20 handy Android 2.2 tips and tricks

Google's Android 2.2 update, also commonly known under its development pseudonym of FroYo, is gradually finding its way onto more and more Android phones with every passing day.

Google and the networks of the world are slowly updating their handsets so the latest version of the mobile OS, with Android 2.2 bringing many new features - plus well known performance and battery life enhancements.

So now Android 2.2 is out and spreading, it's time to delve a little deeper under the bonnet and put together a few tips for getting the most out of your newly refreshed and invigorated phone.

What else can you do with it apart from send text messages and look at women applying their make-up on YouTube? This little lot, for a start. Read on for your top 20 Android 2.2 tips.

1. Edit your Android Search button settings

Google's Search box will, by default, search the internet and your phone for any text you enter. If you'd rather it just searched your phone, press the 'G' icon and change where Google looks for stuff. Also, under Menu > Settings > Search you're able to add or remove items and search locations from this list. Makes searching for apps by name much, much faster.

2. Stick a load of search widgets on a screen

If you're stuck for ideas on what to put on all your Home screens, why not build your own search super screen? One search bar for web, one for apps, one for contacts - easy.

3. Pull up for numeric Android keypad

If you're using the generic, unskinned Android 2.2, the keyboard now lets users swipe up to select numeric characters and apostrophes, rather than having to navigate to a separate screen. Not quite as intuitive as HTC's custom keyboard as found on the Sense-enabled HTC Desire version of Android 2.2, but a big improvement on the stock keyboard of old.

4. Power button ends calls

Under Settings > Accessibility there's a tiny new change - the option to use the power button to end a phone call. Very handy - if your phone doesn't already support that.

5. Enable Flash in your Android browser

The big selling point of Android 2.2 is it compatibility with Adobe's Flash 10.1 player. HTC has built the app into its Android 2.2 update, while the "vanilla" Nexus One FroYo requires Flash to be installed as a separate download from the Android Market. Just remember it'll need to be activated in the browser settings - if you want Flash, that is.

6. ...then turn Flash off again

Once the novelty has worn off, you may find Flash 10.1 to be a bit of a burden, what with the way it can slow down page scrolling on even the most modern of Android phones. The toggle option is found in the browser settings, where you can choose to have Flash plug-in content only activate "On Demand" when you click on it.

7. Enter a numeric pin

FroYo lets you specify a pin number to lock and unlock the phone, if you're not won over by the previous version's shape-based locking system. Stick in your choice of digits under Settings > Security > Set up screen lock.

8. Update your apps

Another of FroYo's big new additions is the option to save your apps to SD card. But remember this option is not universal - it requires the app developer to specifically add the option to their app. Don't blame yourself when you can't save something to SD card, it's the developer's fault.

9. Shuffle apps to SD card

Also, don't panic when you're not asked where to save an app when downloading it from the Android Market. That's not how it works. You can only install apps to your phone initially - then move them to SD card separately. Do this by going to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications and clicking on the app. If the developer has enabled it, now you can shuffle it to your memory card.

10. Install SDMove

SDMove is a tiny Android app that fills the above gap. It lists your apps, letting you see at a glance which ones can be moved to SD card and which can't. If you've got a heavily loaded phone, it could save many seconds of annoyed fiddling.

11. Don't install your most-used apps to SD card

Also worth remembering is that your SD card is not available to your phone while it's plugged in via USB - so any apps on your SD card won't be accessible while your phone's charging. So don't put anything too important on there, else you'll end up having to copy it back to use it while charging via USB.

12. Tether, don't hotspot

As cool as it may well be to use Android 2.2's network-hammering wireless hotspot facilities to share your 3G connection with your laptop, it'll guzzle the power out of your battery like a dog sucking the jelly out of a pork pie. So use the alternative Tethering option - and connect your laptop via USB. Not as futuristic, but works better - and means you don't have to mess about with WPA2 encryption settings on both devices.

13. Film something that happens at night

Android 2.2 lets you completely ruin your battery by keeping the camera's flash running constantly. HTC utilises this to provide a flashlight app, but it also means you're able to use your phone to record hedgehogs eating slugs at dusk.

14. Activate swearing recognition

You're now able to swear at your phone, and it'll know about it. Google's allowed rude words to be interpreted by its voice-to-text tools in Android 2.2. Go to Settings > Voice input & output, then deactivate the 'Block offensive words' checkbox. Handy if your late night web browsing requires explicit terminology and hands-free operation, for whatever reason.

15. Uninstall your Task Killers

There's no point bothering with a task killer of any sort on Android 2.2, as Google has changed its code to stop apps killing other apps. There's a manual override hidden in Settings > Applications > Manage Applications, where you're able to Force Stop a running app if you must. But it'll be easier and less stressful to simply surrender control and learn to trust Google.

16. Use Exchange ActiveSync

Android 2.2 now has enhanced auto-discovery options, making it possible to activate Exchange-based email systems by simply keying in your username and password - plus there's a remote wipe option for binning everything when you leave your phone and all your sensitive emails in a taxi or East End lapdancing club.

17. Enable Android auto app updates

Another milestone FroYo feature is the chance to have your downloaded apps update themselves. But the default option is to ask the user to update manually, for some odd reason. So no, your phone isn't broken - activate auto-updates by opening the Android Market and pressing Menu, Downloads, then opening up each installed app and ticking Allow Automatic Updating. It's a pain you have to do this for every app - but still easier than updating everything manually.

18. Turn off app update Notifications altogether

If you're happy with what you've got and would rather not be woken up at 4.35am to be told there's a minor incremental update to the Foursquare app now available, switch off app update notifications completely. From the Android Market home page, press Menu > Downloads > Menu and hit the Notifications toggle.

19. Manually update the stragglers

There's one quirk to this new auto-update feature that may appear like it's a bug - but it's not. Android 2.2 will refuse to automatically update any apps that have changed their permission settings, so you'll have to do those yourself. It's a security feature, so that the innocent wallpaper you installed can't suddenly request access to your location and web history without you first clicking the appropriate disclaimer.

20. Install Chrome to Phone

Google's new Android 2.2 exclusive feature is a clever, if slightly pointless, demo of Google's mobile powers. Install the app, install the Chrome extension, then hit the phone icon to ping URLs to your phone. Not sure what the point of it is when Android can do maps and internet perfectly well by itself, but it sure is impressive.

6 Of The Best Android Games of 2010

The Android Operating system has had a great start, since its launch over 5 years ago, which is in part thanks to the open architecture. It is architecture like this which has attracted developers to the platform and manufacturers to produce many more devices based on the Android Operating system. Android from a users perspective is seen as firstly a phone as well as an Internet browser, Multimedia and App’s device. The two reasons coupled together has created a huge developer market. Developers around the world learned the basics of the SDK and in no time have created many quality apps, all within short succession of one another. Here we will concentrate on the very best games, which we have seen released during 2010. Though they are numbered, they are all good and it was difficult to rank some above others. Please use this piece as a guide for the best Android Games of 2010 so far.

1. Angry Birds, has been voted one of the best smartphone games with more than 7 million downloads on Android alone! The aim of the game is simply to fire birds at green pigs to recover your eggs. There are around a hundred levels which vary in difficulty. Warning: This game is highly addictive, and well worth a download.

2. Pocket Racing trumps the second position. Pocket racing brings classic arcade style racing to new heights and this one is really polished to give you hours of racing and if you complete the game, there are literally hundreds of other racing games, none quite as good as this one though.

3. Robo Defense is the successor to the well known Tower Defense game. If you have some time to spend on this exciting strategy game. Plan how you will stop the enemy with turrets of varying abilities. Robo Defense is one of the most addictive Android games.

4. Zenonia is RPG. When we say RPG, you might think of World of Warcraft or Zelda. This game is the Zelda series cloned and renamed Zenonia. With all the advancements in the graphics, as a result of technological advancements over the years the game play and effects have really benefited making Zenonia a great remake. I have no doubt that this game will give you countless hours of fun developing your little heroes throughout their difficult journey.

5. Prism 3D is not just another generic puzzle game. It has complexity not common in the simple “Tetris like” or “marble madness like” games. The game uniquely provides access to other players maps, adding endless customization to the user experience. If your not satisfied with that then you can create your own levels with ease.

6. Last but not least, is Panzer Panic. A fantastic little battle game, command your tanks and destroy the enemy with this time passing game, these little cartoonish tanks crawl around your screen, their guaranteed to provide much entertainment, or distraction from work?

A characteristic all of these games possess is simplicity and an action theme – this seems to be the recipe for a successful mobile game and there are certainly many other games that are on par with these ones, perhaps even better, get on Android Market and find your favorite game.

5 Google Android Tips Every User Should Use

Google Android is a very capable mobile Operating System. In this article I offer 5 tips that can help users get the most out of their Android Devices. Each tip is simple to implement and offers added functionality to Google device users.

Tip #1 - Use MPEG-4 H.264 Whenever Possible

Google Android has built-in hardware for video playback acceleration. Specifically the hardware is meant to give MPEG-4 H.264 file playback a much smoother return on your display. You can find the settings for MPEG-4 playback on the standard Google Android "Video Player" which unfortunately has to be downloaded from the Android Marketplace, as Android does not come equipped with a video player. On the other hand the Video Player is free and downloads in a matter of seconds.

Tip #2 - Use The Hard Search Key Whenever Possible

The little symbol on your Google Android front screen that looks like a magnifying glass will quickly bring you to the Google Search Page, which is a great feature for quick online searching, however the key can also be used for even further convenience. For instance, if you're on any Google built website, such as YouTube you can click on that same option and the program will then search that Google owned website for any search term you type into the search box that appears.

Another great function of this feature is that it is a specific box for each app, for YouTube it may be just a typical search box, whereas for Google Maps you will be prompted for information pertaining to that program such as address, city, state, zipcode, etc.

For quick launch search functionality that's specific to Google webpages there really isn't anything better than the included search functionality of Google Android.

Tip #3 - Shop Using ShopSavvy

Google Android features a free downloadable program (from the Android Marketplace), known as ShopSavvy. This program allows users to scan barcodes (using their device's camera) on any product at the stores they visit and then using their device's data connection they can connect to find local stores that carry the products that have been scanned, including the prices available at those other local stores.

If you're a big price comparison shopper this is a must have application, and with no cost to download what do you have to lose?

Tip #4 - Buy a MicroSDHC Card

I know this seems simple enough, but alot of users don't buy memory cards, and they only cost about $20 for an 8GB MicroSDHC card from Kingston Technologies. Needless to say these cards have some great purposes. For instance the expanded memory can be used to backup your important files, to add more music that's easily uploadable and swappable from your PC, and to install programs directly on your memory cards leaving your device with more on-board memory and thus faster program capabilities (since your device isn't bogged down with installed apps and less left over memory).

Memory cards are cheap to purchase, offer more data sync abilities, and typically come with life time limited warranties. Worth getting if for no other reason than a memory card allows you to more easily share your information with your PC and your friend's devices as well.

Tip #5 - Learn To Use Shortcut Keys

If you want to take advantage of special characters, delete entire lines of text, use only capital leters, or other functions it's important that you learn how to do each of those with ease using device shortcut keys. Below is a list of several popular options I use on a regular basis.

1. Insert special character: Press ALT + Spacebar
2. Highlight text: Press Shift and roll Trackball
3. Turn on all caps: Press Shift Twice
4. Delete entire line of text: Press ALT + Delete
5. Move cursor to end or beginning of text: Press Alt while scrolling Trackball
6. Insert a Tab space: Press Alt + Q

Conclusion

The Google Android mobile Operating System is still in its infancy, but the number of operations that can be mastered are already numerous and will surely continue to grow as new updates become available. Whether you want to use Android Apps to serve your everday needs or just learn some simple tips to help you more easily navigate your device I hope the information above gave you a little more insight into your device's capabilities. I'll continue to post more tips and tricks in the near future. Stay tuned.

How to update your Galaxy S with Android 2.2

It’s not as easy as an over-the-air update, but with a bit of patience, you can get Android 2.2 on your Samsung Galaxy S.

Samsung Galaxy S

At last! The official Android 2.2 update for the Samsung Galaxy S has finally arrived for Optus customers, bringing some much-needed Froyo love like Adobe Flash 10.1 support and voice commands to the table (Exchange support and Wi-Fi tethering were already included in 2.1) – not to mention the ability to run Skype!

To get your hands on the updated firmware, you’ll need to pull it down using the latest Samsung Kies desktop software (Windows only) version 1.5.3.10301_102, which you can download from here.

Once you’ve installed Samsung Kies, connect the Galaxy S to your computer and wait for the program to recognise it. If this is the first time you’ve connected the Galaxy S to your computer with Kies, it will download all of the drivers for Kies to recognise it. If all goes well, a pop-up will appear saying that a new firmware update has been found for your phone, in which case just follow the prompts and be on your merry way. Just make sure you undo any lag fixes like Ryanza’s OCLF or Voodoo before you apply the firmware update, otherwise you run the risk of bricking your phone. If that previous sentence sounds like gibberish, then you can just ignore that part!

If you’re not so lucky, you’ll get a message saying: “this device’s version cannot be updated”. This means that you’re not running the stock Optus Galaxy S firmware for whatever reason – either you’ve flashed it to a different firmware version yourself, or you sourced the Galaxy S overseas or from another carrier. The easy way to check is by going into Settings > About phone > and seeing what the build number says right at the bottom. If it doesn’t say ‘I9000HKAOPS’, then you’re not running the stock Optus build.

Thankfully, you don’t have to faff about flashing back to the stock ROM just so you can upgrade to Froyo. Just download the Kies Registry Patcher from XDA Developers, and, with Samsung Kies shut down, use the ‘Spoof Product Code’ box to select ‘OPS’. Click ‘Write Registry’, then open Samsung Kies again and connect your Galaxy S – it should now say that it has found a firmware update for your phone.

Hacker bonus points
Unfortunately, one of the things that the Froyo update doesn’t fix is the lag problems from Android 2.1. The best way to boost system speed is with SpeedMod, which you can download from here. This mod also roots your phone in the process. I’d recommend using the k9a-256hz mod, and make sure you download the file that doesn’t end with ‘CWM’ or ‘dev’.

To flash this to your phone, you’ll need a Windows program called Odin, which you can download from here. Unzip the speedmod file, then put your Galaxy S into download mode by turning it completely, waiting 15-30 seconds for it to go completely off, then press and hold the volume-down, home and power buttons simultaneously. You’ll see the Android robot in a yellow triangle with the words ‘Downloading… Do not turn off Target!!!’ on the screen.

Make sure Samsung Kies is closed, then open Odin, and connect the phone to your computer. Click the ‘PDA’ button, and select the unzipped speedmod file, which should end in ‘.tar’. Then click Start, and wait for the flash to finish – your phone will reboot, and it will say ‘PASS’ in Odin. And you’re done!

You can tinker with the Speedmod settings by going into the Galaxy’s Recovery mod: turn the phone off, and pressing-and-holding the volume-up, power and home button simultaneously, and selecting the ‘advanced ULK features’ option (below).

Enjoy Samsung Galaxy S with Android 2.2

Just Got a New Smartphone? Here’s What to Do First!

Did Santa bring you a shiny new smartphone? Congratulations! My first smartphone purchase was some five years ago and since then, I’ve learned a few tricks that are worth sharing. In fact, I asked my wife what’s the first thing she’d do with a new smartphone and she answered, “I’d give it to you so you can set it up.” I can’t do that for everyone, at least not directly, so here’s a first-day checklist for new smartphone owners.

• Get connected to your home Wi-Fi network. Most folks have a wireless network in the home and even though a smartphone has cellular connection to the Internet, your data plan may be limited. That means you run the risk of paying overage fees if you exceed the amount of data allowed by your carrier. Even if you have an unlimited plan, it’s likely that your home network is faster than the phone’s cellular network, so connecting to your home Wi-Fi network can improve the smartphone experience.

• Buy a second battery. Even the best smartphones can run through a battery in under a day, especially the more you rely on your device for the web, apps and phone calls. No matter what mobile device I buy, but especially with smartphones, I purchase a second battery if possible. I always keep the spare charged and I try to rotate the batteries on a daily basis as well, so they wear down evenly over time. It never hurts to get a car charger for your smartphone, either.

• Manage up your email. While text messaging is one of the most used and popular applications of a phone, staying on top of your email on the go is a huge benefit as well. Regardless of whether you use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or some other email provider, it’s a safe bet that your smartphone will support it. Of course, some of us don’t want to be buried in mail or checking our Inbox every five minutes. In that case, check to see if your phone has a setting to schedule email synchronization for certain times: this way, you can limit the time frame that your smartphone will check for mail. Or better yet, set the phone to only check for email when you manually tell it to in your email application.

• Install Google Voice. Although your new smartphone has a phone number provided by the carrier, consider getting a second number for free, courtesy of Google. The company will give you a phone number that’s local to you but Google Voice is so much more than a number. For Android handsets, BlackBerrys and iPhones, there’s a Google Voice app that lets you make free calls, reducing the need to use those carrier minutes. Google Voice also works as a smart voicemail system: callers leave a message which gets recorded but also transcribed. Those messages can be sent to your smartphone as texts or emails. Plus you can schedule times when you want your calls to automatically go to voicemail. There’s more to the service and if you’re unsure of its value.

• Get some apps! One of the biggest benefits you’ll likely find with a new smartphone is how easy it is to find and install useful apps. To get you started, Ranging from simple news and weather titles to advanced apps that can shoot your location to friends and family, or apps that can control your home DVR. Watch out though: after you get a few basic apps on your phone, it’s easy to keep adding more, which put make a serious dent in your wallet!

How To Add a USB Keyboard to an Android Phone

Are those puny hardware buttons or the quirky on-screen QWERTY keyboards not quite cutting it for you in Android? As it turns out, Google’s mobile platform appears to support USB keyboards natively on some stock builds. Of course, you can’t simply attach a big, honking external keyboard to your phone and expect it to work. You have to enable USB-OTG, or USB On The Go host mode, and have the proper USB cable, says MAKE. Luckily, Chris Paget’s blog shares the steps to make this happen. The whole process reminds me of a similar project that modders got into back in 2008 with the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet. I was scared of the soldering then, and sadly, I’m no closer to having a comfort level.

Chris makes the magic happen on his Droid with three parts: a car charging cable, a micro USB cable and a USB extender cable — all pretty basic parts. The charging cable is only needed for the end piece — it becomes a micro USB dongle that tells Android there’s a USB device to install, which enables USB-OTG mode for the current session. The other two cables are needed for their ends and get spliced together: one end plugs into the handset and the other accepts a male USB wire from a keyboard. Maybe I could handle the wee bit of soldering on this one since it’s only needed to short out one resistor on the micro USB dongle. I think I’ll just search for a pre-made cable to do the trick.

Armed with the proper pieces, it’s just a matter of booting up Android with the dongle in the phone. Once the handset sees the dongle and continues to boot, you simply remove the dongle and plug in a USB keyboard with the spliced cable. Android sees the keyboard, and as Chris says, “It Just Works.” A similar process was replicated and tested successfully on an HTC Hero as well, so odds are decent that many other Android phones can use USB-OTG to host a keyboard. No additional drivers were needed for either the Droid or the Hero, so keyboard support has to be built within Android itself. Of course, that means it could go away in any future Android updates, but for now, you can enjoy a full-sized keyboard on your pint-sized phone.
Image courtesy of Andrew de Quincey

Experience Youtube, the full version

YouTube released a full featured version of their app. You can now do most things you do on the site on your mobile app.

Note how the app changes views when you rotate.

Expect more of this on the android tablets and TV. Fragments will be stacked on small screens and will be shown side by side on larger screens, with the ability to collapse them.

YouTube: YouTube App