Android 4.2 is still Jellybean

I go over some of the new features in the latest version of Android, 4.2. Unfortunately you'll have to wait for Key Lime Pie, this one is still Jellybean.

Halo 4

The latest Halo is out. Check out some pics from the midnight release.

My Favorite Android Launchers

What is a launcher and why do I want to change it? There are many launchers to choose from. Here is a list of my Favorites.

iPad mini

Load your new iPad mini with the best games that will be great with the smaller size.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Android 4.2 is not Key Lime Pie, sticks with the Jellybean name

I'm sorry to say that the latest version of Android is not Key Lime Pie. Version 4.2 is staying with the Jellybean name, most likely because it is a smaller update that adds only a few new features. Speaking of features. Let's take a look at the upcoming features that you can expect in the new version.

Multiple user accounts
In this new version, users can make multiple log in accounts for children, a spouse, or anyone else they would like. Each user can customize their home screens, apps, and email addresses. Changing accounts is easy, it is done from the lock screen very similar to a Windows log in screen. This will allow parents to control what apps the child has access to and keeps contacts, emails and other important information away from them. As a parent this is a huge feature. My son has bought apps on more than one occasion, but those issues are a thing of the past.

Google Now updated
Google Now is a virtual assistant that can give you reminders of appointments, weather conditions, traffic, and many other things. It is by far a much better solution than Apple's Siri virtual assistant. However, it isn't perfect. It's getting closer with the new updates in the form of more cards. Now you will receive flight reminders, dinner reservations, local events, movie times and locations, and you can track your shipments all in one place. I personally loved Google Now before the update (it is my favorite thing about Android by far) and now it's just gotten even sweeter.

New camera app
The camera app has been stripped of all the confusing menus opting for another confusing, ring style menu. Just hold the viewfinder to bring up a circle of options and drag your finger over an option to select it. That's not the only thing that has changed, though. A new feature called PhotoSphere has been added. It's like a panoramic photo on steroids. It allows you to take a full 360 degree photo of your surroundings as well as taking vertical panoramic shots. It's a pretty cool feature, but I personally have had access to panoramic photos and I almost never use them.

New keyboard with gesture typing
It seems like Google is never happy with the stock keyboard because every minor update seems to modify it in some way. This is a major update to the keyboard as it adds gesture typing natively. My favorite alternative keyboard is Swype. I use it all the time and I find it much faster and more accurate than the stock keyboard. However, Swype seems to crash...A LOT. It's nice to have the same style of typing integrated into the stock keyboard experience. One improvement over Swype and other gesture based keyboards is that a word bubble pops up showing you what word the keyboard is predicting that you want to type. Neat, but you'll be too busy typing quickly to really make good use of it.

New screen saver
This feature is called Daydream and is totally pointless on a phone, almost pointless on a tablet. Daydream is an old school style, desktop screen saver for your device. It will cycle through random pictures in your camera roll. I have an iPad which has a similar feature but I barely ever use it. Now imagine putting that on a small 4.5" display that is meant to be in your pocket when you aren't using it. Sound very useful? I don't think so.

Miracast, aka Airplay for Android
I don't care what people say, copying Apple is almost always a good thing. Google's latest Xerox is called Miracast. It operates almost the exact same way as Airplay for iOS. It will mirror what is on your display wirelessly to your HDTV, assuming your HDTV is compatible. This makes gaming and sharing photos and videos much more enjoyable on your phone or tablet.

So those are most of the features you can expect in the next release of Android. No news on when it will be released for specific devices but you can expect to wait about a year or so. It is heading to the Nexus 10 and 7 tablets, as well as the Nexus 4 on November 13, 2012. Current Nexus 7 owners should expect the update around the same time. No news yet on Galaxy Nexus or any other Nexus phones receiving the update just yet. As soon as I hear about specific device updates I will let you know.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

new group* - Windows Phone 7 app

Windows Phone is a great operating system, I don't care what other people say. Everyone I know who has used it is a big fan of it. One thing that needs improvement is the start screen. Windows Phone 7.8 and Windows Phone 8 will add a new start screen. But until the upgrade to 7.8 is available or you buy a new Windows Phone 8 device, I have a great app that will help you organize your apps a little better. The app is called new group* and essentially creates headers to organize your apps into groups. Check out the video to see how to set it up.


Pictures from the Halo 4 midnight launch!



It's been a couple of days, but I finally got pictures from a local Halo 4 midnight launch. It was crazy to see all the people in line. My friend Sam was there and took some great photos. Here are some photos from the festivities.

Not the best spot in line...

Perfect companion

Awesome box art

Fun times, but it's time to go home and play!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

My favorite Android launchers

When I used to work in retail selling phones about half of my customers had no idea what Android was and the other half thought they knew what Android was. I would ask them basic questions like, "Why do you like Android?" and they would say something like, "Because it's customizable." Then I would take a look at their old Android phone and it would be completely stock with widgets thrown all over the place with a terrible background of their dog or significant other. That is what customizing meant to them. But the true test to see if anyone knows anything about Android is to ask them what their favorite launcher is. I would bet that if anyone here asked a friend or family member who owns and Android phone what a launcher is for Android that they would have no idea what you are talking about.

So what is a launcher and why is it important?
Let's answer the first question. What is an Android launcher? A launcher is simply the main home screen and app drawer for your phone. It will display all of your apps, widgets, wallpapers, etc. so you can interact with it. Android is set up in a way that if you don't like how the stock launcher looks, is organized, whatever, you can download an alternative launcher to the native one. For example, the Galaxy S3 uses Samsung's Touchwiz launcher. If you were to look in the manage apps list you would find TWLauncher, that's the stock launcher. This is what it looks like:

homescreens
app drawer
All of the icons and widgets are completely stock and haven't been changed. However, you can really customize the way your phone looks and operates by changing your launcher. Here are some examples:






You can change quite a bit with new launchers. This is what customizing Android is and it can be very beneficial. So why would you want to change your launcher?

One of my favorite reasons is performance. Using a different launcher generally increases the speed of your device. The reason is that most stock launchers use much more memory than ones you can download from the Play Store. By decreasing the amount of memory needed to run the launcher, your other apps and games can use the extra memory. Another reason why you would want to do this is to adjust the way your phone behaves. Additional gestures and customized docks and notification bars can really help you do more things faster than with a stock launcher.

There are some things you need to watch out for when downloading a new launcher. Make sure the launcher is compatible with your version of Android. Some launchers require that your phone be rooted for features to work. Make sure you read the description of each launcher to find out if it requires root access. Also, you will want to download icon packs for certain launchers to customize the look even further. Don't be afraid of messing up your phone. You can always restore your original, stock launcher through the "Manage Apps" settings panel.

Experiment with a new launcher and see what works for you. My personal favorites are Nova Launcher, Go Launcher EX, Launcher 7, and Apex Launcher. Just know that any stock widgets will most likely be disabled in the new launcher so you might have to find replacements in the Play Store. Check out all these great launchers in the Play Store and don't forget to check out my How To videos for more tips and tricks.



Monday, November 5, 2012

Best Halo ever? - Halo 4 midnight launch

I remember back in 2004 I was working at Gamestop for the Halo 2 launch. It was my first retail job and I was excited and nervous at the same time. I hadn't worked there long and this was my first ever midnight launch. It seemed like hundreds of people lined up to get the game, but little did they know that we had been playing it all day and had already had our own personal copies of the game. Ahh, memories...

Well, it's that time again! Halo 4 is set to release tonight at midnight. It is sure to be one of the biggest launch titles for the Xbox 360 this year and people will be lining up for it once again. Since I've been working retail for a while I figured I would share some tips for finding copies of the game if you didn't have a pre-order.

If you weren't smart enough to pre-order the game (don't think you didn't have the money because you could have put only $5 down to reserve a copy) then here's what I suggest. Go to the lesser known stores for video games like Sam's Club or Costco. These stores require a membership but people almost never think to buy games at a wholesale store. Not only that but you'll get the game at a little bit below retail. Use craigslist.org to find one. I'm sure people will beat the game in the wee hours of the morning and will then want to get rid of it. Craig's list is great because it is completely free to post for sale ads. Just be careful to make sure you test the game first to make sure it's a legit copy and not a blank disc with the label printed on it.

Have fun out there guys and make sure to send me your pictures and videos. I'll be posting them tomorrow for you guys to enjoy! Oh, and here's the trailer for the game to get you guys pumped up for it.


*Update* Evernote - PC/Mac/iOS/Android/WP7

Ok, so I finally finished the video and got it uploaded. This week we are taking a look at Evernote, a note taking app that syncs all of your text, picture, and voice notes across all of you devices. It's a completely free service and can help with remembering basic things, collaborating on projects, or planning events. Check out Evernote's website to sign up for your account to get things started.



I'm working on this week's video tutorial for you guys. It will be up in about an hour or so. Thanks for your patience and check back in bit!

*Update*
I'm using a new video program and it is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. I will have it up as soon as I can.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Movies on the cheap! - Redbox

Redbox at a local Walmart
Going to the movies is expensive and taking a date just doubles the cost. A new release movie can cost upwards of $20 for a pair of tickets, and then add on the concessions which cost about four times as much at the theater than the grocery store. You can easily spend $40 for a few hours of entertainment! That's ludicrous! For $40 the movie better be good. If you are like me and have very little money to spend on entertainment then I have good news for you.

If you have ever seen the red kiosk pictured above in a store but never bothered to figure out what is was for, you are missing out. That is a Redbox kiosk which allows you to rent DVDs and BluRays for cheap. For as little as $1.20 you can take home a very recent movie for one night and since you are at the store you may as well grab some popcorn and drinks. For the same night of entertainment you can spend less than $5. Sometimes you can save even more with promo codes inside boxes of popcorn for free Redbox rentals.

Christmas is coming up and that usually means spending a lot of money on gifts. By using services like Redbox you can keep yourself entertained and still have plenty of money left for your gifts. Download the Redbox app or head over to Redbox's website to see what's available and have a date night tonight!