Smartphones posts - How To- Page 59

Set up color LED alerts on the Galaxy Nexus

The Galaxy Nexus has a hidden LED near the bottom of the glass on the front of the phone. Normally, you'll see it blink white for notifications, but what if you want more information than "you missed something, *blink blink*"? With one app, you can adjust the color of the LED so you can see what you missed at a glance. Additionally, you'll be able to set audible reminders that repeat as often as you tell them to. Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Download and install Light Flow from the Google … Read more

Access the iPhone camera from the lock screen even quicker on iOS 5.1

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One of the features in iOS 5 touted by Apple was the ability to quickly access the camera from the iPhone's lock screen. You would double-click the home button, a camera icon would appear next to the "slide to unlock" bar, and you would be taken straight to the camera.

This method was faster than unlocking your device, navigating to the Camera app, and launching it, but it could have been faster.

With iOS 5.1, Apple changed the workflow for accessing your camera from the lock screen, streamlining the process. Gone are the days … Read more

How to 'finally' delete photos from Photo Stream

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When Apple launched iCloud and its Photo Stream service, there was a glaring omission: Apple didn't include the ability to delete photos that had been uploaded to Photo Stream. This was a problem that could potentially lead to some embarrassing situations.

There was actually a roundabout way of deleting photos from Photo Stream, but it required you to delete your entire Photo Stream, which wasn't very convenient. When the iOS 5.1 developer preview was released, the ability to delete individual photos had been added. There was hope!

With the release of iOS 5.1 and … Read more

How to set up and use iPhoto Beam on iOS

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iPhoto for iOS is a great tool for editing your photos on your favorite iOS device. I covered the basics of the app yesterday, but today I want to show you how to the Beam feature.

In iPhoto for iOS you can beam a photo from one iOS device to another, as long as they are both on the same wireless network. Watch the video below to see Beam in action.

The good thing about this feature is that if you are in the middle of editing a photo, and you beam it to another device, it opens … Read more

Getting started with iPhoto for iOS

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Most hardware announcements Apple makes are usually accompanied by a piece of software. With the announcement of the new iPad and Apple TV today, Apple also announced the launch of iPhoto for iOS.

You can purchase iPhoto for iOS starting today in the App Store. It will set you back $4.99, and you will need to be running iOS 5.1 on your iOS device(s) for iPhoto to install. With the size of the app coming in at 106MB, you will need to be connected to Wi-Fi to download the app on your device.

Albums After … Read more

5 ways to help find your lost Android device

Some of us are so dependent on our Android devices that our breathing gets weird just from thinking about losing them. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to track them down beyond just calling and hoping to hear the ring under a pile of laundry. Some require installation beforehand, but one doesn't. Here's how to help ensure your device comes back to you:

Set up Contact Owner so that the first thing someone sees when they pick up your device is a message telling them how to get in touch with you. It's easy … Read more

How to test out the Samsung Galaxy Note from your browser

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Samsung's Galaxy Note simulator allows you to try out features and functions of the Galaxy Note from your Web browser.

There are 12 sections on the left side of the simulator to choose from. Once you select a section, you'll be presented with a list of items you can simulate from that section. Use your mouse to click on the actual areas of the Galaxy Note you'd normally tap with your finger or with the S pen stylus.

The simulator is a nice way to get to know the Galaxy Note before making your purchasing … Read more

Share items with multiple Android apps simultaneously

Andmade Share takes one simple idea and does it well. You ought to be able to share or send items to multiple Android apps at the same time. Here's how to use it:

Install Andmade Share here. Open your gallery, Web browser, or pretty much any other app that lets you share items, then press the menu button, then select Share. You should either see a long list of share options or a shorter list comprising Andmade Share and Android System. In either case, select Andmade Share to bring up a checklist of share options; in the … Read more

Five things you may not know about Google Play

Google, which has been largely criticized for fragmenting its offerings, is taking a step toward unifying its digital media services. Today, Google announced Google Play, a service that combines Google Music, Books, Movies, and Apps into one entertainment hub.

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1. Here's the scoop. In a nutshell, Google Music, Google eBookstore, and the Android Market were combined to form Google Play. Not only will you purchase music, movies, books, and apps at play.google.com, but those items will also be stored in the cloud. You'll be able to do the same thing on your Android phone … Read more

How to take 800 photos a minute with your iPhone

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An iOS app, Fast Camera, aims to help people never miss an important photo again. When the user launches Fast Camera, your device will instantly start taking pictures.

Fast Camera, which is usually 99 cents, is free in the App Store today.

Upon launching the app, you will begin to hear a camera shutter sound almost instantly. Fast Camera is already taking pictures, and it won't stop until you press the stop button. You can see the number of pictures that have been taken in the lower-left corner of the screen. Once you press Stop, you can … Read more