Features of Android Lollipop which aren't there in Android Kitkat

1. Tap and go

2. Use the flashlight

Flashlight apps have always been popular on Android, so Google has decided to roll one into Lollipop to save you the trouble of having download a third-party one. Pull down the notification drawer then tap the top bar to reveal the flashlight app alongside other options like airplane mode. The app will only appear if your device has an LED flash alongside its camera.

3. Prioritize your apps

Android 5.0 Lollipop lets you set up a list of important apps that are allowed to disturb you even when most aren't. Head to Settings -> Sound & notification ->App notifications and you can choose to block each app or mark it as a priority one. Tap the volume slider on your device to activate priority mode indefinitely or for one hour (a star will appear in the status bar).

4. Deal with notifications from the lock screen

In Lollipop all of your app notifications appear on the lock screen ready for viewing. Not only that, but you can interact with them as well. Swipe to dismiss, tap to reply and so on, depending on the app in question. A double-tap gets you into the relevant app. Head to Settings -> Sound & notification -> When device is locked if you want to hide sensitive alerts.

5. Pin apps

If you want to hand over your device to one of your kids or a friend, you can "pin" them inside one single app. First, activate the feature via Settings ->Security -> Screen pinning. Then, when you activate the multitasking screen via the square Overview button, you'll see a pin icon appear in the lower right-hand corner of the bottom app (drag it up if you can't see it).

Holding down the Back and Overview buttons is enough to exit the pinned mode and get back to other apps. When you activate the pin, you'll be asked if you want to use a code or pattern to unlock it. This is tied to the same protection applied to your device, so if your lock screen isn't protected by a code or pattern then the option won't appear when you're pinning apps.

6. Jump to app settings

The lock screen really has been given a major overhaul with the Android 5.0 Lollipop update, and the improvements include the ability to jump straight to an app's settings or information panel right from the lock screen. Long-press on any notification and (depending on the app) you'll see a cog icon (the app settings shortcut) and an info icon (the app notification settings shortcut).

7. Predict battery life

New to Android 5.0 Lollipop is the ability to see how much time is left before the battery runs out of juice, or how long you need to wait before your device is fully charged up. Tap on the battery icon in the notification drawer to see either reading (the time-until-charged information also appears on the lock screen a few minutes after you've connected your device to a power source).

8. Search settings and networks

Google's search bar is getting more ubiquitous with each passing version of Android, and in Lollipop it's made it into the Settings app. Tap the magnifying glass icon to use it. It can be a quick way of finding a particular option you're looking for, especially if you don't already know what menu or heading it's under. You can use the same feature to bring up saved Wi-Fi networks too.

9. Enter Guest Mode

Sharing devices with other people (friends, colleagues, family members, distracted children) can be a real pain, but Lollipop's new Guest Mode eases it somewhat. You can access Guest Mode by dragging down the notification drawer, tapping on your user account avatar, and then selecting Add guestfrom the menu (or just Guest if you've been through the process before).

10. Improve text legibility

If you were wondering if the Accessibility menu within Settings would get overlooked in the Android 5.0 upgrade, there's a new experimental feature here called High contrast text. Essentially, it gives white or difficult-to-read text a black outline when it's being viewed on a light background. It's applied to the "OK Google" text inside the home screen search bar, for example.

11. Chromecast more quickly

There's an official Chromecast app from Google that lets you screencast from any device running Android 4.4.2 or higher, but the functionality is built right into Android 5.0, which is great news for anyone with one of the compact streaming dongles to hand. It's right in the notification drawer—tap on the Cast screen icon to locate your Chromecast and begin screencasting.

12. Add trusted devices

A trusted device is a specified Bluetooth or NFC-enabled gadget that will automatically disable the security code or pattern on your your Android phone or tablet when it's in range. This means you don't have to fiddle around unlocking the Lollipop device when you're at home or in the car, for example. Head to Settings -> Security -> Smart Lock to set up the feature.

13. Hang a 'do not disturb' sign

This works a little bit like the priority app notifications we mentioned earlier, but it's based around times and days more than apps. Go to Settings -> Sound & notification -> Interruptions to set it up—it's perhaps best used overnight when you don't want to be disturbed, but there is the option to let certain contacts through as well as messages and alarms, if necessary.

14. Get back to your apps after a reboot

If you reboot your device in any version of Android before 5.0, all of your recently opened apps will disappear. In Lollipop, they're still present on the Overview screen, so you can quickly get back to a previous conversation or website if you need to (not all apps will remember exactly where you were in the app). To remove a card from the list, swipe it away to the left or right.

15. Play Google's Flappy Bird clone

Like earlier versions of Android, Lollipop has an Easter egg to unlock. Go to Settings -> About phone then tap quickly four times on the Android version entry. Once the Lollipop graphic appears, tap quickly on it several times then finish with a long press to launch a clone of Flappy Bird with an Android robot in place of the bird. It's just as frustrating to play as the original too.

16. Save the battery

Android 5.0 Lollipop includes a built-in battery saver mode that you can get to kick in at 15 percent battery, 5 percent battery or never (you can also switch it on and off manually). It cuts off some background syncing and vibrations and makes various other tweaks as well. If you select Battery from the Settings app you'll find the battery saver on the menu behind the three vertical dots.

10 awesome driving and travelling hacks for drivers.

#1 I see you

But I shouldn't see myself. Got it.

#2 Heat Wave

Now if only you didn't look so stupid while you did this...

#3 Last Drop

How come they don't teach this in driver's ed?

#4 Car Sick

Now if only we all looked that happy when we were car sick.

#5 Naptime

And it only costs $2.

#6 Holster

Yes Officer, this IS hands-free!

#7 Dude, Where's my...

What did we ever do without Google Maps?

#8 Kids Driving You Crazy?

A spot for every stinkin' toy!

#9 Right or Left

Makes too much sense to be that easy.

#10 Audio Upgrade

It's a perfect fit, lol !

Datawind to Launch Rs. 2,000 Android Phone With Free Lifetime Internet

 

With the aim to double its volumes, low-cost mobile devices maker Datawind on Friday said it will launch a Rs. 2,000 smartphone before Diwali that will come bundled with free Internet for life.The company said the device will be based on Android and have 3.5-inch display. Datawind currently has three smartphones and 5 tablets under its portfolio and is selling 40,000-50,000 devices every month.

"We are looking forward to launch our Rs. 2,000 smartphone and few other devices before Diwali and intent is to double our sales by the end of this calender year," Datawind Executive Vice President Rupinder Singh said here.

He added the company is in talks with 3 telecom operators for the free lifetime Internet offer but refused to divulge more details as the deal is yet to be finalised.
Asked about manufacturing in the country, Singh said the company has aggressive plans but did not mention any timeline for implementation.

Datawind had won the contract to supply 100,000 units of Aakash tablets priced at $49.98 apiece in 2011, translated into a price of Rs. 2,276 at that time.
The project was then handled by IIT Jodhpur which provided the specifications for the product. It, however, ran into controversy following IIT Jodhpur rejecting the devices manufactured by Datawind.

The project was then shifted under IIT Bombay and Datawind was asked to supply better version of the product, Aakash 2. Singh said the company had in May last year shipped all the tablets to the government.

The Aakash project was former minister Kapil Sibal's brainchild. The idea was to provide low-cost computing device at subsidised rate to students to enable them access Internet for educational purposes.

Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in a recent press conference said Aakash project needs better specifications.
Asked if Datawind would be interested if the government comes out with a tender for Aakash, Singh said,"Absolutely we will be interested in that. Just a couple of months before the elections, a tender was opened for Aakash 4 by DGS&D and we emerged as the lowest bidder."

Winamp Shut Down

Iconic media player Winamp to shut shop in December

Winamp, an iconic media player from the nineties, will cease to exist from December 20, with its owner AOL deciding to shut down the service.

AOL, which runs the popular media player, has announced that it will shut down Winamp.com and its associated web services.

"Winamp.com and associated web services will no longer be available past December 20, 2013. Additionally, Winamp Media players will no longer be available for download," a note on the Winamp.com website said.

Its last version (Winamp 5.66) was released yesterday. "Thanks for supporting the Winamp community for over 15 years," the note added.

Once synonymous for playing music for PC users in the '90s, Winamp was developed by Justin Frankel and Dmitry Boldyrev in 1997 as a freeware.

The music streaming services once boasted of a user base of over 50 million.

Frankel named his software company, Nullsoft, and continued development on the player. It was later turned into shareware with new features and functionality added to the player. Nullsoft was acquired by AOL in 1999.

Winamp's popularity grew with the growing trend of MP3 file sharing. It supports music playback using MP3, MIDI, MOD, MPEG-1 audio layers 1 and 2, AAC, M4A, FLAC, WAV and WMA. Winamp was one of the first common music players on Windows.

Initially developed for Windows, Winamp now offers betas for Android and Mac OS X and an alpha version for Linux as well.

Apple iPhone 5 Review

Apple iPhone 5 Review

For all the hype about the bigger display and the taller form factor, the iPhone 5 feels brilliant in the hand. The basic design remains pretty much like the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S, with the slightly elongated form factor. We really mean it when we say that photographs don’t do it justice, and you need to hold it in all its real glory to understand all the excitement about it. The shape is exactly the same, just slimmer, with the four rounded edges and the metal strip running around the sides as a frame.

Features & Specifications
The biggest issue I have with the iPhone 5 is the switch to the nano-SIM. As if the micro-SIM was anyways too big, this switch doesn’t make any logical sense. Compounding to the problem are our hapless mobile operators who either have no idea what a nano-SIM is, or do not help. For example, the Airtel customer care on the phone has no idea about this SIM. Walk into an Airtel Store, and they tell you straightaway that they’ll cut a nano-SIM for us, but will be only available on a post-paid connection. They also refused to chop the SIM of an existing Airtel prepaid connection as well.

Finally, to test the iPhone 5, I had to resort to ordering a nano-SIM cutter on ebay.in and chopped down one of the existing test SIM cards we had. Just to clarify, we used a Vodafone SIM card when the dust settled. This is quite a pain to implement. But, as pointed out by one consumer, what happens if my SIM card suddenly malfunctions when I am travelling to some city within India, where you may not necessarily get a nano-SIM? And we have to agree with that logic, considering these SIMs are not easily available even in the metro cities! Apple should consider the global scenario before deploying any new ideas. They may be able to ensure the operators in the U.S. offer the necessary services, but what about the rest of the world? Surely this is something to ponder for the wizards in Cupertino. And the mobile service operators in India surely need to do some introspection, with shame writ large on their faces.

The hardware on the iPhone 5 is one of the bright points, which ensure that the nano-SIM related gloom feels worth it at the end! The processor is an Apple A6 dual-core clocking at 1.2GHz and is paired with 1GB of RAM. The storage capacity options are 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. We tested the 16GB one, in white colour.

Apple increased the display size on the iPhone 5 to 4-inches with a resolution of 1136 x 640 pixels. Compared to the iPhone 4S, this is a rather considerable upgrade. The 4S had a 3.5-inch display with a 640 x 960 pixel display. The display quality does look considerably better on the iPhone 5, in a side-by-side comparison with the 4S. The colour looks more vivid, the blacks look deeper and the overall picture looks more lifelike. The iPhone 4S’s display was the best at its time, but the latest iteration of the iPhone display is quite far ahead of the predecessor. With the 16:9 aspect ratio, this phone is better for multimedia consumption. There will be no black bars at the top and the bottom of the widescreen format videos. The crispness of the display and the sharpness of the text is pretty much the same as the 4S. Also, the iPhone 5’s display is certainly reflecting ambient light, and offers slightly better viewing angles. Also, the 4S’s display seems less bright than the iPhone 5, at the exact same brightness levels.

People had often claimed that Apple will not increase the display size of the iPhone, and that 3.5-inches were optimum. However, the increased display size on the iPhone is actually making the experience more comfortable, at least when you are consuming data. On a web page, there is more information in one screen, and you scroll through the pages quicker. Unfortunately, since the iOS has not been tweaked to use the extra screen space for any additional features, which is pretty much about the apps getting more real estate. Hopefully, this will change with the next iOS update. 

Processor: Apple A6 dual core 1.2GHz

RAM: 1GB

Display: 4-inch (1136 x 640 pixels)

Graphics: PowerVR SGX543MP3

Storage: 16GB (also available in 32GB and 64GB)

Camera: 8MP iSight

Battery: 1440mAh

Platform: Apple iOS 6

 

Google TV is coming this September

Sony will start selling Google TV-based products in Europe in September, according to a report by Les Echos.
The site reports comments by Sony France marketing director Stephane Labrousse that the CE maker will sell two devices: A set-top box which will go on sale for €200 ($266) and a box with an integrated Blu-ray player that will sell for €300 ($399). Labrousse confirmed the launch in France, and Les Echos is reporting that it could launch in Spain, Germany and the U.K. at the same time as well.
Also worth noting is that the new Sony boxes will apparently have a Google Play button on their remote controls, giving direct access to Google’s app and content store. The box will also come with Sony’s own content offerings, including Music Unlimited.
Google TV has so far only been available in the U.S., but Sony said at CES that it would make its devices available internationally in 2012 as well. This is, however, the first time the company has provided a clear timeline for its plans to enter the European market, as well as a price — which is high, one should add.
Google’s problem in the U.S. was that the first batch of Google TV devices was too expensive for consumers.
The second generation of Google TV devices, due to go on sale this year from manufacturers like Sony, Samsung, LG and Vizio, is based on ARM’s chips instead of Intel’s, which is meant to bring the price down considerably. However, in light of the European pricing, one has to wonder whether the CPU platform switch will really have that much of an impact.

Google+ growing to 500m users

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Like the strong-willed youth it is, Google's budding social network is confidently going its own way.

In an AFP interview, Google+ vice president Bradley Horowitz shrugged off Silicon Valley obsession with a Facebook rivalry and focused on the internet titan playing to its strengths with an eye on the future.

"The way we think about Google+ is not pretending that today we can compete along every dimension of every competitor that is in a space," Horowitz said.

"The goals for Google+ are long-ranging and broad," he continued. "This is a reinvention of the consumer's relationship with Google that is going to unfold over a period of years."

The average number of people who use Google+ each month has climbed to 100 million since it opened to the public in September of last year. The figure for daily users is 50 million.

"Eventually, the 100 million users today are going to blossom into 500 million and by that time you will discover that all of your friends will be there on Google+," Horowitz predicted.

A unique Hangouts feature that lets as many as ten people at once get together for group video chats is a huge draw at the online community.

Hangouts can be limited to invited friends or opened to anyone.

The US president, musician Will.i.am, Desmond Tutu and even the Dalai Lama have taken part in "On Air" hangouts in which intimate online gatherings can be openly viewed at the social network.

"We think looking somebody in the eye and communicating in the normal social way we've learned to do over millennia is important," Horowitz said. "We wanted to bring that authenticity back into the equation."

Hangouts have surprised the Google+ team. They have been used for language and music lessons. A stutterers' support group uses them for group meetings.

Hangouts are used to let bedridden people virtually explore the world.

Longtime photographer John Butterill of Canada was new to Google+ when he took a sick friend on a "virtual photo walk" using a smartphone, a professional camera, and a hangout.

Butterill hiked snowy woods near his home during a streamed hangout in which his friend saw through the camera lens and directed the shots. A video of the walk posted at the social network went viral.

"I came home from the walk and there it was being shared by everyone," Butterill told AFP. "My mouth dropped open."

The friends launched a Virtual Photo Walks page at Google+ with a mission to "walk for those who can't."

Google+ users in cities around the world have signed on to act as legs and hands of people physically unable to venture out for themselves.

A photographer in Australia freshly recovered from a broken back virtually took a woman with Multiple Sclerosis on a walk to a beach in Perth.

"She said she never thought she'd hear the ocean again," Butterill said. "These people really know how to choke you up."

A photographer for nearly 40 years, Butterill insists that those directing shots get credit and rights to walk images.

"I am just the arms and legs," Butterill said. "It is like the person on the other side is holding the camera. It's just plain cool."

Virtual photo walks can go beyond picture-taking to being a way for people with disabilities to attend meetings or political events or even negotiate contracts in real time, according to Butterill.

"A soldier could take his hospitalized friend virtually to a pub for beer," he said.

Butterill's vision includes taking sick children on virtual photo walks of Disneyland.

"When we brought hangouts to market we knew we had something very special, but there was no way of telling whether this would be the next Chatroulette or something more meaningful," Horowitz said.

"It is really delightful when a product you built changes people's lives and you get these heartfelt stories about how it has touched them."

Google is weaving its social network into offerings such as its search engine and online video-sharing stage YouTube for a synergy that could offset the edge given Facebook by its network of more than 840 million members.

"Google of five years ago had many magical products, but they didn't sing in harmony," Horowitz said.

"We are creating a more comprehensive user experience across all of what we are doing," he continued. "We are threading the needle very carefully to do that without spoiling the magic."

Sony SmartWatch with Android

Featuring brushed chrome edges, the 1.3-inch OLED (65k color) touch screen features Bluetooth 3.0 and is compatible with Android phones from Sony, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and others. You may remember its predecessor, the Live View accessory that Sony Ericsson released in late 2010.

The dust and splash proof SmartWatch is essentially the same story. The updated version is sleeker in appearance (and about 0.3-inches thick), has an accelerometer, can vibrate, and will launch with a colorful swatch of wristband accessories. A black wristband and wristband adapter is included.

The SmartWatch will be available with pink, mint, blue, white, grey and black wristbands.

You can do many things through the techie timepiece, including the basics such as read SMS, e-mail, or the weather. In addition, a pop-up caller id prompt appears during incoming calls (allowing you to accept or deny), or check social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. I liked how it displays user icons with the status updates. I am on the fence in regards to the matter if it would be rude to look a watch during a conversation compared to a smartphone, though.
Details on battery life are vague, but with low usage, it will last a week. Moderate use turns the battery life figure into three or four days, while obsessive compulsives might need to recharge via its USB connection once a day.

Developers can learn more at the Smart Extension SDK, which gives further information about how to create apps for the SmartWatch on the Android market.

Huawei MediaPad tablet

NEW DELHI: You may think the 7-inch form factor for tablets is old and tired, thanks to the bunch of no-name and budget tablets crowding this space. But Huawei's MediaPad will make you change your mind.

It certainly is an impressive 7-inch tablet: unibody metal construction, excellent fit and build quality, useful ports (microHDMI, microUSB , 3.5mm audio), great performance and high-quality screen. A removable triangular panel on the back hides the SIM and microSD card slot - although it's plastic, it does not detract from overall appearance.

The display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels - you get sharp output and first-rate touch response. The hardware matches up with most highend tablets available today. It runs stock Android 3.2 on a dual core 1.2Ghz processor with 1GB RAM with 8GB storage expandable via microSD card. Thanks to the hardware and the fact that Android 3.2 is optimised for devices with smaller displays, the performance (general navigation, running apps, multimedia and gaming) is terrific. Purely for multimedia playback, the MediaPad is fantastic.

It supports most common video formats and plays HD movies without a hitch. Video playback is smooth without any jitters or visible artifacts and it even allows for seamless forward and reverse skipping.

In terms of audio, the sound output is very loud thanks to the dual speakers. However, the placement of both speakers on the same side of the tablet did lead to the output being muffled when the tablet was held from the left side. The music player did not detect files copied directly to the tablet's storage - it requires that music be transferred using Huawei's Tablet Manager software.

A workaround for that is to play audio files using the file manager, through the gallery or by installing a third-party audio player. At the back is a 5MP autofocus camera that takes average quality images in daylight.

Using the camera indoors and under dark conditions is best avoided, as images are full of noise with significant amounts of purple fringing. An LED flash would be helpful, but the tablet lacks one. Video recording is done in 720p HD resolution by both front and rear cameras but suffers from excessive noise.

With automatic brightness, Wi-Fi connectivity and mixed use of apps and multimedia, the MediaPad was able to provide a 5 hour battery backup. Currently, the MediaPad is the only 7-inch Wi-Fi + 3G tablet running Android 3.2 tablet in India. At the same price, you can get Android 3.1 tablets with larger screens ( Acer Iconia Tab 501) with similar hardware. Or you could consider the single core HTC Flyer which has dropped to 22,000 after a recent price cut.

Some real competition for the MediaPad will arrive once Samsung launches the Galaxy Tab 7.0plus - a 7-inch Android 3.2 tablet with similar hardware and connectivity options and is expected to be priced about the same.

Facebook comes to Mercedes cars

SAN FRANCISCO: At restaurants, at movies and at the office, checking Facebook has become a regular habit for many of the internet social network's more than 800 million users.
Now that habit has reached a new frontier: the automobile.
Mercedes-Benz USA is bringing Facebook to its cars, with a special version of the service that is built-in to a new in-vehicle telematics system that will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Accessing Facebook on the road is not the exactly the same as using the social network on a personal computer or a smartphone. The version of Facebook offered in Daimler AG's Mercedes is stripped down to a limited set of features, specially designed for drivers and centered around the locations of friends and businesses.
But according to Facebook Vice President of Partnerships and Platform Marketing Dan Rose, the Mercedes version of Facebook reflects the social networking service's expansion to a growing list of settings where screens and internet connections are available.
"Now that cars have screens that are intelligent, you would expect that more and more car manufacturers will want to make those screens capable of allowing people to connect with their friends and take advantage of the social context that comes along with that," Rose said in an interview.
"One of the core things that people do on their screens in the car is GPS navigation and the ability to see which of your friends are nearby is something we think will be really interesting for people."
He noted Facebook is also increasingly being integrated into televisions, with various TV manufacturers expected to showcase built-in Facebook integration at CES. DirectTV will show off a new social TV app with Facebook capabilities at CES, allowing people to share what they are watching and to add commentary.
But unlike television sets, offering Facebook in motor vehicles involves critical safety considerations, particularly at a time when lawmakers and safety advocates are increasingly focused on distracted driving.
Robert Policano, Mercedes' Product Manager for Telematics Services said the service is no more distracting than a standard in-car navigation system or radio. Any Facebook activity that requires a user to enter text is disabled while the car is in motion, he said.
The Facebook application displays a variety of standard, pre-written postings that a driver can publish on Facebook with quick taps or turns of a knob.
If a particular destination is already entered into the car's navigation system, the driver can automatically publish a Facebook posting stating they are en route to that destination, along with an estimated time of arrival, based on the current traffic patterns.
Drivers can also quickly access a list of friends that are nearby, or restaurants in the vicinity that their friends have "liked" on Facebook.
The Mercedes Facebook offering is the result of a collaboration between the two companies that started about six months ago, according to Policano. A Mercedes engineering team based in Palo Alto actually built the Facebook application, with input from Facebook on various aspects.
Facebook is one of several specially designed apps, including Google Inc and Yelp, that Mercedes drivers can flip between by turning a knob.
The apps are part of Mercedes new mbrace2 telematics system, which features a high-resolution color screen near the dashboard and a high-speed wireless Internet connection.
The mbrace2 system will be available with the launch of the 2013 SL-Class Mercedes in the Spring. The company plans to make it a standard feature on all Mercedes 2013 models that will roll out throughout the year.
One popular Facebook feature that Mercedes drivers will not get, however, is the ability to play social games such as Zynga Inc's Farmville. Mercedes' version of Facebook does not support third-party apps.

Akash Tablet in Gujarat

20 Students of Gujarat was invited in launching of Akash Ubislate Tablet computer in New Delhi. The "Akash" or "sky" was launched by by Kapil Sibal, the Human Resources Development Minister. The original cost of the tablet is Rs. 2,250 but Central Government decided to give tablet computer to some selected students in just Rs. 1100. Among all selected students of India, 20 students from Gujarat was selected , they get an Akash tablet to bring it home, they all are chosen to use the world’s Cheapest tablet computer, after that they will give feedback regarding to tablet. Students will use it and find what problems they facing while using it and what benefits they get while using it. 

Akash is in its Beta (testing face) version because there may be chances of technical fault in Akash. When all students get tablet, which will change the life of students. We will have not to carry heavy books daily because we can store all EBooks in little tablet and can open it when our class will going on. Obviously our bag size and weight will be decreased. Now we have to wait to get Akash!