As we close out one week and kick off another, let’s take a moment to look back at the top tips and tricks from the past seven days (March 24 – March 30). Some of the tips you may recall, some may be new to you, but all the “how-tos” below are worthy of a second mention.
How to view cricket scores in Google Now
Recently, Google rolled out an update for the Google Search app that bought support for Cricket scores in Google Now. Up until now, Google Now has only supported NCAA and football scores — sports which are mainly prevalent in the United States and surrounding regions. This is the first time that Google has added support for a major sport in Now that is widely popular in Asia.
10 HTC One (M8) hands-on and videos: Everything you need to know
The new HTC One (M8) is one of the most interesting devices of 2014 and thanks to HTC announcing and launching the phone on the same day, we have seen a slew of hands-on videos and reports detailing everything we need to know about it. At AndroidBeat, we decided to check almost every article that has been written about the new M8 and picked the most interesting ones to give you a better understanding of everything it has to offer.
Top 5 features of the new HTC One (M8)
The 2014 HTC One or the HTC One (M8) as it is known was announced just a couple of hours ago by HTC. But with so many features being talked about during the event, it’s hard to keep note of what’s important and what’s not. So here’s a list of the top 5 features that should make the handset a very attractive proposition to potential buyers.
The Nokia X is the Finnish company’s first Android-running smartphone. However, the handset uses on an outdated version of Jelly Bean, instead of KitKat but since Nokia has themed the whole OS to behave like a Windows Phone device, the underlying version of Android does not really matter. On the flip side, using such an old version of Android means that there are quite a few security vulnerabilities and performance issues. The positive side is it makes rooting the Nokia X an extremely easy task via some of the older root-based exploits available for Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean.
Nokia X Review: X-Factor missing
Last month at Mobile World Congress, Nokia answered the prayers of many of its loyalists and Android lovers by releasing not one but a trio of Android running handsets — the Nokia X, XL and XL+. All three handsets are aimed at the low-end market and run the open source flavour of Android, instead of the Google one. While the Nokia XL and XL+ are slated to go on sale sometime in Q2, the Nokia X is already up for sale in certain regions of the world. We take the handset out for a spin to find out how good Nokia’s first Android phone really is.
How to install Nova Launcher on Nokia X
While the Nokia X runs on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the UI looks nothing like your typical Android device. Even the homescreen looks like a Windows Phone rip-off and surprisingly does not come with any kind of app drawer as well. Due to the lack of an app drawer, all the installed apps just keep piling up on the homescreen as a tile, thereby adding unnecessary clutter. You can, however, install any popular third party launcher like Nova on your Nokia X to solve this problem.
Why I’m skipping the new HTC One (M8), Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z2 for the LG G3
We’re spoilt for choice in the Android world. Many flagships with spec sheets each getting longer than the other are battling for our attention and our hard-earned money. However, as I spent days reading the rumors then the official announcements of the Sony Xperia Z2, Samsung Galaxy S5 and new HTC One (M8), I found myself experiencing very little gadget envy. I own an LG G2 and I decided to skip all of these new devices for the LG G3. Here’s why.
“Powered by Android” may come to all our boot screens, but does it matter?
Geek.com reported yesterday that “Powered by Android”, the sentence we have seen on the boot screen of both the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the new HTC One (M8), is a mandated change by google coming to more Android devices.
Tip: Disable the power menu on the lockscreen to further secure your Android device
Smartphones are an integrated part of our life and they contain a lot of personal information. That’s why many people use a lockscreen security code to protect their privacy. Technically, if the lockscreen code is enabled, the device should be in a complete lockdown mode i.e. it should not be possible to use it at all except for calling an emergency number.
How to install Google Apps on Nokia X
Even though the Nokia X is an Android device, it does not come with the whole suite of Google Apps pre-installed, which can be a bummer for me. Thankfully, if you have root access on the device, you can easily all the Google apps on the phone without much of a hassle.
