Android Magazine Issue 54 - 2015 UK.pdf

Hacker Zøne
status update
Which devices are best for
the hacking scene?
ZTE Blade S6
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
Medium
The Blade S6 boasts
greatspecsandalow
price. But its MiFlavor UI
is Marmite for many, so
whynottryhackingit
and adding a new ROM?
LG G4
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
High
TheLGG4hasnot
been available for long,
butitwasquickly
rooted.Unlockitnowto
try out new features,
ROMs and apps.
Nexus 7
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
High
Google didn’t release
Android M for the
Nexus 7, so check
the XDA Forums for
Xposed modules that
imitate M features.
Moto 360
Rooted? Yes
Active Development:
High
Motorola keeps slashing
the price of the Moto 360
so pick one up now it’s
cheaptoexperimentwith
smartwatch hacks.
q
hacks
Turn your device
into a mobile office
with Bluetooth
RumoursaboutWindows10for
mobile suggest that devices will
be ready to connect to keyboards
and monitors, creating desktop
computers that fit in your pocket.
But once again Microsoft is late
turning up to the party; Android
already has this functionality!
Tips&Tricks
Surround sound
on Google Movies
Peace and quiet has descended.
Work is done, the kids are in bed (or
the parents!) and you’re ready to
watch a movie on your Android
Lollipop phone or tablet, streamed
direct from the internet via the Play
Movies & Videos app.
You make your selection, hit play
and… well, it looks good, but the
sound could do with a lot of work.
Movies play with surround sound at
the cinema but despite your phone’s
sound system, the same doesn’t
seem to be true here. Or is it?
Although it should be enabled by
default, you can easily switch on
Enjoy movies with 5.1 surround on Android
Dolby 5.1 surround sound in the Play
Movies & Videos app. Open the
menu, then Settings, find Surround
Sound and check the Enable
Surround Sound box. You might even
tap the Play Demo button to get an
idea of the 5.1 soundtrack
capabilities of Android.
Change brightness
depending on time
Display brightness can be a big
problem on the Nexus 5, especially
for battery life. While the Adaptive
Brightness setting can be useful, a
slicker option is to have the
brightness automatically change
depending upon the time of day.
It is possible to manage brightness more
effectivelyonyourNexus5
You’ll need to have Unknown
Sources enabled (you can do this
from Settings>Security) before
heading to XDA-Developers.com and
searching for and then downloading
theBrightTimeapp.
Upon launching BrightTime you’ll
find some timestamps already
present. You can use these or delete
them and set up your own using the
‘+’button.Justtaponatimeand
adjust the slider to determine how
bright the display should be at that
time; you can also adjust the clock as
necessary. For instance, you might
have the brightness turned high
during daylight hours and then turned
lower during the night.
With the BrightTime app active,
your phone’s brightness will be
adjusted when the corresponding
time of day arrives.
Set owner
information
Your phone has been lost.
Fortunately, though, it’s in the hands
of someone trustworthy and who
wantstoreturnit.
That’s the good news. The bad
news is you didn’t save any contact
information on your device, so your
Good Samaritan doesn’t know how
to get in touch to return your Android.
This isn’t a situation you want to
beinisit?Sobestavoidit,
something that can be easily done
Enable Bluetooth Pair keyboard & mouse Portable desktop
1
The opportunities afforded by
2
Bluetooth pairing requires you
3
With successful pairing, your
Bluetooth are considerable.
Embrace your device as a portable
office PC by enabling Bluetooth in
the Quick Settings screen and
pairing your a keyboard and mouse.
to enter 0000 on the keyboard. If
there are problems, consult the
device documentation to find the
correct pairing code. Pair a mouse by
holding the Connect button.
Androiddeviceisnowacompact
desktop computer. If you’re
working on a document, flipping
into portrait mode will afford
additional screen real estate.
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