Nexus 6 tips: 5 to unleash your device's true potential

So you’ve just opened the Nexus 6? First, congrats, you managed to get a Nexus 6! Do you have friends on the top floors of Mountain View? Well, now that you have it in your hands, what’s the first thing you notice? First, it’s huge! One hand operation is going to prove really difficult when texting, emailing, and writing Facebook statuses. With today’s Nexus 6 tips and tricks, we are going to try and make your life easier with Google’s latest flagship in more than one way!

1. Resize the entire user interface

If you are a 15px-handed person, the first mistake you probably made was the buy the Nexus 6. When you read about ‘’a 5.96 inch display’’, did a lightbulb not go off in your head? If you don’t have basketball player hands, the phone could be very hard to operate. To resolve your text messaging woes, try installing Swiftkey which comes with a keyboard that can be comfortably positioned either on the right or the left of the screen. Once you have installed the app, follow the instructions to make Swiftkey your default app.

f you are having issues not only with the keyboard but the entire interface, you can get the one operation mode like Samsung introduced on the Galaxy S5 from Xposed Framework as long as you have root permissions. For non-rooted phones, there’s no way of doing this at the moment.

2. Get your priorities straight!

No, not your life priorities, you can reflect upon those another time. Right now we're talking about prioritizing your Nexus 6 notifications. Thanks to Android 5.0 Lollipop, you can keep an eye out for all your notifications, even when the screen is off. However many of them are unnecessary and get your hopes up for nothing! To be able to filter out the ones you don’t want, head to the Settings, then select Sound & Notifications. Next you can choose which apps should have the notifications blocked or set as a priority.

3. Make it stop vibrating, please!

One of the biggest sins that Google committed in developing Android5.0 Lollipop was probably that you can’t easily get silent mode. Usually you would just need to press volume down until the silent icon appears, but now this isn’t possible, it will still vibrate when the volume is down. The simplest option which is offered by the operating system is to select None for the level of priority for interruptions in your volume settings. The problem here is that you won’t get any notifications, which isn’t great either. Fortunately, an Italian editor from Android came up with a great solution and developed an app that will solve the problem once and for all! It’s a free app that will block any sound without interrupting notifications.

4. Switch to Messenger

If Hangouts isn’t your cup of tea, did you know that Google just launched a new app called Messenger? It’s simple and colorful, inline with the new Material Design look brought by Google, and can be set up as the default SMS/MMS app in just a few steps. Head into the Settings, select More, and then Default SMS app. Now tap on it and choose the app you prefer.

5. Restrict access for guests

While we don’t like everything about Android 5.0 Lollipop, there is one ingenious feature that Google implemented that we’ve been hoping and dreaming about for a long time: multiple accounts on one phone. The cool thing about it is that you can create a guest account with restricted access to apps and services, perfect for sharing your phone with family, friends and even children.

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LG G3 tips: 12 to master your LG smartphone

Here's a more in-depth look into the LG G3 and its innovative software features. Get the most out of the latest smartphone from LG with the help of our LG G3 tips and tricks.

Knock, knock, knock

Relatively well known, the LG G3 sports some tools that rely on your tapping skills to enable them: if you double tap on the screen, you can turn the display on and off (however, this only works on an empty spot on the home screen if the display is active), you can use a knock code to lock and unlock your device instead of a conventional pattern lock, and you can even wake the display of your device simply by doing a single tap.

Guest Mode: restricted access

In guest mode, the owner of the LG G3 can specify a limited number of apps that are available to third party users. This is convenient as you can now lend your phone to a friend or family member for an extended amount of time and not have to worry that they’ll snoop through your own personal stuff. As well, the App Drawer and Notification bar are disabled when in guest mode. You can also set up a knock code that allows you to disable guest mode on the fly.

Adjust navigation buttons

As we revealed in the Optimus UI comparison, you can adjust the navigation buttons to whatever you see fit. Do you want the home button on the left? How about the back button on the right? No problem, you can personalize this and change the arrangement of these capacitive buttons. In addition, these can be hidden when not in use.

Notes and Camera: quick access to volume buttons

Through a long press on the volume buttons, you can start two apps directly from stanbdy: if you long press the volume down button, you’ll fire up the camera app. If you long press the volume up button, the note app will fire up. Unfortunately, these assignments are set in stone and cannot be modified. These features are also constrained by whether or not you’ve got your G3 protected by a knock code, pin code, or pattern code. If so, you’ll have to unlock the device prior to either the camera or notes firing up.

Dual Window: use two apps at the same time

A long press on the back button will open the dual-window function: a variety of system apps can be displayed at the same time on the screen (browser, maps, news, e-mail, etc). Just drag and drop the two apps that you want to use to either the upper and lower half of the screen. The size ratio between the two displayed apps can also be adjusted by dragging the middle bar.

QuickMemo+ : screenshots with handwritten notes

While you can take screenshots with just about every Android device out there, LG’s QuickMemo+ function (or QMemo+) allows the user to directly add handwritten notes to the screenshot after the fact. There are a bunch of ways to get QuickMemo+ fired up: you can either access it from the icon in the Quick Settings, add in its own navigation button (as per your ability to customize this bar that we mentioned above) or by swiping to the top and then to the right on your home screen.

Customize the keyboard size

If the keyboard is taking up too much space or you need it just a teeny bit bigger due, you can customize the size of the keyboard on the LG G3 as long as it’s being held in portrait mode. In the Settings menu, head to Language and Input and then select LG Keyboard. From there, you can make the desired changes to the keyboard height and layout. You can also choose to have the keyboard split apart when you hold the phone in landscape mode as well as enabling a one-handed operation mode.

Intelligent Screen: display stays on as long as you look at it

LG has taken a page out of the Samsung playbook with this feature: if enabled, your display will stay lit up as long as you’re looking at your device. Of course, this sucks the battery a little bit more than if it was off, but it is a handy feature if you’re spending a long time looking at something in particular.

Color adjustment: control your app icons and backgrounds

In the Settings, under the Accessibility portion, you can find the option for Color Matching. With this, you can change the look and contrast of the entire surface, including app icons. Once activated, you can simply drag your finger across the screen and depending on whatever color you choose, the entire user interface will be changed to reflect that.

Universal Touch: floating access button

Key functions such as volume control, on / off, home screen, settings, and back can be reached via an extra button that can be placed anywhere on your screen and accessed across all screens. In order to enable this, head to Accessibility > Universal Touch. The button will now appear on your screen and by tapping on it, it will bring up a menu with a bunch of the basic functions available.

Different themes for chat history

If you’re not a big fan of the default theme of the messaging app, you can change that in the settings on your device. By heading to the settings of the messaging app, you can choose View Conversation Topic and change the background and the look of the speech bubbles. As well, an image can even be used as a background if you so choose.

Change app icons

If you don’t like a particular app icon, you can do a long press on it and then let go of it. You’ll see on the top right of icon a small paintbrush icon that when tapped, brings up an overview of different icons you can pick and choose to replace it.

This is just a glimpse into some of the customization possibilities with your LG G3. While not every feature is exclusive to this device, the G3 still has a ton of options that make it unique compared to the competition.Once you’re able to get your hands on the device and had a chance to play around with it, definitely let us know what your favorite feature of the LG G3 is in our comments!

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Sony Xperia Z3 tips: 10 that also work on the Xperia Z3 compact

If you have recently purchased a Sony Xperia Z3 or an XperiaZ3 Compact, chances are you are eager to get to know your device and find out all that it can do. Here is our list of Xperia Z3 tips (which of course could apply to the Z3 compact since its mostly the same) that will get you on your way.

1. Get the best sound with Sound Equalizer

Smartphones are starting to become more like mp3 players and iPods because not only can you stream music over the internet, but they offer so many more possibilities for tweaking your music. The Sony Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact both offer a sound equalizer platform, which you can adjust manually, or choose a default setting such as jazz, soul or bass boost. You’ll find it under the Settings menu, then Sound settings, Audio settings, Sound effects and finally, Equaliser.

2. Change the default home screen

Every time you press the home button on either Xperia phone, it brings you back to a default home screen. You can, however, change the home screen and choose any of the ones that you have already created. To do this, simply long press on an empty space on the home screen, which will zoom out of all of the screen giving you a bit of an overview, as well as offering some settings options. Press the button on the upper left corner which looks like a house and select the screen you want to have as a default home screen. Now you won’t have to swipe to it anymore.

3. Ditch tapping to type and learn to swipe

Amaze your newbie friends with this next feature which is more than just a gimmick: instead of doing the old fashion letter by letter typing which can be quite tedious (especially after you have found it out about our tip), and also often requires both hands if your fingers can’t reach all the keys, swipe typing is where it’s at. Now you will just need to drag your finger across the screen from letter to letter, and even if you aren’t precise, the system will pick up what you are trying to type. Plus you can also revert back to letter by letter since both ways will be supported. The cool thing is that this is set as a default on your Xperia device.

4. Testing the hardware and software functions of your phone

Did you know that you can test the various software and hardware components of your device to see if anything is faulty? This is a good way of checking for any issues yourself so you know what needs to be fixed. It’s easy: open the phone app and dial * # * # 7378423 # * # * . This will bring you to a new menu where you select Service tests. Here you can do many things, like check to see if the LED flash is working, for example.

5. Customize icons from the notification bar

It may sound silly to want to remove elements from the notification bar, like the battery or Wi-Fi icon or even the time, but there are some who enjoy a clean slate. If you want to customize the notification bar, this is also a job that can be done in the settings menu. Head into Personalization, then Status bar icons. Once there, choose what you want to have appear and what gets the boot.

6. Double tap to activate screen

LG’s Knock On was the envy of all other companies, who soon started to copy the features, Sony included. Head into the the settings and then select Display. Choose ‘’Tap to activate’’ so that every time your screen is off, you just need to double tap on it to activate and unlock it. This way you no longer need to press on the power button.

7. Operate the screen with gloves

It’s getting chilly outdoors and chances are you don’t want to have to take off your gloves to operate your handy. With today’s technology in phones, you don’t have to. Most high end phones now include a glove mode where you can operate your phone while keeping your digits warm from the cold. Again, head into the settings, then select Display. Activate Glove mode. This will make the screen much more sensitive, so that softer touch is detected much easier.

8. Magnification gestures

If you have vision problems or need any additional assistance with your phone, manufacturers include accessibility features which will help you in many ways. One of the things that you can do is enable Gesture extension, by going to settings then accessibility. What this does is allow you to zoom into any screen. When you switch it on, it will prepare you for what to expect with a 15px explanation.

9. White Balance

You might feel the need to toy around with the white balance of your screen, and though the current default setting is usually optimal, it may not fit your preferences. Head into the settings, then find Display, and White Balance. Now you can tweak the bars and select the white balance that suits your fancy.

10. Microphone Sensitivity

Chances are you are not a hermit and using your phone in the middle of nowhere with no other living soul to be heard. Every day life is made up of ambient noise, which makes using the microphone on your smartphone a bit difficult. Thankfully, you can adjust the microphone sensitivity on the Xperia Z3 and Z3 compact, making it less sensitive, which makes it better for the person to hear you. If you are in a very quiet area, upping the sensitivity would help. To find this feature, go into the settings menu again, then find Sound, followed by Audio Settings, and finally Microphone sensitivity. Once there, just choose what suits your current situation.

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The best apps to customize your Android for a truly unique look

Knowing how to customize your Android phone is the best way to make your smartphone truly unique. One of the coolest things about Android is the ease with which you can customize, modify and setup your smartphone or tablet to be exactly how you want it to be, regardless of whether you own a Nexus 6, Galaxy Note 4 or XperiaZ3. So why not make use of all that freedom? Here are the best apps to customize your Android.

Nova Launcher

Nova Launcher is a dead simple choice because, for obvious reasons, it is widely regarded as the best custom launcher on Android. It is feature packed with advanced customization options and yet somehow still manages to not become too confusing. You can pretty much set up everything on your Android to behave the way you want with Nova, from appearance to animations to app icons to gesture controls. You can even import previous launcher settings from another Android launcher.

Zedge

Zedge will furnish your smartphone or tablet with thousands of wallpapers, ringtones and notification sounds. You can trawl through the hundreds of possibilities to find the perfect image or theme for you, or you can change them every day, since you have so many to choose from. Images are custom fit to your phone’s screen dimensions, and you can set different ringtones for every contact you have.

Ringdroid

Your favorite song probably last 3 or 4 minutes, so making that your ringtone is not a great idea (unless you seriously never pick up). But not anymore. Thanks to Ringdroid, you can turn any song into a ringtone: just isolate the particular riff or chorus that you like and create a new audio file that can be used just like any other ringtone. You can create endless ringtones for whoever you want, and the process is quick and easy.

Cover

Did you know it’s actually not necessary to unlock your smartphone to view or launch your favorite apps? Cover is an intelligent lock screen app that learns from you to give you the apps you need when you need them. Thanks to Wi-Fi and GPS, Cover knows where you are and can change the apps available from your lock screen. So depending on your habits, you won’t need to unlock your phone to access WhatsApp or Facebook at home or Gmail and your calendar at work. Read More.....

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Beginners: how to buy a paid app in the Google Play Store

Some Google Play apps have a price tag, which means that they are sometimes better developed, but also void (or almost) of annoying ads that invade your smartphone or tablet’s screen. With Google, it’s really easy to buy apps, but the first time might be a little tricky for newbies to Android and the smartphone world. For those who need that extra help, here is our Android for Beginners tutorial on how to buy paid apps from the Google Play Store.

First of all, you need to have a Credit Card and add its information to your Google account. This service is called Google Wallet which you can easily configure, either when you set up your smartphone for the first time after receiving your device, or when you are buying an app. In both cases, setting it up is exactly the same.

Once you set up your device for the first time or your Google account, a new page calledEntertainment will appear. You can add your credit card info by choosing ‘Set up credit card’ and add your bank info just like you were paying for something online.

If you decided to skip the step at the beginning, this isn’t a problem. You can simply add the payment type of your choice in the Google Play Store when you click on the price after choosing a paid app. Tap on continue and enter your info. Your card is then registered for all your future purchases. You also have the options of using a PayPal account or redeeming a Google Play Gift Card. If you want to add the payment information at any given time, even if you aren't buying an app, go into the side menu and select My account. Here you have the same payment options that you can save.

Once this step is done, you can now not only buy apps but also music, movies and books from Google Play without needing to add the information anew. After the purchase is complete, you will receive an email which confirms your transaction as well as your the payment details. If you are unsure about giving Google this kind of info, you can read more about Google Wallet privacy measures on their site.

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Moto X (2014) tips and tricks: 10 you've got to try

Motorola made a splash in the editorial world with the first Moto X, and the company has managed to stay on track with the latest version, the Moto X (2014), which has already sold out with some US carriers, like Verizon. Here are some great Moto X (2014) tips and tricks to use once you finally get your hands on it.

Get rid of carrier branding on the Moto X (2014)

If you’re not a fan of free advertising, and would rather have the Moto X display all without the name of your carrier, then it is an easy thing to turn off, even if you have a SIM card in your device. In order to disable the option, head to the settings, then More, and finally, Mobile Networks. From there go to View Mobile networks and uncheck the box.

Change the "Ok Google" activation phrase

Saying ‘’OK Google’’ over and over again might eventually get on your nerves. Thankfully, Motorola put in place a high level of customization to please users, allowing them to customize the Moto X to their liking. If you want to change the way you activate your device, head to the Settings again, and then Moto. Tap on change activation phrase, then just follow the instructions and speak the phrase you want.

Configure Moto Assist to automate your Moto X (2014)

Thanks to Moto Assist, you can create various plans of action depending on what you are doing at a specific moment, like when sleeping, driving or chilling out at home; any place where interruptions are not welcome. Moto Assist allows you to configure sound and vibration, make the device read your SMS aloud while you drive, etc. Customizing this is also very simple, plus it works like a charm seeing as Assist will use your location and Bluetooth connection to know when and where to apply the new actions. Once configured, the device will act independently in every situation. To access this option, go to Settings, then Moto and finally, Assist.

Set up Moto X (2014) gestures

Motorola didn’t just limit the Moto X to voice control, you can also use gestures to operate the phone. First, you’ll need to configure these in the Moto Actions app. To get there, go to the Settings, then Moto and then Actions. Once there, you’ll see which gestures can be made, and there’s a tutorial to help you get the hang of it. One of the many things you can do is hold your hand over the device to silence an incoming call. Neat.

Synchronize your Moto X (2014) with your PC

This requires the app called Motorola Connect, which also comes preinstalled on your Motorola phone. You’ll be able to receive messages and notifications on your computer, the only drawback being that the service is limited to Google Chrome.

First, register with Motorola Connect using your Gmail account and download the extension for Google Chrome. After that, you can access various options from your computer, like the ability to see your battery life, notifications etc.

Enable and customize Attentive Display to save Moto X (2014) battery

Attentive Display on the Moto X (2014) is enabled by default. However, you can personalize it even further. Go to Settings, then Display, and finally Attentive Display. Choose whether you want to have it enabled or not, and follow the short tutorial if you need some extra help. This function also helps to save a little battery.

Take a selfie with your Moto X (2014) using your voice

Thanks to Google Now, you can take pictures without touching the phone. Just activate it with "Ok Google" and then say "take a selfie". The camera application is activated and snaps a photo automatically.

Pay via NFC with your Moto X (2014) using Google Wallet

After the presentation of the iPhone and its new NFC payment method, we started talking about how this technology has existed for years on Android, and the same goes for the Moto X. Simply install Google Wallet which is available on Google Play Store. Once the app is downloaded, you’ll need to set up a PIN, then choose "set up tap and pay" and follow the instructions.

Transfer data from your previous smartphone to the new Moto X

Thanks to the super handy Motorola Migrate application, transferring data, photos, and contacts from your old phone to the Moto X 2014 is a cinch. You’ll need to choose the Google account associated with your previous device, type it into Motorola Migrate and follow the instructions. At the end of the process, all your data and files will be on your new Moto X and ready to be used!

Configure the notifications that show up on your Moto X (2014) screen

Last but not least, notifications are fully configurable which is great if you’d rather not let a ton of applications to flood your screen. To configure notifications, head over to the Settings, then Moto and finally Screen. Next, choose Select apps and select the ones that that are allowed to send notifications. This option is fully customizable for virtually any app that you have installed on your device.

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