Software : Tutorial: How Google Now can help you be more efficient |
- Tutorial: How Google Now can help you be more efficient
- Buying Guide: 10 best Android movie player apps
- Facebook enters cloud with Photo Sync for iOS, Android
| Tutorial: How Google Now can help you be more efficient Posted:  Google Now is Android's take on Apple's Siri, the voice-powered search engine that understands human speech and delivers nearly instantaneous spoken results. But while the voice search is a big part of Google Now, it actually goes one step further and learns your day-to-day movements and web searches so it can deliver results it thinks will be useful to you. While it may sound hideously intrusive, it's actually rather beneficial. Upon waking it looks at traffic and figures out the best route for you to get to work. If you go travelling, it works out where in the world you are and delivers currency and translation options. It's all powered by Google's own search engine, and the best time to start using it is - appropriately enough - now. 1. Get it Now
At the time of writing, Google Now is only available on devices that are running Android 4.1 or above. To access it on your device, you need to slide upwards from the home icon, or slide the unlock symbol upwards. You can also get to Now by tapping the 'Google' icon in your Apps folder. 2. Getting started
Start Google Now and tap 'Next' to see examples of how it can help you plan your commute, or get up-to-date information about flights. It then checks with you that it's all right for it to use certain pieces of information, such as your location and calendars. Tap 'Yes, I'm in' to get started. 3. Hidden cards
To start with, you'll see a few cards on the Now page. These are dependent on how often you use Google for directions and searches, but you should see some relevant results here - more appear over time. Tap a card to see relevant results, or swipe horizontally to remove it if you don't want it. 4. Card business
Tap 'Show more cards' and you should see a few more, maybe showing local restaurants and pubs, for example. If there's more than one card in any one category, you can switch between them simply by tapping the top of each one. The more you use Google Now, the more cards you will see. 5. Settings
Each card has a settings icon comprised of three vertical dots. Tapping on this enables you to set the 'Notifications' applicable to each card. 'Standard' means that new notifications appear to the top, accompanied by a ringtone or vibration; 'Low priority' places them to the bottom without any alerts; and 'Off' switches them off altogether. 6. Ideal standards
At the bottom-right you'll find another settings icon. Tap on this to see more sample cards, refresh Now and get new cards, and send feedback to Google. Tap 'Settings' and you're able to set up Voice so you can talk to Now. 'Tablet search' enables you to choose which apps on your tablet Now can search - make sure these are all checked. 7. Sampling the wares
At the top of Google Now, tap 'Show sample cards' and you will see a list of all the categories of cards that are available on the service. Tap 'Sample card' to see an example card for each category. Some of these may be tailored to your personal location or history, such as 'Traffic' or 'Places'. 8. Setting the cards
You'll find a 'Settings' link to the right of each category, with unique settings for each card. 'Traffic' monitors where you go on a regular basis, as well as recent Google searches for places. You can choose which journeys have cards here, and switch to public transport if you don't have a car. 9. Weather
The weather app is particularly handy if you want to see the outlook for the day. In the settings, you can choose to set the card to appear in the morning, in the evening, or always. Now's weather sets itself to your current location, but you can change this to your home or work if you prefer. 10. Places
Places highlights nearby restaurants, pubs and facilities. Tapping 'More details' brings up a place's location and relevant reviews in Google Maps. 'Check in' enables you to publish your location to Google Plus. In the Places settings you can choose to see cards for 'Places nearby if travelling', which is handy if you're on holiday. 11. Public transport and flights
Google's immense catalogue of data includes public transport, and Now automatically brings up timetables and schedules when you're near bus and train stations, and even works out connections while you're travelling. Flights works similarly, flagging up departure times for flights you've Googled in the past. 12. Sports
You can follow your favourite sports teams on Now, too, and you can choose whether a card appears before, during or after a match. Tap 'Edit teams' and then 'Add teams', and you'll be able to search for and add clubs you support. It's immensely handy if you can't make it to the pub to watch a match. 13. Appointments
Any entries and appointments you've got in your Google Calendar automatically show up here. Enter a location in the calendar and Now gives you directions and even uses traffic information to give you enough time to get there. It's hugely handy, and it means you'll never be late for anything again. 14. Travel
'Translation', 'Currency' and 'Time back home' are all useful to globe-trotters, offering automatic options for each. Being able to quickly translate words and phrases is handy, and 'Time back home' is great for planning late-night chats with folk back home. 'Currency' uses the latest exchange rate to ensure you don't spend too much. 15. Search cards
Search is the bread and butter of Google Now, and the more you search, the better and more accurate the results become. You'll find a search bar at the top of Now, and you can enter words or phrases here to find relevant information both on the web and within your Android device's apps. 16. Voice search
Now also includes voice search, which is accessible by tapping the microphone icon to the right of the search bar. It works best when you search for things nearby, so saying "Indian restaurant" or "Leisure centre" brings up results on a map. Other results are presented from Google's conventional search. 17. More voices
Where Now gets really cool is in its ability to recognise and act upon certain phrases and words. Say "Remind me to cook at six o'clock," for example, and Now automatically gives you a reminder. If you're using it on a phone, you can say "Call Andrew," and you'll be put through to the dialling screen. 18. Word search
You can also use spoken queries and Now 'talks' the results back to you. Try asking "Who founded Google?" for instance, and it will respond by telling you that "Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin." You can also search for movie casts, word definitions, authors and capital cities. 19. Number games
Times and conversions can also be used in Now. Asking "What's £100 in dollars?" will result in Now speaking the conversion back to you, while asking for "nine per cent of 365" will give you the correct result. "What time is it in Rome?" will tell you the local time there, and you can also search for sunrises and sunsets. 20. The time is Now
Following this tutorial should have given you a complete overview of how Google Now can be used on a day-to-day basis, and how to set up each category to your liking. You're also privy to a number of tips and tricks that make it more fun and useful. And don't forget that the more you use it, the better the results will be. |
| Buying Guide: 10 best Android movie player apps Posted:  Movie playback is one area where Google hasn't really done much on Android. Its standard video player is still a defiantly dull grey and lifeless experience. The software maker clearly much keener on pushing its online sales and rental channels on Google Play, rather than encouraging users to fill their mobiles with their own movie files. That said, a decent Android model - and even older phones such as Samsung's excellent Galaxy SII - have more than enough power to run today's HD video content. Although manufacturer politics can play a part in unfairly restricting video playback. Some mobiles only officially allow their users to play MP4 files, for example, as if they somehow convey more legitimate forms of media than the other movie formats available. Plus, when it comes to video playback, the dread and often overstated Android fragmentation situation really is a big issue. But it's a hardware problem in the most part. The huge variety in Android chip suppliers out there, from old handsets with single-core ARMv6 chips up to 2012's quad-core monsters, means that some phones won't work very well as media players no matter what app you use. Put simply, if your phone is still an HTC Wildfire, none of the apps here will get HD MKV files running smoothly on your phone. But, if you do have something relatively modern with a fast processor, the following media apps ought to spice up Google's rather boring movie playback options, and at least widen your options when it comes to video viewing. 1. RealPlayer
This dinosaur from yesteryear has seen a resurgence on Android. While it doesn't offer much in terms of flashy features or enhanced video codec support, it's a well designed media manager that supports music and video in one app. If you just want one thing to handle all your stuff, it'll save you some memory space and it's extremely easy to use. 2. MoboPlayer
A comprehensive list of supported codecs makes MoboPlayer a good choice, although being entirely software based means you'll need something with some serious processor power to watch anything approaching HD resolution. Still, for getting subtitled MKVs and more exotic movie file types running on Android models that don't officially support them, it's a decent, simple and free choice. 3. VLC for Android Beta
Desktop video player VLC is a bit of a latecomer to Android, with its official mobile player still featuring a beta tag, limited Android hardware support and a list of caveats as long as the queue outside any given Apple Store once a year. However, it's free, plays most media types through a home network, lets you adjust aspect ratios, and much more. It'll be great, when it's really finished. 4. DicePlayer
Another more serious option for the hardcore video nerd, DicePlayer features hardware accelerated video playback along with network streaming for easy access to your vast media collection. As with all hardware dependent players, results will vary according to device, but if it plays nicely with yours you should get AVI, MOV, MKV, FLV support and more, plus there's a clever pop-out player that can sit atop your homescreen. 5. mVideoPlayer
This one's more of a lifestyle choice for those after a fancier interface, as it doesn't include alternative file or codec support. What you do get, though, is a very customisable player, with playlists, bookmarking, poster and movie background info downloads for the stuff you're watching, plus a fantastic design. 6. VPlayer
The big selling point for VPlayer is its integration of hardware playback acceleration, bringing enhanced file format support - including HD MKVs and AVIs - plus 1080p decoding to some of the more powerful Android phones out there today. It also handles the hard stuff such as the inclusion of subtitle files, for watching those Scandinavian arthouse thrillers. 7. RockPlayer
Another player option that gives you the option of hardware or software decoding, for getting the most out of your phone's power - or coping with the lack of it. If you need a simple tool to play AVIs on an older handset, it does the job, plus it's able to read stuff stored as ripped ISO images, should that be how you store your old media. 8. VitalPlayer
Another well received hardware or software based player, VitalPlayer offers comprehensive codec support inside a shell that'll even run on older and slower ARMv6 devices, making it one of the most usable options for bringing wider compatibility to ancient Android models. Plus there is a load of visual customisation options, if you like making the fonts look wrong. 9. ArcMedia Pro
A small, simple way to add additional codec support and network streaming options to your Android hardware, ArcMedia supports all your usual internet file formats, like AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV and more, along with subtitle abilities and playlists. It's free and only 3.5MB to download, as the developer provides separate versions for tablets and the alternate ARM chipsets. 10. MX Player
Claims to "play everything" on its Google Play artwork, and with over 10,000,000 downloads, it's the most popular option out there. MX Player's big selling point is hardware support that's augmented by multi-core decoding, so if you're running a modern dual-core processor, you ought to see a significant performance boost. The app also has a Kid's Lock plug-in, so you can leave a child in possession of your Android tablet without having to worry about them tweeting on your behalf. |
| Facebook enters cloud with Photo Sync for iOS, Android Posted:  After a September reveal, Facebook officially launched its new Photo Sync feature for iOS and Android devices on Friday. Though Photo Sync was tested by a select number of Android users for the past few months, and iOS for the past week or so, Facebook finally opened up the feature to the rest of its mobile users. When enabled, Photo Sync will upload any and all pictures taken on a mobile device to a private, locked folder called "Synced from Phone" within Facebook. Once there, users can decide which pictures to share with the rest of their friends, and which pictures should remain private. iOS 6 mandatoryFor any iPhone and iPad users, Photo Sync will only work when the device is upgraded to iOS 6. Photo Sync appears to work with any version of Android, as Facebook doesn't specify any requirements to use the feature on that particular OS. Once a user agrees to allow photos to sync from a smartphone, the Facebook app immediately begins uploading the images (up to 2GB) to the website. How often the device uploads images is entirely up to the user, though new photos taken will by synced as they are taken. Users can also choose how to sync the photos (via WiFi, cellular network, or both), and can turn off the feature entirely and delete photos from the private folder at their discretion. For those concerned about data plan overages, Facebook assures smaller versions of the photos (100K) will be uploaded over 3G and 4G networks, while larger versions will be uploaded when connected to a wireless signal. A prompt to "Get Started" will appear at the top of the Facebook feed in the app when the feature has rolled out to your market. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from TechRadar: All latest Applications news feeds To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment