Ever wish you could snap a quick photo of whatever’s on the screen of your Android phone—say, a “screenshot” of an interesting app, or of an eyebrow-raising message thread? Well, taking a picture (or a “screen capture,” as it’s...
Wish you could browse the latest scores, glance at your inbox, check the weather, or even identify a song directly from your Android phone’s lock screen, no passcode required? Well, you can, actually, thanks to the new lock-screen “widgets” in the...
Got the latest version of Gmail for Android? If so, you can now scan the first few lines of your email or even archive a message without actually opening Gmail. The trick: sliding down the Notifications pane on your Android phone and performing a simple gesture on...
Need your Android phone to compose an email, get directions, scan a barcode, or even name a song—all with a bare minimum of taps? Just speak into the microphone. The latest version of Google search for Android—which, strictly speaking, is now part of a new Android app...
Don’t want to sync your iPhone or Android snapshots with iCloud or the Google+ social network? Here’s an easy alternative. Dropbox is a handy, simple-to-use file-syncing service (click here to download and install the free Dropbox desktop utility) that...
Can’t be bothered to tap in a passcode to unlock your sleeping smartphone? Well, the latest Android phones have another way to verify that you’re you: by scanning your face. The idea behind Face Unlock (a feature that requires Android version 4.0 or better, by...
Wish the screen on your asleep-but-charging Android phone could do something a little more interesting than just go blank? If so, good news: a feature in the latest version of Android will turn your phone’s sleeping display into a digital clock, a photo gallery,...
Ever dread the thought of tapping out a text or replying to email on your slippery Android touchscreen? I know the feeling. Here’s a half-dozen ways to make life easier on your fingertips, from long-pressing your way to the symbol keys to letting your voice do...
