One of the nicest things about Android is the ability to swap out different components of the phone. I recently downloaded an app called Swiftkey that allows me to change out the default on-screen keyboard for my Droid 4. Why would I do such a thing? Well for you guys of course :) This is a free app to trial but the permanent version can be purchased for $2.99.
Most people are used to a form of predictive text where the phone will predict the word you are trying to spell. Swiftkey takes it a step further and predicts word after word. It sounds weird until you actually have the keyboard in front of you. Take a look at the videos below to get a preview of the app.
I've dug through the apps settings and wanted to highlight a few options.
It will let you download keyboards that support a variety of languages including Spanish, German, Italian, and French. It does not support any Asian languages at this point.
If you want to go back to the standard keyboard follow the following instructions.
1) Create a new text message
2) Tap and hold your finger in the "Compose Message" area until a pop up menu appears
3) Select another keyboard
Swiftkey will ask you for your permission to look at your Facebook and Twitter accounts, email, blogs, and text messages in order to quickly learn how you communicate. If you choose not to enable this feature, it will still learn your habits, but at a much slower space.
You can delete entire words by flicking your finger from right to left across the backspace button.
Holding the "Return" key will enable emoticons.
You can adjust the height of the keyboard in both portrait and landscape modes.
The app keeps track of a couple stats which is a pretty neat trick. It records the number of keystrokes saved, typos corrected, and total words predicted.
Lastly, it scores your accuracy via a typing heat map. The map is a visual representation of your typing style. The blobs morph over time to fit the region that you tend to press when you want to use that key. In layman's terms, the phone starts to learn if you can't type properly and adjusts accordingly. If you look at mine below, I apparently can't hit the letter A properly.
I've mentioned a program called Dropbox in several posts and a recent software update has prompted me to shed a little light on this gem of an app. Dropbox is software available for smartphones, laptops, and computers that allows you to easily move files between multiple devices, back up files, or share files with another person.
Dropbox gives you 2 GB of storage upon signing up for your account and increase your account size up to 18GB through referrals at a rate of 500MB per referral. Heavier users can purchase larger amounts of storage with monthly rates starting at $9.99.
Here are the thing you'll want to do. For those that need more assistance, please watch this video.
1) Sign up for the account
2) Download the program to your phone and/or computer
3) Move files into your Dropbox.
Once you've downloaded Dropbox to your computer you will see it on your desktop. All you have to do is double click the program to open it and you will see a folder open up. Anything you put in this folder will be backed up to Dropbox and accessible on other devices. If you're on someone else's computer, you DO NOT need to download Dropbox. If you go to Dropbox.com, you will see an option to log in to your account in the upper right hand corner. You can transfer files when accessing your account this way. This is a great way to access your stuff from a work or school computer if you can't install new software on it.
Watch the following video and fast forward to the 6:20 mark if you want to move files from you phone to your computer.
Now that I've completely buried the lead, it's time to talk about what got me motivated to finally talk about Dropbox. A recent software update allows Android phones to automatically upload all photos and videos to Dropbox. Upon installing the app on my Droid 4, Dropbox asked me if I wanted to upload my pictures and videos. In less than 5 minutes, I had about 40 photos uploaded. Videos will only upload over Wi-Fi however and the app will not upload anything if your battery level is too low (it immediately resumed uploading upon placing the phone on a charger for me). In the settings menu you can toggle the camera upload, whether uploads take place over Wi-Fi or cellular connection, or turn off the 25MB file limit (this allows videos to automatically upload, but remember this counts against your data plan).
That previous paragraph is worth the price of admission for this blog and the app. Wait a minute... I'll see you next time. :)
One question that frequently comes up in my classes is whether or not people should download a task killer app. My answer is no and this article does a nice job. Before you go an read the article, let me explain a few terms the author uses.
CPU cycles - The speed of a processor is measured in megahertz (Mhz) and it measures the number of CPU cycles it can process per second. So, a 600Mhz processor will process 600,000,000 cycles per second.
ROM - A ROM is essentially a different software version for a phone. Every phone can be customized with a different software version that changes the look and performance of the phone. The average user most likely will not customize the phone this way. I only mention this because I don't want anyone to get lost in the article.
Rooting - Do you have a phone that came with lots of apps and software installed on it? Rooting your phone will allow you to uninstall these applications because you'll have access to all the internal parts of the phone. If you're looking to breath some life back in to an Android phone that is a little long in the tooth or you suffer from OCD regarding your phone, then this might be worth investigating.
I’m going to tackle a bunch of little “how to” items in this
article for Android phones. Once again,
I’ll be describing procedures using a Motorola Droid 4, so there may be some small differences in the way items are arranged. All procedures are explained assuming you are at the home screen.
Changing Wallpapers (aka The Background)
Menu Key -> Wallpaper
You will see three options pop up - "Live Wallpapers," "My Gallery," and "Wallpapers." "Live Wallpapers" and "Wallpapers" will let you choose from preinstalled and downloaded background images. "Live Wallpapers" are animated backgrounds while "Wallpapers" and "My Gallery" are static images. "Live" is one of those really cool things you'll try out when you first get an Android device. Just be forewarned, as cool as it is to have Mario running across your screen, abusing turtles, and torching flowers, your battery will die faster than the Twins' chances at making the playoffs.
Get Rid of Wi-Fi Pop Up Notifications
I've learned from teaching classes that some people won't read what actually comes up on the screen and have been conditioned by Windows that if a pop-up menu comes up then something must be wrong. So when someone opens up YouTube or the browser and a Wi-Fi notification emerges, something must be wrong and the internet must be broken.
I've already shown you where to go connect your device to a router. What I forgot to mention is that your device will ask you to connect to Wi-Fi each time you launch a data intensive app and there is a visible router.
Chances are you do not, I repeat, do not need to connect to every wireless router you come across unless you consistently stream audio, (20 hours per week) video, (HBO GO, Netflix) or make video calls (Skype, Tango).
To turn on Wi-Fi notifications select the following. Menu -> Settings -> Wireless and Networks -> Wi-Fi Settings -> Uncheck Notify Me
Change Your Keyboard
Keyboards are a very personal choice. Some people can't give up their physical keyboards, some love Swype, and some people speak Japanese. I for one love the Skype keyboard. I can easily enter text with one hand on a 4-inch screen. I know not everyone can, so here's how to switch keyboards.
Open up a new text message -> Press and your finger in the area where you compose the text -> Select input method -> Select your desired keyboard
If you want/need an alternative keyboard then search for them in Play Store (aka Market Place) and download the keyboard like you would any other app. Before you can select this new keyboard you need to enable it. I downloaded the Google Japanese Input keyboard for this example.
Menu -> Settings -> Language and Keyboard -> Make sure the check mark is lit next to the downloaded keyboard.
My On Screen Keyboard Stopped Working
Your keyboard is an app. It takes up memory and can eventually get bogged down. So if you start typing and you can only enter a word or two, following this process can save you a trip to the store or call to your carrier for troubleshooting.
Menu -> Manage Apps -> Tap the tab labeled "All" -> Choose Your Keyboard
For the part where you choose your keyboard, it will most likely be "Multi-touch keyboard" or "Swype." Once you've selected your keyboard, tap "clear data." This will clear out any words, names, slang, or abbreviations your phone has learned. It's a small price to pay to fix, but if it is the solution to your problem, it is a lot better than a master reset.
Speaking of Master Resets
Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and reset your phone. Other times, it just makes good sense to reset your phone before you ship it to the person you sold it to. Regardless of the reasons, this will reset your phone back to it's factory settings. Every app, picture, message, email, and song will be erased from your device.
Menu -> Settings -> Privacy -> Factory Data Reset
Save Your Battery Life
Read this article and add a widget called "Toggle: Power Control." The icons you see on this widget function as light switches. From left to right your icons are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sync, and Brightness. The first three are simply on-off switches. If you're not using a particular feature, then turn it off and save yourself some battery life. Always leave Sync on unless you don't want your phone to periodically check for new emails, tweets, or Facebook notifications. Lastly, pick a screen brightness level and you're set.
Keep Your Screen on Longer
Do you feel like your screen dims itself to quickly? You can adjust it, although I wouldn't go much higher than two minutes as it will start to hamper your battery life.
Menu -> Settings -> Display -> Screen Time Out
Thanks again!
We're going to stop here for now. As always, I appreciate those who frequently visit and have passed the site along. Last month was the fourth consecutive month of increased visitors! And for anyone who felt duped into reading the article based off the title, here's a little peace offering.
