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»Hardware tested »Hacking

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Buy the best now from Richer Sounds, visit richersounds.com


Welcome
Do you worry about whether your phone and
the sensitive data kept on it is protected from
hackers, malware and thieves? Worry no longer
– our complete guide to making your phone
invincible is packed with tips and tricks for
keeping your phone and its data as safe as
houses. Check it out on p12.
Google’s apps are ever-present on our
Android devices, to the extent that we can
sometimes forget quite how useful, and
powerful, they can be. With new updates rolling
out to accompany Marshmallow, many of them
are packing new features too. Take a look at p18
to discover new additions and unexpected
features. Google Maps is also delivering much
more and becoming a serious challenge to
standard sat-navs. Our masterclass on p28
explains how you can get the most from it.
What’s the
best big-brand
tablet for you
right now? Find
out in our test
on p60
On the theme of getting more from your
phone, you can learn how to overclock yours in
the Hacker Zone this issue, making it work
harder and faster to give you better
performance. Find out how on p45.
This issue is also packed with a wide range of
tutorials, including clever ways to check up on
your car, an app for boosting your phone’s
speed without rooting it and some essential
tweaks for Google Now. Plus we take a look at
the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3, the second generation
of Moto’s 360 watch and much more.
Enjo
April
Editor
FREE – exclusive with this issue
» Unboxing videos
» Video tutorials
» Wallpapers
ww.filesilo.co.uk/android
Welcome
To issue 60 «
MEET THE TEAM
What Android tech are you
looking forward to in 2016?
April Madden
Editor
Being the possessor of
unnaturally tiny wrists,
smartwatches look really bulky
on me, so I’m looking forward to
trying out Huawei’s new ladies’
models, the Elegant and Jewel.
Oliver Hill
Features Editor
I can’t wait to get hands-on with
the HTC Vive virtual reality
headset as it looks to be the
next big thing in VR technology
and should be out before the
end of the year.
Adele Jordan
Production Editor
After the CES tradeshow in
January of this year, I can’t wait
to see LG’s new foldable display
appear in the consumer market.
Fancy an Android TV you can roll
up and take with you?
Adam Markiewicz
Senior Designer
This year I’m looking forward to
seeing Google self-driving cars
on the streets cleverly using
Google Maps. Is Google going to
take on Uber with its plan for a
fleet of self-driving taxi cabs?
GET IN TOUCH
What do you think?
Let us know!
»email
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Drop us an email and let us know what
you’d like to see in the mag
»facebook/littlegreenrobot
Like us on Facebook to send us
your comments
»twitter @lgrobot
Follow us on Twitter and send us
your thoughts
Watch us get our hands on the
new BlackBerry Priv smartphone
Expert video guides on getting
more from your Android device
Stunning backgrounds for phones,
tablets and Chromebooks
3
Contents www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk
»Inside issue 60

CONTENTS
26 Exclusive subscription offer 67 Special offer for international readers

Launcher

I
Previews, news
and speculation
from the world
of Android

06 Will this be Android’s

best year yet?

12
Keep your mobile
safe from snoopers,
hackers and thieves

08 10 things you need to

know about
automating devices

MASTER
G t A d id d t

GOOGLE
APPS
TAKECONTROL
OFGOOGLEMAPS
VR available for preorder
18 Are you getting the most
from Google’s apps? 28 Highlights and hidden
features revealed

4
 HackerZone This month’s top mods and tweaks Visit the Android Magazine online shop at

45 Overclock your phone for back issues and books

Make your processor work harder and

Tutorials
faster to give you better performance

52 Hacking Tips & Tricks

Essential hacking advice, including
Google Play hacks Get more from
54 How to get started with your Android device
gesture typing
Hate typing? Supercharge your text 28 Masterclass:
entry by setting up gesture typing Master Google Apps
Highlights and hidden features of
Google’s plethora of apps revealed
55 Replicate the Galaxy S6 Edge
display on any Android 32 Tutorials
Get Edge-style notifications for
incoming phone calls on any device 32 Set the apps that Google Now
can scan
56 Remotely control a computer 34 Personalise with Kustom
with your Android device Widget Maker
You can control a remotely connected 36 How to clear your entire Google
PC for free thanks to Google Now search history

58 Spoof your Android’s MAC 52

HACKING
37 Get to grips with the
redesigned Google+
address TIPS 38 Move files over Wi-Fi
& TRICKS 40 Check every part of your car
Get around annoying data and time
restrictions on public Wi-Fi with Torque
42 How to get a speed boost

Reviews
Latest tech tested
92 Droid Support
Readers’ questions answered

68
LENOVO YOGA
60 Big brand Android tablets
68 Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 37
REDESIGNED
TAB 3 70 Cat S40 GOOGLE+

70
CAT S40 74
71 Huawei Smart Watch
72 Asus Chromebit CS10
MOTO 360 74 Moto 360 2015
2015

76 Accessories
Beautiful Bose headphones and
an iconic speaker brand on test

88 Buyer’s Guide
Our official top 10 lists

Your complete guide

to Google Play
78 App reviews
The latest and greatest

78
apps tested in full

82 Head-to-head YOUTUBE
MUSIC
TripAdvisor takes

30+ APPS
on Yelp

84 Game reviews
The best new games reviewed

Check our website daily

for even more news »www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk 5
 All the latest from the world of Android devices

Is this going to
be Android’s
best year yet?
From foldable screens to dedicated VR headsets, the
future looks bright for the world of Android

The Android ecosystem is constantly changing, so
much so that it’s far from being just a simple
mobile operating system any more. However,
considering how far the system has come in the
last few years, trying to figure out what lies ahead
is a bit of a tricky task for anyone. Where in
previous years we have seen some ground-
breaking and pioneering launches into
Chromebooks, 4K displays and smart TVs, there’s
no real breakthrough product that we’re expecting
to see for the first time in 2016. It seems the
emphasis is going to return to smartphones this
year, but trust us when we say it’s still worth
getting excited about.
Over the course of the next few months, we’re
expecting to see the industry’s leading
manufacturers unleash their latest devices to
6
market. We have already seen renders and heard
whispers of the upcoming Galaxy S7 from
Samsung, which is set to be another massive
success for the popular Korean giant, but we
shouldn’t discount HTC’s One M10 just yet, as it
could very well be the Android device to help turn
the company’s fortunes around. Chromebooks are
also expected to get a lot of love in the first half of
this year, primarily due to the hard work of Lenovo
and Toshiba. The former’s ThinkPad 13 is setting
“It seems the emphasis is going to return to
smartphones this year, but trust us when we
say it’s still worth getting excited about”
the early pace for others to follow, combining a
near-perfect laptop experience with a very
wallet-friendly price tag.
We also shouldn’t forget just how much our
Android displays could be changing in the
upcoming months. LG’s efforts in manufacturing
foldable screens are closer than ever before, with
the first tasters of its 18-inch foldable display
rolling to tech conventions all over the world in the
dawn of this year. There’s no real idea how long it

LG’s 18-inch display that can
be rolled up like a newspaper
HTC enters the VR ra
Can the HTC VIVE bring VR to the forefront of Android de
Apart from the distinctly average Gear VR, there
haven’t been a whole lot of inroads when it comes
to virtual reality headsets that are designed by
predominantly Android manufacturers. Despite a
rather lacklustre year, HTC is set to launch its VIVE
VR headset during the second quarter of 2016.
While, by and large, it looks like your familiar VR
headset, akin to the Oculus Rift, it will be running a
slightly tweaked version of Steam, the staple hub
for all PC gamers. What’s more, it will be largely
orientated for those who want a new take on their
even if a fully foldable smartphone is possible
alongside the other technology needed behind the
display, but with developments being made in
foldable smartphone technology as a whole, it’s
completely plausible that by the end of the year we
will all have our hands on it.
Nevertheless, looking past all the glitz, glamour
and fancy gadgets that could be released, the
biggest advancements of the year could come
from the battery technology that’s hidden within
our devices. Sony is currently working on a new
lithium-sulphur battery that’s touted to offer a 40
per cent gain in battery life: a significant
improvement in the long run. While there are still
some issues to be ironed out in the development
process, with having to prevent the batteries from
overheating, it shou
life a thing of the pa
mobile gaming, but
resemble that of th
Android OS, bridgin
between the two p
well and providing m
core features that w
become so accusto
our smartphones.
been in the market
headset, wait a littl
certainly be worth
rowdfunded
Crowdfunding has played a massive role in the
past 24 months to help move several big Android
projects off the ground. Things like the Pebble
E-Paper, OUYA, Prynt and LIFX all received
monumental amounts of funding from Android
users, and offered new and exciting ways to get
hands on with the OS without relying on your
smartphone. 2016 is set to be another multi-
million pound year for crowdfunding and we
expect to see a whole host of Android-related
projects across both Indiegogo and Kickstarter. At
the time of writing, there are well over 3,000
projects currently looking for funding and, trust us,
it can be a bit of a tough ask to navigate your way
through it. For an easier solution, you can check
out issue four of our sister magazine Gadget,
which has gone eyes-on with 50 of the absolute
best crowdfunding campaigns that you can find
right now. Best of all, many of them can be used in
conjunction with your Android smartphone.
Away from smartphones, smart-home
appliances seem to be garnering a lot of interest
from Android enthusiasts and Samsung in
particular is launching some fantastic additions to
its suite of Android-enabled appliances. IIts latest
fridge, for example, includes a giant Android fascia,
which can be used to order food, track your
consumption and set temperature levels. In a
world where we’re more connected than ever,
could this finally be the device to bridge the gap
between our homes and our smartphones? Also,
expect new automation tools from the likes of
Nest, with a new version of its highly successful
thermostat likely to make an appearance this year.
Whatever the outcome, this is set to be another
stellar year for the Android platform. We hope you
will join us for the ride
 things you need
to know about...
automating
your Android
device

Use Cortana as your next Clean your cache Silence alerts using Android
personal assistant Your device’s memory cache can get full when Lollipop’s Priority mode
Microsoft’s virtual personal assistant Cortana is you’ve been using a lot of memory-hogging apps, You’ve left the volume up on your phone so that it
now available on the Google Play store and can causing a slowdown in performance. App Cache can wake you up in the morning with an alarm, but
help you with a whole Cleaner from I an be set up to remind then it spends all
host of tasks. One of you to clear yo i night ringing and
the great features is predefined le i g with every
the ability to track even automa
flights and packages clean it for y
for you, saving you up to do a d
the hassle of logging clean out w
on to or feeding data your phon
into a range of not in use
disparate tracking (when yo
websites or apps. bed, for
Plus Cortana can example
send you reminders, enjoy b
make appointments, perform
send emails or texts, withou
and much more. the ha

8
 Create Make your own
custom automation apps
macros with If you’re a bit of a whizz with Tasker and you’d like to
make your own automation apps, but don’t have
MacroDroid the patience for
ArloSoft’s
extensive coding,
MacroDroid app lets
then give Tasker App
you set up custom
Factory a whirl. You
actions that are
will need the Tasker
triggered whenever a
app in order to use it,
particular set of
but you can make,
circumstances is
publish and sell your
met. For example,
own automation
you can get your
apps. Be aware that
phone to
it is a plugin rather
automatically upload
than a standalone
the last photo you took to Facebook when you
app so you may not
shake the handset. The free app is ad-supported
need to do any
and only lets you create five macros, but you can
coding, but knowing
upgrade to the Pro version via an IAP, which will give
your way around
you unlimited freedom to set up your own macros.
Tasker is a must.

Enable location-based
commands for ease of use Update apps automatically
Llama is a location-aware app from KebabApps that It’s an old app, it no longer has tech
you can use to automate functions based on where support and it has f
you are. It uses phone masts to locate your glitches when it
position and, when you reach a certain place, it will comes to paid apps
action the task that but Changelog Droid
you’ve automated. can be incredibly han
This means you can for updating your apps
order your phone to automatically. It looks
be quiet when you for updates to the
arrive at work or apps you have
automatically installed and lets you
launch your music know when there are
player when you get updates available for
to the gym. them. You can set it up
However, accuracy to automatically update
is limited by the them, but we would
number of mobile recommend you keep this
phone masts that functionality strictly for older
are in the area. and free apps to avoid errors

Send a text when you reach a Manage complex rules Set up battery sav
specified location Atooma is packed with a bunch of ready-made One of the best tasks to automa
If you’re driving and need to text someone to let smart actions or you can make your own, working minimises battery use when the
them know you’re on your way, you don’t have to along the principle of ‘if this happens, do that’. You low. When your
waste time pulling over to type out a message. can use it to program quite complex rules – it can battery gets below a
Instead, use the Automated Device app from handle up to t igger the certain percentage,
Daniel Herrero and set up a rule to get your device automated t Trigger to
to automatically text five reaction ly reduce
them when you reach that the aut htness
a given location. task does) f Wi-Fi,
However, you’ll need rule you se r phone
to set this rule up example, y ust that
carefully and get it to se nger. You
consider the location your phon have to
that you specify – you be quiet if yourself –
don’t want to you get nto the app,
automatically text home fro have to do
your contacts every work afte turn this
time you pass the the kids on and it’ll
corner shop! gone to e of itself.

9
 NEW TECH Android-pow

AuraViso
Adjustable focus
If you normally wear
Android powered glasses, there’s no need
The AuraVisor is powered to squeeze them under
by its own onboard Android the headset – simply
computer, meaning that you
Wireless, affordable, Andro don’t have to plug the
adjust the focus instead
headset into a computer or
powered VR that’s not tethe pair it with a smartphone

to a smartphone
Virtual reality is becoming more and more
mainstream, but it’s not without its inconvenien
or drawbacks. VR units that link to your compute
generally need to do so with a wired connection,
which means that you run the risk of getting your
tangled in cables – or worse, yanking the cable o
when faced with a particularly terrifying jump sca
Other viewers require you to pop your smartphon
into the headset, which increases the weight and
means that the immersive experience can be
broken with a phone call, text or even a notificati
Enter the AuraVisor. It’s wireless and you don’
need to connect it to your smartphone because
it’s powered by its own onboard Android compu
You can play VR games – it supports the Unity Onboard controls
games engine – watch 3D movies, take There’s a separate,
bundled controller for
360-degree tours of iconic locations and much gaming, but all the
more. It ships with preloaded content and you c essential tools you need
add more via Wi-Fi or an SD card. There’s also a are right there at the
bottom of the headset
store connected to the Google Play store for you
purchase more content. Plus it’s available for
preorder now to ship in March 2016 and it costs
less than the Oculus Rift.

Virtually there
At a glance Stereoscopic 3D virtual
» Product name AuraVisor reality is delivered through
» Available from indiegogo.com the 5-inch TFT screen,
» Price $260 which has a resolution of
1920 by 1080p
A wireless, Android-powered virtual-reality headset
that has beaten the Oculus Rift to market and on price. Gaming is a truly immersive experience thanks to the
wire-free standalone headset

James Talbot,
CEO of AuraVisor
Why was it important to you to take
the smartphone out of the equation?
We felt that using a smartphone provided
A a number of obstacles to complete
acceptance by users, mainly interfacing with VR.
If you’re using a phone you have to remove it
every time you change application, which is not
a small task. Additionally there were other
issues that arose, such as incoming calls, text
messages or notifications. Then there were
issues regarding battery life and visuals.
Because AuraVisor has been specifically
designed from the ground up, all of these
Q&A
obstacles are removed and controlling is easy
either [through using] the onboard buttons or the
bundled game pad.
Why did you choose Android for the OS?
Quite simply, Android is easier to work with
A as a developer and does not have the
same inherent limitations that Apple place[s]
upon [its] OS.
How important do you think being wire-
free is to the VR experience and why?
We believe it’s the single most important
A factor to ensuring maximum take-up by
users and mass adoption of virtual reality. I
think this can be endorsed by the number of
cardboard-related headsets that have shipped.
People don’t want the hassle of setting up
a PC-based system or the inconvenience of
being tethered by wires. By being wireless,
users can use their headset wherever they
are and have the freedom to rotate freely.
What VR app are you most excited
about seeing on the AuraVisor?
Educational based experiences. Not just
A for children – having the ability to drop
into an experience that you couldn’t easily
achieve, such as visiting a museum located
on the other side of the world, or exploring
the inner workings of the human body. After
that, 3D movies are incredible and I feel [that
VR] reflects the vision that the director
originally intended without glasses in the way.

10
 1 2
4 5
1 Apple Music
Apple Music is
remarkably adept
at presenting you with
artist and genre
recommendations, even
if you throw in a few
guilty-pleasure
curveballs when setting
it up. Its vast library
means that there is
always something new
for you to discover.
» Price: Free + subscription
GALLERY OF...
TOP MUSIC APPS
2 Google Play
Music
Its expertly-
curated
streaming music may
not offer as many
tracks as Apple’s app,
but not only do you get
access to streaming
internet radio, with
Google Play Music you
also get access to
YouTube Red.
» Price: Free + subscription
3
6
3 Shazam 4 Songza 5 Rocket 6 Musixmatch
Encore Songza’s Music
Music Player – Lyrics &
Sometimes you’ll Concierge Audiophiles will Music
hear a song and feature finds the right love the fact that If you’re fond of
love it, but not know music for the day, time the premium version of karaoke or
what it’s called. and your mood. It can the Rocket Music Player maybe you just like
Shazam will identify any offer you great driving app has a ten-band singing along to your
artist and title for you. songs for the commute graphic equaliser for music, then Musixmatch
The premium version home, chilled out tunes getting more out of your will float a song’s lyrics
can then guide you without lyrics for when music, while over the playback. It can
through the artist’s you’re working hard and Chromecast support even do this with songs
back catalogue and you can even search by lets you stream it to on YouTube, Google Play
much more. genre or decade. your speakers. Music and Spotify.
» Price: £3.59/$5.59 » Price: Free » Price: Free + IAPs » Price: Free + IAPs
11
 INVINCIBLE
Keep your mobile safe from snoopers, hackers and thieves with our expert security tips
In a world where phishing attempts are rife and
mobile hacking is as easy as one two three,
implementing security measures on your device
is of vital importance. For Android specifically, the
choices users have available to them when it
comes to securing their device are plentiful and
most of them should be explored when it comes
to keeping a tight grip on your device’s security.
12
Things like virus scanners should be your first
port of call when it comes to diagnosing the level
of security you want to implement on your device.
A quick scan with one of these apps can provide
you with all the information about the current
threat level on your phone, as well as highlight
the areas of your device that could potentially be
in danger. It’s then time to start exploring some
of your device’s key settings that can be toggled
and tweaked for a quick security boost, as well
as to start downloading a handful of the key apps
that you urgently need in order to beef up your
security. Once you have completed these steps,
have a read of our top tips for keeping your device
secure. Follow our advice and your phone will be
impenetrable in no time at all.
Lock your Top tips for
your lockscreen
phone up
The first line of defence is a frustratin
barrier for thieves to negotiate

Multiple
users
Sharing a device between
family members is a good idea
to save on money, but it’s
1. Set a SIM card lock
imperative that you implement For those who want to be extra cautious,
multiple profiles to make setting a SIM card lock will require all users to
sure that your personal enter a PIN before looking at your stored
data is kept safe at contacts. Open the Security section and
all times
select the SIM lock option that’s provided.

2. Add some details

1 Access security settings
Pull down the top bar on your phone’s
homescreen to reveal the Settings cog. Tap on this
and then scroll down as far as Security. Tap on
that and you will be taken into the menu that
houses all the lockscreen settings.
2 Type of lock
The screen security option at the top of the
app contains the types of lock that can be set.
Each vary on the level of security that they offer,
but no matter what you pick, it will be better than
having no lock in place.
Select the Owner Information tab from within
Security to implement basic information onto
your lockscreen. We recommend putting a
secondary number on this menu in case you
misplace your device.

3 Set a PIN
One of the benefits of setting a PIN code is
that it can be as complex as you need it to be.
Select the PIN option from the list provided, before
using the keypad provided to first type out a code
and then confirm it.
4 Add a pattern
As an alternative, a pattern is equally as
effective at keeping out intruders. Select the
pattern option from the list of choices and use
your finger to draw an elaborate sketch on the
three-by-three grid that is then shown on screen.
3. Password length
It goes without saying that a longer password
is considerably harder to crack than a shorter
one. When creating a password for your
lockscreen, make sure to use a mix of upper
case and lower-case letters for extra safety.

13
 Feature
»Make your phone invincible

rify app Avoid dangerous

app permissions
ources
hield your device from
alicious software
ne of the benefits of being an Android user is that
ou have access to over a million apps on the
Google Play store. While many will help improve
your device in some ways, there’s still a small
minority of unscrupulous people out there who
upload apps that can be detrimental to how your
device performs. First and foremost, disable the
Unknown Sources option within Security, as this
will prevent any installations taking place from
potentially dodgy sources. When it then gets to the
point of downloading an app, pay close attention to
not only the reviews, but also check to see if it’s a
n spoof of a real app. If that paid app you have been
s privacy issues and in the worst case scenario,
can wanting suddenly has a free version pop up – the
s chances are it will be fake.
Some permissions aren’t as
innocent as you may think
Phone access
Exploiting money through malicious apps is
common and enabling phone access is
without doubt the main reason behind this.
Malicious apps will make calls to premium
numbers, usually owned by people behind the
app itself. If you’re ever in doubt when an app
asks you to accept this permission, make
sure you read reviews on the app’s listing.
Device ID rerouting
Most apps require this permission and for the
most part, it’s completely innocent. However,
malicious apps can use this permission to
send your device’s IMEI number to whoever is
running the app – which can lead to severe
render your device useless.

Highlight
high risks
Eliminate malware
ur
o help. A
instantly Locate and remove detrimental
files from your device
show you If you notice some discrepancies on your device, malicious files on your device and then remove
just how safe y sults will you may find that it’s been infected with malware. them. One of the better ones is Malwarebytes: a
provide you with a privacy sco on the Where before this would cause pure panic in the free app scanner that’s able to pinpoint the apps
apps you have installed and the malicious nature of heart of a lot of Android users, there’s now a swathe that have infected your device and remove not only
similar apps. If the app then highlights any high-risk of simple, all-in-one apps that can quickly identify the app, but also any associated log files.
apps, you’ll have the option to completely remove

Perform a malware scan Remove infected files

Select the Perform a Full Scan option that can be Once finished, the app will give you the verdict on
found on the home page of the app. The app will how safe your device is. Select any of the apps or
now scan each and every file on your device; keep files that it highlights and regards as malicious to
a close eye on it to see if any issues arise. begin the process of removing them.

14
 Feature
Make your phone invincible «

Encrypt texts Beware of

web h
Privacy is a key issue when looking
into the ways of keeping your
Android device secure. It’s
commonplace to run into apps,
services and websites that are
constantly on the lookout to get hold
of your information – whether for
good or bad reasons. However, there
are also a lot of people out there who
would like to track the messages you
send to other people and use them
for marketing and promotional
purposes. Encrypting your messages
is generally an easy task, but
requires the help of a third-party app
to correctly configure.
The best text
encryption apps
Signal Private Messenger
The main principle behind the
Signal PM app is that it never
stores your data through its
end-to-end encryption protocol,
giving you privacy – a common flaw
in the likes of WhatsApp and Viber.
Encrypt Text Free
Encrypt Text adds a password
system to your default
messaging app, which will need to be
entered before you can gain access
to it. Highly sensitive texts can then
have their own password set.
Secure Text
True to its name, Secure Text is
a near-impenetrable app when
it comes to outside sources gaining
access to your texts. They use a
highly sophisticated RSA algorithm
for encryption and decryption.
While you won’t necessarily fin
same level of threat browsing th
web on your Android device
compared to your laptop or desk
computer, the dangers are still v
real. It’s imperative that you use a
trusted browser and the built-in
Chrome app will cater for most of
what you need, but the likes of
Firefox and Dolphin are also
commendable options if Chrome
doesn’t cut it for you. These
browsers will alert you to any
websites that they perceive as bein
dangerous, as well as give you a brie
overview on the dangers your device
could face if you continue. If you do
end up on the wrong end of a
malicious website, make sure to
back out of the website as quickly as
possible, while also performing a
complete virus scan of your device.

Keep your Lockd

data invisible your ap
We use our Android phones for so are plentiful, but we like the free It isn’t just our phones that are
much these days and now, with the Andrognito 2 app. Once you have getting smarter; the apps that we
launch of Android Pay, many of us downloaded the app, it’s a case use on a daily basis have also
are starting to use our devices to of following the on-screen greatly improved in the
make instant payments while on the instructions to move Wipe when past year or so. Social
go. Keeping all of this sort of data is
helpful, but it also makes it more
your files and data
behind its three-layer
selling media and mobile
When it’s time to part ways banking apps are two
appetising for hackers to get hold of encryption wall. A with your device, make sure examples of the type
it. Keeping your data invisible sure fire way to keep to perform a complete factory of apps that may
requires you to transfer your most your most important reset of it. This guarantees contain sensitive
the next owner will be
important data into a virtual vault. bits of data data, which when in
unable to access
Options from the Google Play store completely safe. your files the wrong hands could
be used against you. If this
Expert apps for hiding data sounds like something you’re
Vault-Hide worried about, then make sure you
Hide Something Hide App-Hide
download the AppLock app right
For an app that’s The app enables To mask your apps
not only easy to users to create behind a spoof away. The app puts your other
use, but also looks private contacts whose app, give Hide App-Hide downloads behind a password-
great, Hide Something is messages and call logs a go. All of your protected wall that will need to be
the one for you. It uses a will automatically be downloaded apps can entered before opening any of the
drag-and-drop system hidden from your phone be placed inside, with a stored content. To then be super
where you can place screen and messaging special spoof icon then sneaky, it’s possible to hide the
your folders behind a app. You’ll need to open in place when you want
the vault to view them. to access them.
AppLock icon, meaning your apps are
hidden spoof app.
completely hidden. Once this is

15
 Feature
»Make your phone invincible

Stay backed up
If your device becomes unusable
Keep a virtual log of the
contents of your device

due to a virus or malicious software,

chances are you need to do a factory
reset. While this is all well and good,
it will mean you have to completely
delete all the files and data already
stored on your Android device –
something that is more of an
annoyance than anything else.
Nevertheless, to save the hassle if
this event occurs, having a virtual
backup in place will offer a simple
way to add your files again on a reset
device. Best of all, many of the
available apps for this are not only Check your inventory Add more sources Time to backup
free, but surprisingly easy to use. On the homepage of the CM Backup Press on the + icon in order to look Press on the backup option to begin.
Here we show you how to backup app, you will be able to see the through the additional sources that You will be able to keep track of how
your files with the great CM Backup details of the things that can be can be backed up through the app. the backup is progressing on screen,
app. It's completely free to backed up. To take a closer look at all Once you have chosen your items, but you will also be notified once the
download, but packed full of highly individual files, press on any of the press on the Confirm option to add process has finished if you don’t
useful features. icons that are provided. them to your list. want to stare at it.

Track your Wipe data

device Locate your device when
it’s in the wrong hands
Before getting into a panic about your misplaced device, make sure that you
remotely
When things take a turn for the
perform the necessary steps to track it down. There’s no need for convoluted worse and you realise that your
apps to perform this task, instead you can rely on Google’s own Device device has been stolen, you’ll be left
Manager to help you out. As long as your phone is turned on and signed into with little option but to perform a
your Google account, all you need to do is load up the Device Manager on your remote wipe. So before this
desktop computer, sign in with your Google account and let the program track happens, download the Cerberus
down your device. Not only will it pinpoint your device’s location, you also have app. After a quick set up process,
the option to ring it. the app will be set to offer a remote
Name your device wipe service whenever you need it –
To make your device no matter if you want to perform a
more recognisable, you full wipe or simply want to remove
may consider renaming it. the contents of your SD card.
Select the pencil icon on
the top left of the program Eagle-eyed users will also spot a
to give it a new name handy backup menu, where you can
link up your Google Drive account to
perform a last minute upload of your
most essential files before someone
Where is it? else has a chance to access them.
The purple patch on the Best of all, the entire process takes a
Device Manager will matter of minutes, rather than
highlight the location. Use hours. So what are you waiting for?
the + and – symbols on
the right to zoom in and
take a closer look “Perform a last minute upload of
Give it a ring
your essential files, before
If your device is nearby,
press Ring to get your Keep your someone else gets them”
device to make sounds.
An easy way to see if your
cards safe
device has fallen down Use one of the many wallet apps on the
the back of your sofa! Play store for a safe and secure way of
16 storing your various payment cards
used for Android or Samsung Pay
 Feature
Make your phone invincible «

Secure your network Ultimate

quick fix tips
Avoid using public Wi-Fi at all costs Vpnster is a
very good Check out the following tips for a
One of the most overlooked aspects of keeping alternative to very quick security fix
Hideninja
Set two-factor
your device secure is the Wi-Fi network you use as
your base connection. For the most secure
browsing experience, using a VPN service is a good authentication
way of encrypting your outgoing connection, Your Google account will hold a lot of personal
making it difficult for anyone to potentially trace data about you, so it’s imperative that you stop
your private browsing data. However, don’t worry if people from accessing it. Head to accounts.
you suspect your device is under threat while google.com to set up two-factor
browsing, as the WiFi Protector app can help you authentication, which will add a dual-layer of
out. It provides a blocking system that aims to password protection for your account.
prevent outdoor sources from tracking, taking and
distributing the data your phone is producing while
you are browsing. If your main source of Wi-Fi is via
public connection, a combination of both a VPN
and the WiFi Protector will prove to be more useful
than you may think.

“WiFi Protector can

prevent people tracking
your network usage“
Get rid of any

Set up a unnecessary apps

Be wary of apps that haven’t been updated in a
while, as you may find that these won’t have

password vault
the necessary updated security features you
need to protect your device. Use the uninstall
menu often to keep these apps off your device.

thousands of apps and services that Add a firewall

u to create a login to access, so When mixed in with passwords, app verification
ring them all is a fairly difficult task. and other features, adding a firewall is a simple
keeping a loose document on your device way to keep the most obvious viruses and
optimal idea, especially if it contains malicious apps from gaining unwarranted
ome personal sites. However, an easy fix access to your device. Get one of these
mpile your passwords within the downloaded from the Google Play store ASAP.
app. As well as passwords, the app
r website logins and autofill web browser
hin a virtual vault. Once set up, you will
need a single master password to access
ed LastPass account. What’s even more
about LastPass is that it can generate
ot strong passwords and modify many of
nt logins to something harder to crack.

Root with caution

Rooting is a great way to unlock extra features on
your device, but it can also expose massive
security flaws within the Android ecosystem.
When rooting, make sure you have a highly
regarded anti-virus app installed on your device.
emnants of your stored passwords

17
Feature
» Master Google apps

MASTER
GOOGLE
APPSGoogle’s native apps are some of the
best on the Play store, but are you
really getting the most out of them?

No matter how much you spend on your device or
where you buy it from, the one thing you can
guarantee is that it will ship with an abundance of
Google apps pre-installed. While they offer great
entry points into some key areas of your Android,
they are also packed full of features that can make
them essential additions to any seasoned user’s
arsenal of apps. Plus, they receive constant
updates to make sure that each and every user is
getting the best mobile experience.
However, while we all get the likes of Gmail,
Chrome and Photos pre-installed on our devices,
did you know just how many apps Google has
developed over Android’s lifespan? A quick glance
at the Play store reveals just over 50 apps, many of
which have gone largely unnoticed by the millions
of Android users around the world, some with
downloads that are merely in their thousands. A
number of these apps are particularly niche, but
they still offer some great added features that are
certainly worth checking out.
No matter what sort of Android user category
you fall into, Google’s suite of apps is fantastic, but
we could all be doing more with them. We have
scoured through these apps to reveal the killer
features that you really need to be trying out on
your device. Many of the features we’ll be pointing
out won’t be immediately noticeable when using
the apps, but by following our guidance, you will
soon become accustomed to them. Once you have
mastered our tips and tricks, you will find out
first-hand just how powerful Google’s suite of apps
is and it should prevent you from needing to
download unnecessary third-party offerings for the
most part. The only question that remains is what
Google apps will you download?

18

Manage site
permissions
in Chrome
Chrome is far and away the best mobile
browser out there and it’s constantly
improving thanks to Google’s attempt
to continually update it. Due to security
issues becoming a problem in Android’s backend,
Google has made improving web security an
important point in recent updates to Chrome. One of
the primary features is being able to get hands-on
with the permissions that websites require access
to and block them when necessary. Blocking
websites’ access to certain permissions can be
beneficial for your device in the long run and we
highly recommend you do it right away.
1 Open settings
After loading up your Chrome home page,
press on the menu icon that is located in the top
right of the app. From here scroll down the list of
options until you find the Settings tab; open this
up in order to continue.
3 View permissions
Each website listing will include a segment
that lists the permissions that the website
currently has access to. Many of them are
harmless, but you’ll want to be wary of any that
can access your Phone app or contact list.
Feature
Master Google apps «
Stay social with
Google apps
Broadcast to the world
Select the new record option in Play
Games to start a live stream of your
favourite game. You will now need to
select the resolution you want to stream at – if
your internet is patchy, make sure to use the
480p video option that’s provided.
Pin posts in Collections
Google +’s Collection feature is great
for bringing together your favourite
posts into one place. However, by
using the new pin option on a single post, you
can highlight it for your contacts to check out
the next time they open the app.
Share playlists with friends
Once you have created a playlist of
your favourite tracks in Play Music,
press on the menu icon to the right of
it and select Share Playlist. From here you can
choose how to send a direct link to your playlist
for friends to check out.
Get notified of brand new
YouTube uploads
To stay in the loop with when one of
your favourite YouTube channels
uploads a new video, make sure to
subscribe to not only the channel, but also
enable the notifications options through the
accompanying Subscriptions menu.
2 List of sites
Chrome’s primary settings page is fairly
convoluted, but you’ll want to find the Site Settings
tab that’s listed near the bottom. Once open,
select an accessed website from the list of
choices in front of you.
4 Choose to block
If you find there’s a permission you want
to block, select it from the list and press on the
block option that appears. Repeat the process
for any remaining permissions and websites that
are on the list.
19
Feature
» Master Google apps

Edit Photo
templates
The editing portion of the Photos app
is fantastic and the preset templates
are plentiful. However, it’s possible to
make changes to these presets and
improve your image tenfold. Select the editing
panel in Photos, before selecting one of the preset
templates found behind the picture icon. Before
saving the changes, use the toolbar cleverly hidden
at the bottom of the menu to adjust the colour
levels in the image. It’s a relatively simple way to
make sure that your image stands out from the
crowd. Unfortunately, there’s no way to save your
customised preset template.

Blur out image

backgrounds
The Google-owned Snapseed is one
of the best apps on the market for
editing your photos, especially when
it comes to bringing items into focus. Select
the Lens Blur option and gently drag your finger
around the area you want to focus on.

Align your Google

Cardboard perfectly
After using the Cardboard app to
connect your headset, you’ll want to
make sure it’s aligned. Load an image
and look for blurriness as this means it’s not
aligned. Use the app to try different images
until your phone is in the correct position.
Line it up Slow and steady Check the results
1 Photo Sphere by moving to 2 perfect Photo Sphere is to 3 The
You’ll want to start your The key to shooting the app will now begin to
process your captured
the left side of the landscape keep your device not only as Photo Sphere. After a couple of
you’re looking to capture. Once straight as possible, but to also minutes, the finished product will
done, select the menu icon move in one continuous be shown on the screen for you
located in the top left of the movement. Once you have to preview. For a closer look,
screen and choose the Photo completed your movements, open up the Photos app where
Sphere option inside. press on the tick icon to finish. the new image should be listed.

20
 Feature
Master Google apps «

View Wikipedia listings View live up-to-

date traffic news
in Google Earth Planning a journey in Maps is simple
enough, but you’ll want to look a little
closer when viewing traffic updates.
Major collisions will include a small stop sign
next to where the incident has taken place and
by pressing on it, you will be able to get a brief
overview of what is believed to have happened.
One of the leading attributes of the It’s an essential tool when mapping out a
Earth app is that it’s a relatively simple journey as it can highlight the roads you need
way of discovering places near you or
around the world. However, there’s
always room for improvement – and in the case of
Earth, there’s a handy built-in Wikipedia feature to
help make discovering new places even better.
Through the app’s side menu, users can enable
the Wikipedia option. You’ll find that the map
you’re then looking at will update itself with various
W icons dotted around. These icons represent Select the Wikipedia option from the Earth side menu
different Wikipedia listings that will give you details
on the places they’re linked to. It’s a handy tool to
have when you want to read up about a specific
location without resorting to TripAdvisor or Yelp.

“It’s a relatively
simple way of
discovering places
near you or around
the world” Places that are signposted with a black W symbol on a
white background have accessible Wikipedia listings

Get fit with My Tracks Share your progress

The share icon in the top right of the
screen should be your port of call when
you decide to send your progress to a
friend. It’s ideal for those who want to
share the progress they have made
Back to
the start
For those that embrace an active If your mapped run is
lifestyle, My Tracks is by far and away extremely long, it can be
difficult to scroll back to the
one of the better fitness tools on the beginning. Use the
market. It contains all the necessary compass icon in the top
tracking features to help you monitor your workout right of the app to be
taken directly back
process. Furthermore, the integrated links with the
to the start
Maps app can give you a visual rundown of the
distance you have covered and how long it took
you to reach your destination.

In action Essential stats

My Tracks includes an innovative Having a visual guide is one thing, but
playback feature where you can see a many people will want to know the
real-time playback of your latest run. exact details of their workout. Select
Use the play icon at the top of the app the Stats tab that’s provided to get a
to start this feature closer look at the essential information

21
Feature
» Master Google apps

Share Keep lists with

anyone
Another app that has largely hidden
under the radar is Keep. While it has
many similarities to Evernote, Keep has
its own very impressive suite of
features that have helped it build up a good-sized
user base. At its core, it will always be a list-based

Turn your device into app, but it’s what you can do with created lists
that’s really worth checking out. Once you have put
something new a list together, select the people icon at the top of
the app. From here you can invite certain contacts
Stream anything! to access the list, as well as let them make minor
Format your list before entering the share menu
edits to it from their own device.
Chromecast has had a massive
update in the past few weeks,
meaning it’s better than ever at
streaming from your phone to your TV.
“While it has many
Whenever you’re in a compatible app, select
the familiar cast icon to get started.
similarities to
Create a Skype clone Evernote, Keep has its
While it still isn’t as popular as Skype,
Hangouts has come on leaps and
own very impressive
bounds. When in a video call, select
the + icon to the right to start up a group chat,
suite of features” Enter the email or contact name into the sharing menu screen

Calend minders
where you can send invites to as many extra
contacts as you like.

Replicate a Kindle
When you start reading a book
through the Play Books app, press on Switch views
the A button at the top. Through the Reminders are easier
drop-down menu that then appears, you will be to view in the daily
able to change the background, font and its select screen, but you While Calendar is a fantastic app for
can also switch to the
size to mimic that of a Kindle. monthly screen to managing your weekly schedules, it
view them. Press on lacked the detail to make it a useful
Create a fitness device the calendar icon at
the top to switch
app for monitoring your daily life – until
One of the benefits of the Google Fit now. A new reminder system has been
app is that it works with a plethora of implemented that enables users to add daily
different fitness trackers. Once you reminders to their weekly schedules. These
have used it for a significant period of time, reminders can be as detailed as you like and link in
make sure to use the backup option in order to with many of Google’s other apps, such as Maps,
send a complete log of your results to your Contacts and Gmail. Here’s how to find your way
Google Drive account for safekeeping. around this feature.

Pay with ease Add an entry Use your

Android Pay is set to be big news in By pressing the + icon voice
2016 and rightly so. With the app set located in the If your hands are full, you
bottom-right corner, can add reminders using your
up on your device, you can seamlessly
you can select the voice. As long as you ask
scan your device over any contactless terminal Reminder option to Google to set a reminder, it
in a shop to make simple and quick add a checklist of will add them
payments. Receipts can then be sent Tick them off events for a certain automatically into the
Once you have day in the year Calendar app
to you via email. completed a reminder,
you will want to tick it
off. Head back to the
overview screen, as
shown, and swipe right
on the reminder to
check it off your list

1 Open your inbox
When you open the app, select your
account and then the inbox option listed inside.
Your latest emails will now appear in front of you.
4 Add dates
Choose the date you want your out of
office period to start on, before using the menu on
the right to select the date you want it to end.
How to master
gesture typing
Gesture typing isn’t the
easiest thing to master, but
with some practice you can
become fairly adept at it. Gently
glide the tip of your finger from one
panel to another, being careful not to
highlight unwanted letters on the
way. One of the great things about
the Keyboard app is that it will
automatically correct the word for
you, plus, if it still gets it wrong, you
can long press it to add the word to
your customised dictionary.
Feature
Master Google apps «
How to set an out-of-
office reply
If you’re taking an extended break from your desk or are just leaving your phone behind when
you go on holiday, there’s nothing worse than coming back to a mound of unread emails. It
can be a laborious task getting back up to speed with your inbox, so using the app’s out of
office feature is an essential task. Here’s how to get yours set up in a matter of minutes.
2 Settings menu
Now you need to find the settings menu.
Find out of office
3 Press on the General Settings tab provided
Select the menu icon from the top left of the app and scroll down the next menu until you find the
and press on the settings option near the bottom. Out Of Office reply option listed.
5 Input details
Type out both the title and body of the out
6 Just to contacts?
If you want to have your out of office work
of office reply you want to send. Feel free to add only when a listed contact emails you, check the
your number if you still want to be contactable. box that sits at the bottom of the menu.
Create a Trip
Bundle in Inbox
If you’re going on a trip,
you can save everything
from your favourite
photos to the details of your flight
and even any emails associated
with the trip within the Inbox app.
Once you have collated all the
details into one bundle, use the
share function to send a copy of it
to any contact. The Trip Bundles
feature can be found by opening
up the side menu from the home
page of the Inbox app.
23
Feature
» Master Google apps

Check for updates

At the top of each card will be a
small disclaimer on the last
Customise your Google
Now cards
update. To update your menu,
head to the top of the screen and
drag downwards to refresh

Google Now has fast become one of the premier personal-assistant apps on the market, but
its big selling point is just how customisable it is. While the menu will provide you with a range
of default cards to enjoy, many of them won’t be to your exact tastes. However, with Now’s
consistently increasing range of cards to choose from, it’s a relatively simple affair to get the
cards you want on your screen. Here’s how to get the best, personalised Google Now experience.

Customise Google Now cards Take a

closer look
Some cards are a little too
basic for our liking, but by
pressing on their listing on
the Google Now menu,
you can get a more
detailed overview
of the card

App links
Some of the best cards used
in Google Now have direct 1 Open Google Now
Scroll through your app drawer and select
What to customise?
2 Select the menu icon on any card and
links to some of Google’s
other apps. The Play Music the Google Now app from the list to open the Now select the customise option that appears. From
app will show you suggested menu. Alternatively, just say the phrase ‘OK here, you will want to choose the type of card you
albums, for example Google’ to get started. want to add or remove.

Start to customise

3 Add details Check your updates

To make changes to your card
layout, select the menu icon to
the top right of the app and select
the customise your card option
that will be shown
The way that each card can be
customised varies. Follow the instructions on
each panel to make the changes you want to your
card of choice.
4 When you head back to the Now home
page, you should find that the menu automatically
updates itself. All of your new customised cards
should now be shown.

Boost your Translate using just

productivity
Google doesn’t just do entertainment
apps, despite popular belief. Under the
radar there is a whole host of fantastic
productivity apps available that can
help you take control of your work life
and also your business.
your camera
If you can’t decipher a
passage of text well enough
to type it into the Translate
app, select the camera icon to the
right to take a photo of it and have the
app do all the hard work for you. To
make it easier, try to hold the camera
as still as possible.
Create accurate
website reports
After six months of website
tracking in Google Analytics,
use the My Reports section
to gain new insights into your website
traffic. Through this menu, you will be
able to see the peak time of visits, as
well as the countries that are most
likely to visit you.

24
 Feature
Master Google apps «

Enable Drive access for contacts

As far as encryption goes, Google Drive
is one of the more secure cloud
storage accounts out there. With this in
mind, it has a great invitation system to
help you collaborate on projects with colleagues.
Once you have put your document together, you will
need to select the I icon located on the right of its
listing. From here, you’ll need to find the Add People
option that’s provided. You will then be prompted to
add the email of the contact you would like, as well
Search for the document you Select the Add People option Enter an email and an The next time you click on a
as an extra message letting them know any want to collaborate on using to begin adding friends or attached person before using project, a small note will
passwords you may have added to the file. the search bar colleagues to the project the send button show you who has access

How to resize and adjust Research topics in Docs

your connected desktop Through the new
Research tool in
When you first connect your computer to your Android device Google Docs you can
through Remote Desktop, the picture can be out of focus. For a import links from
quick visual fix, press on the menu icon located in the top-left websites and Wikipedia listings
corner of the app and select the Shrink to Fit option provided. After into any of your created
a few seconds, the live feed from your desktop will shrink down to fit the documents. Similarly, select the
proportions of your screen. Insert button with the Research
tool still open to import a photo
into your listing. If you then choose
to send the document to
someone, all your added research
will be sent alongside it.

Now get documents
read to you
If you need an overview of a
document while you’re still
working on something else,
make sure to install and set up the
Text to Speech app. Follow the
instructions and you will be able to
get one of your documents read out
to you from start to finish.
“Import links
from websites
and Wikipedia
listings into any
of your created
documents”
Use Sheets to insert Manage printers
recommended charts with ease
Depending on the type of Cloud Print is an
data you enter into Sheets, incredibly useful app for
Google will recommend a managing the settings of any
chart to add some visual elements to connected printers. If you have a
your document. While you don’t have printing error then this is the best place
to follow the recommendation, they to head, as you can perform a quick
are usually the best choice for a scan of the printer, see what faults
number-heavy worksheet. have appeared and how to fix them.

25
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Masterclass

» masterclass
Take control of Google Maps is one of the best Android
apps and it just keeps getting better. In this

Google Maps
Google Maps has been a central part of
Android from day one. It gave every user full
global mapping and street view, then
expanded to offer local search, turn-by-turn
navigation and even real-time public
transport schedules. Now it can replace any
dedicated satnav, as the latest update brings
navigation and search without the need for
internet. This offline support fills the last gap
in Google Maps: the ability to use it overseas.
Google Maps is available on every Android
device. It’s pre-installed and updates are
Understand location settings
guide we’ll take you through its highlights,
as well as a few hidden features
supplied via the Play store. It’s tied to your
Google account and syncs your searches
routinely. Anything you search for on a
desktop will automatically show up in the
Maps app on your phone or tablet. It’s this
that really makes Google Maps stand out over
the competition. The best alternative, HERE
Maps, continues to have superior offline
functionality, but trails far behind in features.
This guide will take in some of the features
in the recent update, along with some of the
changes to the user interface.
Android uses three different ways to
pinpoint your location
Four things you didn’t
know about Maps
1. Material Design
Google Maps fully conforms to the Material
Design specs used in Lollipop and Marshmallow.
It makes heavy use of the sidebar to store all
the main features and sections of the app.
2. Terrain views
Google Maps isn’t just limited to urban use. If
you’re heading off-road, swipe open the sidebar
and select Terrain from the list. This gives you an
Ordnance-Survey view of the map, showing hills,
water and other types of terrain.

Choose a mode
Go to Settings>Location and tap Mode. High
accuracy combines GPS and wireless
technologies to find your location. It uses more
power, but works faster and is more accurate.
Battery saving mode
Battery saving uses only wireless networking
technologies, which aren’t accurate enough for
routing. Devices that only use GPS are accurate,
but a lot slower than High accuracy mode.
Calibrate the compass
In order to further improve the accuracy in
Google Maps, you may occasionally be
prompted to calibrate the compass. Follow the
on-screen instructions when prompted.
3. Cycling routes
You can switch to see the cycling routes mode.
This shows cycle lanes on the roads in green, as
well as off-road cycle paths in brown.
4. Your timeline
The Your timeline feature attempts to automate
information for you, in the way that Google Now
does. It stores locations you have visited in order
to predict journey times and improve search
suggestions. It can also be used to view where
you have been. If you’re concerned about the
privacy implications of this, you can turn it off.

28
 Go
» le
og
m Ma
as ps
ter u
cla pd
ss at
Download maps Google Maps has
Contributions is
Google’s name for

e
revamped its offline reviews of local
min
to use offline map features
Google Maps has had some basic offline support for a few years, but in the most recent
gu de
businesses and
restaurants

update it has become an essential feature. You can now get turn-by-turn navigation, including
searching and routing, while in offline mode. You still need to download map regions first
Get started with
though, and here’s how to do it.
Contributions

Slide open the sidebar and tap Your

1 contributions. All your existing reviews,
as well as photos you’ve uploaded, will be
displayed. Tap your avatar for a summary.

1 Pick an area
Open the sidebar and select Offline areas
from the list of options. You’ll see your list of offline
map regions stored here when you have some. To
begin downloading one, hit the + icon in the
bottom-right corner of the screen.
2 Save the region
You’ll now see the Download this area
window. It will show your current region by default,
but you can swipe the map to choose any region.
Pinch to zoom in and out to save a larger or smaller
region — the size will be shown below the box.

If you have Location History turned on

2 then the Contribute tab will fill with
places you have been to, prompting you to
add reviews, comments and photos.

3 Download an offline map

With your region selected, tap Download to
begin. It’s a good idea to do it on a Wi-Fi
connection, as the downloads can be large. Any
maps you have previously used will have been
cached, so will download quicker.
4 Get auto updates
To ensure you aren’t using out-of-date
maps, your downloads will last a month. They will Alternatively, locate a business that you
3 have visited and tap it to view more
then expire and you’ll need to refresh the maps.
Tap Settings and activate the Automatically update details. Scroll down the page until you find
offline areas option to keep your maps live. space to add your own rating and review.

29
Masterclass
Use Google Maps as a
system
s been a while since Google introduced
n-by-turn navigation into Maps, but
til now it has needed an internet
nnection. Even though it was possible to
wnload regions, you couldn’t search for
cations or plot routes. As a result, Google
aps was not suited to serious navigation
nd was certainly not something you could
ke on your driving holiday to France. The
ata charges would just be too high.
Ta-ra TomTom and
greetings Google! Maps
can replace your satnav
That’s all changed now. With the advent of
proper offline use, where you can even view
points of interest and reviews for your chosen
regions without a data connection, Google
Maps is now a serious satnav tool. In this
tutorial we’ll look at how you get started, plot
a route, what you’ll see when you’re driving
and what else you need to know to navigate
with Google Maps. Of course, you’ll need to
add your own windscreen mount.

1 Plot a route
Tap the Navigation icon in the bottom-right
corner. You plot a route by picking a From position
(your current location is entered by default, but
you can change it) and a Destination. To make the
return journey tap the up and down arrows.
2 Choose the right path
On adding a destination, the app will
search for routes, giving the option of three. The
fastest will be selected by default, but you can
switch to the others – they’ll indicate how much
slower they are, along with traffic issues en route.

Get driving
3 Once
you have selected your preferred
route, tap the arrow icon and start driving. Skip
past the Beta warning screen that may appear and
the app will jump into navigation. Your next turn is
shown at the top of the screen.
4 The road ahead
Along the bottom of the screen is a bar
showing how long it will take to reach your
destination. Tap this bar to see a preview of the
route and tap again to preview it on the map, along
with details telling you which lane you need.
5 Real-time updates
Once your journey starts, you need not
touch the app. Your route will automatically update
if you take a wrong turn and it will check the traffic
periodically and alert you to potential problems up
ahead – you will need a data connection for this.

30
 Go
Message us! »facebook »twitter

» le
og
m Ma
Got a top tip for Google /littlegreenrobot @lgrobot

as ps
Get help from our Follow us to send your
Maps? Let us know!

ter u
Facebook community questions and thoughts

cla pd
ss at
Search public Google Maps is a complete mapping solution for every occasion. It’s great
in the car, on foot or even on a bike. One of the newer features is public

e
transport support. It’s been there for a while, but has recently been fleshed out
to offer live times for bus services around the UK and in other countries.

transport
Whether you’re on the train or the
It’s one of the more useful, but often overlooked features of the Google Maps
app, especially if you’re travelling in a city that you don’t know. Simply turning
on the public transport overlay will show you nearby bus stops or train
stations, and from there you can get live times and destinations. You can also
use the routing feature to show you what mode of public transport you need to
bus you can get live times get to your destination.

1 Turn on public transport

Slide open the sidebar and tap Public
transport. At first you won’t see any changes, but
when you zoom into the map, bus stops and train
stations will be listed. Tap on one to see the buses
or trains that leave from this destination.
2 Get live times
On a bus stop tap Buses from this station.
This will open a screen that displays all the routes,
as well as bus numbers and the times that they
will arrive at this particular stop. The data is in real
time; tap one for even more info on the route.
3 Navigate by bus
You can also use public transport in a
navigation search. Search for a destination as
usual and tap the routing icon (normally the car) in
the bottom-right corner. Now tap the train icon to
see a recommended route by bus or train.

min
gu de
Google Maps interface tips
Discover some of the hidden ways to navigate the Google Maps app

1 3D view 2 Facing forward 3 Always face north 4 Share any location

A 3D view has now cropped up
in a number of towns and cities,
showing you buildings and
landmarks. To see it, swipe down
the screen with two fingers to enter
isometric view then zoom in until the
buildings magically spring up.
Tap the location button in the
bottom-right corner to instantly
switch the map to your precise
location. Tap it a second time and
you’ll jump to a forward-facing view
that rotates the map based on
which way you’re looking.
You can swivel the map by
holding two fingers on the screen
and rotating them. To re-orientate
the map, tap the compass icon and
it will revert to a north-facing view. In
fact, the compass icon only appears
when the map isn’t pointing north.
If you ever need to share a
location, you can. Tap and hold a
point on the map to drop a pin, then
tap that pin and hit Share. You can
share in all apps, including sending
the location in a text that will open in
your recipient’s mapping app.

31
Tutorials
Works with » Android 4.1 and up

Set the apps that

Google Now can scan
Google Now is often described as Android’s
Get Android’s assistant to personal assistant, but it does more than
search and send search the web and notify you about
events. Android devices put tons of useful
fi i f m your apps mation at your fingertips. Google Now
een designed to filter that mass of data
tails that might be important to you at
moment and make it easily available.
oes this by indexing data stored in your
When you enter terms in the Google
search box on your homescreen or verbally
preface instructions with the words ‘OK
Google,’ it returns results found in this data
and on the internet. It will also display Now
cards with updates that have been generated
by compatible apps you have installed.
Like any good assistant, Google Now needs
some training. This involves telling it which
apps store important information and which
ones should send cards.

Call up Google Now 2 Open the menu

If you haven’t already turned on Google
w, activate it by tapping the Google search bar
he icon simply labelled Google and follow the
screen instructions. If Google Now is already
rking, swipe up from the home button or long
ess home if you’re on a Samsung device.
Once Google Now is running, tap the three
horizontal lines in the top-left corner of its main
screen to access the menu. This takes you to
where you tell Google Now which apps to index so
their names and content show up in searches and
the apps that should generate cards.

Se
3 Tap
Settings and then Phone Search to
show a list of what Google Now can scan for the
data it presents when you search for something.
All apps will be catalogued, but only those storing
data on your device, such as Contacts and Play
Music, will have their content indexed.
4 Choose apps to index
All of the apps listed under Phone Search
are indexed by default. If Google Now is trawling
through apps you don’t use though, this could
drain your device’s battery and might slow it down.
By removing the tick mark beside a redundant app,
it will tell Google Now to ignore it.
Grant permissions
5 For
third-party apps to show cards in your
Google Now stream, you need to give Google
permission to track what you use. To do this, open
the Google Settings app and tap Personal Info &
Privacy. Then tap Activity Controls and check that
Web & App Activity is switched to On.

32
 Handy hints you will need if you’re new to Google Now
1 Go to G 2 Where are you? 3 Cards to collect 4 Launch with Now 5 Coming soon

tips
To access your cards, tap Google’s Some cards need location data, so Google has approved Now card Install the Google Now Launcher Repeat Step 8 periodically because
multi-coloured G icon and swipe ensure Location History is turned integration in over 100 apps, which and swipe left to right from Home some apps only request permission
up to view them. On under Step 5 below. are listed at bit.ly/1MZRgjf. to get instant Google Now. for cards if used regularly.

Access your apps

min and media instantly
guide Once Google Now has indexed the apps and compatible
content on your phone, you can find things in a flash

6 Pick a card
Some third-party apps can generate a Now
card every day while others rarely post cards.
Google Now can also be set to post cards based on
your location. To set card permissions for third-party
apps, go back to Google Now’s menu and tap
Customize to access the Now Preferences menu.

1 Type the first letter 2 Use voice commands

If you need quick access to an app, There are various ways to get instant
type the first letter or two of its name in the access to media stored in apps indexed by
Google Now search bar. Icons for matching Google Now. The easiest is to get Google’s
entries will immediately be displayed in a row attention by saying ‘OK Google’ and follow that

7 Review other app settings below the top search results. Tap on the one up by stating what app, eBook, song or video
you need to open it. you want Now to open or start playing.
Under Now Preferences, look for the Apps
& Websites option. If you haven’t entered your
transportation choices in Google Now, you’ll have
to scroll down below the settings for these.
Otherwise, you should see Apps & Websites about
halfway down the screen. Tap on it.

8 Say yes to everything

To see Now cards from third-party apps
on your device, ensure that Yes is selected under
the All Apps & Websites and Location headings.
Some apps have individual settings that might be
set to No by default. Tap these and choose Yes to
get cards from them too.
3 Name that tune
To find an artist, song, movie, TV show
or eBook, you can also use the approach in Step
1. Start typing the name into Now’s search box
until the result appears in the fields below.
Tapping the title will open the media in its app.
This works for contacts too.
4 Stream it now
You can also use Google Now to access
streaming media. Type a name or title in the
Google search box and look down the results for
app services such as YouTube and Spotify that
you have installed. Tap on an entry to open the
app with your desired content loaded.

33
Tutorials
App used » KWGT Kustom Widget Maker Works with » Android 4.4 and up

Personalise with
Kustom Widget Maker
Design your own Widgets and a customisable interface are top that we can’t cover them all here. After completing
features of the Android operating system. While this tutorial though, you should get a good idea of
widgets and one- widgets make it easier to access information in apps what Kustom Widget Maker can do and feel confident
touch shortcuts without having to open them, the ability to tweak the about experimenting with features we didn’t cover.
layout and appearance of the UI means you can The first few steps show you how to make a basic
with this free and personalise your mobile devices. change to one of the preset widgets included with the
tile app Kustom Widget Maker helps you take advantage of app. We then dig deeper into the editing tools by
these qualities by giving you tools to add unique creating a simple widget from scratch that provides a
ts and handy shortcuts to your shortcut to a website. To start, download KWGT
reen. It has so many options Kustom Widget Maker from the Google Play store.

1 Don’t open the app

After you have downloaded the app, don’t
tap on the icon when it appears on your
homescreen. If you do, you’ll get a message that
says you haven’t created a widget yet. Instead of
opening the app, long press on homescreen to
create your first widget.
2 Add your first widget
KWGT offers two sizes of widgets. For the
first part of this tutorial we are using the two-by-
two option. When you drag this blank widget to
your homescreen, all you will see is a rectangle
displaying nothing but the words ‘Click to setup or
long press to resize’.

Load a preset
3 Tap
on the widget to open the app at its
Root screen. To load an included preset design,
tap on Installed. Presets include battery meters,
clocks and calendars. You can pick anything you
want for this part of the tutorial, but we are going
to use the CircularBattery meter preset.
4 Meet the editor
Selecting a preset opens KWGT’s editor.
Editing tools are under headings below the design.
We are going to give our preset a photo backdrop.
First select Background, this should display fields
labelled Type and Color. Tap the former and select
Image. Formatting options should appear.
5 Import a picture
Tap Pick Image to open your photo gallery
app, then select a picture. This will return you to
KWGT’s editor with the photo added as your
preset’s background. If your image is imported
with the wrong orientation, tap Edit Image and
correct this in a photo editing app.

34
 Get in touch
We’re on Facebook and Twitter, or
»facebook »twitter »email
/littlegreenrobot @lgrobot qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Like us on Facebook and Follow us to send your Need help? Got a question? Drop us
just drop us an email join our community comments and pics an email and let us know

Ask your own

question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk

Is it possible to
change my theme?
Indeed you can! Tap on the
paintbrush icon and you’ll be
able to select a new theme
without deleting your progress
and starting again. You might
need to reshuffle a few

6 Admire your work
There are many other customisations you
can make to presets, including those described in
the rest of this tutorial. For now though, tap the
disc icon in the top right to save your creation.
Then press Home, swipe to the screen your widget
is on and see how it looks.
7 Start from scratch elements, but it’s not too much
In the rest of this tutorial, we will explain work. You can also change your
fonts and background image
how to create a widget that takes you directly to
from the menu.
your favourite website. First create a one-by-one
blank widget and open the editor as described in
Step 4. Then tap the icon in the top right that looks
like a bent sheet of paper.

8 Name your widget

Ensure that you have the Items heading
selected below the design window. Then tap + in
the top right to see what objects you have the
choice to add to your design. Tap Text and then the
Text field in the editor to bring up a screen where
you can name your widget.
9 Position the text
Next tap the tick mark in the top-right
corner to return to the Items editing screen. Select
Position and move the text to the bottom of the
widget by tapping the arrowheads next to YOffset.
Then tap the arrow in the top-left corner to revisit
the Root screen.
10 Add a shape
Tap + again and choose Shape. Back in the
editor, select something from the Shape field and
use the sizing controls to make your shape almost
touch the widget’s top and side borders. Then tap
Paint, tap Color and pick a shade from the palette
with which to fill your shape.

11 Pick an icon
Return to the Root screen again by
tapping the tick mark and then the back arrow.
Tap + and choose FontIcon. Back in the editor,
tap the FontIcon field, then the Icon field. Pick an
icon you like, tap it and use Size in the editor to
enlarge it to fit your window.
12 Touch it up
Next, go to the Touch tab. This is where
you will add the URL that you want to open in your
browser when you tap the widget on your
homescreen. Tap the + icon to create a Touch
field. Tap None in that field and None again, then
select Open Link.
13 Link and save
Tap the URL field and then in the next
screen type the web address in the Formula box.
Tap the tick icon in the top right when you’re done.
Finally, save the widget using the instructions
described in Step 6 and go to your homescreen to
double check if it works.

35
Tutorials
App used » Google Now Works with » Varies with device

How to clear your entire

Google Now history
Wipe the slate clean by
deleting Google Now’s Visit Google Now
card history
records and search history Either on your Android or
your computer, visit the Now
The Google Now service aims to provide Card History page by going
to goo.gl/4a6QOk. If you are
you with the information you need,
not already signed in to your
when you need it. In order to provide this Google account, you will be
kind of customised service, Google Now asked to do so before you
needs to gather and record lots of are permitted to access
Now Card History
information about you, including what
cards you have accessed in the past. Delete entire history
If you’re security conscious, you may As soon as you select
want to occasionally delete this record of #FXCPEGF CP GZVTC ƒGNF YKNN
appear. Tap this new Select
your Google Now activities, whether that’s
wiping your entire Google Now history or
Today and yesterday FCVG ƒGNF CPF EJQQUG HTQO
To delete your Google Now Past 4 weeks or All time,
just removing the record for a certain day. history for the current day or which will delete your entire
This article shows you how to do both. yesterday, tap the menu icon Google Now history. Select
and select Delete options. the option you want to use
You’ll also learn how to delete your Google and then tap Delete
Then select either Today or
Now search history, as search queries can Yesterday and tap Delete. You
sometimes hang around in the Google can access some additional
Now search bar long after you’ve cleared options in this menu by
selecting Advanced
your regular browsing history.

“If you’re security conscious...

delete your Google Now search”
Delete Google Now search history Stop seeing cards
Your history may make you
When you clear data on your device, your Now realise that there’s a card
search history has a habit of sticking around you don’t want appearing in
Google Now. To stop seeing
this card, swipe to Google
0QY ƒPF VJG ECTF KP
question, tap its menu icon
and select Not interested in
or Don’t show updates from

Web and app Delete your Delete queries

activity Google history manually &GNGVG C URGEKƒE FC[
Head over to history. If you select Advanced, Sometimes queries may
you can then choose from remain in Google Now You’ll see a daily summary of
google.com/history. Open
Past 4 weeks or All time. even after you have all the cards that Google Now
the side menu and make
sure Web & App Activity Select Delete, read the cleared your search has sent to your device,
is selected. Now tap the warning and confirm the history. If past queries do including whether you viewed
three-dots menu icon and deletion. Open Google appear when you tap the or clicked each card. To
then select Delete Now and tap the search search bar, you can delete the history for a certain
Options. Select either bar to see whether your delete them manually by day, select that day’s check
Yesterday, Today or history has been long pressing and then box and then tap Delete from
Advanced from the menu. completely cleared. selecting Delete. the toolbar that appears

36
App used » Google+ Works with » Varies with device

Get to grips with the Start your own

collection

redesigned
You can also start your own
collections by selecting Yours
and then tapping the Create a
collection icon. Give your
collection a name, tagline and
decide whether it should be
public or not. Once you’ve
created a collection, it’ll
Find more of the content that you appear under the Yours tab

love and start publishing your

own Google+ collections
Google has recently announced a complete
redesign of Google+ across all platforms, Discover new
including the Android app. collections
;QW ECP ƒPF PGY EQNNGEVKQPU
This revamped Google+ focuses on content rather
to follow by checking out the
than social media. Boot up the latest version of Featured collections or you
Google+ and you’ll immediately see this new can search for collections on
direction in action: there’s now a permanent bar a particular topic by tapping
the magnifying glass icon
along the bottom of the screen, where communities and performing a search.
and collections take centre stage. 9JGP [QW ƒPF C EQNNGEVKQP
Although user profiles do still exist, you may find you like the look of, tap Follow
yourself spending more time using Google+ to
discover new content, rather than staying in touch
with friends and family. Redesigned
To help you get up to speed with the new Google+, communities
this tutorial takes you on a quick tour around the Community pages have also
user interface, before showing you how to publish been given a refresh in the
latest Google+ update. To see
your first Google+ collection.
this new layout in action,

“This revamped Google+ select Communities and tap

any of the communities on
this page. You’ll notice a new
Check your
PQVKƒECVKQPU
focuses on content rather layout that makes these
community pages distinct
It’s easy to check new and
GXGP RCUV PQVKƒECVKQPU KP VJG

than social media”

HTQO WUGT RTQƒNGU redesigned Google+ app.
Wherever you are in the app,
UKORN[ VCR VJG 0QVKƒECVKQPU
button to open a side menu
Make your collections stand out that contains all of your
WPTGCF PQVKƒECVKQPU ;QW ECP
Google+ makes creating a collection easy, but TGNKXG QNFGT PQVKƒECVKQPU D[
creating a collection that’s worth following tapping Previously read
requires a few extra steps!

Cover images Create a post Create a poll What are collections?

At the top of the screen Time to create some You can also post polls
you’ll see your content! Tap the pencil for your followers to A collection is a set of posts
collection’s default cover and craft your first post, in respond to. Tapping the on a particular topic, such as
image. To change this the same way you would graph icon adds a poll football, technology or food.
image, tap the create a regular Google+ template to your update. When you follow a collection,
paintbrush icon and then status. To prevent people After completing the its posts appear in your
either scroll through the from re-sharing your default Choice 1 and Home stream – collections
stock photos or select a content or posting Choice 2 fields, you can are an easy way of seeing
photo of your own. Tap comments, open the menu add more by simple more of the content that
Done to save. and use the check boxes. tapping More choices. really interests you

7
Tutorials
Apps used » WiFi File Transfer Pro Works with » Android 2.1 and up
Move files
over Wi-Fi
Transfer files without a USB cable using
WiFi File Transfer Pro
We’ve all been there, desperate to transfer
something from our Android device onto
a PC, but entirely incapable of finding a
USB cable when it matters. That’s where
WiFi File Transfer Pro comes in. It’s a
brilliant easy-to-use app that lets you
connect your phone and PC with a simple
tap. You don’t need any technological know-
how to get it working and while it isn’t the
best looking app on the Google Play store, it
does what it should so damn well that it’s
hard to find fault with it. All you’ll need to
get up and running is a Wi-Fi connection,
an Android device and a computer. We’ll
walk you through some of the more
complex parts of the setup here, but if all
you want to do is send something to your
PC quickly, it really is a doddle. When you
have all the equipment you need, head on
down to the first step to get going or check
out the image for more tips.
“While it isn’t the best looking app... it
does what it should so damn well that
it’s hard to find fault with it ”
The settings menu
1 Tap
on the Settings menu button and you
can set up some handy security and ease of use
options that make WiFi File Transfer Pro even
better. First up, you can set a password to ensure
that no one else can access your files even if they
can access your URL.
38
Logical layout
This is the main page of the
app that will pop up once you
tap start. It’s all pretty
self-explanatory. It might not
be easy on the eyes, but it
presents everything that you
need in a simple and very
easy to access way
The URL is the key
The URL that appears here is
what you need to connect to
[QWT ƒNGU ,WUV V[RG KV KPVQ VJG
browser and you’ll instantly
connect to the memory of
your phone. Make sure you
type it in correctly. You’ll need
to add http:// as well
2 Set a password
Setting up a password is also a good way
to work with colleagues securely, giving you all
access to the same shared files without uploading
them. It essentially turns your phone into a joint
hard drive. Remember you will need to be on the
same Wi-Fi network for it to work.
Behind the scenes
You can run the app in the
background, so it doesn’t
have to be front and centre if
you are working on
something on your phone or
tablet. This way you will be
CDNG VQ SWKEMN[ CEEGUU VJG ƒNG
from your PC. It’s a really,
really handy system
Settings
Tapping the Settings button
at the bottom of the screen
lets you play around with a
variety of different options
that make the experience
even sharper. We’ll deal with
them in the next section of
the tutorial, but there’s some
really useful stuff in there
3 Auto start
If you want WiFi File Transfer Pro to
automatically turn on when you connect to your
home network, tap the option above Advanced
Settings. When the list of networks you’ve
connected to before pops up, scroll down and
choose the one that you’d like to use with the app.
 Some more tips to get the most out of WiFi File Transfer Pro
1 Do I have to pay? 2 Does it need root? 3 When you’re done 4 Save some battery 5 Swap devices

tips
There’s a free version, so give Nope, there is no need to alter Just tap the Stop button Showing the folder size If you’re using multiple devices,
it a try if you are still not your device at all for the app to found on the main page to permanently in the list will use up end the connection on one
entirely sold yet. work effectively. end the connection. more battery on your device. before you start the next.

Ask your own

question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk

Is it possible to use
other mobile
devices to transfer
the files across?
Yes. You can use anything with
a web browser. Just point it in
the direction of the URL the app

4 Advanced settings
In the Advanced Settings there are, as
you’d expect, some more advanced tweaks. You
can opt out of Google Analytics if you don’t want to
send information to Google, as well as add SSL
encryption if you’re on a public network. You can
change the look of the app too.
5 On the web produces for you and you can
get access to the files instantly.
This is what the interface looks like on the
You can use it to transfer things
web. Again it’s not super-pretty to look at, but it
across different Android
gets the job done very well. You’ll see on the right devices too. It’s an incredibly
of the screen that you’re given information about versatile little tool and for the
the battery life of your device and how much price of 88p it’s ridiculously
storage your phone has left. good value for money.

What should I do if
I get stuck?
The app actually has a really
useful help section that you can
access from the main page.
Just tap it and there are some
hints and tips that should get
you through. For some reason,
the help section on the
web-based portion of the
service doesn’t seem to work
though. If you do find yourself in
a bind, make sure that you

6 Upload to phone 7 The media gallery check the app.

You can transfer files in the opposite
direction as well. Simply click on the option on the
right-hand side of the screen and you’ll see this
dialogue pop up. You can choose multiple files to
transfer at once. If it doesn’t work, try using the
simple uploader option instead.
The media gallery offers fewer options
than the file browser. You can view the media that
you have on your phone. You can download items
and show them in their parent directory. Sadly,
there isn’t a way to delete files here though so you
will need to do this in the file browser.

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Got a problem with your
Android phone or tablet?
Get in touch with us...
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Get help from our
Facebook community

8 The file browser

Here you can explore all of the files that
9 What you picked
Once you have selected files to download,
»twitter @lgrobot
Follow us to send your
questions and thoughts
are on your device. They’re displayed in exactly the you’re given a couple of options. You can either
same way as you would see them in a file manager
on your device. You can look through folders, as
well as select multiple items to download, delete
download the files as individual items or grab them
all together in a single ZIP file. If you’re archiving
content then the ZIP file is a great idea, saving you
»email
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Send your questions for our team of
or add to a ZIP file. more space on your PC. experts to tackle

39
Tutorials
App used » Torque Pro (OBD 2 & Car) Works with » Android 2.0 and up

Check every part of your

car with Torque There are few things in life, in terms of cost, that
are more unpredictable and harder to manage
than running a car. Whether you want to check for
fault codes, manage fuel consumption or
simply ensure that you are driving in
a way that keeps the engine in
perfect condition, it can be tricky to
even know where to start. However,
we have an answer and all you need
is an Android app and a cheap
You can now manage your
car in ways only mechanics
used to be able to
accessory to see everything that is happening with
your car over long periods and in real time. The
power of Bluetooth means that you can leave the app
running while you drive and every data point will
be logged accurately – even more importantly, you
can retrieve fault codes that could save a costly trip
to a mechanic. We will show you how to set
everything up and you will likely be surprised at
just how easy it is. When you have finished reading
this, you will have full control over your car.

1 Buy the accessory

To check data on your car, you will need to
purchase a Bluetooth-enabled OBD2 reader. Do
your research to locate where the port is in your
car and then look for a compatible reader. They
can be purchased very cheaply and most cars will
support the functionality.
2 Download an app
For this tutorial we are going to use Torque
Pro, which is available on Google Play. There are a
variety of options available for checking car data,
but we can recommend this one as being reliable
and fully featured. Download and install the app to
continue with the setup.

Attach the reader

3 Turn
the ignition so that electricity is going
to the engine and then insert the reader into the
port. This will mean that it has power to be able to
pair with your Android phone and set up a valid
connection. Now turn Bluetooth on to start the
connection process.
4 Make the connection
Once the reader has been discovered by
your Android device, it will be listed with an obvious
name in the Bluetooth settings screen. Tap it and
then enter the PIN that is included in the
instructions that come with the reader. It will now
connect and confirm it is successful.
5 Open the app
Open Torque Pro where you will see a main
screen that should show the reader is now
connected and working. Tap the cog icon and then
select Vehicle Profile to begin adding the
information for your car. Try to be as accurate as
possible for the best results.
 Get in touch
We’re on Facebook and Twitter, or
»facebook »twitter »email
just drop us an email
6 Check your fault codes
Tap Fault Codes on the main screen and
then let the app thoroughly read your engine. This
may take some time for the process to complete,
but be patient as it will be worth it to see how you
can stop issues that could potentially turn into
expensive problems in the future.
8 Real-time information
Go back to the main screen and tap
Real-time Information to bring up a series of dials.
These will display the exact state of various
aspects of your engine and a simple test is to
depress the accelerator to see the Revs change
immediately. It’s a very impressive setup.
11 Map your routes
When you tap Trip View on the main
screen, you will see a familiar mapping display
appear. If you leave this enabled, your journey
would be tracked in fine detail for you to check
later. Everything from the route to the speeds are
covered visually and through accurate data points.
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join our community comments and pics
7 Read the results
The ideal situation will be to see ‘No fault
codes stored in ECU’, which means that everything
should be running fine. In reality, most cars will
pop up some errors over time and the majority will
not cause problems later on. Modern engine
sensors are extremely sensitive.
9 Change the dials
Tap and hold any dial to bring up new
options that will let you change the size, display
type, title and even maximum and minimum
allowable values. You really can customise every
single aspect of the real-time information feature
so that it suits your exact needs.
12 Take it further
In Test Results, you can see summaries of
each part of the engine that has been tested.
Some of these merely offer a description whereas
others can be tapped to bring up much more
detailed data that can be read, ideally in the hands
of a trained professional.
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Need help? Got a question? Drop us
an email and let us know
Ask your own
question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Will the reader
damage my car?
If you take common sense
precautions when using an
OBD2 reader, there is no reason
why you should damage your
car engine. Simply reading data
and tracking information in real
time is harmless, but please be
careful when you’re wiping fault
codes and make sure you know
what they are first.
10 Manage graph data
The graphing feature lets you log data in
real time and in a visual form. The logging can be
saved and exported for later, and the actual
results are impressively accurate throughout. They
are particularly useful for checking engine
performance over extended periods.
13 Install some plugins
A quick search on the Google Play store for
Torque Pro Plugins will bring up a myriad of options
that can be used to enhance the tracking and
real-time experience. Everything from new themes
to gear change apps are available to give you
almost unlimited possibilities.
41
Tutorials
Apps used » Super Touch – Speed Sliding Works with » Android 3.0 and up
Main menu
This is the main menu page
of the app. It contains most
of the things that you’re going
to need to play around with.
In the top-right corner, there’s
a menu that opens up
advanced options and an

How to get a
About+help section too

speed boost
Speed up your touchscreen with this easy to
use app that doesn’t cost a thing
A lot of the apps that speed up your
Android device require root access. If that’s
not something you’re comfortable or familiar Change sensitivity
with, then your options can feel a bit limited. In the middle of the screen
The Super Touch app doesn’t require you to there’s the slider that lets you
adjust the sensitivity of your
have a rooted device though and it does some touchscreen gestures. It’s set
pretty impressive things without you needing to 190 by default, but you can
to have much, or really any, technical alter this by moving the slider
either to the left or right. It
know-how. All you will need to get things up
goes up to 9,999
and running are your Android device and a
Wi-Fi connection. The app isn’t a huge
download and it walks you through a lot of
what you need to know. Unfortunately, the
translation isn’t great, so we’ll guide you Stay unlocked
through the process. It shouldn’t take you Tapping the Start Smooth
very long to get things sorted and while there Touch button will begin
are a few fiddly bits that might require a little setting up your phone for the
new process. It’s best if you
more attention, with a bit of perseverance don’t lock your screen when
you’ll soon be swiping around your Android this is running, as it can
phone or tablet with the sort of speed and interfere with what the app is Save battery
trying to achieve The Battery Save option
grace you didn’t think was possible.
underneath the Start Smooth
Touch button lets you quickly

“It does some pretty impressive things set up some power-saving

options that tie in with the
speed-up touch. They’re not

without you needing to have much massively detailed, but we will

have a look at them in the

really any, technical know-how” main body of the tutorial

Download the app

1 First
up you will need to grab the app from
the Google Play store. It looks like this and it’s not
a particularly large download. It shouldn’t take too
long to install on your Android device and when it
has done, you’ll open it up to a brief tutorial across
a number of different screens.
2 The easy tutorial
Swipe through the first screens as though
you were flipping through a book – there’s about
three of them. Have a read and you’ll come to a
screen that explains things in a little more detail.
The first time you see this, it will have a button
marked Advanced at the bottom.
Tap the Advanced button
3 Hit
the button marked Advanced and you
will be taken to another menu. Here you will be
able to find out whether your device is powerful
enough to run some of the much more interesting
features that are available on the app. If it is, you
can tap to get them up and running.

42
 Get even more out of Super Touch with these tips
1 Go super high 2 Can’t go that high? 3 Check the updates 4 Check the Google Plus 5 Take a minute

tips
Start by setting the app to its You will need to unlock the You will find update logs in the help There’s a link to the Google Plus Remember, it can take
highest setting and then slide down Advanced Settings to access any of section in the menu of the main community for the app, found in anything up to a minute for the
if this doesn’t work. the settings over 300. screen in the app. the same menu. app to change your CPU.

Ask your own

question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk

Where can I find

out what sensitivity
setting will suit my
phone the best?
Scroll down past the buttons on
the main page to find a simple
list of some commonly-used

4 If you go back 5 Head back to the menu screen resolutions and where it
would be best to set the
The Advanced Settings link in the When you have set up the Advanced
sensitivity of the app for them.
drop-down menu will now always tell you that you Settings, go back to the main menu. Now tap the
A quick Google search will tell
have enabled those settings, so you can pretty button that starts up the smoothing process. You you what resolution your device
much ignore it for the rest of your time with the will see a pop-up window that shows you the is if you don’t know.
app. It does include a help email address if you progress. If your phone is likely to lock in a couple
want to suggest tweaks to the app. of minutes, then turn off that particular setting.
The app starts
when my phone
does, can I stop it
doing that?
It’s not advised. If you stop the
app from running at start-up,
you will need to reconfigure it
every time you restart your
phone and that’s not exactly
the most effective use of your
time. If you need to speed up
your boot up, consider disabling
other apps instead.

6 Start it off
Once the progress bar has filled up, you will
see another pop-up window. You can scroll down
and read about some of the changes you have just
made. When you’re done tap Start and Share. You
don’t actually have to share anything, but the app
does give you the option to.
7 Start the battery save
When you have Smooth Touch up and
running, you can engage the battery saving
options as well. Rather than giving you a list of
options, the app controls everything for you. Tap
the button and it will set it up automatically. You
can quickly turn them off with another tap.

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Got a problem with your
Android phone or tablet?
Get in touch with us...
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Get help from our
Facebook community

8 Is it enough?
If you find that the default setting isn’t
9 Start it again
When you’ve selected the sensitivity you
»twitter @lgrobot
Follow us to send your
questions and thoughts
powerful enough to actually make that much of a would like, tap the button to start up Super Touch
difference to your swipes and taps, then you can
slide the marker further up the scale on the main
page to make the touchscreen more sensitive.
again. Follow the same process as before,
preferably avoiding locking your screen and then
check to see whether the new sensitivity level
»email
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Send your questions for our team of
This will turn off Super Touch though. suits you. Repeat as many times as you’d like. experts to tackle

43
 EXPLORE THE TECH INSIDE
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Top
tw
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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
device’s storage.
When your phone tells you that its processor runs
at a certain speed, that’s often a best-case
scenario. Seriously thrashing it might give you
performance close to the specified figure (it’ll never
entirely match it), but quite often, less intensive
tasks will run at considerably lower speeds.
Overclocking your phone gives you more control
over the speeds your processor can achieve. For
example, if it struggles with running a particular app
or game (even when it shouldn’t), you can use
overclocking to add a bit more oomph. The trade-off
is that it will chew through your battery faster, but
that’s where underclocking comes in – enabling you
to sacrifice speed for longer battery life. Read on to
discover more about over and underclocking, and
the performance boosts these techniques can help
you achieve. We’ll show you how a few clever tricks
can speed up (or slow down) your phone.

45
 acker Zøne
erclock to
ake your
one go faster
w you can get more speed from your device by
rclocking the processor
Everyone wants their phone to be faster; processor’s cores. However, processors never
even with all the bells and whistles there’s run at their physical limit. Instead companies
still that nagging feeling that it could be set a top speed that balances performance
even quicker. While there are things you can and battery life. By overclocking, you’re
do to improve the perceived speed of your setting a higher top speed to make your
device – removing unwanted apps from your phone faster and more powerful.
phone, reducing background syncing, To overclock, your phone needs to be rooted
adjusting the animation speeds through the and you need a compatible kernel.
Developer options – to achieve real, tangible
benefits you need to get your hands dirty. You
need to overclock your phone.
Processors run at a range of clock speeds, Five top tips for working
the maximum (the fastest) being the one
listed on a device’s spec sheet. So a 1.8GHz with the kernel
processor might run at somewhere in the
region of 300MHz when the phone is idle,
1.What is the kernel?
giving enough power to keep the OS ticking, The kernel controls every interaction between
the hardware and software. Every resource an
and then gradually crank up when launching
app requires and each screen tap from the user
apps and playing games, to the point where it are all managed by the kernel. The kernel
runs at the full 1.8GHz across all the directly affects a device’s performance.

t kernel for your device. Here’s some of the

2. Why change the kernel?
d the best apps to use with them There are many reasons to flash a new kernel.
Many are customisable, offering the ability to
Unikernel overclock the processor for example, while
kernel, Unikernel is a good choice of kernel for the some provide extra features and some are
es. It’s Galaxy S6. It includes a fully configurable optimised purely for performance.
stable – a installer, enabling you to choose the settings
your when you first flash it. This is the kernel to try if 3. Choosing a kernel
. you’re looking to improve the S6’s performance. If you plan to flash a custom kernel, it is
absolutely essential that you choose one that is
compatible with your exact model of device.
Attempting to flash one that isn’t will likely fail or
even potentially leave you with a bricked phone.
4. Get ready to flash
When flashing a custom kernel, your phone will
need to have an unlocked bootloader and be
rooted. It is possible to unroot afterwards, if you
want to, although you will lose the customisable
benefits of a custom kernel.
5. Kernel management apps
Some kernels can be configured when you flash
them, but it’s a good idea to install a kernel
management app like Kernel Adiutor from the
Play store so that you can tweak it from within a
more user-friendly Android interface.

46
 Overclock your phone

Find and flash a kernel 2

If you need to roll
back to the
original kernel,
To overclock you need to flash a custom kernel – here’s minute you easily can in
guide the franco.Kernel
how to get started Updater app
Before you can overclock your phone you will need to flash a custom kernel. It’s important to
choose one that’s compatible with your specific device and it will need to be rooted as well, with a
custom recovery installed. In this guide we’ll look at the popular franco.kernel. Restore the
stock kernel

Your backups can be found under

1 Backup/Restore in the sidebar. It’s a
good idea to name them so they are easily
recognised, such as #1 stock.

1 Install the Updater app

Install the franco.Kernel updater app from
the Google Play store – choose the paid version for
the full feature set. Launch the app on your device
and when prompted grant it root privileges. This
will give the app full access to all of the system
functions that it needs.
2 Create a backup
The app will begin by checking your kernel
and finding the latest version that’s available.
New builds are released on a regular basis.
However, first back up your stock kernel. Slide
open the sidebar, choose Backup/Restore then
hit the + icon to continue.

Restoring a backup is as simple as

2 tapping it. When complete, restart your
phone if it doesn’t do it automatically. Swipe
away to remove unwanted backups.

3 Flash the kernel

Once that is done you’re ready to flash a
new kernel. Slide open the sidebar once again and
select FK Updater. Choose the build of the kernel
that you want to flash and follow any instructions
that appear on the screen. Restart once it’s done.
4 Get tweaking
You can now begin exploring the tweaks
that are available through your custom kernel. A If you have lost your stock backup, head
good place to start is CPU Manager, which enables
3 to your device’s forum at xda-
you to adjust the minimum and maximum clock developers.com to download it. A custom
speeds for your processor. kernel may prevent OTAs from installing.

47
 acker Zøne
A kernel Squeeze a little more power out of your phone by
overclocking the processor, in order to make it run faster
than the manufacturer intended

for HTC
In this tutorial we’ll look at how to
overclock a phone using the ElementalX
kernel, which is available for Nexus and
HTC devices, and the companion EX Kernel
Manager app. This app is available from the
on, the settings will be the same. You just
need to experiment with the best ones for
your own device.
Overclocking involves setting a new
minimum and maximum frequency for the

rs
Play store priced at £2.50. Although there are
other apps on the store that can overclock,
this official app is worth getting for this
specific kernel. The app works in the same
way as the franco.Kernel Updater app, as well
eneric kernel tweaking tools such as
CPU. In short, whichever kernel you settle
processor, as well as tweaking a few other
settings such as the governor. The governor
controls frequency scaling or how quickly the
processor will ramp up to maximum and how
long it will stay there before dropping back
down. This has the biggest effect on both
performance and battery life.

1 Set up the app

Install EX Kernel Manager, grant root
ermissions and install BusyBox (a suite of root
tilities) if prompted. Create a backup of your
tock kernel, select ElementalX from the sidebar
d flash the new kernel. The phone will reboot.
2 CPU Settings
Now reopen the app and select CPU from
the sidebar. Here you can set the maximum and
minimum speeds for the processor, as well as
adjust the governor, which determines how quickly
the clock speed rises and falls.

3 Change the frequency

Tap the Max and Min CPU frequencies.
Setting the frequency levels to higher than they
currently are will increase the speed of your
processor, potentially at the expense of battery
life. Simply hit the back button to save changes.
4 Change the governor
Under CPU governor, change the setting to
Performance. This sets the CPU to a higher
frequency to give better performance and
complete tasks quicker. The phone will reach an
idle state quicker, which saves battery power.
5 Tweak the GPU
You can also adjust graphics performance.
Through the sidebar, choose the Graphics tab and
experiment with the maximum and minimum clock
speeds for the GPU. As always, make your changes
small at first, so you are able to judge the effects.

48
 Overclock your phone

Optimise Want your phone to perform

best when playing games?
apps. This means that if you are happy with the
general performance of your phone you can leave
the settings at their defaults, yet you can still

your phone This guide shows you how

One of the best things about various kernel
benefit from overclocking when you launch
specific apps. By creating settings for the
high-end games that are the most resource

for gaming management apps is that they don’t limit you

to a single group of settings that apply across
the board. In the franco.Kernel Updater app you
can create settings that only apply to specific
hungry, you will get the maximum performance
from your device, safe in the knowledge that it
won’t affect your day to day usage. Let’s get
started with per-app modes.

1 Create a profile
From the sidebar select Per-App Profiles.
We want our game to run at top speed, so set the
minimum CPU frequency to a higher number than it
is currently at (and maximum to the maximum
speed). Also set the CPU governor to Performance.
2 Assign it to an app
Save the profile by tapping the disk icon in
the bottom-right corner. You can now assign your
profile to apps and games. Swipe to the Apps List
and locate a game. Tap it and you’ll see the profile
appear in a list – select it to assign it.
3 Manage your profiles
The profile will be activated automatically
when you launch the chosen game. Swipe to the
Manager tab to delete any profiles and edit them if
you want to fine-tune its performance. Be aware of
overheating if you make high-power profiles.

2 Check your device’s performance

minute
See which cores are being used the most with the System Monitor option in franco.Kernel Updater
guide

1 Core performance
Select System Monitor from
the sidebar in franco.Kernel Updater.
With the app running in the
background, the CPU tab shows the
performance of all your phone’s
cores. This shows whether you need
to overclock to boost performance.
Work the GPU
2 Swipe across to the GPU tab.
If this is regularly hitting the top
speed then it may be that graphics
performance is your phone’s
bottleneck, rather than the CPU
speed. Overclocking may have
minimal benefit in this instance.
3 RAM usage
Swipe again to the RAM tab to
get in-depth analysis of RAM usage
on your phone. This is often the main
limiting factor in performance,
especially on a device with less than
3GB RAM. However, don’t be tempted
to use a task killer to free up RAM.
4 The processor
The CPU Frequencies tab
gives you an overview of the speeds
your processor has been running at.
A high percentage of higher
frequencies shows your CPU is being
taxed, so if this is the case, you may
see changes from overclocking.

49
 acker Zøne
Underclock A few choice tweaks to your kernel settings can
also extend the life of your battery
Changing the clock speed is always about finding the right balance

for better between power and battery life. Overclocking will likely require you to
sacrifice a little of the latter. Underclocking is the opposite: it involves
reducing the speed of the processor in an attempt to extend your battery life.
It isn’t a magic wand. Underclocking causes some tasks to take longer to
complete, which offsets the benefits of having the processor using less power

battery life at its maximum level. Nevertheless, for some tasks it can be beneficial and
switching the governor can have noticeable effects. As ever, the best
approach is to experiment with settings to find ones that work for you. And
don’t push things too far – if you set the processor clock speed too low it may
not deliver enough speed for your apps to work.

1 Set up the app

In EX Kernel Manager, create a backup
of your existing kernel settings. Open the
sidebar and select Tools, followed by Kernel
Backup. Tap the disk icon to create the backup
and give it a recognisable name should you
need to restore it someday.
Reduce the clock speed
2 Now go into the CPU settings.
Underclocking is the same as overclocking,
except in reverse. Try experimenting with lower
maximum frequencies, so that your phone runs
at a slightly slower speed, causing it to use less
power. Just don’t overdo it!
3 Change the governor
You also need to adjust the governor
settings. The obvious one to use is the
Powersave governor, which locks the CPU to the
lowest frequency. However, you might do better
with the Performance governor, so that tasks will
complete in the shortest possible time.

4 Test the changes 5 Explore Powersave mode 6 Tweak settings

Exit the app and then test your changes.
Open a few apps or games and run a few
common tasks. It’s likely that you’ll notice the
phone is a little slower, but if it’s too slow then
you will need to tweak your changes. You want
to find a balance between speed and battery.
The EX Kernel Manager also has a
Powersave utility. This is activated by tapping
the leaf icon at the very top of the app’s screen.
This mode sets the processor to run at
predefined levels and enables you to quickly
reduce power consumption.
To change the Powersave mode settings,
tap the three-dot menu icon and choose
Settings. You can set Powersave to activate
automatically on a certain battery level or hit
Advanced settings to reduce the CPU speed
even further. Again, keep your changes small.

50
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 Hacker Zøne
status update
Which devices are best for
the hacking scene?
Samsung
Galaxy
Tab 4
Rooted?: Yes
Active
Tips & Tricks can be resolved only by wiping the
development QQQ Low cache partition in recovery.
All form factors (7, 8 and 10.1 inches) are Meanwhile error 919 occurs when
good for hacking, with CyanogenMod and your Android device storage is full. So
TWRP recoveries available along with a you will need to start deleting unused
multitude of ROMs.
apps until you have enough space on
HTC One M7 your phone for new data.
Rooted?: Yes If you use multiple accounts on
Active development your Android phone or tablet, error
QQQHigh
From 2013, lots of 403 will indicate you should switch to
recovery and ROM the primary account.
options. Unlocking is Error 927 is also a common
easy thanks to HTC complaint, but actually means that
providing its own tool
– a dream for hackers! the Google Play store is currently
updating and all you need to do is
LG Watch Error codes are often oblique, but once
understood the problem can be overcome wait for this to finish.
Urbane For further code information,
Rooted?: Yes
Active development:
Fix Google Play check XDA-Developers.com and
search for mohamedrashad’s Play
QQQMedium
Active hacker
store error codes store error codes thread. You should
Clean up the Google Play store for better,
development on the Problems downloading and also check for the Android Error streamlined app downloading
Urbane is high, but so fa installing apps can prove to be a Code Fixer on the Google Play store
limited to a TWRP particular irritation. Perhaps it’s a – but you may find that you have to You should repeat this action for
recovery image and an
unofficial kernel.
game you’ve been downloading install it to a second device! This Google Services and Google
over Wi-Fi due to its size, only to app contains a database of error Framework Services, and perhaps
Nexus 5 find an error code accompanying a codes and their solutions, which can even Download Manager. Once you
(2013) message informing you that the
download failed. For large games,
save you a lot of time. have completed this, restart your
Android device. Note that once you
Rooted?: Yes
Active development:
QQQA very popular
this is really annoying. Stop and wipe reboot, you may be required to
phone with high activity
among developers.
Several fixes exist for dealing with
these Play store errors. We’re going
Google Play re-enter your Google Play account
credentials for verification.
You’ll find a lot of to take a look at each of these – Many errors can sometimes be Subsequent attempts to install
tweaks, hacks and stop, wipe, reinstall and refresh – but resolved by wiping the Google Play apps should now work, but rather
custom ROMs are first it’s worth being aware of the cache. Start by opening Settings> than heading straight for a large
available for this device.
most common error codes and why Apps, find the tab for All and look for download, try a smaller file first, just
they are happening. Google Play Services. Tap Force Stop in case. If the error persists, you can
Error 498, for instance, occurs and when the app stops, go to proceed with the rest of the
when your phone’s cache is full and Storage and tap Clear Cache. solutions listed here.

q hacks
You can record
with Google
Play Games
Ever tried to record your activity on
Android, perhaps to demonstrate
your progress on a mobile game or
how to use an app? You probably
relied on third-party tools, but a
recent update means screen
recordings can be made natively.
Update Play Games
1 Check
that Google Play Games
is up to date. Open the app’s Settings
and under About, check the version is
3.4.12 or later – if not, visit apkmirror.
com and download the latest version.
Install with Unknown Sources enabled.
Record your game
2 In
Google Play Games, open
Play Now and use the Record
gameplay button to choose between
720p and 480p resolution. It will warn
you that all activity will be recorded.
Now tap Launch and Record.
Adjust and upload
3 When
you’re done, tap Stop.
Tap the buttons to disable audio
and the front-facing camera. Video
can be edited and uploaded via
the YouTube app. To exit record
mode, drag the disc to the centre.

52
 Share your tips
Got a hack for Google Play?
»facebook »twitter »email
/littlegreenrobot @lgrobot qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to Discovered anything good about
Let us know about it! join our online community send us your tips & tricks your Android phone? Let us know!

XDA-Developers.com. This overlook GetJar.com, SlideME.org

Check your
connection options
Is your Wi-Fi connection fast or
reliable enough to deal with
potentially large downloads? It might
be worth moving your smartphone or
alternative may work correctly,
enabling you to download apps
without errors occurring.
Speaking of alternatives, problems
with Google Play may prompt you to
search out alternative app
marketplaces. Amazon’s App Store is
the obvious place to start, but don’t
Use an alternative app store to
download and sideload your
chosen apps in Android
and MoboGenie.com. You might also
look at apkmirror.com to find a more
consistent connection – this is an
unofficial mirror of Google Play.
Remember: if you’re opting for
these alternatives, you’ll need to
have Unknown Sources enabled on
your Android device.

Removing your Google account isn’t quite as

extreme as you might think

Refresh your
Google account
Problems with your Google account
might be blocking the installation of
apps. This can be overcome by
removing the account from the
device and either installing the app
with another account or adding the
credentials back in after a restart.
Note that following these steps
will remove your data completely
from the device.
Open Settings, then Accounts and
select the problematic Google
account(s). Tap the menu button and
then the option to remove the
account. While it isn’t necessary to
reboot, it’s a good idea at the very
least so you can be sure you have
correctly removed the account.
When you’re ready, add your
account details again, as if you’re
setting up the phone for the first
time. Make another attempt to install
the app or game – if it continues to
fail, then you might consider looking
at some further options.
Switching between mobile internet and
wireless can improve download reliability
tablet closer to your wireless router in
order to maintain a high download
speed. Also, check that your router
firewall isn’t blocking data from the
Google Play store. If you’re using a
VPN, this may also slow downloads,
so consider disabling this until the
app has downloaded.
For smaller apps, switching to
mobile internet should be a good
option too, but of course you will be
unable to download large data for
games in this way.
Just sideload apps
Another option to consider is
uninstalling Google Play. If you have a
rooted device, you can uninstall Play
and replace it with a different
version, which you’ll find on

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

Plex for Clear Default App Zapper Task

Android For Action Killer & Manager
Price: Free Price: Free Price: Free
From: Market From: Market From: Market
Need root? No Need root? No Need root? No
Want to stream video or It’s quite easy to set the Need to kill a bunch of your
photos from your wrong default app by unnecessary installed apps
computer or media accident. One too many taps all at once? This tool displays
centre to your TV via and you are using an app that all of your downloaded
Chromecast? The Plex you don’t like at all. This utility Android apps that are
remote app can also will quickly clear all app currently running and then
stream video to an defaults and then even lets you kill as many of them
Android device. auto-uninstall itself. as you like in one fell swoop.

Check our website daily

for even more tips & tricks
»www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk 53
 Hacker Zøne
Works with » Android 4.0 up Difficulty » Easy

How to get started with

gesture typing
Hate typing? Typing on Android devices can feel like a time In this tutorial, we’ll look at how to gesture type
consuming and frustrating experience, on the stock Google keyboard, which comes
Supercharge your particularly if you’re used to touch-typing on your pre-installed on most devices. You can check which
text entry by setting laptop or computer. keyboards are installed on your Android device by
One technique that can really boost your words opening your Settings, selecting Language & input
up gesture typing per minute is gesture typing. This is where you and then checking what keyboards appear under
swipe to type across the keyboard, passing through the Keyboards & input method heading. If you don’t
all the letters you want to input rather than tapping have access to the Google Keyboard, you can
each one individually. download it from the Play store.

1 Enable gesture typing 2 How to customise 3 Write with gestures

Make sure gesture typing is enabled by
opening your device’s Settings and selecting
Language & Input. Tap Google Keyboard>
Gesture Typing and check that the Enable
gesture typing slider is set to the On position. If
it isn’t, then tap the slider.
This menu includes some additional
settings. When Dynamic floating preview is
enabled, the system tries to guess the word
you’re entering by displaying a floating bubble.
When Show gesture trail is enabled, you’ll see
the path of your gesture across the keyboard.
To use gesture typing, open the
keyboard and long press on the first letter of the
word you want to type, then slide your finger
slowly across all the subsequent letters. When
you see the word you want to input, release
your finger and the word will appear.

4 Try third-party keyboards 5 Switch to gesture mode 6 Try swipe gestures

If you find Android’s built-in gestures
lacking, you can try a third-party keyboard app.
One popular alternative is SwiftKey, which you
can download for free from Google Play. Launch
the app and follow the onscreen instructions to
set SwiftKey as your default keyboard.
Gesture typing in SwiftKey works the
same as in Android’s default keyboard, but it
also has a Gestures mode where you can use
shortcuts. To switch modes, launch the app,
select Typing>Typing & Autocorrect and Flow or
gestures. In the pop-up, select Gestures.
In Gestures mode you can no longer
gesture type, but you can swipe left to delete a
word and swipe up on the keys to capitalise
them. If you want to resume gesture typing at
any point, you can simply switch back to the
original Flow mode.

54
Works with » Android 4.1 and up » Difficulty Easy

Replicate the S6 Edge

display on any Android
Get Edge-style The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge came with an
innovative way of displaying notifications -
notifications about illuminating the bevelled edge along the side of
the screen. Now even if you don’t have an S6 Edge,
incoming phone you can still get a taster of this Edge display using
calls on any the Edge Color Notifications app.
Android device The drawback is that no device other than the S6
Edge has that bevelled edge, so the app
compensates by illuminating the edges of your
screen with animations instead.
You can also assign specific colours to your
important contacts, so you can see who’s calling at
a glance. You can even tell the app to reserve
animations for the contacts you’ve assigned a colour
to, so if you see an Edge-style notification, you’ll
know someone important is calling!

1 Enable settings 2 Customise your columns 3 Left, right or both?

Download the Edge Color Notifications
app from the Play store and launch the app. To
set up Edge Color Notifications, open the side
menu and select Home. Enable both the People
Edge and Phonecall notification options. Open
the side menu and select Phone Call Settings.
You can customise the Edge effects for
when you receive a phone call. This includes
changing the width of the animated columns (so
the effect is more noticeable or subtle) and
changing the column’s default colour. You can
also choose from a list of animations.
One of the most important changes you
can make is choosing which side of the screen
your animations will appear: left, right or both. If
you select the Full Border animation, your
columns appear around every side of the
screen, regardless of what you select here.

4 Assign specific colours 5 Choose a new colour

By default, Edge Color Notifications will
apply the same colour to every single person in
your contact lists, but you’ll usually get more
value out of the app by assigning specific
colours to people. To do this, open the side
menu and select Contacts Colors.
You’ll see a list of all your contacts, with
the same default colour next to each contact.
To assign someone their own colour, tap the
block of colour that appears next to their name
and choose a new colour from the pop-up that
appears. Tap OK to save your changes.
6 Be selective
Once you’ve finished assigning colours,
you can restrict Edge Colour so that it only
displays the Edge animations for contacts that
you’ve assigned a specific colour to. If this is the
case, return to Phone Call Settings and select
Only show contacts with specific color set.

55
 Hacker Zøne
Works with » Android 5.0 and up Difficulty » Advanced

Remotely
control a PC
ndroid
You can control a remotely connected Remotely controlling a PC used to
involve purchasing expensive
PC for free thanks to Google software and then jumping
through many hoops to get
1 Download the app
Go to the Google Play store
everything up and running in a and search for Chrome Remote
reliable manner. There are still a Desktop. Download it as normal and
huge number of ways to then let the installation process
connect to your PC remotely complete. You will also need to check
nd many offer a number of that Chrome is installed on the
ul features, but we are computer you want to control and
show you how to do so that the latest version of Chrome is
me Remote Desktop on your Android device.
k and reliable
Chrome
device
ss is

use
oesn’t
d to how
beauty of
hat it is
cure as using
services, and it
6 One more
download
ackground software You now need to download the
o ensure that the Chrome Remote Host Installer, which
ction is valid and stable at will only require clicking OK. Once the
imes. There are no download has finished, install it as
mplicated steps to follow and you would do any other app on your
ou can rest easy because Google device and wait until it has
is behind the entire setup, both on completed. This is the last piece of
your Android device and in the software you need to install.
Chrome browser on your PC.

56
 2 Nothing is
connected
The Chrome Remote Desktop app
will display a sparse screen with a
message saying ‘Learn how to set
up a computer for remote access’.
Tap this message and you will be
taken to the set-up process, which
will mostly involve tweaking simple
settings on your PC.
7 Create a PIN
Once the installation has
fully completed, you will need to
create a PIN to ensure that your
connection is completely secure.
The minimum is six digits, but we
would suggest that you use
something much longer (that you
can still remember!) just to be on
the safe side.
3 Some useful
instructions
A simplistic list of instructions that
you need to follow will appear within
the app. The main trick here is to be
patient because some extra
software will need to be installed
and this can take time to complete.
However, the entire process should
take less than ten minutes.
8 Finish up
The final part of the process
involves accepting the remote
connection from your computer by
entering your administrator
password and then entering the
newly created PIN in the app. Once
this has been done, you are ready
to remotely connect to the PC from
your Android device.
4 The PC side
In Chrome on your computer,
go to the Chrome Web Store and
search for Chrome Remote
Desktop. Now click Add to Chrome
to start the installation. Once
completed, a new app will be
available for you to use whenever
you want to control your computer
remotely using your Android.
9 Time to connect
Go back to your Android
device where your newly connected
computer should now be displayed
within the app. Tap it and then enter
your PIN. The screen of the PC
should now appear, ready for you to
control it on a much smaller scale.
Use your finger to move around the
PC desktop.
5 Enable remote
connections
Open the app, where you will see a
panel appear. Now click Enable
remote connections in the bottom
section in order to start the set-up
process. You will only need to do
this once, and then the panel
should change in the future to
enable one-click connections.
10 A mini PC
You can now control the
computer using the keyboard and
by tapping anywhere on the screen,
which should mimic a mouse
pointer. Using two fingers lets you
slide up and down within app
windows and the entire setup is
extremely easy to use. You can now
control your PC from your phone.
57
 Hacker Zøne
Works with » Android 4.0.3 and up Difficulty » Intermediate

Spoof your
Android’s
MAC address
Get around annoying data and time Chances are that you have heard of
IP addresses in your time, but MAC
restrictions on public Wi-Fi addresses are something that aren’t Gather your tools
1 You
connections using spoofing quite so well known. can find your device’s MAC
r IP address is usually address by opening the Settings app
ng and temporary, your on your Android and selecting About
C address is a permanent Device followed by Status. You’ll find
used to identify the the address under Wi-Fi MAC
k interface card inside your address. Next, download WiFi Mac
d device. MAC addresses Changer and BusyBox, both of which
permanent, they’re also are available to download for free
as a burned-in address or from the Google Play store.
a physical address.
u’ve rooted your Android
it’s possible to temporarily
that device’s MAC address
en use this spoofed address
ect to the internet. This has
if you’re concerned about
y, but spoofing your MAC
dress also has a very
ractical use, particularly if
ou regularly use public Wi-Fi.
Many places that offer
blic Wi-Fi also put restrictions
their signal. For example
our local cafe might only let
ou connect to their Wi-Fi for a
aximum of 30 minutes before
oting your device off the
etwork. When you spoof your
AC address, the network will
o longer recognise your device
nd you will get another 30
6 Compare
inutes of free internet access. addresses
Other venues may place a limit After a few moments, you should see
the amount of data you can a Mac Changed Successfully pop-up.
nsume before blocking your MAC Open your Wi-Fi Settings and try
ress. Once again, spoofing tricks connecting to your network. Once
network into thinking your connected, you can check you’re
roid is an entirely new device. using the fake address by opening
n this tutorial, we will look at WiFi Mac Changer and comparing the
eral options for spoofing your real address to the fake one.
vice’s MAC address.

58
 2 Forget network
Open your device’s Settings
and select Wi-Fi. Find the network
you plan on connecting to after
spoofing your MAC address. Wipe
the slate clean by long pressing on
this network and then tapping
Forget network. Launch WiFi Mac
Changer and grant it super user
permissions when requested.
7 Switch back
If you want to resume using
your genuine MAC address, simply
tap the app’s Set Real Mac Back
button. Alternatively, you can
disable and then enable your Wi-Fi
connection again, or reboot your
device. Both of these actions will
cause your device to default back to
its genuine address.
3 Simple change
If you have a specific MAC
address in mind, you can enter it in
the New MAC field. Most of the time
though, you won’t have a particular
address in mind or care what it is,
so just tap Generate Random MAC
to save yourself the hassle. Start by
trying to change your address the
easy way and tap Simple Change.
8 Try an alternative
If you don’t get results using
this app, one alternative you may
want to try is MacMan, which you
can download for free from the
Google Play store. Once again,
make sure your device has
forgotten the network you want to
connect to, then launch MacMan
and activate the main On switch.
4 Make a
connection
If you see a Mac Changed
Successfully message, return to
your device’s Wi-Fi settings and tap
the network you want to connect to.
Enter the network’s password, if
requested. After a few moments
you should have connected to the
network using your new address.
9 Create a brand
new profile
Tap the + button at the top of the
screen to create a new profile. Give
your profile a name, then either
enter a specific MAC address or
generate a random one by tapping
the blue arrow icon. Tap OK and this
profile should now appear in your
MAC Address List.
5 Hard change
If the connection fails or
seems to be stuck on
authenticating then it’s time to try
things the hard way. Return to WiFi
Mac Changer and once again either
generate a random MAC address or
enter a specific address of your
choice. However, this time around
tap Hard Change.
10 Try your profile
To activate the profile you
have just created, tap its
accompanying arrow icon. Then
return to your Wi-FI Settings and tap
the network you want to connect to.
It should now connect successfully.
If you want to resume using your
original MAC address, you’ll need to
reboot your device.
59
Group test
»Big brand Android tablets

60
 Group test
Big brand Android tablets «

We
have scoured
the tablet market
WRͤQGWKHEHVW
$QGURLGWDEOHWWKDW
\RXFDQEX\
today

Big brand
Android tablets
Which of these top tablets represents the best that money
can buy? We put them to the test to find out
Picking an Android tablet to buy isn’t the easiest job in the
world. As ever it’s an oversaturated market, bursting with
budget, mid-range and premium models all shouting about
cutting-edge specs and having the best user experience. We
understand it’s tough to narrow down your selection, but that’s
where we come in. We take our job as your personal product
advisor very seriously, so we’ve taken price out of the equation,
rounded up four of the best Android slabs on the market and put
them head-to-head in the ultimate group test.
To prove there is a world outside of the iPad, we have entries
from two of the big hitters in the shape of the Samsung Galaxy
Tab S2 and the Sony Xperia Z4 tablet, the Venue 10 tablet from
desktop computer giant Dell and an entry-level option that
punches well above its weight in the form of Vodafone’s Tab
prime 6. They come in all shapes, sizes and operating systems,
and all boast some pretty impressive features. Which one will
come out on top? Let’s turn over the page and let battle
commence. May the best tablet win!

61
Group test
»Big brand Android tablets Cameras Display goodness
The Tab S2 does +VŨU VJG ƒTUV VJKPI [QW
nothing to suggest that notice when you turn on

Samsung tablet photography will take

off any time soon, but there’s
an 8MP unit on the back and
the Tab S2 tablet and it
will be endearing until you
switch it off. We can’t
Galaxy Tab S2 a 2.1MP front camera,
which you’ll probably
use more
overstate just how good it
is! A real highlight and
easily the Galaxy Tab S2’s

information biggest selling point

Price £399/$399
»More information samsung.com
»Supplied by Samsung
technical specs
» Operating system........Android Lollipop 5.0.2
» Processor...........................1.9GHz octa-core
» Memory ...............................32/64GB storage / 3GB RAM,
microSD up to 128GB
» Dimensions.......................198.6 x 134.8 x 5.6 mm
» Weight...................................265g
» Display size .......................8-inches
» Display resolution........1536 x 2048 (320ppi)
» Connectivity.....................Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac,
dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct,
hotspot, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
» Camera ................................2.1 MP front, 8 MP rear

»head-to-head
Design
No longer do Samsung products feel
Powerful insides
Stick an octa-core
cheap. The Tab S2 may well have a plastic processor with 3GB RAM
back, but the metal edges and Gorilla inside a personal device
Glass display give an air of sophistication. and you are sure to get
very good performance.
It’s built like a premium tablet. The Tab S2 is no different
and you won’t notice a
Display moment’s stutter
The Tab S2’s screen is among the very

Samsung Galaxy
best we’ve come across. It’s so good, you
won’t quite believe it’s real. Brightness is
sharp, colours pop and black is naturally
represented – a real highlight.

Performance
As is always the way with the Android spec
race, no stone is left unturned in ensuring
that you have all the tools necessary you
could possibly need. We felt we didn’t
touch the sides of what could be done.
Value for money
At £399, the Tab S2 represents very good
value for money, even if it does fall out of
the impulse-buy category. Almost identical
in price to the iPad mini 4, but with 16GB
extra storage as standard.
Tab S2
A serious iPad-mini rival, Samsung has
produced another memorable device
Released at almost identical times, the Samsung contains 320 glorious pixels per inch and an
Galaxy Tab S2 is guaranteed to draw comparisons iPad-matching four-to-three aspect ratio. It’s
with Apple’s iPad mini 4. Apple’s tablet dominance effectively what makes a good tablet and Samsung’s
has been strong, but this 8-inch Super AMOLED effort Tab S2 looks unnaturally good. Colours vividly pop out
from Samsung is a worthy rival that showcases how and the blacks look really deep. The screen is
far the Korean giant has come. Sadly, our usual excellent, whether you’re watching videos, photo
complaints about TouchWiz and an out-of-date OS editing or gaming. Sadly, sound isn’t particularly loud,
hold it back from being an essential purchase. but it never sounds tinny.
Design-wise, it’s a sturdy attempt from Samsung. Performance is excellent too. Samsung has kitted
Taking cues from Samsung’s smartphone overhaul, out the Tab S2 with an octa-core processor and 3GB

»Samsung’s
Verdict
tablet game
the Tab S2 has a Gorilla Glass front, premium-looking
metal edges and a matte-plastic back. Even though
it’s plastic, it feels much sturdier than before and
is officially strong and given its price range, we can forgive it for not using
the Galaxy Tab S2 is a top-end materials. The first thing you notice when you
pick up the Tab S2 is just how light it is. At just 265g
powerhouse, but it had the for the Wi-Fi-only model, it is feather light and
potential to be much more comfortable to hold.
The tablet’s highlight, however, is that Super
AMOLED display that shapes up at 2048 by 1536 and
RAM. Whatever a power user could throw at this
tablet, the Tab S2 handles it with aplomb. We had no
issues with lag or stutter when testing it, although
battery life was a bit hit and miss. The 4,000mAh
battery probably should do better and Marshmallow’s
Doze feature would definitely help.
However, it won’t be any time soon. As Samsung
lays its TouchWiz skin over the Android OS, it is always
late to the party with OS updates. To ship with an old
and unpopular OS is a black mark.

62
 Group test
Big brand Android tablets «

5GNƒG ECOGTC
If you make lots of video
calls, the front-facing 2MP
camera will get the job
done. The main rear
Impressive camera won’t win any
prizes, but will serve as an
connectivity emergency shooter
The Tab prime 6 houses its
SIM and micro SD ports at
the top left of the back casing.
4G connectivity is a selling
point and the 16GB
internal storage can
be doubled
9GCM
RGTHQTOCPEG
Quad-core processors
should work well, but the
Tab prime 6 stutters its
way through most tasks.
You’ll want to reduce the
graphics setting to make
powerful games playable
Vodafone Tab
prime 6
information
Price £150/$N/A
»More information vodafone.co.uk
»Supplied by Vodafone
technical specs
» Operating system........Android Lollipop 5.0
» Processor...........................1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A53
» Memory ...............................16GB storage / 1GB RAM,
microUSB up to 32GB
» Dimensions.......................244 x 146 x 8 mm
» Weight...................................406g
» Display size .......................9.6-inches
» Display resolution........800 x 1280 (157ppi)
» Connectivity.....................Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-
band, hotspot Bluetooth 4.1,
GPS
» Camera ................................2MP front, 5MP rear
»head-to-head
Design
A redeeming feature: it might not win any
beauty contests, but there’s a lot to like
about Vodafone’s Tab prime 6. A classy,
curved design in a light shell that’s easy to
handle. More of the same please!

Display
The specs don’t lie on this one. A 157 ppi
pixel density just doesn’t cut the mustard
against today’s super HD displays. The

Vodafone Tab prime 6

difference between this and the Samsung
tablets is stark.

A phone manufacturer tries to gatecrash the budget-tablet market
with decidedly mixed results
The tablet market isn’t just for the big boys. The
Android budget market, in particular smartphones, is
thriving more than ever. Tesco, EE and Vodafone have
all released brilliantly accessible devices in the past
year, and the latter’s Tab prime 6 tablet is another
enticing addition. For £150 you get 4G connectivity, a
quad-core processor and a 9.6-inch screen. So is it
too good to be true or a bit of a mishmash? In truth,
it’s somewhere in between.
Looks-wise, there’s nothing to complain about. The
Tab prime 6 is punching well above its weight. It might
be lacking any wow factor, but it’s well dressed and
properly trimmed. The back is a curved, soft-plastic
dark grey offering that feels great to hold, even for long
periods. The front is so similar to virtually any tablet, it’s
barely worth mentioning. However, the weight, or
relative lack of it, is. At 406g, you’ll know it’s there, but
it’s no brick. Build quality hasn’t been sacrificed either.
This is a tablet that will take a bit of rough and tumble
and not suffer as much as a mark. So far so good.
Performance
A quad-core processor with 1GB RAM
should have enough power to make a
tablet run smoothly, but it simply isn’t
the case here. It’s not like Vodafone has
The main sacrifice is undoubtedly screen quality.
skinned Android heavily either.
It’s not fair to compare it to Samsung’s display
because it’s simply leagues below. It’s the first thing
Value for money
you notice. Looking at the homescreen of the Tab
On the face of it, Vodafone appears to be
prime 6 is like looking at a tablet from five years ago.
selling you a bargain here. Only when you
Massive improvements have been made, but
use the Tab prime 6 for sustained use do
Vodafone hasn’t quite grasped them. The screen is
you realise that too many shortcuts have
pixilated and just 157ppi, which is at its worst when
been taken to lower the price point.
navigating your homescreen or when reading emails
and web browsing. It’s less obvious when playing
games or watching videos, which is a bit of a saviour.
Anyone who isn’t a beginner will notice the lag
when opening apps or selecting menu options, as
»If you’re
Verdict
on the lookout for
these sometimes took long enough for us to press a budget tablet, there are
the screen twice. 4G connectivity (the SIM card plenty of other options out
comes pre-installed) is an added bonus, but costs an
extra £20 or so a month to run. Do first-time buyers or
there, but Vodafone gets top
children need a feature like that? We think Vodafone marks for the design!
would have been better focusing on other areas first
to crack the budget market.

63
Group test Clean screen
»Big brand Android tablets The glass is scratch-
resistant and is layered
YKVJ CP CPVKƒPIGTRTKPV Bundled apps
EQCVKPI +V FQGU C ƒPG Sony has thrown in some
Sony Xperia Z4 job of keeping your dirty
digits from marking the
screen, meaning you
common apps pre-installed
to give you a headstart.

Tablet won’t need a screen

cloth packed with it
Facebook, Twitter and
Spotify can all be found in
the App drawer along with
the usual Sony ecosystem

information
Price £499/$599
»More information sonymobile.com
»Supplied by Sony
technical specs
» Operating system........Android Lollipop 5.0
» Processor...........................2GHz Snapdragon 810
octa-core
» Memory ...............................32GB storage / 3GB RAM,
microUSB up to 128GB
» Dimensions.......................167 x 254 x 6.1 mm
» Weight...................................389g
» Display size .......................10.1-inches
» Display resolution........2560 x 1600 (299ppi)
» Connectivity.....................Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac,
dual-band, DLNA, WiFi
Direct, Bluetooth 4.1
» Camera ................................5.1 MP front, 8.1 MP rear
Ultra thin

»head-to-head
At 6.1mm, this tablet is
incredibly thin, making it
lovely and light to hold. An
Design innovative design by Sony
that may appeal to some,
The Xperia Z4 tablet looks the part from
but maybe not to
afar, but we wonder if its build quality is for everyone
everyone as it’s quite flimsy. Design-wise,
it’s very Sony – black, curved, soft plastic
and very light.

Display
It’s a perfect display for media

Sony Xperia Z4
consumption, thanks in no small part to
Sony’s Triluminos display and X-Reality
engine. It’s 10 inches of pure goodness,
without a stray pixel in sight.

Performance
Despite being powered by the infamous
Snapdragon 810 processor, we suffered
no performance issues whatsoever on
this tablet. You fly through menus and
selections without blinking.
Value for money
With the keyboard bundled, you’re looking
at £500. That does represent value
for money for us, but you can drop the
keyboard, save yourself £100 and enjoy a
cutting-edge, 10-inch tablet by itself.
Tablet
A tablet-laptop hybrid that does one part
extremely well. Guess which one?
Google’s new Pixel C tablet is going to shake up the Nevertheless, for others you may welcome the
premium Android-tablet market. Consumers will have incredible lightness and feel like this is the first tablet
something to reference, so other laptop-tablet that you can actually easily carry around with you. It
hybrids need to be at the top of their game to take the bends and flexes, so it’s safe to say that Sony has
challenge to Google. Sony’s Xperia Z4 with a picked the side of the market that doesn’t want a
Bluetooth keyboard is the current flag-bearer and it’s heavy tablet and run with it. What’s more, it’s certified
easy to see why as soon as you start watching Netflix, waterproof and dust-tight. If this light build isn’t an
videos on YouTube or play a graphic-intensive racer issue for you, the Z4 tablet is cutting-edge in almost
like Asphalt. The screen is 10.1 glorious inches that every category you can think of.
pops out a 2K, 2560 by 1600 resolution and comes Anyone who owns a Sony smartphone or

»Verdict
You’ll find a tablet with a
equipped with Sony’s Triluminos technology. Its pixel
density is better than an iPad Air 2 for example and
shines most when you’re reading text. Everything is
gorgeous display and more crystal clear! We didn’t get enough oomph from the
power than you could front-facing speakers, but that’s probably because
the unit is so thin and light. It tips the scales at just
imagine! Drop the keyboard 393g and a mere 6.1mm thick.
for extra value However, when you’re paying big bucks you expect
the very best in build quality. The Sony Xperia Z4 may
well look the part, but for some it may feel too flimsy.
PlayStation 4 will enjoy the tweaks that Sony has
made to Android 5.0. The Xperia branded apps won’t
appeal, but Remote Play will as it lets you use the Z4
tablet as a second screen for your next-gen games
console. The Bluetooth keyboard connects nicely and
naturally creates a device that is better for typing. It’s
brilliant for bashing out quick emails on the morning
commute without coming close to replacing your
laptop, but the touchscreen and keyboard
combination still needs work.

64
 Group test
Big brand Android tablets «
Dell
Cast
Dell Cast transforms your
tablet into a desktop, by
plugging into the HDMI port
and casting your screen. It
gives you the full experience
Dell Venue 10
when paired with a
keyboard and a
mouse
information
Price £279/$293
»More information dell.com
»Supplied by Dell
technical specs
» Operating system........Android Lollipop 5.0
» Processor...........................Intel Atom Z3735F I.83GHz
quad-core
» Memory ...............................32 GB storage / 2GB RAM
» Dimensions.......................10.16 x 262 x 175 mm
» Weight...................................635g
» Display size .......................10.1-inches
» Display resolution........1920 x 1200 (224ppi)
» Connectivity.....................Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), USB
2.0, micro USB, micro HDMI,
micro SD, SIM, Bluetooth 4
» Camera ................................1.2MP front, 5MP rear

»head-to-head
Design
The design is functional if a little on the
Glorious HD large side. The Venue 10 is the biggest and
A genuinely pleasant
surprise, the Dell Venue 10 heaviest slab in the group test, so one-
comes equipped with a handed use isn’t advisable, but it’s never
HWNN JKIJFGƒPKVKQP FKURNC[ unusable as a result.
that is vivid and smooth.
It’s a shame the bezel size
Intel speed
leaves wasted space The Intel Atom quad-core Display
processor has its roots in A real triumph for Dell. The full HD, 1920
desktop computing and it
shows here. 2GB RAM by 1200 display is outstanding. Any sort of
might not sound like media consumption is a lot of fun on this

Dell Venue 10
much, but it was plenty tablet, but we really enjoyed zooming in on
good enough to handle
what we threw at it
our photos too.

Can Dell shake its well-known desktop tag and become king of the
tablets? Let’s find out
When you think of Android tablet manufacturers, you
don’t necessarily think about computer giant Dell.
Well, maybe that’s all about to change. Dell has been
slowly capturing the tablet audience’s imagination in
the last year, releasing a series of impressive slabs
that come with a no-nonsense design and some
great specifications. The Venue 10 (we’re reviewing
the 5050 model here) runs Android 5.0, has a
10.1-inch full HD screen and sports the sort of
Turn on the Dell Venue 10 and you get a big
surprise. Anyone expecting a washed-out laptop
screen will be mightily impressed with this full HD
offering. We were straight on YouTube watching
videos and found the Venue 10 to be a really good
entertainment hub. The bezel is disappointingly big
and while it’s not as bright as the Samsung or as
natural as the Sony, it is crystal clear. Sound output
from the two speakers on each side of the tablet was
Performance
There’s an Intel Atom processor inside that
makes light work of any task you throw at
the Venue 10. Dell is big on the business
side of things, so it’s no surprise to see a
powerhouse of a tablet.
Value for money
The keyboard and mouse/stylus come as
additional costs, but even without these,
you’re getting a 10-inch tablet with some
great features at a very reasonable and
happily mid-range price.

connectivity options that business users will thrive
on, including HDMI and USB.
From the front, it looks like a traditional tablet. It’s
plain black (no surprise there) and has gently curved
edges. All the ports live on either side and there’s a
keyboard connector at the base for interfacing with the
optional add-on keyboard. Flip the tablet around and it
looks like any Dell laptop from the 2000s. It’s also
easily the thickest and heaviest tablet in this group
test. It’s not ungainly, but one-handed use would be a
stretch for an extended period of time. It’s also plastic,
which lets it down in the build-material category.
»
easily the best in this group test. The speaker
placement produces immersive sound that can go
really loud and doesn’t suffer the same muffled fate
Verdict
that a back speaker faces when lying down.
The surprise package in this
The Dell Venue 10 stretches far beyond test. For your money you get
entertainment though. The Polaris Office suite is dependable design, a full HD
bundled in, as well as Dropbox. The optional keyboard display that you’ll fall in love
and stylus obviously gives extra choice, as does Dell with and enough power to
Cast, but it’s connectivity ports like USB, microSD and
HDMI that really help. Dell’s Android skin is tasteful
please heavy business users
too: it’s minimal and also gives access to key Google
apps in a drawer on the right.

65
Group test
»Big brand Android tablets

GROUP
TEST WINNER

The Winner...
One of the most pleasing aspects of doing
this group test was seeing that the tablet
market is still going strong. While
production of tablets has slowed down, the
smartphones, it’s a big upgrade compared
to many other tablets on the market, and
arguably the first tab that we could
recommend for both shooting video and

Sony Xperia Z4 quality is still there to be enjoyed, no

matter what budget you have available.
While both Dell and Samsung provided very
credible devices for this group test, we
taking a few snaps.
If you’ve got the additional budget to
purchase the Sony’s detachable keyboard,
then we highly recommend you do, but

Tablet couldn’t help being bowled over by what we

saw in the Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet. Not only
is it by far one of the best looking tablets
currently available on the market, it’s
powerful enough to cope with any and all
tasks you throw at it. While its camera
won’t outshine many high-end
dropping it will help you get a bit more bang
for your buck. 2016 is expected to be a big
year for the tablet industry as a whole and
while we may seem some unbelievable
new devices arriving from a myriad of
manufacturers, they’ll be hard pressed to
beat what we’ve seen in this group test.

Samsung Galaxy Vodafone Tab Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Dell Venue 10

Tab S2 prime 6
OS Android 5.0.2 Android Lollipop 5.0 Android Lollipop 5.0 Android Lollipop 5.0

2GHz Snapdragon 810 Intel Atom Z3735F I.83GHz

Processor 1.9GHz octa-core 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A53
octa-core quad-core

Memory 32/64GB storage / 3GB RAM 16GB storage / 1GB RAM 32GB storage / 3GB RAM 32GB storage / 2GB RAM

Dimensions 198.6 x 134.8 x 5.6 mm 244 x 146 x 8 mm 167 x 254 x 6.1 mm 10.16 x 262 x 175 mm

Weight 265g 406g 389g 635g

Display size 8-inches 9.6-inches 10.1-inches 10.1-inches

Display resolution 1536 x 2048 (320ppi) 800 x 1280 (157ppi) 2560 x 1600 (299ppi) 1920 x 1200 (224ppi)

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), USB 2.0,
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band,
Connectivity Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
hotspot Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, micro USB, micro HDMI, micro SD,
Bluetooth 4.1, GPS Bluetooth 4.1 SIM, Bluetooth 4

Camera 2.1MP front, 8MP rear 2MP front, 5MP rear 5.1MP front, 8.1MP rear 1.2MP front, 5MP rear

Overall score

66
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Reviews
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3
A budget tablet that has the features to make its big-name
rivals sit up and take notice
In a tablet market where it’s virtually
impossible to tell apart the competition, it’s
refreshing to see something different and
that’s exactly what the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 is.
Lenovo has designed an Android tablet that
looks to make a marked improvement on areas
that traditionally are neglected. Have you ever
heard of an 8-inch tablet that combines a
kickstand, a great-sounding speaker, excellent
battery life and a camera that you can actually
see yourself using? We haven’t. Coming in at
under £150, it’s easy to see why the Yoga Tab 3
is an enticing product.
The kickstand is the first thing you notice.
After all, it’s the feature that gives the tablet
flexibility (it can be moved in four ways: stand,
tilt, hold or even hang) and presumably also
gives the tablet its name. The idea is that you
can use the tablet in virtually any way you need.
It may protrude in a slightly ungainly way from a
side angle, but it feels well built and it makes it
easy to hold. There’s a pop button within easy
reach round the back that springs the sturdy
metal stand into use. It adds some weight to the
tablet, but the build quality can’t be questioned
and neither can its performance.
So far, so good. The Yoga Tab 3 has room for
just one camera, which lives in the bottom-left
corner as part of the stand itself. However, the
8MP camera rotates 180 degrees, meaning you
get a high-quality front-facing camera too. It’s a
wonderful idea and one that makes so much
sense! The camera has a good range of manual
controls that let you select ISO, exposure and
white-balance levels to get a great-looking
picture. There’s a gesture control that can be
enabled to let you take a picture by opening and
closing your hand. It doesn’t work when you’re
Lenovo skin
The Yoga Tab 3 ships with
Android 5.1. While it isn’t
Marshmallow, it’s just about
the best you can hope for.
Lenovo has added a series
of its own business-centric
apps out of the box
really up close, but you would still find use for it.
Tablet photography is still a touchy subject, but
the Yoga Tablet gives you everything you need to
challenge the stereotype.
What’s more, to the side of the kickstand
there are two front-facing speakers. The Yoga Tab
3 has Dolby Atmos audio-enhancement
technology on board and the result is a
cinematic experience that is virtually unmatched
by any tablet. Audiophiles can head to the Dolby
app that comes pre-installed to tweak the sound
further, but we found the manual settings
worked brilliantly. Films sound loud and dynamic,
with YouTube and social-media videos crystal
Revolutionary camera
Lenovo has built just one
camera into the Yoga Tab 3,
but it rotates 180 degrees to
act as a front and rear-facing
shooter. Finally, there’s a Skype
camera worth using. You will
love the quality too

Thunderous sound
Great sound coming from a
tablet isn’t the norm, but the
Yoga Tab 3 utilises Dolby
technology to give you
absolutely brilliant performance.
.QCF C ƒNO CPF GPLQ[ VJG
immersive experience

68

clear. Lenovo has broken the mould in shipping
the Yoga Tab 3 with an impressive 20-hour
battery life too. In comparison, the 8-inch
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 will last you for just 10
hours, as will the iPad mini 4. If having to take a
charger with you to work to get you through the
journey home frustrates you, then this could be
your perfect tablet.
However, there are some shortcomings to take
into consideration. For example, the screen isn’t
anywhere near topping the class. The full-HD LCD
display performs reasonably well, but no more.
You will notice when reading text on the coloured
homescreen that letters look fuzzy and whites
are dull. This improves when you’re browsing the
Multitalented
Flick the kickstand into action
and you can manoeuvre the
Yoga Tab 3 into a variety of
positions: stand, tilt, hold or hang
web as it’s black text on a pure white
background and we had no issues when
watching films. It does lack the wow factor and
the huge bezels that help to balance the
kickstand leave a lot of wasted space.
The 1.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor
sounds good on paper, but with only 1GB RAM to
back it up, we did experience quite a bit of lag
when navigating around the OS and some apps
took an awfully long time to load. Nevertheless,
at this price you have to expect some shortcuts
to be made. It’s all about personal choice and
weighing up what you want from a tablet.
Despite its shortcomings, we salute Lenovo for
trying something different.
Battery goodness
Another standout feature is the
Yoga Tab 3’s battery life. The
6,200mAh cell will last 20
hours on a single charge and
nearly three months on
standby. mpressive!
There’s even a hole in the stand to let you hang the tablet in
the kitchen, while you prepare a recipe for example
Average display
While so much of the
Yoga Tab 3 thinks
outside the box, the
display is okay, but
nothing more. This
translates to overall
performance as well,
as 1GB RAM just
doesn’t cut it in 2016
for good multitasking
Review
Lenovo Yoga
Tab 3
£149.99/$159.99
»More information lenovo.com
»Supplied by Lenovo
Technical specs
»Operating system............. Android 5.1 Lollipop
»Processor ................................ Qualcomm Snapdragon 210
1.3GHz quad-core
»Memory..................................... 16GB storage / 1GB RAM
»Dimensions............................ 209.8 x 145.8 x 7 mm
»Weight......................................... 467.2g
»Display size ............................ 8-inches
»Display resolution............. 1280 x 800 pixels (188 ppi)
»Front camera........................ 8MP, rotates 180 degrees
»Rear camera.......................... N/A
»Connectivity .......................... Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4
»Expansion slot..................... microSD up to 128 GB
Battery life
A real break from the mould. The 6,200mAh battery is
among the very best in the tablet market
Good for
Media consumption
The speakers create a real cinema experience and the
kickstand gives you all the viewing angles you need
Camera
The rotating 180-degree camera is a real triumph. Expect
to see a host of copycats in 2016
Bad for
Average performance
We noticed a lot of lag when opening apps, so power
users need to be wary that there’s just 1GB RAM
HD display
It’s not bad by any means, but it doesn’t compare well to
other market-leading rivals, such as Samsung
Verdict
We praise Lenovo for trying to be
different. The outstanding points
easily outweigh the usual cutbacks
69
Reviews
IP68 protection
One of the gleaming
features of the S40 is its
HWNN +2 EGTVKƒGF
protection. It can boast to
be both dustproof and
waterproof for up to one
metre for 60 minutes
Gorilla Glass
The entire 4.7-inch display
is coated in a panel of
Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
What this means for the
average user is that if you
drop the device, your
screen won’t be shattered
Cat S40
Can the Cat S40 prove that looks
really aren’t everything?
One of Android’s many niches is the emerging
market for work phones. These rough and ready
devices often compromise on high-end
specifications to offer a device that’s capable of
withstanding anything you throw at it – usually
they sport a robust design and full IP68
protection. Cat is one of the leading
manufacturers of these devices and the S40 is
its latest to hit the market.
In a similar fashion to many of these types of
devices, the S40 is bulky and won’t be
something that seamlessly slides into your
pocket. However, the entirety of the reinforced
shell protects the device from dust, high drops,
water damage and scratches – it really is that
robust. As you’d expect, ports are covered and
we were glad to see the inclusion of a microSD
port sitting alongside the SIM slot for when you
use up the 16GB internal storage.
Display wise, it’s a 4.7-inch IPS LCD offering,
which is average at best. It caters for the basic
functions with colours washed out, but the
ruggedness comes through with the Gorilla Glass
4 lining on the display. Just below sits a series of
hardware buttons, useful if your job involves you
wearing gloves that don’t sit well with capacitive
buttons, but they feel flimsy to touch.
70
Built to last
While it’s non-removable,
the 3,000mAh battery will
keep you going for a
couple of days before
needing to be charged. It
Cat S40
may prove to be a godsend
if you’re away from a £329.99/$399.99
mains supply for a while
»More information clove.co.uk
»Supplied by Clove
Best deal
£288 £300 £286
Vanilla Android
One of the surprises we
found during our time with
Technical specs
»Operating system............. Android 5.1
the S40 is that it offers an
almost completely vanilla
Android experience. »Processor ................................ Snapdragon 210 1.1GHz
However, we do feel the quad-core
processor could do with »Memory..................................... 16GB storage / 1GB RAM
being clocked a bit faster
»Dimensions............................ 144.9 x 74.1 x 12.5 mm
»Weight......................................... 185g
»Display size ............................ 4.7-inches
»Display resolution............. 540 x 960 pixels (234 ppi)
»Front camera........................ 2MP
»Rear camera.......................... 8MP
»Networks.................................. 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.1. Wi-Fi
802.11
»Expansion slot..................... microSD to 64GB
Battery life
There’s no real custom skin involved on the Expect the 3,000mAh battery here to keep you going for
a couple of days between charges
S40, so it’s as close to vanilla Android as we
hoped it would be. It includes everything we fell
in love with when we began using Lollipop 5.1, Good for
but there are a few extra menus available to
Being robust
help out completely novice users. The lack of
Tough and rugged with enough protection to protect itself
real bloatware pays dividends, as the quad-core from the elements
Snapdragon 210 looks slow on paper, but does
enough to keep the device ticking over quite
Lollipop
A nearly vanilla Android experience with barely any
nicely. It won’t be enough for demanding tasks, bloatware in sight
but then again, this isn’t a device built for that
sort of function. Bad for
What it’s built for, however, is being a device Display
that offers stellar battery life. If you’re working Colours can look washed out, which in turn affects how
away from home, the 3,000mAh battery included your snapped images turn out
here will keep you going for more than a day High-power users
without any problems. A nice feature that we The Snapdragon 210 1.1GHz processor doesn’t cut it for
sincerely hope some higher end competitors will any demanding tasks
take due notice of.
The Cat S40 isn’t a device for the mainstream
Android market, but the niche end of tough and
Verdict
sturdy work phones is what it’s looking to cater If you fit into the niche of needing a
for and it does the job quite well. Compared to robust work phone, this is one of the
its predecessor, the S50, there’s little change,
but if you’re looking for an entry point for a
best you’ll see in 2016
device that lives up to your rough and tumble
day job, this could be a solid choice for you.
 Review

Does size matter? Best Wear ever

The 42mm watch face will
Updates to Android Wear
split opinion. For some it’s
have made it a fantastic
going to be the perfect
OS to use. What’s even
accompaniment to enjoy
Android Wear on, but for
others it’ll be just a little too
big for everyday use
better is that every part of
the Huawei Watch screen
has been optimised for
your swipes and touches
Huawei Watch
£299/$349
»More information huawei.com
»Supplied by Huawei
Best deal

Added extras Tunes on the go £266.26 £289 £329

While overall we like the There’s 4GB internal
stainless-silver casing of
the sample we tested,
storage on the Huawei
Smart Watch for users to Technical specs
alternate colours are also play around with. One of
available. Why not splash the best uses is to transfer »Operating system............. Wear OS
out some cash and kit out
your Huawei Smart Watch
across some of your
tracks from your Google
»Processor ................................ Snapdragon 400 quad-core
1.2GHz
in a spot of rose gold? Play Music account
»Memory..................................... 4GB storage / 512MB RAM
»Dimensions............................ 42 x 42 x 11.3 mm
»Weight......................................... N/A

Huawei Smart Watch

Huawei’s first attempt at an Android smartwatch
proves that design is so, so important
When you think about the manufacturers who
have shot to prominence in the past 12 months,
Huawei has to be near the top of everyone’s list.
Its recent history of releasing quality
smartphones is one thing, but being able to put
the pieces together to produce a stellar
smartwatch is an entirely different prospect. We
have seen various techniques adopted to create
the ultimate wearable and while we have loved
some of the products that reached the market,
there still hasn’t been one killer watch that every
user must own. Can the Huawei Watch be what
we’re looking for?
What becomes instantly noticeable about the
Huawei Watch as soon as you get ‘wrist on’ with
it, is that it’s definitely a thing of beauty. The
stainless-steel finish is highly reminiscent of
other quality timepieces, but we would definitely
recommend splashing out a bit of extra money
for one of the premium straps instead of the
leather one we were supplied with. The 42mm
diameter face does look large, but it may look a
little overly big if your wrist is on the petite side.
While in use, the Huawei Watch’s thick face has
left our team with decidedly mixed opinions. The
thickness does in fact add a very nice premium
and robust finish to the device, but it doesn’t
exactly sit completely flush to your wrist. In
everyday use it isn’t a problem at all, but you can
expect to see the odd shake if this is your
primary fitness-tracking tool.
One of the benefits of the larger display is that
it does make using Android Wear a lot easier.
Scrolling through menus is painless and the fact
that the complete circumference registers your
swipes and touches does highlight the
similarities between this and your standard
smartphone display. It’s a quality display in all
and we must applaud Huawei’s intent here, even
if the size will put off some.
The software changes to make Android Wear
as swift as possible pay dividends for those who
get annoyed with short battery life. On paper, the
300mAh battery looks poor, but it provides
enough juice to get through a day of use before
charging. Similarly, the 512MB RAM keeps
everything running smoothly, without putting too
much pressure on the battery. We should
highlight that recent changes to Wear have made
it the best smartwatch OS out there today. It’s
easier than ever to download apps, make calls to
friends and manage incoming notifications.
Considering the slowdown in recent
smartwatch announcements, Huawei has
popped up with its offering at the right time.
Where competition is currently minimal, this
watch ticks all the boxes that could make it one
of the must-have devices this year.
»Display size ............................ 1.4 inch
»Display resolution............. 400 x 400 pixels (286 ppi)
»Front camera........................ N/A
»Rear camera.......................... N/A
»Networks.................................. Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi
»Expansion slot..................... N/A
Battery life
The lack of any battery-intensive components on
this smartwatch means the 300mAh offering
here will last for a day with ease
Good for
Display
The capacitive qualities of the display are brilliant
from top to bottom
Design
An overall stunning design that’s been influenced by
leading timepiece manufacturers
Bad for
Size
The watch face is just a little on the big side for those who
have smaller wrists
Hinges
Slightly raised hinges mean the device doesn’t sit
completely flush to the wrist
Verdict
If you can get on with its size, you’ll
be hard pushed to find a better
smartwatch on the market

71
Reviews Shared computer
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Asus Chromebit CS10

An all-in-one Chrome OS machine on a dongle – but who actually needs one?
There’s plenty of competition for what gets
plugged into your TV’s HDMI port. Digital TV
boxes, games consoles and Chromecasts are all
common additions to the living room setup, but
have you ever thought about turning your display
into an all-in-one Chrome OS machine? That’s
what the chocolate bar-sized Chromebit dongle
from Asus does. It’s the world’s smallest Chrome
OS device that’s designed to smarten up any TV
and give life to old, redundant displays. All you
need to do is pair up a Bluetooth keyboard and
mouse, connect to Wi-Fi and you have yourself a
fully-fledged computer on a big display for the
price of just £90. It’s an intriguing package and
one we were very keen to get up and running.
At just 12cm long, you have to admire the
design from an aesthetic point of view –
computer design has come on a considerable
way since the heavy-duty desktop machines of
the Nineties. This personal computer lives inside
a smooth and curved matte-black HDMI dongle
(an orange version will be available to the public
soon, although you’ll struggle to find a matching
TV) that is roughly twice as big as a traditional
USB pen. This means it will fit in your pocket and
at 85g you’ll hardly know it’s there. Nevertheless,
this is more of a gimmicky selling point

Flex connect
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*&/+ EQPPGEVQT OCMGU
JCTFVQTGCEJ *&/+ RQTVU GCU[

72
 Review

Asus Chromebit
CS10
£89.99/$84.99
»More information asus.com
»Supplied by Asus

Technical specs
»Operating system............. Chrome OS
»Processor ................................ Rockchip quad-core RK3288C
processor
Google Drive »Memory..................................... 16GB storage / 2GB RAM, plus
The Chromebit comes with 100GB Google Drive cloud
free 100GB Google Drive storage for two years
storage for two years and your » Dimensions............................ 123 x 31 x 17 mm
ƒNGU CTG CWVQOCVKECNN[ U[PEGF
so you have access to them in
» Weight......................................... 85g
the cloud whenever you need » Connectivity .......................... Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac,
them on any device Bluetooth 4.0
» Expansion slot..................... HDMI out, USB 2.0

considering you still need to pack Bluetooth
peripherals. Connecting to your display is as
simple as taking the cap off and plugging it into
your HDMI port. Depending on your setup, you
can take advantage of the foot-long HDMI
extension that comes in the box, to ensure the
dongle is stable. Once you’re happy that you’re
connected properly, follow the set-up instructions
on screen and you can’t go wrong. However, it
did take us a few attempts to pair our keyboard
and mouse, and we were continually frustrated
with a regular loss of connection if we moved
outside a six-foot perimeter of the dongle. There
is a mini-USB hub in the box too, so you can use
wired accessories, but that effectively limits you
just to desktop use.
For obvious reasons you can’t upgrade the
internal components, so you have to make do
with the Rockchip quad-core processor, which is
backed up by 2GB RAM and full HD graphics
capabilities. You might have more raw power in
your smartphone, but Chrome OS fires up quickly
enough and we suffered no lag when performing
general tasks, such as web browsing and emails.
Video playback was stutter-free too, as was
music streaming. This led us to conclude that
the Chromebit is powerful enough to handle
everyday tasks pretty effortlessly, but that’s what
you’re limited to with Chrome OS because the
operating system doesn’t support high
bandwidth apps like Adobe’s Creative Cloud.
What you’re getting is effectively tablet
performance, yet for under £100, you’d struggle
to find a tablet that runs this well. You also get
100GB free Google Drive storage for two years
with every new Chromebit. Log into your Google
account and all your files will be there. So while
you can’t do high-end image editing, you can get
by with Google Docs, Gmail, Chrome and
YouTube. Stretch your needs further and you’ll
need an alternative machine.
We can certainly see a place for Chromebit in
the market. In education, for example, schools
should be ordering them in droves and small
businesses could really benefit too as a cheap
digital signage solution or as a guest-computer
kiosk for hoteliers. It’s in these sectors that
Chromebit provides a valuable solution, not least
as a get-out clause for anyone with a low-end,
convoluted Windows 10 machine. However, if you
want more of a power-user experience then the
Chromebit just won’t come near it and if you
want a media centre then you’re better off
buying a Chromecast.
Good for
Cheap computing
For under £100 you can turn any TV or display into a fully-
fledged Chrome OS machine
Performance
For everyday tasks, like web browsing or email, the
Chromebit provides a good solution
Bad for
Chrome OS
It may run smoothly, but it is limited in terms of what it can
do. Definitely not an option for big power users
Connectivity issues
When wireless peripherals are so important, we don’t
expect connections to drop so frequently
Verdict
We like the implementation, but
we’re not sure it’s necessary.
Consumers should look at tablets,
but Chromebit could appeal to
business and education sectors

73
Reviews
Moto 360 2015
Does Motorola’s second-edition
Added protection
Both sizes of the second-
generation Moto 360 have a
coating of Gorilla Glass 3 on
their display. It adds protection
to the screen and will prevent
any deep scratches from
appearing on it
revised smartwatch give us the wow
factor that we loved in the original?
For a long time, the Moto 360 was the one Does size
smartwatch that we could really get behind and actually matter?
recommend to readers. In our eyes, it was the The larger 46mm
first well-built, robust and genuinely stylish piece face will certainly split
opinion. Those who
of Android wrist wear that we had come across, crave a bigger screen
but it still had its issues. While the market for will certainly love it,
smartwatches has drastically changed since but it can tend to look
overly big when it’s
then, we can’t help feeling rather excited to see sat on your wrist
what Motorola has included in its second-
generation 360 device.
Customisation has always been at the heart of
the Moto 360 range and that continues here. If
you opt for the base model, you’ll find the design
is nearly identical to the original. That isn’t
necessarily a bad thing, but it still remains
chunky at 11.4mm. What is new is the choice of
size variants, with the 46mm option being one of
the biggest smartwatch screens we’ve seen. It
looks big on the wrist, perhaps too big, but the
smaller 42mm is there for those who want
something daintier. That said, this is a quality
design from top to bottom. It isn’t as fancy as its
competitors, but it feels good and the stainless-
steel chassis offers no flex. We highly
recommend you take the time to consider the
type of strap you purchase if you buy one of
these, as the base Horween-leather strap is a
little flimsy. However, Motorola’s expensive bands
have always been good so you’ll find something
better if you don’t mind splashing the cash.
If you opt for the larger 46mm, you’ll find the
1.56-inch LCD display is the same as the original,
with a slightly smaller 1.37-inch display on the
42mm variant. It’s a highly responsive screen
and the slight protrusion gives better viewing
angles. Motorola has also cleverly adopted the
always-on display mode, so there’s no need to
shake your wrist when you want to view the time

Pixel perfection
There has been a slight bump
in resolution on the device.
Users now get a 360 by 330 px
display compared to the
OK Google
Voice control still plays a big
original 320 by 290 px. Colours
part of the Android Wear
look fairly impressive and
experience and for many, it’ll be
images look sharp
the preferred way to navigate
around the second-generation
Moto 360. You’ll be surprised at
Moto Maker once again lets you fully personalise the what you’ll be able to achieve!
second-generation Moto 360 to your tastes

74
 Review

anymore. However, previous Moto 360 users will

find this model still has the annoying blacked-out
section at the bottom of the display. It’s more of
a personal annoyance than anything major, but
as we’ve seen competitors launch a fully circular
display – namely the Huawei Watch – it seems
strange Motorola has failed to do so here.
One of the benefits of the larger size is when
you want to get stuck into Android Wear. The
latest update is rife with changes, including the
addition of Wi-Fi support. It makes the second
generation Moto 360 better to use, especially
with Motorola’s own fitness suite included, which
is very similar to Google Fit, but provides a
slightly more thorough tracking experience.
It’s lightning-quick moving between menus and
Motorola has done a great job at adopting the
Snapdragon 400 processor for a smaller device.
You’ll still find the same 512MB RAM and 4GB
storage from last year’s model.
Moto 360 2015
Despite a bigger 400mAh battery – an
upgrade from 320mAh – battery life hasn’t
£229/$299 9 (42 mm)
changed much. You can still expect a decent day £269/$349 (46 mm)
and a half between charges, but we were hoping
»More information www.motorola.co.uk
for a little more. There’s no clear reason why the »Supplied by Motorola
changes aren’t apparent, but it’s arguably a
software problem rather than a hardware one.
The word revision is important, as the device
Best deal
on the whole is largely the same as its
predecessor, albeit with a few upgrades, so
there isn’t enough here that will warrant those
with the original model upgrading. Everyone else,
however, should certainly consider this as their £229 £239.99 £239
o2.co.uk expansys.com very.co.uk
first or next smartwatch purchase.

Keep it
customised
Customisation options
are plentiful when it
comes to picking your
second-generation Moto
360. Users are able to
pick a different bezel,
case, band and even the
default watch face
Technical specs
»Operating system............. Wear OS
»Processor ................................ Snapdragon 400
1.2GHz quad-core
»Memory..................................... 4GB storage / 512MB RAM
»Dimensions............................ 46 x 46 x 11.4 mm / 42 x 42 x
11.4 mm
»Weight......................................... N/A
»Display size ............................ 1.56-inches / 1.37-inches
»Display resolution............. 360 x 330 pixels (233 ppi)
360 x 325 pixels (263 ppi)
»Connectivity .......................... Bluetooth 4, Wi-Fi
»Expansion slot..................... N/A

Battery life
A small upgrade to a 400mAh (300mAh on the 42mm
model) hasn’t changed much battery-wise. It’s good, but
still not amazing

Body tracking
/QVQTQNCŦU QYP ƒVPGUU
tracking software, Moto
Body, takes centre stage
on the software side. t’s
largely the same as
Google Fit, but we do
prefer its overall simplicity
Good for
Motor Maker
Moto Maker enables you to craft the perfect wearable
based on your tastes
The Snapdragon
A decent processor enables for a lightning-quick user
experience when using apps and moving between menus
Bad for
Being chunky
The larger size will split opinion, but it still remains one of
the chunkier smartwatches on the market
Poor battery life
Battery life hasn’t been improved despite a bigger battery
encased within this watch

Verdict
Better smartwatch competition has
made the Moto 360 no longer the
must-have smartwatch, even if it’s
still a great device

75
Reviews
Bose SoundLink around-ear
Headphones II Lightweight and wireless headphones with
excellent sound quality
Not all headphones are created equal. If you
have got used to a life of standard earbuds and
cheap plastic cans, these Bose beauties will be a
revelation. Even if you are a Beats fan and are
prepared to invest in the headphones you
purchase, these will teach you a thing or two
about quality audio.
Weighing in at just 149g and upholstered with
sleek, well-padded leather and soft suede, what’s
immediately apparent is just how comfortable
they are to wear. These are headphones that you
can use for a long time without discomfort.
That’s borne out by their excellent play time – up
to 15 hours with a full three-hour charge and two
hours after a quick 15-minute burst. Even if you
do run out of juice, they can be connected to a
EDITOR’S
CHOICE
Volume controls
The volume controls sit on
the bottom of the right
headphone, enabling you to
control the volume that goes
into your ears rather than the
volume that comes directly
out of your phone
76
standard headphone jack via an audio cable,
although Bose does point out that you won’t get
all the benefits of the electronic power EQ that
runs when they’re charged up.
They can pair with not one, but two Bluetooth If your Bluetooth charge has run out or you want to
devices at once – enabling you to answer a call listen to a non-Bluetooth device, you can use a
on your phone while watching videos on your standard headphone jack
tablet, without having to manually switch devices
or take off the headphones. And if your device
has an NFC chip, well, they will even connect to
that too! Flawless and comfortable performance,
straight out of the box.
» Price £239.95
» More information bose.co.uk
Lightweight and snugly padded, these headphones
are incredibly comfortable to wear
Bluetooth
Turn on Bluetooth on
your Android device and
activate it by using the
switch on the right
headphone. Your device
will then display the
headphones in your
Bluetooth list so that you
can pair them easily
 Accessories

KEF Muo wireless speaker

KEF’s iconic Muon speaker gets a mini-me
Ever drooled over the £70,000 KEF Muon
speaker? The sinuously curved monolithic icon,
over six feet in height, was created with
industrial designer Ross Lovegrove and just 100
pairs were made.
Well, you no longer have to fantasise about
winning the lottery because you can now get a
smaller Bluetooth version of Lovegrove’s
aluminium obelisk. The KEF Muo is diminutive in
size yet still packs the power you expect from
one of Britain’s finest audio companies. Despite
its small form factor, it’s a heavyweight – this
isn’t the kind of Bluetooth speaker you cart
around with you in the summertime, it’s the
kind that sits at home, lord and master of the
media player, making your stereo speakers feel
» Price £299.95
» More information kef.com
inadequate. Thumping bass and pure treble
gives even traditional Hi-Fi speakers a run for
their money, and that’s just with one device.
Pair two together and the magic really starts to
happen. The speakers can sit horizontally,
spreading their sound waves out and two can
be paired together sitting this way to create
what KEF calls Party Mode – aka sound blasting
extensively in almost all directions.
For a more focused stereo experience, the
speakers can be turned over to sit vertically,
like mini Muons, and pairing two together will
create a perfectly balanced stereo experience.
Small yet mighty, our only quibble is that you’ll
spend £600 to get the dual-speaker experience
that really makes the KEF Muo shine.

Controls
Volume controls and the power
and pairing buttons can be found
on the right – or the top, if you flip
the speaker up the other way
Sound waves
The curved design isn’t just for
the sake of aesthetics. Not only
does it reference the iconic KEF
Muon design, it also helps the
The speaker can sit vertically as well as horizontally – you
sound to carry better can even pair two Muo speakers sitting vertically to get a
dynamic stereo experience

Cable connections
A microUSB charging port and
audio-out jack are tucked away at
the back so that they don’t
detract from the speaker’s looks

77
Apps
YouTube Music When Google recently
closed down its ad-free
YouTube Music Key
service and replaced it
with the generic YouTube Red –
providing ad-free viewing of all
videos for subscribers – some music
fans might have felt aggrieved. This
new music-based video app should
help to assuage these feelings. At
the time of writing, it unfortunately
only works in the US, although it can
be accessed elsewhere via a VPN
(virtual private network) – we
employed the easy-to-use
TunnelBear app for this purpose.
While you don’t need to be a
YouTube Red subscriber to use
YouTube Music, it does add a fair few
extra features as well as ad-free
playback. So it’s nice that upon
launching the app, you’re offered a
14-day free trial of the service, which
normally costs $9.99 per month.
One of the coolest bonuses for
YouTube Red subscribers is the
ability to switch to audio-only mode
– just toggle the top-right switch. Not
The app creates three
stations based on your
viewing history
78
only does this enable you to listen to
your tracks in the background while
doing something else on your device,
but the app will then only stream the
audio, saving greatly on data usage.
While we understood that using the
audio mode would result in the
playing of the song properly – without
any extraneous introductions or
dialogue featured in the video (eg
Lady Gaga’s Telephone) – this isn’t
automatically the case, although
you’ll usually find audio versions of
songs when searching.
In addition, Red subscribers are
given access to an Offline Mixtape
option which, when activated,
automatically downloads a selection
of music to your device each day
when connected to a Wi-Fi network.
While you are able to choose the
amount of storage space allocated,
and whether you want videos or
audio only, YouTube Music selects
the songs based on your listening or
viewing history. So there’s no way to
handpick individual tracks or
download custom playlists.
Indeed, there’s no way to
create your own playlists
in the first place, which
is a major
disappointment
considering you can
do so in the
Ad-free music videos and much
more for subscribers
The Explore tab shows other tracks related to If you’re feeling more adventurous, increase
the one you’re watching the station variety setting
standard YouTube app as well as
Google Play Music. Instead you get a 2 hour wonder
personalised station, plus two Want your money back?
genre-based ones depending on your You’ve got 120 mins to decide!
history and likes. This can cause a ! 40 »0-40 minutes
few problems if a younger member of 120 80 YouTube Red required for
audio-only and offline play
the family makes use of your
YouTube account, as we discovered ! 40 »40-80 minutes
when our personalised station was The Explore tab is good for
120 80
browsing and discovery
populated with loads of kids’ videos!
On any station, you can use a ! 40 »80-120 minutes
three-stage slider to adjust the A shame there’s no way to
120 80
create custom playlists
amount of variety featured.
The music discovery aspect is one keep refund
of YouTube Music’s strongest points.
While watching a video, tapping the
Explore tab comes up with a smart » specification
selection of related tracks, based on Price Free
the current artist, related artists and Designed for: Phone and tablet
genre. In addition, the home tab Requires Android: 4.0.3 and up
offers personalised and genre-based
stations; the Hot tab shows new and » verdict
trending videos, while the Liked tab Performance
presents a list of songs that you have
given a thumbs-up rating. Design
While YouTube Music
complements Google Play Music and
Value
the Explore option works well, the Good for browsing music
lack of basic features, such as videos, but it’s still lacking a
custom playlists, is extremely few essential features
disappointing, particularly when it
comes to offline use.
»like this?
try this!
VEVO – WATCH HD MUSIC VIDEOS » Create your own playlists
and browse recommendations, albeit with the odd advert
HomeUX While many third-party
launchers offer a fairly
similar experience to
the stock-Android
version, HomeUX aims to provide a
truly different user experience. The
first thing you’ll notice is the way
that the solitary homescreen is split
into two panels: a top action panel
and a bottom one that replaces the
app drawer; just swipe left or right
to navigate screens full of icons. The
real difference comes once you
create some folders – it’s not
immediately obvious how to do this,
as you need to swipe the top panel
left to the folders view and then tap
the + icon. Since no folders from the
default launcher are carried over,
you’ll have to set them all up
manually, choosing a name and a
mini icon (from a bewildering array)
and then selecting apps – or
subsequently long pressing a panel
to add the widgets or shortcuts. The
good news is that once everything is
Your homescreen has been
completely reimagined
Swipe vertically to switch the homescreen
to different folders
organised, you can easily switch the
bottom panel between folders by
swiping vertically.
But what about that top panel?
Well, it’s a bit like a dock. As well as
containing a clock widget (which it
seems can’t be replaced), it’s where
you can place up to five QuickApp
shortcuts for favourite apps. Just
drag an app icon into the panel and
choose a mini icon. There’s also a
floating QuickApp button; while
tapping this lets you search your
apps by default, it can be set to
launch any app you like.
Up to five app shortcuts can be added to the
top action panel
Further options, including app grid
dimensions, are available in the
settings, although some (such as
enabling iOS-style notification
badges) are only unlocked by
purchasing a Pro key (£1.20/$1.49).
It’s flexible enough to encompass
some very different custom
arrangements. On the downside, we
experienced some glitches and
crashes, so it still needs a bit of work
to fulfil its potential.
» specification
Price Free + IAPs
Designed for: Phone
Requires Android: 5.0 and up
» verdict
Not quite there yet, but has
great potential as an
alternative launcher
» like this? try this!
EverythingMe Launcher
Smart folders and a Prediction bar that
shows apps based on time and location

Vidku Shoot and share your videos with private

groups using this app Patreon Runtastic
Vidku enables users to create and share 17-second videos.
Compared to rivals such as Snapchat and Vine, however, it gives you
Follow and fund your
favourite creators
Results
Transform your body
greater control over who they’re shared with, including the ability to
un-share with individual recipients at any point. When shooting your short The Patreon crowdfunding Another spin-off app from
video, you can pause midway and flip between front and rear cameras, so site – akin to Kickstarter, the popular Runtastic
there’s some scope for creativity. but geared towards fitness service, it promises
While you get to watch a preview of artists and musicians – has to transform your body using a
the video before sharing, there are no launched an Android app that personalised 12-week training plan
editing facilities, so if you’re not enables users to follow their based on your current weight and
happy you’ll just have to shoot it favourite creators. A Discover tab fitness level. Step-by-step
again. You then add a thumbnail offers an array of categories to instructions are provided via over
picture and title before sharing with browse or just use the search facility. 120 HD exercise videos – featuring
selected friends or a private group. As well as liking and commenting on incredibly buff trainers. It’s all very
It’s a promising concept, but you’ll works, you can follow a creator and polished, as you would expect. The
need to add Vidku-using friends – via opt to become a main downside is
username, contacts or Facebook – to patron, pledging a that you only get a
get started. You can also create your certain sum per few free exercises
own private (friends-only) groups. month – via card so you’ll need a
or PayPal. While Runtastic Premium
» Price Free fairly basic in membership, at
» Designed for Phone design, the app £7.99/$9.99 per
» Requires Android 4.2 and up
still serves its month, for the full
purpose very well. programme.
Pause mid-shoot for a change of scene or to » Price Free » Price Free + IAPs
switch to the front camera » Designed for Phone » Designed for Phone
» Requires Android 4.0 and up » Requires Android 4.1 and up
»best
alternative
EVERYSTORY » Share narrated photo slideshows with private
groups of friends or family

79
Apps
Apple Music
Yes, you heard that right:
an Apple app
While Apple’s debut
Android app, Move to iOS,
was an attempt to get
users to switch platforms, Apple
Music is more useful, particularly for
those already using the music-
streaming service. Meanwhile,
newcomers benefit from a three-
month free trial – after which it costs
£9.99/$9.99 per month.
As on iOS, you’re prompted to
select genres and artists you like or
dislike, enabling the app to make
smart suggestions for you to check
out on the For You screen – although
this was hit and miss in our case.
The genre-filterable New screen
offers new music and curated
playlists, or you can search for artists
and songs. Tracks you like can be
added to Playlists and My Music,
which also shows iTunes purchases
and music uploaded to the iCloud
Music Library via iTunes 12.2+. The
Connect feature lets you follow
artists and read blog posts, while
Radio offers genre and mood-based
stations (playlists), plus Apple’s own
Beats One. On the downside, unlike
Google Play Music, the app won’t
play locally-stored music.
Based on our likes, the smart
recommendations proved a bit off
» Price Free
» Designed for Phone
» Requires Android 4.3 and up
80
Roundme Since the Roundme iOS
app launched in 2014,
over 20,000
photographers have signed up to
use the service. Users are able to
publish interactive 360-degree
panoramas, known as Spaces, for
others to view. It’s disappointing
then that unlike its iOS
counterpart, the Android app
lacks an option to upload your
own panoramas. To do so, you’ll
have to visit the Roundme website
instead. Nor is there an in-app
Tourist hot spots, such as Venice, provide
some spectacular scenes
Fallout C.H.A.T.
Not quite what it seems
Another spin-off from the
Fallout videogame series
arrives, following the
excellent Fallout Shelter, but it’s not
quite what it seems. At first glance
we thought it was a new text-chat
service, but instead messages are
sent in picture form via any other app
in the standard Android sharing
menu. Even then, it seems a strange
design decision to only permit
access via the Fallout C.H.A.T. app
itself and not offer a more
convenient keyboard extension to
»like this?
try this!
KANVAS KEYBOARD » This replacement keyboard lets you quickly
send custom messages with photos or GIFs
Explore 360-degree panoramas
and immersive stories
camera option, although you can explore an interactive map to find
always use the standard Google Spaces near you or far afield. Tap on
Camera app’s Panorama mode to a circle to see a preview picture and
create a Space. title; tap on that to view the
So the Android app is solely for panorama, using either swipes or
viewing purposes, but it performs gyroscope motion-sensing to
this role very well, offering a highly explore. It’s an even more immersive
polished experience. Along with a experience if you use a VR headset
filterable search facility, the main such as Google Cardboard.
screen offers three tabs: Best, Some locations feature several
Recent and Collections – which sorts panoramas taken from different
selected Spaces into curated spots, which can be quickly switched
collections such as beaches, classic to by tapping floating bubbles.
cars and cemeteries. You can also Panoramas may also feature text
Zoom in on the map to see more circles Some scenes have floating bubbles; tap
– tap one to view the panorama one to view it from that point
use elsewhere. Still, it may offer
some fun for fans, enabling them to
exchange messages in classic
Vault-Tec style. As well as a standard
Qwerty keyboard, there are four
screens’ worth of (over 60)
Fallout-themed emoji to add to
messages, along with 20 GIF Vault
Boy character animations. It’s a
shame there’s no option to change
the background from the default.
» Price Free
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 4.2 and up
Add emoji or a GIF to your message, which is
shared as a picture
 quickhits
f
descriptions and technical
information. A social aspect lets you
add comments and likes.
While not all the Spaces are that
picturesque – there are even some
of toilets – many are truly
spectacular to see, enabling you to
become a virtual tourist on a
round-the-world trip of a lifetime. You
can even visit other worlds thanks to
a few panoramas from games such
as Star Conflict!
One thing we’d like to see is an
option to download panoramas for
offline use, but the developer is still
working on that one.

» specification
Price Free
Designed for Phone and tablet
Requires Android 4.1 and up

» verdict Movies by
Performance Flixster Free
This multifunctional app lets
Design 2 hour wonder you browse the top movies and DVDs,
view trailers, find showtimes at local
Value Want your money back? You’ve cinemas, read Rotten Tomatoes reviews,
got 120 minutes to decide! manage your Netflix queue and stream
No upload facility, but it’s your Ultraviolet collection.
still great for exploring all ! 40 »0-40 minutes
Some amazing panoramas
120 80
sorts of locations from around the globe
IMDb Movies &
! 40 »40-80 minutes TV Free
There’s no option to create or
120 80 Take 360-degree With its vast database, IMDb
upload your own
tours of the world is the go-to app for finding anything out
» like this? try this! ! 40 »80-120 minutes from your phone about films (and TV shows), including full
It’s great fun to explore a cast lists, trailers, plot lines, trivia,
Google Street View 120 80
wide variety of scenes photos, goofs, reviews and user ratings.
Explore countless 360-degree photo
spheres, or create and upload your own
keep refund
My Movies Pro
£4.99/$6.99

ArrowLauncher
Microsoft Garage’s
simplified launcher
automatically places your
most used apps on the main apps
homescreen. However, to start with
it asks you to select at least nine
favourite apps to put there. You can
also pull up the bottom of the screen
for extra apps and quick settings –
rather superfluous since they’re still
accessible from the top-right corner.
Instead of multiple homescreens
to place apps and widgets how you
like, there’s just the one for apps,
with others for People (with calls,
messages and emails) and Recent
The main apps screen has a pull-up pane for »like this?
try this!
SCOUT LAUNCHER » This smart launcher learns your habits and
lets you set up homescreens for app categories
quick settings and extra apps
A simplified launcher
activities (plus five recently used
apps along the top). Interestingly,
there’s a wraparound feature so you
can swipe endlessly through them,
which works better than the usual
end-to-end arrangement. By long
pressing the background, you can
also opt to hide screens and enable
two others: Widgets (the only place
you can put them) and a handy Notes
& Reminders page.
» Price Free
» Designed for Phone
» Requires Android 4.0.3 and up
Got a large movie collection
and find it hard to keep track
of exactly what you own? This is a good
app that will help you to catalogue it all,
sync the info between devices and share
it with friends.
Netflix Free
While some streaming
services are restricted to
North America, Netflix is universally
available and lets subscribers watch a
large library of films (if not the latest
releases) and TV shows.
RunPee Free
If you need to take a
bathroom break mid-film, but
don’t want to miss a vital
scene, RunPee tells you the best times
to go for it and also provides a synopsis
of what you’ve missed!

Check our website daily

for even more app reviews »www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk 81
 head tohead
to
Which app should you be using to
discover the world around you?

TRIPADVISOR
vs
Checking out user reviews is a surefire
way to guarantee that you’re eating in a
top restaurant, staying in a reliable
hotel or visiting a worthwhile landmark.
» specification But while TripAdvisor and » specification
Price Free Yelp are great at offering Price Free
Designed for: Phone and tablet this service, which one Designed for: Phone and tablet
Requires Android: Varies with device comes out on top? Requires Android: Varies with device

TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor’s core
categories are concise, but
include a wealth of listings
within each. For something
more specific, make sure to
use the search bar.
Yelp
The type of places that you
can search for in Yelp are far
superior to TripAdvisor, but
SEARCH SYSTEM each category does sadly
include fewer options for the
users to look through.

Reviews are highly Although we did like the

customisable, with users
able to attach photos,
customise the date they
were there and choose the
type of visit they undertook.
prompt to keep writing in-
depth reviews based on what
LEAVINGAREVIEW other people have left, the
review system is little more
than a blank text document.

While the Google Maps A handy directions button at

integration is a little slower
to load than on Yelp’s
offering, it does enable you
to view nearby landmarks,
hotels and restaurants.
the top of each Google Map
can help you navigate to the
MAPSINTEGRATION destination based on your
current location – a decent
feature to have.

Users can make direct Arguably Yelp’s best feature

payments through the app, is that users are able to find
but prices can be a little
more expensive than if you
BOOKINGS AND exclusive deals on certain
attractions and restaurants,
take the time to look PAYMENT which you simply don’t find
through other sources. within its competitors.

TripAdvisor contains an There are basic social

offline maps feature, which
can be downloaded to help
you navigate around a city
or country that you may not
be accustomed to.
media features included in
Yelp, where you can see live
EXTRA FEATURES updates of the places
people are currently visiting
in your local area.

And the winner is... Despite both apps having plenty of similarities, it was the more
TRIPADVISOR thorough review creation tool in TripAdvisor that put it slightly ahead of
Yelp. At their core, these apps are based around their users and
TripAdvisor is generally better at dealing with its audience than Yelp.
82
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Games
Horizo
With old-school 16-bit
graphics reminiscent of th
Eighties coin-op classic Ou
Run and a chiptune soundtrack
composed by the veteran Barry
Leitch, you’d be forgiven for chalkin
Horizon Chase up as a retro-style
racer just for nostalgics.
However, once you start playing it
you’re likely to change your mind as
it’s just so hard to put down. Anyhow
you can try it out for free, racing on
five courses, before deciding
whether to stump up £2.29/$2.99 t
unlock the rest – a huge amount of EDITOR’S
content with a total of 73 tracks, 32 CHOICE
cities and eight cups are available.
There are no further IAPs, which is
highly preferable to the usu
free-to-play model. Instead, The retro visuals and music suit the simplified arcade-style racing perfectly
cars and upgrades are earned via
your racing achievements.
Control couldn’t be simpler as you steer your car. There are also six used to unlock more cup opponents, so you may need to
line up on the grid with 19 AI rivals. alternative control options, along competitions or bonus races – and return to earlier courses in order to
Just hold the right-hand pedal to with the option to use an external fuel, which you will need to top up earn extra tokens.
accelerate, release it to brake and gamepad. While the cornering periodically. While you only need to While there’s a minor strategic
physics are hardly realistic and many finish fifth on each course to gain element in choosing your upgrades
bends can be taken flat out, you may access to the next location to race, and the best car to suit each course,
well need to ease off the gas to winning all the races in a cup it’s the fun racing action that will
adjust your racing line and avoid competition will unlock a new car, as enthral you. We’ll certainly be playing
collisions, which slow you down. will winning a bonus race. this one all the way to the end.
Weaving through a load of traffic is You can also earn permanent
exhilarating, particularly when you’re upgrades that improve the
» Price Free + IAPs
» Designed for Phone and tablet
using a nitro speed boost. performance of all unlocked vehicles. » Requires Android 4.0.3 and up
Rear-ending rivals will slow you down, so
Along the way, you can garner This becomes more important as
careful steering is needed pick-ups including tokens – also you progress and in later races

what we’ve Digfender down into the ice in order to unleash

been playing
Trick Shot
£1.49/$1.99
This physics-based puzzler
had us hooked from the start.
While the concept of throwing a ball into
a box is simple, some of the later puzzles
are truly mind-boggling
Prune £1.99/$3.99
Beautifully presented, this
atmospheric puzzler offers a
transcendent experience as
you prune a tree to determine just how
it grows. Extra features are gradually
introduced throughout the game,
adding greatly to the charm.
Recommend a game…
Dig deep for success
This intriguing real-time
strategy game combines
elements of the classic
tower defence game with a more
exploratory element of digging.
In order to defend your castle from
attacking AI, you need to dig a path
down to the ice beneath it and
construct subterranean towers of
various available types, which
include fire and ice.
You’re then ready to dig into the
ice below to flush out enemies who
will follow the path you have just
created – a unique feature in a TD
game. Each level you have to dig
another enemy wave.
You can also excavate gold and
crystal deposits to spend on extra
defences, while other loot includes
treasure maps that reveal secret
passageways when the stage is
replayed, enabling you to collect relic
pieces to unlock special upgrades.
Levelling up your defences (via five
branching upgrade trees) is essential
to tackle new and stronger enemies
as you progress though over 60
stages. There’s also an endless
Survival mode to keep you busy.
» Price Free + IAPs
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 2.3 and up
You get to dig your own path for the
upsurging enemies to follow

84 »twitter @lgrobot

Starific – Endless Reactor
Resembling a radial
version of the classic
Breakout, Starific is an
intense and endless arcade game
requiring fast reactions to keep
your shooting star in play. At least,
that’s the case at first, in the
default Arcade mode. Later on
you’ll unlock extra modes –
including Moves, which involves a
more strategic style of play.
Since each octagonal arena is
generated procedurally, it’s
different every time you play. And
with your star making rapid
changes in direction whenever it
encounters a block, you need to
stay alert and position your
rotating exterior paddle
accordingly to knock it back into
the arena. Adding interest are
bombs that start chain reactions,
quickhits
Don’t miss out
Endless action and
chain reactions
along with a wide variety of
power-up effects, including a split
paddle, multiple stars and score
multipliers. There are also quests to
complete, such as collecting a
certain number of bombs. Money
earned (including from watching
video ads) can be spent on prize
wheel spins in the game to unlock
more items, including a vast range
of colour themes.
The game is highly customisable
too, with options for difficulty, arena
size and controls. With stylish visuals Beneath The
accompanied by an impressive Lighthouse Free + IAP
electronic soundtrack, it all adds up Rotate mazes to get a boy to the
to a stellar experience. exit; it sounds simple, yet is anything but.
As well as avoiding deadly spikes, you
need to beat a timer to win medals. Ads
» Price Free are annoying, but removable via an IAP.
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 2.3 and up
Move your paddle around the outside and
collect the power-ups Target Number
Free + IAPs
Using four operations, you need

Word²
to reach the target within a time limit
using swipe controls. While most sums
are fairly easy to solve, the challenge lies
in using fewer moves to earn stars.
Unscramble acrostic grids
This unusual word-based puzzler involves
unscrambling a grid In Between
of letters to form a £0.89/$0.99
Hand-drawn backdrops add to
perfect acrostic square, with the atmosphere in this gravity-defying
the same words going across platformer, where the hero can walk and
and down. It starts off easily fall in four directions. The brutal difficulty
Move emergency vehicles around to level may cause frustration though.
enough, with simple nudge the baddies off the screen
three-by-three grids, but the
difficulty is gradually ramped
up as you progress to larger Car Toons
Clearing the road
Lost Echo £2.38/$2.99
This old-fashioned point-and-
ones, eventually tackling click adventure features some
six-by-six grid squares. There This weird physics-based puzzler requires you to really smart visuals, plenty of puzzles
and an intriguing storyline. Greg is
are 80 puzzles in total, plus knock the bad cars off the screen while keeping hunting for his girlfriend who no one else
seven-by-seven grids coming the emergency vehicles safe and parking them can remember. Hmm…
soon, so there’s plenty to in their spaces. While the main method involves shunting
keep you busy. Correct words are highlighted baddies off ledges, parts of the scenery can also be used,
once they are arranged
We came up with a horizontally and vertically including vanishing platforms, switches, rotating hammers Dead Effect 2
letter-counting tactic, since and good old explosive red barrels. It starts off easy, but Free + IAPs
any odd letters must go in the top-left to bottom-right the difficulty level is gradually ramped up through over 100 Stuck on a zombie-infested
spaceship, your super-soldier must fight
diagonal. In addition, highlighted given letters on some stages. To help you out, some stages offer a limited his way out. If you can ignore the dodgy
grids help, as does the overall symmetrical pattern. On number of special powers to use: the police car turns 180 storyline, it’s a pretty playable shooter
later puzzles, however, we often had to resort to using degrees, the ambulance jumps and the fire engine has a with good graphics and okay controls.
hints (given letters) and clues (word definitions) to even rocket boost. Often, you’ll need to discover the correct
get started. However, only a limited number of each type order for moves and get the timing right to succeed. If you
can be used, after which an IAP (£0.78/$0.99) is required get stuck, you can skip a stage by using a tow truck – Crimsonland
to unlock more – a bit cheeky in a paid app. available via IAP or from watching video ads. £6.49/$9.99
A reboot of the classic 2003
» Price £0.79/$0.99 + IAPs Xbox game, this twin-stick shooter
» Price Free + IAPs features a huge arsenal of weapons to
» Designed for Phone and tablet » Designed for Phone and tablet unlock. You’ll need them to survive the
» Requires Android 2.3.3 and up » Requires Android 3.2 and up often-insane onslaught of creatures.

Check our website for

even more game reviews »www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk 85
Games
Collect power ups for temporary extra
weapons, such as wingmen
Shooty
Skies
The Crossy Road of classic
shoot-’em-up games
While Hipster Whale’s
smash-hit debut Crossy
Road was inspired by
Frogger, follow-up Shooty Skies is
another blast from the past. Based
on the classic shoot-’em-up genre, it
adds its own unique style and
humour to the established formula.
Guaranteed to raise a smile, it
sees you shooting down blocky 3D
enemies including arcade cabinets
and ghetto blasters, while avoiding
projectiles such as retro joysticks.
Control is as simple as sliding a
single finger around the screen to
move your biplane, which fires an
endless stream of bullets unless you
lift your finger to charge the special
rocket attack – which proves handy
against tougher enemies and
bosses, as do collected power ups.
With the screen often packed full of
foes and bullets, the action can
become chaotic and confusing, but
oddly never that frustrating.
Upon dying, you’re given the option
to continue by spending collected
coins or watching a video ad. Coins
can also be spent on temporary
(two-hour) weapons. A large roster of
cute pilot characters – each with
their own backdrop, adding to the
visual variety – can also be unlocked
or simply bought via IAPs.
» Price Free + IAPs
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 4.0.3 and up
86
Call of Champions
A mobile MOBA for everyone
MOBA (mobile online
battle arena) isn’t the
most user-friendly genre
for newcomers, who are usually
faced with a steep learning curve.
Not only that, but battles can go
for ages, which is a problem for
mobile players who want to dip in
and out. Call of Champions solves
this issue by limiting 3v3 battles
to a maximum of five minutes. It
simplifies proceedings by omitting
standard MOBA features such as
AI minions, team chat, in-match
levelling up and an arena shop.
Once inside the opposing base, destroy the crystal for victory
Heal Them All Kills 99.9 per cent of germs
While the concept of
healing rather than killing
is novel, the difference
turns out to be skin-deep in what is
otherwise a standard tower defence
game. With each stage set inside a
human body, you need to place
pill-dispensing towers to fend off
waves of germs making their way
along a path. Any germs reaching the
end will raise the temperature – if it
gets too high, it’s game over. Killing
germs earns you coins that can be
spent on constructing a range of
extra towers with different abilities,
as well as mines or medical
power-up effects, such as a spray to
slow down enemies. The game
doesn’t really add anything new to
The battle arena contains two
main tracks, upon which you push an
orb along to weaken your enemy’s
towers, making it easier to destroy
them. The objective is to get your orb
to smash through the wall of the
enemy base, then destroy the crystal
within for victory. However, with all
the constant skirmishing with your
opposing team, this isn’t that easy to
achieve within the very short time
limit, so matches are often decided
just by the number of towers
destroyed; if this is a tie, then it’s
down to the number of kills.
the tower defense genre, but it is still
fairly playable and ideal for
newcomers. An IAP of £0.79/$0.99 is
required to unlock all three
campaigns, while the main Vitamines
currency can also be purchased.
A detailed post-match stats screen lets you
add new friends
While battling, five icons trigger
character-dependent special
abilities, each with a cool-down
timer. If your health bar is perilously
low, it’s best to head back to base to
recover – dying results in an
increasing respawn delay. To help
you gain an edge, random power-ups
appear in the arena; collect one and
you can stand on the platform to
share it with team-mates.
While purists may scoff at the lack
of sophistication in Call of
Champions, there are some tactical
choices to be made and it’s a lot of
fun to play. The main drawback is the
high IAP cost of new champions
(about £3/$4 each) unless you earn
a vast stack of gold to unlock them. A
Premium account will boost your gold
and XP earnings, but costs about
£7/$9 for 30 days.
» Price Free + IAPs
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 4.0 and up
Build towers and lay mines to prevent the
advance of the germs

» specification
Price Free + IAPs
Designed for Phone and tablet
Requires Android 4.0 and up
» verdict
Performance
Design
Value
A simplified MOBA that
actually works really well on
the mobile platform
Lifeline 2 Someone else needs your help
While the original Lifeline
saw you coming to the aid
of a shipwrecked young
astronaut, the sequel has you
helping Arika, a young witch who’s
lost her family to dark magical forces
and is trying to locate her missing
brother. As before, you communicate
with your newfound friend via text
messages, this time written on
parchment, which is more attractive
and easier to read.
In this work of interactive fiction,
you’re limited to choosing between
two responses at each juncture,
with your decisions determining how
the story pans out. While events
happen in real time, with new
2 hour wonder
Want your money back?
You’ve got 2 hours to decide!
! 40 »0-40 minutes
120 80
It’s a lot easier to get into
than most MOBAs
! 40 »40-80 minutes
120 80
The short time limit hurries
battles along a bit
! 40 »80-120 minutes
120 80
The IAPs are quite expensive,
but at least not obligatory
keep refund
messages appearing as
notifications, Arika will wait
indefinitely for your replies. She
seems to be a similar wisecracking
character to Tyler in the first game,
albeit with a very different quest as
she heads back to her hometown,
attempting to retrieve three
essential magical items en route.
Death is a constant threat, but once
you complete a branch of the story,
you can rewind, which avoids a lot of
frustration. With a deep and
involving story, it’s about twice the
length of the original Lifeline too.
»like this?
try this!
LIFELINE » Make the right decisions to help rescue an astronaut
from a spooky alien moon
Check our website daily
for even more app reviews
Destroy enemy towers and push the
orb towards the enemy base
» like this? try this!
Vainglory This slightly more
sophisticated MOBA features a more
complex arena and longer matches
Your responses affect the storyline and
whether Arika survives or not
» Price £2.35/$2.99
» Designed for Phone and tablet
» Requires Android 4.0 and up
»www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk
quickhits
top games for...
tower
defence
Kingdom Rush
Free + IAP
The Kingdom Rush series –
also including Origins and Frontier – is
long established as one of the best in
the tower defence genre, boasting large
maps, varied towers and intense battles.
Defense Zone 2
HD $2.34/$2.99
Eschewing the typical
free-to-play model, with no IAPs, it also
employs refreshingly realistic graphics.
The difficulty level is ramped up brutally,
but if you want a good challenge, this is it.
Plants vs
Zombies 2
Free + IAPs
Not your average TD games, both PvZ
titles are great fun as you plant seeds to
create an army of powerful plants to
stop rampaging zombies. The sequel
adds new weapons and special powers.
Army of
Darkness
Defense Free + IAPs
Based on the third Evil Dead film (1992),
this amusing horror-themed TD title puts
you in the role of a sales clerk
transported back in time, defending a
castle from hordes of undead.
Anomaly 2
£3.29/$4.99
Fancy playing the attackers
for once? Featuring sumptuous visuals,
Anomaly 2 pits your convoy of armoured
vehicles against enemy towers. Or if
you’re not a fan of the bad guy, play as
either side in a cool multiplayer mode.
87
 BUYER’S GUIDE
Discover the best smartphones, tablets and accessories
to buy in our top ten charts

For the most up-to-date reviews, head to www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk

THE LATEST ONLINE INCLUDE... NEXUS 6P » HTC A9 » BLACKBERRY PRIV

88
 Buyer’s Guide
TOP 10 SUPER SMARTPHONES THE BEST FLAGSHIP AND MID-RANGE
ANDROID PHONES ON THE MARKET

1
Samsung Galaxy S6 £479
Samsung has come out fighting after the humdrum response to the S5, with this stunning handset
made entirely of metal and glass. Samsung has had to sacrifice microSD support and a removable
battery to make it so thin and light to hold, but it offers a 16MP camera, wireless and superfast See issue 52
charging, an improved fingerprint scanner and a benchmark-beating processor instead.

Nexus 6P £449
2 Finally, we have a Nexus that is truly a device without compromise – a worthy flagship for Android
heading into 2016. The camera is one of the best in the business, while the beautiful screen could
truly see the end of your tablet use. Even the 64GB model represents a real bargain. See issue 58

LG G4 £372
3 The LG G4 is a close second for the phone of the year behind the Galaxy S6 with a distinctive
leather-back case and superior camera. Its unique Quantum IPS screen will amaze with bright and
crisp images that offer vivid colours, while its 200GB microSD port offers lots of extra storage. See issue 52

Sony Xperia Z5 £549

4 It’s another device that prioritises evolution over revolution, but that’s not to say Sony’s fifth-
generation Xperia handset is a dull affair. The cameras are arguably the best we’ve ever seen, while it
ticks every specification wishlist. It’s waterproof and dustproof too, but it does come at a price. See issue 57

Moto X Style £399

5 Although it isn’t a direct replacement for the second-generation Moto X, the Style is a step up in terms
of specifications (bigger battery, more RAM, better screen resolution and a hexa-core processor). The
screen really is a sight to behold and the design is cool and edgy. It’s superb value for money too. See issue 57

Huawei Mate S £469

6 Stunning, in every sense of the word. Huawei’s best-ever device could be your next droid. The build
quality can’t fail to impress, the design is beautiful and the option to go either dual-SIM or to add a
storage upgrade via a microSD slot offers an excellent degree of customisation. See issue 59

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium £629

7 The Z5 Premium is a very good phone, but it’s just too expensive and the 4K screen adds little value.
Nonetheless it’s the first instance of a phone with a 4K screen, so we’ll be interested to see whether
other manufacturers follow Sony’s latest innovation. See issue 59

HTC A9 £449
8 The M9 remains a great device, but the A9 feels like a change in direction for HTC. Taking on board
criticisms of its flagship device, HTC has kitted the A9 with bleeding-edge specs and even shipped it
with Android Marshmallow. As you’d expect, the build quality is of the highest order. See issue 58

HTC One M9 £579.99

9 We marked the M9 down for only being a very minor update on the M8, but it is undeniably a superb
phone. Underneath its elegant silver and gold chrome shell, it houses a superfast Snapdragon 810
processor, 20MP camera, 3GB RAM, 32GB memory and some clever customisation tools. See issue 50

Moto X (2014) £219.99

10 The second-gen Moto X remains a contender for best phone despite only launching last year. It offers
a stock Android experience with a 13MP camera, 15-minute Turbo charging, but is much cheaper than
the Nexus 6 that has the same features. Its other specs are starting to look a bit dated though. See issue 45

In case you missed it... Superphone face-off Read more in issue 57

Samsung Gala HTC One M9
WINNER
S6 » Price £579.99
» Price £479 » Website htc.com
» Website samsung.com
The M9 has all the
There are few features of a true
things on the flagship device,
market that come but HTC could
close to the S6, have done a lot
but the lack of more in
removable battery differentiating it
is an issue. from the M8.

89
Buyer’s Guide
TOP 10 BUDGET BUYS IF YOU’RE SHOPPING FOR A SMARTPHONE ON A SHOESTRING, CHECK
OUT THESE LOW-COST MOBILE MUST-HAVES

1
Vodafone Smart ultra 6 £115
Our newly crowned best budget phone in the world marries excellent specs and a smooth user
experience to topple the ZTE Blade S6 back into second place. We love this phone’s octa-core
processor, 1080p screen and 2GB RAM – specs you’d expect to see in a premium handset. Throw in See issue 56
the fact it looks good and the cameras work brilliantly, and you’ve got a serious bargain.

ZTE Blade S6 £149.95

2 While its price puts it at the top end of what we would call a budget phone, the Blade S6 is the best
ZTE Blade in years. It runs Android Lollipop, has a 64-bit Snapdragon processor, 2GB RAM and the
exact same IMX214 camera as the Sony Xperia Z3 – which costs around three times as much! See issue 50

Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 £115

3 If you’re willing to import your device then you can save a lot of money – as Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 2
proves. For a stunning price you will get an octa-core processor, 2GB RAM and a lovely 5.5-inch, 401
ppi screen. It’s an incredible phone, but it is heavily skinned and hard to get hold off. See issue 57

Wileyfox Swift £129

4 The Wileyfox Swift is excellent value for money and good fun too. It matches its rivals in the market
with a 5-inch HD screen, 2GB RAM and a five-lens camera enclosure, perfect for taking photos in low
light. Cyanogen 12.1 proves to be an authentic alternative to stock Android. See issue 56

Moto G (2015) £159

5 The newly updated third-gen Moto G (2015) model doesn’t offer the same metallic finish as the ZTE
Blade S6 or Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3, but you can personalise its design before you buy, like you can
the much more expensive Moto X. It is also waterproof, offers 4G and has a dual-flash 13MP camera. See issue 55

Moto G 4G (2015) £139.99

6 Now that the regular Moto G and Moto E have been updated and both offer LTE, this handset doesn’t
offer much except that it’s slightly cheaper than the Moto G (2015). It also looks very similar with a
5-inch screen, booming dual speakers and vanilla Android 5.0.2, but it only offers an 8MP camera. See issue 51

Moto E (2015) £109

7 The second-gen Moto E is nipping at the heels of the Moto G for the title of Motorola’s ultimate
no-strings-attached smartphone. It also offers 4G and has Android Lollipop built in, with the added
promise of an all-day battery. But its 5MP camera, bulky size and poor display reflect its budget price. See issue 54

Asus ZenFone 5 £149.99

8 While it is one of the most expensive phones in our budget buys chart, the ZenFone 5 offers an awful
lot for less than most mid-range phones. A stylish metal design is available in a range of colours, it has
a sharp 5-inch screen, powerful Intel Atom processor and an 8MP shooter with a range of modes. See issue 48

Honor 4X £148.86
9 The biggest and best of the mid-range Honor phones, the 5.5-inch Honor 4X has a lot going for it,
including a 13MP camera, off-brand octa-core processor and 4G connectivity. However, you pay for the
high specs at a low cost in other areas: it only runs Android 4.4 KitKat and has a mediocre screen. See issue 53

Sony Xperia M2 Aqua £150

10 Just like Sony’s flagship Xperia Z5, this mid-range marvel is waterproof up to at least 1.5 metres.
Sony’s other top feature is here as well with an 8MP rear camera and a suite of photography tools.
The only downside is that after you factor in all the preloaded apps, it only has 4GB of storage. See issue 48

In case you missed it… Games not to miss Read more in issue 58
SirVival Beacon 38 Swords & Crossbones A Moon for the Sky
WINNER » Price Free + IAPs » Price £2.29/$2.99 » Price Free
» Price £2.99/$4.99
This side-scrolling Navigate your tiny Ahoy there, a The interesting
runner casts you as a scout spaceship turn-based tactical gameplay mechanic
brave knight riding on through a dangerous RPG without the usual sees you drawing elastic
horseback, avoiding alien world using freemium model! lines to repeatedly
hazards and bashing enemies using sonar pinging to detect hazards in Build up your pirate island and go bounce a moon up through vertical
a comic lance tipped with a big red your way. It’s a unique gameplay on ocean voyages with your crazy stages. It takes a while to get the
boxing glove. It’s good fun with cool mechanic and the art-deco visual crew in this enjoyable madcap hang of the controls, but it eventually
cutesy visuals and also features style is captivating. There’s a adventure. The comedy comes proves quite addictive. Pretty
NPC races and a crafting system. definite sense of peril, though. straight from Monkey Island. graphics enhance the experience.

90
 Buyer’s Guide
TOP 10 BEST TABLETS WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A SEVEN OR TEN-INCH DISPLAY,
THESE ARE THE TOP TABLETS AVAILABLE ON ANDROID

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet

1 £505
Sony’s lightest and brightest tablet ever, the Z4 has made us fall back in love with the 10-inch tablet
when the Nexus 10 left us cold. With a clip-on keyboard and Microsoft apps bundled in, it is a top
tablet for when you want to set up a mobile office. But all work and no play makes for a dull device, so
the Z4 also supports PlayStation Remote Play and has a crisp 2K display screen, a Snapdragon 810 See issue 54
processor and 3GB RAM to ensure it can keep up with console-quality frame rates.

Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact £269

2 If the Xperia Z4 is an iPad killer, the 8-inch Z3 has the iPad mini in its sights. Weighing just 270g, it’s
slim and stylish like its bigger brother, with 3GB RAM and a Triluminos display to boot. It also integrates
with the PS4 so the only real difference between the Z3 Compact and the Z4 is its size and price tag. See issue 46

Google Nexus 9 £299

3 A mighty Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and 2GB RAM mean that even running the most graphic-heavy
games won’t slow this 64-bit tablet down. The built-in BoomSound speakers also offer great sound
quality, making Google’s new tablet an all-round media consumption device. See issue 45

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 £349

4 Ultra thin and ultra bright, colours look vibrant and details distinct on this powerful Super Amoled
screen. Samsung’s iPad slayer also puts many other Android tablets to shame with a multiwindow
mode to display several apps at once and octa-core processor ensuring lightning-fast performance. See issue 43

Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet £309.95

5 Arguably one of the most portable 10-inch tablets available, the Xperia Z2 Tablet is waterproof and
can support a SIM card for 4G use. It is also surprisingly thin and light to carry, and includes
power-saving modes to ensure longer battery life. Reasonably high-spec, it has a whopping 3GB RAM. See issue 39

Tesco Hudl 2 £99

6 This sequel to the supermarket chain’s own-brand tablet can’t compete with premium models, but
sets a new benchmark for budget tablets. Upping the display size from 7 to 8.3-inches, the Hudl 2 also
runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and can handle anything you throw at it thanks to an Intel Atom processor. See issue 44

Samsung Galaxy TabPRO (8.4, Wi-Fi) £199

7 The smallest tablet in Samsung’s collection, the TabPRO 8.4 proves that good things do come in small
packages. A stunning 359ppi screen puts the Nexus 7 to shame, though we’d prefer higher-quality
speakers. However, an 8MP camera and an intuitive interface are good compensation. See issue 38

Vodafone Tab Prime 6 £70

8 Vodafone’s 4G tablet is the network’s best own-brand device yet, shipping with Android Lollipop built
in, a Snapdragon 410 processor and 32GB microSD. Obviously it also requires a Vodafone contract
so we recommend buying it outright for £150 and getting the pay as you go deal with 6GB data. See issue 53

Amazon Fire £50

9 A solid effort from Amazon who have priced it correctly for new and seasoned Android users alike.
The £50 price means that this will be the go-to Android tablet for many new users, although that low
price point is reflected in its build quality and design. See issue 59

Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 £149.99

10 We praise Lenovo for trying to be different. The outstanding points easily outweigh the usual
cutbacks. The kickstand, excellent speakers and rotational camera are all surprisingly excellent
features that make this budget-tablet offering a serious challenge to the big boys. See issue 60
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91
DroidSupport
»troubleshooting advice »hints and tips
»Gotemail an expert
an Android-
related problem that
you need solving?
Let us know!
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
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?
You can customise the way the LED
notifications present themselves on your
Android using an app called Light Flow
- LED & Notifications. You can change the
colours for events, adjust the vibration
and also customise the patterns
92
Lockscreen errors
are drivingme mad
“Help! I keep seeing ‘process.motorola.process.
system’ appear on my Moto G and no matter what I
try, I have been unable to stop it from popping up. I
have removed recently installed apps and also tried
rebooting each time it appears, but still it comes
back to ruin my day!” Martha Bowles
Hi Martha. This Time change, you may want to computers were not so long
A problem is somewhat
common and the
try this trick again and see if it
res d time. When
ago, it is more surprising that
more errors like this do not pop
solution for it is very easy. Why it you up for many Android users, but
happens we cannot answer, An eem to have an
unfortunately, and even more
bizarrely, we cannot say why the
to
solution we will offer works, but
it does. If the message pops up
on the lockscreen, you should
see a Force Close option that you
can tap to carry on booting the
device, at which point you need
to go to Settings. Look for the
Date & time option and then tap
it. Now make sure that Automatic
date & time and Automatic time
zone are disabled, by tapping
each of them accordingly. Now
tap Select time zone and then
choose a random city that is
different to the one you would
normally use. Finally, switch t
two Automatic settings on aga
and the problem should go aw
One area that we believe ma
cause the problem is when
Daylight Savings Time cha
and it appears that this m
cause corruption in the ti
database of some devices
s purely a guess of cours
f it comes back the next
here is a Daylight Savin
s to problems can appear in
ely of places
 »facebook »email

DroidSupport
Ask your questions
Got a problem with your Android phone or tablet? /littlegreenrobot qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Get help from our Send your questions for our team of
Send it to us and we’ll find the solution Facebook community experts to tackle

My mother wants a new

phone. Please help!
“My mother, who is a pensioner, wants a new phone and has
decided that she would ‘like it to be one of those new smartphones,
but not one that is expensive.’ I know that I can choose from a variety
of phones, but would appreciate some tips on just how to make it
easier to use.” Claire Ambrose
We understand your the homescreen much easier to
A concerns Claire! The
fact is that despite
manage. An alternative is
available from Google Play,
smartphones seeming to be called BIG Launcher, which has
straightforward for millions of been designed for those who
people, newcomers to the have vision problems or issues
technology may struggle at first. with dexterity on small devices. Every part of the system can be changed
If your mother does not have It adds big fonts throughout the to make it easy to use
experience with computers this system and focuses on enabling Also, don’t forget the
will be another drawback, but immediate access to the most Accessibility settings in A
we have some solutions that important areas, such as calls which are designed to ma
should ease the process. If she and emails. It is also screen easier to read and
buys a phone from Samsung or a customisable, meaning that as offer voice guidance whe
few other select manufacturers, your mother gets used to the the phone is used. No ma
there is an Easy Mode option in functionality and the features, what you do, start slow a
Settings that cuts many of the she can change things and delve gradually increase the There are apps and settings available to
advanced features and makes a little deeper at her own pace. complexity over time. greatly simplify Android phones

hints&tips Push emails and disable notifications with our handy hints
Manually receive emails Stop unwanted app alerts Stop Wi-Fi pop-ups

One of the best ways to manually receive
emails is to download Blue Mail from
It lets you set up your inbox in
to replace the
2 3
Some apps will bombard you with unwanted If you have a sporadic Wi-Fi connection
notifications, but they are easy to stop. Long and keep seeing connection notifications,
press any notification, tap the i button and you can go to Wi-Fi settings>Advanced,
then choose Block to stop them. You can also where there’s an option called Network
delete the app if the alerts are an intrusion. notification. Disable it to stop the alerts.

93
DroidSupport
Why can’t I
send
profanities?
Often I am finding that my
smartphone auto-corrects
profanities when I send text
messages or even emails. At times
this can really get in the way of a
funny conversation. Any ideas how I
can get around this?
Warren Smith
Hi Warren. There are
A two ways to get around
this and as we are not
prudes, we are happy to help you
spice up your conversations. You
can first look for the keyboard
shortcut option in Settings that
enables you to add your own
words. When you do so, you can
also set up keyboard shortcuts in
your personal dictionary so that
you can say anything you like by
tapping just a couple of keys.
This may sound like a hassle, but
once you have got used to how it
works it will actually save you
time. For text messages, you can
also look at an app called Textra
SMS, available from the Google
Play store, which uses its own
set of rules. In tests we have
found that you can type almost
any word you like with ease.
Is it possible
to record a
Can I turn a
phone into a
computer?
I would like to turn my old
Samsung phone into a basic
computer for use at home. I
know it sounds like a strange
request, but part of me likes
the idea of experimenting to
see how effective such a
setup would be and I am
genuinely curious as to
whether this could work. Any
You can easily record both sides of a phone
conversation, just don’t share the recording
pointers to get me started?
Jeremy McDonald
it orks for you before you buy Hi Jeremy We can see

phone cal A why

prove to
Is it possible to record a phone mire the
from an Android phone and mo tempt it.
specifically to record both side werful as
the conversation? I am unsure ourse
legalities of doing this and if it i e to
possible, so any advice would nd of full
appreciated. Any app ience.
recommendations would also can
very much appreciated. rds, mice
John Miswell essories
se
Hi John. It is legal eate a
A record a phone cal
you are party to, here
provided the recording is n e a small
shared with a third party. ust a
However, you will need to d it. In
check the laws for differen akes more
regions because they do d ra
from country to country. I e
are happy that you are sta g just a
within the law, we would oftware
suggest trying an app cal d to
Automatic Call Recorder, Android
otherwise known as call hese will
which is available on Go he end
Play. It offers a variety of ble and
methods to quickly initi y use.
recording and can also d nsider
with the sound files wit er ways
afterwards; you can eve use an old
have memory managem e,
taken care of by the app an in-car
you record a lot of calls nt system,
free to try, which is ano n as a
bonus, because this is use.
area where some phon
oo many
work better than others eusing an
Textra SMS lets you send anything you like you will want to make sur
 Did you know?
If you install an app yet cannot find it in your app listing, try
rebooting and it is likely that the icon will then appear. If this does
not help, you can clear the cache and data in Google Play settings,
in case the app was updated recently and caused corruption.
1 Deal with ports
There are products available to take an
Android phone and add a variety of ports that can
then be used by peripherals, such as keyboards
and monitors. One example is the VicTsing OTG
MHL to HDMI Multifunction Cradle Charger, which
is known to work with many Samsung phones.
3 Start with familiarity
This may sound strange, but a good way to
start with an Android setup designed to work like a
PC is to remotely access your main computer from
the device. Apps like Splashtop 2 Remote Desktop
enable this and should greatly speed up the
process of using an Android device as a desktop.
5 The best solution of all?
Perhaps the best compromise of all is an
app called AirDroid, which is designed to let you
access all of the important parts of your Android
device from a desktop. It can actually make a Mac
or PC feel like it has Android OS running on it and it
is extremely reliable and fun to use.
2 The budget option
If you are prepared to fiddle with cables and
connectors, it could be worth picking up a cheap
USB OTG cable, which can be used to attach
accessories to an Android device. The main
downside is that it can look a little messy, but it is
a tried and tested solution that really does work.
4 Make a mouse
If you find that the whole idea of turning an
old Android phone into a computer is not
beneficial, you could turn it into a very clever
mouse. Simply download Mobile Mouse Pro from
Google Play and you will immediately be in
possession of a remote mouse.
6 A very simple solution
If you are happy with the screen size of your
Android, a Bluetooth keyboard with a slot that fits
the device will offer a PC-like experience without
setting up software and attaching peripherals. It’s
not ideal for pushing the PC/Android experiment,
but it may work better for most people.
Check our website daily
for even more tips & tricks »www.littlegreenrobot.co.uk
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Issue 61 of Android Magazine is on sale 18 February 2016 from GreatDigitalMags.com

98
Turn on your
imagination
Paint with light
Turn your everyday lighting into an extraordinary experience.
Play with coloárs or sync lights with your music, TV and games for an
immersive effect. The possibilities are endless once you start exploring.
And with hundreds of apps to choose from,
Sync lights with
the only real limit is your imagination.
music and movies

Light schedules for

home automation

Light for your

well-being
 SUPER SONIC. SUPER SVELTE.

ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION A70 airSOUND™ BAR

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delivers all the audio you will ever need... and more.
British airSOUND Technology | Engineered Wood Construction |
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Kit Included | AUX and Digital Optical | Ultra High Definition Audio
| Touch Sensitive & Backlit Interface | Remote Control Learning