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Session II: Work with Android-enabled Devices

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Objectives

• In this session, you will learn to: – Customize the appearance of an Android device

– Configure networking and manage accounts

– Search, retrieve, and store information

– Work with location-based services

– Leverage the use of hardware sensors

– Use and maintain the Android device effectively

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Scenario: Two friends meet again!! Hey Dude! Look what I bought yesterday….An Android Smartphone!!! Samir said delightfully.

In fact, I wanted some help from you….. I wasn’t able to configure the Data Connection, GPS and Networking….I tried taking help from my Mobile Operator's helpdesk… but they too were unable to help after a point.

Why not! – Did you try using the User Guide/Manual ? I did, but I could not understand much of it!

– Samir replied sadly!!

Akshat explained, since today we have the power of PC in our hands, therefore we also need to configure & maintain our Smartphone, similar to what we have been doing for our PCs.

Very nice, so did you try those great apps, which I had shown you the other day!

Owning a Smartphone doesn’t make you that

Smart!!! Akshat blinked cleverly.

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Changing Appearance of Android Devices

• On the Home Screen, you can: – Add/Remove Widgets

– Add/Remove Shortcuts

– Manage Folders

– Apply Wallpapers

• Custom Wallpapers

• Change Keypads

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Custom Wallpapers

Left Right Center

• Android handles the wallpaper in a unique way:

– Here, the wallpaper is not spanned as you move between home screens.

– An exact resolution image of your phone’s resolution will not fit.

– The wallpaper needs to be twice the width of the screen resolution.

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Customizing the Appearance

Changing the wallpaper

Add/Remove home screen panels

Add/Remove Widgets, Shortcuts & Folders

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Enable Internet on your Android Device

• An Android device or any such device is connected to the Internet either:

– Through the mobile service provider data services (GPRS), or

– Through an ISP’s connection

• Share your Internet connection with multiple devices, such as phones, PCs etc. using Hotspot/Tethering capabilities.

• Set up a mobile operator’s data services connection through the Wireless & networks screen:

– To do that, you would first need to fetch Access Point settings.

• Apart from setting up the Internet connection, you can also manage:

– Bluetooth settings

– VPN (Virtual Private Network) settings

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Share Internet with your Android Device

• Android devices allow sharing the Internet connection using:

– USB tethering: • Allows your device to share the internet connection

with a PC using a USB connection.

– Hotspot: • Turns into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, which can share

Internet connection with one or more devices such as PC, a Wi-Fi enabled phone etc.

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Networking and Accounts Management

Configuring a Wi-Fi connection

Set up a Portable Wi-Fi hotspot

Configuring an Access Point (GPRS)

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Managing Accounts

• You can configure multiple Google accounts, MS Exchange ActiveSync accounts, or other types of accounts, depending on the applications installed on your device.

• Synchronize and configure:

– Contacts:

• All contacts at one place (Phone, E-mail, IM, Skype etc.)

– Calendar:

• Manage and sync your calendar from Google calendaring service or Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

– E-mail:

• Personal e-mail accounts

• Corporate e-mail accounts

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Configuring E-mail Accounts

Configuring Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync account

Configuring a Google account

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Messaging

• Apart from e-mail, other forms of messaging in Android devices are:

– Short Message Service (SMS)

– Multimedia Message Service (MMS)

– Instant Messaging

• All conversations are placed in one screen.

• Configure messaging settings: – To set value for the text message limit per conversation

– To set value for the multimedia message limit per conversation

– To set notification settings

– To delivery report confirmations

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Switch to Swype Keypad

Swype keypad enables you to trace a path through the letters of the required word, rather than tapping each and every letter of that word.

• You can enable a Swype keypad by performing the following steps:

1. Select MenuSettingsLocale and textSelect Input Method.

2. Select the Swype option.

Tap the button to open the Tutorial!

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Notifications

• A notification is a brief message displayed on the Notification panel on the home screen, which intimates:

– Message regarding download completion status of applications.

– Message regarding updates on applications.

– E-mail received/synchronization updates.

• Icons pop up and placed on the topmost grey bar on your phone. This is known as the Notification/Status bar:

– Just press and swipe the finger from top to bottom to open the Notification panel.

• On the Notification panel, the user may choose to click on a selection and execute an associated activity.

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Connectivity with Computer

• You may often be required to copy files such as audio, pictures, or documents back and forth from your mobile device.

• Android devices can be connected with computers using: – Bluetooth

– USB

• To connect an Android device using computer, perform the following steps:

1. Connect the Android device through a USB port on your computer. You will receive a notification that the USB is connected.

2. Open the Notifications panel and tap the USB connected option.

3. Select the Turn on USB storage option, which will in turn open a dialog box to confirm that you want to transfer files.

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Browse the Web

• Android’s unique browser recognizes links, as well as some phone numbers, addresses, and similar information that you may want to act, for example:

– Touch & Hold a link to open a context menu for opening, bookmarking, saving, and sending a link via e-mail.

– Touch a phone number to open the Phone application with the specified number.

– Touch a street address to open it in the Maps application.

• Manage Bookmarks and Favorites.

• Personalize your browsing experience.

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Working with Browser

Working with multiple browser Windows

Managing bookmarks

Changing browser settings

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Search

• By default, an Android device comes with Google Search, which enables search for information and items locally and on the Web.

• Search the Web by speaking with Google Voice Search, instead of typing.

• Configure the search behaviour to filter data or items on your Android device you want to include.

• Control how your search history is stored and used on your phone and the Web.

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Speech 2 Text/Text 2 Speech

• Every time you need to enter text in your phone, you should be able to do it by speaking, whether that’s in a search bar, a text message, or a note-taking app.

• Additionally, you can also command to:

– Send text messages and e-mails.

– Call contacts & businesses (pinned on maps).

– View maps and driving directions.

– Search information and open websites.

• Similarly, at times you may need the device to read messages and e-mails to you.

• Wide variety of third party tools/utilities:

– Google Voice Actions

– Dragon Speech

– Virtual Assistant

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Google Goggles

• An innovative tool to scan information from pictures:

– Image Scan

– Logo Scan

– Multi-lingual text scan

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Augmented Reality

• Augmented Reality (AR) involves the addition of virtual elements to the real environment.

• Virtual elements can include computer-generated images, video clips , textual information, from the Internet.

• The real environment includes elements such as a printed picture, an object, a building or landscape.

To retrieve additional information or material, you will need a camera that can identify the real object and

then extract virtual information contextually related to the real object.

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Quick Response Code

• Quick Response (QR) Code is a matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background.

• A QR code can store many types of text information, including:

– A website URL

– Contact information

– A phone number

– A geographic location

– A SMS message to be sent to a phone number

– A plain text message

– A calendar event

Scan the above QR Code to fetch the information

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Searching, Retrieving and Storing Information

Google Goggles

Google Voice Actions

Gesture Search

QR Code Reader

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Location and Mapping

• Location-based services are used in a variety of situations, such as commercial, entertainment, emergency, health, work, and personal life.

• Examples: – To locate the nearest ATM, eateries, petrol pump (gas station), hotel,

hospital, police station etc.

– To provide directions from one place to another

– To locate and reach events, friends, and family members

• Location and mapping is possible through various triangulation techniques, such as:

– GPS satellites

– Cell phone towers

– Wi-Fi networks

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Global Positioning System

Now, wherever you go you can let your dear ones know where you are.

• GPS is actually a constellation of 27 earth-orbiting satellites. (24 in operation and 3 extras in case one fails)

• There are at least four satellites "visible" in the sky.

• A GPS receiver's job is to locate three or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location.

• This operation is based on a mathematical principle called trilateration.

Source: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/travel/gps.htm

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Location and Mapping

Google Maps, Latitude & Places apps

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Android Supports…

• Accelerometer

• Magnetic field

• Gyroscope

• Light

• Pressure

• Temperature

• Proximity

Please note that the specific set of hardware sensors available on any given device varies at the discretion of the device manufacturer.

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Leveraging Use of Hardware Sensors

Motion-sensing games

Google Sky Map

Tricorder

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Third-party Android Applications

• There are loads of applications and tools that you can download and use on your Android device. Applications are also referred as apps.

• You can install and manage applications using the Android Market app.

• You can also download an app using the hidden URI in a QR code from a website.

• You can also install and configure apps from the SD card/USB storage.

• Manage and remove applications through the Applications screen:

– Select MenuSettingsApplications to open the Applications screen.

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Download an App from Android Market

Some useful apps:

Business Card Reader

Adobe Photoshop Express

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Manage Space & Documents

• Similar to managing a file system and space on the PC, you need to manage:

– Applications, data, and space effectively on your Smartphone to ensure optimum utilization and maximum performance.

• In-built applications can be used to monitor the data on the device as well as on the SD card. To check the available space:

1. Select MenuSettingsSD card and phone storage.

2. The SD card and phone storage screen will provide information on used and available space.

• Save the device’s space by moving applications to the SD card.

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Moving Applications to the SD card

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Managing Battery

Battery life in Smartphones is a critical issue, hence you would need to effectively and proactively manage to get the maximum throughput!!

• Some tips to ensure optimum battery usage:

– Turn off services manually; you can use the in-built Power control widget to easily toggle GPS, bluetooth, wireless, and screen brightness.

– Disable the background syncing of installed applications to get an extra stretch out of your battery.

– Do not leave applications running when you don't need them.

– Put your phone on standby mode when you are not using it or enable a short screen timeout.

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Managing Battery (Contd..)

• You can also adjust the delay of screen timeout, so that the device doesn’t consume the battery while the screen is inactive:

1. Select MenuSettingsSound and displayScreen timeout.

2. Select the required screen timeout value.

• Micromanage every single battery consuming application on your device using a power usage meter:

– It displays how much of your power is being consumed by each running application.

– To view Power Usage meter:

1. Select MenuSettings-About PhoneBattery use.

2. Further, select the application to either Force Stop or to Uninstall.

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Securing the Android Device

• It is quite common to lose your mobile phone, therefore ensure that you have:

– Noted the IMEI number.

– Enabled apps which can help locate your device. For example, these apps can allow you to:

• Send SMS to known numbers.

• See your device on a map.

• Set off an audible alarm.

• Clean your personal data on your device.

• Android also supports various security mechanisms such as

implementing locks/passwords through:

– PIN locking

– Pattern locking

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Securing the Android Device

Setting up pattern locking

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Tips and Tricks

• Try using folders to keep your home screen organized.

• Lot of free applications downloaded from the Android Market will show advertisements. You would need to sensibly tame Android into using GPRS. You can use widgets such as:

– APNDroid: Hard blocks your phone into turning off/on GPRS.

– Data counter: Helps you monitor the total usage of packet data.

• Use assistant apps such as Android Assistant: – It allows you to maximize Android device’s performance by monitoring and

killing processes which are consuming more CPU, memory and battery .

– It enables you to manage the start-up processes.

– It enables you to manage files and applications on the SD Card.

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Android Assistant App

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Android Programs @ NIIT

Prerequisite: Knowledge of Core Java and XML

Getting Started with Android Applications Development (Approx. 12 Hrs)

Introduction to Android: An Open Source Mobile Platform

Android Applications Development (Approx. 48 Hrs)

You are here!!!

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Summary

• In this session, you learned about: – Customizing the appearance of Android devices

– Configuring networking and manage accounts

– Searching, retrieving, and storing information

– Using location-based services

– Leveraging the use of hardware sensors

– Maintaining an Android device effectively