I’ve always been wary of adding a facial recognition unlock system to my Android. Some days, I wear glasses. Other days, I don’t shave. And sometimes I wear a hat. I know that the Android facial recognition system is generally smart enough to see through these changes and identify the basic facial structure beneath, but I like to stick with my basic password unlock system. But for people like me who are paranoid about Android’s facial recognition system, Google has added the ability to…
When Android 4.2 was released, users rejoiced at a particularly welcome set of news: the latest version of our favorite operating system would be the first one to include a built-in anti-malware app scanner. That’s great, right? Since the Google Play Store is a free-for-all in terms of app verification (app developers can basically upload whatever they want to the store), it’s nice that Google decided to add a little extra protection for its users. But there’s a big catch to this…
Every Android smartphone or tablet has the lockscreen enabled by default. To unlock your phone, you just have to slide your finger across the screen. Some people choose to add more secure lockscreens that require password entry or facial recognition. But some people don’t worry about the security of their phone. Some people never lose their phones or take extra precautions against theft. Whatever the case may be, not everybody needs an Android lockscreen. And removing the lockscreen can…
It was only a matter of time before the world’s most popular social networks added built-in Instagram-like features to their interface. And it appears that time is now. The latest upgrade to the Twitter app for Android adds photo filtering features to the mix. These photo filtering features are important because Instagram recently dropped support for Twitter in the first sign that competition as heating up between Facebook and Twitter – the world’s two largest social networks. Now,…
Encryption is more important today than it has ever been in the past. Although the power of technology expands every day, hacking technology is keeping pace, and that means it’s surprisingly easy for someone to gain access to personal information on your mobile device. Fortunately, Android Jelly Bean comes with a number of cool features, and enhanced encryption support is one of those features. Thanks to Jelly Bean’s device encryption tool, anyone can protect their device’s data…
Today, most websites – including this one – use black text on a white background. Sites are designed like this because they look good and our eyes are used to reading that kind of text. After all, throughout history, most books have been printed using dark text on a light background. But we’re going to give you a few reasons why you should consider reversing millennia of history and invert your Android’s black and white contrast. It saves your eyes If you use your Android in a dark…
When Apple Maps came out, everybody on the internet got a good laugh at Apple’s expense. Sure, some cities were in the ocean and freeway overpasses were in hopeless disarray, but at least nobody was killed, right? Well, according to Australian police, tourists headed to the town of Mildura, Victoria are very fortunate that they all survived the iOS 6 Apple Maps catastrophe of 2012. The Mildura Police Department issued a press release on December 10 warning motorists to be careful when…
Apple has been facing a lot of criticism over the past year or so. Lackluster devices like the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini have indicated that innovation has dried up at the world’s most valuable company. And to make matters worse, more consumers appear to be realizing that Apple devices are more expensive and unwieldy compared to slick new Androids. But Apple fans can rejoice because the iPad recently trounced its competition in a series of battery tests performed by a third-party…
There are plenty of Android launchers available on the Google Play Store. Most of these launchers do the same thing. They customize your launch bar, allow you to add custom launch widgets, and perform all sorts of other launch-related actions. But a new launch app called Action Launcher is gathering some attention among members of the Android community. Here are a few features that make Action Launcher unique: -No app drawer required: All apps can be found by simply swiping left. That…
Google Now is arguably the biggest upgrade made to Android in Jelly Bean. And Google is so proud of its Siri competitor that it has decided to bring the popular app to the Google Chrome internet browser. A web-savvy guy named Francois Beaufort spotted a change made to Chrome’s source that allows a skeleton of Google Now to be created for the internet browser. Although official details are nonexistent at this point, you can expect Google Now for Chrome to function a lot like its Android…
