How do you use Google Helpouts?

How Do You Android has moved!

You will be automatically redirected to the new address. You can also visit http://www.howdoyouandroid.com/
and update your bookmarks.

...And what does it have to do with Android? Well, Helpouts is radically cool, first of all. I'm excited about it; from both sides. It's Hangouts based, but the purpose is connecting someone who has a question with someone who has an answer.

The program, which is by Google, is both a website (helpouts.google.com) and an app (view in Google Play). The format is video chatting, so you need a webcam on your computer or a front-facing camera on your phone. I think it's pretty helpful (appropriate, no?) that it goes with you anywhere, on your Android.

The questioner searches on a question or keywords. A list of instructors will come up, with descriptions, ratings, and per hour and per minute rates. You schedule a time to talk with one, or you can get in a queue to talk with the instructor right away if he/she is available. Google offers a money back guarantee, in case you're dissatisfied with your session. I tried searching for musical questions and discovered a ton of options, from learn guitar classes to answers to music reading questions. I tried searching on some computer/tech-related questions and found many instructors in this area, on a variety of topics. I found, however, that searching for specific questions -- such as "How do you take a screenshot?" or "How do you send a text?" -- while it will pull up a list of instructors in the right category, doesn't find specific results. So likely you could find an approximately appropriate topic and inquire; however, it makes me think perhaps from the instructor side of things, offering straightforward answers to simple questions could be a good angle.

Google is saying this feature will grow fast and big, but is starting on the smaller side, with the categories Arts and Music, Computers and Electronics, Cooking, Education and Careers, Fashion and Beauty, Fitness and Nutrition, Health, and Home and Garden.

How do you stay healthy with Android's help?

Do you have people in your life who are so healthy they would likely break off the relationship if they were aware that you patronize Chick-Fil-A? Or perhaps you are that person, and will no longer read How Do You Android after this startling revelation. Before you go, do finish this article -- it's right up your alley.

Google recently began adding nutrition info to its search engine. Of course that info was already on the web and therefore already findable via Google, but now the information is native to Google, in the same way that currency and measurement conversions are native. That means you can search, for example, on, "How many calories are in a salad with chicken?" Google will display the answer, along with two drop down menus to change Type and Quantity, above the web search results. To the right, you'll see a picture of the item, as well as an About snippet and the Nutrition Facts. You may wonder why I've chosen a salad with chicken as my example meal, since that particular item has not yet made it into Google's database. The answer to that valid question is because a salad with chicken is the best meal under the sun. If you would like to test the feature, I highly recommend the query, "How many calories in a radish?" The particularly cool thing for Android users is that you can ask Google Now for this information.

But calorie-counting is not the only way your Android can keep you healthy. The first app you should check out is called My Tracks, and is Google-developed. It's very simple... like you guessed, it just records your paths -- location, speed, distance, elevation. You can set the app to announce your progress as you go, and you can also export the data to Drive and store the route in Maps, as well as share the information with Facebook or Google+ friends.

MyFitnessPal is the next app you might like to try out. Like the new Google information, it gives the calorie count for foods you search on. It goes beyond that, though, in saving the data so you can make sure you're staying within your goals.

Visit the Play Store's Health and Fitness section for just about any specific assistance you might want, but first we'll look at one more universal option. It's called Workout Trainer -- guess what it does. Step-by-step audio, photo, and video instructions guide you in specific workout routines that either have been specifically  chosen or else fall under the heading (improve running, lose weight, practice yoga, get a six-pack...) that you selected. Other features include a virtual fitness consultation wizard, option to play music from your phone while in the app, a widget with a new workout suggestion every day, and connection with other exercisers.

Ok, now you can leave in a huff, if you feel you ought.

How do you use an Android to make sure you're shopping smart?

Last summer, I went to a neighborhood-wide yard sale event. When the owners are sitting in their lawn chairs in the garage doorway, and you're the only shopper perusing the tables on the driveway, subtlety is just not an option. A few times my actions escaped notice, but twice I was caught red-handed. Yes, I was investigating resale price. The owners of the remote-controlled monster truck said they'd heard of people researching prices on their phones, and they wanted to know what I found. (I found they were asking twice the truck's value.) The owners of the Lionel model train were pretty sure both the train and its box (which did not match) were valuable; I didn't disillusion them, but an observant onlooker might point out I didn't buy this valuable train. The exciting part of yard sale-ing is when you discover a functioning Samsung Alias for $5, which you sell for $40, and your buyer returns it because the battery won't charge, which wasn't true when you tested it, and now the Alias is sitting in a basket on your desk, forevermore. I'm sure you see, now, that if you're not tapping this bank, you're missing quite an opportunity. Or you could find poorly-listed electronics on eBay that sell for half their value, and make a 100% ROI when you flip them. But I still love yard sales. They're charming.

All that to say, you should always do a price check when you make a decent-sized purchase. It takes seconds, and can be a real money-saver. I don't expect you to research before purchasing a tube of Pringles, and I think you already know to check your options before you buy a camera (you'd better be buying a DSLR... your cell phone suffices for point-and-shoot). I'm talking about the in-between purchases... like a pair of shoes or a hardcover collection of Fitzgerald's works. Here's how the affair might proceed:

You wouldn't usually buy sandals like that, but there's something about them that's calling your name. (Pardon me, if this example is not appealing to every demographic in my target market.) The typical solution to these dilemmas is to try on the shoes and discover that you hate them. Unfortunately, the attempt has failed. They're fun and they're comfortable; now you're in a pickle. You try not to be an impulse buyer, so you ponder your closet. Is this purchase justifiable? You decide that these sandals will keep you comfortable throughout one highly-anticipated, highly-perambulatory event, coming up in mere months. Yes, they should be purchased. You do not, however, approve of such price tags. That means it's time for phase 2 of Operation Footwear.

After you've used SnipSnap to check for coupons to the store where you're shopping, open your Amazon Mobile app, and touch the barcode scanner. If the item is available for sale on Amazon, the price will be a good representation of about the best price you'll find from retailers. For most people this is sufficient research. If the price is the same or is close enough to the brick and mortar price that you're happy, go for it. However, I would continue with an eBay app investigation. Start with the barcode scanner, but you're not going to find every listing that way, because not every listing will include enough product details to show up in your barcode search. If you proceed to search by brand, style name, or other keywords, you can sleep well tonight, knowing your effort was thorough.

This method of checking that you're shopping smart is the best of both worlds: you don't have the risk of not being able to see the physical item, but you still get the best price possible. Just get into the habit of scanning the barcode through Amazon, and see whether you don't end up saving a few dollars... not a bad hourly wage, considering that the investigation should take about 15 seconds. Checking eBay, also, will probably save you more money, but it also takes a few more minutes, so you need to decide whether its worthwhile, probably depending on the size of the purchase.

How do you stay up to date on government issues, using your Android?

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

That's the conclusion of Abraham Lincoln's Gettsyburg Address. Did you read it? I tend to glance, rather than read, when the text is familiar. I read it today, though. Of the people, by the people, for the people... it rolls of the tongue nicely. But if the government will perish from the earth if we the people allow it, we the people better take our responsibility seriously. Voting left or right, once every four years, might not cut it.

If you are following issues as they transpire, you'll find yourself educated and engaged. Our country is great because we have the privilege of participating in the governing. Just making a small change can be a great way to increase your participation in this privilege. Did you know there's a White House app? It includes news, speeches, briefings, and photo and video archives. A very cool feature that was recently added is access to We the People petitions, so you can actually sign petitions, such as HSLDA's Romeike family petition, from your Android.

It's pretty neat to really have access to what's going on in the White House. This app allows you to see and learn about exactly what you'd like, meaning you choose the news you hear, instead of your newscaster of choice. Don't pursue the topics you're not concerned about...delve deeper and watch videos about the issues that affect you personally. Just start; download the app and browse around a little. If you check in once a day, while you're waiting in line for a few minutes, your current events knowledge will skyrocket.

Download the app from the Google Play Store here.

How do you get Facebook Home, for Android?

I've never been that excited about launchers, but there's a new one coming that's rather different. This one, you see, has a purpose. Facebook Home, which can be installed only on Android, is a film through which your phone is viewed. Facebook becomes central to your smartphone experience, starting with the homescreen and lockscreen, which are replaced with "Cover Feed"... streaming of posts and pictures, which you can actually like, comment on, etc, natively; no need to open the Facebook app. Chat Heads is the second big feature; this combines Facebook messages with texts, and allows multitasking so you can work in another app and then come back to the chat, without interruption. Lastly, Facebook Home includes an App Launcher. It... ehm... launches apps. I'm not so very excited about this particular aspect of Facebook Home.

In summary, Facebook Home makes Facebook more than just easily-accessible... rather, it's already active, no matter what else is open on your phone. View the official website, for more information. The first phone to include Facebook Home natively is the HTC First, already available for pre-order here. You don't have to buy the HTC First, though... the family of apps will be available for download from the Google Play Store on April 12. Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Note II, the Samsung Galaxy S III, and the HTC One series are supported, but I'm confident Facebook Home will be available across-the-board, quickly. If you have an Android, that is. If you have an iPhone, well, to quote Doug Gross, CNN contributor, "Your wait might be quite a bit longer. Or, you know, forever." Can anyone tell me why that might be? It's because Android is an open source operating system, permitting such overhauls as Facebook Home. That is why we love it.

That's also why Android is winning the smartphone war. In the first quarter of 2013, Android accounted for 51.2 percent of smartphone sales, compared with Apple's 43.5 percent, according to The Economic Times. It is interesting to note that new smartphone subscribers in that same time period leaned drastically toward Apple, over Android. When you view that in light of the total picture, in which Android dominates, the conclusion is that the novice buys an iPhone... later realizing iPhone doesn't cut it and switching to Android, for the complete smartphone experience.

How do you play Pandora internet radio, on an Android?

I don't often listen to local radio; not because I don't enjoy it, but because those with whom I travel think it ludicrous to plow through a dozen songs I don't want to hear, then finally hear a song I love... and could have played in the first place. While this is a valid point, I have two objections: one, songs I own are more exciting when I hear them on the radio; and two, how will I discover my new favorite song if I never venture outside my library? I think we all know the solution: 

Such potential...

Pandora works by starting with a track or artist you select, and playing similar offerings. I once created a station around the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss album Raising Sand, and was horrified by the results; usually, though, I'm impressed with how smoothly diverse songs are correlated. The first song my Josh Garrels station played, for example, was The Train Song, by Feist + Ben Gibbard -- I would not have thought to associate those artists, but when Pandora introduced that song to me (several months before I'd heard Josh Garrels), I liked its sound so much I bought it. Well done, Pandora. Well done.

But Pandora has been an Android app since 2009; why bring it up now?  Well, because it's an integral part of how you Android, and because a charming excuse to talk about Pandora came along, in the form of a pretty significant update to the app. In the new version, the biggest change is lockscreen controls, for the newest versions of Android. Faster start-up and a song progress indicator wrap up the most noticeable changes.

Would you rather hear a commercial for hair conditioner (played several million decibels louder than your station), or a 30-second pause in you music? Install Pandora Ad Blocker from the Play Store, and follow the simple instructions to activate it, if you prefer the pause. And, of course, download or update Pandora Internet Radio from the Play Store.

I leave you with this thought: I have heard from some that multitasking while playing Pandora is either limited or unavailable, on an iPhone. Is it so or is it not -- I can't get a straight answer. I do know, though, that multitasking on an Android is so smooth that you forget it's happening.

How do you take good pictures, on an Android?

My Android gallery is full of moments I'm so glad to have commemorated -- the only problem is that action shots blur, and pictures of landscapes properly display the sky or the mountains. Recently, however, I realized I was missing simple solutions.

Without HDR activated

With HDR activated

In any setting that includes both dark areas and light areas, the typical camera will focus on either the light or the dark, depending on where you point, how you hold, or where you manually set. The result is excellent colors in some areas, with indistinguishable dark areas (like the mountain underneath a sunset); or else darker areas illuminated, and a bright white spot in place of lighter areas (like a window out to a sunny day, from inside a room). HDR, which stands for High Dynamic Range, is a camera mode that essentially eliminates this problem. Don't you love easy and effective solutions?


HDR works by taking multiple shots, with focus highlighting different lighting in your frame, and then automatically combining them into one optimal picture. Some Androids include this feature out of the box, but if yours doesn't, there are plenty of HDR camera apps in the Play Store. Some are fully-automated, so touching a button results in the picture. Others are more manual, if you'd like control over where the focus is set and how the pictures are combined.




In these beautiful snowy day pictures, the difference HDR mode makes is easy to spot on the furniture and railings (the wood color and the grain are distinguishable) and in the screened porch (the interior of the porch is visible). Additionally, the mountain, though hazy behind the falling snow, is far more visible with HDR.

Now we're getting clear shots in multi-lighting scenes; clear action shots are our next goal. Again, the solution is easy: an app. There are paid or free options, but I've found free sufficient. Apps like Burst Mode Camera take from 10 to 30 shots per second, compiling a collection of photos from which you can choose your favorites. Blur is significantly decreased, because there is limited movement during the actual shot, taken in a fraction of a second.

There you have it! Check your stock camera for HDR mode and burst mode, or select a few options from the Play Store to try, if these modes aren't native on your Android. You'll be much happier with the content of your gallery.

How do you find and redeem coupons on an Android?

There is no shortage of coupon apps for Android, but the majority of them are rather simplistic; they list a selection of coupons and discounts, with links to open the details in your browser. What we really want is an app that displays coupons in the app itself, and allows users to search for coupons while they're out and about. Yesterday, (March 18, 2013), SnipSnap released its Android app, doing just that.

Pawing through purse or wallet, trying to find the slip of paper you definitely stuck in there on Monday, is becoming a thing of the past. Let's face it: your Android is within arm's reach the majority of the time -- that means it's easy to snap a picture of any coupon you come across, for SnipSnap to store. These pictures are scanned for text, imagery, and barcodes, which are optimized for mobile, and sorted by store (or your customized bundles). While most major retailers accept mobile coupons, SnipSnap is working on getting this majority even higher, particularly with supermarkets.  Notifications are a very cool feature in this app, which can remind you to use your coupon when you walk into a store for which you have coupons, and can also notify you when coupons are close to expiration.

In addition to organizing and storing physical coupons, SnipSnap has an extensive database of searchable coupons, so next time you buy hazelnut coffee creamer you can get $.75 off, even if you forgot to clip the coupon from the Sunday paper.

SnipSnap has won quite an impressive array of awards, including Startup Battlefield finalist, from Disrupt 2012; 2013 Readers' Choice Award finalist, from About.com; 1st place in Mobile Monday's demo event; 1st place in Switch 3; and Best Finance App, from Appy Awards 2013.

Get more information about SnipSnap from the official website, or check out SnipSnap from the Google Play Store.

How do you discover the world around you, using your Android?

According to the revised edition of Bethy Mac's Rules of the Universe, use of a smartphone while hiking is only permissible if 1) the user is looking up information which will then be read aloud to the group, or 2) the user is experiencing an emergency. With that in mind, it is interesting to note that cell phone service is available through a surprising amount of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Google Maps' Android app can display Wikipedia articles about points of interest in your locale. To activate this feature, open Google Maps, touch Menu > Layers, then check Wikipedia. W icons point to Wikipedia articles pertaining to points on the currently-displayed screen. Touching an icon displays the name of the article, linking to a short version of the article within the Google Maps app, with the option to open the full article in your browser.

To avoid confusion, we will review acceptable as well as unacceptable incorporation of Androids into group activities.

The Mount LeConte trailhead, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where seven inquisitive hikers are reading information signs and debating the pursuance of this trail. 
Acceptable
HIKER 1: Weren't they talking about this one at the visitors' center?
HIKER 2: Yeah, I heard it's popular. Must be pretty easy, if lots of people like this one.
HIKER 3: Let's check, just to be sure we know what we're getting ourselves into.
HIKER 2: I guess if you want to kill the mystery of it all.
HIKER 3: I do.
(HIKER 3 opens Google Maps, which shows their current location. The Wikipedia article "Mount Le Conte" is located immediately, and HIKER 3 begins to read.)
HIKER 3: "Third highest peak in the national park, behind Clingmans Dome and Mount Guyot... from its immediate base to its highest peak, Mount Le Conte is the tallest mount in Tennessee, rising 5,301 feet..." 
HIKER 4: Well, that sounds like an all-day hike, and I plan to be hungry within a few hours.
HIKER 1: Let's go to Clingmans Dome, where that thing is.
HIKERS 2-7: Sounds good!
Unacceptable
HIKER 1: Weren't they talking about this one at the visitors' center?
HIKER 2: Yeah, I heard it's popular. Must be pretty easy, if lots of people like this one.
HIKER 3: I'll look it up.
HIKER 2: I guess if you want to kill the mystery of it all.
(HIKER 3 is already in Phoneland, opening Google Maps, which shows their current location. The Wikipedia article "Mount Le Conte" is located immediately, and HIKER 3 stares at phone in silence.)
HIKER 3: Looks intense.
HIKER 4: Ok, let's save that for another day. What else should we try?
(HIKER 3, staring at phone, snorts.)
HIKER 5: Did you find something?
HIKER 3: (Sniggering) I just followed some links to other articles, and it turns out some people actually think pigs can fly!
(HIKERS 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, & 7 wish HIKER 3 would stay on-topic.)

Wrapping up our life-application session, keep in mind Google Maps' Wikipedia feature for use as you tour new areas. For example, if you were vacationing by bouncing around the Big Apple, you might pass the Radio City Music Hall, where the Samsung Galaxy S IV was unveiled last evening (as speculated, it is too similar to the Samsung Galaxy S III to be exciting). Perusal of the Google Maps' Wikipedia information reveals that Showplace of the Nation is this famous landmark's nickname. Obviously information like this will enhance the excitement of your vacation incalculably.

How do you remotely control battery-operated devices with an Android?

I found it: it's called a harvesting strategy. I had to look that up. Asking Google the name I'd forgotten for market penetration in the decline phase didn't turn out to be as simple as I'd hoped, but eventually Joe Schmo came through for me. The disposable battery industry seems to be riding out the waves of its maturity phase, and even entering the decline phase, meaning Tethercell, entering at this phase, is engaging in a harvesting strategy. Since this scenario sounds like an example in a college marketing textbook, I had to remember the name; and since I "remembered" the name, I decided to share it, despite only vague connections with Android.

The second of three CES products that we'll be discussing is called Tethercell; like Parrot's Flower Power, it simplifies life.

Tethercell includes an app as well as a physical device. The device is this super cool thingy of which I do not understand a circuit, but whose designers (Trey Madhyastha and Kellan O'Connor) I hold in high regard -- I mean, look at it. (Which reminds me: if you sell the motherboard and screen from your old laptop, you just might practically pay for the new.) To use Tethercell, replace one AA battery, from the device you'd like to monitor, with a Tethercell (which is powered by a AAA battery). Then the app end of the program can turn the device on and off remotely, alert you when the battery level is low, set schedules and timers to run the device, and even locate the device if it has proximity function.

TIME Magazine, cnet, The Verge, TechCrunch, Mashable, and others have given Tethercell the thumbs up. Looks like a nice little harvesting strategy, don't you think? You can pre-order Tethercell, with delivery scheduled for June, from indiegogo.

How do you garden with Parrot's Flower Power Android app?

The 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (better known as CES) revealed some remarkable (and some alarming) advances in the Android realm, a few of which will be getting articles of their very own, here on How Do You Android.

We all know we need to be aware of giving our smartphones too much of our attention, which is why I appreciate a few of the products demonstrated at CES that show how Androids can enhance real life, instead of creating a virtual life. One of my favorite products from this year's CES is a device from Parrot, called Flower Power.

Flower Power includes a physical device as well as an app. The device, which is subtle and attractive, is a wireless sensor, measuring levels of temperature, moisture, sunlight, and fertilizer. The two color choices are Wood and Emerald. (I am profoundly disappointed in my discovery that I visualize the color "emerald" quite incorrectly. It is not the deep, Celtic green it ought to be. Research reveals it to be, in fact, almost a minty green, reminiscent of retro kitchen tiles or pool walls.)  You can use your phone to monitor the plant's conditions, and take advantage of push notifications to remind you of your plant's needs. There are a few questions -- such as how many plants or how broad an area of yard the device can monitor, what powers it, and what sort of price we're looking at -- that have not yet been answered, but I like this little thing; it's cool. I also think it would make a unique (in the good way, not the, "Oh, how... unique!" way) gift for the gardeners you know... though I recommend verifying that the recipient owns a smartphone.

Flower Power won two awards from CES: the Popular Science's Products of the Future Award, and the Hot Stuff Award. The release date is not yet announced more specifically than sometime in 2013, so keep an eye on the Parrot website to find out when you can get this very cool product.

How do you sync an Android phone with an Apple computer?

Mind you, I'm not condoning such behavior; however, it's a step in the right direction to recognize that owning a Mac does not force you into choosing an iPhone.

Google's official (and free) solution to the Apple/Android integration problem is the most likely to suit. It's called Android File Transfer, and must be installed on your Mac. After it's installed, connect your Android to your Mac, via USB cable, and double click to open Android File Transfer on the computer (after the first use, the program will open automatically). Your phone should be recognized automatically, but if you run into any trouble here, try enabling USB debugging on your Android (Settings > Developer Options > Enable USB Debugging). The Android File Transfer program is pretty self-explanatory... the amount of space available on your device is shown, and you can move files and folders around between your computer and your phone. 

To download Android File Transfer, click here. 

For Android File Transfer support, click here.

If you aren't concerned about syncing anything but music, between your Mac and your Android, you might want to try Google Play Music, another program directly from Google. Install the app on your Android, and navigate to http://play.google.com/music on your Mac. Click Upload Music in the top right corner, then click Download the Google Play Music Manager. Once the Google Play Music Manager is installed on your computer, personalize exactly what music is uploaded to Google Play Music (all of iTunes, including playlists, is an option). After the upload is complete, your music will be available in Google Play Music, on your Android. 

To download Google Play Music on your Android, click here.

To download Google Play Music Manager on your Mac, click here (then click Upload Music > Download the Google Play Music Manager.)

There are a lot more options for syncing an Android phone with an Apple computer, so if you don't like these methods, look around for others, such as Samsung Kies, HTC Sync, doubleTwist, Salling Media Sync, and SyncMate, to name a few.

How do you automate tasks on an Android phone?

You walk out to your car, and your Android begins playing Pandora radio and switches to car mode. You walk into the office, and Pandora exits, as your phone  moves into standby mode where pictures from your gallery float around the screen. As the meeting in your schedule approaches, your Android reminds you and then opens the camera in front-facing mode, for a quick appearance-check before you go impress the boss.

All of this can be automated, using an app like Tasker. It's a fascinating system of prompts... if this, then that scenarios, rather like an Excel formula. For example, as you leave your house, you can't pick up home's Wi-Fi, which becomes a prompt to open Pandora and switch to car mode. Picking up the office network could be the prompt as you arrive. A couple other simple prompts would be an incoming notification, or opening an app.

Location or activity-based automations aren't the only option with Tasker; you can also set up shortcuts, in which one touch will go through a whole process. For example, you can write a command that will put an icon on your screen which, when touched, will take a picture and email it to a specific email address in your Gmail account. If your phone can do it, Tasker can automate it. The potential with this sort of program is limitless, helping you to keep up with life, never forget important events, and do everything you currently do with your phone, without all the steps in between that seem to take up most of the time we spend with our eyes on our Android screens.

Get the app from the Google Play Store here.
Get the free trial here.

How do you customize your lockscreen on an Android phone?

Why do we prefer Android over iOS? Because Android is customizable, we often say; widgets are another of our favorite features to tout. Your lockscreen is a pretty sweet forum for combining these features into one very awesome customization that will make your iPhone-toating friends drool. Here are three actual lockscreen customizations that users have created, from limitless options.

 

There are a couple things you need, but customizing your lockscreen is actually easy -- you'll look like an advanced Android user, disproportionate to the amount of time and effort actually spent. First, you need an app like WidgetLocker Lockscreen, SmartShift Lockscreen, Apex Launcher, or Nova Launcher (may have an easier time with Nova Launcher Prime). They all work in slightly different ways, so really it's a matter of trying yourself, to see what you like best. Customizing a step further will require an app like Ultimate custom widget (UCCW). From here, it's quite self-explanatory. Specify what exactly you want to show on your lockscreen, in the customization sections of the lockscreen or launcher apps. They will allow you to place widgets, icons, photos, etc. Then, when you have fiddled with that for a while and are ready to step it up a level, design your own widgets, in UCCW, and get to the point of making your lockscreen precisely what you find convenient and cool.

I may post some of my creations at some point soon, and would love to add yours to my gallery. Let me know, in a comment or email, if you have a customized lockscreen you'd like displayed.

How Do You Know Android? (Best Apps of 2012)

Between Christmas and New Year's is a funny time; we're done with the carols and the cranberry sauce, but we're not ready for 40 hours. Those among us on a schedule have it easy: no decision -- days off and work days. It's the self-employed who have that intense decision regarding the proper amount to work during the holidays. Well, 15 hours it is. I always say why work 40 hours a week and earn a steady income, when you could work 90+ hours a week and just pray the money follows the effort?  Ah, yes... self-employment is the life. By which I mean you have to be out of your mind to dive head first into self-employment. Thankfully, I am. Deeply. And what does this have to do with Androids, you may ask. Little... very little.

Google just released its best apps of 2012 list, which usually attracts a bit of attention. Everyone has best of lists, but Google's seems more authoritative to me. In no particular order, let's welcome the Google's choice BEST APPS OF 2012 TO HowDoYouAndroid.com!
 *WHISTLES AND APPLAUDING*

TED:
A brilliant way to redeem time spent in lines or waiting rooms, the TED app gathers those talks and conferences that would have been life-altering to attend. Now you can alter your life via your Android. From the Google Play Store description: "TED's official Android app presents talks from some of the world's most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus, and music legends."
Get TED for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Pixlr Express:
This beautiful little app has a gorgeous UI, making it easy to add any effect you'd like to a picture, or to edit and refine. There are a lot of picture editing apps, so it's nice to know this is the one Google itself considers the best.
Get Pixlr Express for Android from the Google Play Store here.

SeriesGuide Show Manager:
The Show Manager app is just a streamlined way to keep track of what's playing when. In addition to finding the next showing of an episode you missed, you can also share episodes with friends. A convenient feature is the offline mode.
Get SeriesGuide Show Manager for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Mint.com Personal Finance:
Mint.com's financial planning service is widely used from computers, but now there's a beautiful edition for tabs and smartphones... and for some crazy reason, it's free. From the Google Play Store description, "Mint pulls in all your personal finance accounts into one place, so you can manage your money form anywhere. Track your spending, create a budget, and save more."
Get Mint.com Personal Finance for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Fancy:
I don't know what the Fancy app icon is. A popsicle? A wig on a stand? A sagging umbrella? Help me out, people... what is that? I refuse to write a description of an app with an unidentifiable icon; here's the Google Play Store description: "Discover amazing stuff, collect the things you love, unlock crazy good deals. Fancy is the place to discover, collect and buy from a crowd-curated catalog of amazing goods, wonderful places and great stores. Part store, magazine and wishlist, Fancy is the best place to buy great things. Use Fancy to find a gift for any occasion and share your favorite discoveries with all your friends."
Get Fancy for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Ancestry:
Everyone knows about ancestry.com... figure out the cool or crazy people from whom you've descended. Actually an interesting study. This app does the same and more, with capability to grow your own family tree, adding members and inserting pictures.
Get Ancestry for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Expedia:
A mobile version of Expedia seems particularly useful to me... if one needs Expedia, one is most likely traveling; therefore, portability is essential. You can book your flights and hotel rooms, and even use provided discount codes and offers.
Get Expedia for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Pocket:
Pocket is a mobile e-reader, but not like Kindle or Nook... this one is for news articles, videos, etc. The purpose of this app is to save, in your "pocket", documents or media you encounter, to take out and read later. Pretty cool.
Get Pocket for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Grimm's Snow White:
This app is an interactive pop-up fairy tale book, for children. The award-winner app developer has created an Android app version of the classic brothers Grimm fairy tale.
Get Grimm's Snow White for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Pinterest:
You knew it would be on the list... here's Pinterest. Does it need an explanation? Ok, ok... it's social networking with pictures. Create galleries to share what you like with friends, even posting captions.
Get Pinterest for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Evernote:
I like this icon. It's an elephant; I can tell because it looks like an elephant. Fancy, please take note. Evernote is like those little memo apps that usually come pre-installed on your phone, but it also has to-do lists, picture capability, record voice reminders, etc. I say ditch the little memo app, and use Evernote, which does everything in one convenient place.
Get Evernote for Android from the Google Play Store here.

Zappos:
Buying online is convenient, but paying shipping is lousy, and the inconvenience/expense of returns makes it a bother. That's why my favorite aspect of Zappos is the free shipping and returns. Zappos carries about any item in any brand you can think of, making it a great go-to business for any shopper. The portability brought with this Android apps improves the experience that much more.
Get Zappos for Android from the Google Play Store here.

And that's Google's best of 2012 list. I can't say that my list would be quite identical, but until I make Forbes 500, I'll be just one more; I'm waiting until I have credibility to blow the world wide web away with my best of's.

How do you track Starbucks cards and rewards on an Android?

I don't know why we pay $6 for a cup of coffee, but we do. If someone would just organize us all so Starbucks doesn't make a single sale for a week, that might encourage them to bring their prices down near the price of coffee in the rest of the country. I would, but I'm busy that day.

Since I can't help by organizing a boycott, instead I'll help by making it easier to spend money at Starbucks. If you can't beat 'em...

There is, of course, a Starbucks app in the Google Play Store. Download the app here, and sign into your account to see all cards on your account, review your stars, see if you have any rewards ready, locate nearby Starbucks locations, pay and even reload your cards, etc. I find it convenient to walk into Starbucks carrying just my phone, and to skip digging my wallet out of my purse, which slid under the back seat, in the drive thru.

Best of all, the Starbucks app has a super-convenient widget (but of course not for sad, in-the-box iPhone users... for your own sakes, my friends, be free!). The widget sits happily on my second homescreen, showing me my card balance, number of stars, and the option to find a nearby location. Unfortunately my balance is rather lacking at the moment...but actually that's a good thing, because it reminded me of a piece of Starbucks advice that might help you forgive my lack of motivation in the boycott department: rather than buying a "peppermint mocha", try a dark roast coffee with a shot or two of peppermint and a shot or two of mocha, and add some cream and sugar. I think it's better, because I prefer coffee a tad less sweet than most of Starbucks' holiday offerings, and it's about half the price. There you go... that's my frugal advice. And this is what the widget looks like (See how my cup is gold? That's because I'm a gold member. With all the rights and privileges... and you expected me to boycott?):

How do you get movie theater information on an Android?

My favorite new movies always seem to be released in the month of December; summer action flicks can be fun, but I find that pre-Christmas releases more often catch my attention... such as the nostalgic continuation of the Peter Jackson/J.R.R. Tolkien collaboration, in the form of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which made its appearance just yesterday.

Until recently, you had to reserve tickets either by calling the theater or by pulling up the website on a computer or tab. Fandango's app has now added ticket-purchasing capability for over 20,000 movie theaters, which means you can see what's playing, watch trailers, check showtimes, and buy your tickets all in this one app.

The Fandango app, which has won three Webby awards, uses GPS to show you movies playing around your location in the next hour, lists most tweeted movies, allows you to sign up for alerts indicating when a movie hits your theater, and can operate in tandem with your Android's Voice Actions function, in addition to all the other features you expect in a movie app.

Click here to get the Fandango App from the Google Play Store

How do you get Adobe Flash Player on an Android?

On August 15, 2012, Adobe pulled its Flash Player from the Google Play Store. What a way to celebrate the birthday of my friend in Vermont, I'm sure you're thinking. No? Just me? .... Oh, ok.

Until recently, if a website had media-rich interactive content, it needed add-on's like the Adobe Flash Player and JavaScript to make the content display and function properly. Now HTML5 (HTML, hypertext markup language, is the language websites are written in) has that function built into it, rendering an add-on redundant. Clearly this is much more streamlined, but RIP, mobile Adobe Flash Player. Actually, Adobe is behind HTML5 as well, so they replaced their own product... much less solemn.

The question, then, is why would you want the Flash Player on your phone, if it's been replaced by HTML5 so smoothly that developers expect few to notice the change? Because many websites are not yet on HTML5, and still have Flash content that is hidden or malfunctioning on our mobiles, without Flash.

This is not one of those complicated delve into your command prompt scenarios; it's really easy. Go to this page of archived Flash Player versions, and page down about 5 times, until you reach the Android versions. Find your correct version of Android (as always, let me know in a comment if you need help) and click to download that Flash Player version. Your computer will probably pop up a message saying it doesn't know what program to use in opening the file, after the download is complete. Dismiss the message, and navigate to this site. Click Browse Files, and in the box that pops up click Downloads, in the top left corner. Make sure this page is sorted by most-recent first, so the file you downloaded will be the first. Click that top file, which ends in .apk. The website will then convert your file into a format that can be installed on your phone. Use your phone's code scanner to scan the QR that the website will produce after a few minutes of processing. At this point, the Flash Player is downloading on your phone.

How do you choose an Android-related Christmas present?

I'm currently in web design mode, so I wanted to post on a mobile web design topic, but 'tis the season, so web design will have to wait. See picture for more information:

Instead, we shall discuss how to use Android to come up with more Christmas present options for those impossible people you know. These are my top suggestions, with details below:

• Portable speakers
• A portable power pack (see this post for details about why it's an important purchase)
• A unique case
• A Google Play Store gift card
• Subscription to music streaming program, such as Rhapsody

For portable speakers, I like the X-Mini II, which comes in black, pink, or red, and is very well-rated:

          

If you have a few more dollars to spend, try the exciting new product of the season: Beats by Dr. Dre Pill. This one comes in white, black or red:

          

This Power Pack from Motorola is sleek and convenient:

A case is only a good present if you (1) know what case the person wants, such as an Otterbox  or an Incipio, or (2) make it a unique case that shows you know the recipient's taste. For example, were I to purchase this gift for my dog-loving sister, I would look for a case with paw prints; or, for my friend in Missouri, I might try an m&m's-themed case. I came across this product and got distracted from my case search, so instead of a link to a paw prints case, I will not help you at all, by providing:

Next, consider a Google Play Store credit, so your friend can choose some paid apps to purchase. While an easy gift, it's more unique than, say, an Olive Garden gift card:

          

Lastly, I think a year-long subscription to Rhapsody, Spotify, or another paid music streaming app would be a really fun present... one that any music-lover would particularly enjoy (and aren't we all music-lovers, really?), and obviously one that is customized to preference, since Frank Sinatra, Taio Cruz, and Lecrae are all found in this same place. The apps are free to install, but then at either an upgrade or the expiration of the free trial, payment is required.

How do you play (and what is) Ingress for Android?

Mid-November, Google itself released a beta of an augmented reality mobile game called Ingress. As always, Google is starting trends and blowing away expectations; this social game has revolutionized mobile gaming... and it's not even out of beta. Because it is location-based and highly social, Ingress isn't the game for those of us who value our privacy; but let's be honest -- we're the minority. For those who hold to the view that the all-powerful they know whether we intend to reveal it or not (which point is probably valid), this is one intriguing game. I am not going to be joining the gamers, but this game has caught my attention... primarily because of the brilliant marketing that accompanied its release.

The premise of Ingress is the discovery of a new energy, by a team of scientists in Europe, that appears to be influencing people's minds. You can play as "The Enlightened," who embrace the power, or "The Resistance," who oppose the power. This game has surpassed all other games that use the real world as the setting, making the universe of the game part of reality. As Ingress' description on the Play Store puts it:

"The World is the Game
Move through the real world using your Android device and the Ingress app to discover and tap sources of this mysterious energy. Acquire objects to aid in your quest, deploy tech to capture territory, and ally with other players to advance the cause of the Enlightened or the Resistance."

Download the game here.

Ingress has already caught the smartphone world by storm, and I expect growth of the Ingress trend to continue a while longer. Do you think Android-owner Google will release an iPhone version of this incredible game? Neither do I. Where does that leave iPhone-owners? In line to buy an Android.

Come to the dark side; we have cookies.