Android Magazine 60 - 2016 UK PDF

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THE WORLDS BEST

TV-BOOSTING SOUNDBASES
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powerful 2.1 stereo and surround performance
Enjoy wireless music from all your devices via aptX Bluetooth
Great bass: no subwoofer required
Voice mode for super-clear dialogue
Easy, single-cable install
Includes learning remote
Available in white, silver & black*
* DM100 silver & black only
Praise for Canton soundbases

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soundbase on the market
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What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision
Trusted Reviews
Home Cinema Choice
Trusted Reviews
Buy the best now from Richer Sounds, visit richersounds.com
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 Im looking forward to
trying out Huaweis new ladies
models, the Elegant and Jewel.
Whats the
best big-brand
tablet for you
right now? Find
out in our test
on p60
Oliver Hill
Features Editor
I cant 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
Welcome
Production Editor
After the CES tradeshow in
January of this year, I cant wait
to see LGs new foldable display
appear in the consumer market.
Fancy an Android TV you can roll
up and take with you?
Adam Markiewicz
Senior Designer
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.
Googles 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.
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 phones
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 Motos 360 watch and much more.
Enjo
This year Im 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
eet of self-driving taxi cabs?
GET IN TOUCH
What do you think?
Let us know!
email
facebook
twitter
qa@littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Drop us an email and let us know what

youd like to see in the mag
/littlegreenrobot
Like us on Facebook to send us

your comments
April
Editor
@lgrobot
Follow us on Twitter and send us

your thoughts
FREE exclusive with this issue
Unboxing videos
Video tutorials
Wallpapers
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
ww.lesilo.co.uk/android
3
Contents
Inside issue 60
CONTENTS
26 Exclusive subscription offer 67 Special offer for international readers
Launcher
Previews, news
and speculation
from the world
of Android
06 Will this be Androids

best year yet?
12
Keep your mobile

safe from snoopers,
hackers and thieves
08 10 things you need to

know about
automating devices
G t A d id
MASTER
GOOGLE
APPS
TAKECONTROL
OFGOOGLEMAPS
VR available for preorder
18
Are you getting the most

from Googles apps?
28
Highlights and hidden

features revealed
HackerZone This months top mods and tweaks
Visit the Android Magazine online shop at
for back issues and books
45 Overclock your phone
Make your processor work harder and

faster to give you better performance
Tutorials
52 Hacking Tips & Tricks

Essential hacking advice, including
Google Play hacks
Get more from

your Android device
54 How to get started with

gesture typing
28 Masterclass:
Master Google Apps
Hate typing? Supercharge your text

entry by setting up gesture typing
Highlights and hidden features of

Googles plethora of apps revealed
55 Replicate the Galaxy S6 Edge

display on any Android
32 Tutorials
Get Edge-style notications for

incoming phone calls on any device
32 Set the apps that Google Now

can scan
34 Personalise with Kustom
Widget Maker
36 How to clear your entire Google
Now search history
37 Get to grips with the
redesigned Google+
38 Move les over Wi-Fi
40 Check every part of your car
with Torque
42 How to get a speed boost
56 Remotely control a computer

with your Android device
You can control a remotely connected
PC for free thanks to Google
58 Spoof your Androids MAC

address
Get around annoying data and time
restrictions on public Wi-Fi
52
HACKING
TIPS
& TRICKS
Reviews
92 Droid Support
Readers questions answered
Latest tech tested
68
70
LENOVO YOGA
TAB 3
74
CAT S40
MOTO 360
2015
60 Big brand Android tablets

68 Lenovo Yoga Tab 3
70 Cat S40
71 Huawei Smart Watch
72 Asus Chromebit CS10
74 Moto 360 2015
37
REDESIGNED
GOOGLE+
76 Accessories
Beautiful Bose headphones and
an iconic speaker brand on test
88 Buyers Guide
Our ofcial top 10 lists
Your complete guide

to Google Play
78 App reviews
The latest and greatest
apps tested in full
82 Head-to-head
TripAdvisor takes
on Yelp
78
YOUTUBE
MUSIC
84 Game reviews
The best new games reviewed
30+ APPS
Check our website daily
for even more news
All the latest from the world of Android devices
Is this going to
be Androids
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 its 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 gure out what lies ahead
is a bit of a tricky task for anyone. Where in
previous years we have seen some groundbreaking and pioneering launches into
Chromebooks, 4K displays and smart TVs, theres
no real breakthrough product that were expecting
to see for the rst time in 2016. It seems the
emphasis is going to return to smartphones this
year, but trust us when we say its still worth
getting excited about.
Over the course of the next few months, were
expecting to see the industrys leading
manufacturers unleash their latest devices to
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
shouldnt discount HTCs One M10 just yet, as it
could very well be the Android device to help turn
the companys fortunes around. Chromebooks are
also expected to get a lot of love in the rst half of
this year, primarily due to the hard work of Lenovo
and Toshiba. The formers ThinkPad 13 is setting
the early pace for others to follow, combining a

near-perfect laptop experience with a very
wallet-friendly price tag.
We also shouldnt forget just how much our
Android displays could be changing in the
upcoming months. LGs efforts in manufacturing
foldable screens are closer than ever before, with
the rst tasters of its 18-inch foldable display
rolling to tech conventions all over the world in the
dawn of this year. Theres no real idea how long it
It seems the emphasis is going to return to

smartphones this year, but trust us when we
say its still worth getting excited about
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 multimillion 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 nd
right now. Best of all, many of them can be used in
conjunction with your Android smartphone.
LGs 18-inch display that can

be rolled up like a newspaper
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, its
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 thats hidden within
our devices. Sony is currently working on a new
lithium-sulphur battery thats touted to offer a 40
per cent gain in battery life: a signicant
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
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
havent 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. Whats more, it will be largely
orientated for those who want a new take on their
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
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 were more connected than ever,
could this nally 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
personal assistant
Microsofts virtual personal assistant Cortana is
now available on the Google Play store and can
help you with a whole
host of tasks. One of
the great features is
the ability to track
ights and packages
for you, saving you
the hassle of logging
on to or feeding data
into a range of
disparate tracking
websites or apps.
Plus Cortana can
send you reminders,
make appointments,
send emails or texts,
and much more.
Clean your cache

Your devices memory cache can get full when
youve been using a lot of memory-hogging apps,
causing a slowdown in performance. App Cache
Cleaner from I
an be set up to remind
you to clear yo
i
predened le
even automa
clean it for y
up to do a d
clean out w
your phon
not in use
(when yo
bed, for
example
enjoy b
perform
withou
the ha
Silence alerts using Android

Lollipops Priority mode
Youve left the volume up on your phone so that it
can wake you up in the morning with an alarm, but
then it spends all
night ringing and
i g with every
Create
custom
macros with
MacroDroid
ArloSofts
MacroDroid app lets
you set up custom
actions that are
triggered whenever a
particular set of
circumstances is
met. For example,
you can get your
phone to
automatically upload
the last photo you took to Facebook when you
shake the handset. The free app is ad-supported
and only lets you create ve macros, but you can
upgrade to the Pro version via an IAP, which will give
you unlimited freedom to set up your own macros.
Send a text when you reach a

specied location
If youre driving and need to text someone to let
them know youre on your way, you dont have to
waste time pulling over to type out a message.
Instead, use the Automated Device app from
Daniel Herrero and set up a rule to get your device
to automatically text
them when you reach
a given location.
However, youll need
to set this rule up
carefully and
consider the location
that you specify you
dont want to
automatically text
your contacts every
time you pass the
corner shop!
Make your own

automation apps
If youre a bit of a whizz with Tasker and youd like to
make your own automation apps, but dont have
the patience for
extensive coding,
then give Tasker App
Factory a whirl. You
will need the Tasker
app in order to use it,
but you can make,
publish and sell your
own automation
apps. Be aware that
it is a plugin rather
than a standalone
app so you may not
need to do any
coding, but knowing
your way around
Tasker is a must.
Enable location-based
commands for ease of use
Update apps automatically
Llama is a location-aware app from KebabApps that

you can use to automate functions based on where
you are. It uses phone masts to locate your
position and, when you reach a certain place, it will
action the task that
youve automated.
This means you can
order your phone to
be quiet when you
arrive at work or
automatically
launch your music
player when you get
to the gym.
However, accuracy
is limited by the
number of mobile
phone masts that
are in the area.
Its an old app, it no longer has tech

support and it has f
glitches when it
comes to paid apps
but Changelog Droid
can be incredibly han
for updating your apps
automatically. It looks
for updates to the
apps you have
installed and lets you
know when there are
updates available for
them. You can set it up
to automatically update
them, but we would
recommend you keep this
functionality strictly for older
and free apps to avoid errors
Manage complex rules
Set up battery sav
Atooma is packed with a bunch of ready-made

smart actions or you can make your own, working
along the principle of if this happens, do that. You
can use it to program quite complex rules it can
handle up to
t igger the
automated t
ve reaction
that the aut
task does) f
rule you se
example, y
get it to se
your phon
be quiet if
you get
home fro
work afte
the kids
gone to
One of the best tasks to automa

minimises battery use when the
low. When your
battery gets below a
certain percentage,
Trigger to
ly reduce
htness
Wi-Fi,
r phone
ust that
nger. You
have to
yourself
nto the app,
have to do
turn this
on and itll
e of itself.
NEW TECH Android-pow
AuraViso
Adjustable focus
If you normally wear
glasses, theres no need
to squeeze them under
the headset simply
adjust the focus instead
Android powered
The AuraVisor is powered
by its own onboard Android
computer, meaning that you
dont have to plug the
headset into a computer or
pair it with a smartphone
Wireless, affordable, Andro

powered VR thats not tethe
to a smartphone
Virtual reality is becoming more and more
mainstream, but its 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 noticati
Enter the AuraVisor. Its wireless and you don
need to connect it to your smartphone because
its powered by its own onboard Android compu
You can play VR games it supports the Unity
games engine watch 3D movies, take
360-degree tours of iconic locations and much
more. It ships with preloaded content and you c
add more via Wi-Fi or an SD card. Theres also a
store connected to the Google Play store for you
purchase more content. Plus its available for
preorder now to ship in March 2016 and it costs
less than the Oculus Rift.
Onboard controls
Theres a separate,
bundled controller for
gaming, but all the
essential tools you need
are right there at the
bottom of the headset
Virtually there
At a glance
Stereoscopic 3D virtual
reality is delivered through
the 5-inch TFT screen,
which has a resolution of
1920 by 1080p
Product name AuraVisor

Available from indiegogo.com
Price $260
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
Q&A
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 number of obstacles to complete
acceptance by users, mainly interfacing with VR.
If youre 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 notications. Then there were
issues regarding battery life and visuals.
Because AuraVisor has been specically
designed from the ground up, all of these
10
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
as a developer and does not have the
same inherent limitations that Apple place[s]
upon [its] OS.
How important do you think being wirefree is to the VR experience and why?
We believe its the single most important
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 dont 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
for children having the ability to drop
into an experience that you couldnt 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] reects the vision that the director
originally intended without glasses in the way.
GALLERY OF...
TOP MUSIC APPS
4
1 Apple Music
5
2 Google Play
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.
Its expertlycurated
streaming music may
not offer as many
tracks as Apples 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
Price: Free + subscription
3 Shazam
Encore
4 Songza
5 Rocket
Music Player
6 Musixmatch
Lyrics &
Music
Sometimes youll
hear a song and
love it, but not know
what its called.
Shazam will identify any
artist and title for you.
The premium version
can then guide you
through the artists
back catalogue and
much more.
Songzas Music
Concierge
feature nds the right
music for the day, time
and your mood. It can
offer you great driving
songs for the commute
home, chilled out tunes
without lyrics for when
youre working hard and
you can even search by
genre or decade.
Audiophiles will
love the fact that
the premium version of
the Rocket Music Player
app has a ten-band
graphic equaliser for
getting more out of your
music, while
Chromecast support
lets you stream it to
your speakers.
If youre fond of
karaoke or
maybe you just like
singing along to your
music, then Musixmatch
will oat a songs lyrics
over the playback. It can
even do this with songs
on YouTube, Google Play
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 specically, 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 devices security.
12
Things like virus scanners should be your rst

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. Its then time to start exploring some
of your devices 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
phone up
Top tips for

your lockscreen
The rst 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 its
imperative that you implement
multiple proles to make
sure that your personal
data is kept safe at
all times
security settings
1 Access
Pull down the top bar on your phones
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.
of lock
2 Type
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.
a PIN
3 Set
One of the benets of setting a PIN code is
a pattern
4 Add
As an alternative, a pattern is equally as
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 rst type out a code
and then conrm it.
effective at keeping out intruders. Select the

pattern option from the list of choices and use
your nger to draw an elaborate sketch on the
three-by-three grid that is then shown on screen.
1. Set a SIM card lock

For those who want to be extra cautious,
setting a SIM card lock will require all users to
enter a PIN before looking at your stored
contacts. Open the Security section and
select the SIM lock option thats provided.
2. Add some details

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. 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
dangerous
rify app Avoid
app permissions
ources
Some permissions arent as
innocent as you may think
Phone access
hield your device from

alicious software
n
s
can
s
Highlight
high risks
ur
o help. A
show you
just how safe y
sults will
provide you with a privacy sco
on the
apps you have installed and the malicious nature of
similar apps. If the app then highlights any high-risk
apps, youll have the option to completely remove
14
ne of the benets 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, theres 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 its a
spoof of a real app. If that paid app you have been
wanting suddenly has a free version pop up the
chances are it will be fake.
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 youre ever in doubt when an app
asks you to accept this permission, make
sure you read reviews on the apps listing.
Device ID rerouting
Most apps require this permission and for the
most part, its completely innocent. However,
malicious apps can use this permission to
send your devices IMEI number to whoever is
running the app which can lead to severe
privacy issues and in the worst case scenario,
render your device useless.
Eliminate malware
instantly
Locate and remove detrimental
les from your device
If you notice some discrepancies on your device,

you may nd that its been infected with malware.
Where before this would cause pure panic in the
heart of a lot of Android users, theres now a swathe
of simple, all-in-one apps that can quickly identify
malicious les on your device and then remove

them. One of the better ones is Malwarebytes: a
free app scanner thats able to pinpoint the apps
that have infected your device and remove not only
the app, but also any associated log les.
Perform a malware scan
Remove infected files
Select the Perform a Full Scan option that can be

found on the home page of the app. The app will
now scan each and every le on your device; keep
a close eye on it to see if any issues arise.
Once nished, the app will give you the verdict on

how safe your device is. Select any of the apps or
les that it highlights and regards as malicious to
begin the process of removing them.
Feature
Encrypt texts Beware of

web h
The best text
encryption apps
Signal Private Messenger
Privacy is a key issue when looking

into the ways of keeping your
Android device secure. Its
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 congure.
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 aw
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 wont necessarily n

same level of threat browsing th
web on your Android device
compared to your laptop or desk
computer, the dangers are still v
real. Its 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
doesnt 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
are plentiful, but we like the free
It isnt just our phones that are
Andrognito 2 app. Once you have
getting smarter; the apps that we
downloaded the app, its a case
use on a daily basis have also
of following the on-screen
greatly improved in the
instructions to move
past year or so. Social
your les and data
media and mobile
behind its three-layer
banking apps are two
When its time to part ways
encryption wall. A
examples of the type
with your device, make sure
sure re way to keep
to perform a complete factory of apps that may
reset of it. This guarantees
your most important
contain sensitive
the next owner will be
bits of data
data, which when in
unable to access
completely safe.
the wrong hands could
your les
be used against you. If this
sounds like something youre
worried about, then make sure you
Vault-Hide
Hide App-Hide
download the AppLock app right
The app enables
To mask your apps
away. The app puts your other
users to create
behind a spoof
downloads behind a passwordprivate contacts whose
app, give Hide App-Hide
protected wall that will need to be
messages and call logs
a go. All of your
will automatically be
downloaded apps can
entered before opening any of the
hidden from your phone
be placed inside, with a
stored content. To then be super
screen and messaging
special spoof icon then
sneaky, its possible to hide the
app. Youll need to open
in place when you want
AppLock icon, meaning your apps are
the vault to view them.
to access them.
completely hidden. Once this is
We use our Android phones for so

much these days and now, with the
launch of Android Pay, many of us
are starting to use our devices to
make instant payments while on the
go. Keeping all of this sort of data is
helpful, but it also makes it more
appetising for hackers to get hold of
it. Keeping your data invisible
requires you to transfer your most
important data into a virtual vault.
Options from the Google Play store
Wipe when
selling
Expert apps for hiding data

Hide Something
For an app thats
not only easy to
use, but also looks
great, Hide Something is
the one for you. It uses a
drag-and-drop system
where you can place
your folders behind a
hidden spoof app.
15
Feature
Stay backed up
If your device becomes unusable
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 les 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 les again on a reset
device. Best of all, many of the
available apps for this are not only
free, but surprisingly easy to use.
Here we show you how to backup
your les with the great CM Backup
app. It's completely free to
download, but packed full of highly
useful features.
Check your inventory

On the homepage of the CM Backup
app, you will be able to see the
details of the things that can be
backed up. To take a closer look at all
individual les, press on any of the
icons that are provided.
Track your
device
Locate your device when

its in the wrong hands
Before getting into a panic about your misplaced device, make sure that you
perform the necessary steps to track it down. Theres no need for convoluted
apps to perform this task, instead you can rely on Googles own Device
Manager to help you out. As long as your phone is turned on and signed into
your Google account, all you need to do is load up the Device Manager on your
desktop computer, sign in with your Google account and let the program track
down your device. Not only will it pinpoint your devices location, you also have
the option to ring it.
Name your device

To make your device
more recognisable, you
may consider renaming it.
Select the pencil icon on
the top left of the program
to give it a new name
Where is it?
The purple patch on the
Device Manager will
highlight the location. Use
the + and symbols on
the right to zoom in and
take a closer look
Give it a ring
16
If your device is nearby,

press Ring to get your
device to make sounds.
An easy way to see if your
device has fallen down
the back of your sofa!
Keep your
cards safe
Keep a virtual log of the

contents of your device
Add more sources
Time to backup
Press on the + icon in order to look

through the additional sources that
can be backed up through the app.
Once you have chosen your items,
press on the Conrm option to add
them to your list.
Press on the backup option to begin.

You will be able to keep track of how
the backup is progressing on screen,
but you will also be notied once the
process has nished if you dont
want to stare at it.
Wipe data
remotely
When things take a turn for the
worse and you realise that your
device has been stolen, youll be left
with little option but to perform a
remote wipe. So before this
happens, download the Cerberus
app. After a quick set up process,
the app will be set to offer a remote
wipe service whenever you need it
no matter if you want to perform a
full wipe or simply want to remove
the contents of your SD card.
Eagle-eyed users will also spot a
handy backup menu, where you can
link up your Google Drive account to
perform a last minute upload of your
most essential les before someone
else has a chance to access them.
Best of all, the entire process takes a
matter of minutes, rather than
hours. So what are you waiting for?
Perform a last minute upload of

your essential les, before
someone else gets them
Use one of the many wallet apps on the

Play store for a safe and secure way of
storing your various payment cards
used for Android or Samsung Pay
Feature
Secure your network

Avoid using public Wi-Fi at all costs
Vpnster is a
very good
alternative to
Hideninja
One of the most overlooked aspects of keeping

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
way of encrypting your outgoing connection,
making it difcult for anyone to potentially trace
your private browsing data. However, dont worry if
you suspect your device is under threat while
browsing, as the WiFi Protector app can help you
out. It provides a blocking system that aims to
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.
Ultimate
quick fix tips
Check out the following tips for a
very quick security x
Set two-factor
authentication
Your Google account will hold a lot of personal
data about you, so its imperative that you stop
people from accessing it. Head to accounts.
google.com to set up two-factor
authentication, which will add a dual-layer of
password protection for your account.
WiFi Protector can

prevent people tracking
your network usage
Set up a
password vault
thousands of apps and services that
u to create a login to access, so
ring them all is a fairly difcult task.
keeping a loose document on your device
optimal idea, especially if it contains
ome personal sites. However, an easy x
mpile your passwords within the
app. As well as passwords, the app
r website logins and autoll web browser
hin a virtual vault. Once set up, you will
need a single master password to access
ed LastPass account. Whats even more
about LastPass is that it can generate
ot strong passwords and modify many of
nt logins to something harder to crack.
Get rid of any

unnecessary apps
Be wary of apps that havent been updated in a
while, as you may nd that these wont have
the necessary updated security features you
need to protect your device. Use the uninstall
menu often to keep these apps off your device.
Add a firewall
When mixed in with passwords, app verication
and other features, adding a rewall is a simple
way to keep the most obvious viruses and
malicious apps from gaining unwarranted
access to your device. Get one of these
downloaded from the Google Play store ASAP.
Root with caution
Rooting is a great way to unlock extra features on

your device, but it can also expose massive
security aws 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
APPS
Googles 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 users
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,
18
did you know just how many apps Google has

developed over Androids 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, Googles 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 well be pointing
out wont 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 nd out
rst-hand just how powerful Googles 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?
Feature
Master Google apps
Manage site
permissions
in Chrome
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 thats provided.
Pin posts in Collections

Chrome is far and away the best mobile
browser out there and its constantly
improving thanks to Googles attempt
to continually update it. Due to security
issues becoming a problem in Androids 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
benecial for your device in the long run and we
highly recommend you do it right away.
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 notied of brand new

YouTube uploads
settings
1 Open
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 nd the Settings tab; open this
up in order to continue.
permissions
3 View
Each website listing will include a segment
that lists the permissions that the website
currently has access to. Many of them are
harmless, but youll want to be wary of any that
can access your Phone app or contact list.
of sites
2 List
Chromes primary settings page is fairly
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 notications options through the
accompanying Subscriptions menu.
convoluted, but youll want to nd the Site Settings

tab thats listed near the bottom. Once open,
select an accessed website from the list of
choices in front of you.
to block
4 Choose
If you nd theres 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, its 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. Its a relatively simple way to
make sure that your image stands out from the
crowd. Unfortunately, theres 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 nger
around the area you want to focus on.
Align your Google

Cardboard perfectly
After using the Cardboard app to
connect your headset, youll want to
make sure its aligned. Load an image
and look for blurriness as this means its 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
app will now begin to
The key to shooting the
Youll want to start your
1 Photo Sphere by moving to 2 perfect Photo Sphere is to 3 The
process your captured
the left side of the landscape
youre looking to capture. Once
done, select the menu icon
located in the top left of the
screen and choose the Photo
Sphere option inside.
20
keep your device not only as

straight as possible, but to also
move in one continuous
movement. Once you have
completed your movements,
press on the tick icon to nish.
Photo Sphere. After a couple of

minutes, the nished product will
be shown on the screen for you
to preview. For a closer look,
open up the Photos app where
the new image should be listed.
Feature
Master Google apps
View Wikipedia listings

in Google Earth
One of the leading attributes of the
Earth app is that its a relatively simple
way of discovering places near you or
around the world. However, theres
always room for improvement and in the case of
Earth, theres a handy built-in Wikipedia feature to
help make discovering new places even better.
Through the apps side menu, users can enable
the Wikipedia option. Youll nd that the map
youre then looking at will update itself with various
W icons dotted around. These icons represent
different Wikipedia listings that will give you details
on the places theyre linked to. Its a handy tool to
have when you want to read up about a specic
location without resorting to TripAdvisor or Yelp.
Its a relatively
simple way of
discovering places
near you or around
the world
Planning a journey in Maps is simple

enough, but youll want to look a little
closer when viewing trafc 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.
Its an essential tool when mapping out a
journey as it can highlight the roads you need
Select the Wikipedia option from the Earth side menu
Places that are signposted with a black W symbol on a

white background have accessible Wikipedia listings
Get fit with My Tracks

Back to
the start
For those that embrace an active
lifestyle, My Tracks is by far and away
one of the better tness tools on the
market. It contains all the necessary
tracking features to help you monitor your workout
process. Furthermore, the integrated links with the
Maps app can give you a visual rundown of the
distance you have covered and how long it took
you to reach your destination.
View live up-todate traffic news
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. Its ideal for those who want to
share the progress they have made
If your mapped run is

extremely long, it can be
difcult to scroll back to the
beginning. Use the
compass icon in the top
right of the app to be
taken directly back
to the start
In action
Essential stats
My Tracks includes an innovative

playback feature where you can see a
real-time playback of your latest run.
Use the play icon at the top of the app
to start this feature
Having a visual guide is one thing, but

many people will want to know the
exact details of their workout. Select
the Stats tab thats provided to get a
closer look at the essential information
21
Feature
Master Google apps
Share Keep lists with

anyone
Turn your device into
something new
Stream anything!
Chromecast has had a massive
update in the past few weeks,
meaning its better than ever at
streaming from your phone to your TV.
Whenever youre in a compatible app, select
the familiar cast icon to get started.
Create a Skype clone

While it still isnt as popular as Skype,
Hangouts has come on leaps and
bounds. When in a video call, select
the + icon to the right to start up a group chat,
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
the A button at the top. Through the
drop-down menu that then appears, you will be
able to change the background, font and its
size to mimic that of a Kindle.
Create a tness device

One of the benets of the Google Fit
app is that it works with a plethora of
different tness trackers. Once you
have used it for a signicant period of time,
make sure to use the backup option in order to
send a complete log of your results to your
Google Drive account for safekeeping.
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
app, but its what you can do with created lists
thats really worth checking out. Once you have put
a list together, select the people icon at the top of
the app. From here you can invite certain contacts
to access the list, as well as let them make minor
edits to it from their own device.
Format your list before entering the share menu
While it has many

similarities to
Evernote, Keep has its
own very impressive
suite of features
Enter the email or contact name into the sharing menu screen
Calend
minders
Switch views
Reminders are easier
to view in the daily
select screen, but you
can also switch to the
monthly screen to
view them. Press on
the calendar icon at
the top to switch
Pay with ease
While Calendar is a fantastic app for

managing your weekly schedules, it
lacked the detail to make it a useful
app for monitoring your daily life until
now. A new reminder system has been
implemented that enables users to add daily
reminders to their weekly schedules. These
reminders can be as detailed as you like and link in
with many of Googles other apps, such as Maps,
Contacts and Gmail. Heres how to nd your way
around this feature.
Add an entry
Android Pay is set to be big news in

2016 and rightly so. With the app set
up on your device, you can seamlessly
scan your device over any contactless terminal
in a shop to make simple and quick
payments. Receipts can then be sent Tick them off
Once you have
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
By pressing the + icon

located in the
bottom-right corner,
you can select the
Reminder option to
add a checklist of
events for a certain
day in the year
Use your
voice
If your hands are full, you
can add reminders using your
voice. As long as you ask
Google to set a reminder, it
will add them
automatically into the
Calendar app
Feature
Master Google apps
How to set an out-ofoffice reply

If youre taking an extended break from your desk or are just leaving your phone behind when
you go on holiday, theres 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 apps out of
ofce feature is an essential task. Heres how to get yours set up in a matter of minutes.
your inbox
1 Open
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.
dates
4 Add
Choose the date you want your out of
ofce period to start on, before using the menu on
the right to select the date you want it to end.
menu
2 Settings
Now you need to nd the settings menu.
Select the menu icon from the top left of the app
and press on the settings option near the bottom.
details
5 Input
Type out both the title and body of the out
of ofce reply you want to send. Feel free to add
your number if you still want to be contactable.
Find out of ofce

3 Press
on the General Settings tab provided
and scroll down the next menu until you nd the
Out Of Ofce reply option listed.
to contacts?
6 Just
If you want to have your out of ofce work
only when a listed contact emails you, check the
box that sits at the bottom of the menu.
How to master
gesture typing
Create a Trip
Bundle in Inbox
Gesture typing isnt the

easiest thing to master, but
with some practice you can
become fairly adept at it. Gently
glide the tip of your nger 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.
If youre going on a trip,

you can save everything
from your favourite
photos to the details of your ight
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
update. To update your menu,
head to the top of the screen and
drag downwards to refresh
Customise your Google

Now cards
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 wont be to your exact tastes. However, with Nows
consistently increasing range of cards to choose from, its a relatively simple affair to get the
cards you want on your screen. Heres 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
links to some of Googles
other apps. The Play Music
app will show you suggested
albums, for example
Google Now
1 Open
Scroll through your app drawer and select
the Google Now app from the list to open the Now
menu. Alternatively, just say the phrase OK
Google to get started.
What to customise?
2 Select
the menu icon on any card and
select the customise option that appears. From
here, you will want to choose the type of card you
want to add or remove.
Start to customise
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
Boost your
productivity
Google doesnt 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.
24
details
3 Add
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.
Check your updates

4 When
you head back to the Now home
page, you should nd that the menu automatically
updates itself. All of your new customised cards
should now be shown.
Translate using just

your camera
Create accurate
website reports
If you cant 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.
After six months of website

tracking in Google Analytics,
use the My Reports section
to gain new insights into your website
trafc. 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.
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, youll need to nd the Add People
option thats provided. You will then be prompted to
add the email of the contact you would like, as well
as an extra message letting them know any
passwords you may have added to the le.
Search for the document you

want to collaborate on using
the search bar
How to resize and adjust

your connected desktop
When you rst connect your computer to your Android device
through Remote Desktop, the picture can be out of focus. For a
quick visual x, press on the menu icon located in the top-left
corner of the app and select the Shrink to Fit option provided. After
a few seconds, the live feed from your desktop will shrink down to t the
proportions of your screen.
Select the Add People option

to begin adding friends or
colleagues to the project
Enter an email and an

attached person before using
the send button
The next time you click on a

project, a small note will
show you who has access
Research topics in Docs

Through the new
Research tool in
Google Docs you can
import links from
websites and Wikipedia listings
into any of your created
documents. Similarly, select the
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.
Import links
from websites
and Wikipedia
listings into any
of your created
documents
Now get documents
read to you
Use Sheets to insert

recommended charts
Manage printers
with ease
If you need an overview of a

document while youre 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 nish.
Depending on the type of

data you enter into Sheets,
Google will recommend a
chart to add some visual elements to
your document. While you dont have
to follow the recommendation, they
are usually the best choice for a
number-heavy worksheet.
Cloud Print is an
incredibly useful app for
managing the settings of any
connected printers. If you have a
printing error then this is the best place
to head, as you can perform a quick
scan of the printer, see what faults
have appeared and how to x them.
25
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Masterclass
masterclass
Take control of
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 ofine support lls the last gap
in Google Maps: the ability to use it overseas.
Google Maps is available on every Android
device. Its pre-installed and updates are
Google Maps is one of the best Android

apps and it just keeps getting better. In this
guide well take you through its highlights,
as well as a few hidden features
supplied via the Play store. Its 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. Its this
that really makes Google Maps stand out over
the competition. The best alternative, HERE
Maps, continues to have superior ofine
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.
Understand location settings
Android uses three different ways to

pinpoint your location
Choose a mode
Battery saving mode
Calibrate the compass
Go to Settings>Location and tap Mode. High

accuracy combines GPS and wireless
technologies to nd your location. It uses more
power, but works faster and is more accurate.
Battery saving uses only wireless networking

technologies, which arent accurate enough for
routing. Devices that only use GPS are accurate,
but a lot slower than High accuracy mode.
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.
Four things you didnt

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 isnt just limited to urban use. If
youre 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.
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 youre concerned about the
privacy implications of this, you can turn it off.
28
min
gu de
Contributions is
Googles name for
reviews of local
businesses and
restaurants
Google Maps has had some basic ofine support for a few years, but in the most recent
update it has become an essential feature. You can now get turn-by-turn navigation, including
searching and routing, while in ofine mode. You still need to download map regions rst
though, and heres how to do it.
ss at
cla pd
ter u
as ps
m Ma
le
og
Go
Download maps Google

Maps has
revamped its ofine
to use offline map features
Get started with

Contributions
Slide open the sidebar and tap Your

contributions. All your existing reviews,
as well as photos youve uploaded, will be
displayed. Tap your avatar for a summary.
an area
1 Pick
Open the sidebar and select Ofine areas
from the list of options. Youll see your list of ofine
map regions stored here when you have some. To
begin downloading one, hit the + icon in the
bottom-right corner of the screen.
the region
2 Save
Youll 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

then the Contribute tab will ll with
places you have been to, prompting you to
add reviews, comments and photos.
an ofine map
3 Download
With your region selected, tap Download to
begin. Its 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.
auto updates
4 Get
To ensure you arent using out-of-date
maps, your downloads will last a month. They will
then expire and youll need to refresh the maps.
Tap Settings and activate the Automatically update
ofine areas option to keep your maps live.
Alternatively, locate a business that you

have visited and tap it to view more
details. Scroll down the page until you nd
space to add your own rating and review.
29
Masterclass
Use Google Maps as a
system
Ta-ra TomTom and

greetings Google! Maps
can replace your satnav
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 couldnt 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.
a route
1 Plot
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.
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.
30
road ahead
4 The
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.
Thats all changed now. With the advent of

proper ofine 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 well look at how you get started, plot
a route, what youll see when youre driving
and what else you need to know to navigate
with Google Maps. Of course, youll need to
add your own windscreen mount.
the right path

2 Choose
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 theyll indicate how much
slower they are, along with trafc issues en route.
updates
5 Real-time
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 trafc
periodically and alert you to potential problems up
ahead you will need a data connection for this.
/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot
Get help from our

Facebook community
Follow us to send your

questions and thoughts
Whether youre on the train or the

bus you can get live times
on public transport
1 Turn
Slide open the sidebar and tap Public
transport. At rst you wont 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.
Google Maps is a complete mapping solution for every occasion. Its great
in the car, on foot or even on a bike. One of the newer features is public
transport support. Its been there for a while, but has recently been eshed out
to offer live times for bus services around the UK and in other countries.
Its one of the more useful, but often overlooked features of the Google Maps
app, especially if youre travelling in a city that you dont 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
get to your destination.
live times
2 Get
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.
Search public
transport
ss at
cla pd
ter u
as ps
m Ma
Got a top tip for Google

Maps? Let us know!
min
gu de
le
og
Go
facebook twitter
Message us!
by bus
3 Navigate
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.
Google Maps interface tips

Discover some of the hidden ways to navigate the Google Maps app
3D view
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 ngers to enter
isometric view then zoom in until the
buildings magically spring up.
Facing forward
Tap the location button in the

bottom-right corner to instantly
switch the map to your precise
location. Tap it a second time and
youll jump to a forward-facing view
that rotates the map based on
which way youre looking.
Always face north
You can swivel the map by

holding two ngers 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 isnt pointing north.
Share any location
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 recipients mapping app.
31
Tutorials
Set the apps that
Google Now can scan
Works with
Android 4.1 and up
Get Androids assistant to

search and send
i
f m your apps
Google Now is often described as Androids

personal assistant, but it does more than
search the web and notify you about
events. Android devices put tons of useful
mation at your ngertips. Google Now
een designed to lter 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
Call up Google Now
32
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.
the menu
2 Open
Once Google Now is running, tap the three
If you havent 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 youre on a Samsung device.
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
apps to index
4 Choose
All of the apps listed under Phone Search
Grant permissions
5 For
third-party apps to show cards in your
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.
are indexed by default. If Google Now is trawling

through apps you dont use though, this could
drain your devices battery and might slow it down.
By removing the tick mark beside a redundant app,
it will tell Google Now to ignore it.
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.
Handy hints you will need if youre new to Google Now
tips
1 Go to G
To access your cards, tap Googles

multi-coloured G icon and swipe
up to view them.
2 Where are you?
Some cards need location data, so

ensure Location History is turned
On under Step 5 below.
3 Cards to collect
Google has approved Now card

integration in over 100 apps, which
are listed at bit.ly/1MZRgjf.
4 Launch with Now
Install the Google Now Launcher

and swipe left to right from Home
to get instant Google Now.
5 Coming soon
Repeat Step 8 periodically because

some apps only request permission
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 nd things in a ash
a card
6 Pick
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 Nows menu and tap
Customize to access the Now Preferences menu.
1 Type the rst letter
other app settings

7 Review
Under Now Preferences, look for the Apps
If you need quick access to an app,

type the rst letter or two of its name in the
Google Now search bar. Icons for matching
entries will immediately be displayed in a row
below the top search results. Tap on the one
you need to open it.
2 Use voice commands
There are various ways to get instant

access to media stored in apps indexed by
Google Now. The easiest is to get Googles
attention by saying OK Google and follow that
up by stating what app, eBook, song or video
you want Now to open or start playing.
& Websites option. If you havent entered your

transportation choices in Google Now, youll have
to scroll down below the settings for these.
Otherwise, you should see Apps & Websites about
halfway down the screen. Tap on it.
yes to everything
8 Say
To see Now cards from third-party apps
that tune
3 Name
To nd an artist, song, movie, TV show
it now
4 Stream
You can also use Google Now to access
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.
or eBook, you can also use the approach in Step

1. Start typing the name into Nows search box
until the result appears in the elds below.
Tapping the title will open the media in its app.
This works for contacts too.
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
Personalise with
Kustom Widget Maker
App used
KWGT Kustom Widget Maker Works with Android 4.4 and up
Design your own

widgets and onetouch shortcuts
with this free and
tile app
34
Widgets and a customisable interface are top

features of the Android operating system. While
widgets make it easier to access information in apps
without having to open them, the ability to tweak the
layout and appearance of the UI means you can
personalise your mobile devices.
Kustom Widget Maker helps you take advantage of
these qualities by giving you tools to add unique
ts and handy shortcuts to your
reen. It has so many options
that we cant cover them all here. After completing

this tutorial though, you should get a good idea of
what Kustom Widget Maker can do and feel condent
about experimenting with features we didnt cover.
The rst few steps show you how to make a basic
change to one of the preset widgets included with the
app. We then dig deeper into the editing tools by
creating a simple widget from scratch that provides a
shortcut to a website. To start, download KWGT
Kustom Widget Maker from the Google Play store.
open the app

1 Dont
After you have downloaded the app, dont
your rst widget

2 Add
KWGT offers two sizes of widgets. For the
tap on the icon when it appears on your

homescreen. If you do, youll get a message that
says you havent created a widget yet. Instead of
opening the app, long press on homescreen to
create your rst widget.
rst part of this tutorial we are using the two-bytwo 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
the editor
4 Meet
Selecting a preset opens KWGTs editor.
a picture
5 Import
Tap Pick Image to open your photo gallery
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.
Editing tools are under headings below the design.

We are going to give our preset a photo backdrop.
First select Background, this should display elds
labelled Type and Color. Tap the former and select
Image. Formatting options should appear.
app, then select a picture. This will return you to

KWGTs editor with the photo added as your
presets background. If your image is imported
with the wrong orientation, tap Edit Image and
correct this in a photo editing app.
Get in touch
Were on Facebook and Twitter, or
just drop us an email
facebook twitter email

/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot
Like us on Facebook and

join our community

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

an email and let us know
Ask your own

question online at
littlegreenrobot.co.uk
Is it possible to
change my theme?
your work
6 Admire
There are many other customisations you
from scratch
7 Start
In the rest of this tutorial, we will explain
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.
how to create a widget that takes you directly to

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.
your widget
8 Name
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 eld in the editor to bring up a screen where
you can name your widget.
an icon
11 Pick
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 eld, then the Icon eld. Pick an
icon you like, tap it and use Size in the editor to
enlarge it to t your window.
the text
9 Position
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.
it up
12 Touch
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
eld. Tap None in that eld and None again, then
select Open Link.
Indeed you can! Tap on the

paintbrush icon and youll be
able to select a new theme
without deleting your progress
and starting again. You might
need to reshufe a few
elements, but its not too much
work. You can also change your
fonts and background image
from the menu.
a shape
10 Add
Tap + again and choose Shape. Back in the
editor, select something from the Shape eld and
use the sizing controls to make your shape almost
touch the widgets top and side borders. Then tap
Paint, tap Color and pick a shade from the palette
with which to ll your shape.
and save
13 Link
Tap the URL eld and then in the next
screen type the web address in the Formula box.
Tap the tick icon in the top right when youre 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
How to clear your entire
Google Now history
App used
Google Now Works with Varies with device
Wipe the slate clean by

deleting Google Nows
records and search history
The Google Now service aims to provide
you with the information you need,
when you need it. In order to provide this
kind of customised service, Google Now
needs to gather and record lots of
information about you, including what
cards you have accessed in the past.
If youre security conscious, you may
want to occasionally delete this record of
your Google Now activities, whether thats
wiping your entire Google Now history or
just removing the record for a certain day.
This article shows you how to do both.
Youll also learn how to delete your Google
Now search history, as search queries can
sometimes hang around in the Google
Now search bar long after youve cleared
your regular browsing history.
Visit Google Now

card history
Either on your Android or
your computer, visit the Now
Card History page by going
to goo.gl/4a6QOk. If you are
not already signed in to your
Google account, you will be
asked to do so before you
are permitted to access
Now Card History
Delete entire history
Today and yesterday

To delete your Google Now
history for the current day or
yesterday, tap the menu icon
and select Delete options.
Then select either Today or
Yesterday and tap Delete. You
can access some additional
options in this menu by
selecting Advanced
As soon as you select

#FXCPEGF CP GZVTC GNF YKNN
appear. Tap this new Select
FCVG GNF CPF EJQQUG HTQO
Past 4 weeks or All time,
which will delete your entire
Google Now history. Select
the option you want to use
and then tap Delete
If youre security conscious...

delete your Google Now search
Delete Google Now search history
Stop seeing cards
When you clear data on your device, your Now

search history has a habit of sticking around
Your history may make you

realise that theres a card
you dont want appearing in
Google Now. To stop seeing
this card, swipe to Google
0QY PF VJG ECTF KP
question, tap its menu icon
and select Not interested in
or Dont show updates from
Web and app

activity
Head over to history.
google.com/history. Open
the side menu and make
sure Web & App Activity
is selected. Now tap the
three-dots menu icon and
then select Delete
Options. Select either
Yesterday, Today or
Advanced from the menu.
36
Delete your
Google history
Delete queries
manually
If you select Advanced,

you can then choose from
Past 4 weeks or All time.
Select Delete, read the
warning and conrm the
deletion. Open Google
Now and tap the search
bar to see whether your
history has been
completely cleared.
Sometimes queries may

remain in Google Now
even after you have
cleared your search
history. If past queries do
appear when you tap the
search bar, you can
delete them manually by
long pressing and then
selecting Delete.
&GNGVG C URGEKE FC[

Youll see a daily summary of
all the cards that Google Now
has sent to your device,
including whether you viewed
or clicked each card. To
delete the history for a certain
day, select that days check
box and then tap Delete from
the toolbar that appears
App used
Google+ Works with Varies with device
Get to grips with the

redesigned
Find more of the content that you
love and start publishing your
own Google+ collections
Google has recently announced a complete
redesign of Google+ across all platforms,
including the Android app.
This revamped Google+ focuses on content rather
than social media. Boot up the latest version of
Google+ and youll immediately see this new
direction in action: theres now a permanent bar
along the bottom of the screen, where communities
and collections take centre stage.
Although user proles do still exist, you may nd
yourself spending more time using Google+ to
discover new content, rather than staying in touch
with friends and family.
To help you get up to speed with the new Google+,
this tutorial takes you on a quick tour around the
user interface, before showing you how to publish
your rst Google+ collection.
This revamped Google+

focuses on content rather
than social media
Start your own

collection
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 youve
created a collection, itll
appear under the Yours tab
Discover new
collections
;QW ECP PF PGY EQNNGEVKQPU
to follow by checking out the
Featured collections or you
can search for collections on
a particular topic by tapping
the magnifying glass icon
and performing a search.
9JGP [QW PF C EQNNGEVKQP
you like the look of, tap Follow
Redesigned
communities
Community pages have also
been given a refresh in the
latest Google+ update. To see
this new layout in action,
select Communities and tap
any of the communities on
this page. Youll notice a new
layout that makes these
community pages distinct
HTQO WUGT RTQNGU
Make your collections stand out

Google+ makes creating a collection easy, but
creating a collection thats worth following
requires a few extra steps!
Cover images
Create a post
Create a poll
At the top of the screen

youll see your
collections default cover
image. To change this
image, tap the
paintbrush icon and then
either scroll through the
stock photos or select a
photo of your own. Tap
Done to save.
Time to create some

content! Tap the pencil
and craft your rst post, in
the same way you would
create a regular Google+
status. To prevent people
from re-sharing your
content or posting
comments, open the menu
and use the check boxes.
You can also post polls

for your followers to
respond to. Tapping the
graph icon adds a poll
template to your update.
After completing the
default Choice 1 and
Choice 2 elds, you can
add more by simple
tapping More choices.
Check your
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Its easy to check new and
GXGP RCUV PQVKECVKQPU KP VJG
redesigned Google+ app.
Wherever you are in the app,
UKORN[ VCR VJG 0QVKECVKQPU
button to open a side menu
that contains all of your
WPTGCF PQVKECVKQPU ;QW ECP
TGNKXG QNFGT PQVKECVKQPU D[
tapping Previously read
What are collections?

A collection is a set of posts
on a particular topic, such as
football, technology or food.
When you follow a collection,
its posts appear in your
Home stream collections
are an easy way of seeing
more of the content that
really interests you
Tutorials
Move files
over Wi-Fi
Apps used
WiFi File Transfer Pro Works with Android 2.1 and up
Behind the scenes

You can run the app in the
background, so it doesnt
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 NG
from your PC. Its a really,
really handy system
Transfer les without a USB cable using

WiFi File Transfer Pro
Weve all been there, desperate to transfer
something from our Android device onto
a PC, but entirely incapable of nding a
USB cable when it matters. Thats where
WiFi File Transfer Pro comes in. Its a
brilliant easy-to-use app that lets you
connect your phone and PC with a simple
tap. You dont need any technological knowhow to get it working and while it isnt the
best looking app on the Google Play store, it
does what it should so damn well that its
hard to nd fault with it. All youll need to
get up and running is a Wi-Fi connection,
an Android device and a computer. Well
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 rst step to get going or check
out the image for more tips.
Logical layout
This is the main page of the
app that will pop up once you
tap start. Its 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 NGU ,WUV V[RG KV KPVQ VJG
browser and youll instantly
connect to the memory of
your phone. Make sure you
type it in correctly. Youll need
to add http:// as well
While it isnt the best looking app... it

does what it should so damn well that
its hard to nd 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 les even if they
can access your URL.
38
a password
2 Set
Setting up a password is also a good way
to work with colleagues securely, giving you all
access to the same shared les 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.
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. Well deal with
them in the next section of
the tutorial, but theres some
really useful stuff in there
start
3 Auto
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 youve
connected to before pops up, scroll down and
choose the one that youd like to use with the app.
Some more tips to get the most out of WiFi File Transfer Pro
tips
1 Do I have to pay?
Theres a free version, so give

it a try if you are still not
entirely sold yet.
2 Does it need root?
Nope, there is no need to alter

your device at all for the app to
work effectively.
3 When youre done
Just tap the Stop button

found on the main page to
end the connection.
4 Save some battery
Showing the folder size

permanently in the list will use up
more battery on your device.
5 Swap devices
If youre using multiple devices,

end the connection on one
before you start the next.
Ask your own

question online at
Is it possible to use
other mobile
devices to transfer
the les across?
settings
4 Advanced
In the Advanced Settings there are, as
youd expect, some more advanced tweaks. You
can opt out of Google Analytics if you dont want to
send information to Google, as well as add SSL
encryption if youre on a public network. You can
change the look of the app too.
the web
5 On
This is what the interface looks like on the
web. Again its not super-pretty to look at, but it
gets the job done very well. Youll see on the right
of the screen that youre given information about
the battery life of your device and how much
storage your phone has left.
Yes. You can use anything with

a web browser. Just point it in
the direction of the URL the app
produces for you and you can
get access to the les instantly.
You can use it to transfer things
across different Android
devices too. Its an incredibly
versatile little tool and for the
price of 88p its ridiculously
good value for money.
What should I do if
I get stuck?
to phone
6 Upload
You can transfer les in the opposite
direction as well. Simply click on the option on the
right-hand side of the screen and youll see this
dialogue pop up. You can choose multiple les to
transfer at once. If it doesnt work, try using the
simple uploader option instead.
media gallery
7 The
The media gallery offers fewer options
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 doesnt seem to work
though. If you do nd yourself in
a bind, make sure that you
check the app.
than the le 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 isnt a way to delete les here though so you
will need to do this in the le browser.
Need help?
Got a problem with your
Android phone or tablet?
Get in touch with us...
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
Get help from our
Facebook community
le browser
8 The
Here you can explore all of the les that
are on your device. Theyre displayed in exactly the
same way as you would see them in a le manager
on your device. You can look through folders, as
well as select multiple items to download, delete
or add to a ZIP le.
you picked
9 What
Once you have selected les to download,
youre given a couple of options. You can either
download the les as individual items or grab them
all together in a single ZIP le. If youre archiving
content then the ZIP le is a great idea, saving you
more space on your PC.
twitter
@lgrobot

email
Send your questions for our team of
experts to tackle
39
Tutorials
Check every part of your
car with Torque
App used
Torque Pro (OBD 2 & Car) Works with Android 2.0 and up
You can now manage your

car in ways only mechanics
used to be able to
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
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.
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 nished reading
this, you will have full control over your car.
the accessory
1 Buy
To check data on your car, you will need to
an app
2 Download
For this tutorial we are going to use Torque
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.
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.
the connection
4 Make
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 conrm it is successful.
the app
5 Open
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 Prole to begin adding the
information for your car. Try to be as accurate as
possible for the best results.
Get in touch
Were on Facebook and Twitter, or
just drop us an email

/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot

join our community

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

an email and let us know
Ask your own

question online at
Will the reader

damage my car?
your fault codes

6 Check
Tap Fault Codes on the main screen and
the results
7 Read
The ideal situation will be to see No fault
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.
codes stored in ECU, which means that everything

should be running ne. 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.
information
8 Real-time
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. Its a very impressive setup.
your routes
11 Map
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 ne detail for you to check
later. Everything from the route to the speeds are
covered visually and through accurate data points.
the dials
9 Change
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.
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 youre wiping fault
codes and make sure you know
what they are rst.
graph data
10 Manage
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.
it further
12 Take
In Test Results, you can see summaries of
some plugins
13 Install
A quick search on the Google Play store for
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.
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
How to get a
speed boost
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 youre going
to need to play around with.
In the top-right corner, theres
a menu that opens up
advanced options and an
About+help section too
Speed up your touchscreen with this easy to

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

without you needing to have much
really any, technical know-how
Download the app

1 First
up you will need to grab the app from
the Google Play store. It looks like this and its not
a particularly large download. It shouldnt take too
long to install on your Android device and when it
has done, youll open it up to a brief tutorial across
a number of different screens.
42
easy tutorial
2 The
Swipe through the rst screens as though
you were ipping through a book theres about
three of them. Have a read and youll come to a
screen that explains things in a little more detail.
The rst time you see this, it will have a button
marked Advanced at the bottom.
Save battery
The Battery Save option
underneath the Start Smooth
Touch button lets you quickly
set up some power-saving
options that tie in with the
speed-up touch. Theyre not
massively detailed, but we will
have a look at them in the
main body of the tutorial
Tap the Advanced button

3 Hit
the button marked Advanced and you
will be taken to another menu. Here you will be
able to nd 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.
Get even more out of Super Touch with these tips
tips
1 Go super high
Start by setting the app to its

highest setting and then slide down
if this doesnt work.
2 Cant go that high?
You will need to unlock the

Advanced Settings to access any of
the settings over 300.
3 Check the updates
You will nd update logs in the help

section in the menu of the main
screen in the app.
4 Check the Google Plus
Theres a link to the Google Plus

community for the app, found in
the same menu.
5 Take a minute
Remember, it can take

anything up to a minute for the
app to change your CPU.
Ask your own

question online at
Where can I nd
out what sensitivity
setting will suit my
phone the best?
you go back
4 If
The Advanced Settings link in the
drop-down menu will now always tell you that you
have enabled those settings, so you can pretty
much ignore it for the rest of your time with the
app. It does include a help email address if you
want to suggest tweaks to the app.
back to the menu

5 Head
When you have set up the Advanced
Settings, go back to the main menu. Now tap the
button that starts up the smoothing process. You
will see a pop-up window that shows you the
progress. If your phone is likely to lock in a couple
of minutes, then turn off that particular setting.
Scroll down past the buttons on

the main page to nd a simple
list of some commonly-used
screen resolutions and where it
would be best to set the
sensitivity of the app for them.
A quick Google search will tell
you what resolution your device
is if you dont know.
The app starts

when my phone
does, can I stop it
doing that?
Its not advised. If you stop the
app from running at start-up,
you will need to recongure it
every time you restart your
phone and thats not exactly
the most effective use of your
time. If you need to speed up
your boot up, consider disabling
other apps instead.
it off
6 Start
Once the progress bar has lled up, you will
see another pop-up window. You can scroll down
and read about some of the changes you have just
made. When youre done tap Start and Share. You
dont actually have to share anything, but the app
does give you the option to.
the battery save

7 Start
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.
Need help?
Got a problem with your
Android phone or tablet?
Get in touch with us...
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
Get help from our
Facebook community
it enough?
8 Is
If you nd that the default setting isnt
it again
9 Start
When youve selected the sensitivity you
powerful enough to actually make that much of a

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.
This will turn off Super Touch though.
would like, tap the button to start up Super Touch

again. Follow the same process as before,
preferably avoiding locking your screen and then
check to see whether the new sensitivity level
suits you. Repeat as many times as youd like.
twitter
@lgrobot

email
experts to tackle
43
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The casing
A series of valves and springs
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Top
tw
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Get u
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Short f
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Nan
OVERCLOCK
YOUR PHONE
You mig
backup
to mak
phone:
wish to
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 ash memory,
a type of solid-state storage. The terms ash or
ashing mean installing new software onto your
devices storage.
When your phone tells you that its processor runs

at a certain speed, thats often a best-case
scenario. Seriously thrashing it might give you
performance close to the specied gure (itll 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 shouldnt), you can use

overclocking to add a bit more oomph. The trade-off
is that it will chew through your battery faster, but
thats where underclocking comes in enabling you
to sacrice speed for longer battery life. Read on to
discover more about over and underclocking, and
the performance boosts these techniques can help
you achieve. Well show you how a few clever tricks
can speed up (or slow down) your phone.
45
acker Zne
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;
even with all the bells and whistles theres
still that nagging feeling that it could be
even quicker. While there are things you can
do to improve the perceived speed of your
device removing unwanted apps from your
phone, reducing background syncing,
adjusting the animation speeds through the
Developer options to achieve real, tangible
benets you need to get your hands dirty. You
need to overclock your phone.
Processors run at a range of clock speeds,
the maximum (the fastest) being the one
listed on a devices spec sheet. So a 1.8GHz
processor might run at somewhere in the
region of 300MHz when the phone is idle,
giving enough power to keep the OS ticking,
and then gradually crank up when launching
apps and playing games, to the point where it
runs at the full 1.8GHz across all the
t kernel for your device. Heres some of the
d the best apps to use with them
Unikernel
kernel,
es. Its
stable a
your
.
Unikernel is a good choice of kernel for the

Galaxy S6. It includes a fully congurable
installer, enabling you to choose the settings
when you rst ash it. This is the kernel to try if
youre looking to improve the S6s performance.
processors cores. However, processors never

run at their physical limit. Instead companies
set a top speed that balances performance
and battery life. By overclocking, youre
setting a higher top speed to make your
phone faster and more powerful.
To overclock, your phone needs to be rooted
and you need a compatible kernel.
Five top tips for working

with the kernel
1.What is the kernel?
The kernel controls every interaction between
the hardware and software. Every resource an
app requires and each screen tap from the user
are all managed by the kernel. The kernel
directly affects a devices performance.
2. Why change the kernel?

There are many reasons to ash a new kernel.
Many are customisable, offering the ability to
overclock the processor for example, while
some provide extra features and some are
optimised purely for performance.
3. Choosing a kernel
If you plan to ash a custom kernel, it is
absolutely essential that you choose one that is
compatible with your exact model of device.
Attempting to ash one that isnt will likely fail or
even potentially leave you with a bricked phone.
4. Get ready to ash

When ashing 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
benets of a custom kernel.
5. Kernel management apps

Some kernels can be congured when you ash
them, but its 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
To overclock you need to ash a custom kernel heres

how to get started
Before you can overclock your phone you will need to ash a custom kernel. Its important to
choose one thats compatible with your specic device and it will need to be rooted as well, with a
custom recovery installed. In this guide well look at the popular franco.kernel.
minute
guide
If you need to roll

back to the
original kernel,
you easily can in
the franco.Kernel
Updater app
Restore the
stock kernel
Your backups can be found under

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

1 Install
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.
a backup
2 Create
The app will begin by checking your kernel
and nding the latest version thats available.
New builds are released on a regular basis.
However, rst 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

tapping it. When complete, restart your
phone if it doesnt do it automatically. Swipe
away to remove unwanted backups.
the kernel
3 Flash
Once that is done youre ready to ash a
new kernel. Slide open the sidebar once again and
select FK Updater. Choose the build of the kernel
that you want to ash and follow any instructions
that appear on the screen. Restart once its done.
tweaking
4 Get
You can now begin exploring the tweaks
that are available through your custom kernel. A
good place to start is CPU Manager, which enables
you to adjust the minimum and maximum clock
speeds for your processor.
If you have lost your stock backup, head

to your devices forum at xdadevelopers.com to download it. A custom
kernel may prevent OTAs from installing.
47
acker Zne
A kernel
for HTC
rs
Squeeze a little more power out of your phone by

overclocking the processor, in order to make it run faster
than the manufacturer intended
In this tutorial well 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
Play store priced at 2.50. Although there are
other apps on the store that can overclock,
this ofcial app is worth getting for this
specic 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
up the app
1 Set
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 ash the new kernel. The phone will reboot.
the frequency
3 Change
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.
48
the governor
4 Change
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.
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
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.
Settings
2 CPU
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.
the GPU
5 Tweak
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 rst, so you are able to judge the effects.
Overclock your phone
Optimise
your phone
for gaming
Want your phone to perform

best when playing games?
This guide shows you how
One of the best things about various kernel
management apps is that they dont 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 specic
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
benet from overclocking when you launch
specic apps. By creating settings for the
high-end games that are the most resource
hungry, you will get the maximum performance
from your device, safe in the knowledge that it
wont affect your day to day usage. Lets get
started with per-app modes.
a prole
1 Create
From the sidebar select Per-App Proles.
it to an app
2 Assign
Save the prole by tapping the disk icon in
your proles
3 Manage
The prole will be activated automatically
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.
the bottom-right corner. You can now assign your

prole to apps and games. Swipe to the Apps List
and locate a game. Tap it and youll see the prole
appear in a list select it to assign it.
when you launch the chosen game. Swipe to the

Manager tab to delete any proles and edit them if
you want to ne-tune its performance. Be aware of
overheating if you make high-power proles.
2 Check your devices performance
minute
guide
See which cores are being used the most with the System Monitor option in franco.Kernel Updater
performance
1 Core
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 phones
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 phones
bottleneck, rather than the CPU
speed. Overclocking may have
minimal benet in this instance.
usage
3 RAM
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, dont be tempted
to use a task killer to free up RAM.
processor
4 The
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 Zne
Underclock
for better
battery life
Changing the clock speed is always about nding the right balance
between power and battery life. Overclocking will likely require you to
sacrice 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 isnt a magic wand. Underclocking causes some tasks to take longer to
complete, which offsets the benets of having the processor using less power
at its maximum level. Nevertheless, for some tasks it can be benecial and
switching the governor can have noticeable effects. As ever, the best
approach is to experiment with settings to nd ones that work for you. And
dont push things too far if you set the processor clock speed too low it may
not deliver enough speed for your apps to work.
up the app
1 Set
In EX Kernel Manager, create a backup
Reduce the clock speed

2 Now
go into the CPU settings.
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.
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 dont overdo it!
4 Test the changes
Exit the app and then test your changes.

Open a few apps or games and run a few
common tasks. Its likely that youll notice the
phone is a little slower, but if its too slow then
you will need to tweak your changes. You want
to nd a balance between speed and battery.
50
A few choice tweaks to your kernel settings can

also extend the life of your battery
5 Explore Powersave mode
The EX Kernel Manager also has a

Powersave utility. This is activated by tapping
the leaf icon at the very top of the apps screen.
This mode sets the processor to run at
predened levels and enables you to quickly
reduce power consumption.
the governor
3 Change
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.
6 Tweak settings
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.
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Hacker Zne
status update
Which devices are best for
the hacking scene?
Samsung
Galaxy
Tab 4
Tips & Tricks
Rooted?: Yes
Active
development QQQ Low
All form factors (7, 8 and 10.1 inches) are
good for hacking, with CyanogenMod and
TWRP recoveries available along with a
multitude of ROMs.
HTC One M7
Rooted?: Yes
Active development
QQQHigh
From 2013, lots of
recovery and ROM
options. Unlocking is
easy thanks to HTC
providing its own tool
a dream for hackers!
LG Watch
Urbane
Error codes are often oblique, but once

understood the problem can be overcome
Rooted?: Yes
Active development:
QQQMedium
Active hacker
development on the
Urbane is high, but so fa
limited to a TWRP
recovery image and an
unofcial kernel.
Nexus 5
(2013)
Rooted?: Yes
Active development:
QQQA very popular
phone with high activity
among developers.
Youll nd a lot of
tweaks, hacks and
custom ROMs are
available for this device.
Fix Google Play

store error codes
Problems downloading and
installing apps can prove to be a
particular irritation. Perhaps its a
game youve been downloading
over Wi-Fi due to its size, only to
nd an error code accompanying a
message informing you that the
download failed. For large games,
this is really annoying.
Several xes exist for dealing with
these Play store errors. Were going
to take a look at each of these
stop, wipe, reinstall and refresh but
rst its worth being aware of the
most common error codes and why
they are happening.
Error 498, for instance, occurs
when your phones cache is full and
can be resolved only by wiping the

cache partition in recovery.
Meanwhile error 919 occurs when
your Android device storage is full. So
you will need to start deleting unused
apps until you have enough space on
your phone for new data.
If you use multiple accounts on
your Android phone or tablet, error
403 will indicate you should switch to
the primary account.
Error 927 is also a common
complaint, but actually means that
the Google Play store is currently
updating and all you need to do is
wait for this to nish.
For further code information,
check XDA-Developers.com and
search for mohamedrashads Play
store error codes thread. You should
also check for the Android Error
Code Fixer on the Google Play store
but you may nd that you have to
install it to a second device! This
app contains a database of error
codes and their solutions, which can
save you a lot of time.
Clean up the Google Play store for better,

streamlined app downloading
Many errors can sometimes be

resolved by wiping the Google Play
cache. Start by opening Settings>
Apps, nd the tab for All and look for
Google Play Services. Tap Force Stop
and when the app stops, go to
Storage and tap Clear Cache.
You should repeat this action for

Google Services and Google
Framework Services, and perhaps
even Download Manager. Once you
have completed this, restart your
Android device. Note that once you
reboot, you may be required to
re-enter your Google Play account
credentials for verication.
Subsequent attempts to install
apps should now work, but rather
than heading straight for a large
download, try a smaller le rst, just
in case. If the error persists, you can
proceed with the rest of the
solutions listed here.
Record your game

2 In
Google Play Games, open
Adjust and upload

3 When
youre done, tap Stop.
Stop and wipe

Google Play
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.
52
Update Play Games

1 Check
that Google Play Games
is up to date. Open the apps 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.
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.
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.
Share your tips

Got a hack for Google Play?
Let us know about it!
/littlegreenrobot
@lgrobot

join our online community
Follow us on Twitter to
Discovered anything good about
send us your tips & tricks your Android phone? Let us know!
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
XDA-Developers.com. This
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. Amazons App Store is
the obvious place to start, but dont
overlook GetJar.com, SlideME.org

and MoboGenie.com. You might also
look at apkmirror.com to nd a more
consistent connection this is an
unofcial mirror of Google Play.
Remember: if youre opting for
these alternatives, youll need to
have Unknown Sources enabled on
your Android device.
Use an alternative app store to

download and sideload your
chosen apps in Android
Removing your Google account isnt 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 isnt necessary to
reboot, its a good idea at the very
least so you can be sure you have
correctly removed the account.
When youre ready, add your
account details again, as if youre
setting up the phone for the rst
time. Make another attempt to install
the app or game if it continues to
fail, then you might consider looking
at some further options.
Hacking the easy way
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
rewall isnt blocking data from the
Google Play store. If youre 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 youll nd on
Get great new features without getting your hands (too) dirty
Plex for
Android
Clear Default App

For Action
Zapper Task
Killer & Manager
Price: Free
From: Market
Need root? No
Want to stream video or
photos from your
computer or media
centre to your TV via
Chromecast? The Plex
remote app can also
stream video to an
Android device.
Price: Free
From: Market
Need root? No
Its quite easy to set the
wrong default app by
accident. One too many taps
and you are using an app that
you dont like at all. This utility
will quickly clear all app
defaults and then even
auto-uninstall itself.
Price: Free
From: Market
Need root? No
Need to kill a bunch of your
unnecessary installed apps
all at once? This tool displays
all of your downloaded
Android apps that are
currently running and then
lets you kill as many of them
as you like in one fell swoop.

for even more tips & tricks
53
Hacker Zne
Works with
Android 4.0 up Difculty Easy
How to get started with

gesture typing
Hate typing?
Supercharge your
text entry by setting
up gesture typing
Typing on Android devices can feel like a time

consuming and frustrating experience,
particularly if youre used to touch-typing on your
laptop or computer.
One technique that can really boost your words
per minute is gesture typing. This is where you
swipe to type across the keyboard, passing through
all the letters you want to input rather than tapping
each one individually.
1 Enable gesture typing
Make sure gesture typing is enabled by

opening your devices 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 isnt, then tap the slider.
4 Try third-party keyboards
If you nd Androids 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.
54
In this tutorial, well look at how to gesture type

on the stock Google keyboard, which comes
pre-installed on most devices. You can check which
keyboards are installed on your Android device by
opening your Settings, selecting Language & input
and then checking what keyboards appear under
the Keyboards & input method heading. If you dont
have access to the Google Keyboard, you can
download it from the Play store.
2 How to customise
This menu includes some additional

settings. When Dynamic oating preview is
enabled, the system tries to guess the word
youre entering by displaying a oating bubble.
When Show gesture trail is enabled, youll see
the path of your gesture across the keyboard.
5 Switch to gesture mode
Gesture typing in SwiftKey works the

same as in Androids 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.
3 Write with gestures
To use gesture typing, open the

keyboard and long press on the rst letter of the
word you want to type, then slide your nger
slowly across all the subsequent letters. When
you see the word you want to input, release
your nger and the word will appear.
6 Try swipe 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.
Works with
Android 4.1 and up Difculty Easy
Replicate the S6 Edge

display on any Android
Get Edge-style
notications about
incoming phone
calls on any
Android device
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge came with an

innovative way of displaying notications illuminating the bevelled edge along the side of
the screen. Now even if you dont have an S6 Edge,
you can still get a taster of this Edge display using
the Edge Color Notications app.
The drawback is that no device other than the S6
Edge has that bevelled edge, so the app
1 Enable settings
2 Customise your columns
compensates by illuminating the edges of your

screen with animations instead.
You can also assign specic colours to your
important contacts, so you can see whos calling at
a glance. You can even tell the app to reserve
animations for the contacts youve assigned a colour
to, so if you see an Edge-style notication, youll
know someone important is calling!
Download the Edge Color Notications

app from the Play store and launch the app. To
set up Edge Color Notications, open the side
menu and select Home. Enable both the People
Edge and Phonecall notication 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 columns default colour. You can
also choose from a list of animations.
4 Assign specic colours
a new colour
5 Choose
Youll see a list of all your contacts, with
By default, Edge Color Notications will

apply the same colour to every single person in
your contact lists, but youll usually get more
value out of the app by assigning specic
colours to people. To do this, open the side
menu and select Contacts Colors.
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.
3 Left, right or both?
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.
6 Be selective
Once youve nished assigning colours,

you can restrict Edge Colour so that it only
displays the Edge animations for contacts that
youve assigned a specic colour to. If this is the
case, return to Phone Call Settings and select
Only show contacts with specic color set.
55
Hacker Zne
Works with
Android 5.0 and up Difculty Advanced
Remotely
control a PC
ndroid
You can control a remotely connected
PC for free thanks to Google
Remotely controlling a PC used to

involve purchasing expensive
software and then jumping
through many hoops to get
everything up and running in a
reliable manner. There are still a
huge number of ways to
connect to your PC remotely
nd many offer a number of
ul features, but we are
show you how to do so
me Remote Desktop
k and reliable
Chrome
device
ss is
use
oesnt
d to how
beauty of
hat it is
cure as using
services, and it
ackground software
o ensure that the
ction is valid and stable at
imes. There are no
mplicated steps to follow and
ou can rest easy because Google
is behind the entire setup, both on
your Android device and in the
Chrome browser on your PC.
56
the app
1 Download
Go to the Google Play store
and search for Chrome Remote
Desktop. Download it as normal and
then let the installation process
complete. You will also need to check
that Chrome is installed on the
computer you want to control and
that the latest version of Chrome is
on your Android device.
more
6 One
download
You now need to download the
Chrome Remote Host Installer, which
will only require clicking OK. Once the
download has nished, install it as
you would do any other app on your
device and wait until it has
completed. This is the last piece of
software you need to install.
is
2 Nothing
connected
useful
3 Some
instructions
PC side
4 The
In Chrome on your computer,
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.
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.
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.
a PIN
7 Create
Once the installation has
up
8 Finish
The nal part of the process
to connect
9 Time
Go back to your Android
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.
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.
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 nger 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.
mini PC
10 A
You can now control the
computer using the keyboard and
by tapping anywhere on the screen,
which should mimic a mouse
pointer. Using two ngers 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 Zne
Works with
Android 4.0.3 and up Difculty Intermediate
Spoof your
Androids
MAC address
Get around annoying data and time
restrictions on public Wi-Fi
connections using spoong
58
Chances are that you have heard of

IP addresses in your time, but MAC
addresses are something that arent
quite so well known.
r IP address is usually
ng and temporary, your
C address is a permanent
used to identify the
k interface card inside your
d device. MAC addresses
permanent, theyre also
as a burned-in address or
a physical address.
uve rooted your Android
its possible to temporarily
that devices MAC address
en use this spoofed address
ect to the internet. This has
if youre concerned about
y, but spoong 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
inutes of free internet access.
Other venues may place a limit
the amount of data you can
nsume before blocking your MAC
ress. Once again, spoong tricks
network into thinking your
roid is an entirely new device.
n this tutorial, we will look at
eral options for spoong your
vices MAC address.
Gather your tools

1 You
can nd your devices MAC
address by opening the Settings app
on your Android and selecting About
Device followed by Status. Youll nd
the address under Wi-Fi MAC
address. Next, download WiFi Mac
Changer and BusyBox, both of which
are available to download for free
from the Google Play store.
6 Compare
addresses
After a few moments, you should see
a Mac Changed Successfully pop-up.
Open your Wi-Fi Settings and try
connecting to your network. Once
connected, you can check youre
using the fake address by opening
WiFi Mac Changer and comparing the
real address to the fake one.
network
2 Forget
Open your devices Settings
change
3 Simple
If you have a specic MAC
and select Wi-Fi. Find the network

you plan on connecting to after
spoong 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.
address in mind, you can enter it in

the New MAC eld. Most of the time
though, you wont 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.
back
7 Switch
If you want to resume using
an alternative
8 Try
If you dont get results using
your genuine MAC address, simply

tap the apps 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.
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 devices Wi-Fi settings and tap
the network you want to connect to.
Enter the networks password, if
requested. After a few moments
you should have connected to the
network using your new address.
a brand
9 Create
new prole
Tap the + button at the top of the
screen to create a new prole. Give
your prole a name, then either
enter a specic MAC address or
generate a random one by tapping
the blue arrow icon. Tap OK and this
prole should now appear in your
MAC Address List.
change
5 Hard
If the connection fails or
seems to be stuck on
authenticating then its time to try
things the hard way. Return to WiFi
Mac Changer and once again either
generate a random MAC address or
enter a specic address of your
choice. However, this time around
tap Hard Change.
your prole
10 Try
To activate the prole 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, youll need to
reboot your device.
59
Group
test
Big brand Android tablets
60
Group test
We
have scoured
the tablet market
WRQGWKHEHVW
$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 nd out
Picking an Android tablet to buy isnt the easiest job in the

world. As ever its 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 its tough to narrow down your selection, but thats
where we come in. We take our job as your personal product
advisor very seriously, so weve 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 Vodafones 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? Lets turn over the page and let battle
commence. May the best tablet win!
61
Group
test
Samsung
Galaxy Tab S2
information
Cameras
Display goodness
The Tab S2 does

nothing to suggest that
tablet photography will take
off any time soon, but theres
an 8MP unit on the back and
a 2.1MP front camera,
which youll probably
use more
+VU VJG TUV VJKPI [QW

notice when you turn on
the Tab S2 tablet and it
will be endearing until you
switch it off. We cant
overstate just how good it
is! A real highlight and
easily the Galaxy Tab S2s
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
Powerful insides
No longer do Samsung products feel

cheap. The Tab S2 may well have a plastic
back, but the metal edges and Gorilla
Glass display give an air of sophistication.
Its built like a premium tablet.
Stick an octa-core
processor with 3GB RAM
inside a personal device
and you are sure to get
very good performance.
The Tab S2 is no different
and you wont notice a
moments stutter
Display
The Tab S2s screen is among the very
best weve come across. Its so good, you
wont quite believe its 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 didnt
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.
Verdict
Samsungs
tablet game
is officially strong and
the Galaxy Tab S2 is a
powerhouse, but it had the
potential to be much more
62
Samsung Galaxy
Tab S2
A serious iPad-mini rival, Samsung has

produced another memorable device
Released at almost identical times, the Samsung

Galaxy Tab S2 is guaranteed to draw comparisons
with Apples iPad mini 4. Apples tablet dominance
has been strong, but this 8-inch Super AMOLED effort
from Samsung is a worthy rival that showcases how
far the Korean giant has come. Sadly, our usual
complaints about TouchWiz and an out-of-date OS
hold it back from being an essential purchase.
Design-wise, its a sturdy attempt from Samsung.
Taking cues from Samsungs smartphone overhaul,
the Tab S2 has a Gorilla Glass front, premium-looking
metal edges and a matte-plastic back. Even though
its plastic, it feels much sturdier than before and
given its price range, we can forgive it for not using
top-end materials. The rst thing you notice when you
pick up the Tab S2 is just how light it is. At just 265g
for the Wi-Fi-only model, it is feather light and
comfortable to hold.
The tablets highlight, however, is that Super
AMOLED display that shapes up at 2048 by 1536 and
contains 320 glorious pixels per inch and an

iPad-matching four-to-three aspect ratio. Its
effectively what makes a good tablet and Samsungs
Tab S2 looks unnaturally good. Colours vividly pop out
and the blacks look really deep. The screen is
excellent, whether youre watching videos, photo
editing or gaming. Sadly, sound isnt particularly loud,
but it never sounds tinny.
Performance is excellent too. Samsung has kitted
out the Tab S2 with an octa-core processor and 3GB
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 Marshmallows
Doze feature would denitely help.
However, it wont 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.
Group test
Vodafone Tab
prime 6
5GNG ECOGTC
Impressive
connectivity
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
If you make lots of video

calls, the front-facing 2MP
camera will get the job
done. The main rear
camera wont win any
prizes, but will serve as an
emergency shooter
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
9GCM
RGTHQTOCPEG
Quad-core processors
should work well, but the
Tab prime 6 stutters its
way through most tasks.
Youll want to reduce the
graphics setting to make
powerful games playable
Dimensions.......................244 x 146 x 8 mm
Weight...................................406g
Display size .......................9.6-inches
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 theres a lot to like
about Vodafones Tab prime 6. A classy,
curved design in a light shell thats easy to
handle. More of the same please!
Display
Vodafone Tab prime 6

A phone manufacturer tries to gatecrash the budget-tablet market
with decidedly mixed results
The tablet market isnt 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 latters 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,
its somewhere in between.
Looks-wise, theres nothing to complain about. The
Tab prime 6 is punching well above its weight. It might
be lacking any wow factor, but its 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, its
barely worth mentioning. However, the weight, or
relative lack of it, is. At 406g, youll know its there, but
its no brick. Build quality hasnt been sacriced 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.
The main sacrice is undoubtedly screen quality.

Its not fair to compare it to Samsungs display
because its simply leagues below. Its the rst thing
you notice. Looking at the homescreen of the Tab
prime 6 is like looking at a tablet from ve years ago.
Massive improvements have been made, but
Vodafone hasnt quite grasped them. The screen is
pixilated and just 157ppi, which is at its worst when
navigating your homescreen or when reading emails
and web browsing. Its less obvious when playing
games or watching videos, which is a bit of a saviour.
Anyone who isnt a beginner will notice the lag
when opening apps or selecting menu options, as
these sometimes took long enough for us to press
the screen twice. 4G connectivity (the SIM card
comes pre-installed) is an added bonus, but costs an
extra 20 or so a month to run. Do rst-time buyers or
children need a feature like that? We think Vodafone
would have been better focusing on other areas rst
to crack the budget market.
The specs dont lie on this one. A 157 ppi

pixel density just doesnt cut the mustard
against todays super HD displays. The
difference between this and the Samsung
tablets is stark.
Performance
A quad-core processor with 1GB RAM
should have enough power to make a
tablet run smoothly, but it simply isnt
the case here. Its not like Vodafone has
skinned Android heavily either.
Value for money

On the face of it, Vodafone appears to be
selling you a bargain here. Only when you
use the Tab prime 6 for sustained use do
you realise that too many shortcuts have
been taken to lower the price point.
Verdict
If youre
on the lookout for
a budget tablet, there are
plenty of other options out
there, but Vodafone gets top
marks for the design!
63
Group
test
Sony Xperia Z4
Tablet
Clean screen
The glass is scratchresistant and is layered
YKVJ CP CPVKPIGTRTKPV
EQCVKPI +V FQGU C PG
job of keeping your dirty
digits from marking the
screen, meaning you
wont need a screen
cloth packed with it
Bundled apps
Sony has thrown in some
common apps pre-installed
to give you a headstart.
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

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
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
innovative design by Sony
that may appeal to some,
but maybe not to
everyone
Design
The Xperia Z4 tablet looks the part from

afar, but we wonder if its build quality is for
everyone as its quite imsy. Design-wise,
its very Sony black, curved, soft plastic
and very light.
Display
Its a perfect display for media
consumption, thanks in no small part to
Sonys Triluminos display and X-Reality
engine. Its 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 y through menus and
selections without blinking.
Value for money

With the keyboard bundled, youre 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.
Verdict
Youll find a tablet with a

gorgeous display and more
power than you could
imagine! Drop the keyboard
for extra value
64
Sony Xperia Z4
Tablet
A tablet-laptop hybrid that does one part

extremely well. Guess which one?
Googles new Pixel C tablet is going to shake up the

premium Android-tablet market. Consumers will have
something to reference, so other laptop-tablet
hybrids need to be at the top of their game to take the
challenge to Google. Sonys Xperia Z4 with a
Bluetooth keyboard is the current ag-bearer and its
easy to see why as soon as you start watching Netix,
videos on YouTube or play a graphic-intensive racer
like Asphalt. The screen is 10.1 glorious inches that
pops out a 2K, 2560 by 1600 resolution and comes
equipped with Sonys Triluminos technology. Its pixel
density is better than an iPad Air 2 for example and
shines most when youre reading text. Everything is
crystal clear! We didnt get enough oomph from the
front-facing speakers, but thats probably because
the unit is so thin and light. It tips the scales at just
393g and a mere 6.1mm thick.
However, when youre 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 imsy.
Nevertheless, for others you may welcome the

incredible lightness and feel like this is the rst tablet
that you can actually easily carry around with you. It
bends and exes, so its safe to say that Sony has
picked the side of the market that doesnt want a
heavy tablet and run with it. Whats more, its certied
waterproof and dust-tight. If this light build isnt an
issue for you, the Z4 tablet is cutting-edge in almost
every category you can think of.
Anyone who owns a Sony smartphone or
PlayStation 4 will enjoy the tweaks that Sony has
made to Android 5.0. The Xperia branded apps wont
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. Its
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.
Group test
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
when paired with a
keyboard and a
mouse
Dell Venue 10
information
Price 279/$293
More information dell.com
Supplied by Dell
technical specs

Processor...........................Intel Atom Z3735F I.83GHz
quad-core
Memory ...............................32 GB storage / 2GB RAM

Dimensions.......................10.16 x 262 x 175 mm
Weight...................................635g
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

large side. The Venue 10 is the biggest and
heaviest slab in the group test, so onehanded use isnt advisable, but its never
unusable as a result.
Glorious HD
A genuinely pleasant
surprise, the Dell Venue 10
comes equipped with a
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that is vivid and smooth.
Its a shame the bezel size
leaves wasted space
Intel speed
Dell Venue 10
The Intel Atom quad-core

processor has its roots in
desktop computing and it
shows here. 2GB RAM
might not sound like
much, but it was plenty
good enough to handle
what we threw at it
Can Dell shake its well-known desktop tag and become king of the
tablets? Lets nd out
When you think of Android tablet manufacturers, you
dont necessarily think about computer giant Dell.
Well, maybe thats all about to change. Dell has been
slowly capturing the tablet audiences imagination in
the last year, releasing a series of impressive slabs
that come with a no-nonsense design and some
great specications. The Venue 10 (were reviewing
the 5050 model here) runs Android 5.0, has a
10.1-inch full HD screen and sports the sort of
connectivity options that business users will thrive
on, including HDMI and USB.
From the front, it looks like a traditional tablet. Its
plain black (no surprise there) and has gently curved
edges. All the ports live on either side and theres 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. Its also
easily the thickest and heaviest tablet in this group
test. Its not ungainly, but one-handed use would be a
stretch for an extended period of time. Its also plastic,
which lets it down in the build-material category.
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 its 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
easily the best in this group test. The speaker
placement produces immersive sound that can go
really loud and doesnt suffer the same mufed fate
that a back speaker faces when lying down.
The Dell Venue 10 stretches far beyond
entertainment though. The Polaris Ofce suite is
bundled in, as well as Dropbox. The optional keyboard
and stylus obviously gives extra choice, as does Dell
Cast, but its connectivity ports like USB, microSD and
HDMI that really help. Dells Android skin is tasteful
too: its minimal and also gives access to key Google
apps in a drawer on the right.
Display
A real triumph for Dell. The full HD, 1920
by 1200 display is outstanding. Any sort of
media consumption is a lot of fun on this
tablet, but we really enjoyed zooming in on
our photos too.
Performance
Theres 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 its 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,
youre getting a 10-inch tablet with some
great features at a very reasonable and
happily mid-range price.
Verdict
The surprise package in this

test. For your money you get
dependable design, a full HD
display that youll fall in love
with and enough power to
please heavy business users
65
Group
test
GROUP
TEST WINNER
The Winner...
Sony Xperia Z4
Tablet
smartphones, its a big upgrade compared

to many other tablets on the market, and
arguably the rst tab that we could
recommend for both shooting video and
taking a few snaps.
If youve got the additional budget to
purchase the Sonys detachable keyboard,
then we highly recommend you do, but
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, theyll be hard pressed to
beat what weve seen in this group test.
Samsung Galaxy
Tab S2
Vodafone Tab
prime 6
Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet
Dell Venue 10
OS
Android 5.0.2
Android Lollipop 5.0
Processor
1.9GHz octa-core
1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A53
2GHz Snapdragon 810

octa-core
Intel Atom Z3735F I.83GHz

quad-core
Memory
32/64GB storage / 3GB RAM
16GB storage / 1GB 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)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band,

Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band,

hotspot Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band,

DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct,
Bluetooth 4.1
Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), USB 2.0,

micro USB, micro HDMI, micro SD,
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
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
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
couldnt 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, its
powerful enough to cope with any and all
tasks you throw at it. While its camera
wont outshine many high-end
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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 its virtually
impossible to tell apart the competition, its
refreshing to see something different and
thats 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 havent. Coming in at
under 150, its easy to see why the Yoga Tab 3
is an enticing product.
The kickstand is the rst thing you notice.
After all, its the feature that gives the tablet
exibility (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. Theres a pop button within easy
reach round the back that springs the sturdy
metal stand into use. It adds some weight to the
Thunderous sound
Great sound coming from a
tablet isnt the norm, but the
Yoga Tab 3 utilises Dolby
technology to give you
absolutely brilliant performance.
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immersive experience
68
tablet, but the build quality cant 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. Its 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. Theres a gesture control that can be
enabled to let you take a picture by opening and
closing your hand. It doesnt work when youre
really up close, but you would still nd use for it.

Tablet photography is still a touchy subject, but
the Yoga Tablet gives you everything you need to
challenge the stereotype.
Whats 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
Lenovo skin
Revolutionary camera
The Yoga Tab 3 ships with

Android 5.1. While it isnt
Marshmallow, its just about
the best you can hope for.
Lenovo has added a series
of its own business-centric
apps out of the box
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, theres a Skype
camera worth using. You will
love the quality too
Review
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 isnt
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 youre browsing the
web as its black text on a pure white

background and we had no issues when
watching lms. 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. Its all about personal choice and
weighing up what you want from a tablet.
Despite its shortcomings, we salute Lenovo for
trying something different.
Lenovo Yoga
Tab 3
149.99/$159.99
More information lenovo.com

Supplied by Lenovo
Battery goodness
Another standout feature is the
Yoga Tab 3s battery life. The
6,200mAh cell will last 20
hours on a single charge and
nearly three months on
standby. mpressive!
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
Multitalented
Flick the kickstand into action
and you can manoeuvre the
Yoga Tab 3 into a variety of
positions: stand, tilt, hold or hang
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
Theres even a hole in the stand to let you hang the tablet in
the kitchen, while you prepare a recipe for example
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 theres just 1GB RAM
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
doesnt cut it in 2016
for good multitasking
HD display
Its not bad by any means, but it doesnt 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 EGTVKGF
protection. It can boast to
be both dustproof and
waterproof for up to one
metre for 60 minutes
Built to last
While its non-removable,
the 3,000mAh battery will
keep you going for a
couple of days before
needing to be charged. It
may prove to be a godsend
if youre away from a
mains supply for a while
Cat S40
329.99/$399.99
More information clove.co.uk
Supplied by Clove
Best deal
288
Vanilla Android
Gorilla Glass
One of the surprises we

found during our time with
the S40 is that it offers an
almost completely vanilla
Android experience.
However, we do feel the
processor could do with
being clocked a bit faster
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 wont be shattered
Cat S40
Can the Cat S40 prove that looks

really arent everything?
One of Androids many niches is the emerging

market for work phones. These rough and ready
devices often compromise on high-end
specications to offer a device thats 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 wont 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 youd 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, its 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 dont sit well with capacitive
buttons, but they feel imsy to touch.
70
Theres no real custom skin involved on the

S40, so its 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,
but there are a few extra menus available to
help out completely novice users. The lack of
real bloatware pays dividends, as the quad-core
Snapdragon 210 looks slow on paper, but does
enough to keep the device ticking over quite
nicely. It wont be enough for demanding tasks,
but then again, this isnt a device built for that
sort of function.
What its built for, however, is being a device
that offers stellar battery life. If youre working
away from home, the 3,000mAh battery included
here will keep you going for more than a day
without any problems. A nice feature that we
sincerely hope some higher end competitors will
take due notice of.
The Cat S40 isnt a device for the mainstream
Android market, but the niche end of tough and
sturdy work phones is what its looking to cater
for and it does the job quite well. Compared to
its predecessor, the S50, theres little change,
but if youre looking for an entry point for a
device that lives up to your rough and tumble
day job, this could be a solid choice for you.
300
286
Technical specs
Operating system............. Android 5.1
Processor ................................ Snapdragon 210 1.1GHz
quad-core
Memory..................................... 16GB storage / 1GB RAM

Dimensions............................ 144.9 x 74.1 x 12.5 mm
Weight......................................... 185g
Display size ............................ 4.7-inches
Front camera........................ 2MP
Rear camera.......................... 8MP
Networks.................................. 3G, 4G, Bluetooth 4.1. Wi-Fi
802.11
Expansion slot..................... microSD to 64GB
Battery life
Expect the 3,000mAh battery here to keep you going for
a couple of days between charges
Good for
Being robust
Tough and rugged with enough protection to protect itself
from the elements
Lollipop
A nearly vanilla Android experience with barely any
bloatware in sight
Bad for
Display
Colours can look washed out, which in turn affects how
your snapped images turn out
High-power users
The Snapdragon 210 1.1GHz processor doesnt cut it for
any demanding tasks
Verdict
If you fit into the niche of needing a
robust work phone, this is one of the
best youll see in 2016
Review
Does size matter?
Best Wear ever
The 42mm watch face will

split opinion. For some its
going to be the perfect
accompaniment to enjoy
Android Wear on, but for
others itll be just a little too
big for everyday use
Updates to Android Wear

have made it a fantastic
OS to use. Whats even
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
While overall we like the

stainless-silver casing of
the sample we tested,
alternate colours are also
available. Why not splash
out some cash and kit out
your Huawei Smart Watch
in a spot of rose gold?
Theres 4GB internal

storage on the Huawei
Smart Watch for users to
play around with. One of
the best uses is to transfer
across some of your
tracks from your Google
Play Music account
Huawei Smart Watch

Huaweis rst 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 everyones 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 hasnt been one killer watch that every
user must own. Can the Huawei Watch be what
were looking for?
What becomes instantly noticeable about the
Huawei Watch as soon as you get wrist on with
it, is that its denitely a thing of beauty. The
stainless-steel nish is highly reminiscent of
other quality timepieces, but we would denitely
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 Watchs thick face has
left our team with decidedly mixed opinions. The
thickness does in fact add a very nice premium
and robust nish to the device, but it doesnt
exactly sit completely ush to your wrist. In
everyday use it isnt a problem at all, but you can
expect to see the odd shake if this is your

primary tness-tracking tool.
One of the benets 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. Its a quality display in all
and we must applaud Huaweis 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. Its
easier than ever to download apps, make calls to
friends and manage incoming notications.
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.
266.26
289
329
Technical specs
Operating system............. Wear OS
Processor ................................ Snapdragon 400 quad-core
1.2GHz
Memory..................................... 4GB storage / 512MB RAM

Dimensions............................ 42 x 42 x 11.3 mm
Weight......................................... N/A
Display size ............................ 1.4 inch
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 thats 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 doesnt sit
completely flush to the wrist
Verdict
If you can get on with its size, youll
be hard pushed to find a better
smartwatch on the market
71
Reviews
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Asus Chromebit CS10

An all-in-one Chrome OS machine on a dongle but who actually needs one?
Theres plenty of competition for what gets
plugged into your TVs 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? Thats
what the chocolate bar-sized Chromebit dongle
from Asus does. Its the worlds smallest Chrome
OS device thats 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-edged computer on a big display for the
price of just 90. Its 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 youll struggle to nd a matching
TV) that is roughly twice as big as a traditional
USB pen. This means it will t in your pocket and
at 85g youll hardly know its 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
The Chromebit comes with
free 100GB Google Drive
storage for two years and your
NGU CTG CWVQOCVKECNN[ U[PEGF
so you have access to them in
the cloud whenever you need
them on any device
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 youre happy that youre
connected properly, follow the set-up instructions
on screen and you cant 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 cant 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 res 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 thats what

youre limited to with Chrome OS because the
operating system doesnt support high
bandwidth apps like Adobes Creative Cloud.
What youre getting is effectively tablet
performance, yet for under 100, youd struggle
to nd 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 les will be there. So while
you cant do high-end image editing, you can get
by with Google Docs, Gmail, Chrome and
YouTube. Stretch your needs further and youll
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 benet too as a cheap
digital signage solution or as a guest-computer
kiosk for hoteliers. Its 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 wont come near it and if you
want a media centre then youre better off
buying a Chromecast.
Memory..................................... 16GB storage / 2GB RAM, plus
100GB Google Drive cloud

storage for two years
Dimensions............................ 123 x 31 x 17 mm
Weight......................................... 85g
Connectivity .......................... Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac,
Bluetooth 4.0
Expansion slot..................... HDMI out, USB 2.0
Good for
Cheap computing
For under 100 you can turn any TV or display into a fullyfledged 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 dont
expect connections to drop so frequently
Verdict
We like the implementation, but
were not sure its necessary.
Consumers should look at tablets,
but Chromebit could appeal to
business and education sectors
73
Reviews
Moto 360 2015
Does Motorolas second-edition
revised smartwatch give us the wow
factor that we loved in the original?
For a long time, the Moto 360 was the one
smartwatch that we could really get behind and
recommend to readers. In our eyes, it was the
rst well-built, robust and genuinely stylish piece
of Android wrist wear that we had come across,
but it still had its issues. While the market for
smartwatches has drastically changed since
then, we cant help feeling rather excited to see
what Motorola has included in its secondgeneration 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, youll nd the design
is nearly identical to the original. That isnt
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 weve 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 isnt as fancy as its
competitors, but it feels good and the stainlesssteel chassis offers no ex. 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 imsy. However, Motorolas expensive bands
have always been good so youll nd something
better if you dont mind splashing the cash.
If you opt for the larger 46mm, youll nd the
1.56-inch LCD display is the same as the original,
with a slightly smaller 1.37-inch display on the
42mm variant. Its a highly responsive screen
and the slight protrusion gives better viewing
angles. Motorola has also cleverly adopted the
always-on display mode, so theres no need to
shake your wrist when you want to view the time
Added protection
Both sizes of the secondgeneration 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
Does size
actually matter?
The larger 46mm
face will certainly split
opinion. Those who
crave a bigger screen
will certainly love it,
but it can tend to look
overly big when its
sat on your wrist
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
original 320 by 290 px. Colours
look fairly impressive and
images look sharp
Moto Maker once again lets you fully personalise the

second-generation Moto 360 to your tastes
74
OK Google
Voice control still plays a big
part of the Android Wear
experience and for many, itll be
the preferred way to navigate
around the second-generation
Moto 360. Youll be surprised at
what youll be able to achieve!
Review
anymore. However, previous Moto 360 users will
nd this model still has the annoying blacked-out
section at the bottom of the display. Its more of
a personal annoyance than anything major, but
as weve seen competitors launch a fully circular
display namely the Huawei Watch it seems
strange Motorola has failed to do so here.
One of the benets 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 Motorolas own tness suite included, which
is very similar to Google Fit, but provides a
slightly more thorough tracking experience.
Its lightning-quick moving between menus and
Motorola has done a great job at adopting the
Snapdragon 400 processor for a smaller device.

Youll still nd the same 512MB RAM and 4GB
storage from last years model.
Despite a bigger 400mAh battery an
upgrade from 320mAh battery life hasnt
changed much. You can still expect a decent day
and a half between charges, but we were hoping
for a little more. Theres no clear reason why the
changes arent apparent, but its arguably a
software problem rather than a hardware one.
The word revision is important, as the device
on the whole is largely the same as its
predecessor, albeit with a few upgrades, so
there isnt enough here that will warrant those
with the original model upgrading. Everyone else,
however, should certainly consider this as their
rst or next smartwatch purchase.
Moto 360 2015

229/$299 9 (42 mm)
269/$349 (46 mm)
More information www.motorola.co.uk

Supplied by Motorola
Best deal
229
o2.co.uk
239.99
expansys.com
239
very.co.uk
Technical specs
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
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
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) hasnt changed much battery-wise. Its good, but
still not amazing
Good for
Body tracking
/QVQTQNCU QYP VPGUU
tracking software, Moto
Body, takes centre stage
on the software side. ts
largely the same as
Google Fit, but we do
prefer its overall simplicity
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 hasnt 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 its
still a great device
75
Reviews
Bose SoundLink around-ear
and wireless headphones with
excellent sound quality
Headphones II Lightweight
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, whats
immediately apparent is just how comfortable
they are to wear. These are headphones that you
can use for a long time without discomfort.
Thats 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
EDITORS
CHOICE
standard headphone jack via an audio cable,

although Bose does point out that you wont get
all the benets of the electronic power EQ that
runs when theyre charged up.
They can pair with not one, but two Bluetooth
devices at once enabling you to answer a call
on your phone while watching videos on your
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.
If your Bluetooth charge has run out or you want to

listen to a non-Bluetooth device, you can use a
standard headphone jack
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
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
Accessories
KEF Muo wireless speaker

KEFs 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 Lovegroves
aluminium obelisk. The KEF Muo is diminutive in
size yet still packs the power you expect from
one of Britains nest audio companies. Despite
its small form factor, its a heavyweight this
isnt the kind of Bluetooth speaker you cart
around with you in the summertime, its the
kind that sits at home, lord and master of the
media player, making your stereo speakers feel
inadequate. Thumping bass and pure treble

gives even traditional Hi-Fi speakers a run for
their money, and thats 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 youll
spend 600 to get the dual-speaker experience
that really makes the KEF Muo shine.
Price 299.95
More information kef.com
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 isnt just for
the sake of aesthetics. Not only
does it reference the iconic KEF
Muon design, it also helps the
sound to carry better
The speaker can sit vertically as well as horizontally you

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 dont
detract from the speakers 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 dont 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 its nice that upon
launching the app, youre 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
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 Gagas Telephone) this isnt
automatically the case, although
youll usually nd audio versions of
songs when searching.
In addition, Red subscribers are
given access to an Ofine 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 theres no way to
handpick individual tracks or
download custom playlists.
Indeed, theres no way to
create your own playlists
in the rst place, which
is a major
disappointment
considering you can
do so in the
The Explore tab shows other tracks related to

the one youre watching
If youre feeling more adventurous, increase

the station variety setting
standard YouTube app as well as

Google Play Music. Instead you get a
personalised station, plus two
genre-based ones depending on your
history and likes. This can cause a
few problems if a younger member of
the family makes use of your
YouTube account, as we discovered
when our personalised station was
populated with loads of kids videos!
On any station, you can use a
three-stage slider to adjust the
amount of variety featured.
The music discovery aspect is one
of YouTube Musics strongest points.
While watching a video, tapping the
Explore tab comes up with a smart
selection of related tracks, based on
the current artist, related artists and
genre. In addition, the home tab
offers personalised and genre-based
stations; the Hot tab shows new and
trending videos, while the Liked tab
presents a list of songs that you have
given a thumbs-up rating.
While YouTube Music
complements Google Play Music and
the Explore option works well, the
lack of basic features, such as
custom playlists, is extremely
disappointing, particularly when it
comes to ofine use.
2 hour wonder
like this?
try this!
78
Ad-free music videos and much

more for subscribers
Want your money back?

Youve got 120 mins to decide!
! 40
120 80
! 40
120 80
! 40
120 80
0-40 minutes
YouTube Red required for

audio-only and ofine play
40-80 minutes
The Explore tab is good for

browsing and discovery
80-120 minutes
A shame theres no way to

create custom playlists
keep
refund
specification
Price Free
Designed for: Phone and tablet
Requires Android: 4.0.3 and up
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
Good for browsing music
videos, but its still lacking a
few essential features
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
rst thing youll 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 its 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,
youll 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
Vidku
Your homescreen has been

completely reimagined
you can place up to ve QuickApp
shortcuts for favourite apps. Just
drag an app icon into the panel and
choose a mini icon. Theres also a
oating QuickApp button; while
tapping this lets you search your
apps by default, it can be set to
launch any app you like.
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
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, its a bit like a dock. As well as
containing a clock widget (which it
seems cant be replaced), its where
Shoot and share your videos with private

groups using this app
Vidku enables users to create and share 17-second videos.

Compared to rivals such as Snapchat and Vine, however, it gives you
greater control over who theyre shared with, including the ability to
un-share with individual recipients at any point. When shooting your short
video, you can pause midway and ip between front and rear cameras, so
theres some scope for creativity.
While you get to watch a preview of
the video before sharing, there are no
editing facilities, so if youre not
happy youll just have to shoot it
again. You then add a thumbnail
picture and title before sharing with
selected friends or a private group.
Its a promising concept, but youll
need to add Vidku-using friends via
username, contacts or Facebook to
get started. You can also create your
own private (friends-only) groups.
Price Free
Designed for Phone
Requires Android 4.2 and up
Pause mid-shoot for a change of scene or to
switch to the front camera
best
alternative
Further options, including app grid

dimensions, are available in the
settings, although some (such as
enabling iOS-style notication
badges) are only unlocked by
purchasing a Pro key (1.20/$1.49).
Its exible 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 full its potential.
EVERYSTORY Share narrated photo slideshows with private

groups of friends or family
like this? try this!

EverythingMe Launcher
Up to ve app shortcuts can be added to the
top action panel
Patreon
Follow and fund your
favourite creators
Smart folders and a Prediction bar that

shows apps based on time and location
Runtastic
Results
Transform your body
The Patreon crowdfunding

site akin to Kickstarter,
but geared towards
artists and musicians has
launched an Android app that
enables users to follow their
favourite creators. A Discover tab
offers an array of categories to
browse or just use the search facility.
As well as liking and commenting on
works, you can follow a creator and
opt to become a
patron, pledging a
certain sum per
month via card
or PayPal. While
fairly basic in
design, the app
still serves its
purpose very well.
Another spin-off app from

the popular Runtastic
tness service, it promises
to transform your body using a
personalised 12-week training plan
based on your current weight and
tness level. Step-by-step
instructions are provided via over
120 HD exercise videos featuring
incredibly buff trainers. Its all very
polished, as you would expect. The
main downside is
that you only get a
few free exercises
so youll need a
Runtastic Premium
membership, at
7.99/$9.99 per
month, for the full
programme.
Price Free
Designed for Phone
Price Free + IAPs

Designed for Phone
79
Apps
Apple Music
Yes, you heard that right:
an Apple app
While Apples 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 musicstreaming service. Meanwhile,
newcomers benet from a threemonth free trial after which it costs
9.99/$9.99 per month.
As on iOS, youre 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-lterable 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 Apples own
Beats One. On the downside, unlike
Google Play Music, the app wont
play locally-stored music.
Roundme
Explore 360-degree panoramas

and immersive stories
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. Its disappointing
then that unlike its iOS
counterpart, the Android app
lacks an option to upload your
own panoramas. To do so, youll
have to visit the Roundme website
instead. Nor is there an in-app
camera option, although you can

always use the standard Google
Camera apps Panorama mode to
create a Space.
So the Android app is solely for
viewing purposes, but it performs
this role very well, offering a highly
polished experience. Along with a
lterable search facility, the main
screen offers three tabs: Best,
Recent and Collections which sorts
selected Spaces into curated
collections such as beaches, classic
cars and cemeteries. You can also
explore an interactive map to nd

Spaces near you or far aeld. Tap on
a circle to see a preview picture and
title; tap on that to view the
panorama, using either swipes or
gyroscope motion-sensing to
explore. Its an even more immersive
experience if you use a VR headset
such as Google Cardboard.
Some locations feature several
panoramas taken from different
spots, which can be quickly switched
to by tapping oating bubbles.
Panoramas may also feature text
Tourist hot spots, such as Venice, provide

some spectacular scenes
Zoom in on the map to see more circles

tap one to view the panorama
Some scenes have oating bubbles; tap

one to view it from that point
Fallout C.H.A.T.
Not quite what it seems
Based on our likes, the smart

recommendations proved a bit off
Price Free
Designed for Phone
80
Another spin-off from the

Fallout videogame series
arrives, following the
excellent Fallout Shelter, but its not
quite what it seems. At rst 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!
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. Its a
shame theres no option to change
the background from the default.
Price Free
Designed for Phone and tablet
KANVAS KEYBOARD This replacement keyboard lets you quickly

send custom messages with photos or GIFs
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 Conict!
One thing wed like to see is an
option to download panoramas for
ofine use, but the developer is still
working on that one.
specification
Price Free
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
No upload facility, but its
still great for exploring all
sorts of locations
Movies by
Flixster Free
Want your money back? Youve
got 120 minutes to decide!
! 40
120 80
! 40
120 80

Google Street View
Explore countless 360-degree photo
spheres, or create and upload your own
This multifunctional app lets

you browse the top movies and DVDs,
view trailers, nd showtimes at local
cinemas, read Rotten Tomatoes reviews,
manage your Netix queue and stream
your Ultraviolet collection.
2 hour wonder
! 40
120 80
0-40 minutes
Some amazing panoramas

from around the globe
IMDb Movies &

TV Free
40-80 minutes
Theres no option to create or

upload your own
80-120 minutes
Take 360-degree
tours of the world
from your phone
Its great fun to explore a

wide variety of scenes
keep
With its vast database, IMDb

is the go-to app for nding anything out
about lms (and TV shows), including full
cast lists, trailers, plot lines, trivia,
photos, goofs, reviews and user ratings.
refund
My Movies Pro
ArrowLauncher
Microsoft Garages
simplied 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 superuous since theyre still
accessible from the top-right corner.
Instead of multiple homescreens
to place apps and widgets how you
like, theres 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
quick settings and extra apps
like this?
try this!
4.99/$6.99
A simplied launcher
activities (plus ve recently used

apps along the top). Interestingly,
theres 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
SCOUT LAUNCHER This smart launcher learns your habits and

lets you set up homescreens for app categories

for even more app reviews
Got a large movie collection

and nd 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.
Netix Free
While some streaming
services are restricted to
North America, Netix is universally
available and lets subscribers watch a
large library of lms (if not the latest
releases) and TV shows.
RunPee Free
If you need to take a
bathroom break mid-lm, but
dont want to miss a vital
scene, RunPee tells you the best times
to go for it and also provides a synopsis
of what youve missed!
81
head tohead
to
Which app should you be using to
discover the world around you?
TRIPADVISOR
vs
Checking out user reviews is a surere

way to guarantee that youre eating in a
top restaurant, staying in a reliable
hotel or visiting a worthwhile landmark.
But while TripAdvisor and
Yelp are great at offering
this service, which one
comes out on top?
specification
Price Free
Requires Android: Varies with device
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisors core
categories are concise, but
include a wealth of listings
within each. For something
more specic, make sure to
use the search bar.
Reviews are highly
customisable, with users
able to attach photos,
customise the date they
were there and choose the
type of visit they undertook.
While the Google Maps
integration is a little slower
to load than on Yelps
offering, it does enable you
to view nearby landmarks,
hotels and restaurants.
Users can make direct
payments through the app,
but prices can be a little
more expensive than if you
take the time to look
through other sources.
TripAdvisor contains an
ofine maps feature, which
can be downloaded to help
you navigate around a city
or country that you may not
be accustomed to.
specification
Price Free
Requires Android: Varies with device
Yelp
SEARCH SYSTEM
The type of places that you

can search for in Yelp are far
superior to TripAdvisor, but
each category does sadly
include fewer options for the
users to look through.
LEAVINGAREVIEW
Although we did like the

prompt to keep writing indepth reviews based on what
other people have left, the
review system is little more
than a blank text document.
MAPSINTEGRATION
A handy directions button at

the top of each Google Map
can help you navigate to the
destination based on your
current location a decent
feature to have.
BOOKINGS AND
PAYMENT
Arguably Yelps best feature

is that users are able to nd
exclusive deals on certain
attractions and restaurants,
which you simply dont nd
within its competitors.
EXTRA FEATURES
There are basic social

media features included in
Yelp, where you can see live
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
82
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.
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The Complete Manual
No matter what Galaxy device you have, this book will help you
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BUY YOUR COPY TODAY

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, youd be forgiven for chalkin
Horizon Chase up as a retro-style
racer just for nostalgics.
However, once you start playing it
youre likely to change your mind as
its just so hard to put down. Anyhow
you can try it out for free, racing on
ve courses, before deciding
whether to stump up 2.29/$2.99 t
unlock the rest a huge amount of
content with a total of 73 tracks, 32
cities and eight cups are available.
There are no further IAPs, which is
highly preferable to the usu
free-to-play model. Instead,
cars and upgrades are earned via
your racing achievements.
Control couldnt be simpler as you
line up on the grid with 19 AI rivals.
Just hold the right-hand pedal to
accelerate, release it to brake and
Rear-ending rivals will slow you down, so

careful steering is needed
what weve
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
84
twitter
@lgrobot
EDITORS
CHOICE
The retro visuals and music suit the simplied arcade-style racing perfectly
steer your car. There are also six

alternative control options, along
with the option to use an external
gamepad. While the cornering
physics are hardly realistic and many
bends can be taken at out, you may
well need to ease off the gas to
adjust your racing line and avoid
collisions, which slow you down.
Weaving through a load of trafc is
exhilarating, particularly when youre
using a nitro speed boost.
Along the way, you can garner
pick-ups including tokens also
used to unlock more cup

competitions or bonus races and
fuel, which you will need to top up
periodically. While you only need to
nish fth on each course to gain
access to the next location to race,
winning all the races in a cup
competition will unlock a new car, as
will winning a bonus race.
You can also earn permanent
upgrades that improve the
performance of all unlocked vehicles.
This becomes more important as
you progress and in later races
Digfender
Price Free + IAPs

down into the ice in order to unleash

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 ve
branching upgrade trees) is essential
to tackle new and stronger enemies
as you progress though over 60
stages. Theres also an endless
Survival mode to keep you busy.
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 re and ice.
Youre then ready to dig into the
ice below to ush out enemies who
will follow the path you have just
created a unique feature in a TD
game. Each level you have to dig
opponents, so you may need to

return to earlier courses in order to
earn extra tokens.
While theres a minor strategic
element in choosing your upgrades
and the best car to suit each course,
its the fun racing action that will
enthral you. Well certainly be playing
this one all the way to the end.
Price Free + IAPs

You get to dig your own path for the
upsurging enemies to follow
quickhits
Starific Endless Reactor
Resembling a radial
version of the classic
Breakout, Staric is an
intense and endless arcade game
requiring fast reactions to keep
your shooting star in play. At least,
thats the case at rst, in the
default Arcade mode. Later on
youll unlock extra modes
including Moves, which involves a
more strategic style of play.
Since each octagonal arena is
generated procedurally, its
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,
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 difculty, arena
size and controls. With stylish visuals
accompanied by an impressive
electronic soundtrack, it all adds up
to a stellar experience.
Price Free
Move your paddle around the outside and
collect the power-ups
Dont miss out
Beneath The
Lighthouse Free + IAP
Rotate mazes to get a boy to the
exit; it sounds simple, yet is anything but.
As well as avoiding deadly spikes, you
need to beat a timer to win medals. Ads
are annoying, but removable via an IAP.
Target Number
Free + IAPs
Using four operations, you need
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.
Word
Unscramble acrostic grids
This unusual word-based puzzler involves
unscrambling a grid
of letters to form a
perfect acrostic square, with
the same words going across
and down. It starts off easily
enough, with simple
three-by-three grids, but the
difculty is gradually ramped
up as you progress to larger
ones, eventually tackling
six-by-six grid squares. There
are 80 puzzles in total, plus
seven-by-seven grids coming
soon, so theres plenty to
Correct words are highlighted
keep you busy.
once they are arranged
We came up with a
horizontally and vertically
letter-counting tactic, since
any odd letters must go in the top-left to bottom-right
diagonal. In addition, highlighted given letters on some
grids help, as does the overall symmetrical pattern. On
later puzzles, however, we often had to resort to using
hints (given letters) and clues (word denitions) to even
get started. However, only a limited number of each type
can be used, after which an IAP (0.78/$0.99) is required
to unlock more a bit cheeky in a paid app.
Price 0.79/$0.99 + IAPs

In Between
0.89/$0.99
Move emergency vehicles around to

nudge the baddies off the screen
Car Toons
Clearing the road
This weird physics-based puzzler requires you to
knock the bad cars off the screen while keeping
the emergency vehicles safe and parking them
in their spaces. While the main method involves shunting
baddies off ledges, parts of the scenery can also be used,
including vanishing platforms, switches, rotating hammers
and good old explosive red barrels. It starts off easy, but
the difculty level is gradually ramped up through over 100
stages. To help you out, some stages offer a limited
number of special powers to use: the police car turns 180
degrees, the ambulance jumps and the re engine has a
rocket boost. Often, youll need to discover the correct
order for moves and get the timing right to succeed. If you
get stuck, you can skip a stage by using a tow truck
available via IAP or from watching video ads.
Price Free + IAPs

Check our website for

even more game reviews
Hand-drawn backdrops add to

the atmosphere in this gravity-defying
platformer, where the hero can walk and
fall in four directions. The brutal difculty
level may cause frustration though.
Lost Echo 2.38/$2.99

This old-fashioned point-andclick adventure features some
really smart visuals, plenty of puzzles
and an intriguing storyline. Greg is
hunting for his girlfriend who no one else
can remember. Hmm
Dead Effect 2
Free + IAPs
Stuck on a zombie-infested
spaceship, your super-soldier must ght
his way out. If you can ignore the dodgy
storyline, its a pretty playable shooter
with good graphics and okay controls.
Crimsonland
6.49/$9.99
A reboot of the classic 2003
Xbox game, this twin-stick shooter
features a huge arsenal of weapons to
unlock. Youll need them to survive the
often-insane onslaught of creatures.
85
Games
Call of Champions
A mobile MOBA for everyone
Collect power ups for temporary extra

weapons, such as wingmen
Shooty
Skies
The Crossy Road of classic
shoot-em-up games
While Hipster Whales
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 nger around the screen to
move your biplane, which res an
endless stream of bullets unless you
lift your nger 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, youre 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

86
MOBA (mobile online

battle arena) isnt 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 ve minutes. It
simplies proceedings by omitting
standard MOBA features such as
AI minions, team chat, in-match
levelling up and an arena shop.
The battle arena contains two

main tracks, upon which you push an
orb along to weaken your enemys
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 isnt 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 its
down to the number of kills.
Once inside the opposing base, destroy the crystal for victory
A detailed post-match stats screen lets you

add new friends
While battling, ve icons trigger

character-dependent special
abilities, each with a cool-down
timer. If your health bar is perilously
low, its 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 its 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.
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, its 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
doesnt really add anything new to
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.
Price Free + IAPs

Build towers and lay mines to prevent the
advance of the germs
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.
specification
Price Free + IAPs
2 hour wonder

Want your money back?

Youve got 2 hours to decide!
verdict
Performance
Design
Value
! 40
120 80
! 40
120 80
A simplied MOBA that

actually works really well on
the mobile platform
! 40
120 80
Its a lot easier to get into

than most MOBAs
40-80 minutes
The short time limit hurries

battles along a bit
80-120 minutes
Destroy enemy towers and push the

orb towards the enemy base
Vainglory This slightly more

sophisticated MOBA features a more
complex arena and longer matches
refund
messages appearing as
notications, Arika will wait
indenitely for your replies. She
seems to be a similar wisecracking
character to Tyler in the rst 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, its about twice the
length of the original Lifeline too.
like this?
try this!
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.
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 whos
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 ction,
youre 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
Eschewing the typical

free-to-play model, with no IAPs, it also
employs refreshingly realistic graphics.
The difculty level is ramped up brutally,
but if you want a good challenge, this is it.
The IAPs are quite expensive,

but at least not obligatory
keep
Lifeline 2
Defense Zone 2
HD $2.34/$2.99
0-40 minutes
Army of
Darkness
Defense Free + IAPs
Based on the third Evil Dead lm (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.
Your responses affect the storyline and
whether Arika survives or not
Price 2.35/$2.99
LIFELINE Make the right decisions to help rescue an astronaut

from a spooky alien moon

for even more app reviews
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
youre not a fan of the bad guy, play as
either side in a cool multiplayer mode.
87
BUYERS 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
Buyers Guide
TOP 10 SUPER SMARTPHONES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
THE BEST FLAGSHIP AND MID-RANGE

ANDROID PHONES ON THE MARKET
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung has come out ghting after the humdrum response to the S5, with this stunning handset
made entirely of metal and glass. Samsung has had to sacrice microSD support and a removable
battery to make it so thin and light to hold, but it offers a 16MP camera, wireless and superfast
charging, an improved ngerprint scanner and a benchmark-beating processor instead.
Nexus 6P
Finally, we have a Nexus that is truly a device without compromise a worthy agship 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.
LG G4
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.
Sony Xperia Z5
Its another device that prioritises evolution over revolution, but thats not to say Sonys fthgeneration Xperia handset is a dull affair. The cameras are arguably the best weve ever seen, while it
ticks every specication wishlist. Its waterproof and dustproof too, but it does come at a price.
Moto X Style
Although it isnt a direct replacement for the second-generation Moto X, the Style is a step up in terms
of specications (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. Its superb value for money too.
Huawei Mate S
Stunning, in every sense of the word. Huaweis best-ever device could be your next droid. The build
quality cant 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.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

The Z5 Premium is a very good phone, but its just too expensive and the 4K screen adds little value.
Nonetheless its the rst instance of a phone with a 4K screen, so well be interested to see whether
other manufacturers follow Sonys latest innovation.
HTC A9
The M9 remains a great device, but the A9 feels like a change in direction for HTC. Taking on board
criticisms of its agship device, HTC has kitted the A9 with bleeding-edge specs and even shipped it
with Android Marshmallow. As youd expect, the build quality is of the highest order.
HTC One M9
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.
Moto X (2014)
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.
479
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449
See issue 58
372
See issue 52
549
See issue 57
399
See issue 57
469
See issue 59
629
See issue 59
449
See issue 58
579.99
See issue 50
219.99
See issue 45
In case you missed it... Superphone face-off Read more in issue 57

WINNER
Samsung Gala
S6
Price 479
Website samsung.com
There are few
things on the
market that come
close to the S6,
but the lack of
removable battery
is an issue.
HTC One M9
Price 579.99
Website htc.com
The M9 has all the
features of a true
agship device,
but HTC could
have done a lot
more in
differentiating it
from the M8.
89
Buyers Guide
TOP 10 BUDGET BUYS
IF YOURE SHOPPING FOR A SMARTPHONE ON A SHOESTRING, CHECK

OUT THESE LOW-COST MOBILE MUST-HAVES
Vodafone Smart ultra 6
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 phones octa-core
processor, 1080p screen and 2GB RAM specs youd expect to see in a premium handset. Throw in
the fact it looks good and the cameras work brilliantly, and youve got a serious bargain.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
ZTE Blade S6
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!
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2

If youre willing to import your device then you can save a lot of money as Xiaomis 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. Its an incredible phone, but it is heavily skinned and hard to get hold off.
Wileyfox Swift
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 ve-lens camera enclosure, perfect for taking photos in low
light. Cyanogen 12.1 proves to be an authentic alternative to stock Android.
Moto G (2015)
The newly updated third-gen Moto G (2015) model doesnt offer the same metallic nish 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-ash 13MP camera.
Moto G 4G (2015)
Now that the regular Moto G and Moto E have been updated and both offer LTE, this handset doesnt
offer much except that its 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.
Moto E (2015)
The second-gen Moto E is nipping at the heels of the Moto G for the title of Motorolas 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 reect its budget price.
Asus ZenFone 5
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.
Honor 4X
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.
Sony Xperia M2 Aqua

Just like Sonys agship Xperia Z5, this mid-range marvel is waterproof up to at least 1.5 metres.
Sonys 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.
115
See issue 56
149.95
See issue 50
115
See issue 57
129
See issue 56
159
See issue 55
139.99
See issue 51
109
See issue 54
149.99
See issue 48
148.86
See issue 53
150
See issue 48
In case you missed it Games not to miss Read more in issue 58

SirVival
WINNER
Price Free + IAPs

This side-scrolling
runner casts you as a
brave knight riding on
horseback, avoiding
hazards and bashing enemies using
a comic lance tipped with a big red
boxing glove. Its good fun with cool
cutesy visuals and also features
NPC races and a crafting system.
90
Beacon 38
Swords & Crossbones
A Moon for the Sky
Price 2.29/$2.99
Price 2.99/$4.99
Ahoy there, a
turn-based tactical
RPG without the usual
freemium model!
Build up your pirate island and go
on ocean voyages with your crazy
crew in this enjoyable madcap
adventure. The comedy comes
straight from Monkey Island.
Price Free
Navigate your tiny

scout spaceship
through a dangerous
alien world using
sonar pinging to detect hazards in
your way. Its a unique gameplay
mechanic and the art-deco visual
style is captivating. Theres a
denite sense of peril, though.
The interesting
gameplay mechanic
sees you drawing elastic
lines to repeatedly
bounce a moon up through vertical
stages. It takes a while to get the
hang of the controls, but it eventually
proves quite addictive. Pretty
graphics enhance the experience.
Buyers Guide
TOP 10 BEST TABLETS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
WHETHER YOURE LOOKING FOR A SEVEN OR TEN-INCH DISPLAY,

THESE ARE THE TOP TABLETS AVAILABLE ON ANDROID
Sonys 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 ofce. 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
processor and 3GB RAM to ensure it can keep up with console-quality frame rates.
505
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
269
If the Xperia Z4 is an iPad killer, the 8-inch Z3 has the iPad mini in its sights. Weighing just 270g, its
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.
Google Nexus 9
A mighty Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and 2GB RAM mean that even running the most graphic-heavy
games wont slow this 64-bit tablet down. The built-in BoomSound speakers also offer great sound
quality, making Googles new tablet an all-round media consumption device.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5

Ultra thin and ultra bright, colours look vibrant and details distinct on this powerful Super Amoled
screen. Samsungs 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.

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.
Tesco Hudl 2
This sequel to the supermarket chains own-brand tablet cant 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.
Samsung Galaxy TabPRO (8.4, Wi-Fi)

The smallest tablet in Samsungs 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 wed prefer higher-quality
speakers. However, an 8MP camera and an intuitive interface are good compensation.
Vodafone Tab Prime 6

Vodafones 4G tablet is the networks 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.
Amazon Fire
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 reected in its build quality and design.
Lenovo Yoga Tab 3

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 54
See issue 46
299
See issue 45
349
See issue 43
309.95
See issue 39
99
See issue 44
199
See issue 38
70
See issue 53
50
See issue 59
149.99
NEW ENTRY
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91
DroidSupport
troubleshooting advice hints and tips
an expert
Gotemail
an Androidrelated problem that
you need solving?
Let us know!
Share your tips & tricks
Join us on Facebook and Twitter
to share and receive some
great tips and advice
facebook
/littlegreenrobot
Like us on Facebook and join

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

your thoughts and questions
Did you know?

You can customise the way the LED
notications present themselves on your
Android using an app called Light Flow
- LED & Notications. You can change the
colours for events, adjust the vibration
and also customise the patterns
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
A
Hi Martha. This
problem is somewhat
common and the
solution for it is very easy. Why it
happens we cannot answer,
unfortunately, and even more
bizarrely, we cannot say why the
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
92
Time change, you may want to

try this trick again and see if it
res
d time. When
you
An
to
computers were not so long

ago, it is more surprising that
more errors like this do not pop
up for many Android users, but
eem to have an
facebook email
/littlegreenrobot
Get help from our

Facebook community

experts to tackle
My mother wants a new

phone. Please help!
DroidSupport
Ask your questions

Got a problem with your Android phone or tablet?
Send it to us and well nd the solution
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
concerns Claire! The
fact is that despite
smartphones seeming to be
straightforward for millions of
people, newcomers to the
technology may struggle at rst.
If your mother does not have
experience with computers this
will be another drawback, but
we have some solutions that
should ease the process. If she
buys a phone from Samsung or a
few other select manufacturers,
there is an Easy Mode option in
Settings that cuts many of the
advanced features and makes
the homescreen much easier to

manage. An alternative is
available from Google Play,
called BIG Launcher, which has
been designed for those who
have vision problems or issues
with dexterity on small devices.
It adds big fonts throughout the
system and focuses on enabling
immediate access to the most
important areas, such as calls
and emails. It is also
customisable, meaning that as
your mother gets used to the
functionality and the features,
she can change things and delve
a little deeper at her own pace.
Every part of the system can be changed

to make it easy to use
Also, dont forget the

Accessibility settings in A
which are designed to ma
screen easier to read and
offer voice guidance whe
the phone is used. No ma
what you do, start slow a
gradually increase the
complexity over time.
There are apps and settings available to

greatly simplify Android phones
hints&tips Push emails and disable notications with our handy hints
Manually receive emails
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
Stop unwanted app alerts
Stop Wi-Fi pop-ups
If you have a sporadic Wi-Fi connection

and keep seeing connection notications,
you can go to Wi-Fi settings>Advanced,
where theres an option called Network
notication. Disable it to stop the alerts.
Some apps will bombard you with unwanted

notications, but they are easy to stop. Long
press any notication, tap the i button and
then choose Block to stop them. You can also
delete the app if the alerts are an intrusion.
93
DroidSupport
Why cant I
send
profanities?
Often I am nding 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
two ways to get around
this and as we are not
prudes, we are happy to help you
spice up your conversations. You
can rst 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
phone cal
Is it possible to record a phone
from an Android phone and mo
specically to record both side
the conversation? I am unsure
legalities of doing this and if it i
possible, so any advice would
appreciated. Any app
recommendations would also
very much appreciated.
John Miswell
Hi John. It is legal
record a phone cal
you are party to,
provided the recording is n
shared with a third party.
However, you will need to
check the laws for differen
regions because they do d
from country to country. I
are happy that you are sta
within the law, we would
suggest trying an app cal
Automatic Call Recorder,
otherwise known as call
which is available on Go
Play. It offers a variety of
methods to quickly initi
recording and can also d
with the sound les wit
afterwards; you can eve
have memory managem
taken care of by the app
you record a lot of calls
free to try, which is ano
bonus, because this is
area where some phon
work better than others
you will want to make sur
Textra SMS lets you send anything you like
Can I turn a
phone into a
computer?
You can easily record both sides of a phone

conversation, just dont share the recording
it
orks for you before you buy
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
pointers to get me started?
Jeremy McDonald
Hi Jeremy We can see

why
prove to
mire the
tempt it.
werful as
ourse
e to
nd of full
ience.
can
rds, mice
essories
se
eate a
here
e a small
ust a
d it. In
akes more
ra
e
g just a
oftware
d to
Android
hese will
he end
ble and
y use.
nsider
er ways
use an old
e,
an in-car
nt system,
n as a
use.
oo many
eusing an
Did you know?

If you install an app yet cannot nd 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.
Imagine Publishing Ltd
Richmond House, 33 Richmond Hill
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+44 (0) 1202 586200
Web: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
www.greatdigitalmags.com
Magazine team
Editor April Madden
april.madden@imagine-publishing.co.uk
01202 586218
Production Editor Adele Jordan

Features Editor Oliver Hill
Senior Designer Adam Markiewicz
Photographer James Sheppard
Senior Art Editor Andy Downes
Editor in Chief Dan Hutchinson
Publishing Director Aaron Asadi
Head of Design Ross Andrews
Contributors
with ports
1 Deal
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.
budget option
2 The
If you are prepared to ddle 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.
Andy Betts, Christian Cawley, Phil King, Shaun McGill, Philip

Morris, Michael Simpson, Harry Slater and Jessica Thornsby
Advertising
Digital or printed media packs are available on request.
Head of Sales Hang Deretz
01202 586442
hang.deretz@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Account Manager Simon Hall
01202 586415
simon.hall@imagine-publishing.co.uk
FileSilo.co.uk
Assets and resource files for this magazine can be found
on this website.
Support filesilohelp@imagine-publishing.co.uk
International
Android Magazine is available for licensing.
Contact the International department to discuss
partnership opportunities.
Head of International Licensing Cathy Blackman
+44 (0) 1202 586401
licensing@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Subscriptions
For all subscriptions enquiries
0844 245 6963 (UK)
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Email: android@servicehelpline.co.uk
13 issue subscription (UK) 51.90 (CC)
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13 issue subscription (ROW) 75
Circulation
Head of Circulation Darren Pearce
01202 586200
with familiarity
3 Start
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.
a mouse
4 Make
If you nd that the whole idea of turning an
old Android phone into a computer is not
benecial, 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.
Production
Production Director Jane Hawkins
01202 586200
Finance
Finance Director Marco Peroni
Founder
Group Managing Director Damian Butt
Printing & Distribution

Printed by William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road,
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Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by:
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Distributed in Australia by: Network Services (a division of
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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material
lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of
Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced
in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher.
All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose
of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured
to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and
availability may change. This magazine is fully independent and
not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
If you submit material to Imagine Publishing via post, email, social
network or any other means, you automatically grant Imagine Publishing
an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free license to use the material across
its entire portfolio, in print, online and digital, and to deliver the material
to existing and future clients, including but not limited to international
licensees for reproduction in international, licensed editions of Imagine
products. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although
every care is taken, neither Imagine Publishing nor its employees,
agents or subcontractors shall be liable for the loss or damage.
best solution of all?

5 The
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.
very simple solution

6 A
If you are happy with the screen size of your
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Imagine Publishing Ltd 2016
ISSN 2047-1580
Android, a Bluetooth keyboard with a slot that ts

the device will offer a PC-like experience without
setting up software and attaching peripherals. Its
not ideal for pushing the PC/Android experiment,
but it may work better for most people.
for even more tips & tricks
95
Resources
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Log in to www.filesilo.co.uk/android and download the latest
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10 free wallpaper
collection of designs
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Issue 61 of Android Magazine is on sale 18 February 2016 from GreatDigitalMags.com
98
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App reviews Tips & advice

THE WORLDS BEST

Youre one connection away from award winning TV sound

Praise for Canton soundbases

Hands down the best sounding

Reaches a level of sophistication you

Super-sized soundbase makes movie

What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision

Home Cinema Choice

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

MEET THE TEAM

Do you worry about whether your phone and

On the theme of getting more from your

This year Im looking forward to

Drop us an email and let us know what

Like us on Facebook to send us

Follow us on Twitter and send us

FREE exclusive with this issue

Watch us get our hands on the

06 Will this be Androids

Keep your mobile

08 10 things you need to

Are you getting the most

Highlights and hidden

HackerZone This months top mods and tweaks

Visit the Android Magazine online shop at

for back issues and books

45 Overclock your phone

Make your processor work harder and

52 Hacking Tips & Tricks

Get more from

54 How to get started with

Hate typing? Supercharge your text

Highlights and hidden features of

55 Replicate the Galaxy S6 Edge

Get Edge-style notications for

32 Set the apps that Google Now

56 Remotely control a computer

58 Spoof your Androids MAC

Readers questions answered

Latest tech tested

60 Big brand Android tablets

Your complete guide

All the latest from the world of Android devices

market. We have already seen renders and heard

the early pace for others to follow, combining a

It seems the emphasis is going to return to

Crowdfunding has played a massive role in the

LGs 18-inch display that can

even if a fully foldable smartphone is possible

HTC enters the VR ra

Can the HTC VIVE bring VR to the forefront of Android de

mobile gaming, but

Away from smartphones, smart-home

things you need

Clean your cache

Silence alerts using Android

Send a text when you reach a

Make your own

Update apps automatically

Llama is a location-aware app from KebabApps that

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