How To Plan World Travel Using Google Now

Google Now is one of the biggest features included in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. And Google recently rolled out a new update that makes using Google Now more useful than ever before.

The new update is specifically designed to make it easier for Android users to travel around the world. Using voice-activation and automated features, Google Now will tell you what the weather is like at your destination, for example. But instead of just telling you about the weather and letting you figure out the rest, Google Now will actually recommend which type of clothes you need to pack for your destination.

Google has also partnered with airlines all over the world in order to bring boarding passes directly to your phone. But unfortunately, by “airlines all over the world”, I just mean United, because that’s the only airline that has approved Google’s system so far. But we don’t think it will take long for other airlines to catch on.

Now that you’ve packed your bag, checked out the weather, and have access to your boarding pass, it’s time to decide what to do once your land at your destination.  Google Now can do that too. The app will spit out a list of fun things to do and sights to see wherever you’re going. It will direct you straight to the websites of these destinations and display them on a map, making it easier for you to get around even the most confusing cities.

And once you actually arrive at your tourist destination – let’s say, a museum – Google Now may even be able to bring up more information about the pieces you view. That is, if you’re using Google Goggles and pointing your smartphone at the artifact or museum piece.

Like everything in Google Now, the entire process is automated, and the app wants to predict the questions you ask long before they actually leave your mouth. So next time you’re traveling, don’t hesitate to whip out your Android and let it whisk you to your next destination. Just watch out for foreign data fees once you land.

NON-TRAVEL RELATED UPDATES INCLUDE BARCODE SCANNING AND SHAZAM-LIKE FUNCTIONALITY

Travelers weren’t the only ones who were treated in the latest Google Now update. You can also ask Google Now “What’s this song?” and it will begin to identify whatever song that’s playing. You can also ask Now to scan a barcode and then run that barcode over your camera, or post to Google+ by saying – you guessed it – “Post to Google+ [insert your message here].”

If every Google Now update is this feature-rich, we’re excited to see what the future holds for Google’s Siri competitor dominator.

HTC Leaks Android Jelly Bean Device Update List

Each new version of Google’s Android operating system that rolls out will inevitably bring about a whole lot of chatter - especially when it concerns the different kinds of hardware manufacturers who have a bunch of Android-powered devices in tow, as owners of those devices are left scratching their heads, wondering whether their devices (tablet, phablets and smartphones alike) will make the cut when it comes to an upgrading exercise. Well, those who are of the HTC persuasion should sit tight - a list of HTC devices has been leaked, and these will be on the receiving end of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Normally, it takes months after the release of the latest Android version to hit the various devices and hardware in the market, and sometimes, it is due to the complex relationship that mobile carriers and the hardware manufacturers have. Still, Football4PDA, a Twitter feed that has come up with reliable rumors in the past (especially the latest Nokia Lumia range with its wireless charging accessories), has obtained a list of all HTC devices that will get the Jelly Bean upgrade.

Bear in mind that the leaked list is in no way a full or definite answer of what the future holds, but at least it provides a general roadmap. Without further ado, the HTC devices that will be updated to Android Jelly Bean are the HTC One X+ (Evitare), HTC One XL (Evita), HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE (Fireball), HTC EVO 4G LTE (Jewel), HTC One SV (K2), HTC One VX (Totem C2), HTC One S (Ville), HTC One S C2 (Ville C2), and the HTC J ISW13HT (Valente).

Of course, the HTC One X was earlier confirmed to receive the update, and you would realize that older smartphones such as the HTC Sensation and Desire X are missing from the list. HTC did mention before that their handsets that have 512MB or less RAM will not be part of the Android Jelly Bean update, and while those devices have more than 512MB, they do seem to be at the end of their update life cycle. Bummer.

Source: Football4PDA 

Six Features That Will Help You Get The Most Out Of Android 4.2

Android 4.2 has already been installed on a wide number of devices around the world. But most users don’t know how to use all of the cool new features in Android 4.2.

If you want to get the most out of your Android 4.2 upgrade, then make sure you’ve taken a peek at all of the following features:

5) DEVELOPER OPTIONS

Wait a minute. I’m not an Android developer, you’re thinking. I have no right to access developer options in my Android device, right? Wrong! Android 4.2 opens up the Developer Options menu to the general public, meaning anyone can take a look at the inner workings of their device.

However, the Developer Options menu is hidden within the Settings menu. You can use Developer Options to activate a number of useful features, like debugging mode, bug reports, backup passwords, and more.

4) ADD WIDGETS TO YOUR LOCK SCREEN

Prior to Android 4.2, Android widgets were only available on homescreens. If you wanted to add widgets to your lock screen, you were out of luck. Thanks to Android 4.2, adding widgets to your lockscreen is easier than ever. You can add a clock, Gmail, messaging applications, calendars, and whatever other widgets you need directly onto your desktop.

Before you add widgets to your lockscreen, make sure the widgets don’t reveal any sensitive information. For example, if you frequently sext naked pictures of yourself to friends, you might not want to put your messaging application widget directly on your homescreen. The last thing you want is a nosy relative picking up your phone at the next family dinner only to drop it in horror (or worse, look at it appreciatively).

To add widgets to your lockscreen, simply swipe to the left or right until you see your lockscreen. Tap and hold to reveal a list of lockscreen widgets (only five are currently available on non-rooted Android devices). Lockscreen widgets are enabled by default, although you might have to change this setting in the Settings menu if you accidentally disabled it:

 

3) EDIT PHOTOS LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Whether you’re drawing funny moustaches on your friend’s face or touching up a photo so you don’t look so overweight, there are times when you want to view the original version of the photo you’re currently editing. And Android 4.2 makes checking out the original photo very easy.

To see the original photo, just tap your finger on the edited photo in the main screen and then swipe to the right or down. When you swipe, Android 4.2 will reveal the original photo, removing any filters, bleaches, or silly moustaches you’ve added to the photo.

2) FLYING JELLY BEAN SCREENSAVERS

As you may be aware, Android 4.2 is nicknamed Jelly Bean. And in honor of that delicious nickname, Google has added a Jelly Bean Daydreams feature to its OS.

What on earth are Jelly Bean Daydreams, you might ask? Well, they’re screensavers that come preinstalled on your device. These screensavers show jelly beans flying across the screen. They are activated any time your device is charging or docked. So instead of showing a plain old boring black screen, Android 4.2 makes everything a little more colorful.

Although Android 4.2 comes with five pre-installed Jelly Bean screensavers, there is a secret sixth mode called Bean Flinger that can be unlocked through this guide, as revealed by CNet.

1) TAKE 360 DEGREE PANORAMIC PICTURES USING PHOTO SPHERE

If you use Google Earth a lot, then you may have noticed an occasional panoramic shot in important locations. These panoramic shots provide a 360 degree view of a certain environment. And now you – the average Android user – can take 360 degree panoramic shots with a tap of your finger.

Android 4.2 added a 360 degree panorama feature called Photo Sphere to the OS. Photo Sphere automatically collects data as you spin around with your Android phone and puts that data together into a cool-looking picture.

To activate Photo Sphere, launch the camera app and click on the Photo Sphere icon. Then, Android will ask you to line up the camera with a dot on screen. You hold the camera there for a few seconds before moving onto the next dot, and then the next one, until you have created a complete panoramic shot.

HTC M7 Prepared For A February 2013 Debut

Every smartphone company would need a flagship device to keep the colors flying, and it is no different with HTC. In fact, the rumored HTC M7 is said to be lined up for a February 2013 debut at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, and we have some leaked details on what you can expect underneath the hood after the jump.

It seems that an anonymous (although believed to be reliable) source claims that the HTC M7 will deliver some industry firsts, such as the first Full HD 4.7-inch display that packs a whopping 468PPI pixel density, making it some 40% higher compared to what the iPhone 5 from Apple offers, while sharing a similar optical lamination technology.

Dubbed as the SoLux display, it is also touted to come with a range of visual improvements compared to the previous generation of Super LCD 2 displays, helping boost viewing angles, outdoor visibility, and color accuracy.

Apart from that, you should be able to find a second-generation quad-core processor from Qualcomm underneath the hood, which has been clocked at 1.7GHz for each core. That would be aided by 2GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage space should be comfortable for many, should it happen to lack a memory expansion slot.

In all probability, the HTC M7 should ship with Android 4.1 (or 4.2, who knows?) Jelly Bean in tow, and obviously being a HTC device, it would be skinned with the latest version of HTC’s Sense 5 user interface enhancement.

Other than that, the rumor mill has yielded some other juicy features such as a 13-megapixel CCD sensor as well as an even larger f/2.0 lens. Known as Cinesensor, this improved and larger sensor is said to deliver increased image quality and improved features, including super slow-motion and video HDR. The front camera can capture video in 1080p to boot.

A Beats-enabled amplifier and a next-generation Wi-Fi standard (802.11ac) have also been penciled in. In all, the HTC M7 should figure out on Verizon and Sprint in the US, and we look forward in anticipation.

How To Make Your Android Run Like It’s A Stock Device

For those who don’t already know, there are two broad groups of Android devices. There are stock Android devices which run the ‘vanilla’ Android operating system, and then there are third-party Androids which run a modified version of that operating system.

Any device with ‘Nexus’ in its name – like the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, or Samsung Galaxy Nexus – is considered a stock Android device with the basic Android OS installed. Meanwhile, popular Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S3 come with a version of Android that was modified by Samsung to include Samsung apps and dozens of UI changes.

Stock Android is pure Android. Stock Androids tend to be faster and contain less bloatware. The UI is cleaner and more reliant on default Google apps.

It’s easy to appreciate stock Android. And if you want to experience the magic of stock Android on your non-stock Android device, then there are three ways you can do that:

METHOD 1) ROOT YOUR ANDROID USING ONE CLICK ROOT

Rooting strips away all of the ‘improvements’ that have been made to the Android OS on your device. When you use a program like One Click Root, rooting only takes a few minutes to complete. And once you have root access to your Android, it will run a vanilla version of Android.

Rooting also gives you access to a number of other unique apps and cool rooting benefits.

METHOD 2) BUY A STOCK ANDROID DEVICE

There are plenty of Stock Androids available for sale today. Many of them are made by Google. Unfortunately, Google’s smartphones and tablets are notoriously difficult to buy because – for whatever reason – Google never makes enough to keep up with demand.

If you want to buy into the stock Android experience, you can check out the following devices:

-Nexus 4

-Nexus 7

-Nexus 10

-Samsung Galaxy Nexus

METHOD 3) INSTALLING APPS THAT LOOK LIKE STOCK ANDROID

If you don’t want to pay for a new Android and don’t want to root it yourself, then you can easily download some apps that make your device look like it’s running stock Android. Here are some of our favorite stock Android-looking apps that will improve the appearance of your smartphone or tablet:

Lockscreen: Your lockscreen is the first thing you notice when you turn on your Android. It’s a central part of the vanilla Android experience. You can create a nice-looking vanilla lockscreen thanks to a free app called Holo Locker.

Launcher: Once you’ve unlocked your phone, you’ll want to use a vanilla Android launcher to access your apps in the most authentic way possible. Download the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean launcher from the Google Play Store in order to setup your homescreens like they look on any stock Android device.

Camera: Third-party Androids come with their own camera app installed. You can download the stock Android camera experience for Jelly Bean here or for Ice Cream Sandwich here

Photo gallery: I don’t know about you, but I spent a lot of time browsing through my lovely Android gallery of photos. It’s one of the most-used apps on my phone, and the minimalistic interface of the stock Android gallery app makes browsing through photos a breeze. Download the Ice Cream Sandwich gallery for free from here.

Other Android apps to download if you want to access the stock Android experience (or at least make your phone look like it’s accessing the stock Android experience):

-Calculator

-Clock

-Jelly Bean 4.2 Keyboard

-Jelly Bean Messaging apps

-Calendar

-Ice Cream Sandwich browser

CONCLUSION – SHOULD YOU USE STOCK ANDROID?

If you don’t want to spend a few minutes rooting your Android, then you can make your Android look and perform like it’s a stock system by downloading the apps we’ve linked to above.

When you use stock Android, you’re using Android the way Google intended you to use it. When you use an Android that’s been modified by third-parties like Samsung, HTC, or LG, you’ve diluted that experience and added pointless apps that you may never use.

Android officially celebrates its 5th birthday

When do you celebrates one’s birthday? In some cultures, it’s starts with conception. Others say it’s when you’re actually delivered and come into the world. That being said, depending on how you celebrate birthdays, today is officially Android’s 5th birthday.

Formed in 2007, the Open Handset Alliance was assembled consisting of heavy weights like Google, HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and LG, who all banded together, choosing Android as their platform of choice. Here was their creed:

Each member of the Open Handset Alliance is strongly committed to greater openness in the mobile ecosystem. Increased openness will enable everyone in our industry to innovate more rapidly and respond better to consumers’ demands. Our first joint project as a new Alliance is Android™. Android was built from the ground up with the explicit goal to be the first open, complete, and free platform created specifically for mobile devices.

Holy cow, how right they were. We’ve all reaped the benefits of an open ecosystem. Competition has move ahead at blazing (sometimes too fast) speeds, and here we are today with HD displays and quad-core devices in our pocket. Feels good, don’t it?

Android Inc. was originally founded by Andy Rubin — the man who brought you the Sidekick –  and Google snatched him, and Android up, back in 2005.  On November 5th, 2007 — Android was officiallyannounced (although the SDK wasn’t made available until the 12th) and my, how far we’ve come. Here’s a quick ancient YouTube video from the early Android creators introducing their all new mobile platform. (I promised myself I wouldn’t cry).

CyanogenMod 10 Android Jelly Bean News Feature

In a post detailed CyanogenMod team has customized the rom in its power for the next new version expressed their custom firmware. They Android 4.1 "Jelly Bean" based version called CyanogenMod long and 10 developed in parallel to the two current versions of CM7 and CM9 are.

This is beautiful, the development team of the faithful around the team and rewards for each new major version of Android has its own name. The 10th version will be published by the team to rely on