How do you use Google Helpouts?

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...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 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 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 control your Android just by looking at it?

Some new features for Androids are just cool and convenient; the major advances, that are an indication of where technology across the board is headed, are more rare. This software, showcased by The Eye Tribe at CES 2013, might just be the latter.

The software is a new way to control your smartphone, using your eyes instead of your fingers. Imagery provided by the phone's front-facing camera is analyzed using computer-vision algorithms, which identify where you are looking with enough accuracy to, for example, open the app you just looked at. The software is already sophisticated enough to activate the screen when you look at your phone, scroll websites based on how fast and how far down the page your eye has moved, control games, etc.

The Eye Tribe was founded by four PhD students from the IT University of Copenhagen, whose brilliant business plans and previous experience in eye tracking research and applications have kept this start-up funded and highly awarded. A particular strength of The Eye Tribe over similar developers in recent years is The Eye Tribe's focus on low cost and previously-integrated components to operate the software. This is contributing to the smooth organization of partnerships with mobile manufacturers and carriers that is currently taking place. Devices operating this software are expected to hit the market this year.

Learn more about The Eye Tribe's work from the official website, TheEyeTribe.com.

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 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 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 manage Christmas gift-giving on an Android?

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year; we know because Johnny Mathis has been reminding us since October. A particularly special aspect of this season is the mad rush to find a decent Christmas present for all of them. This year, I discovered an Android app that is actually quite helpful. The app, called Gift Buddy, helps you keep track of who you've already purchased presents for and who's left... but that's nothing special; tons of apps do that. The aspect of this app that I found interesting is its gift suggestions.

From the Google Play Store description of the app: "Your trusted partner for gift recommendations! Results powered by gifts.com. Gift buddy is a gift recommendations application offering recommendations on various dimensions - recipient type, personality type, occasions, by product category. Users can mix and match search criteria for targeted recommendations." 

I hope this suggestion will ease your Christmas stress a tad. Click here to download the app from the Google Play Store.

Oh, and don't get me wrong; joking aside, Christmas is a special time of year for me... beyond the festive atmosphere and the wonderful time with family and friends, it is a reminder of Jesus' astounding sacrifice in becoming human so He could take our punishment and provide a way to Heaven.

"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities: upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53: 4-5 (ESV)