Tag Archives: android
Google adds handwriting recognition to mobile search
Image credit: Google
Google added a new weapon to its arsenal of ways to search today – handwriting recognition on mobile devices. This feature is disabled by default. To enable it, go to Settings and tap Enable under Handwrite.
Google gives the perfect example of when this functionality could come in handy for entering short queries, but not necessarily for typing long search strings:
“Say you’re standing on a busy street corner, in a bumpy taxi ride, talking with a friend, or sitting on the couch with your tablet. Handwrite enables you to search by just writing letters with your finger most anywhere on your device’s screen—there’s no keyboard that covers half of the screen and no need for hunt-and-peck typing.”
This functionality is available on iPhones and iPads running iOS5+, as well as phones on Android 2.3+ and tablets running Android 4.0+. Handwriting recognition works for 27 languages.
Image credit: Google
Android App Review: FoxFi – Free non-root WiFi tethering
The Google Play store is filled with Android apps for enabling mobile phone users to turn their phones into mobile WiFi hotspots, a practice known as tethering. With smartphone data plans hitting several gigabyte monthly allowances, and LTE wireless connections that sometimes provide speedier connections than cable modems, the ability to use your phone’s Internet connection on your other devices is incredibly useful. One of the major roadblocks involved in many of the tethering apps on Google Play is that these apps require your device to be rooted. The answer? A nifty app called FoxFi.
FoxFi is able to run on any non-rooted phones, provided that your carrier supports it. If Google Play says that the app is not compatible with your device, chances are that your carrier has blocked it. Never fear – the FoxFi developers provide the APK online at http://foxfi.com/bin/ for you to download and install.
Once installed, the app has a single screen for all of its settings – enable or disable the hotspot, set the network name, and enter a WPA password (so that not everyone in the area with a WiFi card can piggyback on your phone’s data plan).
In my limited testing of the app, I found that the connection was reliable, and just as fast as my phone’s connection to the network was (I was in an area with AT&T LTE coverage – so it was quick). Be aware that some battery-saver apps such as JuiceDefender may turn your WiFi or data connections off while you’re using the app, which, needless to say, would be undesirable. Remember to keep tabs on your data usage – it’s fairly easy to use up several GB of data watching YouTube videos over LTE.
