Android Magazine UK Issue 30

Welcome
To issue 30
Welcome
HOW TO
USE THE
QR CODES
Zero-click access to the best

apps in the Google Play store
A QR code is a 2D barcode that can act

as a shortcut for delivering information,
such as weblinks. Youll notice them
throughout the mag scan them on
your phone and you can download apps
and send us messages instantly.
Weve seen announcements for phones and

tablets that will if all goes to plan rank among
year
the very best of the year
MY HOME SCREEN
On (and off) Andys
phone this month
Fitbit
WiFi Mouse
Soccer
Saturday
Super 6
APPS
OUT
Download this free barcode scanner

to use our QR codes. Handily, you can
scan normal barcodes with it too, to
help you find bargains on all your
favourite purchases!
APPS
IN
ShopSavvy Free
fanatix
This month
Ive been using:
Alcatel One
Touch Idol X
Soccer Scores
Fotmob
The Idol X is a
surprisingly good all
round phone
Sporee
scanning
1 Get
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 IN TOUCH
Let us know what youd

like to see in next issue
facebook
email
twitter
/littlegreenrobot
Like us on Facebook to send us

your comments
nother month, another

incredible selection of
Android related hardware for
us to chew over. In the last few
weeks weve seen announcements
for phones and tablets that will if all
goes to plan rank among the very
best of the year. These include
Sonys Xperia Z1, where the company
attempts to improve on the unremarkable Z from the start
of the year, with features including what looks like being
the best camera yet seen on an Android device. And the
Samsung Galaxy Note 3, bigger and more powerful than
ever. More powerful, in fact, than any other mobile device
you can buy. These devices will be going up against the
new iPhone 5S, but Android will not have a new competitor
in the more affordable part of the market as the much
rumoured 5C turned out to be a lot more expensive (and
thus a lot less interesting) than many had been expecting.
A shame, really, as a bit more competition in the sector
that is completely owned by Android would have shaken
things up nicely for the foreseeable future.
Security is another topic that concerns us all, whether
its privacy or malware, or simply the thought of losing your
phone and all the data and information stored on it. In our
main feature this issue weve got the most comprehensive
guide to everything you need to know about how to
protect your Android gear. Its something many are guilty of
not taking seriously enough, but as we show you, it only
needs a few simple steps to make sure your phone is as
safe as can be. Enjoy the mag!
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
the link
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Drop us an email and let us know what

youd like to see in the mag
@lgrobot
Follow us on Twitter and send us

your thoughts
Andy Betts Editor
Hacker
Zne
Explore the limits of
your Android phone
Reviews
Cutting-edge tablets and
smartphones on test
86
Contents
Inside issue 30
54 Hacking tips and tricks
Top tips for the new or experienced

Android hacker
56 10 essential hacks and mods

Practical hacks that every user will
want to try
Samsun
Galaxy S g
The be 4 Mini
s
range pht midone?
84 Reviews
84 Alcatel One Touch

Idol X
86 Samsung Galaxy
S4 Mini
88 Prestigio
MultiPhone 5430
90 GOCLEVER Fone
570Q
92 Archos 50 Platinum
Tutorials
Essential guides to getting more

from your phone or tablet
32 Advanced cloud services
Your complete
guide to
Google Play
68 Retro gaming
Relive the golden days of

gaming through Android
74 App reviews
Get more from Androids powerful

cloud services
The latest apps on test
36 Tutorials
Vine vs Instagram
36
38
40
41
42
44
Master Play Music All Access

Share files with NFC
Set up active notifications
Open apps with gestures
Safely connect to a VPN
Recover memory with the Clean
Master app
45 Create pop-up YouTube windows
46 Edit images with the stock
Gallery app
94 Accessories
Power up your phone or tablet

with this collection of goodies
48 Droid Support
Readers questions answered, plus

troubleshooting tips and tricks
52 Android challenge
Learn magic: Pull a rabbit from your hat

with help only from apps
36 Master Play
Music All Access
26 The hottest devices of 2013
Apps
Get started with Googles

streaming music service
The Galaxy Gear smartwatch, plus the other hot

new kit heading your way soon
Check our website daily

for even more news
80 Media apps
82 Game reviews
The latest Android games

reviewed
App review index

76
79
75
79
83
83
75
83
79
74
83
78
83
75
83
78
79
75
77
82
79
78
83
76
76
82
79
79
83
79
1 Second Everyday
Biophilia
Blipfoto
Digisocial
Dropchord
Expander
GQueues
Gurk III, the 8-bit RPG
Homestyler
Klyph for Facebook
Leisure Suit Larry: Reloaded
Michelin Travel
Minecraft Skin Studio
OS MapFinder
PAC-MAN DASH!
ParkMe
PassWallet
Photo Editor by Aviary
Press
Rymdkapsel
Samsung Wallet
ScreenLocker
Sine Mora
TopTable
Torch Music
Trial By Survival
Tunester
UK Driving Theory Test
Wedding Dash Deluxe
Yarrly
www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk
All the latest from the world of Android devices
THE
big
STORY
Type faster and smarter

How innovation is reinventing the typing experience on
Android phones and tablets
e it for messaging, searching the web or finding

the perfect app, one of the most overlooked
areas of every Android device is the keyboard. Its
one of the areas of our phone that undergoes some of
the biggest changes, with the stock Android keyboard
now offering an authentic and easy-to-use typing
experience. Despite the progress of the stock
keyboard, third-party offerings from the likes of
SwiftKey and Swype have long been the preferred
choice for avid Android users, but advancements in the
technology we are using has led to changes in the way
users now want their keyboard to function, with some
now providing intriguing features for our fingertips.
The new wave of keyboards look to incorporate new

ways for us to save time typing and the space
keyboards take up on our screens. Although not all of
the new keyboards will make your typing experience
any easier, some that are available from the Google
Play store offer ingenious new ways to try and make
typing that little bit quicker and accurate than before.
Weve put six of the new crop of keyboards to have
recently hit the market through our own specially
designed typing test to determine which is the fastest
and most accurate offering, one that Android users
should be looking to download and give the likes of
SwiftKey a run for their money.
Our view
Keyboards might
not seem like the
most exciting
aspect of an
Android phone, but
they are among the
most innovative apps around, and
have a major impact on how you
use your device. Apps like SwiftKey
have racked up tens of millions of
downloads, but the next
generation might be even better.
Oliver Hill, Senior Staff Writer
twitter
Stay up to date
Catch up with the latest
Android news and gossip
@lgrobot
Follow us on Twitter for

the latest updates
Android keyboard innovations
Six keyboards, six different approaches to typing. Which method will help you produce the
quickest and most error-free work?
ith so much variety on the Google Play store, it was tough to

pinpoint the six keyboards we really wanted to put to the test
here. If theyre to compete with many of the popular third-party
keyboards, theyll need to offer an effective typing solution, but also look
to bring in new features that can save you time. The likes of Swype have
long been the preferred choice for avid Android users who are looking to
replace the stock keyboard offering, so we needed to choose keyboards
that we thought would be suitable replacements for them and have the
selection of features and general usability to match. After much
deliberation, we settled on a shortlist of six truly unique keyboards.
Each one includes their own array of features to make it stand out from
the crowd, and to decide which one was the best, we designed our own
typing test. We tested out each keyboard by attempting to type out the
following sentence in the quickest amount of time: I love messaging
people on my Android device, but I could do with a new keyboard as the
stock one just doesnt work for me. We then measured the success of
each keyboard by timing how long it took for us to complete the message
and track how many errors we needed to correct once we were done. So
which one of the shortlist was up to scratch, and which should you be
adopting? Read on to fi nd out!
W10 Keyboard
Minuum Keyboard
Price: 2.48/$3.99
The lack of space that Minuum
takes up is a real godsend for
people who dont like some of the more
clunky keyboard offerings. Every letter and
number is listed in a panel, which makes
for really quick typing and the included
auto-correct dictionary is very accurate.
32
seconds
errors
MessagEase Keyboard
Price: Free
The keyboard fi ts into a tiny part of
your tablets screen and contains
only the most used letters. Users can then
swipe at letters to access the rest of the
alphabet. Its size means its incredibly
easy to use, the keyboard can be moved
around freely and the accuracy is spot on.
41
seconds
errors
dodol Keyboard
Price: Free
After switching to the traditional
keypad mode, typing is surprisingly
accurate. / y long pressing on specifi c
buttons, you have quick access to the
most common punctuation. Its real
problem lies with its speed, as having to
manually select each letter slows it up.
56
seconds
errors
TouchPal Keyboard
Price: Free
Although the sliding input of
TouchPal isnt necessarily unique, it
combines it with a prediction system
which looks to keep mistakes to a
minimum. As you type, the keyboard looks
to auto-fi ll words for you, which can lead to
the wrong word being added.
58
seconds
errors
Price: Free
W10 takes a while to get used to,
but is by far one of the most
ingenious keyboards
available. Instead of
offering the entire
alphabet, you instead
have ten of the most
commonly used
letters, and you
combine their shapes
together to create the
other 16 letters. For
example, swiping a
c and i together
creates a d!
63
seconds
14
errors
iKnowU Keyboard
Price: 0.63/$0.99
iKnowUs design makes it look like a
standard keyboard, but the typing
experience is entirely based around
gesture. / y performing certain directional
flicks with your fi ngers, different letters
and phrases will begin to appear, but it
does take some getting used to.
35
seconds
errors
Explore the next generation

of apps at Apps World 2013
In its fourth year, Apps World is now the leading global event in the app development
industry for developers and enthusiasts alike
Apps World takes place over

two days on October 22-23
ew developments in technology are slowly

changing how we interact with the apps
stored on our devices, and with the likes of
Google Glass emerging, the future of apps is
indeed going in a completely different direction. To
celebrate the continued changes in the industry,
Apps World looks to bring together 250 speakers
and 8,000 attendees from all over world on the
22nd and 23rd of October. For avid developers,
Apps World includes keynotes from some of the
most entrepreneurial people in the smartphone
industry; this year alone will see Apple co-founder,
Steve Wozniak, and the executive director of the
App Quality Alliance, Martin Wrigley, take stage.
Alongside a range of speakers, there are also
dedicated places for specialised app development.
For Android fans this comes in the shape of Droid
World, a conference to discuss the best Android
development practices. It studies the latest APIs
you need be aware of in the latest OS update, and
reveals the secrets of what truly makes a
successful Android app.
Whether youre a dedicated fan of the Android
platform, or a wannabe developer, Apps World is an
event worth checking out.
Four people you cant afford to miss

Planning to go to Apps World? Then make sure you
check out these four influential speakers
Jeff Seibert
Director of Engineering, Twitter
Jeff has a long history in developing

for internet software and is one of the key
players in the development of both the desktop
and mobile versions of Twitter. Before becoming
part of the team at Twitter, Jeff previously worked
for the likes of Apple, Increo and Crashlytics.
Steve Wozniak
Co-founder, Apple
Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak,

helped changed the computing industry with the
launch of Apple in 1976 alongside Steve Jobs.
Since then he has been an integral part in the
rise in popularity of the iPhone since its initial
release and the development of Apples iOS.
Trip Hawkins
Founder, EA
As one of the pioneers of the PC

industry, Trip Hawkins has been at the forefront
of making EA a force in the mobile industry. He
also founded development company Digital
Chocolate, which boasts 200 million mobile app
downloads and billions of game sessions.
Sarah Weller
Managing director, Mubaloo
Mubaloo has gradually become recognised as

one of the leading app consultation and
development companies in the world. The
companys rapid expansion has been overseen
by Sarah Weller, who now boasts clients from
Virgin Media, Hewlett Packard and Samsung.
Get in touch!
Send us your thoughts

on all things Android
email
twitter
facebook
Got questions or comments? Drop

us an email and let us know
@lgrobot
/littlegreenrobot

all the latest gossip
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the latest updates
Millionsellers
WhitePages/
Caller ID
Keep an
account
of spam
numbers
Inside Androids most popular apps
Find out
who has
called you
recently
Downloads: 1mil-5mil Developer: WhitePages Launched: 2011

Price: Free Play store rating:
hitePages is a great source for finding specific people or businesses

in your local area or while youre travelling. It links with Google Maps
to provide a top location-based service letting you know the things
that really matter to you in the area. Thanks to its success, the app has grown
tenfold and there are now a series of add-ons and additional apps that link in
with it. One of these is Current Caller ID, a unique app that can help mask your
phone number when you dial and also help you uncover those pesky hidden
numbers that call you. They may not be the flashiest of apps, but both
WhitePages and Current Caller ID are well worth checking out.
Q&A with Lori Roth,

Director of Mobile
Products at WhitePages
How do WhitePages and Current
Caller ID identify unknown numbers?
Was it hard to implement?
WhitePages is a leader in providing
contact information for over 250
million people and businesses all over
the world. Caller ID is a natural
extension of WhitePages core
business to help users identify
unknown numbers. We like developing
on the open Android platform which
allows us to be innovative, but the
biggest challenge was making the UI
work across a variety of devices.
Is there a limit to how many callers
you can block within the app?
There is no limit to the number of
callers or texters you can block.
Does Current Caller ID link to any
social media pages?
Yes, Current has the ability (with your
A brief history of
Android
innovations
10
consent) to connect to your Facebook,

LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
Currently our app will display social
media updates, place of work and
title, as well as local news and
weather information, alongside a
callers name and number when
receiving or making a call or text.
Current Caller ID also offers
information and communication
history with contacts. For example,
how often do you really talk to your
mum or your spouse.
Both apps have done astoundingly
well, are you surprised with the level
of popularity?
Customers have a need to be able to
manage their communication on their
mobile phones. We believe that
Current Caller ID is a truly innovative
app that provides people the ability to
enhance and control their
With so many Android devices on
sale at any given time, it is no
surprise that manufacturers
have taken to adopting new
hardware features to try and
differentiate their products
from the rest. Some are
gimmicks quickly
dismissed, others are
ahead of their time. Heres
some of our favourites.
Search for
businesses
in your area
Reverse phone
numbers to
see who
contacted you
communication with a clean, simple

user interface, and that is what is
driving the high amount of downloads.
We do hear feedback from our users
on how they have told family and
friends about the app. Current Caller
ID has more than four million
downloads and over five billion calls
and texts made by users.
What sort of features have you
recently launched in your apps?
We continuously receive feedback
from our users on new features, and
are always looking to improve upon
our products and services. In our last
release, we included Outgoing caller
ID in Current Caller ID, which
automatically identifies a dialed
number and displays the contacts
latest social status or their local news
and weather while placing an outgoing
call, to further inform the
Fingerprint
scanner
About to be popularised
by Apple, but Motorola
got there first with the
Atrix. The rear mounted
scanner required a finger
swipe and was clunky
enough to not catch on.
conversation. We found that over half

(56 percent) of calls on the app are
outgoing, according to user data.
We also added Customized alerts
where users now have the option to
choose the size and content of the
caller ID, including the contacts
name, location and photo, as well as
their most recent social media status
on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn,
plus their weather, local time and
details on their last communication.
What is your personal favourite
feature from either of the apps?
Aside from identifying unknown calls
and texts, I love being able to use
Current Caller ID to connect my
Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
accounts. Current helps me weed
through all the social noise, so I can
see at a glance what is happening
with people Im about to call or text.
3D
Both LG and HTC flirted
with 3D in phones and
tablets a couple of
years ago. It didnt
take off,
unsurprisingly, and is
unlikely to be back any
time soon.
Xbox Music vs the rest

As Microsofts new music service comes to Android, we
test how it stacks up against All Access and Spotify
Imagine Publishing Ltd

Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill
Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EZ
+44 (0) 1202 586200
Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
www.greatdigitalmags.com
Magazine team
Editor Andy Betts
andy.betts@imagine-publishing.co.uk
01202 586254
Senior Staff Writer Oliver Hill

oliver.hill@imagine-publishing.co.uk
01202 586285
fter a successful first year,

Microsoft has finally
pushed out its Xbox Music
subscription service to Android
and iOS devices. The new app will
enable users to listen, manage and
access a vast library of tracks,
while also syncing created playlists
across different devices and the
desktop version of the service.
Users will also be able to sync their
collection to the Xbox 360 and
upcoming Xbox One games
console to provide an even better
music listening experience.
For a successful transition
across to the Android platform,
Xbox Music will have to contend
with strong competition from both
the already-established Play Music
All Access and Spotify services,
both of which have enjoyed
tremendous success since their
launch on Android smartphones
and tablets. With three viable
options for music lovers out there,
which one comes out on top?
Sub Editor Philip Morris

Art Editor Katie Peat
Photographer James Sheppard
Senior Art Editor Will Shum
Editor in Chief Nick Jones
Head of Publishing Aaron Asadi
Head of Design Ross Andrews
Contributors
Christian Cawley, Sean Cooper, David Crookes, Steve Jenkins,
Shaun McGill, Paul OBrien, Paul Rigby, Harry Slater, Sandra Vogel
Advertising
Digital or printed media packs are available on request.

Advertising Director Matthew Balch
01202 586437
matthew.balch@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Head of Sales Hang Deretz
01202 586442
hang.deretz@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Advertising Manager Jennifer Farrell
01202 586430
jennifer.farrell@imagine-publishing.co.uk
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01202 586419
nick.marrow@imagine-publishing.co.uk
International
Android Magazine is available for licensing.

Contact the International department to discuss
partnership opportunities.
Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman
+44 (0) 1202 586401
licensing@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Subscriptions
Head of Subscriptions Gill Lambert
For all subscriptions enquiries
0844 245 6963 (UK)
+44 (0) 1795 414 972 (Overseas)
Email: android@servicehelpline.co.uk
13 issue subscription (UK) 51.90 (CC)
13 issue subscription (Europe) 65
13 issue subscription (ROW) 75
Xbox Music boasts over 10 million more

tracks than its rivals
Xbox Music vs
All Access vs Spotify
Circulation
Head of Circulation Darren Pearce

01202 586200
Production
Production Director Jane Hawkins

01202 586200
Founders
Which streaming service offers the best song selection and value?
Group Managing Director Damian Butt

Group Finance & Commercial Director Steven Boyd
Group Creative Director Mark Kendrick
Printing & Distribution
Categories
Xbox Music
All Access
Spotify
Tracks available
30 million
18 million
20 million
Sound quality
192kbps
320kbps
255kbps
Offline playback?
No, this is online

streaming only
Yes, any song can be

saved to your device
Yes, option to create

offline playlists included
8.99/$9.99
9.99/$9.99
9.99/$9.99
Cost
And the winner is...

All Access
All Access has only been around for a short amount of time, but it comes
out on top in terms of sound quality and additional features
4K
recording
Projector
With the Galaxy Beam, Samsung produced a

phone that was as odd as it was surprising. A
full built-in projector enabled you to deliver
ad-hoc PowerPoint presentations anywhere.
Games console
Sonys Xperia Play was a good idea
liked by the small number that bought
it. But the low-end specs meant it
wasnt good enough at its main job.
4K TVs are barely

affordable yet, but 4K
recording is now
possible on devices like
the Galaxy Note 3 or
Acer S2. Keep plenty of
SD cards on hand!
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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material

lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of
Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced
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All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose
of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured
to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and
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If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post, email, social
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Imagine Publishing Ltd 2013
ISSN 2047-1580m
11
Visit us daily for news and more
1Live wallpapers
One of the simplest
ways to change the
look of your device is by
adding your own live
wallpaper. The stock
variety of live
wallpapers certainly
look the part, but there
are also hundreds of
live wallpapers that
can be downloaded
from Google Play.
2 Exclusive features
The likes of the Samsung
Galaxy S4 and Moto X include
plenty of features that can make
your device really stand out. For
the most part, youll be able to
find close substitutes to these
features through downloadable
apps. Weve featured two of the
Moto Xs exclusive features in
our Tutorial section this month
and shown you how to get them
on any Android device.
3Moto Maker
Motorolas Moto
Maker app enables
users to customise the
look, colour and overall
design of their Moto X
device. The level of
detail is amazing and
the app gives you full
creative control. You can
even set a replacement
stock wallpaper before
turning the device on!
10Hacking is key
a new
4Set
launcher
Although for the most

part youll find many of the
simpler customisations can be
made without root access,
hacking your phone is essential
for changing certain aspects of
your phone. Having a phone
with root
access will
provide you
with much
more detailed
and varied
options.
9 Beautiful
notifications
The Custom Notification app is

a must for anyone looking to
radically change how the
drop-down notification menu
works. You can
edit the apps and
shortcuts
displayed, as
well as choose a
new design and
colour schemes
to really make it
look different.
8Custom ringtones
Another simple
customisation you can
implement on any
Android smartphone
is by applying a
custom ringtone. The
stock ringtones arent
too exciting, but any
song thats stored on
your device can
instantly be set as
your ringtone.
12
One of the biggest

customisations you can add
to your phone is by installing
an alternate launcher.
Although the changes tend
to be purely cosmetic, many
of the bigger names include
new features
to explore.
The likes of
GO Launcher
also come
with a range
of additional
themes to
download.
things you need to

know about...
5Create a widget
Device
personalisation
7Android Daydream
Secretly hidden within
the Display section of your
phones settings, Daydream
is a screen saver that
appears when your phone
is either idle or docked.
Although that doesnt
sound too exciting, it can
be used in conjunction
with a wide variety of
third-party apps to provide
different functionality.
By having both a firm

grasp of Java and the
Android SDK,
you can
create a fairly
basic widget
that you can
apply to your
phone using
the Eclipse
program.
6Change fonts
If you own either a

Samsung Galaxy S3, S4,
Note or Note II, then
make sure you
download the iFont app.
This app contains
hundreds of alternative
fonts to replace the
default fonts on your
phone. Youll need root
access if you dont have
one of those devices.
twitter
Stay up to date
@lgrobot

the latest updates
GALLERY OF...
MUST-HAVE MUSIC APPS
4
1 Play Music
With an extensive
library of tracks to
purchase from its virtual
store and the launch of
its brilliant All Access
subscription service,
Googles Play Music app
is well worth checking
out to download and is
currently the biggest
challenger to Spotifys
subscription crown.
Price: Free
14
5
2 Deezer
What Deezer may
lack in song
selection it makes up
for with great features.
It offers unique ways to
discover new music and
an array of ways to
share your favourite
tracks with friends,
without being overly
complicated to use.
Price: Free
(subscription needed)
3 doubleTwist
Music Player
If youve got a
large number of
songs stored on your
phone or tablet, then
doubleTwist is a great
way of storing them in a
simple, but well
designed, layout which
doesnt cut back on
features that make it a
pleasure to use.
Price: Free
4 MixZing
MixZing aims to
bring together the
best features of other
music apps into one
package. There are a lot
of options to tinker
with your music and also
any videos that are
stored on your device,
making it a great
all-round package for
users to download.
Price: Free
5 Radio
In terms of
internet radio
apps, youll be hard
pressed to find anything
better than what Rdio
offers. There are
thousands of radio
stations on offer and
you can even create a
playlist of your
favourites to listen to
whenever you like.
Price: Free
6 Spotify
Spotify has long
been at the top of
all the music streaming
services available to
Android users. Theres a
massive array of tracks
and artists available,
alongside a great playlist
creation feature that
keeps it ahead of the
rest of the pack.
Price: Free
(subscription needed)
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Messages
Inside Android Magazines virtual mailbag
Letter of the
month
The writer of our Letter of the

Month wins an Andru USB charger
courtesy of www.salom.co.uk
Converted to Nexus
ve been a Samsung Galaxy fan for some time

now. Having owned an S II and then a Note II, I
assumed that I would be sticking with the brand
for the foreseeable future. When I read the review
of these devices and the more recent S4 I
didnt agree with the main criticisms. I have no
problem with their design, and the plastic casing
is irrelevant to me since I put the phone in a case
as soon as I buy it. I also like TouchWiz.
Sometimes I felt as though I was the only person
in the world who did, or at least the only person
willing to admit it in public. But I think it looks
nice and the apps are good. Any bits that I dont
need I just ignore.
But then I bought a new Nexus 7 tablet. This
is my first experience of what people refer to as
Vanilla Android, and its quite an eye opener. At
first I found it a bit sparse. The understated
interface and relative lack of apps made it seem
as though I was getting far less for my money than
I did with Samsung. Yet very quickly the speed
and stability, the lack of clutter and the fact that
all my apps first or third-party looked and
worked in the same way began to grow on me. It
was unexpectedly refreshing to have a tablet that
No
sympathy
for the
High Street
On 25th August I went down to my

local Currys store to either buy or
reserve a newNexus 7 secondgeneration 32GBwireless,which was
tobelaunched on the 28th August.
Having read all the reviews on the web
and noted the price of 199 for the
16GB and 239 for the 32GB I was
amazed to see them priced up in the
store at 299 and 339!
The salesman explained these
priceswerecorrect even though their
web store price was a 100 less. I
16
would only do what I wanted. Now I look at my

Note II and all I can see are those showy graphics
and cluttered screens with more options than I
know what to do with.
The result is Im now a full-on Nexus convert,
and expect to be swapping my Note for a new
found it interesting that other tablets

were selling instore at the same price
as their website, for example,
Samsungs latest Tab 3 and Note 8
series were matched. While I
appreciate that staff wages are a
factor in High Street stores, these
prices are a complete rip-off.
I insteadplaced an order with
Ebuyer at 239 and next day delivery!
How can they justify such high retail
prices in todays world?
John Wellock
We say: You do have to shop around
before buying your much-vaunted
gadgets these days, as prices can
vary massively from one store to
another. Let us know of any great
bargains youve picked up or any
rip-offs youve spotted.
Nexus phone in the autumn, and will be avoiding

any skinned Android devices in future. Ian Case
We say: So which do you prefer? The clean design
of Vanilla Android or a custom skin? Are you a fan
of TouchWiz or Sense? Let us know!
Let us know of any great bargains

youve picked up
Im back
on Android!
Android tablet gets plenty of automatic

updates when I do something on my
mobile device.
My only worry is at what point will I
find that I will not get any further
After spending a lot of time using
Android updates. While Jelly Bean 4.1.2
Android phones and tabs, I did
something bad I tried Windows 8 and from Sony is likely to be followed by an
Apple. It was time for a phone contract update, how long before I find myself
like the poor guys with an HTC One S. It
renewal and a new phone. I went for a
HTC Windows phone running version 8. is a real shame that there is no sort of
guarantee that you will get updates for
It was difficult to get on with so I tried
a set period of time.
an iPhone 4S.Another bad move, it
just was not me.Now I am back. I have Kevin Belsey
a Sony Xperia SP. It is great to be back
with Jelly Bean, so easy to do
We say: Weve long felt that devices
everything and thanks to Google my
should get a guaranteed number of
Get in touch!
Send us your thoughts

on all things Android
email
Got questions or comments? Drop
us an email and let us know
updates, although the reality is many

users outside of the enthusiasts
neither know nor care what version of
Android theyre on, so there isnt a
great enough clamour for updates
when they are not forthcoming.
We say: Excellent tip, Paul. Well be

looking at some of the other hacks
you can do on an OUYA console in
future issues.
Rooting
OUYA
I locked myself out of my phone using

a security app. The Dev was unhelpful
but what got me out of hot water was a
fully backed up phone and Android
Device Manager. I sent a wipe code
and ten minutes later was back up and
Just read your article in issue 29

regarding rooting an OUYA.
You mention that each OTA removes
Superuser/root. There is a solution to
this available from an XDA dev which
uses the Xposed framework.
It does also require the
ClockworkMod recovery to be
installed. It works by adding the files/
apk for root to the system update zip,
which invalidates the sig and is why
CWM is needed as this enables you to
force the upgrade. The mod also has
several other features and they can be
found in detail over at http://bit.
ly/1dUW4Jr.
Paul
Security tip
OUYA has quickly

become a hackers favourite
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
send your comments
running. Backup and all. Just make

sure everyone ticks the remote access
settings in the menu. It could get you
out of hot water one day.
Stephen Lowe
We say: Android Device Manager is
certainly a tool every Android owner
should be using. Check out our big
security feature starting on page 20
for more top tips on how you can keep
your phone and data safe.
No love
for Wii?!
In issue 28 you had a timeline of the

last 20 years of mobile and console
gaming. I had to smile at the 2005
sector where you stated that the PS3
and Xbox 360 fought for dominance
no mention of the Nintendo Wii which
launched that year and went on to
annihilate both of them!
Please do your research better in
future I expect better of you.
Anthony B
ADM is a tool
every Android
owner should
be using
We say: We are aware of this so-called
Wii that you refer to, but the hardcore
gamers on the team decided it
doesnt count so chose to ignore it.
TRENDING
Let us know your thoughts on
these hot topics
What is your all-time

favourite app?
Are OS updates important
to you?
What is the main use for
your phone?
Get in touch!
PixelArtFactory
Feature
Secure your phone
Cloud and wireless security
Cloud security may have its detractors, but that doesnt mean you should shun it
here are many cloud storage services available.

Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsofts SkyDrive,
Amazon Cloud and Apples iCloud are only a small
number. They enable you to save documents, photos,
videos and many other files on remote servers, giving
you access to them on multiple devices and letting you
keep backups of your most-important data.
They are not entirely watertight, however. In the
same way that you put your life in the hands of a pilot
when boarding a plane, you are trusting your data with
something you have never seen, and problems do
arise. Security experts Kaspersky blogged, No
cloud-based storage system is completely secure and
we have seen accounts being compromised.
In 2012, Dropbox found a stolen password was used
to access an employee account that contained a
project document containing user email addresses, for
example. And Google Drive may now have 128-bit
Advanced Encryption Standard on all data uploaded,
but some have pointed to the log-in system it only
needs your Google account details. So if someone gets
hold of your credentials, they can access your files too.
Creating secure
passwords
It would therefore be silly to have blind faith in cloud

services. Flaws in security procedures do happen. Yet
you should not shun them. You just need to use
intelligence and ensure that the information you upload
isnt of such sensitivity that you would be over upset if
it was somehow compromised. Frequent difficult-tocrack password changes are another answer.
The same concerns relate to wireless features too.
Near field communication (NFC) is becoming more
popular. It operates at a range of a few centimetres
and it will enable contactless payments and closerange data exchange between devices. You will be able
to sign in to secure networks to identify yourself. With
sensitive data flowing, surely this would be as
dangerous as cloud computing?
Only it is not: a hacker would have to be extremely
close to you to be able to get hold of the data, given the
short range. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are far more
precarious, which is why you should never divulge
important information over unsecured networks (such
as those in coffee shops) and keep your Bluetooth
functionality off when you dont need it.
Dropbox is a great way to store documents, just be

sensible with what you upload
Google Drive provides an impressive 128-bit

Advanced Encryption Standard on all uploaded data
Two-step verification
The perfect solution when a password just isnt enough
LastPass
Claiming to protect against
malware and phishing
scams, LastPass costs $12
a year and lets you log in to websites
with a single tap on your device.
A good way to protect your data is

through a password that is difficult to
crack, but why stop there? With
two-step verification, you get an extra
layer of security, so not only do you have a
password but a security code that will either be
Set up 2-step verification with Twitter
RoboForm
Storing passwords, credit
cards and other
information on your device
rather than the cloud, it makes filling
in forms far easier and more secure.
generated by a mobile authenticator app on your

Android device or by text to your phone. While you
can tell the service not to ask for the code again
on the device you have set it up on, it will be
asked for on other devices if someone tries to log
in via a password alone.
Go to Settings
Two-step verification is available for a host of

apps from Google to Dropbox and now Twitter. Tap
the Me icon and then the Settings gear icon. Now
tap Settings, then your name.
Log in verification
Tap on the Security option. You need a

confirmed email with your Twitter account. Verify,
then tap Login verification. Confirm, then store the
code safely. It is needed to access the account.
19
Feature
Secure your phone
Malware
It may well be on the rise, but how can you avoid these bugs?
ccording to security company McAfee, the

amount of malicious software developed to
target Android devices grew by 35 per cent
between April and June this year. It added more than
17,000 Android samples to its database and it says
that it has collected almost as many mobile samples in
the first six months of this year than in the whole of
2012 put together. Whats worse, BT reckons a third of
Android apps contain malware.
It makes for frightening reading and it appears to be
ammunition for those iPhone owners who say their
devices are malware-free. After all, when you consider
that SMS-intercepting banking malware is getting
Millions of users are

not being plagued by
viruses, so while the
danger is growing, it
is still affecting only a
small percentage
Android bugs
and scams
Ransomware
These rogue apps lock Android

devices and the only way to unlock
them is to get your wallet out.
Pop-up dialog boxes and
notifications will keep appearing if
you do not pay.
Phishing
Since many people use their

Android devices to manage their
finances, phishing attempts try and
extract personal details and log-ins
to gain access. Sometimes users
are tricked into installing malware.
Fake apps
Fake BBM Android apps keep

cropping up on Google Play but they
are just the tip of the iceberg. Fake
Angry Birds and Cut The Rope apps
used premium rate text messages
to defraud customers of 27,850.
20
around two-step authentication beware of Android/

FakeDropper.A and Android/FakeBank.A and that
adult entertainment software is hiding malware and
leading to spamming, then you can see the developers
of such software are going after all markets.
Spyware and targeted Trojans are being hidden in
what appear to be legitimate apps and much of this is
because Android is such an open operating system. A
major plus of Android is therefore also something of a
downside. By making it easier to create an app for the
Android operating system by removing any type of
verification system, it is opening up opportunities for a
new breed of cyber criminals to deliver devastating
results, among them ransomware.
But when you consider that the market share of
Android in the UK alone is 56.2 per cent, you have to
expect an element of targeting. At the same time,
millions of users are not being plagued by viruses, so
while the danger is growing, it is still affecting only a
small percentage of users. Bear in mind, too, that
antivirus companies can sometimes overstate a case
since they are selling a product that acts as the
solution. Wireless industry analyst Roger Entner, of
Recon Analytics, says they are frequently offering a
vaccine to a virus that they are making themselves and
saying this could be out there.
Screen grab
needed
change phone
Tips for avoiding malware

Six simple ways to keep your phone or tablet protected
Install antivirus
software. As long as
you select an app from
Google Play from a
company you
recognise, you will get
peace of mind with a
package that scans
your device for issues.
Check app reviews. Be

sceptical and read
reviews. Over-positive
reviews should set off
alarm bells. Reviews
that make mention of
viruses are a godsend;
avoid these apps like
the plague.
Keep updating. If you can push your device to

the latest version of Android, then do so. For
example, Jelly Bean will alert you if an SMS is
being sent to a premium testing service.
Stick to Google Play. Malware developers do

target Google Play, but they target third-party
marketplaces more. Rogue apps are better
spotted and flagged up in Google Play.
How popular is the

app? Has it been
downloaded
thousands of times
but with no reviews?
Scammers will
artificially inflate the
number of downloads
to get it ranked higher.
Check permissions.
What is the app
actually looking to do
and how far-reaching
are the permissions?
Question exactly why
the app you are
downloading may
need certain access.
Feature
Secure your phone
Antivirus head-to-head
We put three of the market-leading antivirus apps to the test
Scan your device to ensure it is clean of any malware and viruses with an antivirus package. We look at three of the most
popular and put them through their paces by comparing them over five different categories. Which will come out on top?
Norton Security
antivirus
Lookout Security
& Antivirus
specification
Price Free
specification
Price Free
specification
Price Free
Designed for: Phone and tablet

Requires Android: 2.1


Requires Android: Varies with device
ANTI-VIRUS
This Avast app

wanted us to
upgrade to
Premium straight
away. We decided to stay
free and it got on with the
task, scanning 59 objects in
1.42 minutes.
It took a few
taps before
we got to
the scan. It
was incredibly quick
(148 files in just 23
seconds). SD cards can
be scanned too.
You can have two

devices
connected for
free. Scanning
148 installed apps took
more than four minutes to
throw up the same results
as the two other apps.
BACK UP
If a virus breaks
and ruins your
device, we want
to call on a
backup. Selecting Backup
took us to Google Play and
prompted us to install avast!
Mobile Backup for free.
Backup is a
paid-for
feature. It
also brings
web protection and
registration for multiple
devices, but that did not
help us here.
Again, Backup is
for premium
users, giving
photo and call
history backup, as well as
restoring or transferring data
to a new device. It will back
up Google contacts for free.
ANTI-THEFT
Avast lets you

track down your
device, placing it
on a map and
giving you the ability to lock
it, activate a siren or wipe it
clean. You can also be told if
the SIM has been changed.
Having forced
us to sign in
or create an
account, it
takes us to the screen
that asks us to upgrade
to the full version to get
this feature.
Like Avast, this is

free. You can
make a lost
device scream,
locate it in a browser, save
its location before the
battery runs out, wipe it, lock
it and take a photo.
PROTECT APPS
By locking apps,
you can better
protect them
from prying eyes.
Avast enables you to lock
any of the apps on your
device simply by tapping it
and entering a pin.
Unfortunately
the free
version is
rather cut
down and so there is no
ability to password lock
apps. It does not appear
in the upgrade either.
Lookout does not

have password
protection of
apps as a feature
either. Its a shame because
it adds another layer of
security and helps to tailor
access on your device.
PRIVACY
Mobile Security
& Antivirus
When you tap on

Application
Management,
you are able to
see information about each
app including the
permissions they are
granted to access.
Unfortunately,
there is no
privacy
advisor. It is
not available as a
premium feature but it
will block unwanted calls
and text messages.
To see the apps

which access
private
information
including location, contacts,
SMS and MMS data, you will
need to upgrade to the full
package, but it does exist.
And the
winner is...
MOBILE SECURITY
& ANTIVIRUS
Given these companies have free apps, we wanted to test them without
having to pay, and it was close between Avasts offering and Lookout.
For us, the speed and clarity of Mobile Security & Antivirus edged it and
we loved its password protection and SIM-change notification features.
21
Feature
Secure your phone
Making sense of privacy issues
Helping you understand what app permissions really do
hen you download and install apps, you

get a list of permissions requesting
access to certain features on your
smartphone. There are dozens of them and they
appear for both legitimate and illegitimate apps.
However, some people believe that you are
essentially allowing the developer to spy on you.
With legitimate apps, this is not the case. The

permissions are vital for the smooth running of an
app. For example, if an app has a share function, it
may want to access your contacts to make this
feature work well. But you need to be wary of the
permissions you are granting and work out whether
an app is asking for access that appears suspect.
A third of apps ask for features they shouldnt.

But dont be too scathing of all apps that want
access to features you would rather they didnt.
Some inexperienced developers merely tick a load
of boxes they dont understand. It may ask for a
particular permission but there are cases where
the app doesnt follow through with access.
When permissions go bad
Get to know the acceptable and dubious uses of common app permissions
Good
Permission
Bad
As well as being able to auto-fill contact details in an app,

allowing the reading of contacts can also be useful for
apps that need quick-dial or that have share functions.
Read contacts
Any app that has access to your list of contacts will

be able to harvest email addresses, which it could
then use to spam each person in your list.
Both Google Now and Google Maps will want to be able to

make phone calls using their voice activation functions.
Similar apps will want to do the same thing.
Make phone calls
Some rogue apps have been known to call premium

rate services. They can hide the whole call process
from you so you would not know.
Apps may want to use the extra space on your SD card to

save media. Many camera apps, word processors and
video apps will want to do this for convenience.
Modify/delete
SD card contents
If an app can modify or delete from your SD card,

then they could install viruses. All apps that work on
Android 1.5 and below have this activated by default.
Since most of us are on social networks these days, a

cottage industry of apps has grown around them. Some of
them need access to your social stream in order to work.
Read social stream
But be aware of what these apps can pick up. What if

they find out personal details that can answer
questions when accessing other accounts?
Google apps will ask to do this and thats good because it

will be ensuring that the settings are suitably watertight for
the processes the app will want to carry out.
Write secure settings
The fact that only first-party apps can do this should

set alarm bells ringing if you see this. You may well
see it appear if you have a rooted phone.
Your location
An app may want to bombard you with locationbased ads or gather data on your movements. It can
give developers info you may not want them to have.
A maps app may well want to know where you are.

Similarly, any app that recommends places of interest in
your area will want to know your location.
Block callers and SMS spammers
Constantly plagued by unwanted callers? Heres how to stop them

We all get them. Blocked calls. A call from someone
who we dont know and wont let you know. With
Android, it is possible to block unwanted callers from
reaching you and it is also possible to prevent
numbers you do know from calling too.
There are many apps on the Play store that will let
you do this. They will also enable you to block SMS
spammers too. But while you may want the flexibility
of an app, you can also perform the task via the
22
phone itself by going to Phone>Menu>Call

settings>Call rejection and then selecting the Auto
reject list. Tick the box next to the numbers you want
to block or add some of your own.
You can also prevent nuisance emails from
reaching you. Within Gmail, for example, there is an
option for you to select Report Spam on any email
that has come through that you deemed a nuisance.
It will then be blocked from arriving in the future.
You can put a stop to nuisance calls with ease
Feature
Secure your phone
Are apps leaking your data?

Download Clueful to find out once and for all what your apps are up to in the background
ot all apps work for the common good.

Some developers are choosing to grab data
that you may be blissfully unaware of. Angry
Birds, for example, wants to know your location
Privacy score
Download Clueful from Google Play. Its free

and needs Android 2.1 or above. When launched, it
will give you your privacy score out of 100. It will
also list high, moderate and low-risk apps.
even though it works perfectly well if you deny it

that ability. Apps want to access all kinds of things.
Some can leak your unique device identifier, others
want to monitor phone calls or track your location
Go to Settings
Tap on each of the categories to see just why

each app is deemed a risk. Any points in red
indicate high risk, orange equals moderate and
green gives you no issues to worry about.
How private is the internet? Recent news says its not
But there are

certainly great
alternatives that will
not be spying on you
Dislike or uninstall
If you dont like what you are seeing with one

of your apps, then you can choose to dislike it or
uninstall it. This way, you can quickly clean up your
Android device in no time at all.
Secure apps
Online security
oogle hit the headlines when it told the

world that it should not expect privacy
when sending emails to a Gmail address.
With 425 million users, billions of emails are sent to
such addresses every year, so for the search engine
giant to make such an admission prompting John
Simpson, Consumer Watchdogs privacy project
director to say, Google has finally admitted it
doesnt respect privacy draws a question over
our levels of online security.
It has come at a time when news emerged that
many tech companies were taking part in the
National Security Agencys clandestine PRISM
surveillance program in the US. Google, Yahoo,
Facebook and Microsoft were allegedly said to have
been paid millions of dollars for taking part.
in the background. To get a grip on what is being

leaked, were going to use the app Clueful. It gives
you clear pointers regarding the security risk of
various apps installed on your device.
Such happenings affect the UK as well, with The

Guardian saying GCHQ has a vast program of
tapping fibre-optic cables in the UK and is therefore
collecting lots of data. Bigger forces are at work.
Perhaps the answer is to switch away from the
larger companies products to open source
alternatives. You have to be careful which ones
since some could be by rogue developers and youll
be jumping from one flame to another, but there are
certainly great alternatives (see two options to the
right) that will not be spying on you and sending
data back to the government. Then again, if all you
do is fairly innocuous, you shouldnt be afraid.
Browse the web and

check your email privately
InBrowser - Incognito
Browsing
Browse the internet with
complete anonymity. InBrowser
does not save any of your data.
my Secure Mail
The subject of online security is very newsworthy at present
This app has TLS and SSL

support and the ability to pull in
a host of different email accounts.
23
Feature
Secure your phone
Remotely
secure your
smartphone
Use a combination of your phones security

settings alongside Android Device Manager
to locate and remotely wipe your phone if lost
here are a plethora of security features you

can use to successfully secure your phone,
many of which can be found in the Security
page on any Android phone. Unless youve been
keeping a really close eye on your device, you may
have missed the new Android Device Manager
feature that has been side-loaded by Google onto
any Android device running Android 2.2 or higher.
This feature can potentially locate and remotely
wipe your phone when lost or stolen, without the
need for a third-party app. By enabling the new
feature, and then going to the official Android
Device Manager webpage on any browser, you can
track down and control your smartphone, including
doing a remote factory rest of it. Although remotely
wiping your phone may seem a bit extreme, it can
save a random person gaining access to sensitive
data on your device. Android Device Manager is
fairly well hidden on your device, but with this
tutorial, youll be up to speed in no time.
Activate Device Manager
Similar to how an app is installed on your

phone, youll be able to read through what the
Android Device Manager actually involves and the
effects it will have on your phone. After youve read
through the guide, press on the Activate option
located at the bottom.
24
Open Settings
Youll find the Android Device Manager

hidden deep within the various settings and
toggles on your Android smartphone. Open up the
Settings menu and scroll half way down the main
page until you find the Security tab. Open it once
youve located it.
Sign in and locate
Go to android.com/devicemanager on any
web browser and log in to the Google account
linked with your smartphone. Google Maps will
load, as well as a box displaying your devices
general details. It should look to connect to your
phone immediately.
Search through Security
Although the layout of the Security section is

different depending on which Android OS update
your phone is running, youll first need to locate
the Device administrators option. Once selected,
you should see the Android Device Manager
feature listed within.
Locate and ring
Although it may take a few minutes to

complete, the browser will soon locate your
smartphone and pinpoint in on its location. If its a
simple case of you losing your phone, you can
select the Ring device option from the menu to
see if the device is nearby.
Feature
Secure your phone
Troubleshooting
Android Device
Manager
If ADM cant locate your

smartphone, follow these tips
Remotely wipe data
If youre worried that your device may have

actually been stolen, you can also use the Remote
Wipe option from the menu. This will automatically
connect to your phone and wipe the phones
contents, but not data stored on any connected
micro SD cards.
Putting it back together
If you choose to remotely wipe your phone,

and then manage to get your hands back on your
device, youll be sent a password via email that
Google has created for you to gain access back to
it. Use this password when you turn your phone on
for the first time.
Set it up again
Due to the remote wipe, you may need to

activate the Android Device Manager option once
again. You may also need to link it with your
primary Google account again, so go in to the
Google Settings app, and select the Android
Device Manager to do so.
Google Settings app
After activating the Android Device

Manager feature from within the Device
administrators screen, open up the Google
Settings app and select the Android Device
Manager option listed right at the bottom of the
apps available to you.
Activate Device Manager
The next step will be to clear any data and

devices associated with the Android Device
Manager. Open up the Settings menu again,
navigate to the Apps section and select the
Google Play services app from the list provided
in front of you.
Tick necessary boxes
Youll now be shown two options regarding

locating and wiping your smartphone. If youre
having trouble locating your phone through
ADM, then make sure the top option is checked.
You should also check the bottom option if you
intend to wipe your phone.
Clear data
The Clear data option is listed halfway

down the page and by choosing this any data
associated with the ADM will be removed. The
process can take a while to complete, but once
finished, you can boot up ADM again and your
phone should be located.
25
Feature
Hottest phones & gadgets
ANDROIDS
A
DS
ST
HOTTEST
P
ES &
PHONES
GADG 2013
GADGETS
Phablets, smartwatches and
flagship phones. We take a
look at the hottest kit heading
your way soon
his year we are being swamped with upcoming and maturing

technologies that are making an immediate impact upon our
mobile life. Big screens, in fact, very big screens, have
dominated the phone sector, forming a whole sub-genre of their
own: the phablet. Expect even larger screens in the near future.
Then theres 4G. Future phones and tablets will all feature it.
With mobile carriers increasing their 4G capacity every month,
Vodafone made some significant announcements recently, it
makes sense for phone manufacturers to take advantage.
NFC (near field communications) has got off to a slow start but
expect to see it within a wide range of products from the end of the
year. Theres also plenty of refinements. Expect to see thinner and
lighter mobile products, and larger tablets. Weve already seen
12-inch and 20-inch models. Theres more to come. Oh, and expect
to see big improvements in the mini-tablet sector, with better
screens, faster speeds and more ergonomic designs.
Feature
BEST NEW PHONES

SONY XPERIA Z1
hose looking for a high-end camera within their mobile

device should look no further than the intriguing Xperia
Z1. Sporting a mighty 20.7-megapixel image sensor,
plus a top spec G lens and a Bionz image processing chip,
this phone will fulfil a massive range of photography duties.
Apparently, the sensor and the glass it includes have been
enlarged a touch, making it a good performer in low light
conditions. It will also provide an accurate method of
recording documents and other lifestyle ephemera as an
augmented reality recorder, along with image critical services
such as accessing QR codes for those who like to get to grips
with the latest technology and features.
Like its predecessor, the Xperia Z, you can also spill your
beer on the chassis without howling at the moon in despair
because Sony has waterproofed it. In fact, you can submerge
the phone in 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes.
Tripping up and launching that coffee all over your phone
doesnt have to be the traumatic experience it once was.
At launch, the phone will be running Android 4.2.2. A
shame because it is not the most recent version (4.3 as we
write this) but an update is on its way, according to Sony.
Despite the rather square chassis shape, this glass front and
back design is attractive, while the single piece, milled
aluminium bezel band gives the phone a sense of elegance.
The new design enhancements add a subtle touch of
luxury while the supercharged specifications will ensure that
it will without doubt compete for a top-of-the-league place for
a long time to come.
Sony Xperia
Z1
Price range
600
Best for
Photos, all weather use
and video
Consider if
You enjoy photography
Internet browsing
Live on a boat
Upgrade from
Xperia Z | Samsung S III |
HTC One X
SPECS
SCREEN
UPDATES
VALUE
SONY XPERIA Z1
SAMSUNG GALAXY S4
Quad-core 2.2GHz CPU,

20.7-megapixel camera and
16GB of internal memory
Five-inch display with 1080p
resolution utilising Bravia
TV-level technology
Sony is being a little vague on
OS update timing
Concentrates on offering superb
hardware, at a premium
Quad-core 1.9GHz CPU,

13-megapixel camera and up to
64GB of internal storage
Same size screen, offering
1080p magic via its Super
AMOLED technology
Expect to see an Android 4.3
update in October
Features everything but the
kitchen sink
VERDICT
The Z1 is a powerhouse with a
big battery to back it up
In short, the Xperia Z1 has a
crisper display
Samsung is on the ball in terms
of updates
The S4 squeezes the lot into its
svelte chassis
LLG G2
Asus Fonepad Note 6

A
The G2 is a large phone with a high-quality, HD

screen. Offering an edge-to-edge display and
a high-power quad-core CPU running at
2.26GHz, it can access 2GB of RAM. Note, the
G2 uses a faster memory than a Samsung S4
that should be reflected in performance. The
featured camera is also powerful, sporting 13
megapixels, optical image stabilisation and
an anti-fingerprint sapphire glass lens. The
controls for the phone are situated around
the rear of the chassis.
Best for: Power-hungry apps and video play
Consider if: You dont get on with the
standard Android button interface
Built around a six-inch, Super IPS+ LCD screen, this

dual-core phablet is based upon an Intel Atom
Z2580 with Hyperthreading and a glossy plastic
chassis that holds an eight-megapixel camera plus a
1.2 megapixel, front-facing, camera. Video fans will
be pleased to see stereo speakers positioned in the
landscape viewing position. Arriving with either 16GB
or 32GB of memory, the Asus comes complete with
a stylus to control the interface, similar to the
phablets that make up the Galaxy Note series. The
included 2GB of RAM will also give you a decent
amount of power when necessary.
Best for: Stylus fans
Consider if: You watch lots of videos
Oppo N1
New Nexus
ZTE Blade V
Z
The new Oppo will feature a phablet-sized 5.9-inch screen

and a 16-megapixel camera offering a choice of zooms up
to 15x, with an N-lens and Pure
Image optics.
Best for: Photography and
web browsing
Consider if: You need flexible
multimedia facilities
Rumoured to arrive with 4G and Android 4.4,

the Nexus 5 will apparently feature a
Snapdragon 800 CPU, plus a 1080p display
along with features such as NFC support.
Best for: Power apps and HD video play
Consider if: Youre looking for a Googlecentric device that will offer a featurepacked, but cost-effective, price
Offering a basic, four-inch WVGA

screen, Android 4.1, long battery life
and 2GB of storage, the Blade V
offers a low-priced option to enter
the quad-core, smartphone world.
Best for: You are on a budget
Consider if: You want to dip your big
toe into the smartphone pool
27
Feature

S Pen
Despite the
increasing use of
natural finger
touchscreen
interfaces, there is
still a demand for a
stylus-pointed device
from users with large
fingers or those who
find touching a
screen unnatural
PHABLETS: THE
NEW GENERATION
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 3
amsung has taken a serious look at the Galaxy Note

and tweaked it to perfection, paying attention to the
look and feel of this phablet by adding a soft,
leather-look and replaceable panel to the rear chassis.
Arriving with Android 4.3, an enlarged, crisp and clear
5.7-inch screen offers plenty of space to access the myriad
of functions that are packed into the device, while video play
is especially enjoyable as the Note 3 features a higher
resolution than the Note 2 (386 pixels per inch as opposed
to 264ppi). The Note 3s meaty quad-core processor will
push around those images easily, while the internal 32GB or
64GB storage should provide plenty of elbowroom. If not, a
featured SD card slot promises more storage space. The
inclusion of the S Pen enables you to hand write notes, add
comments to a screen-captured image, utilise the devices
search facilities and trigger access to one of eight S Pen app
icons by doing nothing more than drawing a box anywhere on
the screen. Fans of photography will also be happy to use
the built-in 13-megapixel camera that includes auto-focus
and Smart Stabilisation to help reduce blurred pictures.
Lights, camera,
action!
The built-in flexible

camera is also capable
of producing high-quality,
1080p video running at
60 frames per second,
while the included CRI
LED flash will improve
low-light photography
Design touches
The addition of the

leather-look chassis gives
the Note 3 a classy,
almost journal-like
presentation. Such a
civilised make-over adds
a note of respectability to
the phablet concept
GALAXY NOTE 3 VS ACER LIQUID S2 VS XPERIA Z ULTRA

Note 3
Spec
Running a 1.9GHz
quad-core CPU,
3GB of RAM, up to
64GB of storage
with different other
variants also
available to users,
13-MP camera and
a 5.7-inch screen
(386ppi).
Acer
Liquid S2
Xperia Z
Ultra
Features a 2.2GHz
quad-core CPU,
2GB RAM, 16GB
storage (not
expandable),
13-MP camera with
4K video recording
and a six-inch
screen (367ppi).
Also offering a
2.2GHz quad-core
CPU, 2GB RAM,
16GB storage and
an 8-MP camera,
the 6.4-inch screen
holds just 344ppi,
which is well below
its rivals.
Spec
Spec
Design
The chassis spans 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3mm, weighs 168g and
is controlled via touch and the included S Pen stylus.
The round-edged, larger chassis features a touchscreen and

spans 168 x 86 x 9mm but its weight is currently unknown.
The large, squared chassis spans a bulky 179.4 x 92.2mm

but is svelte in thickness at 6.5mm while weighing 212g.
Android 4.2, basic sensors and audio/video players are

included. Individual floating app windows is a highlight.
Arriving with the Android 4.2 OS installed, the basic sensor

array is topped by excellent audio and video play features.
No price information is forthcoming from Acer, as yet, but

expect a premium price for this large format phablet design.
At last, a definite price! And exact too. At 612.99, the

Z Ultra is another premium priced phablet handset.
Features
Android 4.3, plus barometer and humidity sensors, full media
players and editors and free Dropbox storage.
Price
Samsung has yet to reveal a price, but expect a premium
figure around 600. Typical tariffs are free from 47/month.
VERDICT:
Despite being challenged on individual features, the Samsung Note 3 provides more features, better performance and a lighter, compact user experience
28
Feature
AMAZING INNOVATIONS
SMARTWATCHES
martwatches are not new. Older designs have

been capable of playing video, taking pictures and
making phone calls without a smartphone
connection. None of the earlier designs ever caught on,
largely because they were too big. The market for a
smartwatch is now seen as viable because of recent
technological advances in Bluetooth Low Energy,
low-power screens and curved glass with improved
battery performance. Voice activated searches have
also reached a usable maturity, while push notifications
make regular monitoring of a wrist-based device a
Samsung Galaxy
G l
G
Gear
To be used as a partner device
with Galaxy Android products, the
Gear uses a 1.63-inch Super
AMOLED, 320 x 320 display and a
800MHz Exynos CPU offering
512MB of RAM. Youll also find a
1.9-MP camera, speaker,
microphone and 4GB internal
storage with a days battery use
between charges.
CAMERA ACCESSORIES
SONY QX100
sensible idea. One has to ask, though, is the current

crop of new devices a truly serious attempt to attract
that mass market or are they proof of concept designs:
platforms for the live testing of a new array of subminiature technologies? After looking carefully at each
model, the latter is more likely.
The designs are still too large which means that only
a niche audience will be interested, compatibility with
phone models is generally limited at the moment and
voice-activated features are not available. The age of
the smartwatch will arrive, its just not quite here yet.
Qualcomm Toq
Sony SmartWatch 2
Using a low-power Mirasol

screen, the Toq uses
power at the same rate as
an Amazon Kindle meaning
that time between
charges should reach
several days. WiPower
technology means that
you can drop it on a
charging pad to charge
wirelessly. Other features
include an unused mic
and accelerometer.
The SmartWatch 2
features a 1.6-inch screen
packing in a 220 x 176
display set within an
aluminium body, plus a
micro USB charging
facility. There is no
microphone, camera or
speakers available but
there is NFC and Bluetooth
with a reported three-tofour day battery life
between charges.
THE eREADER SMARTPHONE

ALCATEL ONE TOUCH HERO
AND E-INK CASE
ased upon a phablet design showing a

six-inch screen that is still smaller
than the Acer Liquid S2, the styluscontrolled Hero sports a 1.5GHz quad-core
CPU and 8GB of internal storage. Intriguingly,
it also arrives with an E-Ink cover that
connects to the phone via a series of pins.
This second screen will enable you to read
text and browse basic information using
information provided by the phone. This
gadget will certainly reduce eye strain.
his camera lens, featuring

minimal controls, fits onto just
about any smartphone via an
adjustable clip while featuring both
NFC and Wi-Fi for connectivity
purposes. Actually a stand-alone
camera, using the same sensor seen
in the high-end Sony RX100 II

compact camera, the QX100
includes a one-inch Exmor-R CMOS
20-MP sensor, plus a 3.6x optical
zoom used via the freely available
Play Memories Mobile app. Battery
life spans 110 minutes in use.
29
Feature
GET READY FOR ANDROID KITKAT

What can you expect from the
next version of Android?
he notion of product placement is a common

one within movies, TV shows and music
videos, while sponsors can be seen
plastering their logos over everything from football
stadia to taxi cabs. That a commercial enterprise
should lend its name to an operating system,
however, is a distinct novelty. You may be surprised
to hear that a range of KitKat bars will be produced
bearing the Android robot and offering a range of
freebies such as a free Nexus 7 of Google Play
credit. Surprising but not quite choc horror.
Android, in fact, has just passed a noted one
billion activations. As such, the OS has never been
so popular. Slated for a release in late October or
early November 2013, the latest iteration of the
new operating system may prove to be the wisest
move that Google has or, indeed, hasnt made for
some time. That is, it has resisted releasing version
5.0 of Android (widely assumed to have been called
Key Lime Pie). Why? Because 5.0 would, we can
predict, have included ructions within the Android
fraternity, triggering major overhauls of the entire
operating system. The effect would have been to
leave older and less powerful devices even further
behind while certain Android-based brands would
take a long time to get around to updating their
hardware. The dreaded fragmentation issue would
thus be further exacerbated.
As Todd McKinnon, CEO and founder of Okta, a
startup that helps corporations manage log-ins and
identity, confirmed with some measure of
Android KitKat will refine

current features
frustration and exasperation: You have, first of all,

about six major versions of the platform. Then you
have, beyond that, minor versions that are forks
and configurations You have different resolution
devices, small screens, massive screens.
Instead, if this new iteration is any indication,
Google has decided to give Android hardware
outfits more time to catch up with the rest by only
improving those aspects of the Android operating
system that are already currently present within
the OS. Enhancing what is already there. To back
up this move, Google has just published
WHY YOU SHOULD BE EXCITED

ABOUT ANDROID 4.4
Reports say that the KitKat upgrade will

use the Linux 3.8 kernel instead of the
current 3.4 issue. This will mean that the
new operating system variant should provide a
lower memory footprint with improved
multitasking support to boot.
The latest Android OS should appear

within the new Nexus mobile phone, the
Nexus 5. Expect to see announcements
of older Nexus OS upgrades to follow, shortly
after. The Nexus phones always receive the
Android OS upgrades first.
3
30
Low-powered devices should be able to

run Android 4.4, which will be good for
older phones and tablets. This will also
mean that Google is putting effort into helping

correct Androids fragmentation problems.
Dont expect to see mind-blowing

features within 4.4. Do expect to see
upgraded and enhanced features to your
current OS though. Targets will include an
improved battery life and the usability of the UI,
as well as other associated services.
Google has been hinting about users

being left up in the cloud. One possible
improvement in how Android handles the
increasingly popular and important cloud
integration could be an easier and more
straightforward way of backing up information,
and enhanced security features.
You have about

six major versions
of the platform
different resolution
devices, small screens,
massive screens
Todd McKinnon, Okta
fragmentation figures that do appear to add
strength to the argument. For example, almost half
of activated Android devices now run Googles
most recent Android version, Jelly Bean. 43.1 per
cent, in fact, are on the Jelly Bean OS, significantly
up from last months37.9 per cent. Of the rest,
30.7 per cent are on Gingerbread, down from 34.1
per cent last month and the older Ice Cream
Sandwich is down to 21.7 per cent.
And none too soon, it appears. According to a
recent study based on data by the Department of
Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Android devices are more at risk of
getting malware, putting official government
agencies using that system in a vulnerable
position. In fact, the test came up with some
intriguing numbers: 79 per cent of attacks of this
kind observed during the study happened on
Android devices. This was in conjunction with a
very small 0.7 per cent for iOS phones and 0.3 per
cent for both Windows Mobile and BlackBerry.
The much-maligned fragmentation issue across
such a wide array of Android devices is, therefore,
an important issue which version 4.4 of Android
should go some way to diminish.
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Tutorials
masterclass
Advanced
cloud services
Make sure youre getting the most out of the cloud
services you use on your Android device
ere constantly being told

that the future of computing
lies in the cloud, and slowly
but surely were seeing a lot of our
data and information being stored
somewhere other than on our
physical devices. You might use your
phone to take a photo, but instead of
saving it solely in the memory of the
device, youll upload it to a cloud
server, letting you get fast access to it
on a number of different devices
wherever youve got a connection to
the internet. It means were not
worried about running out of space on
our SD cards, and that a lost device
doesnt mean a loss of irreplaceable
pictures and other files. In this tutorial
were going to look at some more
advanced cloud techniques that let
you really get to grips with using your
Android device to connect to the
Ask your own

question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Which is the
best cloud
storage
service?
That all depends what

you want it for.
Dropbox is one of the
most popular, and it
lets you share items
quickly and easily
across multiple
devices. Its easy to
use too, so its a good
bet for beginners.
With stronger mobile data

connections and Wi-Fi
hotspots on the rise, theres
never been a better time to
start using the cloud
Cloud up your contacts
Top cloud tips

1. Make sure you dont use the
same login details for all of
your cloud services, because if
one of them becomes
compromised they all will be.
Change your passwords often
to keep your data safe and
youll be fine. Also, from time
to time, check which apps you
have connected to your cloud
accounts, and revoke the ones you no
longer use.
2. Look for special deals that will get
you more storage. Dropbox usually
offers extra storage for filling in a
questionnaire, and there are phones
that come with free cloud storage too.
Shop around to make sure youre
getting the best deal.
How to save your contacts to the cloud right now
Find your
account
Check the
right box
Sort out
your contacts
Head to Settings and

scroll down to find the
Google account tab.
Tap on this, then
select which of your
Google accounts you
want to sync the
contacts to and tap on
it to go straight to the
sync settings.
Make sure the box

next to contacts is
ticked. This means
your contacts are
being synced with the
rest of the content
that youve got set to
sync to your Google
account. Now go to
your contacts.
Ensure your contacts

are merged with your
Google account as
well. Open Settings
and tap on Merge with
Google. Choose the
right account and
when you buy a new
phone your contacts
will be waiting for you.
In settings
32
cloud. With stronger mobile data

connections on the rise, and
Wi-Fi hotspots becoming more
readily available, theres never
been a better time to start using
the cloud, and if you follow the
hints and tips in this tutorial,
you can be sure that youre
making the most out of the vast
possibilities cloud storage can
offer Android users.
Sync up
Make sure
3. Setting a sync time for when youre

asleep is a good idea, especially if
youre at home. Then you can use your
Wi-Fi connection to make sure your
folders and files are up to date when
you wake up in the morning.
4. Delete files from your phone or
tablet that are stored in the cloud, that
way youre not using up space
unnecessarily. And keep your cloud
folders clean too, especially if you
have limited space, otherwise you
could find your uploads stalling.
5. Consider roaming charges if youre
going overseas on holiday and intend
to take lots of photos. Its best to turn
off any automatic uploads, otherwise
you might end up with a huge bill
when you get home.
Android 2.1 and up
Search all your

cloud services
CloudMagic lets you search across multiple cloud
services with a single query
ight now youre probably signed up to multiple cloud services, some of them without
even knowing it. A lot of phones come with a Dropbox account, youll have a Google Drive
account if youve got a Google account and a SkyDrive account if you have an MSN
account. Keeping control of the content spread across these different services can be a bit of a
nightmare. Thats where CloudMagic (free, Google Play) comes in. With one search you can find
files across a huge number of services, meaning youre never going to be trying to remember
which folder that important document is in again.
2min
guide
ss d
cla ou
ter cl
as ed ces
mvancervi
Ad s
Works with
Make sure your

photos are always
safe in the cloud and
ready to share with
this Amazon app
Back up
and share
photos
Once youve installed Amazon Cloud

Drive youll need to sign in to your
Amazon account. This automatically grants
you 5GB of free cloud storage. Once signed in
youre taken directly to the app.
up your accounts
1 Set
After youve installed the app you need to
a search
2 Have
Once youve connected the accounts you
create a CloudMagic account, then set about

entering the details for the various cloud services
you want to be able to access. This is as simple as
finding the right one and entering your details.
want, you can search for any files, emails or other

information by typing it in to the bar at the top of
the screen. This will trawl through the various
services you have linked to find relevant content.
a filter
3 Add
Tapping on the button on the bottom-left
of the screen lets you add some filters to your
search. If you know its a file youre after, you can
set CloudMagic to only search for files, for
example. Tap again to turn it off.
security
4 Extra
Obviously thats a lot of information to have
in one place on your device. You can set a
passcode system, as well as a login password. Go
to the Settings menu, then tap Passcode lock to
set one up that suits you.
Now choose whether to automatically

upload photos. If you dont have much
data in your monthly plan, turn this off, as
uploading all the photos you take could eat it
up quite quickly.
If youve chosen to automatically upload

photos, the app will now populate your
cloud drive with your gallery. Alternatively, you
can select which ones you want to save
manually instead.
33
Tutorials
Sync files between
multiple cloud services
Works with
Android 2.1 and up
With the
FolderSync app
you can get all
your cloud
services working
nicely together
olderSync is a great way to manage uploading

your files to a variety of different cloud services.
It gives you greater control of how your files are
moved around, and thanks to support with task
manager apps it means you can set times to sync your
content with cloud services. You can easily set up
linked folders to exchange content between your
devices, and the easy-to-use UI means youre always
on top of your various files and services. This tutorial
will show you how to get started with the app, setting
up your accounts and using FolderSync (1.95/$2.95) to

start taking control of your cloud services.
Theres a free version of the app too, so if youre
unsure whether FolderSync is for you, we suggest you
download that first. It lacks some functionality, but
its a good introduction to how much easier things are
with the app installed. Upgrading unlocks additional
features. Once youve downloaded the app from the
Google Play store its time to get started by logging in
to all of your various cloud accounts.
up accounts
1 Set
First youll need to sign in to the cloud
service of your choice. Tap Accounts, then tap on
the button at the bottom of the screen. Name your
folder, then add in your login details and youre
good to go. You will be able to add extra services
now or when you sign up to them in future.
Link your folders

3 Now
you can set up a folderpair. This will
let you share items easily between a local folder
on your device and a folder in the selected cloud
service. Youll need to give it a recognisable name,
and select the folders in both locations that you
want to pair up.
34
local folder
4 Create
Its worth creating a unique local folder to
store all of your items in. Do this by tapping the
Add button when youre selecting a folder. Once
youve named it, youre ready to pair it with the
cloud. Head back to the folderpair menu to
complete the job.
more
2 Add
You can now repeat the steps to add extra
accounts for the other services you use if you
want. Bear in mind that the free version only lets
you add two accounts though, so if you want more
than that youre going to have to pay for the full
version of the app.
up schedule
5 Set
Now you can set when you want your
folderpair to sync together and which way. Tap
sync interval to choose how often the sync should
occur. Use the other options to set how files
should be handled, and when youre happy, tap the
disk in the top-right to save.
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Android 1.6 and up
Download from S
web to Dropbox
ometimes youre browsing the web on your phone or

tablet and want to grab a file to look at later on your
computer. This can be a bit painful, unless youre clever
and follow the steps in this tutorial.
Using Dolphin browser and a handy add-on, you can
download files directly from the web to your Dropbox,
meaning they will be viewable on any device you sign in to
with your Dropbox account, rather than just your phone. Its
something thats remarkably easy to do, and pretty soon youll
be wondering how you got on without this useful function.
The first thing youll need to do is install the latest version
of Dolphin browser on your Android phone or tablet. When
youve done that its time to go to step one of the tutorial.
Use the Dolphin browser and a clever add-on

to download files directly to Dropbox
from any website
the add-on
1 Get
You can either grab the Dropbox for
from the browser

2 Access
To access your Dropbox from the Dolphin
Dolphin add-on from the Google Play store or from

within the Dolphin browser itself. Either way, its
free. Once its installed youll need to set up your
Dropbox account. This will make a brand-new
folder in your Dropbox account.
browser, tap on the menu button and then select

Add-ons. Alternatively you can swipe from the right
of the screen to slide the pane open. You should
see Dropbox at the top of the list of your add-ons.
Tap on this to open it.
the settings
3 Tweak
You can set it so once an item has
downloaded itll automatically upload to your new
Dropbox folder. This means itll instantly be
accessible on other devices. It does use data
though, so you should be careful if you dont have
unlimited data in your monthly plan.
2min Create photo albums in Dropbox

guide
A guide to organising your cloud-based photos into easy-to-manage albums that make browsing easier
Once youve opened up the

Dropbox app, tap on the photo
icon that should be towards the very
top of the screen. This will take you
to the photos youve uploaded to
your Dropbox account from your
Android smartphone or tablet.
Next, long press on one of the

photos you want to add to an
album. This will select it. Now tap
the photos you want to add to the
same album. When you have
chosen, tap the album icon at the
top of the screen.
Now youll have to give the

album a name. Type something,
and when youre done, tap on the tick
icon and the app will create the folder
for you. Itll be accessible from the
Albums tab in the Photos menu and
also viewable through a browser.
Now the photos are grouped

together in an album, not only
is it easier to find the ones youre
after, it also means you can share
them as a group with just a couple
of taps. To create more albums,
simply repeat the steps.
35
Tutorials
Master
Play Music
All Access
Works with
Android 2.2 and up
Theres a lot to discover in Play

Musics new subscription service
lthough Play Music has quickly

become one of the leading music
apps available for Android users,
until recently it only supported music
uploaded to the app, as well as music
purchased from the Play store. Thanks to
the release of its All Access subscription
service, all that has now changed. Launched
as a direct competitor to the likes of Spotify,
All Access looks to encompass the current
features of the Play Music app, alongside a
new service to provide on-demand music no
matter if you stream through Wi-Fi or your
phones 3G/4G connection. Tracks, albums
and playlists can also be downloaded to your
device for offline listening.
Although there are plenty of similarities
between All Access and Spotify, All Access
includes a wide range of features that propel
it to the top of the current crop of available
music subscription services. In this tutorial
well be looking at the various features of All
Access, as well as discussing how to integrate
your uploaded music into the All Access feed.
Import current music

1 After
signing up to All Access, youll
automatically be asked if you want to merge
together all the stored music across all your
Google accounts into your All Access account. This
is generally a good idea as it stops you needing to
switch between accounts to listen to songs.
36
Sound control
Although you can use the

volume rocker on your device
to control volume within All
Access, theres also a built-in
equaliser, within the Settings
menu, which you can use to
pinpoint audio levels to your
exact specifications
Listen Now
The Listen Now menu

will provide you with
details of all the
recently played and
added songs linked
with your All Access
account, enabling you
to quickly revisit them
if necessary
Radio
What makes the Radio

feature a brilliant
addition is that it
enables you to select
one artist and hear
songs not only by
them, but also artists
that are closely
associated with them
side menu
2 Access
Press on the headphone symbol once the
import is complete to open All Accesss side
menu. Here youll find the various features that All
Access opens up to you. In this first instance
press on the My Library option to continue to get
instant access to your music.
Quick controls
When you play a song through All

Access, a bar at the bottom of the
app will appear enabling you to
quickly switch songs or simply
pause it. By scrolling up on the bar
you can see the full album artwork
songs
3 Managing
Youll find all of our stored music included
in the My Library section of All Access. If it is music
purchased directly from Play Music, youll find all
the artists listed alphabetically, with the remaining
music listed under Unknown Artists at the very
bottom of the page.
quick The best equalisers to help tweak your music

tips
1 Equalizer
Create a specialised equaliser

setting for each genre of music you
enjoy listening to.
2 AnEq Equalizer
This five-band equaliser runs in the

background so you can change it
without stopping the song.
3 EQ Manager
Although fairly basic, EQ Manager

includes some nifty presets for
people who dont want hassle.
4 Bass Treble EQ Volume
One for fans of dance music, Bass

Treble EQ maximises the bass
capabilities of your smartphone.
5 Equalizer FX
Advanced users should check out

Equalizer FX, which enables users to
change every aspect of their audio.
Ask your own

question online at
Is it possible to
block explicit songs
and lyrics?
similar songs
4 Find
One of the benefits of having All Access is
the fantastic and useful recommendations you
receive. As youre playing a particular song, scroll
down to the bottom of the screen and find songs
and artists that are closely related to the song
youre listening to.
playlists
6 Creating
If you find a song thats of particular
interest, you may want to create and add it to a
playlist. While on the songs page, press on the
menu button to the right of it and then select the
Add to Playlist option. You can access your
playlists through the side menu.
Radio feature
5 Use
Another All Access exclusive feature you
can access through the feature-heavy side menu
is Radio. Through this feature you can select your
favourite artist and hear a continuous mix of their
most popular songs, alongside similar and
recommended artists.
Explore
7 Access
To source new songs in Google Music All
Although you cant block

individual songs that contain
expletives through the main
Explore feature, you can
permanently block them from
the Radio feature in All Access,
which means the song will be
instantly skipped if it appears in
your Radio feed.
Can I import the

music from other
Google accounts in
to my All Access
account?
By opening up the Settings
from your All Access account
you can switch between your
Google accounts and import all
the music associated with
them into your one primary
account. Depending on how
much music you have stored,
the process could take a while
to fully complete.
Access, youll want to navigate to the Explore

section via the side menu. When you first load this
section, youll find different playlists and
recommendations for you to check out. Scroll left
or right to go to a different section.
Need help?
Got a problem with your

Android phone or tablet?
Get in touch with us
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
Get help from our
Facebook community
the charts
8 Check
The Charts section of Explore will list the
most popular songs each week. You can play any
song here, or add the song to your library of stored
songs via the menu button. If you want to
purchase a song or album, you can also follow the
link to the Play Music shop listing that is provided.
your favourite
9 Find
With so many artists and songs available,
it can be hard trying to find individual songs. Use
the search function at the top of the app (the
magnifying glass) to find someone specific. All
Access will then provide you with albums, artists
and songs based on your search in real time.
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experts to tackle
37
Tutorials
Share files and data
over Android Beam
Works with
Android 4.0 and above
Use NFC
technology to
send and share
files to your
contacts
here are plenty of ways you can share files

from one Android device to another, but none
of them are as quick and easy as near field
communication (NFC). Devices running Ice Cream
Sandwich and later are fortunate enough to have the
capacity to launch Android Beam. This feature
automatically configures all your NFC connection
settings, and leaves the user only needing to select
the file they want to send, and its recipient.
Unfortunately for older devices, Android Beam is not
available, and the process of using NFC is a little

harder to set up and use, if it is supported at all. In
this case the best way to access your phones NFC
capability is by downloading the File Expert app.
In this tutorial we will show you how to set up
Android Beam, as well as how you can connect and
start sharing a file from your device. We will also
show you around the File Expert app, and highlight
the various menus and settings you need to enter to
establish a strong, and quick, NFC connection.
to the settings
1 Go
Open up your devices app drawer and go to
38
NFC
2 Activate
The Wireless & Networks menu lists how
the Settings app. Scroll down through the page of

options until you reach the Wireless & Networks
sub-menu. Some devices have this sub-menu at
the top, and some near the bottom under the
Accounts tab, so keep your eyes peeled.
your device connects to other devices and the

internet. To be able to start sharing files and
contacts to other NFC-enabled devices, you first
need to tick the NFC tab. Once activated, open up
the Android Beam option underneath it.
Beam
3 Android
If youre new to the concept of NFC, then
ready to beam
4 Get
At this point youll want to make sure you
to beam
5 Touch
While keeping the phones together, you
make sure you read through all the instructions

listed. Although a simple process, it can be a little
confusing at first, so make sure you understand it.
Turn the switch, in the top-right of the screen, to
On when youre ready to proceed.
have a second device to connect with. On the

secondary phone make sure you follow the same
steps as above. Once youre ready to beam put
the two phones back-to-back and hold them there
until you feel a vibration or a hear a pinging noise.
should now notice the Touch to Beam screen

appear on both phones. Whatever is currently
being shown on the device can be beamed over by
simply touching the screen. The beaming process
takes a few seconds to complete.
quick Five other ways accessories and devices are utilising NFC technology
tips
1 Sony SmartTags
Sony SmartTags can be

programmed with simple tasks and
connect directly to Sony Xperias.
2 Google Wallet
Googles new wireless payment

system lets you pay for everyday
items solely using your phone.
3 Connecting to TVs
Newer HDTVs come with NFC

capability enabling you to stream
videos and photos.
4 Access to information
NFC-enabled phones can be tapped

against certain advertisements for
the user to find out more info.
5 Going underground
Payment for London Underground

Oyster Cards has used NFC
technology for a number of years.
Establish an
min NFC connection
guide
Older devices will need the File Expert HD app to set up and
unlock their phones NFC capabilities. Heres how to use it
6 Launchers
Android Beam shares whatever is on screen
at the time. If one of the phones has a third-party
launcher installed you might find it wants to share
that with the phone it is connecting with. Avoid
touching the two devices together with the home
screen showing if you encounter this problem.
the app
1 Download
Go on to the Play store and search for
over contacts
7 Sending
Sending a contact to a phone over NFC
your files
2 Access
The app will now list all the files currently
the File Expert HD app. The app is a free

download and doesnt require any unusual app
permissions to run. Once installed on your
device, open up the app and familiarise yourself
with its home screen. Press on the My Files
option to continue.
stored on your device. You can access files

saved on your phones internal storage, or on
your external SD card. Once youve found a file,
or multiple files, you want to share with another
Android phone, long press on it until a dropdown menu appears on screen.
to share
3 Start
The menu that will now appear will show
phones together
4 Tap
At this point you should now present the
all the sharing options available to the file(s).

Scroll down the list until you see the NFC
Tapping option and select it. The app will now
ask permission for it to automatically turn on
Bluetooth on your device. Accept it and wait for
the app to bring you to the transfer screen.
other device youre trying to share with. To work,

the device will also need to have the File Expert
app installed on the device, and have Bluetooth
functionality enabled. Once the phones are
together the file should start transferring
automatically. Its as easy as that.
works in a similar way to sending over a file. Simply

go to the contacts page on the first phone and
then put it back-to-back with the second. The
contacts page will then beam over and youll be
greeted with the Create contact page.
rm the contact
8 Confi
Choose the Google account you want to
link the contact with, or you may want to save it
directly onto your smartphone. After confirming
this, the contacts details will now load in your
phonebook where youll be able to edit or change
any details, if necessary.
39
Tutorials
Set up active
notifications
Works with
Varies with device
We show you how to get the Quick glance

Depending on the app youve
Moto Xs new Active
received a notification for,
see a preview listed at
Notification feature on any youll
the top of the lockscreen. If
you receive an email or SMS,
Android smartphone
youll receive a brief overview
he Moto X has some amazing

new features to explore, but not
all are exclusive to Motorolas
new flagship device. One of the best
additions to the Moto X was its new
Active Display, which provided quick
shortcuts to notifications through the
lockscreen on the phone, without
actually needing to unlock it. Although
a fairly simple feature, its extremely
helpful if you want to quickly see the
latest emails youve received, or if you
want to check out the details of any
important calls that you missed.
Thanks to the free
DynamicNotifications app on the Google
Play store, this new feature isnt
exclusive to the Moto X and instead
youll be able to set it up on nearly any
Android smartphone.
of the message, and a

missed call will display the
contacts details
No security
One issue that may put off

some people installing the app
is the lack of security it leaves
on your phone. Using the
DynamicNotifications app will
automatically override any PIN,
password or pattern security
feature youve previously added
Unlock
Although the layout of

your lockscreen may look
different with
DynamicNotifications set
up, unlocking your phone
is virtually the same.
Simply scroll downwards
to the lock symbol to gain
access to your phone
Explore DynamicNotifications settings

Although it may just look like a replacement
lockscreen, theres a whole lot more to the
DynamicNotifications app, as we show you below
Free or paid?
When you open the app,

youll be taken straight to
the settings for it.
Although the free version
has some great features,
the paid version includes
additional settings that
are worth checking out.
40
Notification types
The first setting youll
want to explore is the
Notification types menu.
Youll find a list of your
installed apps, and you
can select the apps you
dont want appearing on
your lockscreen.
Set timeout
Theres also the helpful

timeout menu which can
be used to set how long
you want the lockscreen
to appear before your
phone goes to sleep. Wed
advise to keep the time
as short as possible.
Additional apps
There will be times when youll have

more notifications available on your
lockscreen and these will be listed
around the circle outline. To see a
preview of the notification you can
hold your finger on it and it will
appear at the top of the screen
Custom brightness
Another problem that some users have

noted is the issue with brightness.
Although you can alter the brightness of
your phone via the Settings menu of your
smartphone, youll have to pay for the
premium version of DynamicNotifications
to modify the apps brightness setting
Works with
Android 2.3 and up
Open apps with

gestures
Shake, twist and tilt your

phone to open up apps
nother one of the great features of the

Moto X is the ability to use gestures to
open up specific apps, saving you the
time and hassle of needing to go through the
process of finding it within your app drawer.
Thanks to the fantastic selection of apps available
on the Google Play store, this feature can be
easily accessed on any Android smartphone via
the Twisty Launcher app.
up the app
1 Open
After downloading the free Twisty Launcher
Twisty Launcher enables users to implement a

series of specifically assigned gestures to any
app, while also providing simple instructions to
make sure each gesture works properly, as they
can be a bit fiddly to get working occasionally. In
this tutorial well be taking you through the
process of setting up the Twisty Launcher app, as
well as looking at some of the specific gestures
you can implement straight away.
a gesture
2 Select
There are a great selection of different
an app
3 Select
Next to the gesture, click on the app
app from the Google Play store, open it up and

take a look through the small tutorial that appears
in front of you. The app runs in the background of
your phone at all times, but it doesnt have a
massive effect on battery life.
gestures you can implement straight away, with

some being a bit more complicated than others.
Each gesture includes a small tutorial for you to
follow and get to grips with what the gesture
requires for it to work properly.
symbol to be taken to your app drawer. Here you

can choose the app you want to select to work in
conjunction with the gesture youre looking to
implement on your phone. After selecting the app,
youll be taken back to the Twisty Launcher app.
it out
4 Try
Before implementing any of the gestures
makes perfect
5 Practice
As you make your way through the list of
further gestures
6 Unlock
Although Twisty Launcher is a free app,
available through the app, make sure you now test

the one you just set out. You should find that if
youre doing the correct action, and followed the
steps provided, the associated app will open
straight away. Here weve launched the camera.
available gestures, they tend to get a bit more

complicated, with the actions becoming harder to
perform correctly. We found the best way to get
each one of gestures working correctly is to simply
keep practicing them.
some of the gestures on offer will require a small

payment to unlock. If you select a gesture that
does require payment, a menu will appear asking
you whether you want to purchase it, or continuing
using the free gestures provided.
41
Tutorials
Safely connect
to a VPN
Works with
All versions of Android
Access private networks

and add security to public
Wi-Fi using Androids
integrated and external
VPN support
he web is a wonderful place, but from

the moment you connect there is
always an element of risk. There is
always the worry that a net-connected device
can be compromised. One option for securing
a connection is the use of a VPN. A Virtual
Private Network is pretty much what its name
suggests. It is a private network that uses the
internet to connect and send data.
Security is a key reason for connecting to a
VPN. Users can use public Wi-Fi hotspots with
more confidence, make it more difficult to
access VOIP calls and generally stay private.
Other good reasons include being able to
access content outside of a location, eg
US-only content and to keep searches private.
In this tutorial we are going to demonstrate
how to get connected using the default
integrated support in the Android OS. In
addition to this, we recommend a selection of
secure third-party apps that can be used to
connect to OpenVPN, dedicated services and
selected VPNs.
PPTP type
3 To
add a VPN profile, first add a name.
Make this memorable and relevant to the network.
Now choose which type the network is going to be,
PPTP being the default option. This is the
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol that ships with
Microsoft Windows.
42
& Networks
1 Wireless
settings
VPN
2 Edit
Listed will be VPN and youll need to tap it
Android has support for PPTP and L2TP virtual

private networks, which means users can connect
without the use of a third-party app. To get started,
head to Settings and locate Wireless & Networks.
Tap More to continue to the next screen.
to view the VPN window. This will list any networks

that have already been set up. Typically, this will be
empty with no virtual private networks listed. Tap
the + icon in the top-right corner to open the Edit
VPN profile window.
types
4 Alternative
Android also supports the VPN type L2TP.
VPN
5 Save
The PPTP is the easiest to configure as it
This is recognised as a more advanced version of

PPTP and is typically used when a secure data
encryption is required. Another option is IPSec
Xauth, which adds a level of security to a users
authentication process.
only needs a server address. Add the appropriate

server address, for example, 23.26.67.2. Before
saving, tap Show Advanced options to view more
features. Leave as it is for now and tap Save to
add the VPN to the list.
Get in touch
Were on Facebook and Twitter, or

just drop us an email
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twitter
Like us on Facebook and

join our community
@lgrobot

comments and pics
email
Need help? Got a question? Drop us

an email and let us know
Ask your own

question online at
Can I connect to
my work intranet?
connection
6 Test
After a VPN has been set up the next step
is to test that connection and open it up. Tap the
name of the VPN to be used and enter the
credentials, ie your username and password,
needed to get connected. Tap Save account
information and tap Connect.
mode
8 Always-on
Android provides an Always-on mode,
which is ideal for moving between unsecured
public Wi-Fi hotspots. The connection will remain
active and secure. The first step is to connect to a
VPN, making sure that Save account information is
ticked. Now tap the menu.
profiles
11 OpenVPN
To use the OpenVPN Connect app, the user
needs an OpenVPN profile and a server to connect
to. Profiles use the extension .ovpn and there are
several methods available for importing a file. To
view the available options, go to the menu and
select Import to view.
profile
7 Edit
After a profile has been set up a user can
You should be able to, so long

as you are allowed, but you will
need the correct settings and
for the firewall to be configured
to let you through. Youll need
to speak to your IT
administrator to get him to set
you up with what you need.
add more profiles as needed. Once a profile has

been added it can be edited or deleted via the VPN
window. Tap and hold the appropriate VPN to view
the Edit and Delete pop-up. Tap Edit to change any
settings. Tap Delete to remove.
it off
9 Turn
Tap the Always-on VPN option in the
menu that appears. This will bring up a window
with the appropriately created VPN profiles. Select
a VPN and tap OK. To switch off the Always-on
mode, go back to the menu, select Always-on VPN
and select None.
VPN
12 Dedicated
Beyond the integrated support and
OpenVPN options, the Google Play store offers a
host of good apps for connecting to a private
network. TunnelBear VPN is a dedicated app that
connects to TunnelBear connections. It offers
500MB of free tunnelling every month.
OpenVPN Connect
10 Get
Android doesnt offer integrated support
for OpenVPN networks. This is the de facto
standard in the open source networking space. To
use the OpenVPN protocol, a third-party app is
needed. Head to the Google Play store, download
and install OpenVPN Connect.
apps
13 VPN
ExpressVPN is a third-party app available
from the Google Play store that is quick and easy
to use. This is a paid-for service, but does provide
a 24-hour trial to enable users to test the app
before purchasing. Tap Free Trial and add an email
address to start the free trial.
43
Tutorials
Works with
Varies with device
Recover memory
with Clean Master
Give your phone the ultimate spring clean
hether youre browsing the web,

downloading apps or simply playing a
game, data is constantly being saved to
your smartphone and its important to keep
tabs on it. Eating up your devices memory and
storage can have a detrimental effect on your
phones performance, so removing the junk is
key to a speedy device. Although there are a

multitude of cleaning apps available on the
Google Play store at present, we think the best of
the bunch is Clean Master; a simple enough app
that thoroughly scans and streamlines your
phone and all files and data stored within it.
Heres how it works.
[FIG 2] After doing a

scan of all the junk on
your smartphone, you
may be surprised with
the amount of space
you could save
together a list of how your phones

memory is currently being used. You may
be surprised with how many background
processes your phone is actually running.
Once the list has been collated, use the
Clean button to stop the selected apps
using up your RAM.
5. Manage apps
The third and final section of Clean Master
worth checking out is App Manager. This
section creates a list of your most unused
apps, and lets you know of the potential
storage space you could save if you
uninstalled them. Theres an uninstall
function within the app which enables you
to remove apps in bulk, but make sure you
know what youre uninstalling first.
[FIG 5] App Manager
lets you see the space
you could save if you
uninstall the apps you
no longer use
1. Find the junk

When you first open up the Clean Master
app, itll automatically do a full scan of your
phone to see the areas in which your
phone can be cleaned. From the main
menu, select the Junk Files option and
then the Scan Files tab to enable the app
to show you the apps that can be deleted
on your smartphone. Depending on what
it finds, this process can take a few
minutes to complete.
2. Clear files
After the scan is complete, youll find the
details of how much storage you could
open up at the bottom of the screen.
Double check you arent removing anything
you still need, then press on the Clean
44
option at the bottom of the screen for the

app to remove the files in question. Once
again, depending on how many files are
included, this process can take a while.
3. Check storage
After freeing up your first lot of storage,
navigate back to the main menu and check
out the two pie charts listed at the top of
the app. These charts will let you know of
the storage you currently have available
and also indicate any potential areas of
danger that are overloaded with data that
needs to be cleared urgently.
4. Free up memory
Now open up the Tasks option from the
main menu, which when opened will put
Ask your own

question online at
How often
should I clear
out my phone?
Your storage space will

soon get eaten up on
your smartphone,
making it essential to at
least scan your phone
with Clean Master on a
weekly basis.
Works with
Varies with device
Create
pop-up
YouTube
windows
Closing
Resize
To close the window, simply

press the X in the top-left of
the pop-up window. Although
this will close the window, by
opening up the YouTube app
youll be able to continue
watching the video from the
point you closed it, so you
wont miss a single second!
Watch your favourite videos while

you continue to browse your phone
e it fashion, gaming or
smartphones, YouTube
has millions of videos
for you to enjoy. Although the
service is good, one of the
problems with the Android
app is that as soon as you look
to do something else on your
phone, the video then stops.
However, by using the Floating
YouTube Popup Video app,
users can select their favourite
videos and create a resizeable
and interactive pop-up video
Depending on whether
youre using a tablet or
smartphone, use the
corners of the pop-up
window to resize it to your
needs. Depending on how
big you want the window to
be, a major resizing can
sometimes cause the video
to crash unexpectedly
Play on loop
Although playing individual

videos is still great, the
app also caters for your
created playlists. By
selecting your playlist
through the YouTube app,
each video will
automatically load after
one another though the
Floating YouTube window
window which will keep the

video running while you
casually browse your phone.
Every YouTube video is fully
supported, with the app even
supporting playlists, meaning
you can have an endless cycle
of your favourite videos.
In this tutorial, well be
guiding you through the app,
as well as pointing out some of
its best features. For those
unsure, weve also included a
quick guide on getting started.
Control
By pressing on the pop-up

window, youll open up a
range of settings and
options for you to change to
your tastes. If you press the
YouTube icon, youll be
taken back to the YouTube
app where you can continue
watching the video, where
the Settings icon will enable
you to change volume and
graphic controls
Create a pop-up window
By having YouTube and Floating YouTube Popup Video,

creating a pop-up window couldnt be simpler
1 Find
Open up the
YouTube app and
navigate to either one of
your playlists, or a single
video that you want to
watch. After the video
has finished buffering
and begins playing,
pause it and select the
share icon located at the
top of the screen.
2 Share
YouTube videos
can be shared through
loads of different
platforms, but youll
want to scroll down until
you reach the Floating
YouTube Player icon
located near the bottom
of the list. Select it and
youll be taken back to
your home screen.
3 Watch
After a few
seconds the video will
appear in the pop-up
window for you to watch.
If its your first time
using the app, you may
find itll take a while to
fully buffer the window
and you may be asked to
resize the pop-up
window straight away.
Using apps
Even with the pop-up window

open, you can still open up other
apps and use them. You may
notice a slight flicker in the video
quality when you initially open up
an app, but that wont last long.
Use the resizing function to
make using the apps easier
45
Tutorials
Edit images with the
stock Gallery app
Works with
All versions of Android
Manipulate your
photos with
the default set of
Gallery tools
aking photos and saving images to a device

typically leaves little room for more than
viewing. However, the Gallery app has a host
of easy-to-apply effects and options to add
panache and preference to any image. The app
offers a collection of options including filters,
frames, crops and adjustments. There is enough on
offer to manipulate and modify any photo, ready
for printing. The selection of filters will provide an
instant refresh and add much-needed vibrancy.
Alternatively, there are filters to age an image.

The filters are great to experiment with, but if you
dont like the selection they can be undone. A
collection of frames add an edge to recreate
Polaroid-style photos. Crop features a set of tools to
crop, straighten, rotate and mirror an image.
Finally, Adjustment gives users a number of tools
to fine-tune a photo. Users can sharpen an image,
adjust individual colours and add effects to specific
parts of an image before saving.
options
1 Edit
Locate the Gallery app from your home
screen and select an image from the selection
available. To start editing an image tap the pencil
icon on the bottom-left of the screen. Alternatively,
tap the menu icon and select Edit from the menu.
This will reveal the different options.
46
Add a frame
3 There
is a selection of frames that can be
effects
4 Applied
Details of the filters and effects that have
applied to the current image. Tap the frame icon,

second left, to view options. Slide the frames to
the left to view more. To apply a frame, simply tap
the frame of choice. Again to remove a frame tap
the Undo arrow at the top of the screen.
been applied are hidden. To view the applied

effects, tap the menu button and select Show
Applied Effects. This will list the effects, or filters,
that have been applied to the image. This is ideal
when multiple effects have been applied.
2 Filters
The default setting reveals a selection of
filters with None selected. To add a filter simply
tap the filter of choice. Slide the filters to the left
to see more of them. Again select a filter with a
single tap. To remove a filter use the Undo arrow at
the top of the screen.
control
5 Take
Tap the Crop icon to switch to view the
crop options. Hit Crop to activate a grid. To resize
manually grab one of the resize handles and drag
to suit. To change the grid, tap Crop and select a
different option. Now drag and resize to suit again.
Finally tap the tick to apply.
quick The finer points of editing your images

tips
1 Reset
To take an image back to its

original state, head to the menu
icon (top-right) and select Reset.
2 Undo/redo
When working on an image each

action is stored. To go back and
forward, use the undo or redo arrow.
3 Change hue
To add a differ hue to an image,

head to the Adjustment option and
select Hue. Experiment to get it right.
4 Take control
Change the shape of the Vignette

option by selecting the double line
handles and adjusting.
5 Individual colours
Use the Curves Adjustment option

to fine tune levels and adjust reds,
greens and blues.
Fine tuning colours

min and balance
guide
Take control of the editing options and discover how to finish

up an image with some smart fine-tuning
and rotate
6 Straighten
Tap the Straighten icon to view the image.
Tap the screen with two fingers and a grid will
appear. Move your fingers to tilt the image or
straighten it, tapping the tick to apply the
movement. Use the same method for Rotate. The
app only rotates at 90-degree angles.
image
1 Sharper
Select the Adjustment option to reveal
colours
7 Customising
Tap the Adjustment option and select one
the colour options, and swipe left and select

Sharpness. Use the slider to set the sharpen
level. Tap Sharpening to select the alternative
structure. To adjust the setting, use the slider.
Tap the tick to apply effects.
options
2 Local
Go back to the Adjustment icon and
select Local. This will add an element that lets
users adjust a specific part or element of an
image. Tap, hold and drag the element into
position. Adjust size by using the resize handles.
Adjust the Brightness with the slider.
of the options to view. This will have a default

option, so use the slider to adjust. Tap the tick to
apply. Tap the cross to exit. The same method
applies to most options. The Vignette offers more,
letting you resize and reshape.
up
8 Finishing
After adding effects, the obvious option for
saving an image is to tap Save. This will
automatically save the image to Edited Online
Photos. Once an image has been saved, use the
Share button to share via Email, Twitter, Google
Drive and much more.
brightness
3 Adjust
To adjust the saturation and/or contrast,
tap Brightness and select from the list. Again,
use the slider to adjust the option. When happy
with the combination of effects, tap the tick to
apply. Alternatively, tap the trash icon to remove
the current adjustments.
action
4 More
The local element is not confined to just
one option. To add additional elements, simply
tap the + icon to the left of the slider. This will
add a new element in a very minimal state. Tap
and grab a handle to resize and drag into
position as you see fit.
47
DroidSupport
troubleshooting advice hints and tips
expert
emailGotan
an Androidrelated problem that
you need solving?
Let us know!
Share your tips & tricks
Join us on Facebook and Twitter

to share and receive some
great tips and advice
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
Like us on Facebook and join

in our Android community
twitter
@lgrobot
Follow us on Twitter to send

your thoughts and questions
Did you know?

A battery on a phone or tablet can drain
intermittently and at times extremely
quickly. Most devices include a battery
monitor which will show you what is
using your power and if not, there are
many available on Google Play. Chances
are a rogue app is causing the problem.
Multiple email
account problems
I have used my Nexus 7 for
ages with no problem. I had my
email on Hotmail and my wifes
on BT Internet with no problem.
However, I lent the tablet to
someone for a couple of days
as theirs was broken and when
it came back my email wouldnt
work. I did a reset, but now
when I try to set up the two
email accounts, I get the same
message saying unable to
connect. Is there a setting that
needs changing? Anthony Deighton
This is indeed an
unusual problem and
our immediate thought
is that it is a problem with the
device. We are presuming that
you can connect to the internet
normally and if so we would
If youre struggling with connection issues,

try setting up a Google account from scratch
48
advise to first of all try to

connect to your email in the
browser. It may not sound
logical, but connecting via a
browser has been known to
help this kind of problem. Also,
we would suggest setting up a
Google account first, even if you
have to create a dummy one, and
see if that helps. There have
been reports of email connection
problems on the Nexus 7 and it
seems to be something that
affects many different provider
accounts. Other suggestions
include turning SSL off in
settings and we would also
obviously advise doing a full
hard reset before you go any
All Android devices can

cope with multiple email providers
further. Finally, check with your

colleague to see if they did
anything unusual to the Nexus.
In theory they should not be able
to do anything that would cause
this problem and so we would
suggest contacting Google or
Asus as a final option if you
cannot solve it any other way.
email
/littlegreenrobot
Get help from our

Facebook community
Send your questions for our team of

experts to tackle
Phones can be data hungry
Opt for a
bundle to save
you money
money
Can you please please help me, I dont understand. I bought an

Orange SIM card & put it in my Samsung Note. I then topped up and
within seconds my money was gone and Id only downloaded a few
apps and sent a few texts and couldnt understand where my
money had gone, so I topped up again and within seconds it was
gone again. Whats going on?
DroidSupport
facebook
Ask your questions
Got a problem with your Android phone or tablet?

Send it to us and well find the solution
Lorraine Thorpe
You mentioned in your
full question that this
keeps happening so
you will need to turn on
Airplane mode or connect to
Wi-Fi before you go any further.
Some pay-as-you-go SIM cards
are very expensive for data, and
downloading even a couple of
apps could wipe out your credit.
You should ask Orange if you can
pay for a data bundle on your
SIM which will work out to be
much better value. There is also
potentially an irony at play here
in that some network facilities
and apps may be downloaded as
soon as you turn the phone on,

but in theory these should not
count towards your allowance.
In the Settings menu you
should see a Data Usage option.
Select this to see what exactly is
eating up all of your data. It will
break down each activity which
is useful to see what happened
each time. There are also
third-party apps available from
Google Play, such as My Data
Manager, which can alert you
when you are near your limit.
If you are going to use your
phone a lot, we would strongly
suggest not using pay-as-you-go
Many Android phones have data

management installed
data and opting for a bundle to

save you money and increase
your flexibility. Some plans run
at 65p/MB which means a small
20MB app download will use the
entire 10 credit.
hints&tips Get more from your Android phone with our handy hints
Trustworthy apps
If possible, try to only download apps from

Google Play as these are more likely to be
secure. You should still check the permissions
when installing and read the reviews, however,
to be completely sure that they are legitimate.
Always be careful when installing new apps.
Try to stop viruses
There are many apps and services available

that are designed to stop viruses getting
through to your Android device. AVG AntiVirus is a
very good example and will make you and device
much more secure it is also very easy to use and
get up and running.
Protect data
Use an app like 1Password Reader to

gain access to your most important
passwords and log-ins, while ensuring that the
information itself remains secure. You should
always use an extra level of protection like this
on top of the main lockscreen security system.
49
DroidSupport
does everything I need (and more).
Anyhow on my BB when I sent texts
or received texts, they would be
shown in little bubbles or different
colours. Now friends of mine who
use Samsung phones have this on
their texts. I have been unable to set
this up on my Nexus or find anything
online. Is there a way to sort this out?
Stuart McDonald
We would advise looking
at third-party apps to
give you what you need.
For some reason the options are
limited on your phone, but there
are solutions that offer even
more. For example, Light Flow
can customise the LED colours
that show when a new text is
received and also works in many
more situations such as for your
calendar and emails. SmsPopup
will show text alerts on the
screen when they arrive and you
can also customise them to show
in different colours and sizes.
There are many other options
available as well, but in our tests
these two worked very well and
so we would say to try them first.
You can easily customise text alerts with

third-party apps
Text bubbles
and alerts
Hi guys, was wondering if you can

help me. Im an ex-BlackBerry user
whos now using an LG Nexus Google
phone. The phone is brilliant and
Did you know?

If you find that performance and capture is not smooth when
recording video, try to record to the main memory and then
move the video to an SD card. If it is only the playback on the
phone that is choppy, you may need to release some memory.
Dont delete
emails from
the server
I have a Nexus 7 and when I delete

emails from my BT default account
on the Nexus 7, they delete them
from the server. Im sure there was a
setting somewhere on the Nexus 7
that stopped this, but I cannot find it
now. Please can you help?
however, a good habit to delete

emails from the server if you can
as this will save you a lot of time
and ensure that both your
mobile device and desktop
computer are in sync all of the
time. Dont forget that there are
other email apps like K9 that
Mike Hodder
There is a setting for this,
but it is quite well
hidden. While you are in
the default email app, tap the
menu key and then choose
Settings. You will now see two
options listed: General
preferences and your email
address. Select your email
address and scroll down to the
Server settings panel. Now select
Incoming settings and at the
bottom you will see a Delete
email from server option. You
can either choose Never or When
I delete from Inbox. It is,
Some important email settings are well

hidden to users
Random Wi-Fi connections

My Galaxy S3 keeps disconnecting from my Home
Hub router, but the actual internet connection
is fine. What causes this to happen so often?
Sophie Bekinsale, via email
It is easy to
presume that
the problem is
with your Galaxy, but
that may not be the case.
You need to check first
to see if any other
devices experience the
same problem with the
Home Hub and if so we
can safely presume that
there is a problem with
the router itself. We
would suggest turning it
off for a minute and
then back on first and
checking to ensure it has
the latest software
installed. If this does
not help, dive a little
50
deeper into the settings

and check to make sure
that all devices
connected to the router
are set as b/g only. This
is a common settings
problem that can cause
mobile devices to
randomly disconnect.
Also, dont discount that
there may be a physical
fault with the router.
Xbox gaming consoles
can struggle with the
Home Hub and there are
reports that suggest you
are not alone. Finally,
call your service
provider if every other
attempt to fix it fails.
Routers can be as
problematic as mobile devices
Got a great tip, or found a cool

shortcut? Let us know!
mimic the desktop display better

on a mobile device.
twitter
/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot

join our online community
Follow us on Twitter to
send us your tips & tricks
email
Discovered anything good about your

Android phone? Let us know!
Travelling with a tablet
Missing
apps on a
Kindle Fire
Update
60% Complete
I recently purchased a Kindle Fire HD

and was surprised to see that some
of the apps I normally use are not
available on the Amazon app store. Is
there any way for me to get them
without hacking the device?
update update
We bring you the news and
Morgan Bliket
This is a problem that
many new Kindle Fire
users experience
because it is not obvious that
Google Play isnt available at first.
This means that you have to rely
on the apps Amazon offers, of
which there are many
thousands, but in some areas
there are very popular apps
missing. You will need to go to
Settings>Device and make sure
that the Allow Installation of
Applications option is toggled to
On, which will let you install
apps from other sources. You
should always be careful where
you obtain apps from, but for
example you can install Dropbox
by going to www.dropbox.com/
android in the browser and then
downloading the .apk file. Tap it
and it will install automatically.
Similar processes are in place for
apps such as YouTube, but can
be quite complicated to set up.
You can give yourself access to
the services you need without
having to root the Kindle and
once they are installed you
should be fine for future use. The
good news is that the Amazon
app store is growing all of the
time and there are various offers
in place that are not always
available in Google Play.
An Android device can assist you on any trip or holiday
Im visiting Australia in November and will have no phone, just my

trusty Nexus 7. Can you recommend any good apps for my travels?
Im also looking for a contact app, never tried one, but would like to
keep in touch while away. I have looked for Viber, as I have heard its
easier to use than Skype, but it seems to have gone missing in the
Play store. Your advice would be welcome. Steve Parker
Viber is not technically
compatible with the
Nexus 7, but there are
some Android forums where
you can download the .apk file
and install it manually which
has proven to work for many
people. Also, you cannot register
Viber on two devices with the
same number so be careful of
that. We would suggest having
both Skype and Viber installed
so that you have options, but
there are many other apps that

will prove vital. We have listed
three of the best, but the best
advice is to think about your
needs and find the ones that will
suit you perfectly. Google Maps is
already installed and many of
the solutions you need come
with the Nexus 7 so you are well
covered, but the main benefit of
Android is the huge variety of
third-party apps that can cover
every conceivable task.
local
1 Find
businesses
Yellow Pages Australia is a good

example of the diversity of apps on
Android. If you need to find local
businesses, this app will be perfect for
super-quick searching.
directions
2 Perfect
TomTom makes professional
routing solutions for a number of
countries and there are add-ons that
can make a massive difference. The
traffic monitoring service in particular is
very accurate and not too expensive.
organised
3 Get
Before you leave on any trip,
Some important apps are missing on a

Kindle Fire, but you can find workarounds
DroidSupport
facebook
Share your tips
there will be a lot to get organised. An

app like TripIt Travel Organizer will help
you produce an itinerary of trips, keep
records of important documents and
ensure you do not miss anything crucial.
rumours on the latest Android

updates, and the phones that can
run them
ndroid 4.4 is on its

way, and in classic
Android fashion it
should be perfectly timed to
coincide with the start of the
rollout of Android 4.3 to
non-Nexus devices. Samsung
will be among the first off the
rank, with the Galaxy S III
getting yet another update.
The planned 4.2 firmware
release was canned in favour
of jumping straight to 4.3, and
that should start in October. It
will be at least the third
major software update for the
S III in just eighteen months
of availability. The HTC One is
also getting the same update,
and one that will fix a
commonly reported problem
with the camera when used
in low light conditions. At the
time of writing very little is
known about Android 4.4, or
KitKat. Given that Google has
assigned it a new name it can
reasonably be expected to be
a bigger update than 4.3 was,
but is unlikely to bring about
any major UI changes. These
would be expected in version
5. It also seems as though
Google is attempting to tackle
the fragmentation issues that
have plagued Android since
its inception. Word is that the
new OS will be optimised to
run on older or less powerful
hardware, removing obstacles
to upgrading, with key
features being pushed out
independently of the full OS
update itself.
51
Challenge
Can you learn

magic using apps?
We hid our wands and put the best magic apps to the test
52
Set us a challenge!
Test us out through
Facebook and Twitter
facebook
twitter
/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot
share your thoughts
Follow us on Twitter and

send your comments
App checklist
Magic- Tricks Tutorials
Price: Free
Developer: New Media GmbH
Magic Training
Price: Free
Developer: xaharx
Magic Card Tricks

Price: Free
Developer: montysmagic
Coin Tricks
Price: Free
Developer: Feather Tech
How To Learn Magic

Price: Free
Developer: AMNcom
Audio Quick Magic

Handbook
Price: Free
Developer: Fruity Production
With visual guides to performing basic tricks youll be
able to get started very quickly
e wont pretend to know much about

magic as a whole, but being able to cut
someone in half is a pretty incredible
feat! For this challenge, however, weve set our
sights a fair bit lower, and want to see if by using
the various magic apps available on the Google
Play store, we can, not only learn the basics of
being a magician, but also start building a library of
tricks that can leave our friends and family
completely dumbfounded.
Grasping the basics

Magic has come a long way from the days of pulling
rabbits out of top hats and the rise in its popularity
has paved the way to a selection of magic apps
now appearing on the Google Play store. Our lack of
previous experience meant we needed to start
right from the bottom with both the How To Learn
Magic and Magic Training apps.
Both include comprehensive guides on the
equipment needed and also an introduction to
magic in general. We also used both apps to help
learn some of the very basic tricks that anyone can
look to master. One problem we did find out with
both apps is the lack of video content to help us
really master each trick and without any visuals to
guide us, we struggled at times.
Practice makes perfect

After mastering the absolute basics, we looked to
expand our library of tricks pretty rapidly. There
were many, many apps we tried out, but the best
were the Magic- Tricks Tutorials, Magic Tricks:
Beginners Guide, Easy Magic 1 and Audio Quick
Magic Handbook apps. Out of all these apps, we
especially liked the Easy Magic 1 app which offered
Magic Training is a great app to start with. Youll pick

up the basics, and some classic moves, in no time
If youre serious about magic,

check out the online store
included in Magic Training,
which includes various kits
for you to purchase.
some great tutorials relating to certain tricks, while

not being overly complicated to follow.
A couple of other apps we checked out at this
point were the Illusion Master and Coin Tricks apps.
The first provided a more comprehensive overview
on more tricks, but we soon realised we werent
ready for what was on offer. Although the Coin
Tricks app isnt strictly magic, it does point out
some very cool and quick tricks that can be done
with any coin you have spare.
Shuffle up and deal

Another area closely linked with magic, and one
that has seen a large number of apps covering it, is
the trusty card trick. Thanks to the basics we had
learnt previously from the magic apps we had
previously covered, using the Magic Card Tricks app
was easy. Not only were the tricks easy to
remember, there were video tutorials which proved
invaluable by the end. To take it to the next level,
we then downloaded the Sleight of Hand Card
Master, which instead of focusing on card tricks,
showed how magicians implement sleight of hand
into their routines. It isnt an easy thing to learn, to
say the least, but for anyone who has a remote
interest in becoming a magician, or just being able
to take on more advanced tricks, then this app is
an essential download.
Easy Magic 1
Price: Free
Developer: montysmagic
Beginners Guide
Price: 0.85/1.37
Developer: KoolAppz
Sleight of Hand
Card Master
Price: Free
Developer: Master Paul
Illusion Master
Price: Free
Developer: Master Paul
Success rating
95
Verdict: Complete
There are some brilliant magic apps

available for download from the
Google Play store, with most of them
not costing you anything. The
selection is so great that anyone can
try their hand at some basic tricks, be
it for magic, cards or even coins! Go
on, its time to pull that rabbit out.
53
Explore the limits of your Android device
Hacker Zne
Tips and tricks
status update
Which devices are best for
the hacking scene?
Nexus 7
(2013)
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
nnn Medium
Easily rooted and with
almost unlimited
potential for hacks
and mods once the
worldwide launch
gets fully under way.
Samsung
Galaxy S4
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
nnn Medium
This flagship device is
being adopted by devs
just a widely as its
predecessor the
Galaxy S III was.
Manually
upgrade to
Android 4.3
Dont wait for your mobile network to

eventually get around to pushing an
upgrade to Android 4.3 you can
take matters into your own hands!
There are various online resources
offering ROMs based on Android 4.3
(also known as Jelly Bean), and all
you need to do is search, confirm
that there is a suitable ROM for your
device and download the file. As long
HTC One
Get quick
access to
contacts
with a swipe
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
nnn Medium
Most of the usual
suspects are present
and correct. Hopefully
there will be more
unique tweaks and
mods still to come.
Nexus 4
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
nnn Yes
At such a low price the
Nexus 4 is has
become one of the
must-have devices for
developers. Great
news for the rest of us!
as you have an Android phone or

tablet with root access and an
unlocked bootloader, youll be able to
install a ROM based on Android 4.3.
The best place to check is
XDA-developers.com, where you will
find ROMs that can be installed on a
wide selection of current and older
phones using tools such as
ClockworkMod Recovery and TWRP.
CyanogenMod 10.2 is the most
common Android 4.3 ROM, and is the
latest version from the
CyanogenMod team that has been
building alternative ROMs since
Android Gingerbread. It supports the
widest number of devices, and often
gets ported to less popular handsets
as well, bringing easy updates to the
widest number of users.
Android 4.3 is waiting for you on

XDA-developers.com
Save time making calls with these

easy-to-access shortcuts buttons
Browsing through a long list of

contacts can be a pain, especially
when youre trying to get hold of
someone in a hurry. While the
Android Call Log screen can be
useful, it is less than ideal.
Contacts Notification+Sidebar is a
very useful app that enables you to
set up to eight regular contacts that
can easily be accessed via the

notification bar or a hidden sidebar
menu, opened with a small swipe.
Once a contact is selected, you
can opt to call, email, message or
even make a video call; this can be
done from whatever application
youre currently running, saving a lot
of time and enabling you to make
more or less instant calls.
If the sidebar doesnt suit you,
meanwhile, this app also lets you
access your contacts via the
notification bar. Contacts
Notification+Sidebar is available free
from the Google Play store.
Go hands-free
2 Perhaps
the ultimate hands-
notifications
3 VIP
Although the notification bar
quickhacks
Get Moto X
features
The new Moto X handset from

Motorola the first new phone
from the company since Googles
buyout comes with several slick
extras. Rather than wait for these
extras to arrive in future Android
releases, you can get your hands
on them now. Heres how
54
to launch
1 Flick
One impressive Moto X feature
is the ability to shake the phone to
launch the camera app, which can
save time when a photo opportunity
arises. Get the same feature by
installing Twisty Launcher.
free feature, Motorola Assist is a

combination of Tasker and Robin.
Robin reads incoming messages and
suggests new routes, even providing
Facebook updates if youre stuck.
flashes updates, if the display is

off you can miss them. The Moto
X Active Display presents updates
as they arrive; you can replicate
this with DynamicNotifications.
Discovered a great hack or

tweak? Let us know!
Floating
apps for
Android
multitasking
Whether you use a phone or a tablet,

there are various apps that you can
call upon that will appear as windows
on your Android home screen just
like a desktop PC.
Various apps (just search for
floating on Google Play) can be
installed, covering everything from
pop-out YouTube players that can sit
in the corner of your home screen
(although you can place windows
wherever you want) to calculators,
image galleries, browser windows
and even phone dialers.
If you want to get productive, youll
find a useful collection of free
mini-apps called Tiny Apps (Floating),
which includes a note-taking app,
paint tool, calculator, sound recorder
and music player, all of which can be
opened on your Android home
screen in their own floating windows.
Floating apps and multitasking
tools are getting increasingly popular
for Android, so keep an eye out for
similar tools in coming months.
Yes, Android really can multi-task all you

need is a trip to the Play store
Hacking the easy way
facebook
email
/littlegreenrobot

send us your comments
Is there anything youd like to see us

cover in the mag? Drop us a line!
Get up to speed on all the

terms you need to know
when hacking your phone
Dont let
wireless
networking
sleep
Remarkably you can save battery life

by leaving wireless networking
enabled when your Android
smartphone goes to sleep.
As crazy as it might sound, this
works because it prevents your
phone or tablet switching to 3G/4G
and these require more battery
than Wi-Fi. To configure Android to
leave your wireless connection open
when the device sleeps, open
Settings>Wireless & networks> Wi-Fi
and select Menu>Advanced, where
the option to keep Wi-Fi active can
be found under the Wi-Fi sleep policy.
Youll want to set it to Never. Older
versions of Android might have the
Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep option,
which should be set to Always.
Now, if your battery is particularly
low on juice, we wouldnt advise this
step, but should you have a strong
charge and want to keep connected
without sacrificing battery life, this is
a useful trick to know.
Cant take
screenshots? Try
this tip
Most Android devices should enable

you to take screenshots, but working
out the correct method can be tricky.
In current iterations, the screenshot
can be captured by holding the
volume down and power button
together youll see when the shot is
OS
Short for operating system. Often the

Android ROM will be referred to as the
OS this just means the system files
on the Android device that make up
your user experience, similar to
Windows, Mac OS X or Ubuntu on a
desktop computer.
ROM
Stands for read-only memory. In the

context of Android, the ROM refers to
the files that make up the operating
system installed on your device.
Gaining root privileges allows for
replacement of the standard ROM
with a custom one.
Root
3G and 4G connectivity can use more

battery than Wi-Fi
taken as the image will briefly freeze.

Should this fail to work, try holding
the power button on its own the
power menu may feature the
screenshot option. Older versions of
Android may also support the Power
button and Home combination, while
there are various apps you can install
from the Google Play store. Using an
app can prove useful some can be
configured to capture the screen
image using just a gesture.
If none of these tools or
combinations work, you can always
try AirDroid for your desktop
computer, which also enables you to
take screenshots once the Android
client application is installed.
Working out
the correct
method can
be tricky
Get great new features without getting your hands (too) dirty
Android
Tweaker (PRO)
Cydia
Substrate
Wugs Nexus
Root Toolkit
From: Google Play

Need root? Yes
Your choice of
tweaking utility is
largely limited by
device, version or
ROM, but Android
Tweaker enables audio,
connectivity and other
system-tuning hacks.
From: Google Play

Need root? Yes
Cydia gained notoriety
as the software
manager for jailbroken
iPhones; with
Substrate you can
install various tweaks
and enhancements to
modify other apps.
From: XDA
Need root? No
Now including support
for the Nexus 7, this
collection of rooting
tools unlocks
bootloaders, offers
one-click root and even
manages restoration
of your stock ROM.
2.53/$4.00
Jargon
Buster
Hacker Zne
Share your tips
Free
Check our website daily

for even more tips & tricks
Free
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 Manager
An app available from the Android

Market that enables you to install
a whole new version of your OS with
a single click. It requires a rooted
phone to use and is ideal for those
new on the scene.
Titanium Backup
This 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 youve updated or
changed the ROM.
Unrevoked
Available from www.unrevoked.com,

this is a one-click tool that can be
used for rooting many popular
HTC smartphones.
ADB
Stands 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 files onto the system
folder, for instance.
Nandroid
You might come across the phrase

perform a Nandroid backup. This
means using a custom recovery tool
to make a back-up image of everything
currently on your phone: OS, apps,
data, etc. Its 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.
Flash
The storage in your device comprises

flash memory, a type of solid-state
storage. The terms flash or flashing
mean installing new software onto your
devices storage.
55
Hacker Zne
10 ESSENTIAL
HACKS AND MODS
Practical hacks to help
you get more from your
phone or tablet
Root your phone with one-click
Rooting an Android
device is a process
that differs from one model to the next, and
can be done using methods of differing levels
of complexity. The simplest way to root is by
using a one-click tool. These utilise an app
that either runs directly on your device or via
a USB connection to your desktop. The
benefits to these is that you dont require any
real knowledge of what is going on and that
they are quick and safe. In most cases they
will not install a custom recovery as part of
the process, so you will need to install ROM
Manager and do this yourself before youre
able to start flashing any ROMs or mods.
56
Framaroot
SuperOneClick
Framaroot can be downloaded from bit.

ly/145Ifjs and works for many Galaxy,
Motorola and LG devices. It runs on the phone
and gives you the choice of exploits to try and
root with. Pick one and see what happens.
Available from shortfuse.org, this legendary

app enjoys wide device support and runs
natively on Windows or Ubuntu-based
machines. Enable USB debugging on your
device and ensure youve installed the
drivers for your computer. Then click Root.
Root Transmission
Download Root Transmission from bit.
ly/13D0g9j. This tool enables you to root a
phone using another rooted device. The
rooted device needs to have USB On-The-Go
capability and is a useful tool when you dont
have access to your computer. Works with
many Galaxy and Asus devices.
Root_with_Restore
Download from bit.ly/Scs00l. It works mostly
with Sony devices, but also the Nexus 7 and
select models from HTC, LG and Samsung.
Download and extract the software and then
run it by double-clicking the RunMe.bat icon.
Now just follow the onscreen instructions.
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Tweak your own

custom ROM
2
Add your own selection of apps

to your favourite custom ROM
f youre into hacking Android, you will

no doubt have explored the world of
custom ROMs. With dozens available for
almost every device you can normally find
one that you like. Yet what happens if you
cannot find your perfect ROM? The answer:
make your own. Android is an open source
operating system, and the open source
base ROM
3 Import
Locate your source ROM, or Nandroid
backup that you have copied from your phone.
You can use this to add or remove apps. To
import it to the kitchen, simply drag and drop
the ROM (do not unzip it if it is in the .zip format)
into original_update in the Kitchen directory.
ethos runs firmly throughout the Android

hacking community. You can pick a ROM
that you like, and further tweak and tailor
so that it meets your needs. It is
complicated, though, and starting from
scratch requires you to be either a
developer or keen to learn. The best place
to get started is using Kitchen apps that
enable you to take a ROM and repackage it.

For this project were using dsixdas
Android Kitchen, which runs on Windows,
Linux and Mac, and can be used to modify
existing shipped ROMs, custom ROMs or
your own Nandroid backups. You can add
or remove apps and make other tweaks,
including using your own scripts.
the tools
1 Prepare
To begin you will need to download and
the kitchen
2 Run
To launch the Kitchen, unzip it and open
install dsixdas Android Kitchen. Depending on

whether youre using Windows, Mac or Linux you
may need to download a few other things as
well in order for it to work. Follow the FAQs at
bit.ly/Xks0xs for the full details.
up a Terminal or command line prompt. The

required commands differ depending on the OS.
Change to the kitchen directory using the
command cd followed by the path to the
kitchen folder. Then type ./menu to launch.
and remove
4 Add
ROMs often feature apps you dont
need, and lack those that you do. When in the
Kitchen you can add or remove apps by adding
or deleting the .apk file in the system/app folder
in the WORKING_myrom directory. This is an
easy way to customise your ROMs features.
the APKs
5 ZipAlign
After adding new apps you will need to
zip align them. This optimises the apps, and will
greatly improve performance. In the Kitchen
menu, press 5 and Enter, and then press Y.
Once this is done use option 23 to check for any
errors. You can now rebuild and flash the ROM.
57
10
ESSENTIAL
HACKS AND MODS
Override
settings for
each app
3
App Override enables you

to configure a number of
system settings on a
per-app basis
58
pp Override by Runaway
Fridge (currently in Beta
testing and free to download
from the Play store) is an
application that enables you to
configure a growing number of
system settings including Screen
Orientation, Font Size, Input
method, Screen Timeout, Minimum
CPU Speed, Maximum CPU
Speed, Sound Mode and Wifi
settings for individual
applications. Rather than
configuring these settings system
wide, App Override will
automatically set them as the
chosen application is
launched and restore them
back to the system default
when you leave the app.
There are often times
when you might want to have,
for example, a larger font size, but not
want it to take affect right across
your device and App Override
makes that possible. Root access is
required for some of the options
(currently only Input method,
Minimum CPU Speed and Maximum
CPU Speed), but if you dont have root
access you can still use the
application however your choice of
controls will be more limited.
App Override is compatible with all
versions of Android from 2.3
Gingerbread onwards and can be
switched on and off with a main
toggle button. When the application
is active, an icon is displayed in the
notification area (which can be
disabled if you choose to do so). App
Override can be started manually or
configured to start when your device
initially boots up.
app
1 Download
Search for App Override in the
Play store and download the
application. After installing and
opening it from your launcher, you will
be presented with your application
list. Pressing the toggle button in the
top-left labelled Off will enable the
application and youll see a
notification icon appear.
6 Orientation lock
The orientation lock enables

you to set a specific device
orientation for an app. You are not
limited to portrait or landscape you
can also set reverse portrait or
reverse landscape, as well as
automatic. This could be useful to
prevent the browser rotating when
youre lazing on the sofa!
Hacker Zne
to Control
2 What
By default, App Override will
only enable you to control Input
method, Orientation and Screen
Timeout. By pressing the What to
Control button you can toggle the
other items including Font Size,
Minimum CPU Speed, Maximum
CPU Speed, Sound Mode and Wifi.
Enable them all if you feel like it.
7 Screen control
Isnt it frustrating when you

are reading something on your
device and the screen times out?
App Override lets you set the
screen timeout to a level between
30 seconds and 12 minutes. Be
careful itd be easy to accidentally
run down your battery by leaving
your screen on in a customised app.
on boot?
3 Start
The third button, labelled
Settings, lets you choose whether
to display a notification bar icon and
whether App Override should start
on boot. While you test and get
used to using the app, its probably
best to display the icon when active
and not have the application start
on boot (the default).
8 CPU speeds
Provided you have root

access on your device, the ability to
lock minimum and maximum CPU
speeds can be useful. If you have a
power-hungry app where you need
maximum performance, you can
crank up the speed. If you want to
save battery in a low stress app, try
reducing the maximum speed.
override
4 First
The main App Override view
gives you a long list of all your
installed applications. Clicking the
name of an app enables you to
configure the options that you have
enabled. For each option you can
choose the apps start behaviour
whether to ignore the launch, set to
default or customise.
9 Toggle Wifi
There are a number of

different ways of managing Wi-Fi,
and we find one of our favourite
ways is to use WiFi-Matic to enable
or disable by location. App Override
gives another alternative enabling
Wi-Fi only for specific applications,
perhaps ones that might use a lot
of your data allowance.
font size
5 Set
The Font Size option lets you
specify a custom font size for your
app, which might be useful for an
app where you are reading a lot of
text content but the app doesnt let
you configure the font size. You can
scale the font to a massive 170%,
but you can also decrease the font
size down to 60% too.
10 Input methods
One of the best things about

Android is the ability to use different
Input methods. Some are better
suited to different apps than others
however. For example, you might
want to use App Override to switch
to an Emoji-enabled keyboard just
for when youre sending instant
messages to your friends.
59
10
ESSENTIAL
HACKS AND MODS
Control your
background apps
4
Sick of apps draining your battery and bandwidth? Its time to give Greenify a go
ow often do you recharge your

Android smartphone or tablet?
Daily? Twice a day? Do you need to
keep it docked to maintain the charge for
when you head out and about? If so, the
chances are you have a few apps that are
causing problems by working in the
background when they should really be
resting. The resulting network connections
can drain your battery in just a couple of
interface
1 User
The most effective apps are simple to
use, and Greenify is certainly no different. The
first screen will list your choice of Hibernated
apps, but of course on first run this will be empty.
To add an app to the list, tap the + button to
display a list of all apps.
apps to hibernate
4 Select
In the App Analyzer you can hibernate
multiple apps by selecting each in turn. You can
just as easily select a single app. To apply
Greenifys hibernation magic, tap the tick button
in the top-right corner. Greenify will inform you
that the app is being hibernated.
60
hours, something that can prove both

inconvenient and costly.
With Greenify you can instruct Android to
block apps from running in the background.
Greenify requires your device to be rooted,
and draws a line in the sand to stop apps
from draining your resources after all,
theres really no need for it to happen.
Unlike other app-killers, the secret of
Greenifys success is in the hibernation of
Analyzer
2 App
The screen listing your apps is the App
Analyzer, where you will see your apps grouped
into categories such as Running in background,
Scheduled running and May slow down the
device. If the app you wish to hibernate isnt
listed, tap More or use Search (top-right corner).
the list
5 Manage
As you hibernate resource-hogging apps,
they will be added to the Hibernated list, the first
screen you encounter when running the app. This
vital screen enables you to launch hibernated
apps by tapping Play; similarly you can put them
back to sleep using the Zzz button.
the resource-draining apps. This is in

contrast to the cat-and-mouse, stop-startstop that can occur with some (resulting in
additional battery use), and unlike Titanium
Backup Pros freeze feature, you can still use
apps hibernated in Greenify.
While not ideal for alarm clocks or
messaging apps, Greenify is a superb,
lightweight solution for Android devices to
battery-draining apps.
and select
3 Search
The Search button returns you to the
home screen where you can find the app you
wish to add to Greenify using the App Picker tool.
You can also browse through the app list, tapping
the App Picker button in the Notification Area
when the app is running.
6 Which apps should

you hibernate?
The App Analyzer list can prove a little tricky to

handle, especially if you dont know which apps
are draining your battery. Apps listed under
Running in background should be your priority as
these will be using up resources.
Hacker Zne
Restore your data

the easy way
Use Titanium Backup to quickly flash all your apps
and data after flashing a ROM
running
7 Scheduled
Apps listed under Scheduled running,
meanwhile, can perhaps be the most dangerous.
If there is no need that you can see for an app to
run on a scheduled basis, then you should
consider hibernating it so that it is only activated
when you permit it.
down apps
8 Slow
Any apps listed under the May slow down
pro
1 Go
If you havent already got it, download
up your data
2 Back
First you need to back up your data. In
Titanium Backup Pro from the Play store. Youll

need root access to be able to use it, so grant
this when prompted. Tap the tick icon in the
top-right of the main screen to start setting up
your first backup.
the Backup section of the Batch Actions

screen choose your preferred option Backup
all user apps + system data will create a full
backup of everything on your phone. Hit Run to
set the process in motion.
the device heading are those that rely on

particular events to launch. These are resourceheavy apps that should only be used in certain
scenarios again, this list should be short,
focusing on regularly used apps.
apps, save
9 Hibernate
your battery
Battery performance can be improved using
Greenify, and apps that you have hibernated are
easily woken up. For added control, you can use
the Disable auto-hibernation menu option to
prevent hibernation of any apps.
update.zip
3 Create
With the backup complete, scroll down
the Batch Actions screen to Recovery Mode
and select Create update.zip from app+data
backups. You can now choose which data you
want in your flashable zip. Make your choice
and then hit the green tick button.
to restore
4 Flash
Your data is now fully backed up and
flashable in either CWM or TWRP recovery.
Now when you wipe your data before flashing
a ROM you can flash this update.zip as well,
and when you reboot into the new ROM all your
apps and data will be waiting for you.
61
10
ESSENTIAL
HACKS AND MODS
Hack and
tweak with
one click
6
Andromizer and Andromizer Pro

give easy access to a plethora
of modifications
62
ndromizer is a universal
toolkit that provided you
have root access and a
Busybox binary installed gives
access to a huge number of
modifications, tweaks and hacks
on your Android device, all via an
easy-to-use interface. Available in
both free and paid (1.81/$2.76) pro
versions, the app includes a host of
universal modifications, as well as
device specific tweaks for a growing
number of devices primarily
Samsung products at the moment.
In addition, Andromizer provides a
number of easy-to-use features
including a system information
viewer, reboot tools, a one-touch
optimisation option, a ROM cleaner,
user and system data backup and
restore features (pro version
required) and a tool to back up and
restore SMS and call logs. If you
are using a TWRP or PhilZ
recovery image, one-touch links
are also provided by
Andromizer to boot to recovery
and run a backup, restore,
wipe or zip installation.
As with all root applications
(and particularly modification
or hacking apps), using some
of the tweaks can be
dangerous you should take a
full Nandroid backup of your
device before you start and copy
it to your computer, in case you
have to completely factory reset.
Well show you how to install
BusyBox on your device so that you
are ready to use Andromizer right
away, as well as taking you through a
selection of the features that the
application offers.
BusyBox
1 Install
BusyBox is a binary that
includes a host of useful shell
commands. These are often used
by hacking applications, but they
are also useful if you run an ADB
shell. To install, download Busybox
by JRummy or Stericson from the
Play store. Launch the app and
install BusyBox as prompted.
6 Kernel tweaks
The One-Touch Kernel

Tweaks option, found in the Tweaks
section, enables you to quickly and
easily change kernel options
including frequency, governor,
scheduler, power saving and more.
You can apply changes temporarily
(until reboot) or such that they
survive reboots. Try first!
Hacker Zne
Scan
2 WiFi
Interval
Andromizer lets you set the WiFi
Scan Interval for your device. This
value, set in ms and found on the
Settings page of the application,
controls how often your device
checks for new networks when not
connected to one. Increasing this
value can help save battery power.
7 Build Prop
The Build Prop Manager lets

you edit your devices build.prop
values. Using the editor you can
change your device to appear as
something else, change the ROM
version display, switch default
locale or modify a whole host of low
level settings. This is a particularly
dangerous area in which to play!
the
3 Increase
WindowMgr
Also found in the Settings page,
some users have found that
increasing the WindowMgr Max
Events Per Second value can help
with scrolling and animation
smoothness, as it lets the Window
Manager to process on screen
tasks more quickly.
8 3G/4G settings
The 3G/4G Optimizer

enables you to modify your HSPA
settings. By modifying the HSDPA
(download) category and HSUPA
(upload) category you may be able
to improve data speeds. To check
the meaning of your current values
you can refer to the HSDPA and
HSUPA pages on Wikipedia.
Density
4 LCD
Changing the LCD Density of
your device enables you to make
onscreen elements smaller (by
increasing the value) or larger (by
decreasing the value). Not all
applications will appear correctly at
different densities, so there is likely
to be some trial and error required
in finding a value that you like.
9 Optimiser
If youre not sure which

settings to change but you want a
quick and easy boost to your
system, the One-Touch Optimisation
option is worth a try. The low risk
changes applied here should give
your device a small performance
upgrade. If you use logcat, note that
it is disabled by this option!
Heap Size
5 Dalvik
The Dalvik Heap Size
corresponds to how much heap
(memory space) an app (actually an
instance of the dalvik VM) can use.
Apps can be slowed down by
memory management tasks if their
usage approaches the maximum
size, in which case increasing this
value may offer some benefit.
10 Regain space
Andromizers ROM Cleaner

function clears a host of different
caches, which could help you regain
some of your devices precious
storage space. Many of the areas
cleaned should be automatically
maintained by Android, but we did
regain a little bit of space by running
the tool, so its worth a go.
63
10
ESSENTIAL
HACKS AND MODS
Run Linux from

your phone
7
Boot any computer into your

Linux distro of choice with just a
few simple steps
ant to test out a version

of Linux, or do you
tinker with your PC to
such an extent that you need to
keep a rescue system on hand?
Using the free utility DriveDroid
you can boot directly into Linux
simply by connecting your phone.
DriveDroid simplifies the process,
ensuring your phone is compatible
then guiding you through the
download and boot processes.
Your phone will need to be rooted,
and you will need to ensure youve
got plenty of free storage, plus a
USB cable to connect to any PC.
up your phone
1 Set
The opening step for DriveDroid is to follow the
guide to ensure your phone is set up properly to work.
Dont skip this step; if you encounter any problems,
the solution is likely to found be in here.
an image
2 Download
When that is complete you will need to get a
Linux image to boot in to. The app will give you access
to a long list of supported Linux distros, so pick and
download. For testing, Ubunutu is a good start.
the image
3 Choose
With your Linux image downloaded you are now
ready to boot your PC. Select the image file from the
DriveDroid main screen and choose Writable USB or
Read-only USB. The former is preferred for full OS
access; the latter good for working on an infected PC.
Set your phone for one-handed use

Give
root
permissions
Give root permissions

to the Assistive Zoom
app. You will now be
launched into the
configuration screen
for the app. Follow the
instructions to get up
and running.
64
and go
4 Connect
Make sure USB boot is the primary boot
method on your computer, then connect your
smartphone via USB and power on the PC. It should
now boot into Linux rather than Windows or whatever
other OS you have got installed.
Use Assistive Zoom to zoom in and out with just one finger
Follow
the
setup guide
The app is accessed

by tapping the
magnifying glass that
appears anchored to
the side of the screen.
Hold on the icon and
slide your finger to
zoom in or out.
One
hand
zooming
Now launch an app

that supports pinch to
zoom, such as a web
browser. Zooming
starts once you lift
your finger from the
screen. Long press to
view extra settings.
Get rid of a manufacturers bloat-heavy skin
or delete
1 Disable
Download and launch NoBloat Free, and
apps
2 Re-enable
Disabled apps are kept in the system but
grant root access when prompted. Tap the

System apps to see all the built-in apps that
cant be uninstalled. Pick an item you would like
to remove, tap on it and choose either Disable
or Backup and delete.
are hidden and will not run. This is a good option

for apps that run in the background by default,
and a good way to test the impact of removing
an app before you delete it. Go to Disabled apps
to re-enable or fully remove them.
10
from backup
3 Restore
Go to Backed up apps to restore those
apps you have deleted. Obviously you cannot
restore an app you did not back up, which is why
it is important to do so. If youre absolutely
certain youll never need the app, you can delete
the backup instead.
Recover deleted files

with Undelete
Grant superuser permissions

when prompted on launching
Undelete. Tap select storage to
choose whether to scan internal or
external storage. Your options will
be limited to only those drives
supported. Select the option then
tap Scan storage to continue.
Hacker Zne
9 Remove
unwanted
system apps
ost phones come with a certain level of

customisation. Often this will amount to not much
more than a few extra apps, but sometimes a
phone will have a huge custom skin packed with additional
features that you dont need. Usually these apps will not be
able to be removed through normal methods, so youre
stuck with them cluttering up your app drawer and possibly
even using system resources whether you like it or not.
With NoBloat Free you can safely rid your phone of much of
this junk. You can disable or even completely uninstall the
apps you dont want, safe in the knowledge that you can
restore them just as easily should you ever change your
mind. Your device must be rooted for this app to work.
Ever deleted a precious file by mistake? You might be

able to get it back using this free download
Scanning your selected

storage area may take a few
minutes depending on how large it
is and how much activity there has
been on it. When complete, all the
deleted, but recoverable files, will
be shown. Swipe sideways to filter
by content, or type a filename.
Tap on a file or multiple files

and hit the Restore button at
the bottom of the screen. The free
version of the app only works with
image files, so register if you want
to restore files in other formats. Not
all files will be able to be recovered,
so this is a last resort app only.
Finally for added security you

can also choose to Shred
files. This will remove them
completely from your memory card
and make sure they cannot be
recovered at all. The process is the
same as it is for restoring: choose
the files and hit the Shred button.
65
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Feature
Retro Gaming on Android
RETRO GAMING
ANDROID
ON
Thanks to the rise in emulation, retro has never been so relevant
68
Feature
Emulator FAQs
What are the legal issues
surrounding emulators?
Is it illegal to run a
console emulator on
Android?
No. Emulators are used to mimic
A a gaming console and are not
illegal by themselves. Running ROMs
that you dont have the right to run on
them is illegal, however.
emember the years of impossible bosses

and blowing endlessly into the bottom of
cartridges to get them working? Well, if you
fondly remember those days then youll be happy
to hear retro gaming is getting a bit of a revival on
the Android operating system. Were treated to
some of the most jaw-dropping games on our
smartphones, but nothing can match the old
school feeling of firing up a spot of Contra on the
Nintendo Entertainment System.
By venturing onto the Google Play store, there
are hundreds of retro-styled games readily
available for you to download, with companies such
as Sega re-releasing some of its classic titles for a
new wave of users to enjoy. Third-party developers
are getting in on the act too, with a number of
stellar 8-bit inspired titles springing to the top of
the download charts.
Why emulation is key

Most of the credit for the retro revival on Android
has to lie at the feet of the wave of emulators
readily available. Being exact mimics of the
consoles they represent, emulators are now on
par, if not better than their desktop counterparts.
Controls can now be fully mapped, saved games
can be stored both locally and within the crowd
and there are even apps to help connect your
modern day game controllers to your phone.
Emulators not only give the chance for a new
generation of gamers looking to enjoy some of the
Emulators open up
a new and diverse
way to get your
hands on the
games you love
best games of yesteryear, it also gives them a
chance to modify the way in which they play them.
There are plenty of legal issues surrounding
emulators and the games you can play on them,
many of which weve addressed in the panel on
this page, but emulators open up a new and
diverse way to get your hands on the games you
love. Emulation is very much here to stay.
Create your own

The other defining factor for the retro rise on
Android is due to the ever-increasing number of
developers creating homebrew and open-source
games for users to enjoy. The nature of the
Android OS enables developers to put together
their own ports of popular games using available
source code and readily distribute to the masses.
Many of these games are available on the
Google Play store, but some are found lurking in
the dingy areas of the internet available as free
downloads. Although theres a distinct trend to
focus more on the high-end games, we now see
more people looking for an old-school gaming
experience. These sort of games rekindle
some of the best gaming moments from
some of the most loved consoles of the
past. To celebrate weve even covered a
selection of the most popular
homebrew games in this
very feature.
What are the

restrictions of running a
ROM on an emulator?
The only games you can play on
A an emulator are ones that are
legally available to play. This normally
discounts commercial games.
Am I allowed to play
homebrew games on
my smartphone?
There are no issues downloading
A homebrew games onto your
smartphone, as long as it has been
downloaded from an appropriate place.
Can I download a ROM

of a game that I own a
physical copy of?
No, this is a misconception. It is a
A grey area of the law, may differ
from one country to the next, and
copyright law is currently changing in the
UK. Broadly speaking though, owning a
physical copy does not entitle you to
own a digital copy, especially one not
officially released.
Is it legal to play games

whose owners are now
out of business?
Even though there may be no
A actual owner to these games, due
to the company going out of business,
its still illegal to download these ROMs.
What legal action could

I face if Im caught
using a ROM?
You could face prosection,
A although in practice there are very
few test cases to clarify exactly what the
law entails.
69
Feature
CORRECTLY CONFIGURE
AN EMULATOR
Follow these steps to guarantee your emulator works flawlessly
no matter what device you use
here are a ton of settings to consider when

looking to correctly set up an emulator, so
much in fact that it can be a bit
overwhelming for those without previous
experience in using them. Although many of the
settings of an emulator can be left how they are,
there are a few that youll need to adjust and

configure based on your smartphone. The four
steps below will walk you through some of the
common settings youll need to explore in any
emulator, but for the purpose of this tutorial,
weve used the MyBoy! Game Boy emulator.
Connect
an external
controller
Use Bluetooth and Sixaxis
to connect your PS3 controller
to your smartphone
Compatibility
Alongside the Sixaxis app, make

sure to download the Compatibility
Checker app, which will scan your phone
and ensure your phone is compatible to
pair with the PS3 controller.
the basics
1 Learn
For most emulators, youll see a main
page that looks like the one above. Although
most of these sections will go untouched,
chances are youll need to toggle with certain
things relating to the video and input of the
emulator on your smartphone to get the
optimum playing experience.
c features
2 Specifi
Firstly venture into the features section
of your emulator. Here youll see how the
emulator copes with the more advanced
features. One of the benefits of having a
smartphone is that you can take advantage of
things like motion control, so make sure to
have that option enabled.
Pair the controller
After confirming a compatible

smartphone, open up the Sixaxis
software and press the Pair button. It can
take a while for the controller to first
connect to your phone, but any future
pairing will be much quicker.
Map controls
70
video
3 Edit
Depending on how old your phone is,
states
4 Save
If the emulator you are using supports
youll need to adjust the Frame Rate option in

the Video section. Setting a lower frame rate
skip will mean the game will run at its full
capacity, while a higher frame rate skip will
mean it runs a more condensed version that is
better for older phones.
game saves, then make sure to change the

types of saves it makes each time. Some
saves can take up a lot of your phones internal
storage, so its best advised to choose a small
Flash save or completely disable the feature
altogether, if you see fit.
Load up a
game currently
stored on your phone.
Depending on the
game, there should be
a menu where you can
map out the controls
to match the layout of
your PS3 controller.
Feature
ANDROIDS
BEST CONSOLE EMULATORS
1981
BBC MICRO
Beebdroid
Price: Free
It can be a bit
fiddly to get
working initially,
but Beebdroid is
one of the most
sophisticated
emulators available to Android users free
of charge.
1982
ColecoVision
ColEm Deluxe
Price: 1.99/$1.99
ColEm does a
great job at
displaying the
Colecos classic
arcade-styled
graphics. It also
includes full mapping support for any
Bluetooth controller.
1988
Sega Mega Drive
AndroGens
Relive the best videogames

of all time with these
classic console emulators
1982
Commodore 64
Frodo C64
Price: Free
Theres plenty of
competition for
Commodore 64
emulators, but
Frodo C64 is the
easiest to set up
and use for people needing a quick C64 fix.
We loved it.
1985
Atari ST
SToid
1983
MSX
MSX.emu
Price: 5.49/$7.99
The largely
unheralded MSX
console has been
brought to life with
MSX.emu, which
offers the original
style QWERTY keyboard that was needed
for certain games.
1985
Sega Master System
GENPlusDroid
1983
Nintendo NES
NES.emu
Price: Free
The competition
for the best Mega
Drive emulator
was tough, but
AndroGens is the
most detailed for
those who want to customise how they
play their games.
Price: 0.61/$0.99
Thanks to the
combination of
onscreen controls,
automatic saving
and an auto fire
mode, SToid
provides a better overall experience than
the console itself!
Price: Free
GENPlusDroid is a
faithful
representation of
the Master
System and more
powerful devices
can take advantage of the various shaders
to increase graphic quality.
Price:
2.99/$3.99
The NES was
famous for having
some of the
hardest games
known to man, but
NES.emu includes a handy cheat system
for you to make things a lot easier.
1991
Sega Game Gear
MasterGear
1991
Neo Geo Arcade
NEO.emu
1990
SNES
SuperGnes
1989
Game Boy
VGB - GameBoy
Price:
3.99/$4.99
Although Segas
handheld console
didnt hit the dizzy
heights many
expected,
MasterGear boasts a selection of nice
features users should checkout.
2005
Sony PSP
PPSSPP
Price: Free
Some great
customisation
options enabling
gamers to perfect
their PSP
experience make
PPSSPP the best handheld emulator
around on the Play store.
Price: 2.99/$3.99
Despite the sheer
power that the Neo
Geo brings, the NEO.
emu app does a good
job at keeping up with
all the graphical
power that is needed
for the console.
Price:
2.49/$3.99
Some of the
original SNES
artwork and
controller design
has been used to
bring the most authentic SNES experience
possible for all users.
2001
GameCube
Dolphin Emulator Alpha
Price: Free
There are some
frame rate issues
here, but Dolphin
Emulator Alpha
does support a
wide range of the
finest GameCube games. There are still
issues to iron out, however.
Price: 3.99/$4.99
Arguably the best
handheld ever
released, the
Game Boy has
been beautifully
recreated, D-Pad
and all, within VGB - GameBoy, which
handles all GB games with ease.
1996
Nintendo 64
SuperN64
Price: Free
Although youll
occasionally run
into some
graphical issues,
the team behind
SuperN64 are
constantly bringing out improvements and
new features for users to enjoy.
1994
Sony Playstation
ePSXe for Android
Price: 2.37/$3.75
Its amazing to
think something
as powerful as the
Sony Playstation
would work on
your phone, but
ePSXe has done a great job at bringing its
best features to the much smaller screen.
71
Feature
HOMEBREW HEAVEN
O
The best homebrew and open-source games for Android
ne of the major reasons for getting back into retro gaming on
your Android smartphone is the amount of open-source games
now available for every user to enjoy. Although not all of them are
readily available from the Google Play store, if you search the web you
can really find some true homebrew treats
4
Price: Free
No Way
But Down
Nothing says retro more than

text-based adventures and No Way
But Down is the best open-source
one we found. As well as a traditional
RPG storyline, theres also a great
map creator tool within the app for
people to add their own levels.
Andors Trail
Price: Free
Battle fierce monsters and discover

the truth about the disappearance of
your brother in this true retro-styled
dungeon crawler RPG. Theres a
lengthy campaign to get through,
plenty of hidden treasures to discover
and a forum where you can discuss
the game with other players.
OpenTyrian
Price: Free
Price: Free
Commander
Keen
OpenTTD
Price: Free
Even though you dont see many

business sim games on Google Play,
that doesnt mean they arent
wanted. OpenTTD puts you in control
of a virtual city, with the sole aim to
successfully manage the transport
links. It may not sound exciting, but
its definitely worth a go.
As far as platformers go, Commander

Keen is strange, but one that has the
style and humour that makes it a
must-play game for a quick retro fix.
There are plenty of levels to get
through as you aid Commander Keen
around a crazy and colourful world.
3
Price: Free
Ur-Quan
Masters
Not many games can match the

complexity of Ur-Quan Masters, and
as far as homebrew games go, its
hard to think of anything better. As a
captain of a spaceship, you must
travel the galaxy, gather resources
and use strategy to defeat enemies.
72
Price: Free
Teeworlds is one of the first opensource multiplayer games on Android,

enabling users to square off against
people all over the world with a
variety of weapons and gadgets.
Users can create their own private
servers, add their own mods and
even design their own maps.
OpenTyrian is a direct port based on the classic original DOS shooter game,
Tyrian. This port contains four full campaigns to get through, with each
varying in difficulty. Along the way youll be able to collect ship upgrades
which add a new function to your ship, as well as general power-ups to
enhance your shooting power. The game carries the same difficulty level as
the original game, but a helpful tip is to use an external controller. The
source code is available online for budding developers if you want to try
your hand at creating your own port!
Teeworlds
Dweller
Price: Free
Blending together elements from

some of the best dungeon crawlers
and RPGs around, Dweller is a
colourful take on the format. All the
classic features are there, including a
great storyline, engaging characters
and more items and monsters than
you could shake a sword at.
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Apps
Klyph for Facebook
Playmarkers
Scan these QR codes for direct

links to the Google Play Store
Klyph for
Facebook
A slick, new way to browse Facebook

Facebook may be the
kingpin of social
networking, but when it
comes to browsing
Mark Zuckerbergs brainchild on
your Android device, it still leaves
something to be desired. Facebook
has always been optimised for
desktop computers it wasnt until
after the company went public that it
began to focus on its mobile app.
The official Facebook app can be
summed up in three simple words:
ugly, slow and clunky. It seems a lot
of the Android brotherhood feels the
same way, as a slew of third-party
apps have been developed for
browsing Facebook. App developer
Abewy is the latest developer that
looks to rectify Facebooks
shortcomings with an app of its own.

Klyph for Facebook can be best
described as Google+ Lite. It looks
and acts like the Google+ app. This
excellent app lets you browse
Facebook without dealing with the
sub-par official app.
The interface is smooth, sleek and
easy to use. Each action is preceded
by a smooth fading sequence. Its
optimised for your Android device to
give you the best possible Facebook
experience, whether youre using a
tablet or mobile device. You wont
need to deal with Facebooks
annoying ads and suggested apps
because the app is almost ad free,
except for some at the bottom
(although you can upgrade to the pro
version to go completely ad free).
As always, theres a privacy

concern when using third-party apps
like Klyph. Similar to when you give
permission to an app on Facebook,
whether its Farmville or Twitter, youll
have to give Klyph permission to
access all your personal information.
If youre comfortable with that you
shouldnt have a problem, but its
something to consider since
Facebook stores a lot of your
personal information.
Access core features including your timeline,

albums and events from the top of the app
15min wonder
Want your money back?
Youve got 15 mins to decide!
! 5
15 10
0-5 minutes It takes a

while to scroll through the
legal jargon
! 5
15 10
5-10 minutes But soon

youll be browsing Facebook
like never before
! 5
15 10
10-15 minutes We think
Klyph puts the official

Facebook app to shame
keep
refund
Klyph offers users the same core

functionality that the official
Facebook app delivers. You can
update your status, post on your
mates timeline and upload photos
and videos. The app is easy to learn
and convenient to use; swipe to the
left to browse the different features
of Facebook or swipe to the right to
see your notifications. Klyph is fully
customisable by offering a host of
aesthetically pleasing themes.
The app does have some flaws.
Chat currently isnt supported, but
the app developers promise they are
working hard to include it in a
subsequent update. Also, due to
Facebooks limitations on third-party
apps, a host of features are not
available, including liking a post,
tagging a status, commenting with
@, and sharing statuses, photos
and videos to your mates timeline.
Although the app offers the same
core features as the official app, it
does have some kinks to work out.
The app doesnt do the best job of
giving you up-to-the-second status
updates. While browsing our
newsfeed we found the same posts
from friends repeating over and over
again. Also, notifications werent
pushed to us. We had to refresh the
app to see new notifications. The
app is in its early stages, so were
sure the developers will work out its
flaws. It will be nice to see a more
polished version released with all
the bugs fixed.
specification
Price Free
Designed for: Phone/tablet
Requires Android: Varies with device
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
like this? try this!
Klyph is a great alternative

to the official Facebook app
Flipster for Facebook
As a more polished Facebook

alternative, Flipster is worth a shot.
74
Your newsfeed is presented in an

easy-to-read fashion
OS
MapFinder
Blipfoto
Photo Editor
by Aviary
GQueues
OS MapFinder
Ordnance Survey brings its much-vaunted maps to Android
Ordnance Survey has

long been established
as the foremost source
of UK maps for those
interested in outdoors pursuits. OS
MapFinder is the organisations first
official Android app, and whether
youre a walker, cyclist, hiker or
otherwise enjoy the great outdoors,
then the content on offer here simply
cannot be beaten.
The app looks great. It has been
built specifically for Android and
conforms to its design guidelines, so
fits in well with all your other apps.
And the key features youll need
while out on the road are here:
theres a compass, you can plot
routes and set waypoints, record
your route as you are on your travels,
as well as import and export them.
Theres also a powerful search
function that works with places,
postcodes and grid references.
Its all pretty great stuff, except we

do have a couple of major issues
with the application.
First is that it is a free download,
but is essentially useless without
in-app purchases. You get a low-res
overview map of the UK for free, as
well as a sample for part of Exeter, of
all places. Detailed mapping, in 10km
x 10km squares costs 69 pence for
1:50,000 scale and 1.99 for the
more detailed 1:25,000. Depending
on how much you need, it can prove
cheap or very expensive. Theres
also no way to make batch
purchases, so if you want ten tiles,
thats ten Play store transactions.
And then theres the fact that the
app is 413MB in size even before you
add your maps. This apparently
covers the overview map and offline
searching, but strikes us as a very
inefficient use of a phones storage,
especially for casual users.
specification
Price Free

Requires Android: 2.3 and up
verdict
Great mapping, but large
and potentially expensive
The app looks great and is fully consistent
with the Android design guidelines
Blipfoto
GQueues
Chronicle your life with one photo a day
Task manager app that

integrates with Google
Blipfoto has been a smashing hit online, but it isnt until recently that
the photo-sharing website launched its own app on the popular
Android platform. Although you could previously access the website
on your mobile device, the new app optimises and enhances the experience. If
youre new to Blipfoto, no worries; its essentially a journal, but instead of words
you use your own brilliant photos to
express yourself. Theres a catch though
you can only share one photo daily and
youre limited to new photos online.
Blipfoto is all about community. You
can share your photos with your mates
and enjoy their photo collections as well.
Blipfoto has similar features to
Facebook, such as the ability to tag,
which only enriches the experience.

Flickr
Try out the worlds most popular

photo-sharing app.
Price Free
Designed for Phone/tablet
Requires Android 2.2 and up
Are you looking for an easy

way to keep your hectic life
organised? GQueues might
just be what youre looking for. This
brilliant app is a fully featured task
manager that will change your life
forever. It will make your life more
productive and stress-free by helping
organise your life. The app is fully
integrated with Google Calendar; it
sends you push
reminders of
upcoming
important tasks
and deadlines.
The app is fully in
sync with its web
counterpart,
making it easy to
stay on top.
Price Free
Photo Editor
by Aviary
Photo editing made easy
Are you looking for a quick

and easy way to edit your
photos? Look no further
than Photo Editor by Aviary. Photo
editors today often have too many
features to choose from; this brilliant
app strips out all the unneeded
features and delivers just the basics.
You can apply magnificent effects
and frames with
one tap. All the
basic features like
crop, rotate and
straighten are
included, as well
as more
advanced
features like
colour splash.
Price Free
Adding captions and tagging your mates only

makes this app that much better
75
Apps
Playmarkers

1 Second Everyday
EDITORS
CHOICE
Capture your life one second at a time

They say life passes you by in an instant, so 1 Second Everyday
prides itself on coming to the rescue. As the name suggests, it
captures one second of every day, so youll never forget another day
again. Its easy to forget the special
moments, and now in only six minutes
you can relive an entire year of them.
The app has a slew of features to
make documenting your life easy. You
can quickly access any recorded video
on your Android device and sort videos
by date. Similar to Facebook you can set
up timelines to document your life. You
can set up a timeline for yourself, one
for your kids, your mates, and even your
pet goldfish. You dont have to
document a whole year either. The app
makes it perfect for use whether youre
going on a two-week trip or a six-month
trip around the world.
Price Free
View your life like never before by taking
one-second snippets of daily life
TopTable
Restaurant booking made easy
Theres nothing worse than arriving at a crowded restaurant with a
charming date with no table in sight. TopTable makes booking a table
at the UKs premier restaurants easy. With over 4,000 of the finest
restaurants at your disposal, youll never
have to wait in line again. Instead of
wasting time waiting for a table, you can
spend more time enjoying the food.
As the name suggests, TopTable
brings the top restaurants directly to
you. Find the best restaurants nearby;
conveniently search by location, date,
time and party size. If youve never been
to a restaurant before, no worries. The
app includes a star rating so you can
see if its worth your while. Are you
looking for a deal? The TopTable app
even includes special offers, so youll
know the closest place to get fish and
chips half price.
Price Free
Requires Android 2.3.3 and up
Search for restaurants based on star rating
and type of cuisine
best free
alternative
76
OPENTABLE Book a table at over 20,000 of the finest

restaurants in the US, Canada and Mexico.
1 Second
Everyday
TopTable
Torch Music
Torch Music
Impressive social music discovery app
Music apps are one of the most crowded types of apps available.
With fantastic apps like Amazon MP3, Pandora and Google Music
All Access, is there really a need for a new music app? Well,
Torch Music takes a fresh approach to the genre. It touts itself as
the social music discovery app. Not only can you listen to the
music that you love, you can share your music tastes with the
world and discover new artists and genres of music.
Getting started is easy. Simply type the name of your favourite
artists and start enjoying high-quality music straight from your
Android device. Torch Music is fully compatible with the official
Facebook app, so you can log in to your Facebook account and
see what your mates are listening to and share your own
playlists. And if youre on the lookout for new music? See
whats trending on Torch Music or check out the
suggested music list.
Share your music

tastes with the world
and discover new
artists and genres
Favourites
Youll soon build up a

list of your favourite
artists and be able to
view them here
Get to know
Torch Music makes searching for new and

exciting music easy. Weve highlighted three
of the best ways below
Related Artists
Whether youre a fan of

Madonna or Mick Jagger,
find related artists youve
never even thought of.
Torch Music makes
discovering easy.
Options
Torch Music is called the

social music discovery app
for good reason. Discover
music thats currently
most popular by heading to
the Everyone tab.
Follow
Use the Follow option to

see what your mates are
listening to. View their
unique playlists, libraries,
and even the artists they
are following themselves.
themselves.
Press
Search
The search field lets

you quickly find your
favourite artist and
albums among Torch
Musics vast library
Albums
The layout is very

intuitive, as you would
expect. Youll find
albums from the artist
you searched for
prominently placed
Press
A simple way to follow the latest news
With the slew of RSS reader

apps to choose from, it can
be a chore to find the right
one. After Google closed its doors on
its popular Google Reader this year,
news junkies were once again on the
hunt for the perfect news app. If
youre looking for a bare bones RSS
then look no further than Press. The

Feedly
Feedly offers an easy way to follow

your favourite RSS feeds, blogs and channels.
Even when youre in the tube with

no reception you can enjoy the latest
news; the app supports offline
If youre looking for a bare bone

bones
RSS then look no further
further
app is fast and clean, delivering the
latest news directly to your device.
Whether youre using a tablet or a
phone, Press looks great. It utilises
your devices full screen, so you can
see as much content as possible. Its
easy to browse and well laid out, so
finding what you want is easy.
reading and image caching. Press is

friendly towards fellow news
aggregating apps; you can sync it
with Feedley, Feed Wrangler, Feedbin
and Fever. The controls are intuitive
and easy to use; simply double-tap
the screen to zoom in on an image or
mobilise an article.
Discovery
You can listen to

well-known music like
Beyonc while youre on
the lookout for something
fresh and exciting
Press looks great whether youre using a

smartphone or tablet
Pandora
Pandora offers the largest selection of

internet radio stations in the world.
specification
Price Free
Youll quickly find a list of articles to read, but

managing your feed is simple enough
verdict
specification
Price 1.93/$2.99
Performance
Design
Value

verdict
Torch is the newest social

way to listen to great music
Simple app that puts ease

of use high on the agenda
News is categorised making it easy to find
what you want to read
77
Apps
Playmarkers

ParkMe
Find parking space, avoid road rage

Theres nothing more
aggravating than trying to
find a parking spot in a
busy parking lot on a Sunday
afternoon. With petrol prices
going through the roof, the more
time you spent driving around
searching for a spot, the more
time and money you waste. This
brilliant app helps solve this
headache by assisting you to
locate not only the closest, but
the cheapest, spot around. Not
only do you save money, but you
arrive at your destination faster.
With ParkMe youll know ahead
of time how much you should
expect to pay for parking. The
rates are conveniently laid out on
the apps map, making it easy to
search for the cheapest parking
nearby. The developer is
constantly improving the app; in
certain cities you can even view a
live map of available parking at
parking lots, garages and city
blocks. ParkMe is constantly
growing too, it features parking
spots in over 500 cities
worldwide, including London,
Paris, New York and Toronto.
View the rates and payment options for

each parking space
ParkMe
Screen
Locker
Michelin Travel
A new way to travel the world
Travelling the world can be fun and exciting. It can also be confusing.
When youre in a foreign city for the first time, it isnt always easy to
find out the best tourist attractions to stop by. Michelin Travel is your
virtual travel guide that guides you across 85 countries and over 30,000 of the
world tourist attractions hand-picked by
the Michelin Green Guide. From the Eiffel
Tower to the Great Pyramids in Egypt, the
Michelin man has you covered.
Finding one of the many tourist
attractions is quick and easy. Simply
search via the apps search engine or
maps. Each attraction includes
descriptions, recommendations, photos,
notes and reviews, so youll know if its
worthwhile to visit. You can even access
the app offline, a good way to avoid
costly roaming charges when youre in a
foreign country.
Price Free
best free
alternative
VOICE TRANSLATOR FREE Instantly translate speech in over 50

languages, including French, Italian and Japanese.
ScreenLocker
A fun way to protect your Android device
Finding a parking spot will soon become a
breeze thanks to ParkMe

London Bus Checker
Find out when the bus is coming at

over 20,000 bus stops in London.
specification
Price Free
Designed for: Phone
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
For some, losing your Android device can be just as bad as losing
your wallet. With all the personal information available, it can be a
treasure trove for thieves. ScreenLocker helps keep your Android
device secure from prying eyes. It claims to be a top-secret, mind-bending
fingerprint unlocker, but its actually just
a nifty app that only makes you think its
scanning your fingerprint.
Setting up and using ScreenLocker
couldnt be easier. Start by pressing the
red light in the top corner and select the
number of cycles using the slider. Be sure
to remember the cycle number, as this
will be the secret to unlocking your
phone. Once youre ready to unlock your
phone, press your finger on the scanner
and hold down for the number of cycles,
and voil, your phone will instantly
unlock! The app is simple yet effective.
Price Free
ParkMe makes finding a

parking spot and payment
a calm experience
best free
alternative
78
Michelin
Travel
APP PROTECTOR This app offers an easy way to keep your most
sensitive apps secure.
quickhits
PassWallet Digisocial
An easy way to store your
precious passwords
Add voice recordings to

your favourite images
Are you overwhelmed by

the number of passwords
you have to remember?
Youre not alone. Thankfully theres
an easier way. PassWallet provides a
safe and secure way to store your
most sensitive data on your mobile
device. All data is encrypted in
256bit AES encryption used by the
military. PassWallet brings the same
level of security from BlackBerry to
your Android
device. Theres
even a top-secret
stealth mode, so
no one will even
know the app is
installed if your
Android device is
lost or stolen.
Instagram move over, you

have company. Digisocial
joins the already crowded
domain of photo-sharing apps. What
makes this app unique is the ability
to add voice recordings to each and
every photo. For example, if youre
watching fireworks you can record
the sounds of explosions and
laughter, or if youre a serious
photographer you can explain your
photo in detail. As
the name alludes,
Digisocial
emphasises social
interaction with
your friends. You
can send private
messages and
share your photos.
Price Free
Price Free
Yarrly
An anonymous, remixable
photo app for Android
Tunester
Finally a simple music

player graces Google Play
Who ever said all apps had

to be serious? Yarrly is a
silly photo app, perfect to
give your mates a good laugh. The
application is fairly simple to
understand snap a photo, react to
it, add a unique caption, and let the
fun ensue. Yarrly is totally
anonymous, so you wont have to
worry about anyone criticising your
work. Just go crazy and let your
creative side take
over. Sharing your
masterpieces is as
easy as you would
expect. You can
send a link via
email, SMS or
upload to one of
your social sites.
Are you looking for a

simple, yet powerful,
music player to listen to
your favourite tunes? Tunester is
designed with the minimalist in mind
and claims to be the worlds easiest
music player. Not only is this simple
app fast, it has all the core features
you want, including shuffle, single
hand control and full screen album
art. Finding your favourite tunes is
easier than ever
thanks to gesture
controls; find the
song youre
looking for in only
one or two clicks.
Its free too, so
well worth a look
for music fans.
Price Free
Price Free
UK Driving Homestyler
Theory Test
Design your own home in
brilliant 3D
Pass your test first time
How would you like to pass

your theory test the first
time? This app is money
well spent. It helps fully prepare and
avoid the heartbreak of failure. The
mock test helps simulate the real
theory format by testing your
knowledge of driving to see if youre
fully prepared. The detailed test
results at the end of each quiz helps
you learn from your mistakes so you
wont make them on the actual test.
Whether youre a
professional interior
designer or youd just like
to take on your own home design
project, this fantastic app helps
make it a lot easier. Getting started
with Homestyler is simple; take a
photo of a room to create your own
3D home design. Add furniture, light
fixtures, rugs, and more to see how
your room will look. Homestyler
makes remodelling a lot easier no
need to tire yourself moving stuff!
Price 1.99/$3.04
Price Free
Designed for Tablet
Samsung
Wallet
Biophilia
A virtual wallet to store your

concert tickets
Boarding the train just got
a lot easier thanks to the
newly released Samsung
Wallet. This app acts as a virtual
wallet, letting you store all your
boarding passes, coupons,
membership cards and concert
tickets. Loading your tickets to the
app is a breeze, but the app is only
compatible with
devices from
Samsung,
including the S3,
and S4, Note and
Note 2, but
hopefully it will
work on more in
future updates.
Price Free
Designed for Phone
An immersive music
experience like no other
Are you looking for a
unique music experience?
If so, you should check out
Biophilia. Biophilia can best be
described as a multimedia
exploration of music, nature and
technology. Who ever said music and
art couldnt be one in the same?
World-renowned musician Bjrk has
worked with top artists, designers,
scientists and writers to deliver a
unique visual experience. Youll have
to try it out yourself to believe it.
Price 8.49/$12.99
79
Apps head tohead

to head
Which one of these media sharing
juggernauts comes out on top?
INSTAGRAM
vs
VINE
There are some fantastic photo
and video sharing apps readily
available on the Google Play
store, with both Instagram and
Vine being the biggest of the
bunch. However, which one has
the feature set that means you
need to be
getting it
right away?
specification
Price Free
Instagram
The Explore page in
Instagram shows you the
latest and most popular
photos from all over the
world, but the interface
tends to be a bit cluttered.
Some may prefer Instagrams
bare bones profiles, but the
lack of customisation on
offer wont be to everyones
tastes. Its surprisingly
basic unfortunately.
Any pictures you especially
like can be linked directly to
your contacts through
various social media
networks and other options
such as cloud storage apps.
Theres a wealth of wellimplemented interactive
options available in
Instagram, with users able
to comment, like and share
photo responses.
By far the best additional
feature of Instagram is
being able to geo-tag your
photographs and also see
the location of other photos
that have been taken.
VINE
80
And the
winner is...
specification
Price Free
Vine
LIVE FEED
Although Vine is a far more

stripped-back application,
the live feed feature is
very slow to load, with
Vines sometimes not even
loading at all.
PROFILES
Profiles can be as detailed

as youd like, with Vine
including a wealth of options
that rival many social media
sites. A hands-down winner
in this category.
SHARING
As well as allowing for

traditional sharing options
that youve come to expect,
users can also tag their
friends in Vines to alert
them to watch it.
INTERACTION
Vine keeps the interactions

to a minimum here, with
users able to leave
comments on Vines, but not
too much to interact with
other users.
OTHER FEATURES
To make Vine that little

better, the development
team has created links with
both Facebook and Twitter
so all your Vines are added
straight away.
Although both are superb apps, Vine takes this one purely due to
the design of the app. Its far more functional, better designed and
just generally works better than Instagram, which occasionally can
look cluttered and messy. Go download Vine right away!
We dont keep
secrets
TM
Learn the truth about iPhone, iPad, Android, Photoshop and

more with the Tips & Tricks series expert advice and tutorials
BUY YOUR COPY TODAY

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Games
Trial By Survival
Playmarkers

Trial By
Survival
Rymdkapsel
Editors
ChoiCE
Survive two weeks alone to prove your innocence
Buy any ammo and medicine you need at the end of each level
Collect supplies to get vital ammunition
Trial By Survival is a
post-apocalypse RPG
that sees you trying to
survive in the
wasteland after being cast away by
your colony for crimes youve been
accused of the only way to clear
your name is to survive alone for 14
days. When you first start out youre
given just a handful of ammunition
and items to use; luckily each area
you come across includes various
items to scavenge that you can put
to good use. You can also scavenge
from the bodies of dead players from

all over the world, which is a great
addition. Each level also includes
hordes of the undead, so you need
to cleverly navigate your way around
without taking too much damage as
replenishing your health is difficult.
As you progress youll start finding
bits of currency which can be used to
buy ammunition, upgrade weapons
and health items. Weapons break
often and youll soon run out of
ammunition, and if this happens
when youre being followed by a
what weve
been playing
Rymdkapsel
The Simpsons:
Tapped Out Free
EA has been piling up the

updates, with new buildings
and characters to unlock as
you play. Too many in-app purchases, but
there are a lot of laughs in return.
iSlash Free
iSlash has been out for some
time, but it still remains one
of the best puzzlers. Cutting
down a shape sounds easy,
but throw in a time limit and objects you
cant touch, its a proper brain teaser.
twitter
Recommend a game
82
Some levels will put you in complete darkness
@lgrobot
horde, then its pretty much game

over. One of the coolest features we
found was the perks that your
character can have equipped to
them. They are pricey, and the
currency you find is better spent on
medicine and ammunition, but the
perks can be helpful if youre low on
health and about to perish.
What really makes Trial By Survival
great is that its completely up to the
player how the story unfolds. By
visiting different areas through the
map provided, you can explore
different regions which are

randomised each time you play. If
you make it to the end, the ending
youre shown is based around how
well you survived alone and there are
plenty of different ones on offer. This
is not only one of the best Android
games of 2013, its one of the best
Android games weve ever played.
Price Free
Designed for Phone and tablet
Requires Android 2.2
Look past its name and

enjoy this gem
Even though its name may
leave your tongue twisted,
Rymdkapsel is a deep and
broad strategy game that takes
place in space. Although most
strategy games of this type see you
facing off against enemies,
Rymdkapsel puts the focus on you
building the best base possible,
while also exploring the galaxy
around you and puzzle solving.
As you begin to explore the galaxy,
youll be able to harvest various
resources needed to make your
base bigger in order to build
Your empire will soon grow and controlling your people becomes harder
defences if you come under attack.

The levels are vast and it can take a
good while to get going, so users
wanting a quick gaming fix should
probably look elsewhere. However, if
you can invest time, this is a must.
Price 3.29/$3.99
Requires Android 2.3.3
Leisure Suit
Larry:
Reloaded
Expander
PAC-MAN
DASH!
quickhits
Expander
Gurk III, the

8-bit RPG
Fast-moving puzzle title that will leave you frustrated
Reactions are key to

success in Expander,
and what starts off as a
fairly standard puzzler soon turns
into a fast-paced brain teaser
which frequently frustrates.
Youre tasked with guiding a small

cube through a series of different
corridors and passages which all vary
in size. To successfully complete
each level, youll need react to the
size of the upcoming corridor and
quickly resize the cube so it will fit

through. With the game going at
such a quick pace, resizing can be
tricky, but the simple controls do
make the process a little easier.
As you progress, youll also be
tasked with collecting stars on
each level, which will help boost
your score and unlock new levels.
The placement of certain stars is
frustrating, however, with some of
them placed so close to the wall
of a corridor, youve no option but
to crash straight into it. Although
Expander is a frustrating
experience, its a solid game for
puzzle fans to download.
Price 0.69/$0.99
Youll need quick reactions to collect all the stars on each level
1.30/$1.99
If dungeon
crawlers
are your
thing, then
Gurk III will be perfect
for you. Using a
combination of old
school graphics and a chiptune
soundtrack, this third instalment of the
classic RPG series includes a bigger
adventure and more monsters to defeat.
Dropchord 0.64/$0.99
Inspired by some of the best
music players, Dropchord is a
music-driven reaction game
that requires you to keep a
beam running from one end of a circle to
another without touching any objects.
Sine Mora 1.99/$2.99

Sine Mora is a frantic airborne
shooter which lets you
manipulate time to help get
one over the enemies. Levels
are vast and the animation is amazing,
but the difficultly level is tough.
Some locations have hidden objects for you to find
Collect power-ups to perform special moves
Leisure Suit
Larry: Reloaded
PAC-MAN DASH!
Pac-Man as youve never seen him before
Leisure Suit Larry has been a major hit on most

home consoles, but his Android debut is a
vastly updated version of the original game
launched in 1987. The game takes you to the city of Lost
Wages, as you try and help loveable loser Larry finally find
true love. To do so, Larry needs to impress through a
variety of puzzles, while exploring the city around him.
For those who havent played Leisure Suit Larry, you
may be surprised with just how risqu some of the
content is. Theres plenty of adult-themed gags and even
though there are some brilliant jokes throughout, this is
one to keep your kids away from. This reloaded version of
LSL has the same charm the original did.
Weve seen plenty of Pac-Man games released

for Android, but none quite like this. PAC-MAN
DASH! is an endless runner, putting you in
control of our ghost-chomping friend as you look to gobble
up as many cookies and ghosts before dying.
Using the touchscreen controls, you control Pac-Man
through 70 varied levels, with them gradually increasing in
their overall difficulty. The more cookies and ghosts you
eat, the more points you accumulate, which can be used
to unlock various power-ups, which keeps the game
feeling fresh throughout.
If youve already played any sort of endless runner
game, then youll have seen what PAC-MAN DASH! is all
about, but although it borrows heavily from similar games,
fans of the Pac should certainly check it out.
Price Free
Price Free
Requires Android 2.3.3
A love story with a risqu twist
Check our website for

even more game reviews
Wedding Dash Deluxe

0.65/$0.99
Wedding Dash attempts to

bring a successful wedding
planning game to Google Play,
but lacks any real quality and
depth. Some nice animations, but little
to warrant a download.
Minecraft Skin Studio

1.99/$2.99
Working as an official add-on

to Minecraft, Skin Studio lets
you create and customise
skins for your characters and
share them. You can also download skins
that other people have created.
True Skate 1.28/$1.99

Skateboard sims are rare, but
True Skate is arguably the
best. Youre given a huge
skatepark to explore and
modify, and after mastering the physics,
youll be grinding away in no time.
83
Reviews
Alcatel One
Touch Idol X
With specs to rival the

worlds best smartphones,
can Alcatel really mix
it with the industrys
big players?
Stunning
screen
Its rare to see a 1080p

display outside of the
biggest manufacturers,
but the IPS screen here
is fantastic, making text
easy and comfortable to
read, and watching
videos a treat
Thin and light
The Idol X is very thin and

light, masking the high-end
technology found inside it.
It is made mostly from
plastic which gives it a
slightly cheaper feel
84
ts probably safe to say that Alcatel is not the

first brand you seek out when looking to buy a
new phone. Despite being one of the worlds
biggest phone manufacturers (currently sat just
outside the top five) the company has little profile
in the West, with the bulk of its success being
based on lower-cost devices in emerging markets.
That may be about to change. The Alcatel One
Touch Idol X is, on paper, as impressive as almost
any smartphone currently on the market. Fast
quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 13-megapixel
camera, full 1080p, edge-to-edge display, all
packaged together in a chassis less than 7mm
thick. Its what youd expect from the latest flagship
Samsung or HTC phone.
So can it compete with those big name players,
or is there a catch somewhere? The Idol X scores
well for first impressions. Its neatly designed and
solidly built, if predominantly plastic. It feels quite a
tall handset due to the fact that it has minimal
bezel along the edges. The five-inch display is not
quite edge-to-edge, but the bezel is only around a
millimetre either side, and it looks fantastic.
Beyond that it is all standard fare: no physical
buttons on the front, a power button top-right
thats a little harder to reach than wed like, and
camera, LED flash and speaker on the rear.
Our unit had dual-SIM slots, one on either side,
but the phone is also available in a single SIM
version with micro SD slot on the opposite edge.
The dual-SIM edition does not have micro SD
support. The phones striking appearance is
enhanced by coloured backplates ours was a
vibrant red, and there are yellow and black options.
The laminated IPS screen is stunning. Measuring
five inches and with full HD resolution it is up there
with the best, being bright and with accurate, not
overly saturated colours, and wide viewing angles.
Performance was impressive. Our benchmark
tests put the quad-core processor, clocked at
1.5GHz, in line with the last generation rather than
cutting-edge 2013 models, but we had a mostly
lag-free experience, aided by the ample 2GB of
RAM. Theres 16GB storage, of which around 13GB
is available to the user. The main disappointment
on the hardware front was the speaker, which was
fairly feeble and offered mediocre sound output.
Theres a 13-megapixel camera on the Idol X,
and it surprised us with its quality. It is
Review
Alcatel One
Touch Idol X
Colour options
The phone is available in a

few different colour
options. Ours was a bright
red and rather appealing
Out of reach
One of the few design

concerns is the placement
of the power button on the
top edge. Its the only way
to wake the phone so is
annoying that you need to
use your other hand to
press it
information
Price tbc
More information
www.alcatelonetouch.com
Battery life
iOS 7 skin
The skin on the X has

obviously been inspired by
iOS 7 with its bright colours
and flat icons. It looks okay,
but we dont believe it is
any easier to use than the
normal Android UI
No better than
average. With
heavy use you will
need a midafternoon top up to
keep it running
technical specs
Operating system...............Android 4.2

Processor...................................Quad-core 1.5GHz
Memory.......................................2GB RAM, 16GB storage
Dimensions..............................140.4 x 67.5 x 6.9mm
Weight ..........................................130g
Display size...............................Five-inch
Display resolution...............1080 x 1,920 pixels
Expansion slot.......................micro SD (on single SIM version)
On paper, as impressive as almost any

smartphone currently on the market
accompanied by the most basic camera app weve
seen. You get to switch the flash on or off, choose
between normal, HDR or panorama modes and
thats pretty much it. But it takes very good
pictures in good light (with the inevitable drop off
as light levels diminish). There was a touch of
shutter lag so is not ideal for taking pictures of
fast-moving subjects, but this may be improved
with subsequent firmware updates.
And now onto the bad news. The Idol X has been
heavily skinned, using the One Touch Launcher,
and it isnt very good. Similar to the skin weve been
Performance tests
The Idol X falls some way behind the biggest
devices of the year in benchmark tests of
processor and graphics performance. It is
more in line with last years flagships, as well
as current upper mid-range phones.
Ultra X
HTC One Mini
23212
HTC One
25368
Galaxy S4
AnTuTu
11872
CPU & graphics
13816
seeing recently from Alcatel, the app drawer has

been removed, meaning that all your apps and
widgets share the same space. Its disorienting for
experienced Android users, and quickly becomes a
jumbled mess. The design is also not at all
Android-esque. The icons are bright and flat and
clearly inspired by iOS 7. As always when faced with
skins like this we installed Nova Launcher to bring
back the app drawer and make the phone at least
look like Android once again.
Theres no great performance hit when doing
this since the skin is not bloated in the way that
something like Samsungs TouchWiz is. The extra
apps are small and mostly useful, like a torch or
compass app, and theres a nod towards gestures
but it is very understated and easily ignored.
Battery life was average at best. The 2000mAh
battery non-removeable looks small on paper
and so it proves. Theres some interesting battery
management software installed that enables you
to control which apps sync in the background, or to
turn things off altogether, and this did enable us to
eke out a bit more time. But the fact is that with
heavy use youll need a mid-afternoon top-up, and
only with more measured use will you be able to
get through the entire day.
On the whole, though, the Alcatel One Touch Idol
X is a welcome surprise. The X may not quite match
the likes of the HTC One or Galaxy S4 in its sheer
performance, but its a good-looking handset with
a great screen and impressive camera, and it
generally doesnt leave you craving more.
Alcatel One Touch Idol X

Sony
Xperia Z
issue 023
better than
HTC
One
issue 024
worse than
Performance
Smooth and lag free. Battery life could

be better
Design
Very smart with near edge-to-edge

screen and a very thin profile
Features
Camera and 1080p screen are among

its highlights
Value for money
Expect a competitive price for this

device against other flagships
Verdict
The Idol X sees Alcatel take
the step up to competing with

the industrys bigger names
and more prestigious devices
85
Reviews
Samsung Galaxy
S4 Mini
Smaller version of the market-leading S4,

with some cut down features. Will it be
enough to grab the mid-range attention?
Smart
Stay
This phone
knows when you
are looking at it
and keeps the
screen on for you
Small
With a 4.3-inch
screen, the
Samsung Galaxy
S4 Mini is a more
hand-friendly
option than the
original Galaxy S4
Camera
Eight-megapixel
stills and a range
of clever add-ons
give you solid
camera
performance
oth HTC and Samsung have produced

smaller versions of their leading edge,
flagship handsets in the past, and Samsung
is continuing that strategy with the Galaxy S4 Mini.
The small format phone retains lots of the things
that have made the Samsung Galaxy S4 so
popular, but puts them in a more hand-friendly
shell. While it has 4G and NFC built in, not
everything has been carried over.
Of course, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini is
smaller than its full-sized counterpart. Its 4.3-inch
screen (versus the five-inch screen of the full-sized
Samsung Galaxy S4) is just about the perfect size
for reading webpages and text, and for viewing
video too. Samsung has reduced the pixel count
considerably though, in comparison to the
Samsung Galaxy S4. The 960 x 540 pixels deliver
just 251ppi compared to the Galaxy S4s 1,920 x
1080, 441ppi. Thats a shame, however, the screen
is still fine in everyday use.
A smaller screen means a smaller phone, and
the Galaxy S4 Mini feels very comfortable in the
hand. The design is every inch Samsung, and effort
has been made to mimic the button placement
and general look of the larger handset.
While 1080p video capture and a 1.9-megapixel
front camera are retained from the original Galaxy
S4 model, Samsung has reduced the main
cameras capabilities of the Galaxy S4 Mini. There
are eight megapixels as opposed to 13, and fewer
fancy shooting modes.
Youve still got quite a bit of flexibility here,
though, with high dynamic range, best face, beauty
face, best photo, panorama, continuous shooting
and Samsungs sound shot mode, which adds a
short sound clip to photos. A couple of those
modes (best face and best photo), let you select
from a range of photos taken in quick succession
to produce the best composite single image.
There are more instances of reduced
capabilities over the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the
core specifications. 2GB of RAM in the full-sized
model is reduced to 1.5GB here and the processor
is a less capable 1.7GHz dual-core model rather
Portability
good25368
for...
Galaxy
S4 S4 is a much easier phone to
This shrunken
carry than its big brother
86
Review
Samsung Galaxy
S4 Mini
Screen test
The display is one level below HD and shows when placed alongside an HD display like the S III. Its
acceptable for its target market, although remember the HTC One Mini does have a 720p display.
information
Price 366
More information
www.samsung.com/uk
Supplied by
www.clove.co.uk
Battery life
Galaxy S4 Mini
Galaxy S4
than a 1.9GHz quad-core. To be frank, these

reductions dont affect performance hugely. If you
are experienced with quad-core processors in
handsets then you will notice a definite slowing,
but for those people upgrading to this phone, the
knowledge that the S4 Mini is smooth under the
fingers will be welcome. The RAM is still above the
average of 1GB and does help for switching
between multiple apps as well.
This being a Samsung handset, Android 4.2 is
bolstered not only by the TouchWiz user interface
but also by a huge range of add-on applications
Galaxy S III
also made it into the Galaxy S4 Mini. Air gestures

are absent the ones where you hover a finger
above the screen and S Health is not here either.
But you can tilt the phone for plenty of actions and
the rather good Smart Stay, which knows when you
are looking at the phone, is present.
In the end, then, the S4 Mini is not only smaller
in size to the Galaxy S4, it is also less capable. In a
sector that is proving highly competitive with some
excellent handsets from HTC and Sony, the
decision to go with this model may not be quite as
clear cut as it is for the flagship version.
These reductions dont affect performance

hugely for those upgrading to this phone, the
knowledge that the S4 Mini is smooth under
the fingers is welcome
and usability tweaks. Not everything from the
full-sized handset has made it across the divide,
and if you want everything the Samsung Galaxy S4
has to offer then you should do a detailed
comparison online to check out all thats missing.
Notably present features include Samsungs S
Planner, S Translate, Samsung Hub, WatchON and
ChatON apps, variously duplicating some Android
features and offering a separate app store. These
features divide opinion whether you see them as
bloat or useful is a matter of personal opinion. If
you are on the bloat side then you may be
disgruntled to learn that the 8GB of built-in memory
is reduced to 5GB thats user accessible, partly
because of Samsungs pre-installed apps. Theres
a micro SD card slot next to the micro SIM slot
under the battery for extra data storage.
Many of the gesture and motion-based features
that are loved by Samsung smartphone fans have
Photography
There are some neat camera features that
make shooting a lot of fun
You should
manage a day
between
charges easily
enough here
technical specs
Operating system...............Android 4.2.2

Processor...................................1.7GHz dual-core
Memory.......................................1.5GB RAM, 8GB storage
Dimensions..............................124.6 x 61.3 x 8.9mm
Weight ..........................................107g
Display size...............................4.3-inch
Display resolution...............960 x 540 pixels
Expansion slot.......................micro SD
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini

Samsung
Galaxy S III
Mini
issue 020
better than
Sony
Xperia
SP
issue 026
worse than
Performance
Memory
With 5GB of user

accessible memory,
the micro SD card slot
that sits under the
battery will be welcome
Moves along at a good pace despite the

cut-back specs list
Design
Every inch a Samsung design youll

know by now whether you like it or not
Features
Some key Galaxy S4 features are

missing and the screen is not HD
Powerful
Dont expect the full

quad-core experience
of the Samsung Galaxy
S4, but the dual-core
processor here is
powerful enough
Gestures
Samsung likes gestures and motion control,
although their practical value can vary wildly
4G speeds
Value for money
Not quite as cheap as you might hope

for with these specs
NeatVerdict
and tidy certainly, but
some of the latest Samsung

elements are missing
The handset supports 4G so is a good option if

you need fast connectivity
87
Reviews
Prestigio
MultiPhone 5430
With an Intel processor, the
Prestigio MultiPhone 5430 is an
intriguing proposition could it live
up to our initial excitement?
Just 1GB
Photo story
Theres only 1GB of free

internal storage for your
favourite apps, so make
sure youve got a large
memory card to hand
The camera shoots to eight

megapixels, but a bit of lag
means shots of moving
subjects dont look great
Intel inside
Good screen
Theres an Intel processor

at the heart of this phone
which is a rarity. In reality
we were nonplussed by
its presence
The 4.3-inch screen is one

level below HD, but is clear
and quite sharp, and it has
good viewing angles
good
for...
88
Web
The screen is clear and crisp and decent for
viewing webpages
Review
Blingy back
The backplate is somewhat

gaudily adorned with logos for
Prestigio and Intel. It gives it a
less refined and classy look than
you might prefer
restigio might not be a name you know well.

The company is new to the UK smartphone
market, though it is established elsewhere in
the world. It has recently launched the MultiPhone
5430, an average-sized Android device with a
4.3-inch screen that sits inside a body thats made
from slightly creaky plastic. The front has a minimal
design, the sides are characterised by an
inoffensive silvery plastic strip, but the back is not
to our liking. The large gaudy branding logo and
flashy patterning give off a bit more of the budget
vibe than we like to see. That 4.3-inch screen offers
960 x 540 pixels. Text is crisp, but not super-sharp,
and viewing angles are good.
The Prestigio MultiPhone 5430 has a point of
immediate interest in its specifications as it sports
an Intel processor. Now, it isnt ploughing an
entirely new furrow here. Weve seen Intel
processors in handsets before. But they remain
something of a rarity, and much as Intel might want
to push its way into the lucrative smartphone
market, progress has been slow.
What we have here is an Atom Z2420 running at
1.2GHz. It has a single core, which might
Video
Viewing angles are very good, which helps
with video watching
information
Price 190
More information
www.prestigio.com
Battery life
The battery is
pretty strong
and should last
you a day with
careful use
technical specs
This technological wizardry caters for a virtual

rather than a real second core
immediately make it sound old hat. But this is a
relatively new processor, and it includes hyperthreading. This technological wizardry caters for a
virtual rather than a real second core, enabling the
processor to work faster when it needs to, just as a
multi-core processor does.
We didnt feel the processor held the handset
back at all it responded well to finger presses and
swipes, webpages resolved quickly enough and
video played without stuttering. We cant see why
anyone should avoid the Prestigio MultiPhone 5430
because of the processor choice. Although,
equally, the Intel Inside logo on the back doesnt
constitute a selling point either. With 1GB of RAM,
the all-round performance was adequate, while
never pushing the boundaries.
Theres only 4GB of storage built in and this is far
from the whole story as theres just 1GB free for
your own use. Thats not even enough to store
some larger apps like games, so perhaps it is a
blessing that the handset is equipped with Android
4.0. True, this is far from the leading edge, but at
least you can store apps on a micro SD card.
Prestigio also gives you the option when you set
the phone up not to include some apps it
considers you might like to have. You can opt to
install or not an eReader thats also a portal for
purchasing eBooks, Evernote and the
Prestigio
MultiPhone 5430
MobiSystems Office Suite. Leaving those off

should save space, and we welcome the fact that
they are optional, when so many manufacturers
install countless and often unremovable extras
whether you want them or not.
The micro SD card slot isnt accessible until you
remove the battery, so if you are into hotswapping
music or video to your smartphone this isnt going
to be the ideal phone for you.
Prestigio has not skinned Android 4.0, so you get
the Vanilla Android experience. Thats fine by us.
Android has not been left entirely alone, though.
Theres an FM radio built in, and the Android
standard keyboard has been augmented with a
Prestigio alternative that has a number row. We like
this it beats long pressing keys.
As if to counter the pleasant keyboard theres a
bit of shutter lag in the eight-megapixel main
camera, which is a bit annoying if you are trying to
photograph a moving subject.
Actually, a bit annoying isnt a bad way to sum
this handset up. It does have its good points, and
the Intel processor is not a bad thing. But theres
not enough internal memory, sound quality through
the speakers is not great and the design lacks
strong appeal. Even the fact that the handset ships
with a sleeve-style case doesnt really draw it out
from the realm of the average.
Protection
You get a sleeve-style case with the phone
to bump up your protection levels
Keeping it simple

Processor...................................1.2GHz single-core
Dimensions..............................126 x 64.7 x 10mm
Weight ..........................................140g
Prestigio MultiPhone 5430

Acer Liquid
Z2
Motorola
RAZR i
issue 027
better than
issue 019
worse than
Performance
The Intel processor does a decent job in

spite of its single core
Design
Creaky plastic casing and gaudy

backplate dont sit well
Features
Basic but serviceable. Theres nothing

to make it stand out
Value for money
Reasonable value, but theres many

similarly priced devices
Verdict
Average
is the best
description of this phone. It

offers little to give it an edge
over the competition
Unskinned Android is refreshing to see, as is

the lack of nasty bloat
89
Reviews
GOCLEVER
Fone 570Q
information
Price 249.99
Clone
The shape, textured plastic

back and home button are
very reminiscent of the
Galaxy Note II. This
phablet is much thicker and
heavier, however
Shooter
Theres a fivemegapixel camera

around the back. Its
fast but tends
to produce
washed-out images
Stock
Android
Dull screen
The 5.7-inch display is

quite sharp, thanks to
its 720p resolution. It
isnt great in sunlight
due to the relatively
low brightness and
reflective glass
Android 4.2 is here in

its stock form. A few
additional apps have
been added, and
can be easily
removed if you dont
want them
GOCLEVER
Fone 570Q
f youve fancied getting in on the phablet action

but find the Galaxy Note II a bit too rich for your
tastes, then GOCLEVER has the answer. The
Fone 570Q is basically a clone of the Note near
identical shape and design, same home button, it
has the back button on the right instead of left, and
even the water-drop sound effect when you turn
the screen on and off seems Samsung-inspired.
Its less refined, though. It is thicker and noticeably
heavier, and while it does come with a stylus stored
in a silo, its a dumb stylus with none of the fancy
tricks Samsung has packed into its S Pen.
GOCLEVER is a European company making
devices manufactured in China, and in the Fone
570Q has put together a well specced device at a
good price. The build is all plastic but its heft gives
it a solid feel. The button and port placement sees
everything in the right place, including the power
button beneath your right thumb.
The display is 720p, so acceptably crisp, but its
not overly bright (especially on auto-brightness)
and extremely reflective, so not ideally suited to
outdoor use. Theres a noticeable air-gap between
the front glass and the display panel itself, giving it
the look of devices from previous generations.
The software is largely stock Android 4.2 with a
few rough edges, such as a crazily exaggerated
90
More information
www.goclever.com
Battery life
A large battery
ensures you
should
be able to get
through the day
with no problem
technical specs

Processor...................................MTK6589 1.2GHz quad-core
Dimensions..............................156 x 83 x 11mm
Weight ..........................................212g
Display resolution...............720 x 1,280 pixels
GOCLEVER Fone 570Q
Can this Note clone fill

that phablet-sized hole
in your pocket?
bounce-back effect whenever you scroll to the end

of a list. An apparently random set of extra apps
has been pre-installed you get both the
Documents To Go Viewer app and the free Kingsoft
Office for some reason while some of the
standard Google apps are absent. Fortunately this
can be rectified, as most of the junkware can be
easily removed, and the Google apps can be
downloaded separately from the Play store.
Performance for most tasks was fine. The phone
is powered by a quad-core processor clocked at
1.2GHz, and it is smooth and responsive for
everyday tasks, though this still is not a high-end
gaming machine. There is support for two regular
sized SIMs, plus a micro SD card (which youll need
sharpish), all located beneath the battery cover.
Onboard storage is extremely limited, with just
around 1GB for apps and 1.5GB for other data. GPS
performance was poor, taking far longer to get a fix
than we would expect on any other device and not
managing to at all indoors.
Overall theres little in the Fone 570Q to get
excited about. Its a big phone with a small price,
and if that is your main priority then go ahead. But
with uninspiring design, a mediocre screen and
some performance issues, be sure to keep your
expectations in check.
None
Samsung
Galaxy
Note 11
issue 018
better than
worse than
Performance
Mostly fine for basic use, but a few

issues in some places
Design
A thicker and heavier version of the

Note II, with a poor reflective screen
Features
Basic feature set with nothing to add

real excitement
Value for money
Not too pricey for a large screen phone,

but its relative to the features you get
Verdict
A pretty
mediocre phablet.
Look around for a good offer

on a Note to get your hands
on the real deal
BUILD
A
BETTER
WEB
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ON SALE NOW
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Reviews
Archos 50
Platinum
The Archos 50 Platinum has a large,

vibrant screen and supports two SIMs,
but it doesnt get everything right
Two SIMS
Under the backplate

you will find slots for
two SIM cards. Only
one of them offers 3G
connectivity, so the
other will most likely be
kept for calls only
Vanilla
Android
Android is unskinned
here. That wont
necessarily mean the
phone will get fast (or
even any) OS updates,
but it does mean
smooth performance
and a consistent,
easy-to-use design
rchos has been around for a long while and

has a solid name in mobile technology. It
has a serious range of Android tablets in its
portfolio that offer a good balance of value and
performance. But it has taken the company a while
to come to the smartphone sector.
Archos has recently launched two phones, one
with a 5.3-inch screen (the Archos 53 Platinum),
and the Archos 50 Platinum which has a five-inch
screen. Its an interesting toe in the water,
because both phones support two SIMs.
The smaller of the pair, the Archos 50
Platinum is a relatively affordable 209 a nifty
price for a dual-SIM, large-screened Android
handset. It is notable that only one SIM supports
3G so youll need to be careful about which you
pop into which slot. The two slots are well
labelled to help you though.
Dual-SIM handsets are useful when you travel
abroad and want a local SIM, or if you need to
use a separate SIM for work though in the
Neat
With no branding on the

front and classic good
looks, the Archos 50
Platinum is nicely
designed and
understated
good
for...
92
Travel
Use a second SIM while you are away, and
avoid those pesky roaming charges
Review
Archos 50
Platinum
information
Price 209
More information
www.archos.com
Battery life
We were really
impressed by
the battery
its above
average for a
small phone
technical specs
Big
The five-inch screen is

large enough for video
viewing or reading text
comfortably. The resolution
is one step below HD
Video and music apps
Archos provides video and music apps

with connected features for easy media streaming
latter case the speed restriction here will be an

issue. Its likely youll only want to use the 2G
SIM slot for calls.
The handset doesnt do overly well at helping
you differentiate between the SIMs in everyday
use. You cant label them, so that when you
make a choice between them in the dialer, for
example, it is SIM1 and SIM2 you are selecting
between, not home and work or however you
might label them. Its a pity Archos has not been
more sophisticated about the management
features on offer, as theres a whole lot more
they could have done with it.
Still, theres a lot more to like about this
phone. It is solidly made and feels sturdy in the
hand. The curved edges look good. We like the
minimal branding with nothing at all on the front,
so that when the screen is off, the appearance
is minimal. The Archos branding is on the shiny
backplate. Headset and micro USB port sit on
the top edge, volume and power buttons on the
left and right edges respectively. Everything is
where it should be for good ergonomics of use.
Archos has broken under the 10mm barrier for
thickness too, so the Archos 50 Platinum feels
rather good in the hand despite its size. Theres
nothing revolutionary about any of this, of course,
but it is neatly done and ticks all the boxes you
want a modern smartphones design to tick.
The five-inch screen has 960 x 540 pixels on
offer, and the screen is sharp and bright with
good viewing angles. Again no new ground is
broken here, but it should be easy to watch
video, read text and generally work efficiently.
We did encounter a problem with the screen
though. The keyboard was remarkably difficult to
use at times thanks to poor touch sensitivity,
Media streaming
The music and video apps share features and
make streaming a breeze
It is neatly done and

ticks all the boxes you
want a phones
design to tick
which meant refusal to register some key
presses and multiple registrations of others. A
software update from Archos could fix this; lets
hope so because it is a serious blot.
Archos has made some odd choices in a
couple of respects. For a company that
specialises in media it is irritating that the
speaker is on the back where it gets easily
muted, and the flat, in-ear buds are the least
good design for staying in ears. Sound quality is
reasonable, but not outstanding.
Rather bizarrely the two cameras cant shoot
higher than 720p video, though the back camera
can manage eight-megapixel stills. And most
annoying of all for us is that theres just 4GB of
memory with a mere 1.2GB free for users. You
will need the micro SD slot quickly.
Android 4.1 is unskinned, with only a couple of
apps having been added by way of music and
video players. Both are good additions. As youd
expect from Archos they can connect to media
servers and share files over Wi-Fi, and help to
flesh out the multimedia experience quite nicely.
The Archos 50 Platinum is a good entry to the
smartphone world. Its a neatly designed,
good-value purchase, and with a few fixes and
improvements on the software side of things,
would have plenty to offer.
Reading
The five-inch screen is comfy for eBook
reading on the move
Video
Operating system...............Android 4.1.2

Processor...................................Qualcomm 1.2GHz quad-core
Dimensions..............................143.4 x 72.4 x 8.9mm
Weight ..........................................160.2g
Display size...............................Five-inch
Archos 50
ZTE Blade III
HTC One
Mini
issue 026
better than
issue 029
worse than
Performance
A couple of issues with the touchscreen

need fixing ASAP with new firmware
Design
Neat and understated design, if not

ground-breaking
Features
A solid set of specs behind the

unskinned Android OS
Value for money
Well priced for what is a generally well

specced phone
Verdict
A good
smartphone from
Archos but it needs a

firmware update before it can
be fully recommended
The large screen also makes watching video a

pleasure if not quite in HD
93
Accessories
Versus VP350
Photo Plus
Pain-free wireless
printing from any
Android device
he Photo Plus is one of the first

wireless printers specifically built
for Android devices, enabling users
to directly print their photographs in
seconds. It benefits from being extremely
light and portable, but the lack of full A4
printing may put off some people. Design
wise, the Photo Plus is a rather
unassuming unit, with a single micro USB
port located on the top and a paper tray
located at the front. Apart from the DC
cord needed to power the unit, there are
no wires or complicated menus to worry
about. Changing the ink cartridge is easy
too through a handy side panel.
To use the printer, youll need the
accompanying app; again this works well
and makes selecting a photo to print
easy. There arent many options for users
to customise how they want their photos
to print, but the basics are taken care off.
From our experience, printing results are
a decidedly mixed bag, with some photos
looking surprisingly grainy and some
images completely washed out, but for
the most part we were happy with the
overall quality of our printed photos.
Although the Versus VP350 does have
some initial teething problems, it will offer
a quick and easy solution to print your
photos directly from any Android
smartphone or tablet.
Accompanying app
Alongside the printer is a free
app available from the Google
Play store. Through the app you
can select the photo you want to
print, create a collage of your
images and even alter some
basic printing settings
Print quality
Although the large majority of

your photos will print out in high
quality, you may find occasionally
that your images will print out
looking washed out or slightly on
the grainy side
specification
Price 139.99/$TBA
More information
www.versusuk.com
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
A few problems deter from
whats otherwise a solid
wireless printer for Android
94
Changing ink
By removing the panel located on

the side of the VP350, you can
quickly change the ink cartridge.
Youll also want to remove this
panel if youre trying to sort out a
pesky paper jam
Accessories
NudeAudio
Move M
Style and quality in one package

This Bluetooth speaker from NudeAudio is just small enough
to make it portable, but it doesnt substitute on sound quality
in the process. The single 40mm driver is powerful enough to
offer immersive sound, but could do with a bit of adjusting to
make it a bit louder. Theres also an included bass port that
helps give those dance tracks a nice edge. What really stands
out about the Move M is the lack of detail on its design, with
the mesh front of the speaker being the only notable thing.
That isnt a bad thing, however, as the Move M just looks and
feels like a premium unit, with the high-end price tag to match.
Price 39.99/$79.99
More information www.nudeaudio.com
Fitbit Zip
EDITORS
CHOICE
Take your fitness regime to the next level

Despite its small stature, the Fitbit Zip is a comprehensive fitness
tracker that tracks the calories youve burnt while exercising. Its small
plastic exterior feels well made and it includes a small hook that can
be used to attach it to your body while exercising.
Included on the front of the Zip is a small LCD screen that tracks
the distance and steps youve covered and a selection of icons
which indicate battery life and connectivity. Alongside the Zip is
the official Fitbit app that is used to store all your tracked data
and measures your overall progress and lets you interact with
other users through its forum system.
Price 49.99/$77.99
More information www.mobilefun.co.uk
ColcaSac Uintah
Trendy bag to transport your
smartphones and tablets
The Unitah may look like your standard satchel, but it includes a range of
compartments for you to store your smartphones, tablets and laptops in. Each
pocket is layered with a wool-like material which stops any scratches when moving
about, and also keeps the device fairly still as well. If you do take advantage of
the range of pockets and compartments available, youll find you wont
be left with much space for any other everyday items youll want
to travel with. Theres also an issue with the Velcro strips
used to keep the covering flap attached, as they
came loose frequently.
Price 64.95/$124.95
More information www.gearzap.com
95
Accessories
Tablet treats
Enjoy a more complete tablet experience with
these great accessories
Edifier Bric Connect

Price TBA/$99.99
More information www.edifier-international.com
Thanks to its Bluetooth capabilities, connecting

your tablet to this speaker is easy. Although it isnt
as portable as wed have liked, its powerful drivers
really help push out some amazing sounds, and its
sleek design means itll fit in well into most decors.
Theres a remote control included, but youll soon
find it a bit redundant when you can simply control
the Bric Connect using your tablet instead.
Editors
ChoiCE
Tylt Y-Charge +
Syncable
Price 29.99/$29.99
More information www.tylt.com
There are plenty of reasons why the Tylt

Y-Charge + Syncable is a fantastic product.
First and foremost it allows for dual-charging
of both your tablet and smartphone at the
same time thanks to the 2.1 amp Y-Charge
unit. It also includes a dual-USB car charger to
help keep your tablet ticking over while youre
out and about. We also really like the fact that
this cable and unit combo includes a
non-tangled wire that can be an issue for
products of this type.
96
Xoopar SPIDER
Price TBA/$30.00
More information www.xoopardesign.com
Even though the Xoopar SPIDER may look like a bit of a novelty
charger, it provides an invaluable source of power for tablet users.
Once connected to your tablet, the fascia of the Spider will glow to
represent the current level of charge, and the amount of time
required before you need to charge the Spider itself. The charger
also comes with a silicone case that houses a micro USB cable,
meaning theres little clutter with this tiny unit.
Editors
ChoiCE
Price 9.99/$15.99
No matter which tablet you use, fingerprints will always be your worst
enemy. CleanSeal is a simple cleaning formula that looks to keep any
sized tablet screen squeaky clean. As well as removing fingerprints,
the liquid also adds a resistive layer to the top of your tablet to keep it
safe from scuffs and scratches. For the most part, the liquid works
well, but it struggles to get rid of any deep marks on your tablet screen.
The accompanying cloth is also too small for most tablet screens.
DAGi Touch
Panel Stylus
Price 22.95/$35.99
For those looking for a simple and no-frills stylus,

then the DAGi stylus might be perfect for you. Its
lightweight body feels good in hand and the
rubberised nib is perfect for all sizes of tablets.
What makes it even better to use is its impressive
angled use, which enables you to move the stylus
in different directions and ultimately hold it in a
position that makes your hand comfortable. You
dont get the same level of precision as you would
with a more costly stylus, but this does the job for
those on a budget.
Kensington Folio
Case for Galaxy Tab
Accessories
CleanSeal
Price 39.99/$39.99
More information www.kensington.com
Simplicity is key for this Folio case, as it not only fits the Samsung
Galaxy Tab, but any other seven-inch tablet. Its easy enough to get
the tablet into position and the tight grip of the covering leather
keeps the tablet in place. Each port has been left uncovered for
easy access and the cover can be transformed into a
stand if you need it.
Cross Tech3 stylus

Price 55.00/$55.00
More information www.cross.com
As well as containing your standard rubberised

ending to be used on your tablet, the Tech3
also includes a ballpoint pen, precision pencil
and red editing pen that can all be accessed by
simply twisting the shaft of the stylus. Its
surprisingly lightweight, but noticeably bulkier
than many of the styluses we usually see,
which may put off some potential buyers. It
works incredibly well, however, and if you can
get past the sizing issue, then the Tech3 stylus
is a worthwhile, if expensive, investment.
97
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Used Nexus 4
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Welcome

Zero-click access to the best

A QR code is a 2D barcode that can act

Weve seen announcements for phones and

Download this free barcode scanner

Let us know what youd

Like us on Facebook to send us

nother month, another

Drop us an email and let us know what

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Andy Betts Editor

54 Hacking tips and tricks

Top tips for the new or experienced

56 10 essential hacks and mods

84 Alcatel One Touch

Essential guides to getting more

Relive the golden days of

Get more from Androids powerful

The latest apps on test

Master Play Music All Access

Power up your phone or tablet

Readers questions answered, plus

Learn magic: Pull a rabbit from your hat

Get started with Googles

The Galaxy Gear smartwatch, plus the other hot

Check our website daily

The latest Android games

App review index

All the latest from the world of Android devices

Type faster and smarter

e it for messaging, searching the web or finding

The new wave of keyboards look to incorporate new

Oliver Hill, Senior Staff Writer

Follow us on Twitter for

Android keyboard innovations

ith so much variety on the Google Play store, it was tough to

Explore the next generation

Apps World takes place over

ew developments in technology are slowly

Four people you cant afford to miss

Director of Engineering, Twitter

Jeff has a long history in developing

Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak,

As one of the pioneers of the PC

Mubaloo has gradually become recognised as

Send us your thoughts

Got questions or comments? Drop

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Amazing digital mags

ot a new Nexus 7? Theres no better way to

supersite www.greatdigitalmags.com offers over

flying to an outlet near you

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Inside Androids most popular apps

Downloads: 1mil-5mil Developer: WhitePages Launched: 2011

hitePages is a great source for finding specific people or businesses

Q&A with Lori Roth,

consent) to connect to your Facebook,

communication with a clean, simple

conversation. We found that over half

Xbox Music vs the rest

Imagine Publishing Ltd

Senior Staff Writer Oliver Hill

fter a successful first year,