Some ideas for organizing your mobile apps

Our favorite smartphones and tablets offer us great possibilities, thanks in large part to all the wonderful applications that can be downloaded.

Difficult to remember to install everything that moves, and we quickly face a major problem: manage to navigate all this, when dozens of small colorful icons occupy our screens.

I recently came across an article from LifeHack that gave me some good ideas.

This is primarily storage on different "offices" or "home screens" because the complete list of applications accessible by the button at the bottom of the screen is not customizable by default (but I come back at the end of the article)

Some storage ideas
Before imagining the best way to sort all this, here are three methods to put some order by grouping together applications. The idea is to help our brain to find them faster.

In folders

This is the easiest way to organize a large number of applications without completely cluttering all its screens.

Small reminder for the creation of file: that it is on Android or on iOS, it is enough to drag the icon of an application on another, a file is created then containing the two applications. Then just open it and click on its name to edit it.

Then slide in other applications to add them.

By row or column

Although folders are very convenient, their use involves an extra click to open an application (open the folder> open application). It's nothing to unity, but multiplied by the number of times you open an application a day, do not be surprised if the horn appears on your thumb, your screen wears faster, and your productivity the whole is reduced by half.

When you can limit its number of applications on its home screens, it may not be necessary to store everything in folders.

The idea can be to visually organize its screen to navigate: on iOS as Android, the storage of applications is done on a grid, which can be used to his advantage.

We can imagine grouping similar applications by line or by column. You can afford the luxury of leaving empty rows or columns to ventilate all that.

By screen: think in 3 dimensions

Since our mobile operating systems leave us the ability to create multiple home screens, this allows us to think about both the ranking on one screen, but also on several.

You may have created thematic folders on your home page (work, multimedia, games ...), but why not take your applications out of their folders so that each theme occupies a screen all in one? To think about it will be roughly equivalent in number of manipulations to access an application.

But at the same time, focusing everything on a single screen can also be effective, for you to see according to your preferences.

(note: the purists will tell me that this is not really 3 dimensions since we usually drag the screens from right to left, thus constituting a simple extension of the horizontal dimension.They will be right in most cases , except for Android users who have installed an alternative launcher for desktop management in 3 dimensions.There was the moment Sheldon Cooper).

Some sorting ideas
Now that we know how to tidy up properly, let's see in which order we could sort all our applications.


Prerequisite: Do you really need all of its icons on your home screens?

Of course, before imagining a sorting method "by antechronological order of the publication of the beta version by its publishers" (registered trademark), the stupid question to ask is: "what are the applications that I REALLY need to have in front of you? "

After all, alphabetical ordering in the list of apps is fine in most cases.

In my opinion, it is necessary to place:

- the applications that you use really often, either daily or in special conditions (on the move, abroad ...)

- why not applications that you use punctually but in a situation where it is difficult for you to search: at the red light in the car (and not driving, is not it?), when you do your jogging .. .

For the rest, I advise you to remove them from your home screens. This is also the opportunity to do some housework by uninstalling the applications that you actually never use (I'm sure they are many).

By theme

This is the basic sorting method that we probably use most often; we group applications by major theme to help our brain to find them. Some examples :

- multimedia, with applications of music, photos, videos ...,

- communication, with email applications, SMS, chat ...,

- social networks,

- read or standby, with applications like Medium, an RSS reader, ...

- practical applications (directory, weather, ...)

- games and other leisure applications ...

In short, to adapt according to your needs. As mentioned above, it's also up to you to see if you prefer to put them in your folders (each folder can correspond to a theme), or by row, column or screen.

By action

This time it is to group the applications according to the context in which you use them, according to what you are doing. For example :

- when you go running, you may need your music player, a map if you get lost, and your favorite performance tracking application,

- in public transport, maybe it's one or two applications to read the news, the application of the transport company to try to find out why this damn train is stopped on the tracks, and your music player,

- at work, it may be your favorite professional social network, desktop and file storage applications, calendar and to-do lists ...

This can lead to finding the same application in several groups, and therefore multiply the number of icons, but I think it is an effective method.

By colors

It may sound silly, but simply sorting our apps using the colors of their icons can be quite effective.

The brain very easily distinguishes visual information like colors, why not try to take advantage of it.

I'm sure you know by heart the dominant color of almost all of your applications, I'm wrong?

Okay, it will be the job site when redesign of such or such mark, but it is not every day. And for smart guys like Google who love multicolored icons, you can see on the screenshot above that we can not get along too well by grouping them together.

By frequency of use

This is also a method of sorting that we use quite intuitively, which consists of placing in the most visible way the applications that we use the most, and to put others further.

On the first screen can appear the applications that you really use every day (social networks, mail, calendar ... according to your use). Why not also by avoiding to put them in files to access them as quickly as possible.

On the next screen (left and right), the applications you use regularly, this time allowing you to classify them in folders if necessary.

On the following superfluous applications but you can not resolve to disappear from your home screens for one reason or another.

Some additional ideas
Use widgets on Android

One of the benefits of Android is to allow applications to create widgets that can be placed anywhere on the screen. It is possible for most to size them to his taste, and they can be a useful tool to organize his various offices.

For example, it can be used to clearly distinguish the usefulness of each screen:

- a "work" screen, with the widget of your favorite task list application, and besides the shortcuts to your office applications, organization, ...

- a "multimedia" screen, with the widget of a music player, and applications for playing video, pictures ... all around,

- a "planning" screen, with a calendar widget and why not next to applications useful to your travels: maps, public transport, ...

A sober wallpaper to see more clearly ...

Of course, all these efforts to organize its applications will be dashed if you stick behind a complex wallpaper that makes everything completely unreadable.

Simple wallpapers, with relatively plain colors, generally work well.

That does not prevent you from a little fantasy, with why not funds with complex appearance only on a part of the screen, allowing you to use the rest to put your icons. A mix between beauty and practice in short.

I have not found a desktop wallpaper dedicated to the organization like the one on PC, but I guess it must exist, and you can always do it yourself if you're a little handyman.

... or why not any application on the desktop?

The opposite idea is to sacrifice nothing to the beauty of a blank screen of any icon, sublimated by an artistic wallpaper [poet mode off].

To think about it, that's what I often advise to do on computer, so why not.

The quick launch bar

Of course, we must not forget this one, this small bar stuck down that remains visible on all screens.

No need to advise you to put the apps you really use most often? And yet, are you sure that the applications that are there at the moment are really the most indispensable in your daily use?

For me it's been a long time: camera, phone, SMS and browser on my smartphone ... but to think about it I probably use more e-mails than the phone, to meditate.

The launchers on Android

Android allows you to go even further by installing alternative launchers, with or without root of the device, which can completely shake the appearance of his system.

And this does not only concern the home screen, because often the complete list of applications can also be customized, with possibilities of filters, sorting ...

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These legends smartphones hard to erase

Although we use them every day, our expensive smartphones technology have a sometimes dark operation, and some myths are difficult to make disappear.

Here is a small list that I see too often, so that you too can shine in society ;-)

Closing apps speeds up the smartphone: FALSE
Smartphone close applications

flickr photo / Jason Howie

This error has logical bases, because sometimes we reason like on a computer where it is generally advised not to open 50 software at the same time so as not to suffer performance declines.

The temptation is great to also close applications on his favorite mobile device from the list of recent applications.

The difference is: these applications do not run in the background, and therefore do not consume resources. They are simply stored in the RAM to be able to return to it more quickly. But if the device needs more RAM, it releases applications that you have not used for a long time.

Yes, iOS as Android allows applications to perform actions in the background, but this has nothing to do with the list of recent applications.

No need to close these applications frantically, it's useless. Worse, no need to install a task killer on Android for this one function.

You have to empty the battery completely before recharging: FALSE
Smartphone battery full discharge

photo flickr / Martin Abegglen

Here again, it is a myth based on the old technologies of memory batteries, which required to be fully discharged before being recharged, otherwise their ability to decrease more quickly.

We still see today some people hesitate to connect their device because it is already 80% loaded ...

And yet, the modern Lithium-ion batteries on our smartphones, tablets, and even laptops, have no need to be fully discharged before being recharged, so you can connect them whenever you want.

In the same way, it is not necessary to fully charge the battery before disconnecting the charger.

By the way, some tips to recharge your smartphone or tablet faster.

Do not leave your smartphone charging all night: FALSE, but ...
Smartphone battery charge


if you want to see an article about new apple mac pro see this article on our new website

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In reality on this point, there is truth and falsehood.

Legend has it that letting the battery charge for a long time while it is full could damage it, forcing the charge when it is no longer needed.

This is false because modern batteries can detect very well when they are fully charged, and therefore stop the charging process if necessary.

However, leaving a device permanently connected to the sector causes unnecessary heating and energy consumption ... to moderate therefore for ecological issues.

If you must do it, I advise you to turn off the device, and think about unplugging it when you wake up.

Only use the charger delivered with the phone: FALSE
Smartphone original charger

photo flickr / U.S. Army RDECOM

<troll> This paragraph is obviously not intended for owners of iPhones who must change the charger almost every new version of their favorite device. </ Troll>

For all other devices connecting with a standard micro-USB cable, there is no problem to use another charger (it was a little trickier when switching from mini-USB to micro-USB because it was necessary find the right cable, but this problem does not arise today, except for the owners of antiquity).

If you use a larger intensity charger, your smartphone will use only the intensity it needs, it may even recharge a little faster than the conventional charger.

If, on the other hand, you use a charger of less intensity, it will recharge maybe less quickly, or not at all in the worst case.

Some additional info.

A protective screen film is essential: FALSE, but ...
Smartphone myth screen protection
to see the situaton between huawei and google and the rest of the companies you can see it all here,here,and here

flickr photo / CalypsoCrystal

With the development of screens equipped with Gorilla Glass, our mobile devices have become much more resistant to scratches and even falls.

Its specifications evolve even regularly, the third version released in early 2013 has increased its scratch resistance by 40%, and version 4 released in November 2014 indicates that glass can withstand 80% of falls to a height of one meter.

In other words: this type of screen will not be scratched by the keys in your pocket, or even if it is scuffed by a knife or cutter blade. The proof on video (sensitive souls abstain .. The guy is still able to break his screen, but I let you discover what he does to him for that.You can be sure that no screen protector would have changed anything).

The material used for the screen is simply stronger than all the metals used for these objects, so it is virtually safe. There is often more chance that these objects scratch the shell of your smartphone rather than its screen.

In fact, only a few very hard materials can damage a Gorilla Glass screen, such as diamond (I guess you do not trim every day in your pocket), or ... sand. So be careful if you spend a lot of your time at the beach.

Not to mention the special case of entry-level devices, or old enough, that would not be equipped with Gorilla Glass. It's up to you to check according to your device.

Apart from these particular cases, I think it is therefore not necessary to add a screen protector film, which in addition are generally quite cool to ask, and sometimes change the touch or even the responsiveness of the touch screen.

In the same spirit, I used to tend not to want to add unsightly shell to my smartphones, I changed my mind recently. For the record, it is by falling on the edge at the impact location that the screen exploded, it might not have happened with a Gorilla Glass 4. Everything has been in order since for cheap and a few hours of work ... but I added a shell since ;-)

More megapixels = better photo sensor: FALSE
Smartphone camera number of megapixels

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In the same way that the amount of RAM or the size of the hard disk will not tell you if one computer is better than another, we must not rely solely on the criterion of the number of pixels to judge the quality of a computer. digital camera.

The legend is stubborn, it must be said that it is part of the annoying little manias of the manufacturers to sing the praises of their product on the basis of technical characteristics, which alone do not mean much.

For example, we often highlight the quality of the photo sensor iPhones, and even the iPhone 6 embarks a sensor of "only" 8Mpx when many competitors offer 16Mpx or 20Mpx or more.

From what I read the bidding of pixels to even have a perverse effect on the overall quality of the image (source in English)

There are many other criteria to take into account, such as the overall quality of the sensor, the embedded software ... which are much more difficult to measure. Probably the most effective way is to go for serious tests on the web, or even better to get your hands on the coveted device to make his own opinion.

We can easily catch viruses on Android: FALSE, but ...
Smartphone myth android virus

photo flickr / cyberhades

Already, one should not speak of a "virus", but of malware, which in principle does not have the capacity to spread from device to device.

However, we are regularly told about "antivirus" for Android, I have already done the test of one of them (but I have not even written an article as the adventure has gone short ).

So yes, this type of applications exist, but apparently the number of devices involved and very low, and above all, this mainly concerns smartphone owners who install software that does not come from Google Play.

I imagine that these (of which I am a part) know perfectly well the risks incurred, and take the minimum precautions necessary to guard against them.



if you want to see the new underscreen camers that oppo has you can check it right here

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How best to save your data?

We are all accumulating more and more data between files stored on our multiple hard disks and mobile devices, online storage solutions, web services ...

Unless you tend to close your eyes and clench your teeth hoping that everything is going well, it is likely that you have already thought about saving all that, at least for the most important.

But this is not one of the funniest tasks, and there are so many possibilities that it's easy to get lost or forget about it.

Here are some basics of reflection on the subject. Note that I am speaking here rather to individuals or self-employed, rather than to companies that have to take this subject even more seriously by making most of the time call for professionals to handle this aspect.

Introduction: What is good data backup?

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It may seem obvious at first, and yet there may be more criteria to take into account than you imagine:

- the data must be copied in several places. So in two points at least, but obviously the multiplication increases the security,

these storage points must be as far as possible distant from each other, so that there is almost no probability that they all disappear at the same time. An example: if you save the hard disk of your PC on an external hard drive that you keep at home, you will be saved if your PC breaks down, but in trouble if you unfortunately suffered a water damage / fire / burglary...

- all that is very nice, but I think we must not forget to take into account the sensitivity of the data: is it safe to save your documents "confidential" on the servers of a foreign company which you have very little information on the use of data? For once, multiplying the storage points has the consequence of increasing the risk of unwanted diffusion ... so you understand that it is a balance to find.

Of course, all this depends directly on the importance we attach to the various data saved, and their sensitivity: what is the risk if they were to disappear? Are they replaceable? Do they have an important value, as well commercial (software ...) as sentimental (photos ...)?

The different backup solutions


Mounting the hard disks of his machine in RAID

flickr photo / Jon

If this term does not tell you anything: the RAID (for Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is to use multiple hard drives on a single machine, which will work in parallel to improve performance and / or copy data in multiple copies. This will save you the bet in case of failure of one of the disks.

If it is an interesting solution that allows to keep the total control of his personal data, security side you quickly understand that the interest is limited to the only case where a hard drive was to make the soul alone, without collateral damage.

For all the rest (theft, damage to the complete machine or the building that houses it ...), it is not enough.



Physical media "mobile"

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A simple solution we've all used, and many still use today, is to copy your most important data to removable media such as CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, memory cards, or external hard drives.

It all depends on the amount of data to be backed up.

The benefits are many:

- they can be taken everywhere. If you are the first part of this article, you understand that the proper way to make a safe backup is not to store them in the same room, and even better not in the same building,

- they can be used on multiple devices, and so be swept from right to left to use his files everywhere,

- the storage of data on a physical medium which is kept in control and obviously a good solution for the protection of his personal data. As long as you do not leave them lying around, of course.

The inconvenients :

storage space is limited according to the medium. External hard drives now have large storage capacities, but are less portable. It is easy to find today 64 GB USB keys from 20-30 €, 128 GB from 50 €, for models of "serious" brand. Count a little more if performance issues are important to you,

- These media really have interest for a safe backup of its data only if they are stored in a different place, which can be quite restrictive,

- it is difficult to schedule automatic backups of its data (and I do not even mention the case where you store them outside). There are, however, tons of backup software, I admit I have never really looked into the subject.

I personally used this method for several years to back up the data on my work computer, making a nearly full 15-day copy of my desktop PC on an external hard drive that I stored at home. You can imagine that it's tedious, with the need for a deaf like me to put a reminder to think to take the disk, a reminder to think about doing the backup, a reminder to think about bringing the hard drive. But it works.



SIN

photo flickr / James Chao

Networked storage servers, commonly known as NAS, are small enclosures filled with hard drives and connected to their personal network, which are responsible for storing their data.

Often used by small businesses, many affordable models are available to individuals to build a real home network.

They usually use the RAID hard disk mounting system mentioned above (provided they are equipped with several disks of course), and some models can be accessed via the Internet, or even automatically send files to a remote server via FTP.

A really complete solution provided you put the price: from 80-100 € the empty box, which must be added at least 2 hard drives, counting at least 50-60 € per disc of 1 TB or 80 -100 € per 2 TB disk. Remembering that if the goal is to connect all the electronic devices of the house, the storage space can be quickly occupied.

Note that without investing in this type of equipment, we can always be content to connect a hard drive to our Internet box, the latter with now, thankfully many connections from the entire network.

The advantages of SINs:

- they automatically save our data in a transparent way,

- their storage capacity can be very important, depending on the number of slots for hard disks provided, and the disks that we will put inside,

they are usable by all the machines connected to his personal network, and thus allow the sharing of data between machines,

- as for other "physical" storage media, they ensure a minimum of personal data protection (especially if they do not have direct access to the Internet).

The inconvenients :

- If we take the initial conditions of a good backup, we can say that they do not provide maximum security since they are in principle stored in his house or apartment. They can nevertheless be stored in a dedicated room and a minimum "secure" against the main problems (closet locked, protected from any risk of water, protected against overvoltages ...), and versions with a Internet backup system offer additional guarantees.

- all this at a cost, but that can prove to be a good investment seen the advantages evoked.



The cloud "owner"

This is a term that all companies have used anyhow in recent years to appear in the coup, a kind of "tech washing" which has thankfully a little calmer.

Behind this nebulous concept (#pouet) is simply the fact of having an online storage space, usually with software and dedicated web interfaces making the sharing of data simple and user-friendly.

We all know Dropbox, One Drive, iCloud or Google Drive (a little different because it offers integrated office software) ... and there are many others.

Advantages :

- it is a real remote backup, which strongly limits the risk of data loss,

- the competition between these services being strong, and the giants of the web being of the part, these tools are generally simple and practical to use, with well thought out web interfaces, and software available for all platforms, PC as mobile,

- basic versions are usually free for limited storage (2 GB on Dropbox, 5 GB on iCloud and OneDrive, 15 GB on Google Drive)

- it is easy to automatically back up your data using the software and applications provided.

The inconvenients :

- to have more space you have to pay, and it can quickly come back quite expensive if you want to save a lot of data (to count 9.99 € per month for 1 TB on all the services mentioned previously (a nice agreement)).

- you have to trust the companies to which you entrust your data. With the stories of PRISM et cie, and what is gradually taking place in France, it's difficult to be fully confident.



Backups to an external personal server or even creating a personal cloud

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As we have seen, cloud storage brings many benefits, with the counterpart of losing control of its data.

Another solution will not scare anyone who is familiar with web hosting: rent a space from a web host, and drag its files from time to time with FTP Filezilla style software to have a solid backup .

Of course, this is not the most ergonomic way to manage files, and to go further we can consider using a personal "cloud" software.

If all this seems a little obscure: do you see how Dropbox works? Well imagine the same thing, but instead of sending your data on the servers of an American company, you will use a space on a server that you rent from a host.

This does not guarantee total confidentiality, but it is already a little better.

One of the best known right now is owncloud, I personally set it up recently on one of my servers, and I was surprised by the ease of installation while I was expecting something much more complex (in my case on a Simple Hosting hosting at Gandi).

Ok, you have to be at least comfortable with web hosting, but most hosts offer pages of explanations if necessary.

Once installed, we have a web interface, a software that allows you to create folders on your PC, and mobile applications, just like Dropbox, with the added satisfaction of a little more control over hosting its data.

Attention to the level of the cost however, because to benefit from a storage space therefore we can rarely be satisfied with shared accommodation first prices.

I might have a dedicated article soon.

Note that another alternative is offered by the hosts themselves, some of which offer turnkey cloud solutions. Count for example 0.01 € HT / month / Go at OVH ... we fall back on the tariffs of the tenors of the cloud.



Do you see more clearly? We now take stock of the devices and services to be backed up, just after a short page of advertising :-p

Which backup system depends on the devices and storage space?


For computers

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So let's take the different solutions:

- copying on removable physical media (USB sticks, external hard drives ...) is an easy and relatively inexpensive solution to implement, but will be really secure only if we take the trouble to store the support to another place than the computer. Regular backup can quickly become tedious, and we will all be quick to "forget" to make backup.

- the acquisition of a NAS can be a good idea for more than one reason, if only to create a real home network, and thus have its files from all its computer and multimedia equipment. The disadvantage of the same storage location can be overcome by solutions offering a scheduled backup to an online space.

- Backups in the cloud can address the issue of storage location at lower cost, with however limited space available in free versions. For a greater control of the confidentiality of its data it is worth to me to invest a little bit in the creation of its own cloud. Tools like owncloud seem ideal for this function.

No ideal solution ultimately, this is to be considered on a case by case basis, the "good" solution often consisting of a mix between all these possibilities.



For mobile devices

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We forget most of the physical media for our mobile devices, unless we imagine making backups on micro-SD cards for equipped devices ... but it would be much too tedious.

Owning a NAS accessible via Wi-Fi, or any other home server solution, will also make sense for the case of smartphones and tablets, both to save but also to access files shared by other machines.

The solution that I will describe as more "comfortable" is that of online storage, cloud services all offering applications generally easy and enjoyable to use.

If you trust them, services like Dropbox or Google Photos even offer to automatically save the photos you take, to be sure not to lose anything in case of trouble (and to make room on the device if necessary).



For data stored in the cloud

Yes, we must not forget that sending your data in the cloud is not a guarantee of security, because even if the companies of the web take precautions (multiple backup in different points ...), we are not never be safe from a major breakdown, or an error in the management of your account. It is better to have a backup copy somewhere as well.

You can very well set a periodic reminder to repatriate a copy on a hard drive, just to "rematerialize" your data.

A little tedious I agree, I personally tend to use an automation tool like IFTTT or Zapier to make copies between several services (send the content of his Dropbox to Google Drive for example)



For the most important web services

photo flickr / notoriousxl

Again, it seems important to leave nothing to chance, especially for the services we use the most: webmail, calendar, to-do list, or even social networks ...

In principle, they all offer a solution to download all of their data, but sometimes you have to look for it.

You can once again put a reminder to perform this action periodically, even if it's a little tedious.



For our websites

The blogger or other webmaster who has already lost a lot of his work because of a crash of his system, an attack or any other unfortunate event, will know perfectly what I'm talking about.

Fortunately, there are many ways to save your valuable site:

- periodically download their data and database to their hard drive. A safe but tedious way,

- hosts often offer automatic backup services to be able to go back in case of problem. It's up to you to check that it is activated and well configured,

- Content management tools like Wordpress or Drupal usually offer extensions or modules to automatically perform file and database backups. This backup can be done directly on the server that hosts the site (limited interest in case of problems, see my preamble), or on an external service. I think for example the Backup and Migrate module on Drupal, with the associated web service NodeSquirrel.

I'm not a Wordpress specialist, Alex's friend Alex from WP Marmite talks about it better than me.



I hope I have been sufficiently clear and exhaustive for this important subject, do not hesitate to complete in comment, or to explain to us your way of doing!

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best shortcuts for android to use

Android now equips 84% ​​of smartphones in the world (yes yes), and 71% in Europe, an overwhelming majority for Google's mobile OS (ZDNet figures). It is apparently a little less brilliant for tablets, but it still represents a few million devices.

If I believe my Google Analytics over the last 30 days, among the visitors who come to this blog from a mobile device you are 62% on Android, 34% on iOS, the few remaining crumbs sharing between Windows Phone and some brave under BlackBerry, Playstation Vita or Firefox OS.

In short, I think that an article to improve the use of your favorite device can be useful. There are some shortcuts that many do not know and that can make life easier. Here is a nice list.

Open the camera with a double-click on power

photo flickr / Maurizio Pesce

It is sometimes necessary to react very quickly not to miss a beautiful photo, and the time necessary to seize his camera, unlock the screen, open the camera and take the shot really does not help in this task.

Android developers have already proposed a convenient shortcut in a corner of the home screen that can directly open his device on the dedicated application.

But it is possible to go even faster, at least on smartphones not too old: since Android 6.0 just click twice on the power button to launch the application, even the screen off. It's that simple.

Some facetious builders may have changed this behavior, such as Samsung, who prefers double-clicking the Home button, or Motorola, who prefers to break his wrist by shaking his device.

Note that if you happen too frequently to take pictures of your pockets by mistake because of this function, and you want to disable it, it is possible in Settings / Display.

Quickly search an application

When you install a good amount of applications on your device, it can quickly become tedious to go through the long list to find the one you are looking for.

The first thing to do is often to organize its home screens to have on hand those that are used most often. And that's good, I've done a full article here.

For the rest, there are two small tips that can save a lot of time:

- just start typing the name of the desired application from the Home screen in the Google search bar, to see it appear almost instantly under the search results (left screenshot)

- or in case you have not seen it, there is a search bar at the top of the list of applications (right capture). You can even land directly in it by making a long press on the applications icon from the home screen. Also note, the link "access to the Play Store" that appears right below during a search keeps the query typed and can also save time for the search for new applications.

Use quick answers for SMS

Here is an underestimated feature of our Android smartphones, which quickly becomes essential when we have taken taste.

The fast answer function allows to politely reject a call by explaining to our interlocutor by SMS the reason of our unavailability.

On the classic Android since version 4.0, just slide your finger up at the time of the call, and choose the desired message from a small list (left screenshot).

The plus is that it is of course possible to customize these messages to his liking. It happens in the phone application, Settings, Quick replies. 4 different messages are customizable, it is limited but it must allow to deal with most situations (right capture).

The facetious builders who have nothing else to do than stash Android's features may have stowed it somewhere else, I'll let you look in their docs while cursing them up to the 3rd generation.

I do not regret to equip myself only with Nexus, like.

Unlock the device in a flash with Smart Lock

We can not repeat enough that it is more than advisable to set up a screen locking system a secure minimum, rather than simply dragging your finger.

Android offers a variety of solutions in this direction, via PIN, schema or password.

Unfortunately this has the effect of considerably slow down the process of handling the device, thus destroying all the efforts made through this article.

But it is fortunately possible to "bypass" this security thanks to the Smart Lock function, which automatically unlocks the device in certain specific cases:

- when another "trusted" device is present nearby. The most practical being a connected watch, but we can also think of the Bluetooth system of his car, or a NFC sticker wisely placed.

- when you are in a "place of trust" (just add an address in Google Maps),

- thanks to facial recognition (be careful with people who look like us or use photos, it's not yet an exact science),

- thanks to the recognition of his voice (same remark with a near voice stamp or a recording),

- or simply by detecting when the device is moving, and only locking it when it is set.

It is possible to combine several of these solutions to adapt to its use.

In any case, we must be aware that it decreases the level of security, but that it can be a good compromise for those who want a minimum of peace without sacrificing their comfort of use.

To configure all this, this is done in Settings / Security / Smart Lock.

Call or send an SMS to a loved one in one click (or almost)

A function very largely underutilized in my opinion, and it is probably a shame.

We all have a small number of contacts that we call much more frequently than others; parents, children, spouse, psychiatrist, best friend ...

Having to search them in the directory of his contacts is a waste of unnecessary time, even using the search function offered by Android.

It is first possible to add them to our favorites, simply by clicking on the small star on the contact card. The favorite contacts are then found in the tab provided for this purpose, which is already a little order.

A classic, but we can do even better!

Simply open the list of widgets (via a long press on an unoccupied space of the home screen), and go to the "Contacts" section. It appears here before your eyes amazed three small format 1x1 (thus not bulky), which allow the choice:

- to open the form of the selected contact (bof),

- to directly call the chosen contact (better),

- to open the SMS application on the conversation with the selected contact (even better).

That's enough to pick up a few tens of seconds each day, which will be transformed over the years in precious hours gained to be able to view more videos of chats on YouTube.

Do not thank me.

Start navigation directly with a pre-registered address

While we're in the widgets, here is another handy tip.

Google Maps offers two widgets that allow you to launch the application as follows:

- either in "Car Mode", ie directly with the navigation activated and the search bar at the top,

- Or, even more practical, by launching the navigation directly with a pre-registered address. Perfect to get home from anywhere, without the need to search. It is possible to add as many widgets as necessary (home, work ...) by naming them differently. The icon proposed by Google changes according to the mode of transport chosen (car, public transport, bicycle, on foot).

Bonus: pilot his device to the voice to do everything faster

Past the point of fun with this feature that seems to immerse us in a sci-fi movie, we can realize that the voice command can really be very practical if we take the trouble to tame it.

So much so that I made a complete article some time ago (which also concerns Siri and Cortana, no jealousy). To summarize quickly, it is for example possible to:

- do research,
- open applications,
- control his device and his music,
- set alarms and appointments,
- call his contacts and send them SMS or mails (cf capture I have hidden the number of Chuck to respect his private life),
- use navigation,
- translate in real time,
- ...

.



Well, I hope you learned things today. Feel free to share your own tips and tricks comments are made for that ;-)

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10 convenient functions to use with voice commands

iOS has Siri, Android has its "Ok Google", Windows has Cortana ... to believe the enthusiasm of the big names in technology for voice recognition systems, we can imagine that they have good days before them for the use of our high-tech devices.

When you have for the first time a device equipped with this kind of technology, we usually go through 3 phases:

- the effect "whaou", realizing that our device seems almost intelligent so much he understands our language, and noting the speed and the general quality of his answers,

- the period of fun, during which we will test everything with his new gadget, ask him all the questions imaginable, including the most silly (not in fact ... ESPECIALLY the most stupid), see even experimenting sessions of conversations between two smartphones.

- and usually for most, the period when we forget to use this function yet practical, just because we do not really think about it.

Here are some of the most useful feature ideas for voice recognition systems.

Call back: how to access the voice assistant?

Ok Google Siri Cotana

A little reminder that everyone leaves on the same footing.

On Android, just go to any page with the Google Toolbar (such as home screens, or the Google Now page), and tap the small microphone icon, or to pronounce the simple phrase "Ok Google". Even stronger on some devices, the possibility that the device responds even screen off (at least on the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Samsung Note 4, but the list is probably not exhaustive)

Note that you need the Google Now app installed for this to work, or the Google Search app. And that the function is activated of course.

On iOS, just hold down the main button until the message "What can I do for you?" appears, or by simply asking "Say Siri".

Note that it is also possible to use "Ok Google" on iOS with the Google application (the reciprocal is obviously not possible).

On Windows, simply press the microphone icon next to the search box, or say "Hey Cortana" if this function has been activated in the settings. We can also teach him how to recognize our voice so that he reacts only to us. On Windows Phone you can also press and hold the "search" button.

Good to know: Cortana also exists for iOS and Android ... but is only available in the United States at the moment.

In short, nothing very original for the 3 systems, we find the same operation startup. Too bad that we can not simply customize the sentence of call (I remember that Google could be called for a while with Ok Jarvis, which was still pretty classy)

Doing research without hands
Voice assistant research

pixabay photo



"Classic" research
This is the basic function that can be useful in many contexts (just think about it!), We quickly realize that it is often easier and faster to ask a question orally to your smartphone, tablet or his computer, than to tap him with his little fingers.

For any system, once voice recognition is activated, it is sufficient to clearly state its search in the same way that it would have done on a search engine (a few reminders here by the way to improve his research)

On the same principle when looking for the meaning of a word, just ask "what means ..." or "definition ..." to OK Google for us to explain.

Simple searches in conversation mode
For the 3 systems, some simple questions usually give rise to a direct voice response from the assistant: "what size does the Eiffel Tower?", "Who is the President of the United States?"

Technological evolution now makes them capable of responding in the form of conversation, which is probably the most impressive: if we start by asking "what is the capital of Quebec?", We can continue with "number of inhabitants?" just after the answer of the assistant, so that he understands that the second question is related to the first.

Image search
We have all seen the Google TV ad where the user asks his smartphone "show me pictures of cupcake" (no?), It is indeed a practical function that can also be found on other systems (in any case for Ok Google and Siri, because for Cortana I did not really succeed in my tests).

It is possible to be quite precise in its request, adding for example a place and a date: "show me photos of Paris last July".

Check your device
Voice assistant command device

pixabay photo

Open applications
A very convenient function to use his device almost without hands, the ability to open applications via voice commands.

We can imagine that one day the applications themselves will be driven entirely in this way, and that one will be able to leave one's hands deep in one's pockets.

Several words can be used to achieve his ends: "open Facebook", "Twitter launches" ...

Control the functions of your device
A little in the same spirit, but it is this time directly the hardware of his device that can be controlled by the voice, which is always bluffing the first time: "take a picture", "turn on the flashlight", "cut the Wi-Fi" ...

Rather useful on smartphones, I did not succeed with Cortana on PC.

Control your music
If you store music files on your device, you'll probably be happy to be able to start your favorite song or band without even having to move a finger.

"listen to Machine Head" is enough to OK Google to launch Google Play Music with one of my favorite songs. The class.

Manage your time
Assitant vocal organization tasks agenda

pixabay photo


Set appointments on his calendar, and reminders
Our smartphones are very practical tools to manage our schedules, I think we all agree. The addition of an appointment or reminder always requires several manipulations to enter the subject, date, time, any reminders ...

Voice commands can greatly simplify this process. For example, you can ask Ok Google or Siri:

"Remind me to call John at 18:00". Or :

"Create the agenda event for dinner in Marseille, Saturday at 19:00"

For Cortana it is a little more complex, it will begin by asking: "New Appointment", then answer the various questions asked (date and time, subject)

Set alarms and countdowns
Another ultra-practical function to organize, the possibility of adding in a few words an alarm on his mobile device, or even if need a countdown.

On Google and iOS, a phrase like "Set an alarm for 7:00 every Friday morning" will do the trick.

On Cortana "Alarm at 7am" works, but if we add "every Thursday" it tends to be wrong (in any case it seemed complicated during my tests).

Communicate
Voice assistant communicate

flickr photo / Marjan Lazarevski

Call your contacts, send them SMS or emails
Telephoning without hands is also possible with voice recognition, and this can be useful in many situations.

You can have fun trying to "call mom", or "Send an SMS to Julien to tell him I'm five minutes late" for example. Tested on Android, it goes perfectly anyway.

For the mails the procedure may seem a little more complicated, but it is still affordable:

"Send an e-mail to Christine, object news shoes, message, I can not wait for you to see my new shoes, end point"

Open an Internet page
If you can directly launch an application as we have seen above, we can then say that it is easy to launch his favorite browser with a phrase like "Launch Firefox", or "Open Chrome".

But it's also possible to go directly to the homepage of a site simply by asking "go to coreight.com".

Convenient.

Identify yourself
Voice assistant GPS situation

pixabay photo

Use navigation
It is easy to imagine that one of the most practical uses for voice recognition systems is when you can not absolutely free your hands, for example driving your car.

More and more smartphone users using their device as a GPS, can control them to the voice is a great help.

"Route to Toulouse" will usually be sufficient to launch the GPS directly to the desired destination.

Know what's around you
In the same spirit, what's more practical than just asking "Where is the nearest bakery?" to his smartphone or tablet, as one could have done to a passerby in the street?

Well, it does not forbid us to address the words to people, but let's face it we almost believe in a science fiction film ;-)

Translate a sentence quickly

Voice assistant translation





This is for me one of the most impressive technological evolutions of the last years, and one that should still progress strongly: the ability of tools such as Google Translate to understand our voice, and translate it into another language.

The conversation mode of Google Translation is also very bluffing, as well as the recent function of real-time translation of texts in augmented reality. This would deserve a complete article on occasion.

If I recommend the use of a full application for intensive use, voice assistants like Ok Google and Siri are perfectly capable of responding very quickly to a query like "How do you say thank you in Czech?"

Cortana seems to limit herself to launching a search engine that then takes care of the translation.

To take notes
Voice assistant taking notes

pixabay photo

If at one time the small portable audio recorder was the pinnacle of modernity, we must admit that it took a big shot of old with our smartphones capable of doing much more.

But the basic idea of ​​being able to take notes simply with one's voice is still relevant.

It will suffice to say "New note: write an article on the voice assistants", or "Note for myself: the number is 42" Ok Google for it to record this text in the application of notes defined by default.

Siri will be able to manage with "Note that I owe 10 euros to Stephanie", then will be able to find her little ones with "Find my note on Stéphanie".

Cortana on Windows 10 replied laconically "I'm sorry, I can not take notes at the moment. Try again after a future update". Too bad, but there is hope.

Get a lot of useful info
Voice assistant useful information

flickr photo / albyantoniazzi

Check the weather
One of the functions that I use almost every day: I put my smartphone near me when I get ready in the morning, and if I have a doubt about the appropriate attire I ask him "What time will it do today? hui? "

It is also possible to specify as much the date as the place to prepare his weekend or holidays.

A must.

Do calculations and conversions
"Convert 16 ounces to kilos", "What is the square root of 2209?" ...

The kind of questions that can be asked, which will be long to type on the keyboard of his smartphone, while the voice command provides an answer in seconds, usually accurate.

And much more !
In bulk, some additional practical information that can be asked of the voice assistant (to test according to configurations):

- the opening hours of the shops,

- the scores of his favorite teams,

- the next cinema sessions,

- the information of air transport (by specifying the number of the flight),

- the status of a package that is expected,

- stock market prices.



I hope I have given you some ideas to finally use your voice assistant usefully (instead of making silly questions contests ;-)

I found overall in my tests that Siri and Ok Google include rather large tirades to record information (see calendar, alarm ...), while Cortana requires cutting into several parts (we ask the function of base, then answer his questions).

In any case, it is an already impressive technology but whose future is even more promising. When we think that Facebook also wants to market with its "M", and that Mark Zuckerberg dreams of having his "Jarvis" as in Iron Man, we have probably not finished talking to our machines.

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