widgets

Six features you don't want to miss in Android 4.2

Android 4.2 is full of new features, some are fairly minor, such as the Settings shortcut in the notification bar. Other features, such an improved photo editing process, are bound to have a bigger impact on the overall user experience.

Here are five new features you can find in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, with the sixth item being a workaround should you decide against lock-screen widgets.

Developer Options Developer Options is an important settings menu for developers and those who like to fiddle with their Android device. For whatever reason in Android 4.2, Google hid the Developer … Read more

Put your phone into 'car mode' with these dashboard apps

My first Android phone, the original Motorola Droid, was one of the first phones to debut Google Maps Navigation. Now, Google knew that this feature would get drivers interested in using their Android phones in the car and that the tiny virtual buttons and shortcuts that worked well when the device was handheld wouldn't cut it behind the wheel. So, when users popped their Droids into their car docks, they were presented with a simplified interface with large shortcut buttons to car-centric apps, designed for safer use while driving.

Smartphones have come a long way since I retired my … Read more

Disable lock screen widgets, camera access on Android 4.2

At first glance, the lock screen widgets in Android 4.2 may seem like a convenient feature. But you may soon realize having all of your personal information plastered on what was once a secure screen, isn't ideal. Removing the widgets is simple, but you're still left with the box outlines every time you wake your device, which can get annoying. And there's no way to disable widgets, or camera access for that matter, on the lock screen built into Android 4.2.

Thankfully, an Android developer has released a free app titled Lockscreen Policy, enabling you … Read more

Getting started with lock screen widgets on Android Jelly Bean

Earlier this week Google released a new line of Nexus devices along with a small update to the Android operating system itself. Android 4.2 Jelly Bean includes a few new features for both smartphones and tablets alike.

One of the new features included in Android 4.2 is the addition of widgets to the lock screen. These widgets (a total of five currently available) provide a preview of your inbox, the clock, messages, calendar, or a shortcut to your camera and a widget to quickly identify a song.

You'll, of course, need to be running Android … Read more

Add shortcuts to your notification shade on Android

Widgets can make toggling Wi-Fi, GPS, or ringtone volume quick and easy. But what if you want more options to help you skip through app menus or even the Settings area?

1Tap Quick Bar is an app that will let you customize shortcuts to be added to your notification shade. You can also personalize the look and feel of the panel that gets added -- meaning you get to pick all the shortcuts from a huge selection.

Here's a list of popular features from the developer:

Direct dialDirect message1-tap direct Web page launcherApplication shortcutApplication launcherDirect e-mail labelNew event, new … Read more

How to stop Android from adding new apps to the home screen

Have you ever noticed after installing an app on your Android device, the icon for that app is already on your home screen? Sure it can come in handy, but it also can be pretty annoying. Nicole Cozma showed us how to disable this annoying feature on Honeycomb tablets a while back, and now I'm going to show you how to disable it on other Android devices.

Disabling the auto-add widgets (or shortcuts) feature is easy.

Launch the Google Play Store on your Android device. Tap on Menu and then Settings. Uncheck the box next to "auto-add widgets.&… Read more

Add sleek volume shortcuts on Android with Slider Widget

There's a lot of widget apps, so for one to stand out it has to offer something others don't. Slider Widget - Volumes & more is definitely one of the best-looking volume widgets, and if you need your volume controls at your fingertips, this app is for you.

Instead of offering a simple toggle for each volume setting on your Android device, Slider Widget gives you a pop-up sliding bar that lets you adjust notification, alarm, phone, and system volumes. There's also an option for brightness, which is always better adjusted with a sliding bar.… Read more

Opera 12's first beta also swan song for quirky features

Opera has released the first beta of its next-generation browser, code-named Wahoo. Opera 12 beta 1 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, contains many improvements that modernize the browser. It also abandons several quirky features that die-hard fans are likely to miss.

Much of the browser simply brings it in line with its competition, but there is one stand-out new feature. Formerly known as Opera Reader, it takes a few lines of CSS code to allow you to lay out a Web page like a book. It also allows for page resizing without losing the formatting. Opera has decided to open … Read more

Add a better battery indicator to your Android

The standard battery icon on your Android can be a little misleading. The icons for 90% and 80% battery may look the same, just like 15% and 5%. If you want a more detailed meter for your device's charge, check out ChargeBar for Android. This app puts a small bar along top or bottom of your screen that indicates the percentage charge of your device. It's easy to use and customize, read on to learn about it.

Step 1: Download and install ChargeBarChargeBar - MIUI Battery Bar.

Step 2: Run the app and examine … Read more