Smartphones posts - How To- Page 103

Five lazy ways to find great live music

It always seems like the best concerts are the ones you hear about too late. But who has time to scour the show listings in the local paper or habitually check a band's Web site for tour dates?

There's a better way. In fact, there are so many sites out there promising personalized concert recommendations, I figured a roundup was in order. So here you are, five sites that will put you in tune with the best live music in your area, using data from your favorite music sites and services:

How to uninstall apps without using the Android Market

Downloading new apps is a great and fun way to experience new content from the Android Market. However, there might be times when one of the apps you've downloaded is less than desirable. If no Internet connection is present or you don't want to wait for the Android Market to load, here are a few quick steps for uninstalling these apps:

1. Open the Settings menu and choose Applications from the list.

2. Choose Manage applications from the next menu.

3. Look for and select the app you'd like to uninstall in the list. If … Read more

How to access Google Tasks on Android phones

Google Tasks is a nice and simple task list manager that's integrated into Gmail. Unfortunately, Google Tasks is unavailable as an Android app. To use Google Tasks in Android, you'll need to use the mobile Web browser on your phone. Here's how:

To access Google Tasks on your Android phone, you'll need to open up your favorite mobile browser and go to google.com/tasks. From your Android phone, you can perform most of the functions available on the desktop version, except for printing and e-mailing lists. Keep in mind that … Read more

How to customize search on your Android device

Google does search like nobody else and, with a few tweaks, your Android search tool can help you easily keep track of all the bits and pieces of your life. With a quick run through your settings and one fairly simple change of habit, you can save yourself plenty of time and get personalized hits you might otherwise have missed.

To get started, just click the menu button, then "Settings," then "Search." Click "Google search" to look at the big picture. If your search results are cluttered, try disabling one or more of the … Read more

How to manually transfer music to your Android's SD card

Phones that can browse the Web, e-mail, and check Twitter usually include a music player. And what better to listen to on your phone than your own music? Here's an easy guide to help add some tunes to your phone's library without any third-party software.

Step 1: Locate the music files on your computer.

Step 2: Connect the phone via USB cable and select "Turn on USB storage," which will allow you to mount the SD card to add music. If no prompt appears, there will be a USB icon in the notification shade (at top) … Read more

How to launch Android apps by plugging in headphones

The built-in speakers on most Android smartphones are OK in a pinch, but a nice pair of earphones always sounds better. Now, you can automatically launch TuneIn Radio, Slacker, Winamp, or any other audio app when you plug your earphones into your Android phone. Here's how:

First, search the Android market for Plug In Launcher and install it.

When you start Plug In Launcher, it'll go straight to the Headset tab and display four options. To select your favorite music app to launch, touch the area where it says, "Click Here to Assign," marked here with … Read more

How to optimize your Wi-Fi network with Wifi Analyzer

Wireless routers have quickly become an essential appliance in the modern home. Here's how to use the Android app, Wifi Analyzer, to optimize your WiFi network.

Wireless channel

Wireless networks use specific channels within the wireless spectrum. An overcrowded wireless channel results in decreased bandwidth and/or connectivity issues for your network. Use Wifi Analyzer to see what channels are in use and to identify the best channel to set on your router.

Step 1: The first time Wifi Analyzer is launched, it goes straight into the Channel graph view. To switch to Channel rating view, press the Menu … Read more

Pandora apps put comedy in your pocket

Recently I finished a three-month trial of SiriusXM Radio. And despite a relentless onslaught of calls and e-mails from the company, I elected not to continue my subscription. The only channels I really wanted were the comedy ones, which, frankly, weren't that great.

Pandora to the rescue! Yesterday, the incomparably awesome Internet-radio service introduced comedy stations. My first thought: "Please let them be available in the mobile apps. Please let them be available in the mobile apps." Because I figured that such an incomparably awesome addition to the service must come with a catch.

Huzzah! Turns out I can enjoy the likes of Daniel Tosh, Bill Cosby, Steven Wright, and Mitch Hedberg on my iPad, iPhone, Android phone, and so on--wherever there's a Pandora app. And make no mistake: Pandora's comedy stations are infinitely better than the ones on SiriusXM, if only because the mix caters directly to my tastes.… Read more

How to take screenshots on your Android device

There are lots of reasons you might want to take a screenshot on your Android device. Maybe you want to show off your amazing home screen, or maybe you want to show a distant friend something cool they can't do with their iPhone. Unless you've got the native screen-capture function that comes with Android 2.3.3 or better (and that's not very many of you at the time of this writing), your options are limited, but you can still do it without paying a cent or rooting your device. Setting up your Android device to take … Read more

Piclings: Use your iPhone photos to create custom levels

If you have ever wanted to be able to create your own iPhone game, Piclings gets you a step farther, offering users a way to use their own photographs to make custom levels for Picazzo, a little flying Picling that must gather coins and special objects while avoiding buzzing enemies.

Piclings uses a floating joystick to control Picazzo as he flies his way around one of their several levels, or ones that you create. The Piclings custom level creation analyzes your selected photo and creates ledges and walls using lines within your picture.

The level creation technology seems to be … Read more