How To Get Android 4.4.3 On Nexus Devices [OTA + Manual Update]

It was a busy night all around with Apple announcing the latest OS X and iOS instalments, and Android 4.4.3 finally rolling out to Nexus devices OTA. Android 4.4.3 is not huge in terms of features and mostly has bug fixes but that’s no reason to not want to update to it. For those that are receiving the update OTA, getting it is super simple but those who keep checking to see if an update is available only to find it isn’t, getting the update now is only slightly complicated. Here’s a how-to for both manual and OTA updates...

Notify! Selectively View Notifications From Apps On Your Home & Lock Screen [Android]

One of the key strengths of Android has always been the notifications system. It’s been around since the early days of the OS, but it took what felt like a lifetime for it to get any good. Unfortunately, some app developers seem to abuse it in order to spam you with promotional messages, advertisements, or pointless updates. While other times, there are a few notifications from apps that you just cannot afford to miss. If you want to put pivotal notification information right on your home screen or lock screen via a minimal widget that doesn’t bog down your device’s performance, Notify! is all you need. The simple app displays incoming notifications at any widget supported area and allows you to access them with a single screen tap...

Adjust Notifications Volume Based On Sleep And Wake State [Android]

When you are walking down the street withyour Android device residing in your purse or pocket, the notification volume should be loud enough to be heard over the other noise in your surroundings. But when you’re, let’s say, attending an important meeting, the loudness of the notification sound must not break the silence or interrupt the seriousness of the situation. There are apps like Tasker that let you automatically change volume according to different scenarios, but if you want a simpler solution that’s also free, you can try Awake / Sleep Volume Adjuster. This free application by XDA Forum MemberSanryd automatically adjusts the volume based  on your phone’s sleep and awake states. Let’s find out how...

New Features In Firefox 29 For Desktop & Android

Firefox 29 is out and the update is a huge one for the browser and it’s users. The update finally brings the much talked about Australis theme to the stable channel and it was well worth the wait. Austalis isn’t just beautiful it’s also the most minimal that Firefox has ever been. Other new features on desktop and mobile include brand new customization options for the buttons that appear on the Menu Bar, Firefox Sync which is now set up exclusively through the Firefox Account, and new repositioned buttons for bookmarks have been added. Developers get new features too with the implementation of <input type=”number”> and <input type=”color”> on both desktop and Android. Additionally on Android new share options, and customization options for the home panels have been introduced...

Get Hangouts To Recognize & Associate Phone Numbers With Contacts

The new Google Hangouts app has merged SMS with IM conversations. That’s great except for some users, the app now will not recognize when an SMS is received from an existing contact and will show the number it was received from. For an app that was meant to make text messaging and instant messaging easier, this complicates things. The good news here is that this is not a bug, I repeat, this is not a bug. It’s because Hangouts is confused with the state of your contacts and is having trouble finding who the number belongs to. The problem is in fact with your contacts and here’s how you can set things straight...

Typist Lets You Find How Fast You Type On Your Android

Typing has become an essential part to our modern lifestyle. It’s not possible to use most tech products available in the market today without any typing skills (smartphones, anyone?), and if you use your touchscreen phone or tablet for a lot of texting then you better be a fast typist or be ready to get left behind. But the question that remains is how fast your thumbs can move between those virtual keys? There are many desktop applications that let you measure your typing speed and finding your WMP (words per minute) rate. But now you can do that on your Android as well thanks to the new app calledTypist. It carries a bunch of typing tests and allows you to find your typing speed by completing them in 1, 2 or 3 minutes...

Typist’s interface is fairly clean and simple. When launched, the landing screen lets you access the typing tests, view high scores (both yours as well as your friends on Google+), rate the application on Google Play or remove in-app ads via paid upgrade. The actual usage of the app is more like a game where you need to complete a bunch of tests (within a specified time, of course) after which you’re presented with a detailed results page that carries all your typing stats.

 

MultiWindow Sidebar Run Apps In Split-Screen View & Switch From Sidebar

One of the most interesting features Samsung introduced with Galaxy S4 and Note 3 phones was MultiWindow Flashbar which enables using two apps simultaneously in split view mode. Many users have tried porting that feature to other phones from time to time, but no other developer has probably done a better job than XDA-Developers senior member zst123 with his MultiWindow Sidebar which enables you to quickly access selected number of apps from a vertical sidebar, as well as use more than one app in split view using Xposed framework modules...

Just take a look at the screenshot on the right side. Noticed something extra there? This is how MultiWindow appears on the screen when enabled. The app shows up to the left side by default, comprising of a fully customizable vertical bar that caries a bunch of app shortcuts. Also notice the miniscule tab at top right corner of this bar, which basically acts as a small switch for toggling MultiWindow bar On and Off. The best bit, of course, is that you can open it over any other foreground app and move back and forth between apps in a snap.

 

GRE Vocab Lock Learn A New Word Every Time You Look At Your Phone [Android]

Having a richer vocabulary of words in your arsenal is one of the most effective ways to improve your speaking and writing skills, but there are so many words in English that it sometimes get really difficult to know where to begin. A few Google queries may return various online resources to nourish your vocabulary, and while it does work if you opt for the proper techniques, there are a number of smartphone apps now that can help you accomplish the same. If you want to learn a new word everytime you pick up your Android then GRE Vocab Lock is worth giving a shot. It acts as a secondary lock screen for your device and lets you learn a new word every time you unlock it. It houses a comprehensive built in dictionary for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and SAT students, but is just as helpful for anyone who wants to learn new English words with ease...

How To Sync Browser Data Between Desktop And Android In Firefox 29

Mozilla has finally launched Firefox 29, the latest version of the company’s massively popular web browser, for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. With version 29, Mozilla has debuted the new Australis interface borrowing heavily from Google Chrome. But besides  that, Mozilla has also revamped the sync feature of the browser; the new sync feature is better than ever, and doesn’t now require you to store the pesky auto-generated authorization code (as in previous releases), but rather all your data is now synchronized via email and password through a Firefox Account. In this guide we’ll highlight the difference between the new and old sync methods, as well as show you how to sync data between desktop and Android in Firefox 29...

Netflix Roulette Find A Random Movie Or TV Show To Watch, No Account Needed

Every Friday night my sister and I have a ritual; we spend close to 2 hours looking for a good movie to watch, we find nothing, she gets tired and decides she’d rather sleep. No fun is had. Yes, we do this every Friday and if you watch movies a lot you know that you quickly run out of all the good ones and are then starved for something that’s ‘not bad’ to watch. Some go to IMDb, some go through top ten or top 100 lists, while others take suggestions from Hulu or Netflix. Netflix Roulette is the brain child of Reddit user codeusasoft who got tired of top ten lists and other such lists that Netflix gives you. This simple little app which categorizes search by genre and will let you search either/or movies and TV series finds something random you can watch. The good thing is it has nothing to do with your Netflix account and it is not an analysis of what you’ve watched before, or what your viewing preferences are. It’s just a random way to find something to watch and it can be used by anyone. There’s also an Android app for Netflix Roulette...