in a variety of ways to better meet the user's specific needs. Android users who want to change the way their phone looks or functions can do so by installing specific applications, also known as apps, on the phone. By installing any of the apps mentioned, you can truly make your Android device your own.
Smartphones that include the Android act as far more than simple telephones: they contain your emails, contact lists, personal and business notes, and all of the text messages you've sent and received. Losing all of this information at once can be disastrous. To increase the chances that you will be able to locate your Android if you lose it, install the AVG Anti-Virus app on your device, then register it with the AVG location service. If you lose your Android, you can use the AVG website to pinpoint its current location using Google Maps. You must have a Google account…
The Android operating system is available for a variety of phones with different service providers. Unlike the iPhone's iOS, however, Android does not have a built-in function to capture screenshots of the phone's display. Initially, users could only capture screenshots after undertaking the risky procedure of rooting their phones, which voids the warranty and can result in "bricking" or rendering the device totally useless. No Root Screenshot It, however, does not require rooting to take screenshots of your display.
Netflix is a program that allows you to watch a variety of television programs and movies on your television or other media devices. If you have a PlayStation 3 and an Android phone, you can look to put this program on both of the media devices. This then allows you to access the programming database that the program offers, allowing you to watch the videos both on your PS3 and when you are out and about on your Android phone.
Many smartphones and computer tablets operate on the Android operating system. This operating system, developed by Google along with 83 additional software, hardware and telecommunications companies known as the Open Handset Alliance, was created as a direct competitor to Apple's iPhone and Microsoft's Windows Mobile operating systems. Since Google purchased Android Inc., in 2005, it' has released multiple updates to avoid security issues.
As with most smartphones, sometimes the settings and features are not as intuitive and easy to access as you might want. As a result, sometimes phones do strange things, like not displaying the appointments you've made. Some basic troubleshooting should resolve this issue and it has to do with how your appointments are set up.
Home screen widgets can be placed on the home screens of Android-powered smartphones, and provide at-a-glance information to the user, or shortcuts to application controls. You can create a new widget from the home screen and, after it's placed, drag it to the location on the screen you'd like it to rest. Created widgets can also be deleted from your home screen if you need to make room, or if you find you're not using them.
Comcast has an application in the Android Market for Comcast users with Android phones. This application lets you access your Comcast account from your mobile phone, including your Comcast email inbox. By default, this application keeps you logged in unless you reset your phone. You can log out of your email account manually within the application.
One of Android's greatest strengths is its variety of options for its software and its hardware. Most Android devices have a microSD card slot, which allows you to upgrade its storage capacity later if you realize your current card isn't large enough. Replacing the card itself doesn't take long, but you should make sure you select the best card for your phone and take steps not to lose the data on your current card.
The Android mobile OS -- or operating system -- music player supports several methods for playing songs on your mobile device, ranging from streaming to local content. There's no need to update the player's library when you add new songs, since the player scans for content automatically. If you're new to the Android OS, using your mobile device's on-board or expansion memory is a great way to orientate yourself with the music player.
If you don't have an Internet connection available for your computer, you can use your Samsung Galaxy S Android phone as a modem. You can turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot. Your Windows computer will connect to the hotspot and use the phone's network connection to access the Internet.
"Madden NFL 11" is a football simulation video game by EA Sports that is playable on several platforms, including cellphones with the Android operating system. The game allows users to play others online, anywhere that has cellphone service. Getting "Madden NFL 11" on your Android phone requires downloading it from your cellphone service provider, either by using your phone or going online.
Tethering your iPod Touch to an android phone allows you to connect the two devices and transfer a range of data such as music, videos and pictures. This is done by creating a secure connection through the Bluetooth on both phones. Creating this secure connection means that the data sent between the two phones stays between those two devices, rather than other Bluetooth devices that may also be in the area. To do this, your iPod Touch must be jailbroken. This allows you to download applications created by other users.
Android phones do not include basic file management utilities that you can use to delete unwanted files, including PDFs. The app that you use to read PDFs might have an option to delete the PDF. If not, you will have to connect your Android phone to your computer to delete the file.
On MegaUpload, people post files for others to download. If you want to download one of the files to your Android phone, you can. Using the MegaUpload site on your Android phone is the exact same as using it on your computer's browser, so you will have to wait a few seconds to download files for free.
The LG Ally has the ability to synchronize pictures from the phone's gallery application to the Picasa website, and to view images from Picasa on the phone. When you take a picture on the Ally, the phone gives you the option to save it to Picasa. Before you can use your Picasa account on the phone, you must enable the sync option for Picasa in the menu.
Microsoft's OneNote allows you to organize all of your important notes, emails, pictures and videos in one place. You can then sync with other computers. As of the date of publication, if you want to have access to your OneNote files on an Android phone, you have two options: MobileNoter and MobileNoter SE.
Linking up your Facebook account to your Android phone's contact list lets you view the most recent status updates of your contacts in your Contacts list. It also automatically adds the user's profile picture and sets it as your contact icon, and pre-fills missing information from the contact fields, such as the user's email address (if public) and other data.
The Google TV application allows you to use your Android phone as a remote control for your television. You can get the free app by downloading it through the Android Market. The app has a familiar layout similar to many regular remote controls. It allows you to change channels and volume, and perform certain video functions such as fast forward, rewind, pause and stop.
When you install the Foursquare app on your Android phone, you can let your friends know where you are at all times. As of September 2011, the app is available to download for free from the Android Market. An active Internet connection is needed to install the app. If your data plan does not include unlimited data, you may incur data usage charges when using the app.
All Motorola Android devices allow you to add email accounts to the phone through the default Email application. When you add multiple email accounts, the app shows all the email inboxes combined as one. If you want to remove an email account from your Motorola phone, you can do so through the phone's menus.
If you have forgotten the unlock pattern for your Android phone, it doesn't mean you're locked out of the device permanently. You can break the code by entering the account information from the Gmail account you used when setting up the device. The phone will check the email address and password you provide against your login credentials on the Gmail site. If the information matches, the phone will unlock and prompt you for a new pattern.
Android-based smartphones come with several basic applications, including an email app, basic Internet browser and alarm clock. To expand the functionality of your Android device, add third-party apps to the system. Because Android is an open-source operating system, thousands of apps are available for download, and most of them are freeware or ad-supported.
If you are a Verizon Wireless customer and own an Android smartphone, you can download several proprietary applications to help you manage your Verizon products and services. In addition to this, the Android Market offers hundreds of apps that you can download to your phone to keep entertained, informed, connected or organized directly from your phone.
The Android Marketplace offers a variety of emulators for several consoles including Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. Downloading an emulator is a great way to have all of your favorite games right on your phone. The emulators play files called ROMs that can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace or downloaded from the Internet on your home computer and transferred to your phone. In either case, you must own an original copy of the game you are downloading and playing to avoid violating copyright laws.
Some Android smartphones, like the HTC Sensation 4G, have video editing software included. The tool needed to make video files smaller is called Trim, and it cuts portions of the video before saving the final version. If your Android doesn't have this functionality, you need to install an app that supports video editing. Once you remove parts of the video, the resulting file size is considerably smaller.
When cellphones first became popular, the only notification you would receive on your phone was the ring tone that notified you of an incoming call. Today’s Android smartphones and tablets include audio, visual and kinetic notifications for calls, text messages and emails, as well as app-specific notifications. You can often customize these notifications with the Android operating system or in the application making the notification.
The Android operating system, which runs on smartphones from HTC, Motorola and many other brands, includes the ability to switch between home themes. A home theme, sometimes also referred to as a "home scene," contains information regarding the phone's wallpaper background, icon arrangement and color scheme. When navigating through your Android phone's menu, you can look at your current home theme setting or choose to use a different one.
The Android Market app lets you choose from thousands of apps and install them directly on your phone. Getting the Android Market on your phone requires the user to install the Android Market app.
Android phones have a high degree of expandability, because they allow for deep access to system resources and third-party app installations. Video game emulators -- software that allows you to load and play games made for older consoles -- are a popular modification. Some newer Android phones are even powerful enough to replicate Playstation games. Not every phone can do this, and the setup requires time and patience -- not to mention considerable technical skill.
Android phones have access to the same Web sites as desktop computers, but sometimes the small size and unfamiliar interface of mobile phones can confuse the novice users, especially on complicated sites like Hotfile and Rapidshare. When downloading files on an Android phone, the files aren't stored in the same location as the operating system. They're saved to the phone's expandable memory, usually in the form of a microSD card installed underneath the battery cover. Without an SD card, the stock Android browser won't save files.
The Sony Xperia Play is an Android smartphone that comes with a PlayStation-like game pad that slides out. This makes playing Android games a little easier for those who have not come to terms with the touchscreen games' lack of physical buttons. Those who do not have an Xperia Play have another option. Android phones can be connected to Wii controllers using the phone's Bluetooth. This brings physical gaming buttons to other Android phones.
Smartphones using the Android operating system are among the most capable mobile devices on the market. They allow users to take high resolution video and stills, download movies and music, update calendars and store their contacts. With all of these files, a phone's memory fills up quickly, creating the need to transfer files to your computer, a process known as "syncing." Many smartphone models use the Android operating system, all of which have their own specific system requirements. However, there are basic requirements all Mac users need to get the most out of their Android phone.
Android is an operating system found on many smartphones. The software, manufactured by Google, comes equipped with access to thousands of applications through the Android Market. Getting to know your Android phone allows you to take advantage of several features, such as transferring music wirelessly between compatible mobile phones and your computer for easy file sharing. Using Bluetooth technology, a standard feature on most Android phones, you can transfer music wirelessly.
Unlike most computers, you cannot upgrade or expand the internal memory on your Android phone. As you install new applications, the finite memory on your phone fills to capacity. When this happens, you cannot add new apps and may not be able to update existing apps. The phone will also run slowly because there is no memory for program caches. You have several options to make more room in your phone’s memory.
The debate continues over which is better, an iPhone or an Android phone. The iPhone 4 is the most recent version of Apple's smartphone, as of September 2011. Dozens of smartphones have been developed around Google's Android operating system. Two of the best and most comparable to the iPhone 4 are Motorola's ATRIX 4G and HTC's ThunderBolt, according to Jeffrey Van Camp of Digital Trends. Though they're similarly equipped, all three phones have slightly different specifications.
Android devices are much more than just phones, they are portable media centers that let you listen to music, play videos and view photos while on the go. Sometimes, however, you may want to enjoy these photos, videos and songs on a larger screen. The PlayStation 3 system is able to read these types of files off external devices through a USB connection and output them through the television the system is connected to. To get your PS3 system to recognize your Android smartphone as a USB storage device, you must first enable some settings on both devices.
The Android operating system is designed to transfer files to the microSD card on your phone with a USB cable. The microSD card is mounted as a drive on your computer and you can transfer files to it like any other drive. If prefer to transfer your files wirelessly, connect your phone to your wireless router and download free apps from the Android Market that let you browse, upload and download files between your computer and phone using your computer’s Web browser.
Android-based smartphones are equipped with cameras that can use a combination of applications to fax documents directly from the phone. Several scanning and OCR applications take a picture of your document and ready it for faxing or emailing. The Android Marketplace also has applications to send faxes over the Internet to a person's fax machine.
Verizon Wireless offers several LG-branded phones that operate on the Android platform. Phones like the Ally and the Revolution can support multiple email accounts. POP3, IMAP and SMTP servers are supported. Many popular providers also have their settings pre-configured in the "Email" setup wizard, meaning you'll only need to enter your email address and the corresponding password. You can also manually enter settings for account types that aren't listed or for Exchange corporate email accounts.
Newer smartphones, including Android phones, use features such as the proximity sensor to turn off the display and lock your phone during a call. The correct behavior should turn off the display while you remain on the phone and hold it to your ear. However, you may experience issues with your phone blinking on and off during a call, which is not the anticipated behavior of the sensor.
The Android home screen is customizable. You can add application shortcuts and widgets, as well as change the wallpaper to a still image or a moving, interactive live wallpaper. You can customize your Android home screen in a few steps.
The Google Maps application features the ability to access the street view of many addresses. Google Maps is a free application for your Android device available from the Android Market. The street view feature displays a bird's eye view of what you would see on the ground at the selected location. You can also rotate the displayed image within the street view.
When you add your Yahoo email to your Android phone, you can access your email messages at any time with an active data connection. A notification appears on the phone's home screen when you receive a new email message. Your Yahoo account is added to your phone's email application that is easily accessible from the home screen. After adding the account, you can determine how often the account is checked and add a signature.
A number of Android smartphones, including the HTC EVO 4G and Motorola Droid X2, possess an HDMI output port that allows you to connect your device to your television. Once connected, you can view the videos and photos that are stored on your device on your television screen. So long as your Android smartphone has an HDMI output port, you can view your Android device on your television in a few steps.
The Android Pandora app lets you listen to your favorite stations on the free music streaming service from your Android phone or tablet. You can switch stations with the app, create a new station and skip songs. Because Android lets you multitask, you can listen to your Pandora stations while using other apps on the device. Because Pandora continues to run when you leave the app and start another another app, you must quit Pandora completely to close the application.
"God of War: Betrayal" is an installment in the "God of War" video game franchise. Installing "God of War: Betrayal" onto your Android phone allows you to take on the role of Kratos, the god of war, in a 2-D side scroller beat-'em up adventure. "God of War: Betrayal" is published by Sony Entertainment and is available to customers of most major mobile service providers.
The G-Slate is a tablet powered by the Android operating system. It is sold by T-Mobile and powered by Google. A tablet is larger than a phone but smaller than a computer. The G-Slate does not have a phone number and cannot make or receive phone calls. With the Google Talk app, however, you can make free voice and video calls to other Google Talk users.
The Gameloft APK files can be loaded on an Android-based phone using a method called sideloading. The sideloading process involves running the program from the APK file directly instead of installing it through the marketplace. Most Android phones have a default setting that restricts non-marketplace application installation, so you need to change your phone's configuration so the installation continues. You do not need to root your Android-based phone to sideload the Gameloft APK.
The Android Market serves as a hub for new apps, where users can download free and paid software and then install it on their Android phone. Because there are so many applications available, it is tempting to install several of them, and then include links to them on one of your Home screens. If your Home screen is becoming too cluttered with applications, you can hide the ones that you do not actively use without uninstalling them.
When you receive a new voicemail message on your Android-powered smartphone, a notification is displayed on the home screen. You can get your new messages at any time from your handset without the need to dial a series of complicated numbers. New messages including voicemail and text are easily accessible from your phone's notifications panel. Listening to your voicemail messages from your Android phone does not deduct from your phone's available talktime minutes.
Your Android phone can quickly scan various bar codes to download information about products and services. Bar codes, also called QR (Quick Reference) codes, can be found on many common items. You can use your Android's camera to scan the codes, which will then be translated into data, links or websites. To scan and translate codes, you'll need to use a bar code reader application. These applications are readily available in the Android Market if you do not have one installed on your device. Many are free of charge.
Rooting an Android phone used to be a lengthy process involving complex terminal commands, but in recent years programmers have developed a program that is capable of instantly rooting your Android device. Called "SuperOneClick," the application roots your Android device in a single click, allowing you access to enhanced configurations in the operating system. Although SuperOneClick is simple to use, the application requires that you have the Android Developers' SDK and Oracle's Java SDK, which are available for free online.
Bar codes designed for mobile phone use are often referred to as "Quick Reference" codes. QR codes are found in a variety of places, including products, posters, magazines and books. Your Android device can scan these bar codes to bring up information contained in the code -- often a website or additional product information. The actual scanning is done using your device's camera, but you will also need a QR scanning app. Many such apps are available in the Android Market.
The Android operating system supports sensors that detect acceleration, gravity, light, pressure and temperature. Android phones also include an orientation sensor that detects the orientation of the phone and tilts or rotates the screen to match it. Though auto-rotation makes it simple to switch from portrait to landscape mode, you can turn it off to lock the screen in one aspect ratio.
An Android phone connects to the Internet in two basic ways: the data connection and through Wi-Fi. At least one of them must be working for you to browse the Web on your phone. "This Page Cannot Be Displayed" is shown within the browser if you do not have a connection.
Peep is a social networking feature available on HTC's Android smartphones. The Peep application shows up as a widget on your HTC phone when you first start using it and, unfortunately, cannot be completely deleted from your phone. You can, however, remove Peep from your phone's home screen, which stops it from pulling in your social networking information and frees up available memory on your phone.
Need for Speed: Shift for smartphones running the Android operating system has several different types of races, including races where the winner is decided by the amount of drifting performed by the racer during a race. Drifting is a driving technique in which the driver intentionally oversteers so that their rear wheels lose traction as they slide around a turn. Drifting is often used as an alternative to braking and taking the turns at a lower speed. However, the drifting mechanic is difficult and takes practice to get right.
The Android operating system on your smartphone allows you to check your Gmail email accounts on the go, and while it includes only one account by default, you can add multiple accounts to the phone so that you can check multiple email addresses at the same time. This process won't remove the original account you added to the phone but will instead let you have as many Gmail addresses on your phone as you want.
Android smartphones have the Android Market application preinstalled on them. This application lets you browse tens of thousands of apps that software developers have written. You can install these applications onto your HTC smartphone in minutes or even seconds, depending on your Internet connection speed. Although some apps require you to pay a fee to download and install them, you can find many free apps on the Android Market.
If you have either a Samsung TV or Google TV, you can use your Android phone to control your television. Instead of using multiple entertainment devices, applications in the Android Market give you the freedom to use your phone as both as cellphone and a television remote. Functions of the applications include channel surfing and volume control.
Swype is a touch-screen keyboard for Android smartphones that allows you to type words without removing your finger from the phone's screen. To type, you drag your finger from one key on the on-screen keyboard to another, and the Swype software automatically determines the word you're trying to type. This helps you type without the errors many users experience on mobile devices.
Pandora's mobile app allows you to stream music on the go, but when traveling or driving, your phone's internal speaker likely provides lackluster performance. However, it's possible to connect your Android phone to a radio and play Pandora through the car's audio system. In order to do so, you need to have the proper accessories and connections in your car.
The use of a tethering application on your Android phone in Nebraska can give you coverage in areas when you do not have access to the Internet. After setting up a tethering application, you can use the phone to establish a connection from anywhere mobile phone coverage is available. Tethering applications such as EasyTether provide the software needed to turn your Android phone into a modem for the computer.
When you make your Android phone a modem, you can access the Internet from anywhere within your mobile service provider's network. By using an application such as Tether for Android, you can avoid tampering with your phone to use it as a modem. Some mobile service providers prefer customers to subscribe to a special plan to use the phone as a modem. Using your phone as a modem may cause you to exceed your mobile plan's allotted data.
If someone sent you an attachment on an email or you downloaded a document on your browser, you may need to view a PDF file on your Google Android smartphone and then print it. Google Android smartphones don't come with printing applications installed, but several applications on the Android Market allow you to print a PDF.
With geo-tracking apps, you don't have to contact your friends to find out where they are. Instead, you can tap the app and look at a map to see what they're up to -- and see if you want to join them. Several companies offer apps for the Android or the iOS market, but only a few provide apps that work on both platforms. Locimobile provides several apps for Android and iPhone, and Google offers the Google Latitude app, which works on both as well. All of these apps function in essentially the same way.
Any computer or smartphone connected to a network such as the Internet maintains a record of IP addresses and the domains to which they point, called a DNS cache. When you request a website, the browser checks the name against its cache to see if it's made a similar request in the past. If you have, the browser uses the IP address in the cache rather than requesting a new IP address from the DNS (domain name server). This can significantly speed up Web browsing. However, there may be times when you want to request a completely new IP address,…
The default browser in an Android phone remembers the last page you were on when you open it. The phone's browser can also have multiple windows open at the same time. Keeping the extra windows open causes the browser to take up more memory, decreasing the phone's battery life. To close out of the Web, you simply close the browser windows and exit the application.
Multiple ways are available to remotely wipe all of your sensitive personal information from your Android phone if it has been stolen or misplaced. Because the various cellphone companies offering Android phones provide so many methods and applications for clearing information from the phone, it is important to have a remote wipe plan in place before any major mishap.
Your Android phone makes a lot of media playback and consumption abilities available to you as part of the default installation. While you can acquire some of this media directly through your phone, you may be having difficulty getting an MP4 video file on the device. Fortunately the USB cable included with your Android phone, coupled with a memory card with enough free space to accommodate your MP4 file, allows you to transfer files from your computer, including MP4 files.
Tethering a phone means that you connect it to a computer for the purpose of providing network access to the computer. When you tether your Android phone to your computer, it's usually to get an Internet connection. If your Android phone has no service, however, you might still want to use its wireless tethering feature to provide a small wireless local area network and share files between computers. These would not have Internet access, but could still connect to each other. However, if you don't see the menu options below, your wireless provider has modified your phone to prevent using…
Dish Network was the first major television provider to make it possible for subscribers to watch live content while on the go. If you have a subscription to the Dish network and an Android phone, you can watch any shows on live TV as well as content from your digital video recorder whenever you want. This makes it possible to catch all of your sporting events and shows even if you are away from the television at any given moment.
The Android-powered HTC Hero features a built-in media player that can play various music file formats, including MP3s. Transfer music from your computer to your phone to build your phone's library. Music that is transferred to your phone is stored on the Hero's memory card. Establishing a connection between your phone and the computer allows you to transfer data. While transferring music, you cannot access applications, such as your phone's camera.
When the Android operating system first came out, Adobe had not created a Flash version for the browser. As of Froyo Android 2.2, Flash came included with all of the Web browsers, allowing you to stream video to your smartphone or tablet, and without installing any extra applications. Some websites may not work properly with the mobile version of Flash, so there are also several other streaming video applications you can use.
The GetJar mobile phone application store lets users download games and applications onto their mobile devices. Even though the default application store for Android devices is the Android Marketplace, Android users can still download applications from the GetJar application store. If you want to get access to the GetJar application store on your mobile device, you can do so in a few simple steps.
Smartphones that run Google's Android operating system are extremely customizable with personal settings and applications from the Android Market. Each Android phone also includes a menu option that allows you to wipe the phone and return it to its factory settings. Wiping an Android phone clears all your personal information off the phone. It is a good idea to wipe any phone before you sell it, give it to someone else or return it for service.
The Facebook application on an Android phone gives you access to your account from any location where there is an active data connection. You can close the application on your phone so that anyone using your phone cannot access the account without your log-in information. When you close the account on the phone, you do not cancel the account or alter the settings in any way.
Smartphones, like those running on the Android operating system, are only as good as the signal they receive. Without access to wireless data, the features of an Android phone are severely limited, so if you're in a place where the 3G signal is too low, you'll want to find ways to boost the strength and get more out of your phone. There are a number of ways to improve your 3G signal: you can address Android software issues that cause 3G signal glitches, you can find ways to increase the signal reception of your phone, or you can buy a…
All of the passwords that you need to access the websites you use on your full-size computer are needed to access the same sites on your Android phone. Instead of re-typing every password, you can use a password manager to sync the passwords between your computer and your phone. A few possible managers include LastPass, SplashID and KeePass. You need the program on your computer and on your phone.
The Android smartphone's operating system updates are made over the air, or OTA. This means that the update is automatically downloaded and installed to your phone, unlike other smartphones that may require you to download an update to your PC and update your phone with a sync. If you know an update is available and you haven't received it yet, you can force your Android device to look for and download the update, which might be Android 2.0 if you have an older phone.
With the launch of Android version 2.2, the software supports the sharing of the Android device's internet connection via a Wi-Fi hotspot. So the Android phone or tablet connects to the internet using a cellular signal, then shares that connection with other Wi-Fi devices. If you have a wireless router that can act as a repeater bridge, you can tether the Android device to your router to extend the range of the Wi-Fi hotspot created.
Those who enjoy hacking their Android smartphones and have installed a custom recovery option have complete control over the ROM their phone runs. This means that you can download optimized ROMs from the Internet and flash them to your phone, potentially improving your Android device's usefulness. You can learn how to flash an update.zip file to your Android smartphone by following a few steps.
While creating a Gmail address may not seem vital, this account actually serves as an important backbone for your Android device. Many of the phone's functions rely on your Gmail address to operate. Because this account is so vital to the device's functionality, users are prompted to create a Gmail account during an Android device's initial setup. Understanding how this account is used can clear up confusion and allow you to become a power user of your device.
Motorola makes various smartphones and tablets running the Android operating system. Each type of Android device has a unique model number that distinguishes it from other types of devices. You can determine which type of Android device you have if you check the model number in your device's "About Phone" menu.
Sprint offers several Android-based phones such as the Samsung Epic Galaxy, HTC Evo 4G and the Sanyo Zio. Each phone differs in price and specific features, but they all run on the Android operating system, which is a Google OS that is open-source and based on the Linux kernel. For the purpose of saving battery life, the Android phone locks automatically. In order to use the phone, you need to unlock it and you can do so through the home screen.
A ROM refers to the version of the mobile operating system or firmware running on a phone. The two types of ROMs are stock ROM and custom ROM. Stock ROM is the firmware shipped with the phone or its update provided by the phone maker. A custom ROM is a modified version of the stock ROM released by independent developers. The Vibrant is the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone made for T-Mobile network. If you already installed a custom ROM on your Vibrant and need to revert back to the custom ROM, you will need ODIN, which is a program used…
Verizon offers a high-speed Internet, television and phone service over fiber optic cables known as FiOS. In addition to streaming data, television and voice data to your home, you can also access and control your FiOS devices and services with apps on your Android phone. Verizon offers a set-top box remote control, a digital video recorder app and an on-demand video app that you can use to control your FiOS services with your Android phone.
The BEIKS company makes many different religious-based applications for the Blackberry mobile phone system, including an app called Noah. Noah version 4 is a program that you can download that will give you access to many different versions of the bible and allow you to look up information or read for inspiration from anywhere. To install BEIKS Noah 4, you must open up your Blackberry's browser and go to the download site for the software.
Android phones sync contacts with the online Gmail contacts feature. You can import contacts to Android easily through the Web interface of Gmail. The contacts are then automatically synced to your phone. The Palm contacts are automatically synced with the Palm Desktop software. You can export the Palm contacts from the Palm Desktop software and import them into Google Contacts to have them on your Android phone in a matter of minutes.
The iPhone's large screen and iOS software allow you to view webcam video wherever you are. With the iPhone 4's front-facing camera, you can record webcam video, as well as stream and view it online. Older iPhones can record video with the conventional rear-facing camera. Any webcam video will play back on an iPhone, including video from desktop computers. Live streaming video websites let you watch a video online while it is recording.
Whether you are an iPhone owner or a website or application designer, you will need to know the specifications for the width and height of the iPhone's screen. The digital resolution, which is measured in pixels, is important for all of these activities. Furthermore, you may want to know the physical measurement of the screen if you are creating a case or attempting to use a case that was intended for another device.
The Samsung Mesmerize i500 is an Android smartphone with an on-screen keyboard. The phone comes with the standard Android keyboard, the Samsung dial pad keyboard and Swype. You can also install other keyboards through the Android Market. The dial pad and Android keyboard use single taps for input, while Swype allows you to select characters by dragging your finger over the buttons. Switch between keyboards using the phone's menus.
Wi-Fi televisions require your computer's wireless high-speed Internet connection to display online content. The televisions contain a built-in wireless adapter and let you watch programming directly and immediately from the Internet. Content includes movies, videos and social media network as well as other websites. Wi-Fi televisions vary in price and are available at electronics and retail stores as well as online electronics outlets.
If you are a member of a financial institution that supports the feature, you can take a picture of a check with your Android phone and have that check deposited into your account. The financial institution must create the application, so check with your bank to see whether the option is available. Some financial institutions that allow you to deposit checks with an Android phone are PayPal, Chase Bank and the United Services Automobile Association Bank -- or USAA.
Google's Android operating system was first released to the public in 2008, and has since undergone a number of version upgrades. Each version's developmental code name is based on a dessert item, and named in alphabetical order. Version 1.5 of the Android OS came under the code name "Cupcake," and introduced a number of upgrades for devices running Android.
You don't have to be on a certain smartphone to have access to your Android applications, but you do have to have a Google account. Your applications are tied to your account, not any particular device. Whatever account you're signed into at the time you download the apps will be the one you need to reference when you're using Google's Android open source interface operating system.
AT&T and other cellular providers using Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, technology install SIM cards in their customers' mobile phones to identify each device to the network. If you want to take your AT&T Android phone to Europe or Canada and use a world plan there, you can do so, but first you will have to unlock the phone for use outside of the AT&T network. Otherwise, the phone won't be able to accept another carrier's SIM card. If you just use your phone without subscribing to a plan on the carrier's network, you may incur much higher…
Android smartphones have a number of features built-in to help you quickly transfer data from one application to another. This is true of Android's bundled "Messaging" application, which allows you to send SMS messages to other mobile phone owners. The Messaging app lets you copy text from an SMS thread so you can paste it into another application at a later time. This feature is useful for those who want to share SMS conversations with other people.
Google's Android operating system is designed to work around Google's accounts. Rather than storing contacts and calendar information locally on the phone, it stores them on Google's servers, which lets you sync as many email clients and phones to the information as you want. If you want your boyfriend's and your calendar on your phone, allowing either of you to make changes and sync to both phones to them, you can do that with a few simple steps.
Frostwire is a BitTorrent application that can run on computers as well as Android devices. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer sharing protocol where files are broken up into small pieces -- bits -- that can be shared rapidly between many users. The Android application allows for peer-to-peer sharing of mobile files, like public domain eBooks, that you could read on your Samsung Epic 4G phone. To "flash" an application is another way of saying: to install an application.
Although you can't make your call-forwarding service forward text messages, you can easily forward a text manually on most cell phones. You can also set up text forwarding on any smartphone using a SMS-forwarding app. Whether you use an iPhone, Android or other smartphone, many free apps are available to do this. Forwarding texts manually or via an app is very straightforward.
You can transfer your contacts from the SIM card in your Android phone into your Gmail account by importing the contacts into the phone's memory. No additional software is required. You can transfer the contacts into the phone and then sync them from within the Android operating system. Depending on the carrier, manufacturer and version of your Android OS, the settings may vary slightly, but most Android phones use the same steps.
Even though the ability to back up the icons on your Android home screen is not built into the standard Android operating system, the third-party market for applications has several tools that allow for backing up and customizing your home screen. After you install a third-party application launcher on your Android device, you must set up your home screen again. However, once you have the layout the way you want it, you can back it up to your device's Secure Digital (SD) memory card and restore it any time.
Incorporating your own signature in text messages on your smartphone is a good way to personalize your messaging. You can do this on any Samsung phone, including the Epic 4G model. All it takes is a specific app that you add to your smartphone and then you will be able to set it up so that your signature will show up in your sent texts.
Whole home audio systems allow you to listen to one music collection in different rooms in your house. For example, you might want to listen to classical music while relaxing in your bedroom, but someone else in your house might want to jam to some rock while cleaning the kitchen. If you're using a whole home audio system that's compatible, you can download the app to your Android phone and control the tunes as you see fit. Some Android compatible audio systems are: the Logitech Squeezebox, the Sonos system and the RedEye system.
AdMob is Google's advertising service that displays ads for applications in the Android Market. AdMob tracks the websites you visit in the phone's browser and pops up on-screen advertisements that direct you to apps you can download and install on your Evo. This feature is built into the Android Market application, but you can remove it by disabling the setting inside the Market.
Your Android phone is capable of connecting with a variety of Google services. One little-known feature is the phone's ability to send output to a printer connected to your desktop or laptop computer. Using Google's Cloud Print service and the Cloud Print app from the Android Market, you can access the printer on your computer system and print directly from your Android phone no matter where you are.
Computers started out as room-sized behemoths, but have shrunk in size so much over the years that smart phones can fit in your pocket. An Android phone has the power of a computer, but it also carries some of the risks such as attacks by viruses and spyware. Detect spyware on your device by installing a security application that can also remove any spyware or virus infection on your Android device.
The e-mail application on the Android mobile operating system allows you to check multiple e-mail accounts. If you have more than one e-mail account set up with the e-mail app on Android, the messages will be combined into one inbox. Disabling the combined inbox is accomplished by deleting all but one e-mail account from the Android e-mail app. This process doesn't apply to the Gmail application on Android.
Unlike the iPhone or Blackberry platforms, phones running the Android operating system can customize important parts of the operating system, including the on-screen keyboard. Paragon is one of many keyboard programs that aims to replace and improve upon Android's default keyboard. It has a more advanced dictionary and prediction engine included and allows for more customization. Installing a new keyboard is a little tricky, but once it's properly set up, the operation itself isn't that much more complicated than the standard Android keyboard.
Some Android devices accept Flash sites -- but only if they're running the right version of Android and have the appropriate software. If your phone runs an Android version lower than 2.0, then it may struggle to process Flash sites. Similarly, all Android devices need the Adobe Flash Player plugin to properly show Flash sites.
Typing or editing text on an Android smartphone is usually a matter of tapping on a text box and entering or erasing your text with the Android software keyboard. Unfortunately, there are instances where tapping on a text box doesn't cause the Android keyboard to appear, leaving you with no way to enter or edit text. You can learn how to use a shortcut key to get the Android keyboard to appear so you can edit text.
Your Samsung Epic smartphone includes a Wi-Fi antenna so you can use the network created by your wireless router to connect to the Internet right from the palm of your hand. While connected to your router, you will not incur any data usage from your mobile service provider and you can download additional apps, browse websites and check your email at speeds that are often faster than the mobile network.
Apple introduced the iPad in 2010, making it available in two models: Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi plus 3G. At the time of publication, the iPad 2, released in 2011, is the current version of the popular tablet computer and is also available in the same models as its predecessor. While both models are able to connect to the 2G and 3G networks, neither is able to link to the 4G network, which is gaining wider use in 2011. In spite of this limitation, the iPads offer several network connectivity options.
Smartphones with Google's Android mobile operating system can perform tasks ranging from Facebook to finding friends, but when it comes to buying your own phone, condition is important. With the amount of usage an average smartphone can get, used Android phones will come with a significantly diminished lifespan. When purchasing an Android smartphone, though, a few key areas can indicate whether the phone is new.
U.S. Cellular allows you to use your Android phone as a Wi-Fi hub. Many other carriers block this feature, but U.S. Cellular includes it as an option on all their Android devices. You can use your U.S. Cellular Android device to connect other Wi-Fi enabled devices to each other and to the Internet using the phone's cellular data connection. You just need to add a tethering feature to your account and activate the hotspot through the phone's menus.
An Android phone is a Google-based phone that runs on the Google Android operating system. Examples of Android phones include the Samsung Fascinate, HTC Evo, Motorola Defy and the LG Vortex. With the Android system, you have access to a wide variety of mobile apps, push Gmail email and Google Web browsing. One of the apps available is the Facebook for Android app. With this app, you can add any Facebook contacts to your Android phone book so you can contact them at your convenience.
The Samsung Epic 4G, released in August 2010, is part of the company's mobile phone line. It is compact and lightweight in its design, measuring 4.9 inches long, 2.5 inches wide and 0.6 inches deep and weighing 5.5 oz. The phone also comes with a 4-inch thin-film transistor touch screen that displays more than 16 million colors at 480 by 800 pixels of resolution. The Epic's memory dimensions include 512MB of internal memory and a built-in microSD card slot for up to 32GB of expanded memory. Dimensional comparisons to smartphone offerings by Samsung's competitors show the similarities of the designs…
The dominant media platform for streaming video on the Internet is Adobe Flash, which is most commonly found on YouTube, and sites like Hulu and MetaCafe. Because Google's Android operating system has Adobe Flash Player built into the standard distribution, streaming video to an Android phone is remarkably easy, and works just like watching streaming video on a desktop PC.
If you use GeoVision cameras to monitor your home or business, you might want to watch the video feed while on the go. With some Android 2.2 devices, you can watch from your phone. Before watching your GeoVision camera you will need to download the official app from the Android Marketplace.
Configuring Wi-Fi on your LG mobile phone can help you lower your cellphone bill. When you use Wi-Fi on your phone, you do not use the phone's cellular data connection to access the Internet. Wi-Fi also generally gives considerably faster data transfers than the cellular data connection does. Depending on the model of your LG mobile phone, the steps to configure Wi-Fi may vary slightly.
One of the many benefits of the Android operating system is the ability to customize just about every aspect of the experience. The default Android launcher on most devices comes with very few widgets and customization options. Instead, there are many third party apps that replace the default launcher, including Launcher Pro and ADW Launcher. These apps allow you to choose many different widgets and themes for your home screens. Launcher Switcher is an app that allows you to easily switch between launchers when you need access to a particular feature.
The ADW Launcher is one of several launcher applications for the Android operating system. The Launchers have different themes attached to them that allows you to change the look of the home screen on your Android phone. Changing the theme through the settings on the ADW Launcher is simple and helps you make your phone different from everyone else. The ADW Launcher is available through the Android Market application.
You can watch webcams from locations all over the world on your Android phone using apps available in the Android Market. These apps connect to publicly available webcam streams that are broadcast over the Internet, allowing you to view live feeds featuring a range of subjects including traffic conditions on major streets and highways, scientific studies, cute animals and popular tourist attractions.
Although the iPod touch includes a Web browser in addition to access to applications that can access the Internet, the unit is not capable of connecting directly to the Internet. It requires a wireless Internet connection. This is achievable in a variety of locations, but you might encounter situations where a wireless Internet connection does not exist. Fortunately, your Android phone includes a wireless tether option that allows you to create a wireless network to which your iPod touch can connect and then access the Internet.
The original Motorola Droid smartphone did not ship with the capability to play streaming flash videos and movies. However, a later firmware update included flash capabilities, and all Droids can now stream videos. To watch streaming videos, you first need to have the proper apps installed for the type of video that you want to play.
Xfinity TV is a free application from Comcast that allows iPhone owners to control their Comcast cable box from their phone. You can control multiple cable boxes, view and record TV listings, change the channel and schedule a TV recording right from your phone. Control your Comcast cable box while you are right in front of it, or from a remote location using the Xfinity TV application for your iPhone.
Unlimited calling plans on cellular telephones can be expensive. Further, counting minutes so that you don't incur a costly overage fee is tiresome. However, if you have a Wi-Fi enabled smartphone, you won't have to worry about counting minutes any longer. It is possible to make phone calls over a Wi-Fi network without any cost to you, except for the initial cost of software for your phone.
Android smartphones are newer entries to the mobile market. The first Android-powered phone became widely available in 2008, but the phone's considerable versatility has attracted a substantial following. One of many customization options available on the Android phone is the ability to set its audio and lights, or to be more precise, its sound, display and flash settings. The default settings on the phone can be changed in just a few steps. If you are using custom apps that could be affected by these changes, review the documentation for those apps to learn what options are available.
Android devices offer many connectivity options with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G compatibility, text messaging and emailing. Just like on a computer, your Android phone can attach separate files to messages you send for both email and text messages. For email, Android devices have the Gmail app specifically for Gmail accounts, and it has an Email app, which integrates with other types of webmail accounts, like Yahoo! and Hotmail. No matter which of these apps you use, uploading an attachment is straightforward and shouldn't take much time.
The widgets in your iGoogle home page allow you to keep track of the weather, news headlines, your calendar, email and various other things in one place. Though some of the widgets on iGoogle do not sync with some of the apps on your Android phone, several of them do. You can sync the apps and make changes in either place that appear in both.
The NexTheme is for rooted Android based phones. The purpose of custom ROMs on Android phones is for the phone to be completely customized by the user to eliminate software and other applications installed on the phone by the carrier or the manufacturer. In the case of the Samsung Epic, the phone comes pre-installed with the Samsung' TouchWiz interface as well as several Sprint applications which cannot normally be deleted unless the phone is rooted. Applications such as Sprint Football Live, SprintID, Sprint Zone and Sprint TV can easily be deleted when the phone is rooted and a custom ROM…
The Android Market provides thousands of free and paid applications for Android devices. All applications downloaded from the Android Market require the transfer of data to be obtained on a device. Many applications require the further use of data after installation. If available and enabled, Wi-Fi is the default method of data transfer for all Android applications.
Several applications for the Android operating system allow you to use a Droid as a webcam. If your Droid has a front-facing camera, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, software allows you to make and receive video voice calls on your Droid. If your Droid only has a rear-facing camera, you can use your smartphone to upload live video to streaming websites. These applications treat your Droid just like a webcam, but you don't have to connect it with USB cable.
The HTC EVO's front-facing camera makes it ideal to use as a webcam for video calls and streaming Web uploads. Android programs make these processes intuitive and user-friendly. When you have Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service and an account with a user-uploaded streaming video site, you can send a constant stream of webcam video to your online social network. The EVO has a rear-facing camera as well, which allows you to film the objects around you and post the video online as you film it.
Android devices allow you to customize your phone any way you want. You can install apps, alter the appearance of your phone and change the operating system. You can also customize the keyboard to make it more efficient. There are a number of adjustments you can make to the default keyboard, but if it doesn't perform the way you want, you can try some of the custom keyboards available in the Android Marketplace.
Touch-screen Android devices come with an on-screen keyboard you can use to type messages. Some people don't prefer this keyboard because they want different text predicting features or they just prefer to have a new look for their phone. The "Smart Keyboard" app gives you a high level of customization with a new keyboard, and you can download this app directly from the Android Market. Installing and setting up the "Smart Keyboard" should only take a few minutes of your time.
Devices running versions 2.0 and higher of the Android mobile operating system include a feature called "combined inbox." The pre-installed, default email client app allows you pull incoming email messages off multiple POP, IMAP and Exchange accounts. Combined inbox then lists all messages as part of the same inbox view. You can, for any configured email account, choose to see the messages arrived to that account on their own separate inbox -- not as part of the combined inbox.
Your Google Android phone makes it simple to export contacts to your smartphone. You can use the built-in Google account tools to sync your Google contacts to your new Android phone. The Contacts manager also has an option for importing your contacts directly from a SIM card, if you have switched from another phone to your Android. Both of these methods quickly add all of your exported contacts to your phone so you can be up and running again in no time.
Google Reader is a Web-based application that allows you to follow updates on Web pages and blogs. An Android OS version of the app interfaces with the Web version. You can download the app on your Motorola CLIQ XT through the Android Market. The download is only 1 megabyte, so it should take just a few seconds to install. Once the Google Reader app is installed, open it through the phone's applications screen.
If you like watching video on a Droid phone, you may also want to know how to stream TV to your smartphone. Android phones have large touchscreens and wireless Internet antennas for mobile high-speed connections. Many TV-streaming websites have Android players for their content. Streaming TV to your Droid may require a subscription to a streaming service. You'll be able to watch TV wherever you have a data connection, although streaming video on a data network uses a lot of your monthly data.
The Android is a smartphone sold by multiple cell phone carriers. Android is owned by Google and the smartphone connects to Gmail and Google Talk, an instant messaging program. Users can download apps directly on the Android through the Android Market. Use of the Android requires a data plan through your cell phone provider, which allows the phone to access the internet.
One advantage of owning an HTC Hero is the mobile video playback on a handheld LCD screen. The HTC Hero uses Android OS programs for streaming video playback. When you upload webcam video to a streaming video website, your HTC Hero keeps you connected to your online account wherever you are. The Hero doesn't have a front-facing camera for video calls or webcam postings, but its mobile Internet connectivity and fast processor let you access recordings remotely.
The battery life of your Android smartphone is affected not only by how you use the device when it's in your hand, but also by the processes taking place when it's not. The charge of a lithium-ion battery varies greatly; adjusting your personal behavior along with your Android smartphone settings can improve its performance.
Logging off your Facebook app on your Android smartphone can help ensure your account is not accessed by anyone but you. When you log off, all of your log-in information including your password is removed. The next time you log in, you will need to supply your user information again. Logging off on your Android phone does not cancel your account or alter any of your settings.
When you buy a new Android-powered phone you may find that it comes with several apps preinstalled. With the YouTube app for Android you can browse the popular video site by pressing a single button, thus circumventing the Web browser. You may not need an app like this, and worse yet, all of these preinstalled apps take up valuable memory real estate in your device. If you do not want apps like these taking up memory space, you can use the Android's "Manage Applications" function to remove them.
The HTC Sense application on the EVO is a user interface that provides a different theme and look to the menus. It also gives the phone some custom HTC widgets and seven home screens instead of the five home screens on the default Android operating system. If you would rather use the default Android interface, disable HTC Sense using the phone's Applications menu.
You can calculate signal strength on your cellphone by switching your phone to field test mode, which will display your signal strength using numerical dBm or decibels to the milli-watt, navigating directly to the signal strength screen or by installing a third-party app on your device that will analyze the uploading or downloading speeds of your phone. Activating field test mode on your phone differs between mobile operating systems and will result in your phone bars located near the top of your screen being replaced with a negative number. Numbers closer to zero dBm indicate a stronger signal.
If your Motorola Droid supports enabling a Wi-Fi hotspot, you can share your cellular data connection with nearby Wi-Fi devices. Enabling a Wi-Fi hotpot on your Droid requires Android 2.2, Froyo, or later, and not all Motorola Droid phones support this software version. Verizon says that early Motorola Droid models don't have the hardware to allow hotspot setup and won't be updated for this feature. Cell carriers such as Verizon install a proprietary version of Android that limits some functions, and old smartphone models eventually lose software support.
Google Android smartphones run a Linux-based operating system tailored specifically for on-the-go mobile computing and making phone calls. You can use any Android phone built to run on Global System for Mobile Communications networks. AT&T Wireless exclusively uses the GSM technology in their phones. Other United States mobile service providers that use this same technology include T-Mobile and Sprint. If you have a phone from one of these providers, you can start using it on the AT&T network.
If you find yourself in an area where you need to use your laptop or iPad and don't have Wi-Fi access, a cellphone with Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities will allow you to connect from anywhere you are. Many cell phones are now offering this service, most requiring that you first download an application.
Android cellphones are pre-loaded with an application to manage and display SMS, or text, messages. If you do not want to receive text messages or if you would rather use another application to handle your SMS messages, you can disable the text message application in your Android phone. If you disable the built-in SMS application, you will not receive or be able to send text messages unless you install a third-party application.
TiKL is a push-to-talk application for both Apple's iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and all Android-based devices. The application turns your smartphone into a walkie talkie. It offers instant one-on-one or group voice push-to-talk calls. It can also send group chats and instant messages with delivery confirmation. TiKL is free and doesn't use any text messages or voice time, only a data connection. The application can use data from networks (such as 3G, 4G, EDGE or GPRS) or a Wi-Fi connection.
Released in November 2010, the Samsung Continuum is part of the company's long line of smartphones and comes with several fun features that are sure to enhance your mobile phone experience. From its built-in digital camera to its money-saving Wi-Fi feature to its GPS features, the Continuum is packed with fun -- and also useful -- features.
Facebook for Android is a mobile application that allows you to access Facebook content using an Android mobile phone or tablet device. It ties directly to the device's notification service, and provides an easy way to keep up-to-date on Facebook notifications when away from a computer.
Several models of Android phones feature a bright, portable LCD display that makes watching movies on the go enjoyable. Video files can take up several hundred megabytes to a few gigabytes, and you may not have the capacity to carry that much data on your phone. Streaming video to your phone lets you store your video on a website's servers so you and your friends can access it anywhere from any device.
If you are looking for a smartphone that has fourth-generation (4G) technology, the HTC Evo 4G and the Samsung Epic 4G are both potential options. According to CNET Reviews, as of 2011, the Evo is "easily Sprint's best smartphone," while the Epic is a "multimedia powerhouse." Both smartphones run Google's Android mobile operating system and can operate over Sprint's 4G Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) network. Despite these similarities, however, the two smartphones have several differences.
The HTC Desire and the Garmin-Asus Garminfone, also known as the T-Mobile Garminfone, were released in 2010. These mobile phones come with several features in common, including an integrated digital camera, expandable memory and GPS systems. You should take the underlying differences into consideration before deciding which phone best fits your needs.
Making phone calls over wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi, can help you save precious phone minutes. Google's Android operating system runs on many modern smartphones and you have several choices of apps that you can download to your phone that will enable you to make Wi-Fi calls. After you download and install whichever app you choose, you can make calls over a Wi-Fi connection whenever you have access to one.
The Android phone software has a built-in function so you can share apps with your friends or other phones. This function does not download or install the app on the other phone, however. Sharing an app sends an email with information about the app and a link to find the app on the Android Market. You or your friend can then download the app on the second phone, but purchase prices will apply to paid apps you share this way.
Streaming video websites let you create your own streaming video channel for yourself and the Internet community. Uploading desktop videos to streaming video sites lets you play back your video anywhere without filling up your SD memory card to its capacity. You won't have to decide which videos to take with you because you can upload all your desktop video to a streaming video site's server and access the video through an Android application. Creating an account with most Web-streaming sites is free.
Released in August 2010, the Samsung Epic 4G for Sprint comes with a variety of features, including a built-in digital camera, GPS system and expandable memory capability. CNET Reviews praised the Epic 4G for its Super AMOLED display screen and full QWERTY keyboard, but criticized it for its bulkiness and price. As of the date of publication, the Epic 4G is still in production.
Released within months of each other in 2010, the Samsung Epic 4G and the HTC EVO 4G are, at the time of publication, among the newest models offered by the mobile phone giants. While these phones have a lot in common, there are some key differences you may want to consider before heading for the checkout counter.
There are various types of webcam applications on the Internet that you can use to turn your Android phone into a wireless webcam. Simply download a third-party webcam application from Android Market. This website offers several free wireless webcam applications that are designed for Android phones. You will need to decide which webcam application meets your needs, and select one that you feel comfortable using on your phone. Then carefully follow the application's installation instructions.
TextPlus is a mobile application for Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems. TextPlus allows users to send text messages and pictures to other TextPlus users for free. TextPlus also gives each user a free phone number. The number allows users to continue TextPlus conversations over SMS, should they have no Wi-Fi access. If you wish to use TextPlus without Wi-Fi, you can simply disable the Wi-Fi on your phone.
The full version of Microsoft Word is not available for any mobile device, including the Android. However, the Android Market offers several apps you can use to work with Word documents on your phone. When choosing an app, always read the description in the Market carefully, as some only allow you to read Word documents, while others let you create and edit them as well.
As with any smartphone, the HTC EVO 4G is capable of tasks such as Internet browsing and multimedia streaming. However, if your house has a Google TV installed, your EVO can also double as an extra television remote. To take advantage of this functionality, you simply need to have the Google TV Remote app installed on your phone.
The Gmail app for the Android mobile operating system uses push technology to transfer emails from the Gmail server to your Android device. In a push email system, the server takes the active role, only connecting to the client application when a new message arrives. Push email technology has several advantages, and these make it well-suited for mobile operating systems like Android.
The Samsung Epic 4G and the HTC Evo 4G are smartphones available through the Sprint cellular telephone service. The website CNET Reviews calls the Epic a "multimedia powerhouse," but says it requires an expensive data plan. CNET says the Evo -- as of 2011 -- is "easily Sprint's best smartphone." A close look at the two phones shows similarities and some distinct differences.
The HTC Touch Pro 2 is a touch-screen phone that comes with a slide-out keyboard. You may use your HTC Touch Pro 2 with other applications such as the Android operating system (OS). Android is an open-source OS made from a group of programmers. It includes an operating system, applications and software. Even though the HTC Pro 2 comes with the Windows OS, you may want to install Android to gain access to its features and applications. You can make this possible with your phone's memory card.
Android applications can be purchased online via the Android Market website and synced to a supporting Android device by your Google account. A new or existing Google account is required when an Android smartphone is initially set up. This account is what links actions taken on the Android Market website to your smartphone.
The HTC Evo is a smartphone available exclusively on the Sprint network. The phone features the Android operating system and a large 4.3 inch touch screen. The homescreen of the phone displays icons and widgets to frequently used applications and features of the phone. The Evo is configured with several scenes to alter the appearance of your homescreen and reflect your personality and lifestyle. Change the scene of your homescreen to remove the default appearance.
Rooting your Android smart phone is a process that gives elevated permissions for when you want to modify the phone's operating system. This is known as super-user permissions. Rooting your Android smart phone used to require a data connection, but with the help of an Android Market application known simply as Z4root, rooting can be done in only a few seconds and without the need to download the super-user application. Z4root includes everything you need.
Google released the Android 2.0 smart phone operating system in 2009. With Android 2.0, Google made the operating system smoother and more efficient, increasing performance and functionality. Android 2.0 also added many new features, such as improved contacts, additional camera options, an updated browser and more.
HTC Sense is the default user interface for the Sprint EVO, but some users prefer the stock Android user interface. HTC Sense offers a few advantages over the stock UI, at the cost of a small performance loss. HTC Sense gives you custom HTC widgets, and seven home screens instead of the default five. If you have tried the default UI and want to return to using HTC Sense, you can re-enable it through the EVO's menus.
You can use third-party software applications that are available on the Internet to print documents from your Android phone. Android Market offers several mobile print applications that allow you to print various types of files, documents, photos, emails and Web pages from an Android phone. Keep in mind, you may need to register an account with some vendors that provide mobile print services. They may charge a modest fee for using their printing services.
Sprint's HTC Evo 4G uses the HTC Sense user interface by default. HTC Sense gives the icons for the home screen a different look from the standard Android interface, seven home screens and custom widgets. However, you can disable the Sense UI if you prefer the Android UI.
The HTC Desire, released in 2010, and the Motorola Milestone, released in 2009, have several features in common, including built-in GPS systems and digital cameras. Don't let their similarities lull you into believing they are identical. Though they are mostly alike, there are a few differences between the two that you should take into consideration before deciding which one to buy, such as processing speeds, onboard memory and operating systems.
The more you use your iPhone, the more its battery life will deplete. This is a fact of life for electronic devices. When you buy a new iPhone, it has a full battery life, but the battery life decreases over time. You can recharge your iPhone's battery to boost it back to full, but eventually, you may want to replace it.
HTC Sense is a user interface theme for certain HTC phones, including the Sprint EVO 4G. It makes the buttons on the home screens look different, provides several custom widgets and gives you seven home screens instead of the standard five. It does make the phone look different than the standard Android home screen, and it may provide a slight boost in performance. You can disable it one time, or permanently.
The Samsung Fascinate is an Android phone offered by Verizon Wireless. The Fascinate, like many other phones, has been hacked by developers. Android developers have learned how to modify the Samsung Fascinate to have an operating system and features that are not "stock." These modifications can improve the Fascinate or could also possibly make it inoperable. Modifying your Samsung Fascinate software in any way will void your manufacturer warranty. If you have modified your Fascinate and decide to go back to the stock operating system, you can do so with a program called "Odin."
The Android operating system offers multiple methods of text entry. A multi-touch keyboard, Swype and speech to text are native to Android devices. Android allows you to change your input method freely. Try them all to determine which method you're most comfortable using, as each can provide advantages depending on the situation and personal preference.
The Android operating system is an open-source platform for using smartphone applications on Android-compatible phones. The phone itself is like a small, simplified computer that can send and receive voice calls and text messages. If you purchase an Android phone from your cellular provider, you may be required to subscribe to a data plan. If you buy a phone from a third-party retailer or reseller, it will function normally without a data plan, and will connect to the Internet for free via Wi-Fi.
Android 2.2 is an operating system version for Android cellphones that addresses performance issues and expands upon several usability features. Also known by its code name of Froyo, the Android 2.2 operating system was released on May 20, 2010. The most significant specifications addressed in the operating system with this update involved increasing the speed of Android mobile devices, introducing full flash support for both Adobe Flash and Adobe Air, and providing built-in support for tethering and mobile hotspots.
The Samsung Captivate is an Android-powered smartphone that operates on the AT&T network. Because the Captivate uses Android, the Gmail application comes bundled with the phone and cannot be removed. If you want to disable sync on a certain account or remove an account altogether, that is one way to remedy your situation if you no longer want to receive Gmail messages. You can learn how to disable sync on your Gmail account or remove it in just a few steps.
You can combine your Facebook and Android contacts on your smartphone through a syncing process provided by the Facebook for Android application. This allows you to not only import pictures from Facebook for the contacts on your smartphone, but also gives you a direct link to each person's Facebook page when viewing his contact information. You can choose to combine all of your Facebook friends with your Android contacts or sync only the contacts that are already stored on your Android smartphone.
The Android smartphone operating system keeps track of the applications that are currently running, whether they are actively being used or they are running in the background. If you are running the Launcher application, you'll be able to force it to stop if it is causing problems with your phone, or you simply do not want it running in the background.
Released in 2008, the LG Incite features 2G and 3G support, a Bluetooth device and a receiver for connecting to Wi-Fi networks. The Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system on the handset provides an interface for connecting to networks. Remember that most wireless networks are password protected, meaning Windows Mobile 6 automatically asks for a password if the network is encrypted.
Android smartphone users with operating system 2.2 (called "Froyo") or later have a built-in feature for sharing their Internet connections with a PC or laptop via USB. This feature, called tethering, allows you to make use of your Android phone's data connection to surf the Internet anywhere you have a cellular connection.
The Droid Charge is one of Samsung's phones, and as of June 2011 is one of the most recent additions to the Droid smartphone lineup. The Droid Charge lets you take control of many features, from the appearance of the "Home" screen to the ability to extend the Droid's Internet access to other devices, like your laptop. You can either turn on your phone's "hotspot" feature, turning it into a wireless router, or you can connect it by its USB cord and provide Internet access through "tethering."
Many manufacturers use Google's Android operating system for their smartphones and tablets. This mobile interface supports many common audio, video and image formats. Because Android is open source, manufacturers of Android devices can customize the operating system to support additional formats and create a unique user experience with each device.
You can set up your Yahoo! email account on your Android device using either the built-in email application or the Yahoo! Mail for Android application. If you have a free Yahoo! account, you must download the application. Free Yahoo! email accounts will not work on the native email app. You can download the Yahoo! Mail for Android application using the Android Market, or by sending a text message link to your phone from the Yahoo! site.
Android phones are shipped with a default SMS client installed. Other, perhaps better, SMS clients are available for Android devices. If you install a third-party SMS client application, you will need to disable the default SMS application from within the Android operating system. Other users may just wish to disable SMS completely on the phone. However, if you have installed a third-party SMS client, be sure to set the SMS program to receive notifications and automatically retrieve messages.
"Android" phones come equipped with the Android operating system, which is what "runs" the phones and displays everything you see on their screens. "Droid" phones are a set of Android devices from several manufacturers, like HTC and Samsung, and Samsung's Droid Charge is one of these. Like the other Droid phones, it can get other devices online by "sharing" its cellular network connection. You actually have two ways to do this: tether your phone with a USB cord or broadcast its data connection like a wireless router, or a hotspot.
Your Android phone receives the Internet through a 3G or 4G wireless connection, and with the right applications, it can share its Internet connection with your computer over a Bluetooth connection. Sharing, or tethering, your phone's Internet connection requires that you download and install a special connectivity application to both your phone and your computer. Once you've installed the application, using your phone's Internet connection through your computer is as simple as connecting the two via Bluetooth.
The ADW Launcher application allows you to customize the desktop on your Droid X. You can hide the notification bar, increase the scrolling speed between desktop screens, and customize the number of rows for icons in landscape and portrait mode. Change the settings by pressing the "Menu" button and touching "ADW Settings." Download ADW Launcher to your Droid X by using the Android Market application that is built into the phone.
A variety of Android applications provide the capability of making phone calls over a Wi-Fi Internet network. These apps allow you to preserve your minutes by routing your calls through Internet networks instead of your provider's mobile network. By utilizing VoIP technology, calls made over Wi-Fi are capable of providing high quality connections. With all VoIP software, calls made between users of the service are free and calls made to mobile phones or landlines can be made after purchasing credit.
The Android operating system comes with media support for the most common video formats. To watch a video, it first needs to be converted to one of the file types supported by Android. To Watch TV on an Android phone, some sort of streaming app is usually required. Many on the Android Market are capable of this, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
The Android Application Marketplace uses Google Checkout as its payment processor. You associate your Google Checkout account with your phone during the initial setup phase, after you first receive your phone and attempt to buy a paid app. Once Google Checkout is properly associated with the account, you can purchase paid applications from the online store. The money is deducted from your Google Checkout account or the bank account associated with the checkout account.
Google recently released an updated version of its Google Documents application for Android, so if you want to view an Office document uploaded to Google Docs, you would go through the application to access and edit it. If you do not already have the Google Doc application preinstalled on your system, you can quickly install it through the Android Marketplace.
Android Phones come with a Google Talk application that you can use to chat with your friends. The Talk app uses the phone's primary Google account, which is the account that you entered when you first set the phone up. The only way to change the default Talk account is to restore the Android phone to factory settings and enter a different Google account.
Launcher is an application for Android that acts as your phone's home screen. Instead of the default Android home screen you get when Launcher is not installed, you see a different home screen that can be customized in a variety of ways. If you want to disable Launcher so that it's no longer running your home screen, you can uninstall it from the Android settings menu.
Android Phones keep a group of Google phone contacts stored in the device's "Contacts" app, but it also synchronizes with other services that use contacts such as Facebook and Twitter. This results in duplicate contacts, with only some of the individual's information in each listing. If you combine the contacts, you can synchronize a contact's Facebook picture with the phone contact for quick recognition.
The Gmail application on the HTC Hero with the Android operating system does not come with a dedicated option to sign out of your account. Therefore, to check a different Gmail account, you need to use a workaround to sign out of your original account. By deleting the data and cache from the Google application, you delete your account sign-in details, effectively signing you out of Gmail.
Although Android is a mobile operating system and Gmail is an email service, each is a Google product. As a result, the Android operating system is set up to support the synchronization of data between Gmail and a phone running on the OS. Data, such as the contacts on your phone, can be manually or automatically transferred to Gmail through synchronization.
While some Android users may only take advantage of the phone, text messaging and browser function of their device, many Android phones include interesting additional features. One of these features is the ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot that can be shared with other wireless devices. You can use the hotspot to share data, as well as connect to the Internet through your Android's data connection. Your Wi-Fi hotspot can even be protected with a password to prevent unwanted devices from accessing the hotspot.
Comcast's "Xfinity TV" iPhone application allows you to fully integrate your iPhone device with your Comcast cable service. The application allows you to view TV listings, change the channel on your television with your iPhone, set DVR recordings, view On Demand listings and even watch select Comcast listings on the iPhone itself. If you want to watch Comcast on an iPhone, you can do so through the Xfinity TV application, so long as you pay for the Comcast cable service.
Google's Android operating system does not include native capabilities for monitoring your phone, data and messaging service. There are, however, apps available through the Android App Market that allow you to see your total call time in relation to your monthly data service plan. Some of the apps provide enhanced functions, such as graphs that break down data according to the call recipients and your location.
The base version of Google's Android 2.2 operating system supports using the device as a mobile hotspot. You can use your Android phone to connect other Wi-Fi capable devices to the Internet using the phone's cellular data connection. The operating system allows for open and secure Wi-Fi connections. Open networks are easier to connect to, but anyone can connect. Secure networks require you type in a network password to access the Wi-Fi hotspot.
You can add as many email accounts to your Android smartphone as you wish. When you initially set up an email account, you configure how often the phone polls your inbox for new messages. The speed that email is delivered to your phone is determined by the frequency of these checks -- the more often your inbox is checked, the more quickly you'll receive new messages that have arrived since the last check. If you would like to speed up your email retrieval, you can configure your Android phone to check more frequently.
Using the Gmail Web interface, you can easily send emails to contact groups that you have configured by typing the group name in the "To" field. Unfortunately, the Gmail application for Android lacks this feature as of June 2011. Instead, you need to use the free Android app GroupU in order to access group send functionality. Once you have set up GroupU, you can quickly send emails to contact groups.
The Android operating system includes a default messaging application, and there are free and paid messaging applications available in the Android Marketplace. The Messaging app supports sending and receiving text messages, and includes the ability to forward text messages to a third party as well.
The 4th-generation iPhone is a technological jump from previous generations. Introduced in 2010, the iPhone 4 had an improved camera, screen, battery and motion sensors. With the iPhone's large number of features and downloadable apps, becoming accustomed to using it can take a little while to learn.
If you like to keep up with the latest news and your favorite blogs using Google Reader, you've probably wished at some point that you could read those feeds from your phone, and keep Google Reader and your phone synced. Due to Google's release of a Google Reader app for Android, now you can. As of June, 2011, the Reader website and the Reader Android app are completely synced; when you read an item on your phone, it's automatically marked as read on the website.
Phone numbers can be synchronized from a variety of applications and websites to your Android phone's contact list. If you have a Facebook account, you may be looking to add the phone numbers from your friend's Facebook profiles to your Android phone. You can accomplish this by adding your Facebook account information to your Android accounts.
You connect your Samsung Epic to your Mac to load files, photos and other content from your computer's hard drive to the internal microSD card in the phone and vice versa. The Epic includes a micro USB port to transfer data between the phone and other devices, including the port on your Mac. The connection will only take a second or two, and you do not need to install any additional software.
Samsung's Epic 4G smartphone runs Google's Android operating system, which uses a multi-touch interface to navigate the device's phone features, browse the web, send text messages and interact with other applications. The phone comes with many programs pre-installed for performing basic tasks, and can download new software for increased utility.
The T-Mobile G2 is a 4G-speed smartphone that runs on the Google Android operating system. This mobile device has a number of multimedia features and functions, including a 5-megapixel camera with video capture capabilities and a built-in music player. When you first attempt to turn on your new G2 device, it will remain in an "Off" state until you complete the setup process. The process of disabling the Off state of the new T-Mobile G2 device is fairly straightforward.
Android is a cell phone operating system developed by Google. As Google is a leading Internet search provider, it took its search expertise and applied it to various parts of the Android operating system. One area in which searching can improve your phone usage experience is in the Contacts application. Android is capable of storing many contacts, each of which can contain a variety of data. If you know only the email address of a contact, you can use the search feature in the Contacts application to locate that contact.
Android in early 2011 became the world's leading smartphone platform, according to Canalys, a market-analyst firm serving technology vendors. As of June 2011, The Google-owned and open-source-developed operating system is installed in a large number of smartphone and tablet PC models. Any data-enabled Android device running Android version 2.2 or newer can share its Internet connection over a cellular company's 3G or 4G network with your laptop, either by broadcasting a Wi-Fi network or by "tethering" via a USB cable. This gives your laptop Internet access almost anywhere. Setting up the connection takes only a few minutes.
The Samsung Epic 4G features a VGA camera on the front of the phone, located just above the phone's screen. This camera shoots pictures at a lower resolution than the 5-megapixel camera on the back of the Epic, but the front-facing camera allows you to take snapshots of yourself without turning the phone's screen away from you. The Epic's camera application allows you to switch back and forth between the phone's two cameras at will.
The Android-powered Motorola Cliq offers access to a wide variety of applications that enhance its functionality. One such application is Skype, which gives you the ability to see and hear your contacts in real time over the Internet. Obtaining applications can sometimes prove to be a confusing process if you're a new Cliq user, but with just a few clicks you can quickly get in touch with your friends and family with a minimum degree of hassle.
Yahoo! offers Android smartphone users an application to connect their Yahoo! email accounts to their Android device. With the Yahoo! Mail app, you can access multiple Yahoo! email accounts, send and receive attachments, preview photos, and receive push notifications of new email messages. Additionally, you can synchronize your Yahoo! email contacts with your Android smartphone's contacts. The app also offers enhanced integration with Yahoo! Messenger, allowing you to view your friends' IM status. Yahoo! Mail is available in the Android Market as a free download.
When you log off the Facebook app on your Cricket Wireless Android mobile phone, you prevent the app from sending you notifications of new posts and messages. Logging off from the app does not remove your user data from the phone. You can log back into the Facebook app on your Android phone at anytime with your email address and password. Your Android phone must have an active data connection to log off of Facebook.
The browser on Android phones does not allow you to download files properly from Rapidshare and other file file sharing sites, but you can install several applications that do. They are available to download from the Android Market application and though some cost a small fee, others are free.
Today's cell phones have large storage capacities, which allow you to save a large amount of data to the devices. Sample data that can be saved include applications, music and text messages. Even though the devices may have larger storage, it is still possible to overload them. Overloading phones reduces the device's normal operating ability. For example, even large devices can run more slowly when multiple applications are open. Close these applications and erase old data to ensure quicker operation.
The Android operating system does not have a field in its contact screen for entering extension numbers, but it does offer a way for you to send the extension number along with the phone number you dial. You can get the phone to dial a number and transmit the extension number by building in pauses. When you call that contact, the phone will dial the number, wait the specified amount of time, and then dial the extension number.
Since Google released the Android 2.2 operating system, nearly all new Android phones allow you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot, which is a wireless network that other devices can log onto, like computers or tablet PCs. The hotspot is really just an extension of the phone's 3G or 4G network access: it lets you create wireless Internet access for other devices almost anywhere, although the data that connected devices use still counts against your phone's plan.
Android smartphones have a high level of customization options, giving you access to apps on and off the Android Market, a broad selection of hardware choices and numerous connectivity capabilities. One of Android's connectivity perks, first available in version 2.2, is the Wi-Fi hotspot, which allows you to use your Android device to broadcast a wireless network. Other devices can then log onto the network and get Internet access via the phone's 3G or 4G connection. Setting up and turning on the hotspot shouldn't take you more than a few minutes.
You can access your Comcast voice mail from your Android phone in two different ways. Comcast offers a free Android application that allows you to listen to the messages. You can also check your voice mail the old-fashioned way by calling directly through the phone line. Retrieving your Comcast voice mail is free, but your cellular provider will count the minutes or charges for data transfer.
Android phones usually check for software updates every few hours. If you would like to check for Android and application updates early, you can force an update check by entering a special code in the dialer app.
Nearly all Android phones have 3G or 4G network access, and many other Android devices, like tablet PCs, also have 3G network access. These devices can take advantage of that data connection to let you check your email, browse the web and use social networking apps. Many Android devices also have the ability to extend this connection with a Wi-Fi network, like a wireless router could do. Though you may accrue addition charges on your data plan, you can turn your Android device into a wireless router in just a few minutes.
Like desktop and laptop computers, smartphones can be slowed by open applications and services, like Wi-Fi connectivity. The more applications you have open, the less memory you have on the device. You can improve the T-Mobile G1 smartphone speed by closing applications and disabling unused features, among other actions. You can also download a newer, leaner-running Web browser.
Your T-Mobile G1 device is capable of running a wide array of applications and tools, including web browsers and Wi-Fi connections. However, using multiple applications and tools at once will slow down the speed by which your device operates. Fortunately, you can close application that you have opened on the device. For example, if you opened your text message application and a media player, you can close them both to recover the memory used by those applications.
Google-owned Android is the operating system on Android smart phones. Since its release to the public, Android operating system has received numerous updates and patch fixes. While most of the updates addressed the overall stability and user interface of the Android operating system, the Android 2.2 update made some important enhancements and improvements to how Android-powered smart phones send, receive and process email. More specifically, the 2.2 updates were targeted at Gmail and Microsoft Exchange email accounts.
The Android-powered HTC Hero smartphone comes with a host of built-in options. Unfortunately, none of them allow you to use the Hero as a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, with the help of one of the many apps available for download from the Android Market, you can turn your Hero into a Wi-Fi hotspot in seconds. The process is known as Wi-Fi tethering and has driven several app developers to create both free and paid solutions.
Rooted Android phones allow you to customize many aspects of your phone, ranging from application selections to background preferences. However, this enhanced level of customization also carries over to application permissions -- if you don't grant an application permission on your phone, it won't be allowed to properly run. With the proper settings tweaks, though, you can easily grant permission to apps, allowing you to do tasks such as wireless tethering.
Almost every portable device utilizes a rechargeable battery of some kind, and Apple's iPhone is no exception. Knowing exactly what kind of battery is in your iPhone and what the battery's specs are, however, can help you ensure that your device's battery lasts as long as possible, allowing you to get the most out of your iPhone.
Google's Android operating system was designed to work easily with Gmail. When you enter a Gmail account on an Android 3 device, including the account you were required to enter when first setting up the device, the Gmail account automatically syncs with the Android system and notifies you of new messages. However, you might not want to use Gmail on the device.
Phones running Google's Android OS aren't limited to a single home screen. One alternative home screen app is Launcher Pro, which adds speed, stability and many customizations to the stock launcher. If you want to return to the standard home screen, you need to remove the assigned default from Launcher Pro. You can also uninstall Launcher Pro to reset the default home screen app.
Many businesses and individuals use VoIP technology to save money on voice calls and SMS communication. Skype has allowed users to make phone calls and send and receive text messages over the Internet since 2003. Android smartphone users can use Skype mobile to talk and text over 3G Internet on their cellphones. Phone calls to other Skype users are free, while calls to other phone lines are available for a fee. The Skype mobile app for Android runs in the background, allowing you to use your phone's other functions at the same time.
As part of the 2.2 "Froyo" update, Google added link forwarding capabilities to the Android phone operating system. To send a link from your computer to your phone, you will need to install the Chrome To Phone application on your phone and the corresponding plugin to your Google Chrome desktop browser. Before links and text can be forwarded, you need to be logged into Google on your computer and your desktop or laptop computer.
Skype is a software application for making voice and video calls, as well as text-based instant messages, over the Internet. You can also use your Skype account while you are away from your computer by installing a Skype Mobile app on your smartphone, including devices running Google's Android operating system. With this app, you can make free Skype-to-Skype calls and instant messages from your phone, as long it is connected to the Internet through a Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G wireless Internet connection.
The Epic 4G is a phone made by Samsung and released by Sprint. The phone runs on the Android operating system and is packed full of features, such as a 5-megapixel camera and touch-screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability and access to over 65,000 third-party applications in the Android Market. This phone also runs on Sprint's 4G speed network where available, making Internet access very fast. Using the Epic 4G is easy.
Google's Android operating system for smartphones and tablets includes a portable hotspot feature, which allows you to create a Wi-Fi network and share your Android device's data connection with other devices. You can use the portable hotspot feature to connect multiple devices to the Internet anywhere your Android device can connect to the cellular network.
The Samsung Epic 4G is a high-end Android smartphone offered by Sprint. The device is part of the Galaxy X series and comes equipped with many features, including the option to download applications. If you want to download an app such as G-View, you can do so by downloading the application through the Android Market. G-View enables you to view live videos remotely, take snapshots, and start and stop monitoring the video feed directly from your phone.
The Samsung Epic 4G is the second 4G smartphone created by Sprint. The phone runs Android's 2.1 operating system. The multimedia device features a 4-inch super AMOLED--Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode--touch screen display, full QWERTY keyboard and a 5-megapixel camera. AMOLED screens do not have a backlight, and colors are displayed much brighter and richer than ordinary screens. There are many things that you can do with the Samsung Epic 4G phone.
The Android operating system gives you the ability to use your mobile device as a Wi-Fi hotspot. HTC devices using the Android platform also provide access to this function within the HTC Sense user interface, but you can use the function even if you are not using HTC Sense. Using your Android-powered device as a Wi-Fi hotspot allows you to connect another computer, such as a laptop or tablet PC, to the Internet.
The HTC EVO 4G is a Sprint smartphone running the Google Android operating system. With Android phones, just like with a laptop or desktop computer, you can install a third-party Internet browser if you don't like the standard browser included with the phone. To install a new browser (or any application), you can browse the Android Market using the Android Market app on your phone. You'll need to reset the default browser once you install a new one.
The Samsung Epic 4G was the first Samsung Galaxy S phone to be introduced on the Sprint network. It was also the first and only first generation Galaxy phone to be introduced in the United States with a full QWERTY keyboard. It originally came with Android 2.1 and was the second 4G phone, capable of receiving WiMAX 4G signals, on the Sprint network. Sometimes, connecting to the Internet may be an issue but it's a problem that's simple to fix.
Email accounts such as Yahoo! email are accessible on the Palm smartphones. Once you set up your Yahoo! email on your phone, you can view your email messages from anywhere as long as you have an active data connection. You can also reply to Yahoo! email messages directly from your Palm smartphone. When a new email message is received, you are notified on your phone.
Android phones can access Wi-Fi networks when you are within range of a wireless network. Switching to a wireless network when you are home or at a business with free Wi-Fi lowers the amount of data that you are using from your wireless service provider. If you are on a capped data plan, this can help prevent overage data fees.
Android phones have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks using the LEAP protocol. However, the phones cannot connect to these networks through the "Wireless & Networks" settings menu. The option was left out of Android's graphical user interface. You can get a third-party app to connect your Android phone to a LEAP network.
Phones with Google's Android mobile operating system are capable of doing certain tasks, such as multimedia playback and Internet browsing. But to manage your phone's internal contents efficiently, you will want to connect your phone to a Windows computer. With your phone's included accessories, however, it is easy to mount your Android phone to your PC.
If you are receiving unwanted calls from someone, you can choose to black list or block that phone number, which means the person calling you will hear a busy signal whenever he calls. When a number is black listed, the Android will not ring when the blocked number calls you and the blocked number cannot leave a voice message.
Android is used on the Verizon network and operated by Google. After searching the Internet on your phone, you may want to view which websites you have visited. Viewing your search history shows which sites you have viewed on your Android browser. Your search history will be listed by month, day and year.
The Ozone is a Wi-Fi capable phone made by HTC. A phone with Wi-Fi capabilities means that the phone can connect to nearby wireless networks (within 100 feet according to the Ozone manual). This allows you to access the Internet, download files and send/receive emails through a standard wireless Internet connection. This is especially useful if your Ozone phone lacks a data plan, can't get a cellphone data signal in some locations or has very slow data connections.
When you sign up for Gmail, you can use the same login information for other Google services, including a Google Calendar. You can then access that calendar online from your Gmail account. Since Google created and maintains the Android operating system, the tools that you need to sync the calendar on your phone with you Gmail account are included with the operating system.
The basic functions are all the same for all Android smartphones, including accessing Facebook from your device. While you can access Facebook's mobile home page from the "Browser" on your Android smartphone, you may want to install the "Facebook" application from the Android Market to have better access to your account. The app is available for free and will provide more functionality than the Facebook mobile website, including access to Facebook Chat.
Facebook has an official app for the Android operating system that allows you to view and update your status. You can upload pictures to Facebook, write messages to friends and sync your phone's contacts with Facebook by using the official app. Your Android phone does not come with the Facebook app pre-installed, so if you want to use the app, you will need to get it for your phone.
Android phones are a lot of fun, but they tend to need recharging almost constantly. Though you can purchase chargers for cars, computers and power outlets, you won't be able to stay plugged in all day long. At some point, you'll need to learn to manage your power. One great tip to know is that using your Android's Wi-Fi radio uses less power than the 3G radio. Whenever possible, connect your device to a Wi-Fi network and shut off the 3G radio. This tip is also helpful if you have Wi-Fi service but no 3G available.
The HTC Hero runs on the Android operating system. Thus, it comes preinstalled with Google apps, and you need a Google account to take full advantage of the phone. By default, the Hero automatically syncs with your Gmail account. However, you might have changed this option. If you want to start syncing your Gmail with your HTC Hero again, you can.
Many websites use Flash to stream videos or display animations and other eye-catching elements on the page. Early versions of the Android operating system do not support Flash capability. Starting with Android 2.2, however, you can load Flash onto your phone. You cellular service provider might have automatically updated your phone to include Flash. If not, you can load it yourself. The procedure isn't difficult and won't take more than a few minutes.
The vast majority of smartphones, including those using Google's Android operating system, are capable of connecting to Wi-Fi networks. This feature may help you to increase data transfer speeds and potentially save money by avoiding fees from your phone's service provider. Some Android phones also have the capability to create their own Wi-Fi hotspots, allowing other devices to connect to the Internet through the phone's cellular data connection.
With the Facebook for Android app you can read your news feed and post status updates and photos from your cellphone. You can even add a widget to your home screen that will display your friend's latest updates and you can sync your Facebook friend's list to the phone's contacts. If you do not use the Facebook app, you can uninstall it whenever you want.
Though Android smartphones are impressive in many ways, they aren't known for their stellar battery life. It's no surprise that the small lithium-ion batteries that power these devices doesn't usually last more than a day. After all, they power the whole device, including the LCD screen, processor, GPS, Bluetooth radio, 3G radio and, of course, the Wi-Fi radio. It is possible to tweak the settings to extend the battery life, but the best way to conserve battery power is the simplest: turn off what your aren't using. If your phone isn't connected to a Wi-Fi router, disable the Wi-Fi radio…
Android apps can be installed via a barcode scanner that reads a QR code. A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional code that is readable through a barcode scanner on a smartphone with a camera. The code looks like a black pattern on a white square background. You need a specific Android app such as Barcode Scanner in order to read barcodes. It's convenient to download apps through barcodes when you find an app on a website or a poster and want to quickly and easily download it to your phone.
Phones that use Google's Android operating system can use up battery power quickly because the phone stays connected to the Internet and by default, the applications that you use stay running. If you think that your Android phone's battery runs down too quickly before needing a recharge, you can use Android's battery monitor application to see what is draining the battery.
One useful feature of Android smartphones is that the email application bundled with the Android OS is capable of handling email attachments. That means that someone can send you a photo, a document or any other type of file and you can download that file to your Android smartphone. Depending on the apps you have installed, you might even be able to view or edit the file on your phone, as well.
If you need to uninstall the Facebook app for Android, you can do so through the Settings menu on your Android phone. Uninstalling Facebook will stop a variety of different notifications from reaching you and will also free up space on your phone for other applications and data.
The Gmail application for Android smartphones can support multiple Gmail accounts at one time. That means you can add a personal Gmail account as well as a school account or work account, if your school or place of employment uses Google-powered email. If you've added another Gmail account to your phone, you're likely wondering how to switch between your main account and the new account. You can learn how to do so in just a few steps.
Rooting an Android phone gives you full access to its file system, which then gives you the ability to modify your smart phone in ways you otherwise could not. This includes overclocking its processor speed and installing different versions of Android. The HTC EVO 4G is an Android smart phone that introduced many new features. Its 4G radio was the first to be released in any consumer phone and its screen size was unmatched at the time of its release. Rooting the EVO 4G is a simple process.
The Samsung Epic 4G Galaxy smartphone, like most wireless devices, allows users to hold conversations on the device through the speakerphone without the hassle of continuously holding the handset. Whether you're in a noisy area or working on a project that requires the use of your hands, using the speakerphone will allow you to hear calls clearer and work hands-free.
Rooting your mobile phone lets you install third party applications and even alter Android operating systems. Rooting gives you full read and write permissions on your Android phone. This is called superuser permissions. Rooting the device is simple thanks to an application on the Android Market.
The LG GW620 is an Android smartphone that can be rooted just like every other Android smartphone. When you root an Android smartphone, you are attaining superuser permissions with the phone's file system. This means you can access everything in the phone. This allows you to install any type of application, remove any application and even install a completely different version of the Android operating system on the phone. Rooting is a quick process and you can find everything you need at the Android Marketplace.
If you have the Facebook app for your Android phone, you can post to your Facebook account from the phone and read your friends' posts. You can also enable Facebook contacts to sync to your phone. This includes enabling and syncing profile pictures so that when you receive a call or text from a Facebook friend, the phone displays the friend's Facebook profile picture.
Android phones with the 2.2 operating system or later can create a mobile hotspot. The ability to create a mobile hotspot on an Android phone allows other devices to connect to the phone for high-speed Internet access. Creating a hotspot on an Android phone takes just a few minutes.
The BlackBerry Setup Wizard is your one-stop shop for configuring your newly purchased Bold 9650. The Setup Wizard automatically appears when you turn on a BlackBerry for the first time; however, you can also access this wizard from the Home screen at anytime, if necessary. When setting up your BlackBerry, you have the option of configuring an email address, but you may want to save this for later if you are unsure which email to provide. After completing the Setup Wizard, phone a friend; play a game; take a picture or do whatever is most important to you.
Smartphones that feature Google's Android mobile operating system can store content such as music and contacts. However, as with any computer or smartphone, it's always important to back up your information. Fortunately, Android smartphones make it easy to copy your personal data.
Rooting a phone means you unlock its file system to gain superuser permissions. You can root an Android phone using a simple application available from the Android Market. Once rooted, you can install alternate themes and applications on the Android system.
The number of Android applications available is growing daily. Developers are finding it increasingly difficult to get their apps noticed. One way to promote an Android app is online by including information about it on websites. Users of smartphones with cameras are able to scan barcodes using standard scanner applications. Such barcodes can link to Web addresses, or listings within the Android Market. Using a barcode linking to your apps allows you to publicize them on the Web, providing a direct link to Android Market listings within Web pages. You can create the necessary barcode images for free and save…
When it comes to Android smart phones, having full system read and write permissions is key in taking full control of the device. This is called "superuser" permissions. Consumer Android phones did not come with such permissions, so the process of "rooting" came into view shortly after the release of the first Android phone. Rooting gives users full permissions on what they can install on their phones, with the ability to uninstall system applications like the dialer and contacts applications. As of 2011, Android's system number is at 2.3. People still using an older Android operating system, like 1.5, can…
ADW Launcher is available on Android operating systems phones. The program is a launcher, which is used to replace the current user interface of the phone. ADW Launcher offers extended tweaking and customization of your Android desktop. Removing the ADW Launcher is easy and will not interfere with your phone's functions. Deleting ADW Launcher will automatically cause your phone to revert back to its original user interface. There are two ways to remove the program.
If you have an Android phone, chances are you're running version 2.X of the Android software. Immediately after you purchased your Android phone, you were required to set up a Gmail account if you didn't already have one. Certain information, such as your contacts, is stored on your Gmail account. If you have another Gmail account you would like to use as your primary account, you can do so by adding it to your list of accounts on your phone, then syncing that account while disabling syncing from the older account. You cannot delete your old Gmail account.
The multimedia capabilities of modern smartphones, like those powered by the Android operating system, have made them a viable alternative to portable music players. Android phones have a microSD card that can be used for music storage, and a built-in music player. Music can be purchased online and downloaded to the phone, or you can connect the phone to a computer with a USB cable and load your Android phone with your existing music tracks.
One of the more popular aspects of Facebook is the ability to share photos with friends and family. Android smartphones that come with integrated cameras cater to this demand by making it easy to share digital images between the phone and your Facebook account. This process can be easily accomplished in just a few seconds and you don't even have to leave the camera application to get it done.
One of the most useful features in Android powered devices is their ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks. To get the most benefit from using your Internet-enabled smartphone, it's often best to use wireless networks when they are available. If you are on the move a lot of the time, your Internet access will be coming through the mobile network, which is typically slower than Wi-Fi. Such Internet access also uses up your data allowance, whereas Wi-Fi access in most cases costs nothing. Connecting to a Wi-Fi network on an Android device is a straightforward process.
While using the Android barcode application to scan the Web for the cheapest point of purchase for a desired item could save you hundreds of dollars, navigating the Android Market in an attempt to find the app can be confusing and time consuming. With a proper understanding of how to quickly obtain the Android barcode scanner, time and frustration can be saved in addition to finding the best price for your desired item.
The HTC EVO is a Sprint smartphone running the Google Android operating system. Like other HTC Android phones, the EVO uses HTC's "SenseUI" skin to customize the user interface. The primary component of SenseUI is the Launcher, also known as the home page or home screen. Android allows you to install a third-party Launcher to effectively replace the SenseUI interface. This will still have some elements of HTC's SenseUI, like custom colors and icons, but the primary Sense launcher (and the memory and processor slowdown it causes) will be disabled.
Internet-connected smartphones and tablets running Android can connect to Gmail accounts to sync mail, contacts and calendars and download applications from the Android market. You can set an Android device to sync with more than one Gmail account by adding each Gmail account in the device's settings menu. The first Gmail account you add to your Android device is the primary Gmail account and can only be removed by completely resetting the device.
Google's Android mobile operating system powers smartphones such as the HTC Thunderbolt and Motorola Droid X. As with any smartphone, it is also possible to browse through the saved files on an Android smartphone using your computer. To browse your phone's internal data from a computer, use its bundled USB connection cable.
Android is an operating system for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Once you connect an Android device to a computer, you can mount the device's internal USB storage as a removable disk. Mounting the device's USB storage allows you to access the files stored on the device from your computer, the same way you would access a USB flash drive.
The simplest way to watch TV on your Android phone is by choosing an application from Android Market that streams full television shows. You will need to decide if you want to use a free application, or a paid TV streaming service. Keep in mind that some applications may not work on older versions of the Android phone. Also, make certain that you have the latest version of Adobe Flash player installed on your phone.
If you send and receive a lot of emails on your desktop PC or laptop, you'll likely be happy to know that you can also keep tabs on your email using your Android phone. Android has a built-in email application for those who need access to their email on the go. Using this application, you can compose new messages, reply to messages and read any emails you've received. You can learn how to use the Android email application in just a few steps.
Google's Android mobile operating system powers smartphones such as the Motorola Droid and the HTC Incredible. As with other smartphones, you can use your Android-powered smartphone as an MP3 player. Thanks to Android's integrated music playback functionality, you can listen to audio files that you transfer from your MacBook onto the phone.
Launcher Pro is an application available on Android smart phones. It replaces your standard home screen configuration with a more customizable version. This launcher is an alternative to the user interface added on by many manufacturers and contains popular aspects of each interface. This will allow you to customize your home screen and application drawer to operate however you would like them to. Making the application load instead of the standard home screen is essential to make use of the options available to you.
If your Android phone is constantly updating your email, you may find that its battery is draining quickly. The constant syncing with Gmail uses up battery power, which might leave you with a dead phone at inconvenient moments. To free some battery power, switch your email settings so that instead of having a constant automatic sync, you control how often your phone checks your email. You can even choose to only update the sync manually when you want to know what is in your email.
In addition to your Gmail account, you can receive Yahoo! mail on your Sprint Moment Android phone. After setting up Yahoo! mail on your Moment phone, you can access up to 25 email messages at a time. You will receive notification each time you receive a new email message on your phone. An active data connection is required to set up your Yahoo! Mail on the Sprint Moment phone.
If you are looking for ways to cut back on use of your Android smartphone's data plan, you can achieve this by using the Android through Wi-Fi only. When you are in Wi-Fi mode, you're not using air time on your cellular network. You will need to set up a wireless network first to access the Internet. Then, to place Internet phone calls with the Android via Wi-Fi, you can install either the Google Voice or Skype app. Google Voice has the advantage that you can use it to call any U.S. phone number for free.
Google's Android mobile operating system powers numerous smartphones on carriers such as Verizon and AT&T, but as with any phone, you may have to back up its contents over time. If you have to reset or return your phone, you will want to save its contents onto a secondary computer --- otherwise you won't be able to access that content again. Fortunately, Android's integrated functionality makes it easy to back up your phone's contents.
One of the benefits of having a smartphone is being able to check your email when you're not near a computer. If you're running a phone or device with an Android operating system, there are two ways that you can get your Yahoo! mail on the go. You can use the Android email client to get your messages, or for a more customized option you can download and use the Yahoo! email application. Whichever way you choose, you'll be able to access your Yahoo! mail on your Android device.
While Android phones provide access to a wide array of useful applications via the Android Market, users who are new to these types of devices may experience difficulty with the process. Understanding the methodology upfront will help you avoid frustration, and quickly access and install the applications you need to customize your device.
The Samsung Epic 4G is a slider-style mobile phone with both a touchscreen display and a full Qwerty keyboard that slides out from the side. The Epic 4G came out exclusively for Sprint users in 2010. Sprint uses CDMA technology instead of GSM, so the phone does not need a SIM card to connect to the network.
Android 2.2 is a version of the Android operating system. Android developers frequently release updated versions of the operating systems. New releases include new features and performance improvements.
Google's Android operating system uses an application called a Launcher to start apps and access settings. It's a lot like a the desktop on your computer -- but unlike your computer desktop, it's easy to install a new launcher app for Android. You can download a new launcher app from the Android Market; some popular alternatives include Launcher Pro, ADW Launcher and Zeam. If you want to change your already-assigned default launcher, you can do so in the phone's settings.
The Sprint Mobile Hotspot offered on the Samsung Epic lets you use your phone as the wireless Internet connection, or Wi-Fi, for other devices while continuing to use the phone for talking and text messaging. To use your hotspot you must first have the hotspot feature added to your mobile account for an additional monthly fee. The hotspot works on both the 3G and 4G networks, though there might be a difference in speed and reliability. The 4G service is best for connecting and retaining the hotspot service.
Unlike iPhones and most feature phones, Android phones can use different kinds of virtual ("soft") keyboards. Some manufacturers or cell phone service providers even include multiple keyboard with new Android phones, like the popular Swype keyboard. Of course, you can only use one keyboard at a time, but you can switch between the soft keyboards whenever you like. Before you can use a keyboard on your phone, you must first enable it in the Android settings menu.
Beginning with Android 2.2 "Froyo," Google introduced a new feature into the phone operating system. Using a Google Chrome extension, you can send an active web page or link from a desktop or laptop computer directly to the phone's browser. But if you use Firefox on your computer, you can still send links to your Android phone with the specialized Fox to Phone extension. You'll also need to install the app on your phone.
The Android smartphone platform ships with an integrated feature called "Note to Self." This enhancement allows the user to speak out a note or reminder, which is then transcribed and emailed to the user's inbox. If you are on the go and don't have time to open up a notepad or a notes application on your phone, this feature can serve as a helpful productivity tool.
If you want to use your Android smartphone on a network that requires registration, or if you need to add it to a list of allowed devices on your router at home, you'll need to know the device's MAC address. The MAC address (also known as the "physical" address) is a unique identification code that identifies your device's wireless or wired ethernet hardware. You can find your Android phone's MAC address in the phone's "Settings" menu.
Launcher is an Android application that replaces the default Android home screen (called the "launcher") with one that is more customizable and, for some phones, offers more speed. If you're having issues with your phone and you think Launcher might have something to do with it, uninstalling the program is the best way to remedy the issue. In just a few steps, you can learn how to uninstall Launcher from your Android phone.
Google programs and maintains the Android operating system that's used on many popular smartphones around the world. Because Google makes the OS, it also includes easy access to services like Gmail and Google Calendar. Most Android phones require a Google login to activate, but if you've skipped the login process or your account has become desynchronized, you may need to sync it again. The process is simple and can be done completely with your phone.
The T-Mobile myTouch 4G smart phone lets users enable Wi-Fi and use their cellular data connection to connect other devices to the Internet. Once the connection is enabled, others can join with the myTouch 4G as if it were a Wi-Fi hotspot. This hotspot capability is built into the phone's Android operating system. All the user needs to do is set up the Wi-Fi network through the phone's menus.
An Android smartphone can be plugged into a Windows PC and mounted as a flash storage drive. This allows you to store important files and folders on the Android's SD memory card as well as easily transfer photos, movies and music to the device for later viewing -- all without installing any additional software. Mounting your Android smartphone as a storage device requires no technical expertise and can be accomplished in just a few steps.
Use a third-party application that will automatically enable Wi-Fi when your Android phone is near a wireless access point. There are various types of auto connect Wi-Fi applications available on Android Market's website that you can use for free or pay for. When you're searching for an auto connect Wi-Fi application, consider using one that is able to save power on the battery by automatically disabling Wi-Fi on your Android phone whenever the connection lost.
You can download the Skype application to certain smartphones, including the Android. The free download allows you to call from Skype on your Android to another Skype account, as well as instant message to one or more Skype users. For a fee, you can also call other mobile phones and landlines from Skype on your phone.
Android phones have the capability to connect to wireless networks. This allows faster data transmission and downloads compared to a standard 3G network. A wireless network is able to share an Internet connection with an Android phone if the phone is within range of the network's signal. After connecting an Android phone to a wireless network, the phone can remember the network and reconnect automatically in the future.
The instant messaging service provided by America Online is known by the moniker AIM. Adding AIM to your Android phone happens through installing an application from the Android Market. With AIM you can connect to live chats with all your friends, even if they're on a computer.
The T-Mobile HTC G2 originally shipped with Android operating system version 2.1, but users can update to newer versions of the Android OS through the phone's menu. T-Mobile allows users to download the update through the cellular network, or using a Wi-Fi hotspot. Once the download is initiated, the phone will automatically apply the update and reboot itself when finished.
Walt Whitman dreamed that he could rule his life as a powerful conqueror. That dream may not be attainable for the rest of humanity in the foreseeable future, but Android phones and Gmail contacts have made it possible for people to take full control of how contacts are displayed and organized at home and on the go. Android phones sync automatically with Gmail contacts so that groups set up in the Web-based email program are accessible on the phone and vice versa. Groups allow you to filter your contacts, set group notification rules and send group messages and emails from…
Smartphones and tablets running Google's Android operating system allow you to connect with your contacts and social networks on the go using cellular and Wi-Fi data connections. The official Facebook application for Android, available as a free download from the Android Market, lets you view your friends' updates in your news feed, send private messages, upload photos and more. You can use the Facebook application to update your Facebook status on the go from your Android device.
The iPhone 4 -- sometimes referred to as the iPhone 4G -- is a combination multimedia device and smartphone developed by Apple. It runs on Apple's proprietary iOS operating system and is available in 16 gigabyte (GB) and 32GB configurations. The phone works on AT&T and Verizon networks in the United States.
Android is an operating system designed for mobile phones and tablets. Android-powered phones are quickly becoming popular, even more so than the iPhone in the U.S. smartphone market. In 2011, according to CNET news, Android holds the top spot of the market and accounts for 33 percent of all smartphones sold, compared with the iPhone, which holds 22 percent of the market. Android frequently makes changes and improvements to the operating system, releasing new updates to Android owners. The Android 2.3 software has several interesting features.
While Android devices offer users a vast amount of control over their phones, the process of navigating the seemingly myriad menus can be confusing. Different options are sometimes tucked away in seemingly illogical locations, leaving users potentially frustrated when trying to accomplish something as simple as accessing their download history. Thankfully, with the correct understanding of the process in mind, retrieving this list is actually very easy.
Launched in the winter of 2004, the Digg.com website parses news updates according to its readers' responses to the articles. The Android operating system features a Web browser that allows smartphone users to directly access the Digg website for updates; however, third-party applications offered through Android's marketplace provide a more convenient interface for getting updates from Digg.
iPhone 4G was what many technology analysts, insiders and bloggers called the fourth-generation Apple iPhone prior to the official release of the device. Though some still refer to it as the iPhone 4G, Apple and most others now simply call it the iPhone 4. It is a smartphone and multimedia device used for communication, audio, video, e-book and gaming purposes.
Walkie-talkies are hand-held, portable two-way radio transceivers. They date back to World War II and are still commonly used today as toys, in construction, in trucks and in the military. Turning your iPhone into a walkie-talkie is now possible with the use of the HeyTell application. This free application allows a user to record a voice mail message for a friend which is instantly sent to his phone. The person is then notified of their message and can listen and reply. The application is even designed to look similar to a walkie-talkie.
The Verizon Android phone's advanced operating system allows you to do things such as browse the Web. You can also copy your favorite audio files stored on your computer onto the phone. Before you begin transferring audio files to your Android phone, you will need to know what file types can be uploaded on the phone. Acceptable audio files types include MP3, AMR, WMD (8), MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis and converted iTunes M4A files.
Introduced in 2010, the iPhone 4 provides a world of entertainment through dozens of built-in features and myriad applications, both online and off line. Almost as an added attraction, it also makes and receives phone calls. The iPhone's upgraded video functions deserve special attention as they greatly surpass the previous versions' video in quality, and offer several new components as well.
Many Android smartphones have built-in TV tuners that allow you to watch live television. You can subscribe to a satellite TV service for mobile phones or use one of the free applications available on the Android Market website. You will need a Google Gmail account to use this service. Then, download a mobile TV application to your Android smartphone and start watching live TV broadcasts.
The BlackBerry Bold 9650 includes several customization options programmed into the smartphone. For instance, you can change the Bold's color scheme by choosing one of several preloaded themes. These themes alter the overall look and color of each aspect of your device from the font to the background. Locate the "Themes" to browse, preview and choose a new color scheme for your Bold 9650.
Smart phones have made good on the promise of science fiction. You can now carry a computer in your pocket that do many times more than the computer that guided Neil Armstrong and crew to the moon. Android phones can run applications that expand their capabilities in nearly limitless ways. The microphone included for making simple phone calls can be transformed into a voice recording mic, a voice transforming mic or even into a loudspeaker microphone, all with the use of the right application.
The iPhone 4G -- more commonly referred to simply as the iPhone 4 -- is a smartphone and multimedia device developed by Apple. It was released in June 2010. The iPhone 4 runs on Apple's iOS operating system and comes with a one-year limited warranty. It is available with a flash drive capacity of either 16 gigabytes (GB) or 32 GB.
The HTC Desire is a touch-screen, 3G smart phone that relies on Google's Android 2.1 operating system. The smart phone can operate over a Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, network, as well as over a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, or WCDMA, network. Reviewing the HTC Desire's specifications can help you learn more about the smart phone's capabilities and performance.
If hide-and-go-seek were a competitive sport, your TV remote control would be a world champion. It is never where you look for it and you look for it often. Making your Android smartphone into a TV remote control means that your remote is always in your pocket and much harder to lose. Other advantages to having an Android application that controls your television are that you can type in search terms to find content you want, change the channel or schedule a recording from any room in your house or even set DVR recordings when you're away from the house.
All Android phones come with Android Marketplace, which is a virtual shop offering over 88,000 applications as of February 2011, according to CNET.com. Some applications are free, while others cost anywhere from 99 cents to over $20. All Android phones are linked to Gmail accounts. To purchase an application from Android Marketplace, you must first set up a Gmail account with Google Checkout. Afterward, you can buy all the applications you want.
The beauty of smartphones powered by the Android operating system is that they provide immense computing power that you can carry in your pocket. However, that beauty comes with risk, since there is so much value in a small package. If your Android phone is lost or stolen, there are several Android applications that can help you find it.
Google's Android provides users with a full-fledged mobile computing, telephone and wireless communication device. There are hundreds of settings you can customize to ensure that your Android functions the way that you want it to. All these options can be changed from the Android's primary Settings menu, which is readily available from the phone's home screen.
The Skype VoIP application is available for both Windows and Mac systems, and there are even a few mobile applications for various platforms. One of these platforms is the Android mobile operating system. By installing the Skype application for Android, you can make voice calls over the Internet without using minutes from your cell phone plan, and can also send messages back and forth with other Skype users.
Switching mobile phones can be incredibly frustrating since you have all your contacts, settings and data saved on the old phone. You want to get your new phone set up quickly and easily rather than sitting with both devices and manually transferring every bit of information. Google Android phones running version 2.2 or higher have the ability to backup information to Google's Cloud servers, which can then be restored to any Android device you log into with your Google Account. To get the backup running you need to switch the feature on in your phone's settings.
One of the most anticipated changes in Android OS version 2.2 was the addition of Wi-Fi tethering. Wi-Fi tethering lets a computer connect to the Android phone via Wi-Fi and access the Internet using the phone's cellular data connection. If you are in an area with no Wi-Fi hotspots, you can use your Android 2.2 or higher phone to connect to the Internet on your computer. For most Android phones, all you need to do is enable the option through the menus.
In Android 2.2, a software revision known as "Froyo," Google added a feature to Android phones that allows them to become Wi-Fi hotspots. This means that other devices, such as computers, laptops and tablets, can connect to Android phones and make use of their Internet data connections. This feature is useful if you can't find a Wi-Fi hotspot, or if your Internet connection goes down. Enabling this feature on an Android phone running Froyo 2.2 takes only a few steps.
The Android operating system powers tablet PCs and cell phones. A variety of manufacturers rely on this software and, if you own an Android-based phone, you are a member of an ever-growing demographic. By the fourth quarter of 2010, Android phones dominated the American cell phone market after seeing a sales jump of nearly 900% from the previous year. Ease of use, the ability to customize and the frequent release of new versions of the software have helped Android become successful.
The increased presence of cell phones among people of all ages has made the traditional home phone obsolete in some cases. Many families find that they seldom use their land line, yet continue to pay considerable monthly charges to keep the connection. However, there are key issues that you should consider before cutting off the home phone and going all-cellular.
The Palm Pre smartphone offers access to the Palm App Catalog, a storefront for software applications designed for the Pre's webOS operating system. The Palm App Catalog includes both free and paid apps. Once you purchase an app, it becomes tied to your Palm profile. If you ever delete a previously purchased app from your Pre or need to completely reset your device, you can download and reinstall the apps from the App Catalog at any time.
Since the release of version 2.2 of Android, the ability to turn phones into Wi-Fi hotspots has been included with each phone. However, wireless carriers are free to modify the stock Android software to change or limit features. The Wi-Fi Hotspot feature is disabled on Sprint phones and replaced with the "Sprint Mobile Hotspot" application and adds a monthly charge for the service. Verizon Wireless keeps the standard Android functionality, but only enables a data connection for phones using the Wi-Fi Hotspot feature if an extra fee is paid. Check with your wireless provider for details regarding charges you might…
The Android operating system is a mobile operating system created by Google and used in smartphones and tablets alike. If you want to know what version of Android you have on your phone, you can check in the system settings of the phone.
The T-Mobile G1 is a cell phone that runs on the Android operating system, which was developed in a partnership with Google. The G1's web browser allows you to have up to eight browser windows open at one time. If you are running the web browser in the background, and you no longer need it, consider closing the browser windows. This will likely help speed up your phone. Programs like web browsers running in the background may cause the phone to lag.
The T-Mobile G2 is a mobile phone that runs the Android operating system and includes many features that interact with Google, including a Gmail app. If you have multiple Gmail accounts, store the login details for the accounts on the phone. Only one Gmail account can be active at a time, so if you want to check messages on separate accounts, you must change which account is active.
If you're trying to reach someone who is at a particular extension you can't just add the extension to the end of the number because that will just confuse the phone carrier. You can add a pause in between the number and the extension though; doing so can save you time and connect you directly to the particular extension you want.
The G2 is a smart phone produced by the HTC company that comes with the Android operating system. This operating system allows you to make calls and send text messages, but also surf the Internet, listen to music, watch videos and download and use applications. The G2 is automatically in power saver mode when you activate it, but you can change certain settings to prevent the phone from turning off the screen while you are using it.
Parallels is a company that offers virtualization and automation products that allow you to create another computer on your cellphone, which connects with your computer desktop virtually through either Mac or Windows. There are several ways to use Parallels with cellphones if you have the software already installed. The software costs about $80, but is worth it if you need to stay connected to your computer, want a webmail interface or need to transfer files easily from one machine to another.
Mobile phones all have their own operating system. Mobile operating systems can be replaced with a later version, such as Android 2.1 to version 2.2, or can be replaced with an entirely new operating system. For example, some Windows 7 mobiles allow a change of OS to Android 2.1. Upgrading a mobile OS can be risky, as it could invalidate the warranty on the phone. For those people who want to improve their phone and have the latest software available and are not averse to taking technical risks, it is well worth it.
Dual-booting is the process of installing two different operating systems on a computer. This is commonplace with Linux users who may rely on the software compatibility of Windows or Mac OS. Until recently, dual-booting a phone was an impossibility. Most phones simply contained insufficient amounts of memory and RAM to allow multiple operating systems. With the advent of the Android operating system, and the increasing popularity of powerful smartphones, dual-booting on PDAs and cell phones is now a reality.
The Android operating system for mobile phones allows the user to do everything a normal phone can do, including sending texts and receiving phone calls, as well as a myriad of other tasks through downloaded applications. Android phones support video and audio playback, meaning you can save your media files to your phone's hard drive. You can play back these files using a mobile version of Windows Media Player, which you can download and install from the Android market.
Aro Mobile is a personal information manager for Android phones, created in late 2010 by Kiha Software. Aro includes features designed to help people deal with information overload.
The smartphones in the Samsung Galaxy S line are among the most technically advanced in the world. However, a major complaint arose among owners after the phones' introduction to the U.S. market in 2009: Updates to the operating system were slow to come compared with those for comparable devices. Fortunately, a lively community of developers and Android OS enthusiasts online provides leaked versions of updates for anyone willing to try them. It is important to note that modifying the software in your device incorrectly could render it unusable. Also, gaining root access--think of it as administrator privileges--probably will void any…
CyanogenMod is an alternate firmware for Android-based systems. As a community-driven project, the firmware is designed to increase performance, provide additional enhancements to the operating system and bring newer features of Android to older phones like the T-Mobile G1. The G1 is also referred to as the HTC Dream. CyanogenMod version 6.0 or higher can be installed to a rooted G1 by installing Amon_Ra Recovery and DangerSPL. The process of flashing or installing new firmware does have the potential to destroy your phone if performed improperly, so proceed at your own risk.
Although the Android operating system does not supply a native function for adjusting the fonts of its display, there is an application available in the Android Marketplace which allows you to upload TFF files to your phone's SD card for use in the operating system's interface. Remember to restart your Android phone after applying the custom fonts.
Rooting a cell phone allows you to boost the phones performance and applications that have not been approved by the cell phone network. A "Go Phone," a prepaid phone, faces less risk from rooting because of its lower cost. Whenever rooting a cell phone, there is always a small risk of "bricking" the phone, or making it inoperable. Because of this, inexperienced users may want to avoid rooting their cell phone or ask for assistance from an experienced friend.
Android is an open-platform operating system purchased by Google in 2005. Phones running on the Android operating system are extremely competitive in the smart phone market. The goal of Android's open-platform is to allow developers and manufacturers worldwide to collaborate without worrying about proprietary information, positioning them to innovate faster and more cheaply than ever before. As of January 2011, the latest release of Android is version 2.3, also called Gingerbread.
AppShare is an Android application that allows you to share your favorite Android apps. To do this, you choose a particular app that you would like to share, and then, decide how you would like to share the app such as through your SMS or email, and then send the app to the recipient either by username, phone number or email address. For you to download and add AppShare to your Andriod, you will need to go to your Android Market on your Android smart phone.
The T-Mobile G2 Touch phone is powered by the Android operating system by Google. Often, smart phones require updates to the operating system. The upgrades in an Android update can fix errors that you may have been experiencing, as well as bring new user interface additions to the phone. You do not even need to connect your phone to the computer to do the upgrade.
Facebook is a social networking giant that allows people from all over the world to connect and share information with each other over the Internet. One of the most popular things to do is to share pictures. Facebook is available just about everywhere, including on mobile phones that come with a Facebook Mobile app. Android smart phones have their own Facebook application, and Android phone users can use the app to share photos they take with their phone's camera.
MP4 players have become multipurpose devices that allow games to be played on them. Both Apple IOS and Android will allow you to install games on your device. IOS will only let you do it through its App Store, whereas Android will let you install games you downloaded on the Internet.
Apple first introduced the iPhone to the cell phone world in 2007. The device is a touchscreen phone that, in addition to voice and messaging services, provides many of the options available on a home computer. IPhone apps are registered applications that are accessible on the phone. Each app offers a specific and unique function, often a shortcut that offers convenience and easy use. The iPhone 4 is the fourth-generation iPhone.
The Push-to-Talk (PTT) feature is a handy tool when voice calling or text messaging isn't practical. Adding a Push-to-Talk software application to an old smart phone saves you the expense of buying a new phone with the PTT hardware button pre-installed, giving you more value for your old phone. Many PTT apps are free, although some may offer limited features. Most paid PTT apps cost less than $5.
Facebook games are increasingly popular and Zynga is the most popular maker for the social networking site, with CityVille, FarmVille, and Zynga Poker reporting 271 million users a month. CityVille alone posted 69 million user in one month, as reported by the Los Angeles Times in December 2010. Facebook games use the Adobe Flash platform, which is available on all computer-based Web browsers, however it has taken time to port Flash technology over to mobile phones. Only Android phones running version 2.2 or later have access to the Flash plug-in, which allows users to play any of the Facebook games…
The Android mobile phone operating system is designed by Google in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance. It is a "smartphone" operating system which allows the installation of applications (or apps) which enable myriad capabilities on your Android phone. If you wish to store pictures (or other files) on your phone, but to have them hidden, you can download an app to accomplish just such a task.
The T-Mobile G2 is an Android smart phone that is capable of transmitting data at 4G speeds. The device features a built-in 5 megapixel digital camera, which allows you to take snapshots while on the move. In addition, the phone has Bluetooth capabilities that can connect it to a wide variety of devices, including wireless headphones and hands-free speaker phones. Gaining root access, which is often referred to as rooting, involves obtaining special software privileges within your Android phone that give you the ability modify all of your device's system settings. Rooting your T-Mobile G2 smart phone will allow you…
Android is a collection of programs from Google made especially for mobile phones, which includes an operating system, user applications and middleware. The HTC Touch Pro is a Windows-based slider phone with both keyboard and touch-screen capabilities. While the Windows operating system works fine, others prefer the Android system because of its higher speed and more consistent app updates.
Google's Android operating system is an open-source handset solution that can operate on a number of smart phones and competes with iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile phones. Many smart phones come preloaded with Android, though many devices that can run Android are sold running other operating systems, such as Windows Mobile. If you have an HTC Touch Pro2 pre-installed with another operating system, it's still possible to load and operate Android on it.
The Motorola DROID is an Android-powered smartphone introduced by Motorola on the Verizon network in 2009. Because the DROID uses the Android mobile operating system to power the phone, it's capable of running a multitude of different applications available from the Android Marketplace app store. If you're looking for a PDF viewing application to install on your DROID so that you can read PDF files, there are several such applications available.
Some smart phones with an active wireless Internet connection are able to create their own wireless hot spot and share this connection with neighboring devices capable of joining a Wi-Fi network. In order to create a hot spot you will need a Wi-Fi-enabled smart phone that is currently connected to high-speed wireless data connection through your cellular carrier. Devices using wireless hot spots for the Internet tend to consume much more data than your phone would on its own, so make sure your current wireless plan has a large enough data allotment to cover your total use.
Samsung is an international company that specializes in electronic equipment, ships, engineering products and construction equipment. The company started in 1938, and it is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung also creates cell phones for different service providers. Before purchasing a Samsung phone, ensure that your cell phone provider supports your selected model.
Android's open source properties mean that you don't necessarily need to have the G1 or HTC Magic to run it on your device. In fact, with the proper adjustments, you can have it up and running on your Diamond Touch in no time, supplanting your phone's Windows Mobile. Keep in mind that by launching Android from your phone's SD card you can switch back to Windows Mobile at any time by rebooting your phone.
The Android operating system is based on the free, open-source GNU/Linux operating system. The system itself is a Java VM running on top of the Linux kernel, creating an extensible and highly configurable environment. Developers have taken advantage of this to rapidly expand the features of Android and create a smartphone operating system with a lot packed into its shell.
First made available on June 24, 2010, the iPhone 4G initially priced out at $199 for a 16 GB model and $299 for a 32 GB model with a 2-year contract through AT&T. This model of the iPhone is known for its durability and high quality display. It boasts dual cameras and mics for improved quality and functionality.
The newest generation of smart phones has been equipped with a newly developed operating system that was created by Google and is an open source development. Open source operating systems allow the users more control over the functioning of their phone, allowing them to create their own phone applications or modify preexisting operating system settings. Android phones provide many of the same features as Apple and Blackberry phones, such as a touch screen, video cameras and Internet browsing.
The HTC Touch Pro can be enabled with other applications. Its flexibility has placed it among the more popular smart phone brands. Google's Android system can be installed in the Touch Pro, while leaving the Windows Mobile application intact. By installing Android to the device, the HTC Touch Pro will give you the ability to switch back and forth between the Android and Windows Mobile applications. This can be done with a shut off or a simple reboot process.
IPhones are convenient, sleek multitasking devices that allow users to talk on the phone, video chat, take photos, surf the Internet, watch movies, listen to music and more. All of these applications, however, reduce the capacity of iPhones. If you have a large music library or want more space than the 8GB iPhone 3GS, 16GB or 32GB iPhone 4 offer, there is a simple solution you can take to increase the capacity of your iPhone so that it can handle more of the files or applications you want to access.
The T-Mobile G1 was the first Android OS phone on the market in the USA. Due to technological limitations, Google decided not to update the G1 past Android version 1.6. However, there are ways to get around this limitation -- upgrading to version 1.6 is just used as an example since new G1 phones are only updated to the 1.5 release.
In 2007, 34 mobile and technology leaders created the Open Handset Alliance and announced the Android system. A year later, the alliance held a contest for developers to create applications, or apps, for the Android platform, leading to the development of the Android Marketplace, which connects users and developers. On October 22, 2008, T-Mobile released the first Android phones to its users.
MPEG-4 or MP4 multimedia format is a common and versatile media format found in still images, audio and video. Due to its flexibility, MP4 is a popular video format for smart-phones such as the Android devices. Video takes on several formats such as Quicktime and AVI. Although Android media player can read MP4 files, it does require file converter tools to convert your favorite videos to the correct format.
Apple's iPhone 4G includes new features to enhance the user experience. Like previous generations, the iPhone 4G utilizes a touchscreen interface and smartphone capabilities to provide easy Internet browsing as well as user customization. The upgrade specs of the iPhone 4G make it a significant upgrade from previous generations of iPhones.
Android is a mobile operating system that was originally developed by Android Inc. It was later purchased by Google, which deployed it in its own brand of cell phones. Android is open source, which means that it is available free of charge to anyone who wishes to use it or make modifications in its kernel or libraries. A smart phone working on the Android operating system is generally known as an Android phone. A number of manufacturers have their own versions of Android phones with different specifications, though they all have some common features.
The T-Mobile G1 is a smartphone that offers users a wide array of modern mobile functionality. For example, you can connect the G1 to your PC and synchronize contacts, music, a calendar and other data between the device and a computer. You can also install G1 themes to your phone by downloading them onto your computer and transferring them to the phone. Themes change the color scheme on the phone.
Cell Phones allow you to connect to the Internet to browse the Web, download files and access Web-enabled utilities such as instant messaging. You can use your Internet service provider (ISP) or cell phone carrier to connect to the Internet.
Unfortunately, technical glitches can occur on your Palm Pre. The same goes for your Palm Pre's Apps Catalog. Sometimes, the apps fail to install because of software glitches and bugs or because the Apps Catalog is currently down. You need not worry when your apps fail to install. Instead, you can try reinstalling the apps again through the Apps Catalog. Your Apps Catalog will save the failed apps, and you can install them at another time.
Pandora is a free Internet radio service that allows you to create custom stations that play only the music you like. Pandora was originally developed for the Web and was meant to be viewed in your Web browser. However, it is now available on many different platforms. If you like to listen to your music on the go, while working out or in the car, you can download Pandora onto your Android-powered phone and listen to your custom stations from anywhere.
The later versions of the G1 shipped with Cupcake Android 1.5 on them, but when you root your G1, part of what you do is downgrade to RC 29 before you put the new ROM or operating system on it. You can choose to put either RC 30, RC 33, Cupcake 1.5, Eclair 2.1 or Froyo 2.2 onto it. There are custom-made ROMs designed by the Android community that allow for any of those on the G1. Upgrading from the RC 29 version to RC 30 manually is a simple process that almost anyone can do with the proper preparation.
Tethering is a term for using your cell phone's data connection as a means to connect your computer, or other Wi-Fi enabled device, to the Internet. Tethering is not free, and also is not available on every carrier. Only Verizon and Sprint offer tethering as a part of their smartphone plans. Adding them to your bill is quite simple.
Your Android smartphone can be used for a variety of things. You can use it to watch YouTube videos, view and share photos, check your email, browse the Web, and even post to Facebook and Twitter. The Android phone also plays music. You can send music from your computer to your Android just as you would with an MP3 player.
Smartphones with Wi-Fi radios can be used as wireless hotspots to connect Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the 3G or 4G Internet connection so you can have full Internet access wherever you go. If you have an Android phone running version 2.2 or later you have the functionality built in. If you have a Windows Mobile Phone, you can purchase an app to enable this feature. If you have an iPhone or a Blackberry, this feature has been disabled by the manufacturer.
Android phones generally come with a global positioning satellite (GPS) system. GPS on the phone is designed to be used through one of the mobile apps. Before you can use Android GPS with an app, you have to enable the feature on your phone. Android phones vary in interface and hardware, but most of the time you'll enable the GPS through the settings menu.
The Palm Pre smartphone comes with thousands of different applications. Searching and downloading the apps is easy and affordable. You can enjoy hundreds of apps free of charge, while many more are available for a small fee. Palm Pre makes it easy to keep in touch with your friends and family, and with apps, you can transform your phone into a fun device.
The Palm Pre Plus is the successor to the Palm Pre, which was Palm's first entry entry into modern smart-phone realm. With the release of the newer model came a new mobile operating system called webOS. Similar to other popular mobile systems, webOS allows you to download apps to breathe new life into your Palm Pre Plus.
The Sprint HTC Hero is an Android smartphone that is capable of doing a multitude of functions. This includes the ability to download apps from the Android Market and enjoy multimedia files with the built-in music player, video player and gallery. Having too many files on your Hero, however, can lead to it running out of its 2GB of storage memory. When this happens, you can manually manage your phone's internal storage just as you would a normal USB drive.
Among the most convenient features of a wireless phone is the ability to access the Internet. But this access requires a specialized data plan, which can vary by cell phone provider. Some phones are capable of accessing the Internet through Wi-Fi, while others use 3G, or third generation, cellular technology. Wi-Fi is preferable to 3G if a phone is equipped with it, because it offers much better performance and will incur fewer data access fees.
Tethering your cell phone to your computer is a great way to browse the Internet on your computer from wherever you are. Tethering uses your cell phone's data connection as the computer's Internet connection. Verizon Wireless allows you to tether your Android phone for $29.99 a month as of October 2010. The tethering app that is unlocked when you purchase the tethering plan is one of the V Cast apps, and it is very simple to use.
Tethering your phone used to be either a very expensive or illegal practice of sharing your smartphone's data connection with your computer. When carriers took notice of this practice, a few of them made it a little more accessible to their customers. Verizon and Sprint offer tethering packages at $20 and $29 respectively as of October 2010. This gives you either unlimited tethering usage or about 2 GB per month. You only can use Android devices to tether legally on the two carriers, so make sure you contact Sprint (dial "*2") or Verizon Wireless (dial *611"), and ask them to…
There are many Xbox Live apps in the Android marketplace for gamers who spend more time on their phones than their Xbox. Whether your goal is to keep an eye on what people are playing, or to decorate your phone's main page with your friends' avatars, there are plenty of tools and apps to keep your head in the game.
The Android user community refers to the process of flashing the default OS on the T-Mobile G1 to a different, modified OS as "rooting." They call it this because once completed, the user gains root access to the phone. There are many arguments in favor of rooting. The foremost reason for rooting is that root access allows the user to unlock enhanced functionality, including the ability to install programs directly to the device's SD memory card.
Forwarding a text to a group of people can take forever if you have to manually select each person. You can save time by creating a group from your contacts, and then forwarding the message to that group. Unfortunately, the stock messaging and contacts applications on Android phones lack the capability to create and send messages to groups. You'll have to download free messaging software through the Android Market, and log into Gmail in order to create your group.
Google's Android mobile platform has made major advancements in smart phone market share as of October 2010. But the media support for Android has lacked behind its sales numbers -- there's no included media-syncing software, such as iTunes for an iPhone or iPod. However, the built-in features of iTunes are sufficient to get a playlist to your Android device's storage card. You'll need a MicroSD card for your Android phone, with enough space left on the card for the music you want to transfer.
The Android operating system, owned by Google, provides an open-architecture platform for smart phones. Since Android was released in October 2009, there have been several upgrades and improvements that have been released. And while you cannot install the Android operating system onto a non-android based phone, you can install the upgrades when released. Once installed, your phone will take advantage of whatever improvements were made to the Google Android operating system.
Many modern cell phones are capable of connecting to the Internet. 3G cell phone connections allow cell phone users to access the Internet at download speeds ranging from 64Kbps (slightly faster than dial-up) to 2Mbps (about the speed of a basic LAN). The next generation of cell phone web connections is 4G, which can reach download speeds in excess of 40Mbps. These connections are dependent on proximity to cell phone towers, but they do not require a Wi-Fi network. In fact, they can act as a Wi-Fi connection for a laptop computer.
Hotspot calling is a cell phone tool that gives you more options. Software that allows Wi-Fi hotspot calling and video chat does not use any of your cell phone plan's minutes. With just a few steps, your G1 can be set up to start using hotspot calling.
Using a phone as a Wi-Fi router is also known as "tethering" in the wireless communication lingo. The tethering process allows certain phones to provide data access to the wireless communication company data services. Tethering requires a special tethering data plan on the wireless network to activate the functionality.
The hardware for the T-Mobile G1, which is also known as the HTC Dream, has multi-touch capabilities. Google did not include those capabilities in any of the Android mobile operating system versions, so developers had to make their own. In the Android "Eclair" 2.1 update, multi-touch was included with the browser, gallery and maps. Many developers built their own operating systems, also known as ROMs, including these abilities as well. Installing them is simple on a G1. They are available on some other versions of the Android operating system as well.
Google android phones are available from most cell phone carriers and come in a variety of brands with different features, such as touch screens, retractable keyboards and voice activation. The biggest selling points for these models are connectivity through the Google network---email, calendars and web browser--and downloadable phone applications. Android phones must be connected to the Internet to access the full functionality and most are sold with a data plan from the cell phone provider. When you turn on a Google android phone for the first time it will prompt you to set up features such as email, social networking…
Though HTC designed the G1 with multi-touch abilities built in, Google has been hesitant to implement drivers that allow it to work with any versions of the stock Android operating system. But many of the Android operating systems or ROMs designed and published by the Android community of users do have multi-touch capabilities. You can root your phone and put one of these custom ROMs on your G1.
Because smart phones are like miniature computers, you can design custom operating systems based around the original kernel. T-Mobile's G1 is no exception. Building a custom operating system is called "cooking a ROM." Even if you do not want to cook your own ROM, many G1 developers have already done it and provided those ROMs to the G1 community. You can replace the stock ROM on your G1 using a custom one from a developer. Make sure you set aside at least an hour to do this the first time.
The Samsung Epic 4G smart phone allows you to convert your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect up to five devices. Such a set-up will keep you from running around searching for an area that offers free Wi-FI. If you're stuck in an airport or staying overnight at a hotel, you won't have to pay extra for Internet service. You can connect your laptop or other media device to your phone's Wi-Fi network.
The G1 is a cell phone powered by Google's Android operating system. A number of applications have been developed to allow the G1, and other Android phones, to work as much like a personal computer as possible. Among these are several applications that read PDF files and, therefore, allow you access to these from your phone. Using these applications is simple and straightforward, and they are available for download through the marketplace application, as well as non-market sources.
Using the Internet to browse the Web makes all the difference when you have a fast Internet connection. The Internet allows you to access information quickly and efficiently, but there may be a time when you're on the go and don't have access to your home Internet or a Wi-Fi area and need to access the Web. Using your cell phone, you can access the Web on your computer by turning your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot and connecting it to your computer.
There are thousands of items available for download in the Android market. Android is Google's open software platform, and developers are constantly releasing new applications. If you have an Android phone, it can be difficult to decide what to download to your device. Although the market is always changing, there are a few tried-and-true applications every Android user should have. Download apps directly from the Android market to your device.
An excellent feature of on-screen cell phone keyboards is that they tend to have much more flexibility and many more options than physical keyboards. If you have a smart phone with a touch screen that utilizes an on-screen keyboard, you may have a number of options available for changing the functionality and feedback of your keyboard. This can make texting and navigating with your keyboard that much more efficient, particularly if your phone offers the ability to use suggested words and auto-complete.
Internet radio stations are similar in concept to regular AM and FM radio stations. The only difference is that instead of broadcasting out over the air to be picked up by AM and FM radios, Internet radio stations are found over the Internet to and listened to on either a computer or similar device. If you want to add Internet radio functionality to your Android smart phone, you can do so using a few different applications that are available for download.
The Android OS is a powerful operating system, which is constantly available for more devices. AT&T cell phone users don't currently have many Android options, but Fuze owners now have a simple solution that can be performed without the risk of damaging your phone. Now, AT&T customers can enjoy the benefits of Google's Android.
An Android phone is a type of smartphone that uses Android OS, a Linux-based mobile operating system developed by Android, a division of Google. Android phones are available from all major carriers, with or without contracts.
Tethering a phone refers to connecting it to a laptop or notebook to access the Internet over the smartphone's cellular connection, essentially making the phone a WiFi "hotspot." You can do this for free with an Android-based phone using a program called PdaNet.
Would-be smart phone owners often find it difficult to choose between phones running the Android operating system and other popular smart phone models, such as the iPhone or Blackberry. Careful consideration of the pros and cons of Android will enable you to make the right decision for your lifestyle and phone usage.
Some would-be smart phone owners find it difficult to choose between the iPhone and the Android. Both phones offer similar features, such as a music player, ability to install various third-party applications, and a software keyboard. The implementation of these features differs greatly between the iPhone and Android, however, and there are some surprising differences between the two.
New Android users are often confused about how to transfer music from their computer to their phones. Because syncing is not automatic with the Android, as it is with the iPhone, users need to execute a few simple steps before listening to music on their Android phones. Android supports songs in the popular MP3 format. Most Androids also accept M4A, MP4 and WAV files. DRM (digital rights management)-protected music may not work with Android, and will need to be converted before it is transferred to the phone.
Many Android users wish to unlock their phones in order to use them with local SIM cards while traveling, or on domestic carriers that don't offer an Android phone for sale. Fortunately, this is easily accomplished with an unlock code and a second SIM card. Be sure to do your research before attempting to unlock your phone, since unlocking can cause unintended consequences such as decreases in data speed.
Rooting an Android phone allows Android users to boost their handset's performance, install non-approved applications and otherwise modify their phone to their liking. Inexperienced users, however, are likely to "brick" their phones (make them useless by modifying them incorrectly) if they try the rooting procedure without following proper instructions. Great care should be taken when rooting an Android phone, as it generally voids the phone's warranty.
Rooting your T-Mobile G1 smartphone gives you many benefits over the default-installed system. Not only do you increase the performance of your phone, ridding the G1 of its sluggishness, but you also unlock newer features unavailable to the device from the carrier--including a better keyboard, the power of multitouch gestures similar to the iPhone and easy Wi-Fi tethering.
As phones improve, they become capable of more and more. Devices like the Droid have a nearly limitless capacity for expansion and have become incredibly popular on the cell phone market. The Droid, as many other devices, runs off Google's Android platform. If you wish to watch video on such a device, you will have to prepare your video files so they match the file format and resolution stipulations of the Android platform.
When Google and T-Mobile launched the G1 in late 2008, many cell phone enthusiasts were disappointed by the device. The phone was the fist in its generation to run the custom Google operating system known as Android. Android's capabilities were touted by industry experts as a potential iPhone killer. However, the G1 disappointed users with its clunky design and sluggish operating system. There are, however, a few ways to squeeze every bit of speed possible out of the device.
