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Are OUYA & GameStick the future of gaming?

ANDROID GAMINGREVOLUTION

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REVIEW

Master the new Maps, Gmail and ChromeNEW GOOGLE APPS

» True multitasking» Unbreakable security» Beats Audio-style sound

HTC ONE MINI

Is this your perfect sized phone?

FIRST LOOK ISSUE 28

3

WelcomeTo issue 28 «

Welcome“We’re taking a look at OUYA, GameStick and a few of the others this month, to see whether they really do represent the start of a new era for gaming”

A QR code is a 2D barcode that can act as a shortcut for delivering information, such as weblinks. You’ll notice them throughout the mag – scan them on your phone and you can download apps and send us messages instantly.

HOW TO USE THEQR CODES

When it has read, the phone will beep and vibrate, then launch the link. You may need to choose an app to launch it with.

Launch the link2

ShopSavvy FreeDownload this free barcode scanner to use our QR codes. Handily, you can scan normal barcodes with it too, to help you fi nd bargains on all your

favourite purchases!

Zero-click access to the best apps in the Google Play store

Open ShopSavvy, hit the Scan a Barcode button and then hold your phone over a QR code so that it appears in the window.

Get scanning1

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The history of mobile gaming has been long and somewhat chequered. Nintendo’s Game

Boy is the biggest-selling console ever produced, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken. A decade ago, when Nokia decided it could merge phones and mobile games into a single device it came up with the N-Gage,

one of the most notorious failures in the history of mobile tech. Since then smartphones have taken gaming to a new level. Casual games like Angry Birds have become part of the pop culture landscape, and at the time of writing, half of the top 20 paid apps on the Play store are games. Yet subsequent attempts to make dedicated devices – Sony’s Xperia Play from 2011 – simply fail to take advantage of this popularity.

Today the industry is having another go, only this time it’s not the big names, but ambitious startups that are leading the way. We’re taking a look at OUYA, GameStick and a few of the others this month, to see whether they really do represent the start of a new era for gaming, or whether they will simply disappear into the shadows once the hype about the Xbox One and PS4 really kicks into gear. Ideally the potential of these devices should not be limited to games, so we’ve taken a look at some of the hacks you can do on them too.

Also this month we’ve got a troubleshooting guide that should solve any problem you’ve got with your phone, and test out the best new hardware, including the Samsung Galaxy Mega, surely as big as a phone will ever get.

Google Keyboard

Zombie Invasion

Camera FV-5

FotMob

Carbon for Twitter

WarGames

MY HOME SCREENOn (and off) Andy’sphone this month…

GET IN TOUCHLet us know what you’d like to see in next issue…

Andy Betts Editor

This monthI’ve been testing:

HTC One MiniNot that much

smaller, but it looks like being as good as

the original

APP

SIN

APP

SO

UT

Contents» Inside issue 28

CONTENTS15 Special offer for USA readers » 56 Exclusive subscription offer

06 Is device saturation harming Android?Are there just too many Android phones, or is more the merrier? We take a look

09 NewsWe look at the journey of the Nexus 7, a year on from its launch, and ask if it has made the impact Google hoped for

10 Million SellersWe talk to the team behind imo messenger about what makes a successful app

11 HTC One MiniWe go hands-on with the brand-new HTC One Mini

LauncherPreviews, news and speculation from the Android world

www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

12 10 things you need to know about Android camerasGet the lowdown on the new range of Android cameras and camera apps

14 Finance appsA collection of some of the best-looking fi nance and money management apps

16 MessagesSound off about anything and everything to do with Android

Massive troubleshooting guide for your devices

58 Android gaming revolution Are OUYA and GameStick the future of gaming?

11 First look: HTC One MiniIs this your perfect-sized phone?

4

18

84 Samsung Galaxy S4

Active Rugged phone

tested

Visit the Android Magazine online shop atfor back issues and books

75quickfi xes and upgrades

ContentsInside issue 28«

Essential guides to getting more from your phone or tablet

26 Back to stockRemove or hide the bloatware on your phone and make it pure Android

30 Tutorials30 Discover Maps’ new features32 Master the new Gmail app34 Change default apps36 Set up your phone or tablet as

a webcam38 Restrict multitasking39 How to password protect

your apps40 Explore Chrome’s hidden settings

70 90night

68 Amazon Local

67 BBC Weather

71 Cloud Print

75 Color Zen

69 ComicRack

67 CPU-Z

75 Crush

67 EasilyDo

71 ESPN FC

72 Feedly

75 Final Fantasy IV

68 Floating Notifi cations

75 The Forest of Doom

71 Foursquare

72 gReader

75 Guncrafter

74 Heart Breaker

70 Hootie for Twitter

71 InstaMessage

74 Man of Steel

71 ParkMe

71 Path

68 Permissions Watcher

75 Quadropus Rampage

67 SmugMug

71 SocialShare

71 Split Pic

75 UNO & Friends

66 Vine

70 Zoobe Pets

AppsYour complete guide to Google Play 66 App reviewsThe best and latest apps from the Play store on test

72 News appsWhich is the best app to replace Google Reader?

74 Game reviewsThe latest Android games reviewed

App review index

48 Hacking tips and tricks50 Multi-tasking with Paranoid

Android ROM52 Unbreakable security with

Cerberus54 Beats-style audio on any

Android deviceExplore the limits of your Android phone

Hacker Zøne

TutorialsReviews

76 The best mid-range phonesFour top mid-range handsets go head-to-head

30 Discover Maps’ new featuresFull guide to using the new-look Maps app

Cutting-edge tablets and smartphones on test

76 The best mid-range phones

Group test of the best mid-range Android phones

84 Reviews84 Samsung Galaxy S4

Active86 Samsung Galaxy

Note 888 Huawei Ascend P290 Nook HD+92 Huawei Ascend Y300

94 AccessoriesPower up your phone or tablet with this collection of goodies

» www.littlegreenrobot.co.ukCheck our website daily for even more news

5

42 Droid SupportReaders’ questions answered, plus troubleshooting tips and tricks

46 Android challengeLearn golf: Master the ancient art of golf, with help only from your apps

86 Huawei Ascend P2Is this your next phone?

The number of Galaxy devices per yearSamsung’s launches

6

All the latest from the world of Android devices

Is Android in danger of being overloaded with new devices?

Whenever you look to invest in a new Android smartphone the choice is terrifi c, but look a little closer and what do you really see?

Chances are many of the devices on offer will be made by Samsung, with the Galaxy range beginning to dominate not only sales, but the number of devices available too. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that Samsung has been quick to launch a wide selection of devices in the past couple of years, covering a variety of niches, screen sizes and design choices and taking with it the lion share of the Android market share. Samsung’s dominance has seen many Android manufacturers

Is device saturation harming Android?

reduce the number of devices they bring out for fear their device will be left overshadowed by the Samsung juggernaut, and despite competition from big brands such as Sony, Samsung still now remains in pole position.

“Samsung has an Android mobile in every price range and with every other feature a user could ask for. Be it CDMA, GSM, dual-SIM, large screen, small screen... you name it, they have it! The aim is clear, they want to make sure that they offer everything to everyone and dominate the market,” says Annkur Agarwal, CEO of PriceBaba.com. “Another great advantage Samsung

“It’s getting hard to keep up with all of Samsung’s launches. The number of S4 variants this year seemed particularly excessive. The strategy has worked for the company so far, but you do feel like they might dilute the brand if they release too many models that are not up to scratch”

Our view

Andy Betts, Editor

THE bigSTORYTotal number of Android devices74

10 million units of the Samsung Galaxy S4 have been shipped – so far

10

Samsung shipped 70 million smartphones in first quarter of 2013

7048%Samsung account for 48% of entire

European smartphone market

0

5

10

15

20

25

2009 2010 2011 2012 20133

10

23

18 20

2.6 2.8 3.

8

3.

97 4 4.2 4.27 4.3 4.5 4.52 4.65 4.7

4.8

4.

9

5 5

.3

5..5 5.8 6.3 7 7.7 8 8.9

10 10

.1

Number of screen sizes ‘Sta

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tats

from

Sam

sung

and

Juni

per’

Where does Samsung make its profits?

2011 2012

11%Displays

andTvs

46%Media

Communications

16%Other

20%Other

33%Digital Media

31%Media

Communications

16%Displays and

TVs 27%Digital Media

7

»twitter@lgrobotFollow us on Twitter for the latest updates

Stay up to date Catch up with the latest

Android news and gossip

HTC by the numbers

The Galaxy devices you’ve never heard ofTake a look at some of the most obscure Galaxy devices to hit the market in recent years

Samsung Galaxy Ch@tThe Ch@t was Samsung’s attempt to bring both a full touchscreen experience, alongside a QWERTY key-board. The phone itself came with a range of pre-installed messaging apps for users to play around with and take advantage of the keyboard attached to the bottom.

Samsung Galaxy PrevailSold exclusively through Boost Mobile in the US and Australia, the Prevail was a 3.2-inch device running Android 2.3. The most unusual feature of the Prevail was the fact it was one of the very few Galaxy devices not to be running Samsung’s own custom skin, TouchWiz.

Samsung Galaxy WAlso known as the Galaxy Wonder, the W was a slightly smaller version of the Galaxy S II, with downgraded specs as well. Despite this, the W offered a remarkably clear 3.6-inch display that boasted an impressive 252 ppi that beats many of its high-end rivals today.

Annkur Agarwal, CEO of PriceBaba.com

“They want to make sure that they offer everything to everyone“

All the way down from the low-end Samsung Galaxy Ace to the high-end Samsung Galaxy S4, you’ll always fi nd the familiar Samsung design. Although there is an argument for the fact that if the design is still racking up sales then there’s no need to change, it also shows just how far Samsung is behind the rest of the competition. With the likes of Sony creating ultra-thin tablets with cutting-edge design, Samsung’s bid at staying safe may ultimately lead to its downfall.

The fall of HTCFor keen Android followers, many will recognise this isn’t the fi rst time a company has attempted a full saturation of the Android market. HTC was renowned for its ability to churn out a new device on a monthly basis. Similar to what Samsung is currently doing, many of these devices offered incremental changes, and for the most part, consumers lapped it up. Devices like the Wildfi re, Desire and Explorer all cemented their own portion of the market, but with many of its other devices incurring minimal interest, such as the ChaCha, HTC’s fortunes soon changed.

HTC’s fall has been well documented over the past couple of months. At both the end of 2012 and fi rst few months of 2013, the company announced record losses, with profi ts almost falling by half. At the same time there was a massive management reshuffl e, with a number of the most instrumental people behind HTC’s attempt to takeover the

has is a whole army of Galaxy users who are more likely to buy another Galaxy phone whenever they upgrade. So having good low-end offerings helps them build a pipeline for future users.”

Incremental changesFor the unsuspecting consumer, the choice in the Galaxy range is fantastic, but it can also quickly alienate them as well. “Having to do research to pick a phone is a huge barrier to entry for wannabe Galaxy owners,” says Joe Lallouz, co-founder of Grand St. “Too much choice can defi nitely be a bad thing.” When looking at the choice on offer by Samsung, you really have to understand what you’re getting in return. Most of its lower and mid-range phones and tablets have incremental changes, with some offering just a small increase or decrease in screen size.

But that isn’t to say Samsung hasn’t pioneered its own unique range of devices. The Samsung Galaxy Note was the fi rst phablet to hit the market and has since spawned a series of competition. Although the Galaxy Camera hasn’t hit the same heights as the Galaxy Note series, it once again shows a pioneering take on what a smartphone can truly do.

With the line of devices being never ending, it also brings up questions about the quality Samsung implement. Sveinung Kval Bakken, Lead Developer at Fueled Collective, believes that Samsung’s need to push devices out can lead to some shortcuts being made: “If the time to market reduces the focus on quality, then the market is fl ooded with smartphones and software that isn’t in a production ready state.” Where Samsung get praise for its devices is always with the features and technology it manages to include, but for the most part you’ll often see criticism with the plastic exterior and its perceived lower level of build quality as compared to rivals like HTC, who have embraced premium design and build.

HTC followed the same path as Samsung, but how did it end up?

HTC represents a warning to Samsung in how a strategy of saturating the market can go horribly wrong. In 2010, with device like the Desire, HTC was well placed to become the dominant manufacturer. But in 2011 it fell into the trap of launching one device after another, even going so far as to replace the fl agship Sensation with the better Sensation XE after just three months. With no focus for the range, and coupled with confused marketing, HTC’s sales started to grind to a halt. The same year Samsung launched the Galaxy S II. The rest, as they say, is history.

‘Sta

ts s

tats

from

HTC

Inve

stor

s and

Gim

ono

0

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

500,000

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 (so far)

152,559144,880

278,084

465,796

289,020

121,830

Profit in NT$ Million

Amount of devices

1 4

12

21

9

3

8

»www.littlegreenrobot.co.ukVisit us daily for news and more

There’s no denying that Samsung is leading the race to dominate the Android market, but beyond it, the total number of devices on offer remains staggering…

4

6

0

10

20

30

0

50

0

70

80

HTC Samsung Sony Huawei LG ZTE Motorola Acer Alcatel Cherrymobile

i-mobile Meizu Pantech

How many devices has each manufacturer launched?

Total number of Android activations: 900 millionTotal number of Android devices: 742

Android marketplace now parting with the company. It has fi rmly centred the future success around the fl agship HTC One, which has received applause from most for the premium fi nish it offers users. Initial success for the One is good, with the device both shipping and selling more than the company anticipated, and HTC is now on the brink of launching the fi rst, and only, spin-off from the One with the HTC One Mini. HTC has learnt from its mistakes, but has taken a massive hit in the process, costing them both money and personnel, a hit that many feel Samsung will soon receive.

“It’s hard to imagine any company, even as large as Samsung, keeping this pace up. Hopefully by doing this they learn what consumers like and then switch to a handful of focused devices, which will ultimately lead to a better experience for everyone,” says Aaron Henshaw, co-founder of Grand St. Annkur Agarwal agrees: “If Google’s priorities change, with regard to third-party manufacturers, that could impact Samsung in a big way.”

Time for changeTo avoid HTC’s mistakes, many believe that Samsung need to path out a clear focus. Recent news has suggested that the S4 Active, a waterproof version of the Galaxy S4, will be the last spin-off device of Samsung’s fl agship. Although it’s only a small step, it’s the early signs that Samsung are starting to hold back just a bit. There’s also been a massive slowdown in the release of tablets within its Tab series, a line of tablets that have all been a rather mediocre affair – so far. Similarly, its newest low-end offering, the Galaxy Ace 3, will face an unprecedented amount of competition from the likes of Sony and Huawei upon its release.

Sveinung Bakken believes that a clear focus on high-end devices should be both Samsung’s and

HTC’s main aim: “I would like to see both HTC and Samsung focus on high-quality phones that can sell volumes, something that HTC currently does a better job at with the One. The Samsung phones just don’t feel very exclusive compared to the glass and aluminium of its competitors and consumers need to feel like they bought something exclusive after dropping so much money on a single device.”

The futureSamsung’s dominance of the Android smartphone market is clear for all to see, and despite strong offerings from rivals, Samsung has managed to come out on top time and time again. To keep up with what it’s currently doing is a hard task to manage and it’s diffi cult to imagine that each device is making the company a profi t.

There’s no denying it’s in the driver’s seat at the moment, and as Alex Genadinik, founder of Problemio.com mentions, it’s up to Samsung which direction it takes: “Samsung has a clear, dominant position in the smartphone market for Android devices. So at the moment, they have all the momentum.” But momentum only takes you so far.

With increased competition from some of the smaller manufacturers and wallets getting tighter and tighter, the Korean manufacturer may not be king of the Android market for too much longer.

“Having to do research to pick a phone is a huge barrier for wannabe Galaxy owners“

Joe Lallouz, co-founder of Grand St.

Sony on the rise

While Samsung look to take full control of the Android market, Sony has slowly been gathering momentum, propelling itself as one of the major contenders for market share. Sony’s range, under the Xperia brand, sees the company following Samsung’s lead in producing models for each sector of the market, in Sony’s case working its way through the alphabet, literally from A to Z. It has also had a tendency to repeat that dangerous trick of launching fl agship devices within months of each other – one of the causes of HTC’s downfall.

6

12

15

18

21

9

3

20132010 2011 2012

4

11

17

8

Number of Xperias per year

Get in touch! Send us your thoughts on all things Android

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9

Nexus 7: one year onAs an updated Nexus 7 goes on sale, we ask whether the device has had the impact Google hoped for

The world’s thinnest phoneHuawei is establishing itself as the Android manufacturer to watch. With the P6, the company has unleashed the thinnest smartphone in the world. With premium design and build, and measuring just 6.18mm thin, it is a another sign that Samsung may soon have serious competition.

Two HTC Ones in oneDue to popular demand the HTC One has been made available in both Sense and Vanilla Android versions. That’s great news, unless you’re forced to choose between the two and cannot decide. With MoDaCo.Switch you can boot effortlessly between the two setups, giving you the ultimate two-for-one deal.

A new take on social networkingEveryone is looking at ways to harness the power of social networking, and The Blue Market may be a new revolution in the making. The service, which launches soon, will enable you to build your follower base and get your posts in front of more eyes than ever before.

Developments to watch in the Androshpere

WHAT’SHOT

A year ago Google launched the Nexus 7, its budget, seven-inch Android tablet manufactured by Asus. As its follow-up

goes on sale, though, was it as ground-breaking as initial reviews suggested, and did it really shake up the market as Google intended?

As we go to press, data on the size of the tablet market in the fi rst half of 2013 is just starting to trickle through. Compared to the same period last year, tablet sales in the UK have grown a massive 389% with market analysts suggesting that this rate of growth has been driven by the increased availability of low-end Android platforms. Indeed, while Apple’s share of the tablet market has fallen to 37%, Android devices now account for 61% compared to just 25% in the fi rst quarter of 2012. But what of the Nexus 7? While awaiting more detailed data on the last three months, we looked at the market for just Q1, 2013.

While Apple still dominated the top spot and Samsung remained in second place, Asus leapfrogged Amazon to take the third position having enjoyed a year-on-year growth of 350%. Few people are in any doubt that the Nexus 7 was instrumental in Asus achieving this impressive rate of growth. We spoke to Dixons Retail, who own PC World and Currys, and said: “The demand for the Nexus 7 has remained consistent since launch – always within our top three tablet products. The device has set a high standard in build quality, feature set and usability with wider Google content. In our opinion, Nexus 7 continues to strongly engage customers.“

Market share doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story, though. Google would have also been hoping that developers would have embraced the tablet and produced more apps optimised for the big screen. That has not happened to quite the level expected. And while phone apps scale up reasonably well on seven-inch devices like the Nexus, for anything larger the absence of high-quality apps remains obvious. A new tablet section in the Play store, plus a landscape-oriented Nexus may help the second generation succeed in this area.

“Asus leapfrogged Amazon having enjoyed year-on-year growth of 350%”

10

»twitter@lgrobotFollow us on Twitter for the latest updates

Stay up to date Catch up with the latest

Android news and gossip

Inside Android’s most popular apps

imo messenger

Use the phone icon to start a voice or video call

Rate and like broadcasts from

your contacts

Send voice messages using the

microphone icon

Millionsellers

imo is lacking a social discovery feature, is this something you’re looking to add?We will continue to improve this experience by expanding into related features, such as a social discovery tool on the imo network. The social discovery feature will help us learn what you are interested in, based on your behaviour on the network and thus base new features around our user’s preferred tastes and interests. We will help you discover people, news and topics you care about without plying your phone with too many notifi cations.

The Android OS is always changing, what can you do to keep imo updated alongside it?We try to integrate new features from the Android platform

whenever possible, and we manage to do so on a pretty regular basis. For example, when NFC came out we added support for it as a fast way to quickly share contact information. We’ve also made sure the way you distribute and share fi les is made a lot easier through the imo app, as this is a key feature that many of our users like to use on a regular basis.

Above all else, what’s your favourite feature you offer?I use imo every day without fail. It’s diffi cult to pick out a favourite feature, but I’ve been using chat groups most often to stay in touch with my family. I use the group photos feature daily to share photos of my daughter with them when I’m not with them, or away with work.

Samsung TouchWiz

A brief history of…TouchWiz is the odd name for the custom skin Samsung uses on all of its Android devices. As with all manufacturers it gives the company’s products real market differentiation, although due to its size and wealth of features is not without its critics. We take a look at its growth over the years.

What other services can imo messenger be connected to?We built imo because our friends and family were segmented across the different IM networks. We wanted one easy application to connect to all of them. Currently we support most of the popular IM networks including Skype, MSN, Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Hynes, VKontakte and Steam. We’re always looking for new IM networks to connect with and offer our users a brilliant overall service.

Some messaging apps have problems with fi le distribution, is this something imo caters for?Sending and receiving fi les is an important part of messaging and something that has vastly improved in recent years on Android phones

and tablets. On imo you can send and receive photos, videos, and other documents. In our chat groups, the photos you send are saved to a permanent gallery. The nice thing about group photos is that they are sent in real-time so that family and friends can see them instantly without going through complicated menus.

How focused are you on implementing new features into the app?We are always improving the app and focus a lot of our time on user experience. This past year we made major improvements, including adding free, high-quality calls and a design overhaul. By focusing our efforts on the reliability of our message delivery, we have made a better user experience.

Q&A Ralph Harik, CEO of imo

W ith the likes of Skype and WhatsApp dominating the messaging section of the Play store, it can hard for a relatively new app to make an impact, but that hasn’t been the case for imo

messenger. At its core, imo is all about staying in contact with your friends and family while also being able to make free video calls and share fi les. Conversations are easy to manage and you can invite as many people as you want without creating pesky duplicate contacts. Above all else, imo can be connected to a wealth of desktop messaging clients to make you never lose contact with anyone. It really is a fantastic app.

Downloads: 1 - 5 mil Developer: imo.im Price: Free Play store rating: ½

The original Samsung Galaxy smartphone had a skin that was subtle by today’s standards. With Samsung still fi nding its feet in the fl edgling new smartphone world it was mostly pure Android.

2009 2010With the fi rst Galaxy S smartphone came the fi rst real – and controversial – version of TouchWiz. Its rounded icons helped play a part in Apple’s lawsuit against Samsung, with accusations of copying.

Create a broadcast to share your current thoughts

11

We take a hands-on look at the smaller version of the popular HTC One. Can HTC pull off the same trick twice?

HTC One Mini

The hotly rumoured and much leaked HTC One Mini has fi nally launched. It’s an upper mid-range handset that effectively replaces last year’s One S,

but shares the exact same styling, software, and most of the features of the very well received HTC One.

HTC says the Mini is an attempt to take the One range to as wide an audience as possible. Yet curiously it’s not massively cheaper, nor is it considerably smaller. It’s a tall handset, thanks to the presence of the impressive BoomSound speakers at either end, and with the same aluminium unibody chassis as the One – and the same build quality – it is a solid, weighty device.

The device has been shrunk to fi t around a 4.3-inch display (720p and over 300ppi pixel density), and it does feel particularly good in the hand. It’s easy to manoeuvre around the screen, and easier to reach up to the power button still located on the top-left edge of the phone.

As is always the case with ‘Mini’ variants, the specs have been reduced in several areas. Compared to the One the processor is now dual-core rather than quad-core (Snapdragon 400), RAM – somewhat disappointingly – is 1GB rather than 2GB (with around 770MB available), storage capacity has dropped to 16GB

(the unit we were handling had less than 10GB available, although we can’t be sure it will be as low from a factory reset), and the battery capacity has also fallen. On top of that HTC couldn’t fi nd room to squeeze in either NFC or the infrared port from the One. You do get the full Sense experience, including an upgraded Zoe that has more themes and now enables you to add your own music tracks, and Android 4.2.2 is on board. The camera is the same ‘Ultra-pixel’ four-megapixel sensor from the One.

On the whole our fi rst impressions of the One Mini are very positive. The One was one of the most impressive phones we’ve ever seen, and although the Mini doesn’t have quite the same wow factor, it appears to share all of that device’s strengths. The spec reductions didn’t appear to have any signifi cant impact on performance, either, as the device ran smoothly in our tests.

A shortage of storage is likely to be the biggest concern, and we’ll have to wait and see whether a lack of RAM hinders the prospects of future OS updates, a pertinent concern given HTC’s recent announcement that it wouldn’t be updating the One S any further, little more than a year after it went on sale.

We’ll review the Mini in full next month.

2011A year later Samsung introduced the Galaxy S II and TouchWiz started to form its own identity. Tweaks made the phone more useable, although the styling was still not loved.

On to today, and TouchWiz is arguably an even more important part of Samsung’s devices than Android is. With an all encompassing UI and masses of gimmicks it has helped Samsung dominate the Android scene in a way no other company can match.

2013After the S III in 2012 came the Note II. This included numerous unique features like the multi-window mode that enabled users to use two apps at the same time.

2012

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The HTC One Mini shares many of the features that made its bigger

brother a massive success

hands-on

»www.littlegreenrobot.co.ukVisit us daily for news and more

12

3 Detailed featuresIf you know your

way around a camera, then you’ll want to check out the various settings and menus you can tinker with. There’s a selection of great tools to get the correct white balance, adjust ISO settings and plenty of options regarding the fl ash settings.

2 Easy editingWhy many users are

starting to take advantage of the camera on their smartphone is due to the excellent editing suite that is available to them as soon as you’ve taken a few snaps. Through the Gallery app you can apply fi lters, frames and even crop your photos without ever needing to download a third-party app.

4 Crop, don’t zoom

A common problem with many images taken on smartphones is that as soon as you start to zoom in to a particular point of interest the quality instantly disappears. To counter this, try and crop the image to remove parts of the image you don’t like.

8 Instagram and companyAfter taking lots of shots, why not

check out some of the best photo sharing apps available from the Google Play store. The best choice is Instagram, which houses millions of user-uploaded images, which you can look at and rate. Upload your own images and see who recommends your picture-perfect images.

5 No depthWith small sensors and

wide lenses, it’s hard to add depth of fi eld. Some third-party apps include a blurring tool which adds a fake depth of fi eld, but the results can be mixed.

9 Scene-by-sceneAnother standard feature

you’ll now fi nd with most Android phones is being able to choose a particular scene for taking photos. These scenes help the phone understand how light the area is, if you’re trying to capture a moving object, or even trying to take an image from a distance away.

7 Using Panorama modeOne of the areas which smartphone cameras have

excelled in is panorama shots. Users that run Android 4.0 or later can now use the Panorama mode on their smartphones to capture a 360-degree image that wasn’t readily available in older versions of the Android operating system.

6 Galaxy CameraSamsung’s combination of phone and

digital camera split opinions. The Galaxy Camera boasts incredible photo quality and a whole multitude of features to try out. Around the back of the device you’ll fi nd a 4.8-inch screen that runs Android 4.1 and all the Android features you’d expect.

1 All about qualityCertain Android phone manufacturers

have made big jumps in the overall quality of the camera they offer on their smartphones. With the release of the Xperia Z, Sony included the brilliant Exmor sensor that it uses in its own digital cameras.

things you need to know about...Android cameras

10 Cut the jargonAt its core, what makes

cameras on smartphones great is that they are accessible to everyone and don’t include the jargon that leaves most confused. Although the overall quality will probably always fall short of what you can achieve with a proper digital camera, it certainly is improving.

Get in touch! Send us your thoughts on all things Android

»emailqa@littlegreenrobot.co.ukGot questions or comments? Drop us an email and let us know

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»twitter@lgrobotFollow us on Twitter for all the latest gossip

Play store picks

Lost at Sea John Ronson

Price: £6.99A collection of non-fi ction stories about the stranger members of the world’s population, from UFO hunters to real life superheroes.

Our favourites from the Play store this month

Cloud Atlas

Price: £3.49 (rent), £9.99 (buy)This epic fantasy drama sees six intertwining stories set thousands of years apart.

The best in digital mags for your phone or tablet

Get more from your phone, phablet or tablet by downloading the latest tech, gaming and knowledge magazines from Imagine Publishing’s supersite, www.greatdigitalmags.com. The site offers over 100

high-quality magazines and books on topics from space to science fi ction, photography to Photoshop. The titles are available across all main magazine platforms including Google Play, on which Android Magazine is a permanent fi xture in the top 20 best sellers, as well as Amazon and iTunes. Every magazine is available at a substantially discounted price and is available to enjoy as and when you like, 24/7.

As well as Android Magazine you can fi nd a host of other popular titles including How It Works, Digital Photographer, SciFi Now and gamesTM. Simply head over to www.greatdigitalmags.com to explore the catalogue of titles and start downloading today.

Find your favourite tech, gaming and knowledge mags through Imagine Publishing’s digital supersite

Price: £7.49If you missed out on your free copy courtesy of Samsung, pick up the new album via the Google Play store now.

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SMARTPHONES.TABLETS.ACCESSORIES

All prices include VAT, but exclude delivery. Prices are correct at time of going to press. Website price always applies. Errors and omissions should be excepted.

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GALLERY OF...

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Stay up to date Catch up with the latest

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AMAZING FINANCE APPS

If you want to save money on

your car insurance then load up the Aviva app. It will analyse and rate how you drive, demonstrating to the insurance company that you are a safe bet. We don’t know how well that bit works, but it looks nice…

Aviva DriveWhether or not you have a

Barclays account you can use Pingit to send and receive money. It even supports payments by QR code for some businesses, making it a convenient payment system while we all wait for NFC to be rolled out properly.

Barclays PingitMoney Tab is the simplest of

fi nance apps and also one of the most useful. It tracks your daily expenditure so you can keep an eye on how much you are spending and what on. A beautifully refi ned interface makes it a pleasure to use.

Money TabOne of the most comprehensive

fi nance and expense managers is also one of the easiest and most enjoyable in the category to use. With a powerful set of reporting tools and plenty of silly graphics, managing your fi nances has never been so much fun.

Toshl Finance

If you ever need a calculator more

powerful than the one on your phone then Calculator & Converter Pro is it. With an enormous set of tools including graphing calculator, and designed fully in line with the Holo style, it is a must-have.

Calculator & Converter Pro Check, formerly

Pageonce, is a tool that will help ensure you never miss any of your scheduled payments. Aimed primarily at US users, it integrates with a large number of banks and credit card company services and comes with robust security.

Check2 3 4 5 61

» Price: Free » Price: £0.69/$0.99 » Price: £1.95/$2.99» Price: Free » Price: Free » Price: Free

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Terms and conditions *This is a US subscription offer. You will be charged £75 sterling for an annual subscription of 13 issues. This is equivalent to $116 at the time of writing, although the exchange rate may vary. Your subscription will start from the next available issue. Four free issues refers to the newsstand price of $12.50 for 13 issues being $162.50, compared with $116 for a subscription. This offer expires 30 November 2013.

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2 » TELEPHONEOrder via credit or debit card on the phone – just call:+44 (0) 1795 414 972and quote code USA

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16

One S left in the lurchI’m the owner of an HTC One S, and I have no doubt that it is the best phone I’ve ever owned. Yet my experience has been soured by the announcement from HTC that it will not be getting any more updates, even though they had previously said it would.

It’s really disappointing that a mid-to-high end phone that is only just over a year old is being left in the lurch like this. It will make me think twice about buying HTC in future.Chris Parker

We say: It was a surprise to hear the news, and judging from the comments we’ve had, you’re not alone in voicing your disappointment with HTC.

Play store workaroundI possess a Windows XP desktop, a 10” tablet running ICS, a 7” tablet running JB and a Chinese ‘no name’ 5.8” phablet running JB.

My usual practice is to go into Google Play using a desktop PC (running Google Chrome) to examine

Inside Android Magazine’s virtual mailbag

MessagesLetter of the month

HAVE YOUR SAY

What is the current status of your phone?

Your verdict on a hot topic from the world of Android

1. Not rooted2. Rooted, still running

stock3. Rooted, running a

custom ROM

A fter reading your article about the Biggest Android Update Ever in issue 26 I was starting to wonder whether Android

updates are all that important any more. On my Galaxy S III I’ve got the best bits of Samsung’s software, and all of the Google apps, all fully up to date without the need for an OS update. Android itself is the OS that is underpinning everything, but seems to be becoming less important in terms of providing the functionality to the phone. I know that Android 4.2 is going to be coming to the S III at some point as part of an update that will include some of the software from the S4 as well. It’s those S4 parts that are most exciting to me and I suspect most users. Could it be that Android’s fragmentation problem has been solved once and for all, not by ensuring that manufacturers update their devices quickly, but by taking updates out of the equation all together? Neil Harris

We say: There was some disappointment when Google didn’t unveil Android 4.3, but by updating the Google Play Services instead they were able to spread the joy of what they did announce to a

far greater number of users. In addition, most of the Google apps which had previously been baked into the OS, are now being released to the Play store where they can be independently updated by every user regardless of what version of the OS

they are using. This approach is great for reducing the importance of the incremental updates to the OS, but we suspect when Android 5.0 comes along there will be a clamour for proper updates for all the major devices.

Android updates irrelevant?

The writer of our Letter of the Month wins an Andru USB charger courtesy of www.salom.co.uk

“Judging from the comments we’ve had, you’re not alone”

Vote in our polls at facebook.com/littlegreenrobot

We asked:

44%

31%25%

the description of the apps and games on a large screen before I download them on to a tablet. I was surprised to see that some apps displayed on the PC are not always shown to be available on either tablet or the phablet. The PC window displays a message that says this app is compatible with all (or some) of your devices – a useful message.

As an experiment I clicked INSTALL on the PC for one of the apps that did not show on the phablet. It then opened a new window with a SEND TO button followed by a string of letters and numbers (there were two of these strings). There was also an INSTALL button in the new PC window.

Using a System Information app on the tablets I discovered that the string of letters and numbers was the Device ID; the two tablets (from the same manufacturer) had one ID, the phablet had another.

With the phablet (running JB) now switched on I chose the appropriate Device ID and clicked INSTALL in the new window – magic – the app was downloaded to the phablet in spite of the fact that the app was not displayed in Google Play on the phablet. I then repeated the process, using the correct Device ID for the 10” tablet (running ICS) and the app was again downloaded. What it will not do is download any app, using this method, to the 7” tablet (running JB) which has the same Device ID as the 10”!

I now use this download method all the time because it shows me all the available apps for my devices and I can download any app to two of my devices without resorting to using the virtual keyboard which is a little small for my 85-year-old fi ngers.

The question remains, why does it not work with the 7” and why can I, using the PC, download apps to a tablet that Google Play does not show on the tablet? Thanks in advance.John Johnstone

We say: That’s an intriguing quirk. In most cases devices that an app is not available for are greyed out so it cannot be selected at all. There are also apps such as Market Helper that enable you to install apps on non-supported phones or tablets, although it works on rooted devices only.

HTC One tipWith regards to no micro SD, you do get 25GB Dropbox-like cloud and I’ve discovered a neat trick with a fl ash drive! Duncan Purves

We say: Many other Android devices also support this, but it often goes largely undocumented for some reason. It certainly is a highly convenient way of making a large collection of sizeable fi les, such as a movie collection, available on a de-vice without using up all of its precious internal storage.

Get in touch!Send us your thoughts on all things Android

»facebook/littlegreenrobotLike us on Facebook to send your comments

»emailqa@littlegreenrobot.co.ukGot questions or comments? Drop us an email and let us know

TRENDINGLet us know your thoughts on these hot topics

Get in touch!qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk

Would you buy a Nexus Edition device?

Are OS updates important to you?

Do you use a proper camera, or just Android?

How many Android devices have you owned?

You can add a fl ash drive to your HTC One, and many other devices

1A USB chargerIncluded display standIncluded 1.2m micro-USB data cableLight-up eyes indicate charging statusMoveable arms

Adapts andru to EU or UK outletsAllows andru to click in securely

75Our in-depth troubleshooting guide to

solving those pesky problems and queries that every Android user needs to know

quick fi xes and

upgrades

Feature75 quick fixes and upgrades «

Is it possible to increase the maximum volume on my phone?

There are many apps that claim to let you increase the maximum volume, but Volume+ (Volume Boost), available from Google Play, has been proven to work very well on many different devices.

I hate the keyboard on my phone! Can I change it?

You can indeed, and there are many options available to you. The offi cial Google Keyboard can be downloaded from Google Play and you can also try different data entry methods such as Swype. You have many choices.

My screen is diffi cult to read in bright conditions and attracts

fi ngerprints far too easilyThe best answer for this problem is to install an anti-glare screen protector. Not only are they easier to apply than normal protectors, but they last longer and will hide glare and almost all fi ngerprints.

Can I hide some of the default apps to make my home screen

more organised?There are ways that you can hide them completely, but this involves some complex trickery. We would suggest to simply put the ones you never use into a folder and to then move that folder to a less used home screen.

How can I stop apps automatically updating? I don’t

want updates to cause problems when everything works already.Go to Google Play on your device and hit the menu key. Select Settings and then untick the Auto-update apps option. You can also set this option on an app-by-app basis.

I want to move apps to an expansion card to save space.

How do I do this?You can do this in the Application settings on some phones, but a more organised way would be to use a third-party app like AppMgr III (App 2 SD). Not all devices support the moving of apps to an expansion card so check before you buy an app to do this.

My device lags. How can I speed it up?

The most effective way is to go to Settings and look for the ‘Apps’ option. Here you can close running apps which should speed up your device or you can also download a third-party app to streamline this task.

IMPROVE YOUR ANDROID DEVICE

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SYNC CONTENT BETWEEN MULTIPLE DEVICES & PLATFORMSScatter is a remarkable app that syncs data between all your devices, regardless of which platform they are running

GRAB THE APP

Go to the Google Play store and search for ‘Scatter’. Download and install it and then go to the developer link to download it for all of your other devices as well, across all the different platforms.

1 SHARE SOME

CONTENTTap the menu key and then choose ‘Add’ from the list. You can now select any content which will immediately be shown on every device connected to your account.

2 THE SAME INTERFACE

Every photo and fi le you add to your inbox will be displayed in exactly the same way on an iPhone or Windows PC. Even the interface is identical across devices, so it remains easy to use on all your gear.

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What’s the easiest way to move music and videos to an

expansion card to save space?Grab a fi le manager such as ES File Manager from Google Play and re-create the music and video folder names on the card. You can then move the content over into these easily manageable folders.

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“They last longer and will hide glare and almost all fi ngerprints”

Feature» 75 quick fixes and upgrades

The best way forward is to presume that there is a problem with an app rather than the hardware. You will need to go to Settings, fi nd the App Manager option and uninstall the last app you installed. Now test the phone. If it still crashes, repeat the process for your recently installed apps. If you still cannot fi nd a rogue app we would suggest backing up data and doing a factory reset to be 100 per cent sure.

MY PHONE HAS RECENTLY STARTED CRASHING. HOW CAN I FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS?

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Can I attach a game controller to my Android phone?There are dedicated controllers available like the MOGA Pocket Controller (www.mogaanywhere.com) which works with many devices and you can also use your phone as a controller for consoles via dedicated apps from the Google Play store.

Can I use my Android phone as a TV remote control?Possibly. Some phones like the brilliant HTC One have remote control hardware built in, but these are quite rare. There are, however, countless apps available that work with specifi c hardware and you can also buy accessories to facilitate the controlling of multiple devices from a phone.

Is it possible to use my Android tablet as a second screen for my PC?Yes. Air Display is a clever app that lets you connect your tablet over a Wi-Fi network and is very responsive when used as a second screen.

Can I send music to my car stereo using Bluetooth?You can if the stereo system in your car is compatible, but if not, the answer is still cheaper than you may think. Modern stereo systems offer Bluetooth compatibility which will work with any Android phone to enable the playing of music directly through your car speakers. You can also use them to make and receive phone calls safely while driving.

MAKE YOUR PHONE THE HUB FOR ALL OF YOUR COMPUTING

CLOUD MEDIAMedia is handled very differently on

Android. Google Play stores all of your

purchases online.

ALL YOUR APPSMost popular apps

are on both platforms, but check

just in case something crucial is

not available.

USE ITUNESYou can still use

iTunes with Android using apps like

iSyncr to sync your media stored within iTunes.

GOOGLE NOWGoogle Now is

Google’s answer to Siri and can offer much more info. It uses your Google

searches and mail.

BACKING UPThere is no iTunes type software to

back up Android, so use an app like

Backup Manager Pro.

THE iOS LOOKIf you are struggling there are launchers

with themes that look like iOS and

even keyboards that work the same way.

PERMISSIONSAlways check the permissions when

installing new apps. Not every app is

checked like they are by Apple.

BACKGROUNDApps frequently

continue running in the background, but

you don’t need to manage these too

closely at all.

I’ve just switched from the iPhone.

What do I need to know?

How do I use my Android phone to print wirelessly?All you need is Cloud Print, which is available on Google Play. You can use it to print to any printer that is compatible and the process to do so takes seconds. No more wires or fi ddling around with connections.

How can I play movies on my TV through my phone?Many phones come with HDMI ports that can then be physically connected to a TV, but there are also apps that can help. For example, AppleTV AirPlay Media Player will send content to an Apple TV using AirPlay. Some TVs offer wireless compatibility with Android.

How can I use my huge-screened phone as a trackpad for my PC?You can do much more than use it as a trackpad with Mobile Mouse Pro. This app lets you switch between apps, use your fi nger to navigate and even lets you use your phone as a media remote at long distances.

Feature75 quick fixes and upgrades «

I’D LIKE TO MOVE SOME OF MY DATA AWAY

FROM GOOGLE. IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE ON ANDROID?

You do not have to use Google services just because you are using an Android device.

Here are some excellent non-Google alternatives that work just as well…

DUCKDUCKGO SEARCH & STORIESDuckDuckGo is a good alternative to

Google search and offers very fast and accurate search results in a clean and clear interface. There are few adverts either, which makes things even clearer.

DOLPHIN BROWSER Dolphin Browser offers quick and clear browsing plus many extra

features including voice search, gestures, synchronisation and a useful web home screen. It has a myriad of useful features included.

DROPBOXDropbox offers a generous allowance as a starter, which can

be topped up cheaply and all of your fi les and media will be available online whenever you need them. The service is extremely quick and very reliable.

COPILOT GPS - PLAN & EXPLORE!CoPilot brings professional maps

and a detailed user interface for you to plan your trips with upmost ease. It is easily on a par with the Google offering and offers many extra features.

K-9 MAILK-9 Mail allows for complete fl exibility when connecting to any

email service and also lets you customise the interface to show many more emails at one time. It works with accounts from all services.

IRISDespite originally having been designed to mimic Apple’s Siri

service, this solution has now turned into an app capable of giving Google Now a real run for its money. The accuracy is impressive, as you’ll fi nd out.

Make sure you have Google Chrome

installed on your device and PC then sign in to your Google account in both browsers. That is all you need to do because within the Bookmarks area you will now have access to your desktop bookmarks, mobile bookmarks and recently visited sites from both Android and PC. You can even view the open tabs on each device in real-time so they are always connected with no effort required to manage them.

How do I sync web bookmarks with my PC?

21

You can delete and manipulate

desktop bookmarks

directly from the Android device

DELETE BOOKMARKS

Desktop and mobile

bookmarks work exactly the same

way on each device

THE SAME WAY

The desktop bookmarks from your PC will always be available in this folder

DESKTOP BOOKMARKS

Any sites bookmarked on the Android device will be

shown in the desktop Chrome browser instantly

AUTO SYNCING

This icon gives you access to recently visited sites on the corresponding device

RECENTLY VIEWED

A

Feature» 75 quick fixes and upgrades

SMS Backup & Restore is an excellent solution for backing up your text messages and restoring them to a new device in the future. Conversations can also be saved and then exported to other fi le formats for using in other apps. Add to this the ability to automatically schedule backups and it quickly becomes a reassuring solution that requires little effort to manage. Text messages have always been diffi cult to save, but with Android, and one app, that problem is easily solved forever.

HOW CAN I SAVE TEXT MESSAGES ON MY PHONE?

22

The specifi c option to fully reset an Android device varies, but it will always be in the Settings area. Check for a dedicated option and also look in the About screen, but once found, you will need to jump through a couple of warning screens to complete the process. If you are selling your device, do the reset twice just to be on the safe side, but everything should be removed securely. Also, don’t forget to back up your important data fi rst!

HOW CAN I PERFORM A FULL RESET OF MY PHONE?

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1. Resize widgetsWidgets can often be resized to show more or less detail. Experiment with each to see which works best for you.

1. ShortcutsThere are apps available like 1Tap Quick Bar which will let you add shortcuts to frequently used apps and settings that you use often.

2. FoldersCreating folders will give you access to more of your most used apps from the one screen. It also aids organisation.

2. InformationAdd memos, via an app, to your notifi cations area to remember important info or a task that you need to complete.

3. Cleaner fontsThere are apps available that can offer cleaner fonts for some devices. They can change the entire look instantly.

3. System integrationWhether it is a default feature or via a third-party app, try to add a shortcut to the main settings menu.

4. More widgetsMany apps offer useful widgets as soon as they are installed which can greatly speed up emails, calendar etc.

4. Quick settingsOn 4.2 phones, quick settings will be available at the top of the shade, but many apps will do the same job.

5. WallpapersLive wallpapers can drain the battery, but lighter wallpapers can increase battery life and make things clearer. Choose carefully.

5. Battery and memoryBattery life and free memory can be quietly added to help you keep a close eye on your Android device.

What are the best ways to enhance my home screen?

How can I power up the notifi cations shade?

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Feature» 75 quick fixes and upgrades

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Should I sideload apps from stores other than Google Play?No – for security reasons you should stick only to downloads from recognised stores.

If I do a factory reset will my SD card get wiped?No – by default your apps and settings will be cleared but storage will be untouched.

Can I transfer app and music purchases to another user?No – your purchases are tied to your account and cannot be moved to another.

Is it true that Android is unsafe and that malware is rife in many apps?No – download apps from the Play store and you should never encounter malware.

Should I buy a non-branded battery for my phone?No – best performance, and reliability, comes from offi cial batteries.

Can I transfer apps to my expansion card on every device?No – since Ice Cream Sandwich the move to SD option was removed.

Is my device safe if I don’t use a screen lock?No – and just think of how many password-protected services you’re logged in to!

Is my mobile internet browsing private by default?No – and you should be wary of sending sensitive data over open Wi-Fi networks.

Do the headphones that are bundled with my device offer the best possible sound?No – they’re normally cheap and cheerful. Replace as soon as you can.

Will using widgets on my home screen slow my phone down?No – a good widget will use few background resources and not affect performance.

THE ANSWER IS ‘NO’...

INCREASE THE RELIABILITY OF YOUR PHONE

My expansion card is unreliable…

Back it up weekly and never just pull it out of the phone or tablet. If you have an option to eject it via software do so. Also, try to buy the fastest card you can for prolonged reliable use.

Are cases really necessary these days?

It depends on your usage. If you are active then a decent case could be worth it to stop you cracking the screen or scratching an edge, but a slimmer case will be good enough for most day-to-day activities.

My phone is getting slower over time. Why?

This can happen as more data is added to the phone, and installing too many unnecessary apps will cause this problem. Try to be regimented about the apps you install and only use the ones you need.

Can I use any charger with my phone and tablet?

You can, but to be 100% sure that your charger will not cause any problems try to buy a branded charger. If possible, a charger that is made by the same manufacturer would be even better.

My battery loses charge quite quickly during the day

Make sure you are only using the wireless features you need. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and location services can drain the battery. It’s also worth checking that the screen brightness is not set too high.

My power button has broken!

Don’t panic because the aptly named app ‘Fix Broken Power Button’ may give you what you need to keep using your device.

How can I make sure my battery doesn’t degrade?

Modern batteries perform best when charged often and kept as close to 100% as possible. This should enable it to perform to its best for at least a year. A removable battery will also give you more options.

HOW CAN I LISTEN TO YOUTUBE MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND ON MY PHONE?On most devices you cannot do this natively, but with an app called uListen (YouTube Audio) you can. Once installed, you can search for tracks in the usual way and then play them as normal. The streaming process will start and you will be able to do anything else you want on your device with the audio playing in the background. Remember that this process will use a lot of mobile data and also run the battery down quite quickly.

Do I really need a screen protector?

Modern phones have very tough screens, but they can still get scratched no matter how careful you are. Our recommendation would be to use one at all times. Protectors from the manufacturer are guaranteed to fi t best.

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Feature» 75 quick fixes and upgrades

25

Triangle Away can help you hide traces of having hacked a Samsung device

from, if you can at all. Some devices support the use of a USB Jig to restart the device – you can pick them up cheaply from eBay – but often you will need to take the device to a service centre that can tackle such problems. It isn’t guaranteed that a hard brick can be repaired, however.

If your Nandroid backup keeps crashing, don’t panic – Titanium Backup holds all the tools to fi x

I’VE ROOTED... NOW WHAT ?Get started with hacking your phone with these fi ve amazing apps only for rooted devices

SwitchMe was partly made redundant with the Android 4.2 update that brought multiple user accounts to tablets. If you don’t have 4.2 on your device, or if you want more than one user account on your phone then this app still serves a vital purpose.

It’s not uncommon for users to notice their devices start to slow down once they’ve got a lot of apps installed. Greenify scans all those apps to try and identify which ones are behaving badly and causing these slow downs. It calls out those that are using more than their fair share of battery power, or hogging your memory and lets you ‘hibernate’ them.

On an Android device you won’t be worried about what is trying to get into your system, but rather what is trying to get out. DroidWall is a fi rewall. On Android the best use of a fi rewall is to take control of which of those apps that are accessing the internet without you knowing about it. A very useful security tool for any user.

ES File Explorer is our pick as the best fi le explorer for Android. It is the most powerful way of working with fi les. It also has a root function that lets you view and edit system fi les or your apps. Whether you’re editing the build.prop fi le or backing up your third-party app installs, ES File Explorer can do the job.

Q How do I unroot and return to stock Android?

In many instances the simplest way to unroot and return to stock is just to fl ash a stock ROM. This would be done using the same method you used to root in the fi rst place (for example, Odin on a Galaxy device, or Fastboot on a Nexus). Equally, if you used a one-click toolkit for rooting, many of these will include an unrooting option within them. It’s a good idea to perform a factory reset after fl ashing a stock ROM. In the case of the Galaxy range of devices an extra step is required, involving the Triangle Away app from the Play store. Triangle Away resets the ‘fl ash counter’ on a Galaxy which records the number of times a ROM has been fl ashed, and which remains even after you have returned the device to stock. It’s easy to do, but since the process itself is not trivial, it is essential that you follow the instructions to the letter when using Triangle Away.

“If you used a one-click toolkit for rooting, many of these will include an unrooting option within them”

LMT LAUNCHER

A new way to control

LMT presents a wholly new way of controlling your phone. It uses a circular control panel that appears beneath your thumb and gives you access to some of the most common functions you use on your device. It is a valuable tool on the new generation of large screen phones as it makes them more usable one handed.

SWITCHME MULTIPLE

ACCOUNTSCreate multiple user accounts

DROIDWALLA fi rewall for your phone or tablet EXPLORER

Explore your root fi les

Seek out bad

TutorialsTutorials

26

Back to stockThe main advantage of Android

can sometimes be its major setback as well. The open nature

of the OS means that quite often phone manufacturers layer their own third-party apps and services over Google’s own designs, making for an experience that’s sometimes radically removed, visually and functionally, from the one you get with a Nexus device. These overlays can take the form of apps it doesn’t appear you can remove, different wallpapers, lockscreens, and any number of other tweaks and changes that the manufacturer sees fi t to make.

But fear not, because it’s not as diffi cult as you might think to get your Android device looking like it’s just rolled off a Google production line. There are a few simple tweaks you can make to get your device looking smooth and sophisticated once more, and you’re not going to need too much expertise to get it there either. You might need to be near a computer for a couple of them, but other than that all you’re going to need is your Android device and this handy advice and you’ll be fooling your friends into thinking you’ve got a Nexus device.

Revert any Android phone or tablet back to stock with these handy tips and tricks

Revert to stock: top tips

1. Sometimes you might have to download some offi cial Google apps to get that stock look down. Look for them in the Google Play store if they’re not installed on your device already. Unfortunately you can’t get them all just yet.

2. Certain apps like your dialer and gallery aren’t going to look perfect – it’s a shame but you can download alternatives. Have a

» masterclass

Get the screen right A natural screen will make your Android look more ‘stock’

Open the menuFirst stepThis tip will make Galaxy S III screens look more like their slightly less fl ashy Nexus counterparts, and save you a precious bit of battery life too. Open up the settings menu to get things started.

Are any of these changes permanent?Not at all. Everything you learn how to do in these tutorials can be changed back as easily as uninstalling an app thanks to the fl exibility of the OS. Although once you’ve changed we doubt you’ll want to go back.

Ask your own question online atlittlegreenrobot.co.uk

Go naturalThird stepSelect the Natural look, and when you’ve done it tap Save so your device will remember the look. This will give your phone the slightly washed-out, subtle hues of the Nexus 7. Perfect for your new-look phone.

Find the displaySecond stepNow scroll down to the Display settings. Tap on them, then scroll down to where it says Screen mode in the Screen sub-section of the menu. Tap on that to open it once you’ve found it.

“There are a few simple tweaks you can make to get your device looking smooth and sophisticated”

look on the Google Play store and work out which apps best suit the stock look you’re going for.

3. Sometimes it’s worth having an extra lock set up, as well as Holo Locker, especially if you’re going to have your phone in your pocket. It also doesn’t offer any extra security, so that’s something worth considering.

4. If you want to go even further down the Jelly Bean road you could consider installing a Face Unlocker. These apps are designed to only unlock your phone, or certain apps, if your face is within view of the front-facing camera.

5. If you pay for the premium version of Holo Locker you’ll also be able to put apps on your lockscreen just like you can in Jelly Bean. This lets you get access to your most-used apps quickly.

27

Set up Holo Locker on your device

Install stock wallpaper

A quick and easy tutorial to get the wallpaper on your Android device back to its natural stock look

Select one of the wallpapers, then tap on the button in the bottom-right of the

screen. And there you have it, stock Android wallpaper in no time at all.

3

2guidemin

Tap on the drop-down menu at the top of the screen and scroll down until you

see the LG Nexus 4 option. Tap on that and you’ll see some wallpapers.

2

This really couldn’t be simpler. Head to the Google Play store and download

Android Stock Wallpapers. Once it has installed, open it up and you’ll have a whole host of wallpapers to choose from.

1

Save the image on your device. Now go to the Appearance Settings menu and choose Alternative wallpaper. Select your gallery and fi nd the image you want. Add it as the wallpaper and you’ve got a stock-looking Nexus lockscreen without too much hassle.

Finish things off4

Head to the Google Play store and grab Holo Locker. Once it’s downloaded and installed, open up the app and make sure the Enable Holo Locker box is checked. If it is, lock your phone and your unlock screen will be a sliding circle.

Download and install1

This is the slightly tricky bit. If you want to have the Nexus-style background on your lockscreen you might have to search for it manually. A quick Google search should do the trick easily enough, then check the image is the right size for your device’s screen.

Find an image3

You’ll notice there are different icons around the side of the ring. You can slide these to unlock straight into that app or service. If you want to change these, head to the Shortcuts Settings option in the Holo Locker app.

Get the app set up2

Getting the stock Jelly Bean unlock screen on your Android device couldn’t be easier. The only slightly tricky part is getting it to look right, but a bit of creativity should sort that out. Holo Locker lets you add an extra layer of customisation to your lockscreen.

You’ll have to upgrade to the Pro version (£1.28/$1.99) if you want to complete all of this tutorial, but download the free version fi rst to make sure it’s going to work on your Android device.

Get your hands on the stock Jelly Bean lockscreen

Works with » Android 2.2 and up

» masterclass

Revert back to the

stock Android look

28

Tutorials

Get stock Android icons with Nova Launcher

Adding a new launcher can get you closer to that iconic stock lock

One of the ways manufacturers put their own spin on the Android experience is by customising or creating their own launcher

program. In layman’s terms, the launcher is the part of your phone or tablet you see the most. It’s your homescreens and your app drawers, and changing it can make a huge difference to the look and feel of

your Android device. Don’t worry though, it’s not a diffi cult process – there’s not much more to it than installing an app.

There’s no way to get Google’s offi cial launcher onto your device unfortunately, but there are a lot of launcher apps out there that do the job just fi ne. There’s no rooting required, and all you’ll need is your phone or tablet. Your fi rst move should be searching the Google Play store for Nova Launcher. This brilliant launcher program lets you get your phone or tablet looking like a Nexus device in no time whatsoever, and there’s lots more you can explore once you’ve got it set up too.

Go to your new homescreen and you should see that the icons have changed. And there you go, you’ve now got stock icons on your non-stock Android device, and a launcher that works in the same way as Google’s own.

Go to your new home5

Once you’ve installed the app, close your device’s original launcher from your recent apps drawer. You’ll usually get to this by holding down the home button on your phone or tablet. You’ll need to set Nova Launcher as the default too.

Clear out the cobwebs1

Tap on Icon Theme. You’ll be shown a brief list of the styles you can choose. Select Stock Jellybean, and Nova Launcher will automatically change all of the generic icons on your phone to look like the ones on Google’s Nexus devices.

Sort your icons4

The controls for Nova Launcher are usually sat on your main homepage. If you can’t see them, go to your app drawer and look for an appropriately named app called Nova Settings. When you’ve found it, tap on it to open it up.

Find the settings2

You’ll end up in a menu that lets you customise the look and feel of your new launcher. The section we’re looking for is called ‘Look and feel’ and it’s about half way down. Tap on it and you’ll see a list of options.

Look and feel3

Works with » Android 4.0 and up

29

How to disable pre-installed appsYou can’t delete pre-installed apps without rooting, but you can disable them…

There are a variety of different ways to do that. Tap on any text box and some phones will add a ‘Choose input method’ notifi cation to your notifi cations bar. Tap on that and you’ll be given a list of options. Choose Google Keyboard.

Set your defaults2The only language pack available is English,

which does put the Google Keyboard at a disadvantage. Still, it’s a sleek-looking app and it does the job nicely. You can tweak some settings by holding down the microphone button.

Language barrier3Once again, you need to be heading to the

Play store. Search for Google Keyboard and the stock app should be somewhere near the top of the list. Download it and once it’s installed you’ll need to set it as your default.

Head to the Play store1

There are loads of different keyboards on the Google Play store, and some of them are considerably better than others. But, right now we’re looking at getting your

Android phone or tablet back to its stock roots, which means installing Google’s own version of the keyboard.

Thankfully, that’s just gotten a lot easier, because Google has released a version of its stock keyboard on the Google Play store. It’s free to download and it means if you’re stuck with a slightly naff manufacturer’s own keyboard as default, you can swap it out at no extra cost to you. It’s remarkably straightforward to do, and it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of minutes to get it all sorted. Here’s how to do it in three, super-simple steps.

Install official keyboardHow to get Google’s offi cial Android keyboard installed on your phone or tablet

Works with » Android 4.0 and up

» masterclass

Revert back to the

stock Android look

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and Twitter

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2guidemin

Go to your device’s Settings menu and scroll down to the

Applications manager tab under Battery. Tap on it to open up three lists of apps. Scroll all the way to the far right to the last one which will be simply called All.

1 This is a long list of all the apps and services on your Android

smartphone. There’s a lot, but some of that will be just useless bloat you don’t remotely need. Select one you want to get rid of – it will now open a new menu of options.

2 If there are any updates installed you’re going to have

to get rid of them now. Tap on the button to do this and agree with all the pop-up boxes that subsequently appear. Once that’s done go back to the app’s menu.

3 Where the Uninstall Updates button was there should now

be a button that says Disable. Tap on that and agree with the pop-up alerts and the app will all but disappear from your phone or tablet, saving you memory and battery life.

4

30

Tutorials

Discover Maps’ new featuresFind your way around the stunning new Maps app

Google Maps has long been one of the best Android apps, and with the latest iteration it has got even better.

Version 7 is no mere incremental update. The entire user interface has been revamped, features have been added, and some scrapped. The new look is beautiful and highly intuitive, adopting the cards metaphor seen throughout most other Google apps and

making full use of the navigation sidebar. The best of the new features is the full integration of Google Maps Navigation, the free satnav app which used to run separately to Maps, making it faster and easier to use than ever. There is also much improved traffi c reporting, a better points of interest search and a faster way to navigate to essential services nearby, including petrol stations and pharmacies.

When you perform a search, the results will be shown as points on a map with details for the most nearest or most relevant result listed at the bottom of the screen. Hit the car icon to instantly get directions, or the pin icon to see a summary of the location.

Search results5

The Maps options are accessed through the sidebar familiar to almost all of the range of Google applications. The button for this is located in the bottom-left corner, but if it’s too small for your hands to hit, a right swipe in that area will also slide it open for you.

Discover the sidebar1

Searching is now more powerful than ever. Tap in the search box to look for an address or other point of interest. Then you can hit the arrow button to plot the quickest route to that particular location and the people icon to view information relevant to you.

Location searches4

You can turn views on and off in Google Maps simply by tapping them. We’ll take a look at the new traffi c features here. Turn it on and you’ll see yellow overlays to indicate a certain level of traffi c and red for heavy traffi c or delays. It’s a nice visual way to view traffi c.

Turn on traffi c2

If there is a reported traffi c incident on the map it will be displayed with a little icon. Tap on the icon and more information will appear in a pop-up box, enabling you to decide whether or not you need to take a detour. The information on offer is detailed and relevant.

Viewing incidents3

Works with » Varies with device

31

Extra features in Google MapsMaps is packed with extras. We take a look at some of the changes in the new version…

To see more information on the main search result, swipe up from the bottom of your device’s screen. To view the other results swipe left and right across your screen – swiping downwards again will show the location of your chosen result on the map.

Swipe through results6

With a search result on screen you can tap the car icon to get directions to that location. You can also choose from public transport, cycling and walking directions depending on how you are travelling. Not all public transport services are supported in some areas.

Navigate to…7

In the bottom-half of the navigation screen you get three different routes to choose from. The quickest will be the route picked by default, but tapping on the others will show their routes and estimated times on the map. Hit Start when you find the one you like best.

Pick a route8

More things to know about the new Maps app1 Latitude is goneThe location sharing service Latitude is no more. It will be integrated with Google+ in future.

2 Voice searchingDon’t forget voice searching is also fully supported in the Maps app. Great for hands-free use.

3 Google Now integrationMaps works closely with Google Now. Your searches will appear as Now cards when relevant.

4 Google EarthInstall Google Earth to your Android device for added functionality, including 3D mapping.

5 Hidden gesturesDrag two fingers down to tilt a map, and tap-then-hold your thumb on screen and move to zoom.

quicktips

2guidemin

Unlike in the old Google Maps application you no longer have to select your starred places to see them in front of your eyes. They are always there. You can see a list of them by tapping the people icon, or add new ones by hitting the save icon when you view a location card.

Your starred places1To download a map to use offline, zoom

in or out to the area you want then hit the search bar at the top of the UI. Scroll to the bottom and you will see the Make available offline option. Tap that and the map will be cached, although there’s no way to manage your downloaded areas as of yet.

Using offline maps2

The new Explore screen can be found simply by tapping the search bar and scrolling down the list of available options. The Explore screen gives you a handy guide to popular restaurants, shops, bars, hotels and entertainment services in the vicinity of wherever you are at any given time.

Using Explore mode3Just below the Explore option is the

potentially crucial Services feature. This gives you quick access to the locations of nearby petrol stations, supermarkets, pharmacies and post offices. Tap the three dots icon and you can choose from other pre-configured searches to get whatever you need.

Essential services4

32

Tutorials

Master the new Gmail appGmail has undergone an extensive update to provide new features and refine current ones

There’s no question that Gmail is one of the premier email hubs for Android users who are looking for a simple, but

highly customisable place to store and send emails and also switch between your various Gmail accounts. To keep up with strong competition from the likes of Outlook and Yahoo! Mail, Gmail has undergone a thorough update to provide a combination of new features and gestures that users can get to grips with. For those worried that their favourite features may now have been removed, no worries, as Google has simply revamped many of the older features currently onboard. In this tutorial we’ll be exploring many of the newer features included in the Gmail app, as well as where you can access settings to toggle them on and off if they aren’t to your tastes. We’ll also guide you through some of the gestures you’ll want to test and customise right away so you can improve your Gmail experience no end.

Works with » Varies with device

Open the sidebar from the left and you’ll be able to manage those tabs, as well as switch between multiple accounts if you’ve got them set up. Priority Inbox is also still available, for your most important mails.

Side swipe3Now open the Gmail app on your device

and you’ll see a welcome screen showing you the new tabs in action. They are colour coded, and will filter your mails automatically to keep your main inbox free from clutter.

Labels enabled2To activate some of the new features you

need to log in to Gmail on your desktop. Click the Settings cog in the top-right corner and select Configure Inbox. Now select some tabs you wish to enable in the app.

On the desktop1

Find attachmentsEmails that include attachments display a small paper clip icon on the right side of them. Using the search function at the top of the app you can also search for specific attachments within emails

Edit labelsYou can add labels to your emails to help put them into separate categories. All your labels can be customised fully by pressing on the menu icon and then choosing the Label Settings option from the drop-down menu

Side menuOne of the biggest changes within the new Gmail update is the expanded side menu that offers a multitude of menus for users to access. To open it, hit the Gmail icon located in the top-left of the screen, or slide your finger

Contact iconsThe large coloured icons next to each email can be edited depending on the contact who sent the email to you. If the icons aren’t to your tastes, they can also be completely removed from your inbox and sent page

33

The Priority Inbox houses any of your emails that are marked as urgent from the sender. As well as being able to access this inbox from the main side menu, you can also look at individual emails to see if they’ve been fl agged to be put in the Priority Inbox.

Priority Inbox4

Images appear to work a lot better in the new version of Gmail and it’s easier than ever to distribute attachments and send fi les to your contacts. Simply open up an email, long press on the image and choose the Share Link option to be taken to the Hangouts app.

Directly share images6

Your inbox will now contain coloured contact icons next to each of your emails. Each icon can be changed by highlighting them. You can also add the icons from the People app directly into Gmail to represent contacts, and they can be turned off completely as well.

Edit contact icons8

Press on the menu icon in the top right (or via a physical menu button on your phone) and then choose the Settings option. On the next page, choose General Settings and scroll down until you see the Sender image option. Make sure this is ticked and then back out to your inbox.

Open up Settings7

By swiping an email to the left or the right of the screen, you’ll have a quick way to permanently delete a single email, or a quicker way to store them. Each swipe can be edited to perform different functions from within the Settings menu.

Master the gestures5

A problem raised by many Gmail users is with the lack of prioritised syncing you can do. By opening up the Manage labels menu from the Settings page, you can now individually sync each inbox, label and folder manually whenever and wherever you want.

Individually sync labels9

Need help?Got a problem with your Android phone or tablet? Get in touch with us...

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Alternative apps for managing all your email clients in one place1 K-9 MailAdd your Yahoo!, Gmail and Hotmail accounts with this open source email client.

2 Kaiten MailAs well as the normal email clients, it also caters for the older Microsoft Exchange accounts.

3 MailDroid ProAdd your various accounts and export important email to an external SD card.

4 mail.comA simple client that has a great full-screen mode for attached videos and images.

5 Yandex.MailThe standout feature in Yandex is the maps feature that enables users to see where mail was sent from.

quicktips

Can I add different labels to Chats saved in Gmail?Although the labels feature is predominantly for emails, you can also use labels to categorise any Chats saved within Gmail. All of the Chats you label will then be made available in the same folder as your emails. You can take categorising a step further by marking the Chat as important, which will highlight it within the Labels folder.

How do I create a Priority Inbox?If you’re managing numerous Gmail accounts within the same app, it might be a good idea to set one of them as a Priority Inbox so the emails stay separate from the rest. Go into the Settings menu and choose the email you want to set as priority. Then scroll down the list and select the Inbox Type option and then Priority Inbox from the list provided.

Ask your own question online atlittlegreenrobot.co.uk

34

Tutorials

Change default appsUse Default App

Manager to choose a new

default app for tasks on your smartphone

Nearly every day you’ll fi nd yourself opening an email attachment,

downloading a PDF or even attempting to watch a video, and you’ll always be asked to select which app you want to use to complete the task via a pop-up menu. It can get quite annoying if the app you don’t want to use isn’t listed and you have to make do with what’s available to you at that specifi c moment. On the other hand, for

some tasks you may fi nd that Google has implemented its own default app, but it might not be to your tastes, or work as well as some of the other apps available to you on your device. Luckily there’s a way around this and by venturing into the settings on your Android smartphone, you can easily change your current crop of default apps and set new ones in their place. Here’s how in six simple steps.

You’ll now be taken to the Set Default screen. Here you’ll fi nd all the compatible apps for the task listed and you can select one to become the new default app for that specifi c task.

Add new default app6

Based on the default app you want to change, select the current default app from the menu. If you haven’t set a default for the specifi c task in question, you may fi nd the default app is automatically a stock or Google app.

Select an app2

You will now be shown the default app currently attached to that task. If you removed the default app, as mentioned previously, the option should be blank. If not, press the Clear button.

Select specifi c task5

After selecting the app, scroll down the list of available options until you fi nd the Clear defaults button. Pressing this will remove the application as the default choice for the specifi c task in question.

Clear as default3

Download and open the Default App Manager app from the Google Play store. This app can be used to put new default apps in place for different tasks. Select a task from the main menu.

Default App Manager4

Works with » Android 2.2 and up

Open up the Settings menu on your Android device and navigate to the Apps section listed halfway down the page. Press on the menu and scroll to the right a couple of times until you reach the All menu.

Find Apps menu1

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36

Tutorials

Set up your phone or tablet as a webcam

Turn your device’s camera

into a webcam that works with a

Windows desktop

C ameras are commonplace on smartphones and tablets – it’s hard to think of a contemporary device that doesn’t have one.

This is not the case for desktops. Most use an external camera that involves an additional purchase. While webcams are not hugely expensive, they are rarely free. Unless, you already own a device that has a camera built in – like your phone or tab. With the help of a third-party app, users can take advantage of these cameras and use it as a webcam for the desktop.

There are a host of apps available to fulfi l the role, including SmartCam webcam, DroidCam Wireless Webcam and WO Webcam Lite. However, for this tutorial we have chosen to use the IP Webcam app. This is an easy to set up app that turns a phone into a network camera. The app enables users to stream video via media players, directly via the browser and offers video chat support for the popular services such as Skype. All you need to do is install the app, set up, connect to the desktop and start using.

There is a selection of Misc options to enable and disable, including an Audio mode. By default, this is set to Enabled. Tap and select Disabled to switch off and tap Enabled to switch back on. Alternatively, select Audio only, which will switch off the video stream and only provide audio.

Audio mode5

Head to the Google Play store, on the device where the app is to be installed, and search for IP Webcam by Pavel Khlebovich. Now download and install the app on your Android device. When complete open the app to view a selection of options to set up.

Download and install1

To add a level of security to a connection, fi rst select Login/password under Connection settings. Now tap ‘Select features that require password’ to view the features selected. You’ll want to leave this as the default. Now tap OK and add a Login and Password and hit OK.

Connection settings4

The video is set by default to the lowest resolution available, in this case, 352x288. To change the resolution, tap Resolution and select a suitable resolution, eg 720x480. To select the video quality, tap Quality and adjust the video quality with the slider.

Resolution and quality2

The Frames Per Second option is set to the maximum FPS allowed on the installed device. For example, it is 60 fps for the device used in this tutorial. It is a good idea to lower the FPS Limit when you have an older processor on the desktop to compensate.

Frames per second3

Works with » Android 1.6 and up

37

The screen of a device, by default, will automatically go into sleep mode to save battery life. To stop this happening, the ‘Prevent going to sleep’ check box must be activated. Alternatively, this can be switched off and the Sleep setting set to a longer period, eg 30 minutes.

Stay awake6

Before connecting the camera the first action to play around with is Focus. This will focus the camera, ensuring that the image is pin sharp. To help preserve the battery, tap Fade. This will switch off the camera temporarily. Simply tap the screen to reactivate.

Focus9

The camera stream can be used with a number of media players, as long as they support the m3u format. VLC is a player that supports the format (download it if needed). Another option is iTunes. Click OK to open the stream and set up the media player to use.

Media player12

The IP Webcam app has a few issues which need to be observed before using the app. Tap FAQ and select Known issues. This will bring up an information window that reveals more details. For instance, ESET NOD32, antivirus and anti-spyware may cause streaming issues.

Known issues7

Tap ‘How do I connect?’ in the top-left corner and select the preferred connection choice. We have selected ‘I’m using Wi-fi router’. This will open a message with an IP address. Add this to a browser on the same Wi-Fi connection. This will list the different ways to view the camera.

Connect10

There are several other options to use the camera, including the Java plug-in. For this to operate correctly the latest version of the plug-in must be installed. To use with Skype, open the app and set up using http://192.168.1.103:8080/videofeed as the stream’s URL.

Other options13

With preferences and options set up, the next step is to start the video stream. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Start server. This will activate the camera and launch the camera view on your screen. Tap Actions in the top-right corner to make some changes.

Start server8

One of the options, under Third-party software support is URL for MJPG-compatible. Click the link to test if the camera and stream is working. If the chosen browser supports the stream it will be seen on screen. The other options allow for photo capture.

Third-party support11

Is there a solution that will work with my Mac?There are several webcam apps that should enable you to find one that will work with whatever desktop platform you are using. A good option for Mac users is Pocket Cam, although this is not a free app.

Ask your own question online atlittlegreenrobot.co.uk

38

Tutorials

Restrict multitaskingRun your device at optimum speed by restricting multitasking

Smartphones have become so powerful that multitasking on them is a normal occurrence for most people. Occasionally,

however, you can fi nd your phone just can’t keep up and it needs a bit of a boost. With this in mind, you might want to look at the options available to you to help restrict the level of

multitasking available on your device. By limiting just how many processes your phone can take on at any one point, you’ll notice that your phone will run a whole lot smoother and should blast through any single task you throw at it. You’ll need to dive into your Settings app to get your phone running at optimum levels.

Works with » All versions of Android

1. Open SettingsOpen up the Settings app on your smartphone and scroll all the way to the bottom until you fi nd the Developer options menu. Press on the Developer options menu and once again scroll down the list until you come to the Apps section listed at the bottom.

2. Understand optionsTo limit how many background processes your phone can handle, you’ll fi rst need to check out the Background process limit option. The other two tabs in this menu are also really useful in helping you determine just how much power from your

smartphone is used to keep background apps and other processes running.

3. Choose your limitOpen the Background process limit tab and a menu will appear asking you to make a selection. Here you can select the exact amount of background processes allowed at any one point on your Android phone. There’s also the option to completely remove background processes altogether.

4. Stop all activitiesAfter making your selection, check out the Don’t keep activities menu listed above it. Checking the box here will mean if you

switch to a different app, the app you had previously open will automatically close. If you do need to do the occasional spot of multitasking, this may not be the best option to activate though.

5. Reverting backOnce you’ve implemented all the changes, you’ll soon see the changes take place. If you chose a specifi c limit of background processes, go into the Background usage section within the Settings menu and you’ll see that only a handful of apps are currently active. Any changes can be altered back to their previous form by going back into the Developer options menu.

[FIG 2] Restricting multitasking is easily done through the Developer options menu and can help speed up your device

[FIG 3] Choosing the right process limit can

be diffi cult, so make sure you pick the one that won’t impact you

too much

Will disabling all background processes affect syncing my social media accounts?Yes, any auto sync options you currently have enabled will be disabled if you set your smartphone to have no background processes at all.

Ask your own question online atlittlegreenrobot.co.uk

39

How to password protect your apps

Works with » All versions of Android

There are plenty of stories in the news about people racking up extortionate bills thanks to pesky in-app

purchases, or children who accidentally purchase in-game currency without knowing any better. For any user of the Google Play store there’s an easy fix, however, and with just a few taps you can add a secure password to your account preventing anyone from downloading anything that costs money without first needing to enter a password.

The password doesn’t just cover apps, and instead covers all the other features on the Google Play store; including magazines, books and music and will subsequently be required for every transaction that isn’t free, so that includes the likes of renting a movie or cancelling a magazine subscription either on your phone, or on your desktop computer. Read on as we guide you through the detailed process of keeping your account safe from costly unwanted charges.

Apply passwords to your apps and avoid costly unwanted purchases

Filter Google Play contentIf you don’t want to add password protection, why not put a filter on the apps that can be downloaded from the Google Play store. Here’s how you can do so…

SettingsYou’ll first need to open up the Settings menu from the Google Play storefront by pressing on the three dot icon located in the top-left of the screen. From the menu that is then displayed, select the Settings option located near the bottom

Restrict purchasesScroll down the various settings in front of you until you find the ‘Use

password to restrict purchases’ option located near the bottom of the

screen. At this point you should find the box next to it and you’ll now want

to press on it to enable the option

Enter the passwordA pop-up window will now appear asking you to confirm your account password. Make sure to enter the password attached to the Gmail account you primarily use on the Google Play store. If you have multiple Gmail accounts then you’ll need to repeat these steps when you switch to them

Good to goAfter entering the correct password, press

the OK button and the menu will disappear. From now on, you’ll need to enter the

password to each and every purchase you want to make within the Google Play store,

and within any app as well

Try it outTo make sure the password system is working correctly, either venture to the paid apps section of the Google Play store, or open up one of your favourite apps and try and purchase something. Before the final Confirm menu appears, you should be asked to enter your new password

Select the maturity levels of the apps you want to filter out from the Play store on the menu and press OK. As you search, you should find a good chunk of apps missing from what you usually see, depending on the maturity levels you chose.

Maturity3Press on the Content filtering option and a separate menu will appear displaying the options available to you. Through this menu you can select the types of apps you no longer want to see as you search through the Play store.

Enable content filter2From the Google Play storefront press on the three dot icon in the top-left of the screen and select the Settings option that is listed near the bottom of the main menu. Scroll down the list until you see the Content filtering tab.

Open up Settings1

40

Tutorials

Explore Chrome’s hidden settings

Working with Chrome URLs

and fl ags reveals great behind-the-

scenes features to explore

The Chrome browser is a core component of the Android OS and underneath the hood resides a plethora of settings waiting to be explored.

Working through the settings via the menu reveals a few essential settings. But to get underneath the UI users can call upon Chrome URLs and fl ags.

Chrome URLs are accessed via the standard browser while fl ags need to be accessed via the Chrome Beta channel. To gain access to URLs it is simply a matter of typing in the appropriate URL into

the address bar. Chrome://about reveals an active list of accessible internal links. Users simply need to tap a link to view more information. Find out contributor credits and clear browsing data via history. Access to fl ags or Chrome experiments needs to be made via the Chrome Beta version of the browser. These offer a host of options that can be enabled to try and test new features. However, these are not for the faint-hearted as Google does not offer any guarantees on what will happen when they’re called into action.

Internal graphics information related to Chrome can be found at chrome://gpu-internals/. This indicates which web graphics features, eg Canvas, 3D CSS, WebGL are supported. There is also version information, performance information and driver information.

Graphics support5

To get access to Google Chrome’s hidden settings the fi rst step is to open up the browser and type in chrome://about. This will offer up a list of Chrome’s internal pages, in turn giving you access to a host of settings. There is also a selection for debugging pages.

Access settings1

To get a closer look at network events, use the chrome://net-internals link. By default, the Export screen is displayed. This enables a user to add notes to a dump fi le. To run a test on a fi led URL link, head to Test, before entering the URL and then tapping Start tests.

Knowing the network4

To take a look at the current state of the cache in the browser, click chrome://cache. This will list all the stored links of pages and internal links which can be accessed with a single tap. To clear the cache, go to Settings>Privacy and tap Clear Browsing Data.

Check cache2

To check how the memory is being used, the link to follow is chrome://memory-redirect. This gives a breakdown of memory usage and reveals the latest use of the memory, including how much is being allocated to extensions, apps, browsers and webpages.

Memory allocation3

Works with » Varies with device

41

Get experimental with Chrome flagsChrome flags are part of the Chrome Beta version of the browser, so proceed with caution. Here’s some quick tips…

The Chrome browser is made up of a host of components and libraries. To find out who has made a contribution type in chrome://credits/. This will provide a long list with links to the homepage and license. Browse the list, choose a contributor and tap the homepage link for more details.

Chrome credits6

To get the latest details on the version of the browser currently being run, add chrome://version to the address bar. This will present details including the browser version, what version of Android OS is being used and the version of JavaScript currently employed.

Version control7

The latest version of Chrome does not support every feature, including flags. To get access to Chrome flags, download the Chrome Beta. You’ll need to download directly from this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta&hl=en.

Get Chrome Beta8

Discover more when working with URLs and flags1 ResetChrome flags have a host of options to play with. To reset all, tap Reset all to return to default.

2 AutofillThe Chrome flag Show Auto-fill predictions can be enabled to show placeholder text in web forms.

3 Desktop optionsIf an experiment or URL is not available for the Android platform, they can be tried out via a desktop.

4 Alternative accessThe chrome://about URL lists the available options. An alternative is to add chrome://chrome-urls.

5 DebuggingThe Chrome debugging links are not linked directly. Make a note of them for future use on Android.

quicktips

2guidemin

Open the Chrome Beta and add chrome://flags to open the internal page. The page lists a host of experiments for you. Scroll through the list and you will notice that many are not available to use. This is because these are experiments that are not currently supported on the Android platform.

Experiments1Typically, a Chrome experiment will offer

a description of the experiments, which platform its operates on eg Mac, Windows, Android and the option to enable or disable. However, some experiments offer more options such as Accelerated overflow scroll; tap the button to reveal additional options.

Faster scrolling2

As you might expect the Chrome browser has a host of features related to current web technologies. To call into action WebGL, a web graphics library, Web Audio, an API for web sound, or WebRTC, a real-time communication specification, simply tap the Enable link to proceed.

Web features3Selecting the features that you want

enabled and disabled is the first step into working with Chrome experiments. As a safety precaution none of the selected features are called into action until the browser is reopened. Use the Relaunch Now button at the bottom of the screen to relaunch immediately.

Relaunch Now4

» troubleshooting advice » hints and tipsDroidSupport

42

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Got an Android-related problem that you need solving? Let us know!

Share your tips & tricksJoin us on Facebook and Twitter to share and receive some great tips and advice

Recording long two-way telephone conversations

You go on to say that you prefer manual recording to auto-

recording and that you are using a Samsung Galaxy S III. Under these circumstances, we would suggest trying Galaxy Call Recorder, which you can pick up for free from the Play store.

It offers two-way recording and it is compatible with the Samsung Note 2, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S III (among others – check the Play store for the full list) but it can also work with other Android devices if you have a microphone.

You can enable and disable recordings, giving you some manual control. There is also no limit to the recording time, so as long as you have enough storage space, you will be okay. Recordings save at

sdcard>GalaxyCallRecorder and a bonus is that you can share them via contacts, Google Drive, Dropbox and SkyDrive, the cloud services taking away some of the burden on storage.

In our experience, the sound quality is clear and it is an easy app to get to grips with. Try the free version and, if you fi nd it useful but feel the pop-up ads are a bit of a pain, then you can upgrade to the advert-free version. That depends on how often you want to record your calls though.

Finally, we do have to point out that the legalities of recording phone conversations need to be adhered to, so always inform the person you are speaking to of your intensions and get their agreement before you start any recording session.

“I’m using the MP3 InCall Recorder & Voice app to record my calls but although my call logs show I tend to talk for around 45 minutes, the app only records for 30 minutes. Can you suggest an alternative free caller recorder app that is the best for my situation? Thanks” Mus Cacing, via email

You can view your phone conversations and play them back

A

You can update your apps automatically. Go to the Google Play app and select the Menu button before heading for Settings. You can now check the box for Auto-update apps. But don’t let it eat your data. Select Update Over Wi-Fi only and you will ensure that your allowance remains in tip-top shape.

Did you know?

It is also possible to share conversations to cloud storage services

I want Apple TV for Android

stored items. Play around with the app and we’re sure you’ll soon fi gure it out.

of curated channels ranging from Facebook to CNN but we are more concerned with locally

display on your TV, go to the Gallery app. In the share options at the top of the screen you will see iMediaShare. Select this and it will look for your TV or a compatible media player that you can use.

Now you should be able to play your images or videos on your screen. Your Android phone begins to act like a remote control at this point as well, so you can showcase your media without having to fi ddle with a game pad or a remote control as well. Not every video works but it’s worth a try.

As well as being able to display your own videos and photos, you will also see a host

“I have a lot of photographs and videos on my Android device and I would love to be able to view them on my television. I know that Apple allows this for its iPhones and iPads using Apple TV but is there a way of doing this on Android? I am using a Nexus 7 tablet.”Paul Toye, via email

DroidSupport

43

There is no specifi c equivalent of Apple TV – you cannot walk into

a shop and grab an Android TV device and stream to that, for instance. But that is not to say streaming is impossible. Far from it. One of the best apps for this purpose is iMediaShare which you can get for free from Google Play.

All you need is a smart television that is connected to Wi-Fi. Alternatively you can use a Blu-ray player, audio system or a game console and connect it to your home wireless network.

Go to the media that you wish to share, for example, if you have a photograph that you want to

A

iMediaShare will look for an available device to sync with

hints&tips Get more from your Android phone with our handy hints

1 Rolling back your apps Sometimes app updates aren’t always what you hoped, especially when they are major

new versions like the new Maps app. You can roll back the Google apps easily by selecting Uninstall Updates in the Play Store. This will restore your phone’s original version of that same app.

2 Automatically back up your photos Photos are precious and you don’t want to

lose yours, so head to Google+, then its Settings and tap Instant Upload. You can play around with the settings and if you set size to standard, then it won’t clog things up for you.

3 Need to get better sound from your device? You can use the equaliser option in Jelly

Bean’s Music app to get the very best sound from your device. You need to go to Music and select the Menu before tapping Equalizer. Now you can choose from lots of different presets.

Ask your questionsGot a problem with your Android phone or tablet?

Send it to us and we’ll fi nd the solution

»facebook/littlegreenrobotGet help from our Facebook community

»emailqa@littlegreenrobot.co.ukSend your questions for our team of experts to tackle

2 3

DroidSupport

44

Google didn’t make Android. It was actually a company called Android, Inc that was based in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 2003, it was subsequently snapped up by Google two years later, with the fi rst Android phone coming out in 2007.

Did you know?

How can I back up Android?With iOS, if you want to upgrade from an earlier iPad to a newer one, you simply back up all the apps to a laptop and then restore them to the new tablet. What is the Android

data can also be viewed on the My Backup Pro website and if you need extra space you are able to purchase it.

My FM tuner has disappearedEver since I had my phone rooted I don’t have the radio tuner to listen to over-the-air FM radio stations like BBC Radio 1. All the Play store apps use Wi-Fi or my network which I don’t want to do. Please help.Paul Crossley-Turner

A A good way to solve your problem would be to go to the Play store and try

Spirit FM Unlocked (£6.19/$9.99). You say you have a Galaxy Note running Jelly Bean – thankfully this app will support a rooted Galaxy S/S2/S3/Note/Note 2/Player, a rooted HTC OneXL/OneS/Evo 4G LTE/Xperia T and most stock Sony devices from the past two years.

equivalent procedure? Is it just as easy? Roger Clark

A Rather than fi ddle around trying to fi nd ways to back up via

Android (your Google account will sync a lot of data such as contacts and email, however), you are better looking for a specifi c backup app. The best, in our opinion, is My Backup Pro, which costs £3.19/$4.99, but works across a range of devices.It will back up to an SD card as well as its own servers, which gives you a double backup so you can feel even safer.

Apps can be backed up along with photos, music, videos, contacts, your calendar and home screen screens among others. Be aware, too, that if you buy from the Play store that the purchase has been made so you can re-download apps without paying again.

My Backup Pro makes life easier by letting you restore backups on your device and port them to another phone. Your

Thankfully the answer to your problem is quite simple. By going to your Settings and then locating the app manager, you can select the app that is causing the issue – in this case Kindle – and then select Clear defaults.

Now when you go to your email, you will be able to choose whether you want to open the PDF in the Kindle app just once, or always, and this time you should choose the former.

And if you want to open it in a different app, such as an offi ce suite, then select another app, but maybe, again, choose just once if you feel you want to retain some fl exibility.

This problem sounds like it has arisen because instead of opening the PDF in your Kindle

app ‘just once’ when you were prompted as to how you wanted to view it, you made it a permanent choice so that now every time you want to open the PDF, Android will delve into its history and always associate it with needing to be opened in the Kindle app.

The option over whether or not to have a certain document open in a particular app once, or always, can be useful if you know that you always want to associate it with the one app. That way, it will speed up subsequent openings.

A

Rerouting PDFs to another app“I tried to open a PDF fi le on my Nexus 7 and I accidentally chose to do this via my Kindle app. This has created a problem because now every time I try to open that PDF, it opens in Kindle. I would rather have it available for editing.”Simon Booth, via email

Select Clear defaults in an app’s info page if you have a problem opening documents

Use My Backup Pro to ensure you have solid copies of your device

As always with the Play store, check it out and, if doesn’t work, get a refund within 15 minutes, although the developer says he will refund after that time frame if you are unhappy.

Spirit FM Unlocked plucks FM signals from the air and it is aimed at people who have rooted

You can get a great FM radio reception with Spirit FM Unlocked

45

DroidSupport

their Android smartphones. It will not eat into your data plan and it offers really good sound. While it is a shame you will have to pay to sort the radio tuner, this app is worth the money and it will certainly fi x your problem, while also enabling you the joy of a rooted handset.

Reverting back to pre-updated appsI have a game app, which I have just recently updated, on both my Android phone and iPad. I want to take the update off both the phone and the iPad and have the game like it was before I added the update.L. Thurston

A Although you don’t say what the game app is and why you want to roll

back, we assume that the update has added something that ruins the gaming experience for you. Whether or not you can roll back, however, depends on one thing: whether or not you have created a backup of your device.

If you have a backup, then you can certainly proceed. Anyone who fl ashes custom ROMs will have backed up and if you do this regularly, then you may well have a backup you can use for this purpose. A Nandroid backup can be created using ROM Manager or CWM Manager.

The next step is to grab the Titanium Backup Pro app, which will extract fi les from a Nandroid backup. Select the backup you want and eventually you will be shown a list of apps within the backup. Select the app that you want to restore and wait.

Before long, the app will appear in the Apps pane of Android. You can then check that it is not the latest version by going to the Play store, fi nding the app in question and seeing if it says Update. If it does, then you have an older version and the process has worked. Let us know how you get on!

And if you are fed up of receiving certain sets of notifi cations, then Settings and All Apps will let you look at every single one of them and make a decision on an individual basis as to which you want to allow.

Notifi cations3

It is a great way of fi nding apps that otherwise do not show up, such as Google Account Manager. In each case you can view the permissions of a particular application and decide again if you are happy.

Account Manager2

By going to the All Applications tab within the Settings, you are able to see where other items are stored such as the calendar fi les. The data and cache can be cleared and you can also force stop or disable it.

Clear Calendar1

Why are my Google contacts not syncing?“My Android phone works well and Google syncs perfectly – except for contacts which just will not sync. It keeps saying there is a problem and the screen displays a warning alert. I have had this issue for a while and I cannot resolve it. As I say, other items from mail to music to books all work fi ne.”Simon Atkins, via email

It would appear that a glitch has got into your system and even

though you have been told by your handset that the issue will be resolved shortly, you may well be waiting for all of eternity in order for it to solve itself, so you have to take some action of your own.

Delve into the Settings and go to your account. Sync it and then uncheck the option for Background sync. You then have to go back to your Settings app and select Applications and Manage Applications.

Select All Applications and fi nd your contacts storage within there. You need to select it and then clear the data before going back to the accounts and syncing once more. This time you want to check the background sync (remember, you previously unchecked this). Now when you go to your Gmail account and

A

check contacts before rebooting your device, the contacts will sync correctly.

As with all systems, you will, from time to time, fi nd that you need to clear the cache. Too much in there can confuse and lead to issues such as this one, so take some time to maintain your device every now and then.

It’s easy enough for Google’s contacts to start syncing properly again

Share your tips Got a great tip, or found a cool

shortcut? Let us know!

»facebook/littlegreenrobotLike us on Facebook and join our online community

»twitter@lgrobotFollow us on Twitter to send us your tips & tricks

qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk»emailDiscovered anything good about your Android phone? Let us know!

update update» We bring you the news and rumours on the latest Android updates, and the phones that can run them…

HTC has been in the update news over the last month, for good

and bad reasons. The good is that the company has rolled out the Android 4.2 update to the HTC One, bringing with it such goodies as lockscreen widgets, the Quick settings menu, a customisable home button and numerous tweaks and enhancements to the HTC Sense software. The bad is that HTC has announced that the One S, an upper mid-range phone that only went on sale in April 2012 will no longer get further software updates, either to Android or to Sense. This news comes after the company had previously suggested there would be further updates. The reaction from One S users was one of typical disappointment and annoyance. It was seen by some as a further reason for HTC’s recent fi nancial woes, and also showed the manufacturer in a poor light when compared to Samsung, with its far more generous update program. Samsung’s recent updates include even low-end handsets such as the Ace 2, while the two-year-old Galaxy S II continues to get updated with a 4.2.2 release expected to be the last of a cycle that has taken the phone from the Gingerbread OS it launched with right up to Jelly Bean.

Update60% Complete

Challenge

46

Golf is a diffi cult sport to master, but can you learn the basics using apps?

We’d like to think that sport is something we know a thing or two about, but golf is the exception. Luckily for us, the sports

category on the Google Play store is one of the fastest growing sections and is packed full of various golf-based apps. With this in mind, for this challenge we want to learn the basics of playing golf, while also exploring other apps that can help the overall experience. So stay ‘putt’ as we put some of the best golfi ng apps on the Google Play store to the test to see just how good they are.

Learn the fundamentalsAfter getting our hands on a few different clubs, the fi rst series of apps we downloaded were aimed at helping us master the basics of the

swing, as well as knowing the difference between each club we had available to us. To start with we downloaded the Golf Training Tips app that offered a comprehensive overview of what each club was and what situation they were best used in. Due to the fact it was quite a basic app, it’s perfect for people who are new to the sport. After learning you can’t expect to tee off with a wedge, we then downloaded the excellent iSwing app that cleverly

monitors the motion of your swing and determines areas in which you can improve it. This was an essential app for us as it really helped to improve our swing no-end.

Keep practicingAfter pinning down our swing and general club knowledge, we installed the How To Golf app to cover some of the basics of other shots we might encounter. This app was particularly helpful in understanding how to properly putt and also how to get out of any sand traps we might come across. The next step was to then locate a place where we could really put what we had learnt into practice. Our fi rst choice was the TeeTimes app, which enables users to search and book

If possible, iSwing is best used with another person holding the tracker in front of you so the app can fully evaluate your swing from start to fi nish.

Can you learn to play golf with apps?

47

Set us a challenge! Test us out through

Facebook and Twitter

»facebook/littlegreenrobotLike us on Facebook to share your thoughts

»twitter@lgrobotFollow us on Twitter and send your comments

SkyDroid GPS Price: £1.28/$1.99Developer: Paul Goldstein

App checklist

FreeCaddie Golf GPSPrice: FreeDeveloper: Mobile Software Design, LLC

iSwing - Golf Swing Analyzer Price: £3.62/$4.99Developer: Golf Swing Analysis

Golf GameBookPrice: FreeDeveloper: GameBook Development

TeeTimesPrice: FreeDeveloper: TeeTimes Mobile Development Team

Golf AskGolfGuruPrice: £2.99/$4.76Developer: Mark Crossfi eld

2013 AA Golf GuidePrice: FreeDeveloper: Automobile Association (TheAA)

Golf Training TipsPrice: FreeDeveloper: Bizlapps

Golf Tip-A-Day by Bill Kroen Price: FreeDeveloper: Chris Annase

How To Golf Price: FreeDeveloper: bigo

rounds of golf in their local area at discounted prices. It works really well and supports not only UK users, but also those in the US too. We also downloaded the 2013 AA Golf Guide, and although it recommended the same courses as we saw within TeeTimes, the app is clumsily designed and is horribly slow if you’re looking to book game while on the move. We recommend using TeeTimes to book your golf session.

Use your phone’s featuresAfter spending just a few minutes on our local course, it was clear that apart from our initial swing, the rest of our game was still awful. To help give us some expert pointers we tried the Golf Tip-A-Day and AskGolfGuru apps, which are

packed with bits of knowledge on ways you can improve your overall game, without being too over complicated for new players. One of the coolest range of golfi ng apps on the market is GPS trackers, which help track the distance and location of your golf balls. Our favourites were SkyDroid and FreeCaddie; both helped us locate the balls that we hacked into bunkers and woodland areas near the course. The fi nal app we checked out was the Golf GameBook app that enables users to keep scores of any rounds of golf they play and is perfect for those who don’t understand golf’s slightly obscure scoring system. After putting everything we learnt together, we were able to complete a round of golf no problem, but inevitably, we need practice!

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Success rating

65%CompleteThere are some great golfi ng apps on the Google Play store, with iSwing and TeeTimes being particular highlights. The problem with many of the tutorial apps we tested here is that they lacked the depth needed to teach a new user about improving their skills.

48

Install and use the Xposed frameworkThere are lots of hacks available for Android devices, but the problem is there are lots of Android devices too. Generally a hack that is engineered for one device won’t work on another and if you try to use it, it might even prevent your device from starting up. The Xposed framework is one way to

get around this issue – it’s a safe, reversible way for hack developers to create modifi cations that are not ROM or device dependent. Installing Xposed framework is easy. It requires root, but provided you have that, install the Xposed APK from http://mdc.gd/xposedfw, launch ‘Xposed Installer’, click ‘Install/Update’ and on the next reboot, the framework will be ready for action. You then just need to look for Xposed modules to hack your device. Two of the more popular mods are the multi-hack MoDaCo Toolkit from http://mdc.gd/modacotoolkit and Per App DPI from http://mdc.gd/perappdpi which, predictably, lets you set your device DPI on a per app basis. Handy!

Sync data between devicesWith the rise in popularity of Android tablets, it’s quite possible that you have more than one Android device. At least two, maybe three if you really count yourself as an enthusiast. While you might not want your app catalogue exactly the same on each device (as you’ll likely use them slightly differently), it can get infuriating that the application data itself isn’t synced. A great example of this is when gaming – it’s frustrating

to complete some levels on one device, switch to the other and fi nd you have to do them again. Thankfully, help is at hand (provided you are rooted) in the form of DataSync from the Play store. DataSync, available in both free and paid versions, syncs application data between your devices using either a Wi-Fi connection or via cloud storage services such as Dropbox or Box. Syncing is a manual process in the free version, while the paid version adds fully automated syncing, Bluetooth support and the ability to create and restore local backups.

Hacker ZøneExplore the limits of your Android device

status updateWhich devices are best for the hacking scene?

Tips and tricks

After installing the Xposed framework, check everything is in green…

DataSync helps you keep multiple Android devices working in harmony

quickhacks

While ClockworkMod by Koushik Dutta is the long established recovery image of choice for many enthusiasts, TWRP – the TeamWin Recovery Project – is another excellent alternative. TWRP is packed with features and is available for a range of devices.

Install TWRP recovery

The easiest way to install TWRP on your rooted device is to use the GooManager app, which can automatically download and install the correct recovery image for your device. The app is a free download.

1To install, launch the app,

press the menu button and select ‘Install OpenRecoveryScript’. The app will auto detect your device. Hit Yes and click the download link. The recovery will then be installed.

2When the download has

completed, a ‘toast’ message will appear telling you that installation is complete. At this point, it’s worth booting into recovery to check that all is well.

3GooManager Install the image Test it

Nexus 4Rooted? YesActive Development:

Yes At such a low price the Nexus 4 is set to become one of the must-have devices for developers. Great news for the rest of us!

HTC OneRooted? YesActive Development:

Medium Most of the usual suspects are present and correct. Hopefully there will be more unique tweaks and mods still to come.

Sony Xperia ZRooted? YesActive Development:

Low Minimal ROMs or mods for the Z so far, but bloat-free ROMs are available. Remember you will need to unlock the bootloader fi rst as well.

Samsung Galaxy S4 ActiveRooted? YesActive Development:

Low Rooted, but with a different screen and camera, S4 ROMs should not work on it.

» www.littlegreenrobot.co.ukCheck our website daily for even more tips & tricks

49

Hacker Zøne

applications are available that arguably offer more features, but CPU-Z gives you data you can trust.

Improve your Wi-Fi signalWhen you’re at home, you should try and ensure that your device uses your Wi-Fi network. As well as getting better speeds than on your mobile data connection, you’ll preserve valuable data allowance. If you are fi nding the speed and range of your home Wi-Fi isn’t as good as you’d like, it’s worth checking out Wifi Analyzer, free from the Play store. Wifi Analyzer will help you ensure that your router is confi gured to give you the best possible signal by showing other networks within range and their

associated channels. One of the most common reasons for degraded Wi-Fi performance is interference – multiple routers running on the same channel for example. Open Wifi Analyzer and ensure that your network is running on a free channel and as far from other networks as possible. Some home routers do automatically confi gure their network, but they also usually offer the option to manually specify the channel via the admin interface. Wifi Analyzer is also a useful tool for checking for the best network strength when within range of multiple available networks.

Connect to ADB via Wi-FiADB – the Android Debug Bridge – is a fantastic way to connect to your device to carry out all manner of hacks and mods, but keeping a micro USB cable to hand can sometimes be a pain. ADB also includes the ability to connect via a network connection and provided you’re rooted, WiFi ADB from TTXApps on the Play store makes it dead easy to use. Simply install and open the app, hit the on/off toggle and grant root permissions when prompted. The screen will display the command you need to use on the command line to connect – eg ‘adb connect 192.168.0.100:5555’. Doing so will connect you to your device over the air just as if you were using a cable. If you need to provide remote support, you could connect to a device in a completely different location.

View your system info with CPU-ZCPU-Z, the long standing authority for hardware and software reporting on PCs, is now available on Android, downloadable free from the Play store. CPU-Z is great for having a look at what’s happening inside your device. The ‘SOC’ screen shows you the information about your device’s processor and GPU (graphics processor) including current clock speed and load, as well as your chips revision. The System screen tells you about your software, screen and memory and storage usage. The Battery screen shows you the health of your battery as well as the current status, temperature and voltage. The Sensors screen is quite an eye opener as you view live data from each of the sensors on your device – including ones you probably didn’t even know were there! Other similar

Learn more about your device with CPU-Z

Share your tipsDiscovered a great hack or

tweak? Let us know!

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Wifi Analyzer gives you a graphical look at your networks

“Great for having a look at what’s happening inside your device” OS

Short for ‘operating system’. Often the Android ROM will be referred to as the OS – this just means the system fi les on the Android device that make up your user experience, similar to Windows, Mac OS X or Ubuntu on a desktop computer.

ROMStands for ‘read-only memory’. In the context of Android, the ROM refers to the fi les that make up the operating system installed on your device. Gaining root privileges allows for replacement of the standard ROMwith a custom one.

Root‘Rooting’ your phone gives apps access to parts of the OS that are normally hidden from consumers. This enables you to run more powerful software and install custom ROMs on your phone.

ROM ManagerAn app available from the Android Market that enables you to installa whole new version of your OS witha single click. It requires a rooted phone to use and is ideal for thosenew on the scene.

Titanium BackupThis app from the Market enables you to back up everything on your phone – apps, data, settings and all. It means that you can restore your phone to how it was, even after you’ve updated or changed the ROM.

UnrevokedAvailable from www.unrevoked.com, this is a one-click tool that can be used for rooting many popular HTC smartphones.

ADBStands for ‘Android Debug Bridge’. ADB is mainly used for software development, but it also has some uses for hacking your phone. It can be used to push fi les onto the system folder, for instance.

NandroidYou might come across the phrase ‘perform a Nandroid backup’. This means using a custom recovery toolto make a back-up image of everything currently on your phone: OS, apps, data, etc. It’s very useful should you wish to restore your phone to its previous state later.

Radio‘Radio’ refers to the software on your Android device that deals with making phone calls and data connections. Updating your radio version can bring better battery life and signal strength to your device. Some ROMs require the latest radio.

FlashThe storage in your device comprises fl ash memory, a type of solid-state storage. The terms ‘fl ash’ or ‘fl ashing’ mean installing new software onto your device’s storage.

Get up to speed on all the terms you need to know when hacking your phone

Hacking the easy way Get great new features without getting your hands (too) dirty

GMD Gesture Control» £3.53/$5.56From: Play storeNeed root? YesGMD Gesture Control enables you to confi gure multi-touch gestures that work across all apps. A huge variety of actions are available, including a full screen mode.

Font Installer» FreeFrom: Play storeNeed root? YesFont Installer enables you to select your system font from hundreds of custom fonts. The application will let you preview, back up, install from SD card and share your fonts with others.

Triangle Away» £1.99/$2.49From: Play storeNeed root? YesWhen you install a custom ROM on your Samsung device, an internal counter keeps track of how many times you fl ashed. Triangle Away lets you reset the counter and remove the warning.

JargonBuster

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50

Paranoid Android is a popular AOSP-based custom ROM for a large number of devices.

Paranoid Android’s signature feature is a true ‘hybrid’ mode which enables you to scale every app, widget, or even system components individually. You can choose a custom or DPI mode for virtually everything. You want to use Gmail in the tablet UI while keeping the rest of your device as normal? Paranoid Android will let you do that. Prefer the phone UI on your tablet or the tablet UI on your phone? No problem. As well as the hybrid functionality, Paranoid Android includes another unique feature called HALO.

HALO is inspired by Facebook’s ‘ChatHeads’ functionality, which overlays a circle on top of the Android UI from where you can

quickly access your Facebook chats. HALO takes the concept to the

next level, letting you access your current notifi cations or any

app installed on your device from a ‘ring’ that is always visible. HALO is probably best described as a cross between ChatHeads and Samsung’s MultiWindow experience. What you get is the

full app running in a window on top of the app you are currently

using, which continues to run in the background. HALO is gesture based – after activation, simple gestures let you access the advanced functionality of the feature.

True multi-tasking in the Paranoid Android ROMThe Paranoid Android custom ROM

includes a fl exible feature named HALO – here’s what it’s all about

Works with » Varies with device Diffi culty » Intermediate

Get tips, tricks, help & adviceSend us your comments, tips and questions

through email and social networks

Paranoid Android is available for a large number of devices and installed in the same way as any other custom ROM – using a custom recovery (for example ClockworkMod or TWRP). Unfortunately there is no central repository for PA ROMs – you’ll need to visit xda-developers.com and search for ‘Paranoid Android’.

Find and download

Paranoid Android1

To view your notifi cations, click the HALO ring and drag your fi nger towards the centre. As you move your fi nger you will see different notifi cations being highlighted at the top. When you lift your fi nger, the application for that notifi cation will open in a pop-up window.

Viewing notifi cations6

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As with any CyanogenMod-based custom ROM, you will also need to download the ‘Gapps package’ to get Google apps functionality after fl ashing your ROM. Download this from goo.im/gapps, then reboot into recovery and fl ash. A wipe is mandatory, so back up fi rst.

Download Gapps and fl ash ROM2

After you‘ve installed the ROM, rebooted your device and completed the setup wizard, you need to load the Play store and search for the HALO app, called ‘HALO)))’ by AOSPA Paranoid Android. This will give you the ability to pin apps to the HALO ring.

Install HALO from Google Play3

To activate HALO, click the blue circle with a speech bubble icon in the notifi cation pull-down. After clicking this, the HALO ring will appear partially hidden on the left hand side of the screen. To close HALO, double tap, then drag the icon to the red cross that appears.

Activating and closing HALO4

By default the HALO ring is on the left of the screen in the middle, but you can move it around at will. Double-click and drag the ring to move it to either side of the screen where you can have it at the top, bottom or anywhere in between.The choice is yours.

Moving the HALO ring around5

To quickly clear the most recent notifi cation, click the HALO ring and drag your fi nger upwards. Unfortunately, at this time, there’s no way to quickly clear all notifi cations or anything but the top notifi cation, but it is likely this will be added in a future release.

Clearing notifi cations7

If you fi nd the HALO ring at the side of your screen more intrusive than you would like, you can hide it further off to the side of the screen. If you click the ring and drag downwards, the ring will become barely visible but will function in exactly the same way.

Make the HALO ring less visible8

As well as having notifi cations in the HALO ring, you can pin apps so that they are always accessible. Launch the HALO app and click on the pin. You will be presented with a list of your installed apps from where you can choose the app you wish to have as a permanent shortcut.

‘Pin’ applications to the ring9

When you multitask in Android, it can sometimes be a bit of a jarring experience. When you switch back to an app, it might redraw, reload or generally not be how you left it. Try playing a YouTube video then opening something from the HALO ring – it’ll keep playing as HALO is a true multitasking app.

True multitasking10

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Get extra security on your device

Afraid of mobile theft? The Cerberus security app cannot be

removed – even with a factory reset

Works with » Varies with device Diffi culty » Intermediate

Get tips, tricks, help & adviceSend us your comments, tips and questions

through email and social networks

There are three ways to install Cerberus, which is available from Google Play, Amazon Appstore and from www.cerberusapp.com. You can choose between a standard APK fi le, a hidden version that disguises itself in the Manage Applications screen and a fl ashable ZIP.

Three ways to install1

After installation and the creation of your account, you can sign into the Cerberus website to investigate the options. Here you will fi nd a Google map, with a menu in the top-left corner to help track your phone. All options are available here, initiated by clicking the Send command button.

Remote controloptions explained6

Smartphones and tablets are stolen every day, often from pockets, bags and from tables in

bars and restaurants. A call to the police is a mere formality for insurance purposes usually, resulting in a new phone – if you’re one of the lucky ones.

There are various apps and services available that can assist with tracking your phone, but the downside of these is that a savvy thief (let’s face it, that’s most of them) will know how to uninstall the app, preventing you from tracking it or using the device camera to identify the culprit. They don’t even have to go that far – disabling data transfers will block attempts to fi nd the purloined Android phone or tablet.

What you need is a smartphone security app that isn’t at the whim of data connections and can’t be

uninstalled – an app like Cerberus.Available for €2.99 after a free

one-week trial, Cerberus is your best chance of recovering your

stolen device. It can be installed as a standard app, as a hidden, ‘system’ process or even fl ashed to incorporate into your system

ROM, meaning that Cerberus cannot be removed.

That option is impressive, but even better is the facility to communicate with your phone using silent SMS messages,

enabling remote control and tracking options that would otherwise be unavailable to you.

Cerberus is easy to install, simple to use and it might prove vital when you need it most. Here’s how it works.

53

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The standard version can be installed from Google Play, or it can be downloaded direct from the website and installed on your Android as long as the Settings>Security>Unknown Sources option is ticked. After launching you can create your Cerberus account, which is free for seven days.

Standard version2If you’re concerned about

Cerberus being disabled, you can download the hidden Cerberus_disguised.APK version, which runs as a system framework in the Manage Applications screen. Or, use the Hide from app drawer option in the Cerberus web console, which will hide the app from view.

Hide Cerberus3For the ultimate security

against thieves spotting Cerberus and uninstalling, users with root access can fl ash the app with a preferred recovery utility. This integrates Cerberus into your phone’s ROM, making it impossible for a thief to uninstall it. A hidden version is also available.

Full security4You will need to enable

Cerberus via the app settings screen where you can also toggle remote wipe options, determine how photos are taken following failed unlocks and change your password. The SIM checker option ensures your phone can be tracked even if the SIM card is changed.

Confi guring5

So, how would you go about tracking your Android? Simply select the Start tracking option and click Send command, an action that will display your phone on the Google map. The Get location history option, meanwhile, will show you where your phone has been since tracking was enabled.

Locate and track7Being able to track your

phone is great, but it requires your phone to be online. What if the thief has disabled the connection? From another phone, send the command: cerberus password enabledata, where “password” is your Cerberus password. All SMS commands are listed on the Cerberus website.

Offl ine remote8There are various steps you

can take to protect your personal data from theft via Cerberus. You might, for instance, use the Lock with code command, specifying a password, or you might rely on the Wipe device memory or Wipe SD card options. SMS wipe commands are also available.

Wipe your data9Cerberus also lets you take

photos, video and record audio of your device’s thief. The Take picture, Capture video and Record audio options also have SMS alternatives and should help identify your thief. It might not stop your phone being stolen, but Cerberus can certainly help in its retrieval.

Catch ‘em10

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Over the years smartphones have become de facto personal media players, often

crammed full of MP3s and video fi les. But has the ease with which we can now copy, download and stream music from a variety of sources dampened our enjoyment?

If you think that it’s time you started appreciating your portable music collection properly, why not look at enhancing the quality of your device’s audio reproduction? While you can only do so much with the

hardware and drivers, there are several tools available that you can fl ash to help gain some improvements to the way your

MP3s sound on your headphones.Unfortunately there are few apps

in the Google Play store that are compatible across all devices. Also, installation of such audio enhancement needs to be performed in recovery. As a result, you will need to spend a few minutes searching for a suitable utility and checking that it is compatible with your device. MegaBassBeats and AC!D Audio Engine are two examples that will deliver high-quality audio output.

The benefi ts of doing this are obvious, but note that any changes will be only recognisable using earphones. Some improvements might be noticeable if you plug your phone into a car stereo, but you won’t hear any change when listening on your device’s built-in speaker.

Flash a custom ROM to enhance your audio

Forget expensive headphones, we’ll show you how to get your

device sounding better than ever

Works with » Varies with device Diffi culty » Intermediate

Get tips, tricks, help & adviceSend us your comments, tips and questions

through email and social networks

There are plenty of audio equaliser apps available from the Google Play store, but what we’re talking about here are lower-level utilities that boost the quality of the audio that is heard with earphones. Check places like xda-developers.com, using an online search to fi nd tools compatible with your device.

Finding yourself a compatible

audio enhancer1

After rebooting Android, the fi rst thing you should do (if the update process doesn’t automatically boot into the app) is open the chosen audio enhancement utility and confi gure your options. Such options might be anything from toggling boot at launch to selecting a suitable headset.

Confi gure your audio enhancer6

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Save the fi le to Android’s external storage where you can easily fi nd it. Due to the nature of these audio tweaking utilities, you’ll need to use a recovery tool on a rooted device in order to fl ash the update. You should also use Titanium Backup or similar as a precaution.

Copy the ZIP to Android2

Recovery software is typically accessed by restarting your phone and selecting the reboot into recovery option, or holding the volume down button as you switch on your phone. You might also have an app shortcut that boots your phone into your recovery software.

Recovery utility3After booting into recovery

mode you can prepare your phone for the addition of the new software. This means wiping the cache and Dalvik cache within the recovery utility. When you come to fl ash the update you will have the option to wipe these caches – this will not delete your data.

Prepare to fl ash4In your recovery tool, use the

update option to browse to the downloaded update ZIP fi le and select it to begin the fl ashing process. This shouldn’t take too long, and once successfully completed your phone should reboot. If it doesn’t, manually select the reboot option in recovery.

Flash update5

Before you try out the new audio modifi cation, connect your headphones and turn the volume down. In the event of any sort of dramatic problem, this will protect your hearing. You should also check how to disable the modifi cation in the event of it not working with your particular device.

Get ready to test7To test playback with the

audio modifi cation, open Google Play Music, fi nd your favourite tune, put on your earphones and tap play. Keep an eye on the track progress, slowly increasing volume to a comfortable level. You should fi nd a sweet spot where the effects of the modifi cation sound incredible.

Enjoy your audio8The beauty of audio mods

for Android is that once fl ashed they will improve the quality of your device’s sound reproduction, not just in music, but in games too. Better still, pushing the volume up to 11 is no longer necessary as vocals, bass and other elements are better equalised.

Turn it down!9Resolving unsatisfactory

audio reproduction by upgrading the software is only the beginning in your quest for MP3 enjoyment of Zen proportions. Some mods will detect when your headphones are attached and activate automatically. All you need to do now is hit play, sit back and enjoy…

New earphones?10

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With OUYA, GameStick and countless other consoles, Android is set to change the world of

gaming forever

58

ANDROID GAMING REVOLUTION

Feature» Gaming revolution

gamer and one that banishes the stereotypes that have often plagued the industry for a number of years. Scott Dodson, Senior Lecturer in Game Design at DigiPen Institute of Tech said: “Gaming can no longer be said to be primarily male, predominantly young, played on a home TV screen and solitary. Women equal or outnumber men on some the biggest social & mobile titles (which in turn have the largest audiences of any game) and average ages continue to climb. This is a trend we’re likely to see continuing in the future and within the next generation of games consoles.”

Mobile gaming is wholeheartedly aimed at the family-friendly market, and the Google Play store is at the forefront of these advancements, with many of the recommended titles falling directly into this category. With this in mind, the whole pick-up-and-play range of gaming titles has expanded tenfold, with over half of the best selling games on the Google Play store being ‘freemium’ titles for users to enjoy.

Although stacked full of in-app purchases, it’s these casual titles which users can’t get enough of and is a model that even certain console games, namely the ‘free’ Spartacus Legends, that are adopting this model to appeal to the more casual market. Research by IHS points out that due to the popularity of the freemium model, app revenue from these games is expected to grow to $5.6 billion by the end of 2015. The reason for many developers choosing to adopt a freemium model for their games is partially due to the high level of piracy involved on the Android OS. Some of the most loved games on the Android OS started off as paid titles, but due to high piracy rates, they reverted to offering the game for free, but ramped up the prices of the various in-app purchases to make the difference up. It isn’t a model that many

gamers are keen on, but until a compromise over price can be made, Android gamers will have to cough up the cash if they want to unlock more content for their supposedly free title.

The price is rightWhere the mobile gaming industry is now heading is into a new wave of Android game consoles, but can these suitably challenge their full console counterparts for

control of your television? The two devices

“The day will come when you can slide something as powerful as a 360 or PS3 into your pocket”

We’re about to welcome in a new era of console gaming with the upcoming releases of the Xbox One and PS4.

Neither console is without their controversy, but with their release comes a new wave of games, hardware and ground breaking technology. But nowadays the gaming market isn’t solely dominated by the console juggernauts, with more and more people turning to their smartphone for their gaming habits. A recent survey by leading analysts Geekaphone, found that by the end of 2015, the mobile gaming industry will be worth close to $55 million. Whichever way you look at it, that’s massive money, certainly enough to make you think there are more than the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo vying for control of your living room in this generation. “The rise of traditional mobile gaming has been good for the industry, and this generation of mobile, when indie developers can create something with a minimal budget and release it on an open-source market like an Android store, has been fantastic,” says Games Analyst, Matthew Sakey. “Mobile gaming is going to get richer, the technology’s going to get better, and the profi tability is likely to grow.” As a whole, gaming is now a multi-billion pound industry, with ambitious projects and AAA titles being brought out on a regular occurrence. As we’ve already touched on, the mobile gaming industry is a million dollar industry in itself, and with the constant increase in the quality of technology and new ideas, the gap between console and mobile gaming may get closer in due course.

Shaking off stereotypesMobile gaming has come a long way since the days of being blown away by playing Snake on the Nokia 6110, so far in fact that you can barely move on the Google Play store without a new game popping up on your screen. No matter what your preferences are, be it pure racing simulators or mowing down zombies, the choice available to Android users can’t be matched, no matter what your platform of choice typically is. The vast choice of games, also opens itself up to a new type of

More Android consoles coming your way…These Android games devices will be with you before the end of the year

ShieldRelease date: September 2013Price: $249

NVIDIA’s Shield blends together the comfort of console and mobile gaming in one package. It

packs the powerful Tegra 4 chip alongside a fi ve-inch Retina-quality display making it a top package. Its killer feature is its PC streaming capability, which enables users to stream their PC collection directly through it, although on its release it’ll still be in its BETA phase.

Project M.O.J.ORelease date: Q4 2013Price: TBA

Mad Catz M.O.J.O looks to encompass both what the GamePop and Shield offer in

one unique package. The console is rumoured to feature full access to various app stores and direct streaming from your PC. Alongside the console, Mad Catz will be launching a wide range of compatible accessories to make M.O.J.O the standout mobile gaming console of this generation.

GameProRelease date: Q4 2013Price: $129 + $6.99 monthly subscription

GamePop comes from the team at BlueStacks, who in past projects has brought Android

apps to Windows PCs. The console itself is a hub for streaming games directly from the Google Play store, as well as a select amount of exclusives. Games are promised at being cheaper than the competition, with a monthly subscription required to keep you playing.

Feature» Gaming revolution

59

Feature» Gaming revolution

OUYA Android console review

With $8.5 million in crowd funding and an extensive marketing campaign to rival

that of its console counterparts, OUYA is without doubt the pioneer of the new generation of Android gaming consoles. Unboxing the OUYA reveals a small silver square alongside a smart looking controller. Both the controller and console are light, a bit too light in fact, but they both have a nice aesthetic quality to them, even if the OUYA might be smaller than you fi rst thought. Around the back of the console are a range of ports which ramp up the variety of connectivity options available to you. There’s the standard power port, full USB, micro USB and also a HDMI port to boot. Due to the console’s small stature, having both the power and HDMI cable plugged into the console when you begin playing is a real eyesore. Turning on the console for the fi rst time

An average console or a hacker’s dream? We review the £99 device that

which seem to be catching the most attention currently are OUYA, a small box that lets you try any game before you decide to buy it, and GameStick, a HDMI-stick enabling you to enjoy the best that mobile has to offer. The demand for consoles of this type are clear, OUYA managed to raise over $8 million in funding on Kickstarter, and secured thousands upon thousands of pre-orders. Although GameStick may not have received the same level of crowd-funding success, it did receive massive pre-orders on Amazon and early reviews are positive. With consumers wanting these consoles, Jasmine Henry, Head Editor of J Station X, believes that the release of these mobile consoles can only be seen as a good thing: “As gamers we love choice and right now we’re stuck for it. The competition of OUYA and GameStick etc encourages the big guys like Sony

and Microsoft to diversify what they can offer, getting them to raise the bar. The emergence of mobile gaming could never be a bad thing.” Another key selling point that the likes of OUYA and GameStick have over the competition is price. For £99 and £79 respectively, both consoles are a fraction of what consumers will pay for the £429 Xbox One and £349 PS4 on their release.

In a time where wallets are being tightened, these smaller price tags can mean a whole lot to the casual gamer.

Similar to the consoles, the difference in game prices are also staggeringly different. Some of the best mobile gaming titles cost less than a chocolate bar nowadays and with their console counterparts asking users to pre-order titles up towards the £50 mark, once again the mobile

gaming platform seems a much more appealing idea. Cary Boring, developer of Gravestompers, thinks that investing in a mobile game is a winning situation for all: “The indie developers have a chance to get noticed on the big screen with consoles like the OUYA. On the Android-based game consoles you can buy an entertaining game for just £1.99 and not worry if you are going to break the bank.  It’s a win-win for both gamer and small developer.” Although the difference in initial outlay may look like mobile gaming is streaks ahead, you ultimately have to evaluate the quality of the game you’re getting in return. With many triple AAA titles you get not only an engaging single player experience, but also an enthralling multiplayer experience, with the ability to play with your friends. Although a small selection of games offer a somewhat similar

60

1993 1994 19971996 2003 2004 2005 2007 2008

How the two stack up

1999 2000

PlayStation, and Sega Genesis launched

Game Boy Pocket announced by Nintendo

First Pokemon games released

Snake pre-installed on Nokia 6110

WAP technology starts multiplayer gaming on mobiles

N-Gage bridges gap between mobiles and consoles

N-Gage claimed as “fi nancial disaster of epic proportions” – sells just 3 million units

Android App Store launched with a selection of games

Apple soon follows suit with Game Center

Nintendo DS launched globally

PS3 and Xbox 360 fi ght for dominance

GTA found to be best selling franchise of all time

Just how far has mobile and console gaming come in the past 20 years?

Playstation 2 launched, goes on to sell 150 million units

Mobile V Gaming Console

FeatureGaming revolution «

requires you to pair the controller and console together. The process is easy enough and there’s also the choice to pair up to three other controllers at the same time. There’s a rather lengthy setup process from here on in, with the console requiring a couple of software updates before you can get stuck in. After creating an account, you’re annoyingly taken to a credit and debit screen, where you’re required to enter all your details. There’s no getting around this screen, you need to enter your payment details before you’ve even seen the main menu.

Once the setup is complete it’s onto the storefront, which is spread into different sections to make it easier to fi nd and play the games you want. Although the current crop of games aren’t near the amount fi rst promised, the selection on offer is varied enough to keep you interested.

All genres are covered and having the ability to demo any game before you part with your cash is a great addition. Prices vary from game to game, but even some of the more expensive titles cost less than they do on the Google Play store. After downloading a title you’ll soon discover OUYA’s

number one problem: lag. Any action you implement on the controller is often delayed by a few seconds before appearing on screen – it’s a real issue and fundamentally ruins the gaming experience for users. Of the 40 or so games we tested on OUYA, the lag issue was apparent on nearly 90 per cent of them.

The saving grace for OUYA is that because it runs on Android, you always have the ability to hack it, and some praise has to go to the developers for enabling users to tinker with the little box. There’s already a thriving community of people out there producing apps and other content for the OUYA. Emulation works like a charm and up scales most games well, with popular emulators SuperGNES and MD.emu working without any issues.

XBMC is also working without fault and acts as a gateway to stream various media fi les through the tiny console. Dig a little deeper and you’ll also fi nd it’s entirely possible to add ClockworkMod to OUYA, again opening up even more avenues for you. The list of hacks and customisations is growing at an alarming pace and it’s only a

matter of time until we see the likes of Netfl ix and Gmail ported across.

OUYA is marred by problems which certainly hold back being able to recommend it as a must-have games console. But for £99, many people may invest in one for the variety of hacking opportunities available to them, with a community of hackers constantly growing and looking for new ways to get more from the little box. If you’re on the hunt for a pure Android games console, you may want to look elsewhere, but for a box that can be opened up and hacked, this is a must-have machine.

function, the overall experience is still miles behind that of their console counterparts. Until the gap is closed between the two, mobile games will never be able to justify a more expensive price tag.

Having the best titlesAway from the surge of new consoles appearing on the market, you’ll also need a strong selection of games worthy of playing. Game development for smartphones has come on leaps and bounds, partly thanks to better quality devices, but also due to the money being spent within them. Big name developers are have fi rmly set themselves up on the Android platform, with the likes of Sega and EA leading the way in bringing some of their most loved series over to mobile. Users can now

experience the likes of Sonic, The Sims and Mass Effect directly on their smartphones. The changes are so major that these companies aren’t just porting these titles across, and instead are creating truly unique titles for players to get to grips with. “Strong franchises are a good way to move new products, and all of these mobile consoles will need licensed stuff that resonate with customers,” says Matthew Sakey. “Publishers

“You can pick up an Android game for £1.99 without the worry of breaking the bank. The next generation of console games will cost around £49.99 – the difference is huge”

20142009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Angry Birds released, downloaded 1 million times in a week

Sony Xperia Play launched globally to mixed reviews

Mass Effect and GTA ported over to Android devices

OUYA, GameStick and dedicated mobile consoles launched

Microsoft’s motion controlled Kinect sells 8 million units in just 60 days

Both the PS4 and Xbox One announced for Q4 release

wants to take over your living room

Lacking quality as a games console, but endless hacking options

»Verdict

Performance

Design

Value for money

Features

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Feature» Gaming revolution

Android handhelds vs the restHow well do the new crop of mobile handhelds compare to their established portable console counterparts? We put them head-to-head to fi nd out

And the winner is: PS VitaThere’s some strong offerings from the Android pretenders, like the MOGA Pro and Wikipad, but with a combination of solid design, great game choice and superior

software, Sony’s PS Vita is still the king of handhelds for the time being, at least. The gap is narrowing, though, and it may not be long before Android catches up.

Design & build

Software

Game selection

Hackability

Price

Both of the screens are put to use with the 3DS, and the accompanying stylus is a nice feature to have available.

Nintendo’s software is very family friendly and includes regular fi rmware updates to bring the latest features to all devices.

If you include the digital downloads available from the Nintendo store, the current crop of games are fantastic on the 3DS.

The 3DS can be tricky to jailbreak, but you can purchase various fl ashcarts and R4 cards which work in conjunction with it.

Pre-owned prices for the 3DS are coming in at around £89.99 and currently £129.99 brand new.

Nintendo 3DS

Running Android 4.1 means the Wikipad is fairly quick, but it doesn’t have any gaming specifi c features which we’d have liked to see.

You can download games from three different app stores, but the current selection of optimised games is poor in truth.

Running stock Android means the Wikipad is openly available to hack, but there aren’t many ROMs available for it yet.

Compared to the competition, the Wikipad sits near the highest price point at £199.

Wikipad

Nothing matches the Wikipad in terms of its size, and with a nice selection of controls also included, it’s a great package to own.

Sony has adopted a premium fi nish on the Vita, with both the thumbsticks and basic controls working well with prolonged use.

There are plenty of guides available to jailbreak the Vita, enabling you to add certain ISO fi les of all your favourite downloaded games.

Similarly to the 3DS, you can now pick up a Vita for around the £89.99 mark pre-owned. Value.

PS Vita

The Vita’s software is heavily focused on the gaming side of things, as well as helping keeping you in contact with friends.

After a slow start, the Vita now sports a great selection of games, with many classic PS1 and PS2 titles available digitally to play.

The fi ve-inch screen of the S4 is a massive plus for gamers, but the reliance on touch-screen controls is a real letdown.

TouchWiz doesn’t hinder how you can play games on your phone, but it doesn’t contain any gaming specifi c features as well either.

There’s plenty of games within the Play store you’ll enjoy, but they lack the quality of their console counterparts.

If you want to buy the Galaxy S4 outright, it’s going to cost you near £500to own.

Galaxy S4

Not only will you be able to sideload apps and games to the S4, there’s a multitude of custom ROMs available for the phone too.

Although the Pivot app idnof

Although it’s in the shape of an Xbox controller, the MOGA Pro just doesn’t have the same premium feel as the competition.

The MOGA Pivot app is your gateway to all available MOGA games, but the app itself is laggy in areas, and has slow loading games.

Although the Pivot app includes plenty of downloadable games, not all of them are optimised for MOGA’s full range of controls.

There’s little hackability available for the MOGA, but people are working on getting the MOGA working with other game consoles.

MOGA

Budget is key with the MOGA, which comes with an impulse-friendly £39.99 price tag.

Feature» Gaming revolution

TOP 10console-quality mobile games

There’s some fantastic games on the Google Play store, but here are the ten most like their console counterparts

N.O.V.A. 3With superb graphics, a sprawling campaign mode and decent multiplayer options, this is the closest you get to a console-quality game.

Online RPG AvabelThere’s not many console RPGs that can match Avabel for the sheer amount of quests to complete and places to explore.

Dead TriggerDead Trigger is the fi rst of its kind, a unique FPS experience with plenty of levels to beat, and bags of brain-eating foes to blast away.

Order & Chaos OnlineMultiplayer is at the heart of Order & Chaos, as you band together with players from around the world to conquer a kingdom overrun by monsters.

Dead SpaceWhen it comes to creating atmosphere and the odd fl esh-eating mutant, nothing beats the brilliant shooter, Dead Space.

Modern Combat 4Android’s take on Call of Duty is a winner, with the fourth instalment of the franchise offering a great storyline and reliable multiplayer options.

Mass Effect: InfiltratorAlthough not linked to the console versions of Mass Effect, Infi ltrator has a solid campaign with several recognisable characters thrown in too.

Hero of ManyThis intriguing game uses minimalist visuals and a beautiful soundtrack to produce something the likes of the 360 and PS3 simply don’t have.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityCelebrating the ten-year anniversary, the Android port of GTA: Vice City is as authentic, if not better, than its console counterpart.

Asphalt 6Boasting gorgeous graphics and a varied car selection, Asphalt 6 sits in pole position of the racers on the Google Play store.

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Feature» Gaming revolution

counterparts, but the lack of game experiences that offer storylines, character development and replay value are what hold it back in some sense.

Where 360 and PS3 users can enjoy the likes of Skyrim, Far Cry and Mass Effect, hardcore gamers will struggle to fi nd that same level of immersive game directly on their mobiles. There are titles out there which can give console games a run for their money, but they’re way too few and far between. Ultimately the difference in quality comes down to a handful of reasons, the fi rst of which Matthew Sakey believes are the budgets involved with these titles: “Traditional consoles and PC games are mostly about AAA development – big teams, big budgets, big titles. That’s not the case with most of mobile, mediated or not. So the quality lags behind simply due to lack of resources.”

Where a mobile developer may spend up to just a few thousand pounds in bringing their game to the Google Play store, many of the biggest console developers, eg EA and Bethesda, part with millions of pounds to bring their AAA titles to the market. That isn’t to say that small budgets can’t produce brilliant games, with the likes of Shadowgun and Dead Trigger seeing some incredible mobile downloads for games that were on a fraction of a budget compared to some of the biggest gaming titles on the market.

Next generationThe rise in mobile gaming is incredible and the

Set up retro game emulators

way we’ve seen Android constantly be at the forefront of this can only spell good news for the operating system. Both the OUYA and GameStick are paving the way for a new generation of games consoles which are all vying for a place in your living room, and based on pre-orders alone, the early numbers look good. There’s also the likes of the ambitious Project Shield that looks to stream PC gaming through an Android controller and also GamePop, a console by BlueStacks, that requires a subscription service to play. It’s diffi cult to judge whether we’ll see a time where console and mobile gaming will ever be at the same level, and as Jasmine Henry points out: “The demand for mobile gaming is high but not quite at the point of scrapping our Xboxes and

PlayStations just yet. So until we get to that stage, I don’t think any team is going to be willing to put in the effort to try and thwart console gaming systems.” No matter what your preference on games consoles, or your feelings towards mobile gaming, with the next generation of consoles just around the corner and a new range of games to play on them, there’s never been a better time to be a gamer.

“There are mobile titles out there that give the AAA titles we all know and love a run for their money. They’re just few and far between at this moment in time”

Both the OUYA console and the controller can be hacked

The USB part of the GameStick fi ts into the

top of the controller

Add Pandora, YouTube and Play MusicOUYA is missing plenty of apps we’d have loved to of seen included, but after fl ashing CWM Recovery, as mentioned in the previous hack, you’ll be able to add this package of apps, also including Dropbox, Nova Launcher and Google TV, directly to your console. Both the package and details of installation can be found here (http://bit.ly/11gDxCz).

Install CWM RecoveryIf you’re interested in applying custom ROMs to your OUYA console, then you’ll fi rst want to install

CWM Recovery on it. The process doesn’t take long to complete, but it is a bit hit and miss until the software is perfected, but by following our instructions you should be fi ne. Here’s how…

Go to this thread (http://bit.ly/12FJrLJ) and download the .Zip fi le it contains.

Transfer the .Zip fi le to OUYA via micro USB and run the adb bootloader option from within it.

Use fastboot to boot CWM and then choose ‘install zip from sdcard’ before restarting your console, which should reboot directly into CWM recovery.

Essential OUYA hacksGet more from your OUYA with these essential hacks

Both the SuperGNES (SNES) and MD.emu (SEGA) are confi rmed to work on the OUYA. Download both of these through the Discover section on the console and then use the Play screen to choose any compatible ROMs. You can add ROMs to your OUYA console by transferring them from your computer to the console via micro USB.

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Vine

Playmarkers Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play StoreApps

66

Not sure what to watch? View what’s trending for the most popular videos

Posting to Vine and sharing your videos via Twitter is seamless

Want your money back? You’ve got 15 mins to decide!

refundkeep

15min wonder

»0-5 minutes Signing up is a breeze via Twitter.

51015

!

»5-10 minutes We have our fi rst video recorded.

51015

!

»10-15 minutes We feel like Vine pros already!

51015

!

Vine is a fantastic app, but it is lacking versus the all-conquering iOS version

Performance

Design

Value

» specification

Designed for: Phone/tablet

Requires Android: 4.0 and up

Price Free

» verdict

After being left in the dark for the past few months, Android users fi nally get to discover

what they’ve been missing out on. Sometimes less is more. Twitter has become so popular because it’s an easy way to share relevant content with your mates, family, friends and business associates. Vine takes the Twitter phenomenon in a new direction – instead of being limited to 140 characters, you’re limited to six-second videos. Now six seconds might not sound like a lot, but don’t tell that to the Vine community, which has exploded in popularity since its launch earlier this year.

Signing up for Vine is quick and easy. All you need is an email address or a Twitter account and you’re ready to start sharing. Similar to video sharing websites like YouTube, you can view all the latest videos conveniently from your home screen. Your mates’ videos will instantly be displayed, along with featured videos. Vine is a pretty lonely place when you fi rst start, so invite friends to get up and running. Adding your friends is as easy as visiting your profi le page; you can even search for friends on Twitter who also have Vine accounts. Vine is a pretty new service, so don’t be surprised if your friends haven’t

joined. Why not invite them? Add friends via email, SMS or through your address book.

Vine makes watching videos automatic. With Vine, play and pause is a thing of the past. As you view your home feed, videos automatically

start. All you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the videos. If you really need to halt a video you can tap on your screen to pause it. Similar to Facebook you can like videos and add your own personal comments. Recording videos is just as easy as enjoying them. All you need to do is touch your phone’s screen to start and stop recording. Android users do have an exclusive feature – you can zoom in and out using your phone’s volume buttons.

Although Vine for Android is a great fi rst attempt, there’s no denying it feels like a stripped down version of the iOS version. If you’re using Vine for the fi rst time you probably won’t realise, but iOS users sure will notice the app coming up short on features. There’s no way to search for mates, musicians and celebrities – the only way to fi nd them is to add them to Twitter and search for them that way, which can be a hassle.

When sharing content you’d think Twitter and Facebook would go hand and hand. Although you can share through Twitter, you can’t share via Facebook at the moment. App developer Vine Labs is promising these features in a not-too-distant update, so it might be worth your while to wait, but the app is free, so why would you?

VineThe six-second video version of Twitter makes it to Android

TOUT » Enjoy short, 15-second video updates straight to your Android device to share via Facebook and Twitter.

»Like this? Try this!

Share and add captions to videos in an instant

EasilyDo SmugMug CPU-ZBBCWeather

67

EasilyDoMaking sure you never miss an important event again

Why waste time when you don’t have to? Wouldn’t it be nice to shave a few minutes off

your hectic daily routine? EasilyDo is the productivity app that promises to make your life a whole lot simpler. In your busy day-to-day life it’s easy to forget a business meeting or anniversary. Come on, we’ve all been guilty. EasilyDo, dubbed the proactive personal assistant, sends you reminders so you’ll never forget an important engagement again.

EasilyDo is fully integrated with email clients including Gmail and Yahoo! and social media accounts including Facebook and Twitter, to

know all your important dates. It instantly imports your calendar, so you’ll never miss a meeting, birthday or conference call again. EasilyDo’s true magic comes from its ability to predict and automate 36 tasks, which it refers to as ‘Do Its’. Thirty-six tasks may seem overkill, so you can pick and choose the tasks to concentrate on, so you only receive the tasks that matter most.

Although EasilyDo has been available on iOS for months, Android users have two exclusive features to brag about. Through the magic of widgets, you can make the app feel right at home on your home screen. There’s also a Next Calendar Events List where you can conveniently view important events for the week.

If 36 tasks isn’t enough, EasilyDo lets you create your very own tasks.

Through the app’s EasilyDo Builder, you can create your own unique tasks. Best of all, you can train your Android device so it’ll react exactly

how you want it to react. Although EasilyDo does take some getting used to, you’ll save yourself minutes every day so you can concentrate on the stuff that really matters.

Easily view your important daily tasks at a glance

» like this? try this! EvernoteThe easy way to stay organised, keep

track of your ideas and improve productivity.

SmugMug brings the unique features of the popular SmugFolio app to offer one brilliant photography app. SmugMug for Android is actually an upgraded version of SmugFolio, which was recently acquired by

SmugMug. Although SmugMug may look similar to its same-named predecessor, don’t be fooled. It has a host of wonderful new features to make it easier than ever to manage, browse and upload your favourite photos.

Ease of use and security are at the forefront with the latest upgrade. Now perusing your favourite photos is easier than ever – you don’t even need to log in fi rst. Logging in has also been made a lot safer with top-level OAuth secure login adding peace of mind. If you don’t have the latest Android device, no worries – the old, reliable SmugMug is still around for Android 3.0 users to enjoy.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 3.0 and up

SmugMugOne of our favourite photo sharing apps gets even better

SMUGBOT » An easy way to upload your favourite photos to your accompanying SmugMug account.

»Like this? Try this!

CPU-ZA powerful way to monitor your Android device

It’s often said your smartphone is like a mini-computer in the palm

of your hand. CPU-Z, the powerful PC monitoring app, fi nally makes its much-anticipated debut on Android. Whether your Android device is acting sluggish or you’re looking for peak performance, this brilliant app promises to get you there. It offers a plethora of hardware and system

information for you to monitor your device’s hardware, battery and even gyroscope. It may only be in beta, but it’s a great way to improve a device’s performance.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.2 and up

BBCWeatherSimple, yet powerful weather app

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.2 and up

The BBC plays it smart by keeping it simple with its latest, brilliant app. BBC

Weather is a simple, yet powerful weather app. It instantly transforms your home screen into a virtual weather station. The app automatically detects your location for you and offers a host of features,

including the ability to look ahead with three hourly forecasts, an interactive home screen widget and the ability to share with your mates.

Small learning curve then this is the time-saving app you’ve been waiting for

» specification

» verdict

Designed for: Phone/tabletRequires Android: Varies with device

Price Free

Never forget a birthday (or a gift) again

Permissions Watcher

Playmarkers Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Amazon Local

Floating NotificationsApps

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One of the best things about Android in comparison to iOS is the open source community for app developers. This freedom has allowed countless unique and wonderful apps to be created.

Although most apps are harmless, unfortunately there are a few apps out there that could pose a danger to your smartphone or tablet.

Permissions Watcher is your free Android watchdog. It’s designed to keep on an eye on the security of your phone when installing and using apps. Danger Monitor keeps a watchful eye on your Android device and lets you know if any app is overstepping its bound and putting your device at risk. Further customise this great app by tracking the apps that matter most to you and set the permissions for all your favourite apps in a jiffy with Permissions Reporter.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 1.6 and up

PERMISSION MONITOR » Why check permissions of your apps when you don’t have to? Automate the process instead.

»Like this? Try this!

Permissions WatcherThe personal app watchdog keeping your device safe

This brilliant app takes the best of both worlds by combining shopping and saving into one app. Whether you’re a shopaholic or you’re just looking to score a fantastic deal, this app has something

for everyone. Amazon Local is all about supporting your local merchants, along with national chains and online stores. Receive savings instantly to your Android device of up to 75 per cent off your favourite restaurants, hotels, travel and more. Quickly browse for the best deals and buy in an instant. Head to the main page for the latest deals or automatically receive push notifi cations of the deals that matter most – it’s completely up to you. If you fi nd a deal your family and mates would enjoy, you can share with them in an instant. Enjoy great products and services, while saving money – what more could you ask for?

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android Varies with device

Amazon LocalScoring great deals made easy

THE COUPONS APP » Receive instant coupons and daily deals straight to your smartphone. Saving money made easy.

»best freealternative

Floating NotificationsQuick access to your notifi cations

Chances are you’ve heard of Floating Notifi cations. It’s an app that has been around for quite some time on the Android OS. This brilliant app takes full advantage of

Android’s open source environment by enabling you to view notifi cations from your favourite apps as a fl oating icon. If you’ve ever used Facebook Chat, you’ll know what we’re talking about. You can enjoy your apps while keeping up with the latest notifi cations, without the annoyance of swiping on the notifi cation bar.

If you haven’t downloaded this brilliant app, you’ll defi nitely want to check it out after its latest impressive update. A slew of new features have been added, including a more polished interface reminiscent of the new Windows operating system. You can fully customise the notifi cations for the apps that matter most to you, including a host of really advanced features. You can even further customise your experience by downloading new themes.

Get to know Floating Notifi cations has a host of easy, but powerful features to make your Android experience a more pleasant one

App Notifi cations By searching by name, you can locate and set notifi cations for your favourite applications. This is at the core of the app’s usefulness.

Appearance Looks matter, especially when it comes to Floating Notifi cations. Customise everything from theme to the icon size to get the look and feel you desire.

More Appearances Further refi ne the app’s look with Animation settings. Set the notifi cation window to look the way you want.

“A slew of new features have been added, including a more polished interface”

ComicRack

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Who needs an eReader when you’ve got ComicRack? ComicRack brings the comic book

reading experience to the comfort of your Android device. Let’s face it, your Android device wasn’t made for reading comics. Fortunately, this brilliant app optimises your Android

device so you can enjoy your favourite comics while you’re on the go. The app is fully integrated with its PC

counterpart, ComicRack for Windows. You can sync up via

USB or Wi-Fi to keep track of your bookmarks and vast comic

collection. ComicRack supports all eComic formats, including PDFs and WebComics, so you’ll never lose track of another of Spider-Man’s web-slinging adventures again.

ComicRack has a slew of extra features for your enjoyment. Live Wallpaper dresses up your home screen with covers from your favourite comics, for example.

The app also includes a widget, so you can view your comic library from the convenience of your home

screen. If you’re a serious comic book fan the paid version is worth every penny. It’s ad free and enables you to sync up via Wi-Fi. However, try the free version fi rst.

“This brilliant app optimises your Android device so you can enjoy

your favourite comics”

Reading a comic has never looked so good on the Android OS

eComics are organised into categories for easy reading

ComicRackEnjoy comics any place, any time

» like this? try this! MangaWhatMangaWhat offers the best and

easiest way to read your manga series.

The ideal way to get your comic fi x on your device – try the free version fi rst

» specification

» verdict

Designed for: Phone/tabletRequires Android: 2.1 and up

Price Free or £4.99/$6.99

This app offers a great way to quickly keep track of your notifi cations

Performance

Design

Value

» specification

Price Free (£1.27/$1.99 for upgrade version)Designed for: Phone/tablet

Requires Android: Varies with device

» verdict

» like this? try this! GO Launcher EX Notifi cation

Keep track of missed calls and unread messages from your favourite websites.

New lookCustomise everything from the app’s theme to the pop-up window appearances

SocialThe app is also fully integrated with social media

Take controlIf you receive a lot of notifi cations, you may need to delve into the Settings to ensure they do not start to become overly intrusive

BespokeSelect which apps will be used by Floating Notifi cations. You can ignore the scary warning you’ll see when you enable the service

Zoobe Pets

Playmarkers Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Hootie for Twitter 90nightApps

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Hootie for Twitter is yet another Twitter client in this crowded space, not that that’s a bad thing. If you’re looking for a sleek, yet simple interface to view the latest tweets, this is the app for you. It features

an eye-pleasing interface, perfect for your Droid tablet or phone, the ability to send large pictures in your Twitter stream and easy navigation to follow the latest Twitter gossip. The ability to ‘multi-tweet’ is a nice added touch – you can send a tweet, while still viewing the latest Twitter feeds from your home screen.

If you’re looking for a powerful Twitter client with all the bells and whistles, this is not the app for you. It features the bare minimum features. There are no settings to customise, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you’re looking for.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.3.3 and up

JANETTER FOR TWITTER » If you’re looking for a Twitter client with all the bells and whistles, Janetter for Twitter has you covered.

»Like this? Try this!

Hootie for TwitterA sleek, simple way to view your Twitter feed

Do you ever fi nd yourself feeling groggy in the morning? How would you like to wake up feeling rejuvenated and full of energy, ready to embark on a new, glorious day? The key is in sleep cycles. This unique

app relies on that fact that we sleep in cycles of 90 minutes (hence, the name 90night). The trick is to get 90 minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

90night is so much more than an alarm clock app. Everyone’s sleep habits are different – this brilliant apps lets you calculate exactly how long it takes you to drift off to never-never land. If you already have a favourite alarm app, no worries – it works in tandem with your alarm app, so you’ll never sleep in again. Customise 90night to your heart’s content, including 12/24 hour format, night mode for night time viewing, and the ability to add new alarms to your arsenal.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.3 and up

90nightEnjoy the perfect night’s sleep

SLEEPBOT » Not only does this fantastic app track your sleep cycles, it also tracks your movement and has a sleep debt log.

»Like this? Try this!

Zoobe PetsSend messages through the voices of cute, cuddly creatures

Why send regular, boring messages when you don’t have to? Spice

up your messages with Zoobe Pets, the cutest way to send mobile messages. This brilliant app lets you sit in the director’s chair, as you create your very own 3D Zoobe messages. Zoobe messages can be created in a few easy steps – start by selecting a

colourful background,

your favourite adorable pet, record

your own unique voice and share the app’s cuteness

with the world.Zoobe is fully customisable so

no two messages are guaranteed to look or sound alike. Pick your favourite Zoobe pet and dress it up with an adorable ensemble. If you don’t like the background selection, no worries – you can import a photo of your very own.

These aren’t your standard, static text messages either –

» like this? try this! Talking PicturesThey say a picture is worth a

thousand words – well now you can express yourself through this great app.

And share with your mates via SMS or email – it’s that easy!

bring your Zoobe pet to life with full animation, as it lip-syncs to your own voice. Once you start using Zoobe, you’ll be hooked – you may never send another regular text again!

The cutest way to send text messages

Performance

Design

Value

» specification

Designed for: Phone/tablet

Requires Android: 2.3.3 and up

Price Free

» verdict

71

InstaMessageThe easy way to chat on Instagram

With over 130 million users, Instagram is the number one photo and

video sharing app on Android. Posting content is fun, but receiving feedback from your mates is even better. If you’re feeling shy about posting a comment in public, InstaMessage lets you privately connect with a secret admirer. Getting started is easy – simply visit

a user’s profi le to start chatting in seconds. No muss, no fuss. If you have an Instagram account you’re good to go; no additional sign up required.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.2 and up

SocialShareTickle your funny bone

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.1 and up

Who doesn’t enjoy a laugh and smile? SocialShare will make you the life and soul

of the party with its host of gut-wrenchingly funny jokes. With well over 100,000 jokes, no two jokes are bound to be alike. New jokes arrive daily, so you always have the latest and funniest zingers to perform.

Spread your jokes even quicker through WhatsApp or text message. If there ever was a joke app to get, we think this a good choice.

Split PicA new way to dress up your favourite photos

Are you tired of regular, old bland photos? Are you ready for something out of

the ordinary? They say some people have split personalities; well now you can have split photos. Split Pic offers the perfect solution for dressing up your photos with a host of unique special effects. You can adjust

everything from contrast, brightness and theme. If you’re looking to have a little fun, snap your photo from a new angle and add it to your gallery.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.1 and up

PathThe ultimate social networking app

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android Varies with device

Path takes social networking to an all-new level. This brilliant app lets

you stay in touch with your family and close mates wherever you are in the world. Path keeps getting better with every update – the newest updates offer private messaging, a perfect way to stay in touch with loved ones. At the core of Path is content sharing. Share your life through

photos, locations and music, as your mates can comment on and like your content. Best of all you can pull content from Facebook with minimal fuss.

ParkMeParking just got a whole lot easier

One of the most aggravating parts of driving is parking. Finding a parking

spot at a crowded mall on a Saturday afternoon can be like fi nding a needle in a haystack. ParkMe aims to make your parking experience a lot more pleasant. This app is dedicated to offering parking information in major cities across the globe. Not only does this fantastic app help you

fi nd a parking spot, it helps save money and time by fi nding your closet parking spot. It even provides reasonable directions so you won’t get lost.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.2 and up

ESPN FCFollow your favourite football club on the move

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.3 and up

ESPN FC is the ultimate app for football enthusiasts. This fantastic

app delivers the latest scores, news and stats straight to your device. It’s the most comprehensive football app out there, covering all the major leagues and tournaments. With the app’s push notifi cations you’ll never miss an important goal again. You can fully customise the app so you

only receive the scores of the teams that matter to you most. Bonus video and podcast content are sure to deliver hours of entertainment.

FoursquareThe improved way to fi nd the best restaurants

If you haven’t heard of Foursquare you must be living under a rock. It is a

must-have app for locating the best restaurants, bars and attractions in town. This fantastic app just got a much-needed makeover. Social interaction has been pushed to the forefront. Whether you’re feeling like sushi or fried chicken, your mates can now instantly comment and like

your activities. Businesses that partner with Foursquare are given the royal treatment, so you can tell which pubs are worth checking out.

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.2 and up

Cloud PrintPrint from the cloud thanks to Google’s new app

» Price Free» Designed for Phone/tablet» Requires Android 2.3.3 and up

Printing from your phone used to be a hassle. Not anymore. Google’s new

Cloud Print app is a simple way to print from your Android device to any Google Cloud Print connected printer. Here’s how it works: select a document, photo or website you’d like to print, send it to Cloud Print and your document will be printed in seconds. Sounds simple enough,

but printers compatible with the app are few and far between, although newer printers are quickly coming onboard. Let’s hope for more soon.

quickhits

Apps

72

FEEDLYgREADER

vs

headGoogle Reader is offi cially defunct,

so where should you go now for your fi x of news?

head tohead tohead

Feedly is a great-looking and easy-to-use app that lends itself to browsing news sources and favourite websites, especially with help from a very useful widget. More demanding users may, however, prefer the no-nonsense approach offered by gReader.

Feedly keeps things simple, hiding away most of the

advanced features, which include the ability to integrate with other apps and services,

such as Pocket.

gReader is absolutely rammed with functions and settings and it can be overwhelming trying to fi gure them all out. It is a power user’s dream, though.

Feedly is a very modern app, fully touch oriented with all functions accessed via the sliding sidebar. Bright and

spacious, it’s a highly accessible app.

gReader makes use of Android’s sliding sidebar but is a much more old school RSS tool. It packs in the content, but it is a little less friendly.

With its Feedly support and the ability to home in on podcasts in your feeds, gReader is a powerful tool for those who need lots of information quickly.

Searching for and adding your own feeds is a breeze but fi ltering the content is

more diffi cult if you want to focus on images or

multimedia content.

A swipe from the right of the screen reveals

beautifully presented content choices in multiple

languages from a wide variety of sources.

gReader has pre-confi gured content for a few sources in a huge number of categories. It will also import your feeds from Feedly, if you use that app.

And the winner is...

FEEDLY

EASE OF USE

OTHER CONTENT

FEATURES

INTERFACE

After the demise of the Google Reader, Feedly took up the slack as the default

RSS service for the web at large. But with open APIs, the service can also be

accessed by other apps. So how does the best of these,

gReader, compare?

With such a clean UI, Feedly is easy to use. The stories

are presented in various views, including Magazine

and Cards, which makes them more browsable.

Stories in gReader are grouped into lists, and you can swipe sideways from one to the next, but it does not lend itself to more casual browsing of content.

CONTENT SOURCES

» specification

Designed for: Phone and tablet

Requires Android: 2.1 and up

Price Free

gReaderFeedly

» specification

Designed for: Phone and tablet

Requires Android: 2.2 and up

Price Free

ACCESSORIESGROUP TESTS

THERE'S AN FOR THAT

ON SALE NOW Master iOS 7 > The best music streaming apps > Great games

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Man of Steel

Playmarkers Scan these QR codes for direct links to the Google Play Store

Heart BreakerGames

74

» Price Free» Designed for Phone and tablet» Requires Android 2.3

Heart BreakerDungeon exploration gets a revamp

Dungeon exploring is a tried and tested concept on the Google Play store,

but Heart Breaker looks to give it a much-needed boost. Most of the familiar elements are still present, there’s plenty of monsters to kill, plenty of dungeons to explore and lots of magic abilities to try out. Where Heart Breaker really tries to be different is through its clever levelling up system. As you defeat monsters and complete quests you gain more XP which leads to more character customisation options. There’s plenty of weapons,

costumes and powers you can tinker with to your heart’s content. Where Heart Breaker falls down is with a lack of a decisive story line. Many of the best dungeon exploring apps have a gripping story where you really rally behind the protagonist, but in this, you’re thrown into a dark and dingy world with just one objective:

what we’ve been playingOrgan Trail: Director’s

Cut £1.85/$2.99If you like your games old school and full of zombies, then Organ Trail will be perfect

for you. With a band of survivors you need to scavenge for fuel and food.

Jaws Revenge FreeBased very loosely around the original movie, Jaws Revenge sees you guide the killer shark through a tourist-packed

waterfront as you eat and destroy anything in your path.

»twitter@lgrobot

Recommend a game…

You won’t fi nd kryptonite here

We’re often dubious about games based around movies, but despite having big

shoes to fi ll, Man of Steel really shows the power of smartphone gaming nowadays. The game itself closely follows the events of the new movie, with you playing as the red-caped superhero as you embark on a series of levels fi ghting various Kryptonian villains along the way. The range of villains on offer isn’t as thorough as we’d have liked to of seen, especially considering what was included in the fi lm, but the enemies are near replicas of their fi lm compatriots.

The story itself is told through an interactive comic book, but you’ll fi nd out most levels end with you grappling with foes and creating as much damage as possible. Although the recurring nature of the levels is pretty evident, the game benefi ts from a great character progression

element which lets you explore Superman’s varied abilities and attributes. As you progress deeper in to the game, the villains you face get noticeably harder, but there’s little here to trouble those who know what they’re doing in terms of diffi culty.

Where Man of Steel really shines is with the cinematic moments that break up the gameplay and are displayed between levels. The story

is told really well through these moments, and the various explosions and other mindless violence looks great throughout. The same can be said about the graphics, which may not be as polished as some of the competition, but it does include some superb 3D elements throughout.

Man of Steel is not only the best movie tie-in we’ve played in some

time, it’s by far one of the best games we’ve had the chance to play this year. It does have a few niggling issues, and is playable on only the most current devices, but Man of Steel is defi nitely worth a download.

» Price £3.34/$4.99» Designed for Phone and tablet» Requires Android Varies with device

Man of Steel

The more enemies you

defeat, the quicker you

gather XP

kill or be killed. Heart Breaker breathes new life into a stale genre, but loses focus on the elements that make the genre so great.

Target weak spots to infl ict the most damage

EDITOR’S CHOICE

» www.littlegreenrobot.co.ukCheck our website for even more game reviews

Final Fantasy IV

Quadropus Rampage Crush

75

If you like your games weird and wacky, then Quadropus Rampage will be worth checking out. Playing as a Quadropus (a four-legged

octopus for those not in the know) you need to travel to the bottom of the ocean to destroy the evil god of the sea, Pete. In your way are a range of creatures that you need to bash, shoot and generally destroy. Weapons and enemies are randomly generated on each level, so there’s no set way in beating one level. This is both a great addition in keeping the game fresh, but also a major hindrance at times. Quadropus Rampage is all about fast-paced action that looks to throw in a few laughs too, and for the most part, it delivers. It isn’t as polished as other fi ghting games, but it without doubt has a certain level of appeal.

Quadropus Rampage

» Price Free » Designed for Phone and tablet» Requires Android 2.1

Fast-paced journey with plenty of laughsCrush is without doubt one of the most frustrating games you’ll fi nd on the Google Play store. Although at its core it’s a simple puzzle

game that requires users to clear the rows of coloured blocks on screen without letting the screen fi ll up completely, it has an insanely hard diffi culty level.

There are three different colours of blocks which methodically make their way to the edge of the screen, and by pressing on a colour you can clear clusters of blocks at one time. Each cluster you remove gives you more points, which in turn gives you power-ups that can be used to clear blocks faster. Its diffi culty comes with the speed everything comes at – there’s no hand-holding process to guide you early on, and instead you’re thrown head on into the mayhem. If you like your games tough, then Crush will have great appeal.

Crush

» Price £0.79/$0.99» Designed for Phone and tablet» Requires Android 2.3

Give your brain a thorough workout

Square Enix has been busy porting its classic RPG series over to the

Android platform as of late, with the fourth instalment of the series being the latest to be added.

Final Fantasy IVEven more wizards, dungeons and battles to conquer

You take control of Cecil, a Dark Knight who is trying to stop Golbez from getting his hands on some powerful crystals and destroying the earth. As with any other Final Fantasy game, you soon put together a band

of other characters and venture into a series of dungeons and caves to fi nd numerous items and kit. Each Android port of a FF game has been given a major face-lift and FF IV arguably looks the best of the bunch so far. There’s still some jagged edges throughout, but character animations look spot on. Also included in this port is a new mapping feature, which helps you piece together different areas of a dungeon to explore, and gives you even more reason to download it. Pricey, but there’s hours of gameplay here.

» Price £10.99/$15.99» Designed for Phone and tablet» Requires Android 2.3.3

Despicable Me FreeIn this Temple Run styled game, control the little minions as they collect gold and bananas to defeat

villains. The more you play the more customisation you can add.

Gridd 2 £0.85/$1.31Gridd 2 is a futuristic racer which sees you travelling at high speeds to blast through courses as quickly as

possible. There’s plenty of modes to get through and the game looks superb.

Guncrafter FreeIn this Minecraft-inspired game, Guncrafter requires you to craft your own gun from blocks and compete

against players online. The online death matches are a whole lot of fun.

Color Zen FreeBuilt around an abstract world of shapes and colours, Color Zen is an intriguing puzzle game that requires you to

think quickly about problems. With 120 levels, there’s plenty to get through.

quickhits

The Forest of Doom£3.99/$5.99The range of Fighting Fantasy books is constantly increasing, with The Forest of

Doom being one of the latest, and best, available to Android users.

UNO & Friends FreeIf you love UNO, then UNO & Friends is the exact same game, but with a range of new online options to keep you

interested. It’s still as fast-paced as ever, but we wouldn’t call it a must-have.

Level up your characters to unlock new skills

Reviews

76

Group test

Best mid-range smartphones

Moto RAZR HD+ Feels well-made and solid+ Good processor for multitasking– Skin is a mixed success– Reliance on plastic for design

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra+ Remarkably crisp display+ Alcatel’s custom skin not overbearing– No 3.5mm audio jack– Slower processor

77

W ith the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One dominating the headlines, it can be easy to forget that there’s a whole

plethora of other devices worthy of your attention. These devices come with massive marketing campaigns, TV adverts and various promotions littered all over the device to convince you to part with your cash. But what about if neither of these devices really take your fancy? Luckily there’s hundreds of other phones to choose from and

we’ve put this group test together to discover which one is the most worthy purchase.

The criteria to be selected for this group test was fairly simple. For one it had to be a device that we felt had some great features that users would be impressed by, as well as not being either the Galaxy S4 or HTC One, obviously. So read on, as we put four devices that may have flown under your radar, but are real alternatives to the two biggest Android phones on the market currently.

If neither the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4 are for you, which phone should you go for?

LG Nexus 4+ Great price+ Stock Android is a dream to use– Uninspiring design– Lack of micro SD slot

Samsung Galaxy Mega+ You’re getting a lot for your money+ Feature-packed custom skin– Way too big for one-handed use– Display not as crisp as we would’ve liked

Reviews

78

» Operating system........Android 4.2.2

» Processor ........................... Quad-core 1.5GHz

» Storage................................2GB RAM, 8/16GB storage

» Dimensions ......................133.9 x 68.7 9.1mm

» Weight ..................................139g

» Display size ......................4.7-inch

» Display resolution .......768 x 1,280

» Connectivity ....................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS

» Camera ...............................8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front

technical specs

» Price £35 per month» More informationplay.google.com

» Supplied bywww.three.co.uk

information

For a medium price tag, you’re certainly getting a device that boasts a range of high-end specs and stunning features that every Android user should seriously consider

»Verdict

LG Nexus 4 Super screen

No matter which way you look at it, the Nexus 4’s screen is beyond brilliant. Text and icons look crisp and colours don’t look over-saturated, which is a common problem

Stock AndroidPacking the latest Android update in Android 4.2 means you get the latest features without having an annoying custom skin also onboard

»head-to-headBattery life The non-removable 2100mAh battery is smaller than we hoped and won’t last you through the day with medium or high usage, which is disappointing.

Custom skins The Nexus 4 highlights just how good stock Android is and blows away any custom skin we could think of. Android 4.2 is the best version of the Android OS yet.

Price There’s no questioning the fact that at £239 the Nexus 4 is an absolute steal. Stock availability can be an issue at times, however, so beware of that.

Pixel density PPI: 318 Resolution: 768 x 1,280

Storage problems

Although there is a clear hint at utilising cloud

storage options for your files, the lack of micro SD

card slot might cause a few people problems

Processing power

Packing a quad-core processor helps the

Nexus 4 plough through any task you throw at it.

Multitasking is also a breeze thanks to the

amount of RAM

The Nexus 4 unequivocally proves to the masses that stock Android is the best skin out there

There are plenty of reasons why purchasing a phone predominantly made by Google is a good idea, and the Nexus 4 highlights all of these. For

one, you’ll be the first wave of people to get the latest Android update, build quality is usually at its highest and you’ll generally be getting a whole lot of phone and power for your money. In hand, the Nexus 4 looks like any standard Android affair, with just the metallic looking, but ultimately plastic border being the only aesthetic addition of note. Around the back is another non-removable backplate, but one that has a nice reinforced plastic shell to it. All the usual ports are accounted for around the edge of the device, including a power button, volume rocker, 3.5mm audio jack, micro SIM port and a micro USB port as well.

As you’d expect with a Google device, the Nexus 4 is running stock Android 4.2 and it works like a charm. The lack of tinkering by Google makes the device run really smooth throughout and you’ll find all the stock

Google apps also included. What makes the Nexus 4 run even better is the 1.5GHz quad-core processor alongside the 2GB of RAM. For the price, this is a whole lot of power and a pairing which makes any task you throw at it easily manageable.

Display wise, the Nexus 4 boasts a 4.7-inch, 1,280 x 768 display, which does a good job at displaying text and colours expertly well. It isn’t the best screen we’ve ever seen, but for a mid-range offering you’ll be hard pressed to find anything that runs it close. To take advantage of the screen, you’ll want to really make use of the media options available, but if you’re a keen media hoarder, you’ll soon hit a snag. The lack of expandable storage means that you only get a small amount of storage available out of the box. Obviously you can take advantage of the several cloud options available to you, but a micro SD slot is an emission, but one that doesn’t impact on how fantastic this device truly is.

LG Nexus 4

79

Group test

» Operating system........Android 4.2

» Processor ........................... Dual-core 1.2GHz

» Storage................................1GB RAM, 16GB storage

» Dimensions ...................... 134.4 x 68.5 x 6.5mm

» Weight .................................. 115g

» Display size ......................4.65-inch

» Display resolution .......720 x 1,280

» Connectivity ....................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS

» Camera ............................... 8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front

technical specs

» Price £260» More informationwww.alcatelonetouch.com

information

Alcatel’s attempt at the mid-range is impressive, but the lack of a 3.5mm jack, expandable storage and a weak processor leaves the Idol Ultra in mediocrity

»Verdict

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

»head-to-headBattery life Similarly to the Nexus 4, the 1800mAh battery in the Idol Ultra is too small to last a day with medium usage, although it does drain slower than the rest of the group.

Custom skins We praise Alcatel for adding a custom skin that isn’t too overbearing and still enables users to enjoy some of the best stock Android features around.

Price Alcatel has competitively priced the Idol Ultra to sit firmly at the mid-range price point. For what you get on the device, this is a good price.

Pixel density PPI: 316 Resolution: 720 x 1,280

Not stockAlthough Alcatel has

implemented its own custom skin on the

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra, it isn’t too

overbearing compared to the likes of TouchWiz and

Sense. It still isn’t pure stock, however

Problems with audio

A glaring error with the Idol Ultra is the lack of a

3.5mm audio jack, leaving users needing to use a

USB to 3.5mm jack instead. If you like

listening to music while on the go, this might be

an issue to consider

Colourful designThere’s a wide variety of colours available that offer the Idol Ultra a unique design addition. Although the colours are different, they all have the same rubberised feeling

Pixel perfectAlcatel should be praised with the fantastic screen it offers with the Idol Ultra. The crisp 4.7-inch display shows colours beautifully and text is particularly well displayed

Alcatel’s foray outside of budget devices delivers some pleasing results, but is it enough?

Due to Alcatel being largely unheralded from venturing outside of budget handsets, you may view the One Touch Idol Ultra with some

scepticism – it’s, however, the biggest surprise of the group. At 115g, the Idol Ultra is remarkably light, but the largely plastic build isn’t overly impressive. On the front of the device there’s little to get excited about design wise, with just a small speaker located at the top breaking up the familiar black fascia. Turn the device around and there’s a rubberised, non-removable, backplate that can be bought in a variety of colours. The yellow variant we tested here was a bit of an eyesore. Around the edges are the power and volume buttons and a micro SIM slot. What was really disappointing is the lack of micro SD slot and 3.5mm jack, with Alcatel bundling in a USB to 3.5mm jack instead, which is a little inconvenient to carry around.

For the most part we were impressed with the screen on offer here, and the 4.7-inch, 720 x 1,280

AMOLED display was pretty impressive. Packing in 312ppi, means text looks remarkably crisp, with just the odd colour looking a bit saturated. Another positive is that there’s only a light custom skin implemented into the Idol Ultra, with a large stock version of Android 4.1.1 being used to great effect here. There are some subtle changes that Alcatel has included, but it’s a lot better than the custom skins offered on the Xperia SP and RAZR HD. We appreciated the lack of bloat.

Powering the Idol Ultra is a 1.2GHz dual-core processor alongside a single GB of RAM. It’s a tried and tested combination and thanks to the lack of a custom skin, for the most part, the device ticks along very nicely. Multitasking is a doddle, but it struggles with a few of the more demanding apps on the Google Play store. Although watching movies is a big plus on the screen here, the lack of expandable storage is a pain to say the least.

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

Reviews

80

» Operating system........Android 4.2

» Processor ........................... Dual-core 1.5GHz

» Storage................................1GB RAM, 16GB storage

» Dimensions ......................131.9 x 67.9 x 8.4mm

» Weight ..................................146g

» Display size ......................4.7-inch

» Display resolution .......131.9 x 67.9 x 8.4mm

» Connectivity ....................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS

» Camera ............................... 8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front

technical specs

» Price £299.99» More informationwww.motorola.com

information

The RAZR HD won’t win an award for being the best device ever, but it offers the features and design most people would want from a Android smartphone

»Verdict

Motorola RAZR HD

Start streamingThanks to the inclusion of

the micro HDMI port on the side of the phone, users can enjoy streaming their media files from their phone to TV

Lack of updatesDue to Motorola’s recent

inactivity in the Android marketplace, you may have

to wait a while to get the latest OS updates on the

RAZR HD when compared to the rest of the group

»head-to-headBattery life Motorola has got it spot on with the 2500mAh battery, which will get you comfortably through a single day of use, and into the next.

Custom skinsMotorola’s custom skin is subtle and appealing, but still isn’t quite as consistently designed as we’d like to see, and some of the icons are not so good.

PriceAt £299, the RAZR HD is bordering on being an expensive investment. Shop around a bit and you’ll find some great contract deals, however.

Pixel density PPI: 312 Resolution: 720 x 1,280

The RAZR HD boasts a variety of attractive features without breaking the bank in the process

The Motorola RAZR HD lacks the standout design features we’ve seen from the competition, but it certainly shines in other areas. Each side of the

phone is encased with a thick plastic, but a metallic band runs around the edge. It feels sturdy while in hand, and the rubberised back adds a nice aesthetic touch. Motorola has done a great job in equipping the RAZR HD with a range of ports, including a 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB and even a micro HDMI to hook the phone up to your TV.

Turning on the device reveals a superb 4.7-inch screen that offers crisp text and colours. Some icons look slightly less impressive than others, but it’s only a small flaw. We wouldn’t say the RAZR HD boasts the best display on offer in this group, but it’s certainly up there. Motorola has packed the RAZR HD with its own custom skin alongside Android 4.1. This doesn’t overpower Android 4.1 much, but like all skins it does cause the occasional bit of lag which can be an issue.

Things are aided by the 1.5GHz dual-core processor, which keeps things running along nicely.

There’s a healthy 16GB of internal storage on the RAZR HD, but the user will have access to just over 13GB of it. Thanks to the micro HDMI port on the phone, you’ll want to be streaming from your phone, and you can augment the available storage with a micro SD card to ensure you’ve got plenty of content on the go. The camera on the RAZR HD is one of its less attractive points. It takes okay shots in decent light, but is generally little better than average.

The Motorola RAZR HD is a solid device that copes well in most of the areas we tested in, without excelling in any of them. The phone itself feels well made, there’s a great range of ports available and a decent processor to keep things moving nicely. Although it may not be as eye catching as the Samsung Galaxy Mega, this is a device you should really take a closer look at.

Motorola RAZR HD

BloatwareAlthough you’re given 16GB of internal storage with the RAZR HD, there’s a lot of bloatware that takes away 3GB of storage, leaving you with just 13GB to use

Super screenWe were really impressed with the 4.7-inch display on the RAZR HD and it shows off text and icons well. Some colours can look a bit dull at times, however

81

Group test

» Operating system........Android 4.2.2

» Processor ........................... 1.7GHz dual-core

» Storage................................16GB, 1.5GB RAM

» Dimensions ......................167.6 x 88 x 8mm

» Weight ..................................199g

» Display size ......................6.3-inch

» Display resolution .......720 x 1,280

» Connectivity ....................Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

» Camera ............................... 8-MP rear, 1.9-MP front

technical specs

» Price £399.99» More informationwww.samsung.com» Supplied bywww.clove.co.uk

information

It’s certainly a novel idea to bring out a 6.3-inch phone, but the Galaxy Mega lacks the overall quality which makes it a must-have device for any Android user

»Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Mega

»head-to-headBattery life Due to its size, the inclusion of a 3200mAh battery keeps the Mega going for a while. If you plan on watching movies, then don’t expect it to get through the entire day.

Price The Galaxy Mega is the priciest of the devices of the group, but at £399 you’re getting plenty of phone for your money. There are better deals out there, however.

Custom skins TouchWiz has had its ups and downs in previous iterations, but it generally works well on the Mega. Some menus do look a bit awkward due to the size of the device.

Pixel density PPI: 239 Resolution: 720 x 1,280

Size mattersYou’d be hard pressed to lose the Galaxy Mega due to its colossal size, and even though the curved edges look to add a nice aesthetic touch, you can’t look past the size of it

Using TouchWizThis is arguably the best

version of TouchWiz we’ve seen from Samsung, but it still falls short of the stock

Android experience

Movie perfection

The 6.3-inch screen really is great for streaming movies

on, although the lack of a micro HDMI port is a bit of an

annoyance really

Only a phoneOne of the most disappointing features of the Mega is the lack of phablet-dedicated features which would compensate for the size of it

Can Samsung’s behemoth phablet-style device prove it’s more than just a fad?

If a phablet isn’t big enough for you, then perhaps the Samsung Galaxy Mega is worth checking out. The 6.3-inch behemoth lacks the phablet features

and is instead a fully featured phone, even if you look beyond ridiculous holding it to the side of your head. Holding the device to your head is also a bit of a chore when you consider it’s quite a weight and generally awkward to hold in one hand. As with most Samsung devices, the Galaxy Mega is encased with a rigid plastic, with a metallic looking silver rim. Despite its size, the device does feel well made and there’s no notable flex. Unlike the majority of the group, the Mega’s backplate is removable, with access to a micro SD slot laying within. All the usual selection of ports are included around the edge of the port, but with a device of its size, we would have liked to have seen the inclusion of a micro HDMI port for streaming.

The Galaxy Mega runs Android 4.2.2 out of the box, although its many features are overshadowed by the

slightly overbearing TouchWiz custom skin. Compared to previous iterations, this version of TouchWiz is arguably the best, but it still lacks the usability of stock Android. For a device of its size, you really need a powerful processor to keep it going with the tasks you throw at it, but unfortunately the 1.7GHz dual-core offering here could do with a boost. Lag is noticeable when multitasking, but copes with demanding apps well. Thanks to the giant screen, reading and enjoying media is great, but the 233ppi leaves icons and colours looking less than impressive.

Once you get past the sheer size of the Samsung Galaxy Mega, there’s a solid enough device underneath. As with any Samsung device, you get a great feature list, but the inclusion of an average processor for a device of this size is a big mistake. We applaud Samsung for trying something different with the Mega, but only a small niche market of users are going to want to lap this giant up.

Samsung Galaxy Mega

Reviews

82

LGNexus 4

Nexus 4

Dimensions 133.9 x 68.7 9.1mm 134.4 x 68.5 x 6.5mm 131.9 x 67.9 x 8.4mm 167.6 x 88 x 8mm

OS Android 4.2.2 Android 4.2 Android 4.2 Android 4.2.2

Processor Quad-core 1.5GHz Dual-core 1.2GHz Dual-core 1.5GHz 1.7GHz dual-core

Memory 2GB RAM, 8/16GB storage

1GB RAM, 16GB storage

1GB RAM, 16GB storage

1.5GB RAM,16GB storage

Weight 139g 115g 146g 199g

Display Size 4.7-inch 4.65-inch 4.7-inch 6.3-inch

Display Resolution 768 x 1,280 720 x 1,280 720 x 1,280 720 x 1,280

Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

Camera 8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front 8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front 8-MP rear, 1.3-MP front 8-MP rear, 1.9-MP front

Alcatel one Touch Idol Ultra

Motorola RAZR HD

The winner…A lthough we were suitably impressed by

all the phones we tested in this group, the LG Nexus 4 just felt like an all-round

more complete device. We loved the effort by Alcatel to bring a solid mid-range offering, but felt letdown by the shortcuts it made with certain choices. The Mega has the power of Samsung behind it, but it’s hard to get past the sheer awkward size of it. We also really liked the RAZR HD, but it just lacked that hint of quality we were really looking for.

Fundamentally for the LG Nexus 4, the price is right for people who don’t want to spend a massive amount of money on a smartphone,

but still want to feel like they’re investing in a quality product. It has a great selection of features and apps readily available and stock Android still remains the best way to get the full Android experience over any of the custom skins currently being made by manufacturers. If you’re in the hunt for a new device, and neither the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4 tick the right boxes for you, then look no further than the brilliant LG Nexus 4.

Overall score

Nexus 4

GROUP TEST WINNER

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

Motorola RAZR HD

SamsungGalaxy Mega

Performance tests

HTML5 (Vellamo)LG

Nexus 4 1572

SamsungGalaxy Mega 1859

MotorolaRAZR HD 1643

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

1411

Processor and graphics (AnTuTu)LG

Nexus 4 12304

SamsungGalaxy Mega 12665

MotorolaRAZR HD 9708

Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra

6464

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84

Reviews

Samsung is certainly fl ogging the S4 brand as far as it can. Multiple confi gurations of the original device, plus the Mini, the Zoom and

the Active give us a group of products that don’t all share the same design language and don’t all share the same specs, but which collectively fl esh out the S4 range. The Active is, in many respects, the least interesting of them all, but, ironically, might just be the best.

The S4 Active is a partially ruggedised handset with an IP67 certifi cation. This means it is totally protected against dust, and protected against immersion in water up to one metre deep. In most practical instances this simply means that you will be able to use the device in the rain without any fear of it becoming damaged, although Samsung has added an Aqua Mode to the camera app to help improve image quality taken underwater.

To use the Active underwater you need to ensure that the seal on the USB port on the bottom is tightly closed, as is the removable backplate (which provides access to the replaceable battery, SIM and memory card slots). The headphone jack on the top has no cover, but is fully water resistant. It’s a slightly more elegant setup than we saw on Sony’s toughened devices, with its full suite of external ports each with their own seal. The device continues to function well underwater, but the touch screen does not respond, so there’s a limited amount you can use it for. To take underwater snaps you use the volume buttons to activate the shutter.

Apart from this feature the S4 Active is broadly the same as the S4. The design has been tweaked

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Liked the S4 but felt it was just that bit

too fragile? Then the S4 Active may just be your dream phone

TFT displayThe screen has switched from AMOLED in the S4 to TFT in the Active. We couldn’t tell the difference – it’s still a super-bright, super-sharp 1080p panel as good as any around

“It is totally protected against dust, and protected against immersion in water up to one metre deep”

Waterproof jackThe headphone jack is not sealed but is waterproof. The screen doesn’t work underwater, but the physical buttons do

Physical buttonsIn a throwback to a different age, the Active comes with physical menu and back buttons fl anking the home key. As always with Samsung devices, the back key is on the right, when more logically it would be positioned on the left

EDITOR’S CHOICE

The water and dust proof features only add to what was already one of the best smartphones around

»Verdict

issue 020

None

worse thanbetter than

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Value for money Expensive, but on a par with other premium phones

FeaturesIt’s all here, including the overloaded software enhancements

Design Good looking, and the rugged elements are well disguised

Performance Fast, with good camera and excellent battery life

Price £486» More information www.samsung.com

» Supplied by www.clove.co.uk

information

Samsung GalaxyS4 Active

Battery lifeBattery life is excellent and should easily get you beyond a day of use

85

Review

» Operating system ...............Android 4.2.2

» Processor ...................................Qualcomm 1.9GHz quad-core

» Memory .......................................2GB RAM, 16GB storage

» Dimensions ..............................139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1mm

» Weight ..........................................153g

» Display size ...............................Five-inch

» Display resolution ...............1080 x 1,920 pixels

» Expansion slot ....................... micro SD

technical specs

The S4 Active uses a TFT display rather than AMOLED on the S4. The use of a backlight means the blacks may not be quite as black, though it can be more effi cient when viewing pages with white backgrounds. In terms of resolution there is no difference.

Screen test

Galaxy S4 Galaxy S4 Active

to allow for the ruggedisation – it’s a tad thicker (91.mm compared to 7.9mm) and 23g heavier, but still feels great in the hand. There are physical buttons below the screen, and though they do give the handset something of an old school look, they function well enough. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same story, with the perfectly positioned power button beneath your right thumb, an IR port on the top edge and a loud speaker on the rear. Plus, it’s still defi antly plastic. On the whole it feels a little less sleek than the original S4, but retains its consumer looks well. Some may even prefer this version.

There are two key differences on the hardware specs. First is the display. It is still full 1080p HD, and still looks stunning, but the technology has been switched from AMOLED to TFT. We struggled to notice any difference here: the blacks may not be quite as black, yet the colours are still incredibly vibrant and the text as crisp as ever.

More signifi cantly, the camera has been downgraded. The sensor has been reduced from 13 megapixels to eight, and the aperture reduced from f2.2 to f2.6. The lens is also wider: 3.7mm (28mm equivalent) compared to 4.2mm (32mm). The specs in the Active’s camera are remarkably similar to those in the S III, in fact, and the resulting images are on a par with that, albeit with a better

camera app and improved processing to get more from your shots. It’s still a good camera, and lacks the shutter lag we noticed on the S4. A couple of the sensors have also been dropped, including the thermometer and humidity sensor. These are niche features that won’t concern most users.

The other key specifi cations are the same: quad-core 1.9GHz processor, 2GB RAM, 2600mAh battery and so on. Our test device had 16GB of internal storage, of which around 11GB was free, comparing favourably to the 9GB in the original S4’s launch setup.

The software is essentially identical to the S4, with all the bells and whistles loved and hated in equal measure. To recap, this means the phone is more TouchWiz than Android. There’s lots of touchless gestures that frequently don’t work, lots of S-branded apps that replace (or double up on) the stock Android and Google apps, cartoony icons aplenty, and a default setup that makes a ludicrous ‘plop’ sound every single time you touch the screen. For better or for worse, TouchWiz is an incredibly rigorous skin aimed at the mass market, and the mass market has lapped it up.

With little in the way of price difference between the S4 and this S4 Active model it’s hard to fi nd a reason not to recommend the latter. It’s arguably nicer, certainly tougher, and even the differences in the camera output are negligible. The waterproofi ng of phones is very much a trend we’re in favour of, and by the time the S5 comes along next year we’d like to think it will have become a standard feature.

Sony Xperia Z

issue 023

Water resistantThe Active’s selling point is that it is water proof. You need to ensure the back cover is secured tightly, and then you can use the device in the rain without a care

ThickerThe Active is 1.2mm thicker than the S4 and feels weightier too. It feels pretty good in the hand

86

Reviews

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is crammed with

features and possesses the S Pen stylus. It’s an intriguing proposition, but what’s the point?

Note-takingThe onboard stylus lets you make hand written notes with ease

goodfor...Stylus The stylus is the make or break feature for the Galaxy Note 8, and there are plenty of apps that take advantage

InfraredInfrared support

means you should be able to control

home media devices, such as

your TV

Neat designSamsung’s characteristic design makes for a very neat and good-looking tablet, which is also, importantly, solid and tough

Pressure sensitiveThe pressure sensitive features mean you can use the Galaxy Note 8 quite effectively for drawing

Dual viewYou can show two

apps at once, which can be

handy if you want to make notes

while doing something else

Samsung’s Galaxy Note II is an incredible device. Probably the most functional of all the ‘phablet’ format devices, its 5.5-inch

screen supports stylus-based input that’s pressure sensitive, and side-by-side app viewing to help you make the most of being able to jot stuff down on screen.

Not content with the Note II, Samsung has brought its stylus-based approach to a larger screen in the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Not surprisingly, this device has an eight-inch screen, so it is sits jarringly close to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab line of Android-based tablets, which have similar screen size options. That might cause it problems as the Note 8 is expensive – you’re going to have to really want the added facilities its stylus offers.

If you are a Samsung fan then you’ll like the design. Shiny white plastic, rounded edges and a physical home button are all you need to see to know that this is a Samsung product. The stylus fi ts neatly into a slot on the chassis edge.

The Galaxy Note 8 isn’t as comfortable to hold in the hand as the Note II simply because it is

87

Review

DrawingThe stylus and screen are pressure sensitive – perfect for coming up with works of art

ReadingThere’s a special reading mode that optimises the screen for eBook reading

Multi-taskingYou can view two applications at the same time, side by side

familiar enough. As with all Galaxy devices there’s plenty that doubles up on Google’s more standard offerings, and the extent to which you use them may depend on whether your fi rst is also a Samsung, or whether it is from another manufacturer. There are some apps designed to help you with stylus-based input too, such as S Planner for your diary and S Note for, well, making notes.

Inevitably there are plenty of gesture and motion-based features also. So, for example, Smart Stay is present here. This uses the front

much larger. It will sit in most hands in portrait mode for one-handed use, but in wide screen mode you’ll need to work a little harder to fi nd a solid position in which to hold it. It is obviously heavier than the Note II as well, its 340g frame marking it out as a substantial machine.

The eight-inch screen gives you more viewing area than the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II, but only barely. Its 1,280 x 800 pixels just betters the Note II’s 1,280 x 720 pixels.

Internally the specs are high-end with a 1.6GHz quad-core processor supported by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. It is a pity that just under 10GB of this is free – but that’s a sign that Samsung has really crammed the Galaxy Note 8 with software and features. Fortunately you can expand on the built-in memory with a micro SD card, although this will be for data and content rather than apps.

Much of that extra software is Samsung standard fare. The likes of ChatON and Samsung’s own games, readers and music hubs, for example, are

camera to gauge whether or not you are actually looking at the Galaxy Note 8. It works pretty well, and enables you to set a short, battery-saving screen off time and still use the device as an eBook reader without needing to prod it every few seconds to keep it awake.

The stylus-based input benefi ts from being able to run two apps at once – you could view a webpage and take notes from it at the same time, for example. But it’s a pity that this split-screen feature only works with a limited number of pre-installed apps. Ideally Samsung will update it eventually so that any app can be used in this way.

We’re not huge fans of the hover system that lets you hold the stylus tip over the screen in some apps to open up additional information. Like some of the touch and tilt features Samsung implements on its top-end devices, it feels like this might have been better left on the

A nice device, as always from Samsung, but the price premium is only worth it if you really value the S Pen

»Verdict

Nook HD+

issue 028

None

issue 0??

worse thanbetter than

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Value for money Somewhat expensive compared to other compact-sized tablets

Features A good range of features aid the well thought out stylus

Design Distinctively Samsung looks and build, for better or worse

Performance A fast processor, plenty of RAM and good battery life – a strong performer

» Operating system ...............Android 4.1

» Processor ................................... 1.6GHz quad-core

» Memory .......................................2GB RAM, 16GB storage

» Dimensions ..............................210.8 x 135.9 x 7.95mm

» Weight ..........................................340g

» Display size ...............................Eight-inch

» Display resolution ...............1,280 x 800

» Expansion slot .......................micro SD

technical specs

Price £300» More information www.samsung.com/uk

information

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

“The stylus-based input benefi ts from being able to run two apps at once – you could view a webpage and take notes from it at the same time, for example”

Battery lifeBattery life is impressive, and should last several days between charges

drawing board. But with the rough there’s also smooth, and there is no doubt that Samsung is working hard to make its stylus-based devices the best there are. Gimmicks aside, it is leagues ahead of using a stylus on any other tablet.

Whether the Galaxy Note 8 is your cup of tea will depend precisely on how much you value the S Pen. It has been well implemented and serves as a key differentiator for the Note range against the Tabs. Extras, including the infrared feature that lets you remotely control your TV, won’t be enough to draw you in on their own.

Reviews

Huawei Ascend P2With a superfast, quad-core processor and attractive design, the Huawei Ascend P2 is a solid and desirable phone very close to high-end status

GamingBig screen, and very capable processor make for a good games device

goodfor...

ScreenThe 4.7-inch screen is very good, though you may struggle to reach across it one-handed

Quad-core processingThe quad-core processor means very little will trouble this phone and we found it to run smoothly and lag-free

MemoryThere’s 16GB of storage on board and no micro SD card support. With just 11GB of that storage available you may hit limitations quite quickly

Near field communicationsNFC is still waiting to really take off. But when the service does, the Ascend P2 will be ready and waiting

Huawei seems to be launching new handsets with remarkable frequency at the moment, and the

Ascend P2 appears almost at the same time as its stunning phablet, the Ascend Mate, and its premium, super-thin Ascend P6 are grabbing most of the attention. Sat alongside such illustrious brethren, the Ascend P2 is arguably at risk of getting lost in the crowd.

That would be a shame, as the Ascend P2 is a nicely designed phone with plenty of appealing features, including one that really does set it apart from the crowd: the Huawei Ascend P2 supports category 4 LTE in the UK.

This might not mean much to many people, but it means the Ascend P2 supports 4G at speeds up to 150Mbps.

88

Superfast 4GThe Huawei Ascend P2 is already prepared for the fastest 4G that operators can throw its way. It’s unlikely your operator will support it any time soon, though

89

Review

PhotographyThe 13-megapixel camera produces solid cameraphone snaps

Web browsingWebsites look great on the big screen – viewing them is a joy

Superfast dataThe P2 is ready for fast 4G whenever it launches in your region

No UK service gets anywhere near that at the moment, but with EE starting to roll out double speed 4G – up to 30Mbps – the Ascend P2 would give anyone who owned it a good amount of future proofi ng at a time when investing in a 3G handset on a two-year contract is starting to look like a bit of a compromise.

But if this is an issue for the future there are other reasons to like this handset today. It looks really good with a relatively thin profi le and tidy styling. Huawei has designed the under screen touch buttons so that they are invisible most of the time, but have a subtle backlight when you touch the area around them, or tap the screen, or switch the handset on.

The screen, at 4.7 inches across, is large, and its 1,280 x 720 pixels might not be the highest resolution we’ve ever seen but they do deliver sharp, bright and clear content. The screen is good enough for us and, we suspect, for most people. 1080p displays are undeniably appealing, but the practical benefi ts are negligible.

The TFT LCD lacks the real vibrancy and deep contrast of an AMOLED screen, but Huawei has built a small controller into the system so that you can alter the hue, fi xing the screen to show colour depth just how you like it. It’s certainly a nice touch for those that like their phones to have things to tweak.

There has been no compromising on processor power with a quad-core 1.5GHz processor providing the main power and 1GB of RAM backing it up. We found the Huawei Ascend P2 zipped along with a fl uency that made it responsive to the touch and able to stream video with ease.

Near Field Communication (NFC) is built in, as is DLNA, and Huawei has added a huge number of themes to help you personalise Android 4.1. As on other recent handsets, Huawei has done away with the app drawer, instead putting app shortcuts onto one of nine main screens. It’s possibly less confusing for those new to Android, having everything stored in the one place, but more experienced users who don’t like the setup can restore the app drawer by installing a third-party launcher.

The main camera is a very serviceable one. It shoots stills to 13 megapixels, and if we have a complaint, it is that the camera features are a bit limited. Facial distortions are added to the

Not quite a top flight phone, but very much knocking on the door. There’s much to like about the Ascend P2

»Verdict

Motorola RAZR HD

issue 024

HTC One

issue 024

worse thanbetter than

Huawei Ascend P2

Value for money An attractive proposition for a solid, upper mid-range device

Features Plenty of high-end features on show here, adding future proofing

Design Thin and light with an appealing design – we love the look

Performance Stunningly nippy, this phone will handle all tasks with aplomb

» Operating system ...............Android 4.1

» Processor ................................... 1.5GHz quad-core

» Memory .......................................1GB RAM, 16GB storage

» Dimensions ..............................136.2 x 66.7 x 8.4mm

» Weight ..........................................122g

» Display size ...............................4.7-inch

» Display resolution ...............1,280 x 720

» Expansion slot .......................None

technical specs

Price £400» More information www.huaweidevice.co.uk

information

HuaweiAscend P2

Battery lifeAverage life span, and could be further troubled by 4G use

usual range of fi lters, but there’s nothing really exciting on offer. There’s a front-facing 1.3-megapixel camera too.

This all sounds really positive, but we do have one major issue. There’s no micro SD card support. This has two important ramifi cations. You can’t sideload video, music or other content onto the device via a memory card. That will annoy some people. Equally you can’t augment the built-in storage.

Now, the Huawei Ascend P2 has 16GB of internal storage, which might sound like plenty. But some of this is taken up by the system and 11GB is left for your use. That’s still a fairly healthy chunk of storage, but still when you fi ll it, you’re stuck with no other options.

We’d like to make one additional point – about battery life. With a fi xed backplate you can’t swap in a second battery if you’d like to. The 2420mAh battery sounds like it provides plenty of staying power, but the processor and screen are both hungry and we found that we could get a day of use while on 3G, but on 4G you may struggle to achieve that.

“The Huawei Ascend P2 zipped along with a fl uency that made it responsive to the touch and able to stream video with ease”

90

Nook HD+Is this low-cost, high-res tablet alternative to the Kindle Fire an Android hacker’s dream device?

W ith the future of the Nook brand looking decidedly murky it may not seem like the best time to be investing in one of

its tablets. Or maybe it is. With price drops aplenty, Barnes and Noble’s answer to the Kindle Fire represents perhaps the cheapest way to get a high-quality tablet – high-res display, fast performance and full Play store access. It’s also fully hackable, so even if you don’t like the Nook’s UI you can switch it to proper Android.

The Nook HD+, with its nine-inch display, feels pretty good in the hand with solid construction and weighty feel. The design is distinctive in good and bad ways. A large bezel around the screen is not as offensive as it might have been, while the ‘n’ shaped home button gives the tablet subtle branding. On the downside is the weird hole in the bottom corner that serves no apparent purpose. It looks as though you’re supposed to attach a lanyard, but the tablet is far too big and heavy for that to be practical.

The screen is the Nook’s standout feature. With a resolution of 1,920 x 1,280 pixels, a pixel density of 257ppi, it is close to the level of the Retina display on the iPad and is wonderful. Text is sharp and crisp and it is very easy on the eyes. We did fi nd the screen to be lacking in

brightness, however. Perhaps this is because the tablet is intended primarily as an eReader and so needs to have less glare, but for general use we had the brightness cranked up to the max, and would have preferred even more.

The software is also built for eBooks. Like Amazon’s Kindle Fire series the bulk of the UI is built around encouraging you to buy content, but unlike with the Kindle you do get the full set of Google apps, and Play store access as well. There are a number of apps pre-installed, ranging from Spotify to Pinterest to a crosswords app, and none of these can be removed. You will need a Nook account before you can start using the tablet, and will also need your Google account details to access the Play store.

With a bit of work you can get the Nook looking pretty much like a normal skinned Android 4.0 tablet. We wouldn’t count on getting OS updates, but it is rootable and there are Jelly Bean ROMs available. There’s a good chance there will be Key Lime Pie ROMs in future too.

The Nook HD+ is a pretty good device. With nice hardware and a good display it’s surprisingly fl exible: you can use it as a casual eBook optimised tablet, for the full set of Android apps, or open it up to hacks and tweaks.

A good tablet with impressive screen, smooth performance, great value and bags of hacking potential too

»Verdict

Nook HD+

Value for money A very affordable way of getting a quality Android tablet

Features Few extras present on the hardware side, but generally its standard fare

Design A few quirks, but generally a well built nine-inch tablet

Performance Smooth performance throughout with excellent battery life

» Operating system ...............Android 4.0

» Processor ................................... 1.5GHz dual-core

» Memory .......................................1GB RAM, 16-32GB storage

» Dimensions ..............................240.3 x 162.8 x 11.4mm

» Weight ..........................................515g

» Display size ...............................Nine-inch

» Display resolution ...............1,920 x 1,280 pixels

» Expansion slot ....................... micro SD

technical specs

Price from £179 » More information

information

NookHD+

Battery lifeBattery life is excellent and will get you through several days of average use

Sharp screenThe display has a high pixel density and is great for reading eBooks and watching videos. We would have preferred a bit more brightness to it

Weird holeThe hole in the corner is a

Nook trademark. We can’t say whether it is

supposed to be functional or not

Custom skin The Nook has a fully customised skin, but does have

access to the full range of Google apps, plus the Play store, so you can Android-it-up a bit more

issue 020

Nexus 10

Kindle Fire HD

issue 018

Reviews

www.nook.co.uk

better than worse than

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Reviews

Huawei Ascend Y300 The Huawei Ascend Y300 makes a claim for being the

fi rst sub-£100 that is genuinely worth buying. Find out if we agree

Budget bustingIf you’re on a tight budget, you’re not going to fi nd many better options than this

goodfor...

ScreenThe four-inch screen gives you enough viewing area for comfort and the resolution is much higher than you would normally see on a phone of this price

Strong buildThe design is a little bit chunky, but overall the build is strong

Nine homescreensA massive nine home screens are on offer and you can add and remove them as needed

No app drawerThere’s no app drawer – instead installed apps sit on a home screen alongside your widgets

Front cameraYou don’t see a front camera on every low-cost handset so it’s nice to see one here

93

Review

WebA good-sized, four-inch screen for web browsing on a budget

Quick accessApps on home screens makes for quick accessto your favourites

Young usersThis could be an ideal fi rst handset for younger users learning about smartphones

If you think £100 is a small price to pay for an Android handset then you are going to love the prospect of the Huawei Ascend Y300, which

comes in at just £69.95 – and that includes a £10 PAYG top-up. You can fi nd it for this price as we write at Carphone Warehouse. Your fi rst thought might be to be lured by the cost, your second might be to wonder if you get a phone that’s got some giant fl aws for the money. Well, there are good things about the Huawei Ascend Y300 and not least among them is a four-inch screen. It seems that budget phone makers have fi nally decided that wherever else they cut corners it should not be the screen.

The Huawei Ascend Y300’s 800 x 480 pixels might not be ground breaking, but they’re good enough for web browsing, seeing a reasonable SMS trail, email, viewing photos and looking at video. In fact, these days, a four-inch, 800 x 480 screen is our minimum acceptable standard.

Huawei has also built a front camera into the Ascend Y300. This is something that budget phones will often lack, and it’s nice to see the ability to take self portraits here, as well as make video calls. The main camera, with its

The Y300 is a good phone for younger users or the cash-strapped – one of our favourite entry-level devices

»Verdict

worse thanbetter than

Huawei Ascend Y300

Value for money A really good handset considering its ridiculously low price

Features Nothing special but good enough for the target market

Design Somewhat chunky build in line with so many budget-minded devices

Performance Fine, but shows its limitations when attempting more power-hungry tasks

» Operating system ...............Android 4.1

» Processor ...................................1.0GHz dual-core

» Memory .......................................4GB storage

» Dimensions ..............................124.5 x 63.8 x 11.2mm

» Weight ..........................................130g

» Display size ...............................Four-inch

» Display resolution ...............800 x 480

» Expansion slot .......................micro SD

technical specs

Price £69.95» More information www.huaweidevice.co.uk

information

Huawei AscendY300

Battery lifeYou ought to get through a day with average levels of use

like a huge number, but you might need them. Huawei has done away with the apps drawer, instead dropping newly installed apps right onto a home screen. This sounds really odd, and it does take a bit of getting used to, but in fact, after a little bit of acclimatisation time, we found it to work quite well.

The problem might come if you are a big fan of widgets – lots of app shortcuts will reduce widget space. But you could always put apps into folders to save on space, and it’s no more work to fl ick through home screens searching for an app than it is to go to the app drawer.

To be fair to Huawei, dropping the app drawer isn’t something that it has decided to implement only at the budget end of its range. It’s also a feature of the super-large Huawei Ascend Mate. So the company must think it is a good move rather than simply one for the cheap phones.

In the end, the Huawei Y300 represents a pretty good buy. Large screen, chunky but robust, and with plenty of home screens to play with, the only real problems that you might encounter are processor related and a serious shortage of internal storage.

fi ve-megapixel capability, isn’t anything to shout about, but photos are reasonably good and if you are just interested in quick snaps it will do.

One area where corners have defi nitely been cut is the build. The plastic casing is a bit chunky and the phone is quite thick in the hands. But it felt solid enough and should take a fair few knocks. There’s quite a lot of unused space around the screen, which doesn’t fi t into its surroundings nearly as snugly as screens can in higher-end phones. But at least there’s a textured effect to the backplate.

When it comes to the innards it is immediately clear how Huawei has cut down on costs. The processor is 1GHz dual-core and it has 512MB of RAM backing it up. This is really a minimum specifi cation for a modern handset. For everyday tasks, though, the Y300 is up to the job. There’s 4GB of internal storage which isn’t a great deal, and only half of this is accessible. Quite irritatingly it is partitioned with 1GB each available for apps and data. Thank goodness for the micro SD card slot.

Android 4.1 has had a bit of makeover. You can have up to nine home screens. This seems

“This is really a minimum specifi cation for a modern handset. For everyday tasks, though, the Y300 is up to the job”

issue 022

Huawei Ascend

G330

Samsung Galaxy S4

issue 026

There’s been a recent rise in the amount of Android PCs to hit the market, with the latest coming

from the largely unheralded MiniX. The NEO X5 looks to dabble as both an Android PC and a media hub to attract a wide variety of people.

Design wise, there’s nothing special here, although the curved edges of the hub do have a nice aesthetic feel to them. It’s discreet enough to for you to able to store it below your TV for use exclusively as a media centre. Around the back are a wide selection of ports. There’s a single HDMI port, three USB ports, one micro USB port, an audio out, Ethernet and also an SD card

reader. The list is fairly staggering for something of its size.

The process of connecting it up to your TV is easy via HDMI, even if it will take a few seconds for the device to load up initially. It runs Android 4.1, meaning it’s compatible with a large library of apps and includes a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor which could do with being a bit bigger for our liking. You can use either your phone or tablet to control the X5 while using it on your TV, or also a wired keyboard and mouse if you want an authentic PC experience.

Like any other device running Android 4.1, you can install apps

directly from the Google Play store or sideload them through the SD card reader. There’s a number of apps pre-installed, with the likes of Netflix and Pandora being a click away. Movies can be watched in 1080p, but the X5 does have issues recognising certain file types. The same can be said about audio files, with the X5 having trouble recognising some of the MP3 files we were trying to play.

On the whole the NEO X5 impressed us. Add a large SD card filled with movies, and install your streaming apps of choice, and you’ve got a compact and affordable smart TV solution.

94

Some initial problems, but a solid Android PC nonetheless

Performance

Design

Value

» specification

More information www.minix.com.hk

Price £TBA/$129.98

» verdict

Accessories

MiniX NEO X5The X5 is a set-top PC that runs full Android 4.1 and doubles up as a media centre

Connectivity optionsAround the back of the NEO X5 are a staggering range of ports. The variety on offer means you have different options when it comes to adding new files and apps onto the unit itself without going through a trick process first

Stock AndroidRunning stock Android 4.1 can only be seen as a plus for the X5. You’ll find most of the recognisable features on offer and the dual-core processor makes browsing menus easy

File typesOne of the key flaws in the NEO X5, is that it struggles with recognising certain file types, making watching movies and listening to music a real problem. For what is marketed as a media hub, this is a big problem to suffer from

Expand libraryAlthough the selection of pre-installed apps is great, you also have access to Google Play and the thousands of apps it contains. At the same time, you can also add APK files through the SD card reader to get even more apps

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» Price £74.95/$99.95» More information www.otterbox.com

The fi rst thing you notice about the S3 Armor Case from Otterbox is just how bulky the thing is. It includes four layers, amounting to a ridiculous amount of protection for your Galaxy S3. Each layer has a specifi c role and helps protect the device from dust, water, drops and other general things that potentially damage the device. There are a couple of vents placed on the back of the case to help let air circulate, but they also do a good job at keeping things from getting into the case as well.

Each port has its own cover, with a small fl ap that can be used to cover the port up when not in use. This is an all-round superb case, but one with a hefty price tag that will instantly turn some people away.

Taking smartphone protection to a new level

Samsung Galaxy S3 Armor Series Case

Accessories

Android users have a plethora of car mount kits to choose from, but none are designed like Steelie. There’s no adjustable grip here, and instead Steelie relies on magnets and suction to keep your phone secure. The kit comprises of a small magnetic ball and a separate magnetic plate that is then used to attach your smartphone to it. It’s strong enough to hold any phone up to fi ve inches, but we wouldn’t recommend using it with your tablet.

The plate can be adjusted to have your phone display at different angles, and the kit is small enough that you won’t notice it while driving. What impresses us the most with Steelie, is just how powerful it’s for something of its size. For a small outlay, it’s really something everyone should invest in.

Potentially the smallest, but strongest car mount everSteelie Car Mount Kit

» Price £24.99/$34.99» More information www.niteize.com

This offi cial Doctor Who merchandise is a replica-scaled model of the infamous TARDIS and one that makes a decent speaker too. Around the back of the TARDIS is a range of volume controls, as well as a Bluetooth button to connect it to your Android smartphone. You’ll also fi nd a USB port and an auxiliary port for connecting to other devices, too.

Speaker wise, the TARDIS includes two tuned speakers alongside a separate bass driver unit. The combination provides great sound, but for the price you’re paying, you’ll probably expect a little better. The one 20W subwoofer could also be improved for a device of its size, but again, it does a decent enough job to make this a piece of merchandise one that true Doctor Who fans should check out.

Transport your music to a different dimension with this novelty TARDIS speaker

Doctor Who TARDIS Speaker System

» Price £150.00/$TBA» More information www.bbcshop.com

EDITOR’S CHOICE

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Accessories

96

Bass for your buckPlug these headphones and earphones into your phone for some pitch-perfect sounds

Hednoise Street» Price £17.00/$TBC» More information www.phones4u.co.uk

If budget is key for you, then you may want to consider the Hednoise range. Despite being made mostly from plastic, there’s little in terms of flex. Sound quality is average, with the lack of a powerful driver being a problem. It leaves the Streets floundering behind the group. If you don’t mind sacrificing true high-quality audio or build quality, then take a closer look.

BackBeat GO» Price £69.99/$96.44 » More information www.plantronics.com

The BackBeat GO earphones are a little chunkier than most, but are perfect for those who like to listen to their music on the move. They’re completely wireless and require you to pair them to your smartphone via Bluetooth, which is easily done. Sound quality is good for both listening to music and taking calls, even if the control panel used for this is annoyingly placed.

Jabra Revo» Price £119.99/$199.99

» More information www.jabra.com

Being totally wireless helps the Revos in a variety of ways. Firstly, the lack of wires gives the headphones a more modern

look and there’s no interference when it comes to sound quality either. Both arms of the headphones are adjustable, if a

little stiff, and the cushioned pads are great. The Revos aren’t cheap, and there’s nothing that makes them a must buy.

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Accessories

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Accessories

AfterShokz Bluez» Price £99.95/$119.95» More information www.aftershokz.co.uk

Offering a new take on the classic earphone concept is AfterShokz with its remarkably clever Bluez. Instead of being placed in your ear, the Bluez sit just in front of it and use ‘bone conduction technology’ to produce sound. The concept works well, but they take some time to get used to. There are no wires here, and instead you’ll find a band that goes around the back of your head. Again this feels weird to wear at first, but you can’t fault the innovation on offer here.

a-Jays One» Price £24.99/$TBC

» More information wwwww.gearzap.com

One of the most noticeable things about the a-Jays is the simple, but stylish design that helps give the earphones a nice aesthetic. You’ll

find a range of silicone sleeves for the ear buds which cater for most sizes, even if they’re a bit fiddly. Sound quality is where the a-Jays

One really surprised us, and despite its lowly price tag, produced a bass heavy output that makes them a great all-rounder.

Klipsch S4A» Price £89.99/$99.99» More information www.klipsch.com

Klipsch is one of the few manufacturers to make Android-specific earphones, and boy does it show. The S4As are a superb overall package, with sound quality at the forefront. Despite their small size you won’t find any outside noise creeping in, even if the cable itself could do with being a bit longer. They are at the top end of the pricing of this group test, but true audiophiles will really appreciate what’s on offer here.

KitSound Euphoria» Price £99.99/$TBC » More information www.kitsound.co.uk

We’ve taken a look at many of KitSound’s earphone offerings before, but the Euphoria earphones are its best yet. The lengthy Kevlar coated cable is tangle free and leads to two small earbuds that can be customised to fit in different sized ears. Thanks to the 10mm driver, bass is brilliant here and overall sound quality is impressive too. You’ll also find a handy control panel located on the centre of the cable for controlling calls from your smartphone and music volume. It works well, but the buttons are far too small for our liking.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

NEXT MONTH

5 September

NEW NEXUS NEW ANDROIDFull review of the new Nexus 7 plus what you need to know about Android 4.3

HTC ONE MINI REVIEWNew products from HTC, Samsung and Huawei on test

Issue 29 goes on sale:

THE NEW GOOGLE PHONEWill the Google-designed Moto X be your new upgrade?

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