Get directions
You might not be aware of this, but your
Android tablet comes with a magnificent and entirely free – satellite
navigation application, which you can use to get from A to B in car. The beauty
of this app is that, combined with a tablet with a large screen, it makes
reading the maps an absolute breeze, even if you’re sitting in the back of a
car. The beauty of this app is that, combined with a tablet with a large
screen, it makes reading the maps an absolute breeze, even if you’re sitting in
the back of a car.
Google
Maps Navigation (Beta)
The satellite navigation app can also be
used with Android’s built-in voice control, so just say where you want to go
and it’ll take you there. Thankfully, all Android users are catered for because
it works with Android 1.6 and upwards. If it’s not already present on your
device, just go to Google Play and search for ‘Google Maps With Navigation
Beta’.
Upgrade your tablet
One of the most useful things you can do
with your older Android tablet to give it a new lease of life is to upgrade the
operating system to a later version. If you’re starting out with Donut 1.6,
then you’re pretty much out of luck unless your tablet happens to be highly
specified in the hardware department.
Those with later version, such as Éclair
2.1 are starting off with a much better base for upgrading to a later version.
You can perform the most minor of updates – going from 2.1 to 2.2, for instance
–simply by checking in your Settings area for system updates that come directly
from the manufacturer of your tablet.
Otherwise, if the update isn’t available
(your particular carrier might be holding back the update, for example) or if
you wan to jump up the evolutionary scale a few more notches, you can install a
custom update ROM specifically for your tablet. We can’t tell you which one to
go for because it’s impossible to tell you which version of a ROM to download
to go with your manufacturer – you will need a specific firmware update
otherwise it won’t work. The best advice is to head on over to www.androidtablets.net and look
for the exact ROM that goes with your chosen device.
Be warned though – you will need to follow
the installation instructions of a new ROM right down to the letter because if
you don’t, there’s a chance that your tablet could stop working altogether if
the software is incorrectly installed on your tablet.
Root your tablet
Upgrading your tablet OS to a newer one as
mentioned above is one example of rooting, whereby you gain full control over
what you want your tablet to do and how it should look. You can find out how,
to root your Android tablet on dozens of websites, but one of the best places
to find guides is the XDA Developers forum (http://forum.xda-developers.com).
Again, you’ll need to find the guide that applies to your particular tablet.
Once you do find it, rooting can be quite a straightforward process and it
unlocks a whole range of potential upgrades.
From here on there are pretty much no
limits to what you can do with your tablet – you will be able to install apps
not normally available to locked tablets, such as overclocking the CPUto its
full potential with SetCPU (www.setcpu.com); or optimizing your
tablet’s use of memory with AutoKiller Memory Optimiser (http://bit.ly/rO2gSY). There are all manner of
performance-related improvements, so rooting is something you should consider
if you crave a little bit of modification. Remember to follow the instruction
carefully though – there’s a small chance that something could go wrong if not.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that rooting the OS will void your tablet’s
warranty.
Automatic backup
The latest version of Apple’s iOS enables
you to automatically back up your iPad over Wi-Fi, and Apple is proud of its
new feature, which makes this procedure quick and painless. Android features a
similar backup method, although instead of backing up to iTunes it uses
Google’s cloud backup facility. By default your tablet should e set to back up
all your settings whenever you’re connected; it not you need to go to Settings
> Privacy and tap the box next to ‘Back up my data’.
If you want to protect the entire contents
of your device, you could manually copy everything from your tablet to your
computer by connecting your tablet via a USB cable and dragging and dropping
everything to a folder. But that’s a bit archaic isn’t it? A better way is to
use an app such as MyBackup Pro (www.rerware.com/Android) which enables
you to schedule online backups so that your tablet automatically backs up
practically everything – photos, apps, contacts, emails and more – to the
cloud.
Video chat
So your tablet isn’t a phone – so what?
That doesn’t mean you can’t call your friends or family for a nice chat.
Provided your tablet has a front-facing camera, you can use a video-chat app,
such as Fring (www.fring.com),
which is completely free. The great thing about this app is that you can call
up to three other people at the same time, so it’s good for arranging a global
meeting. The quality of the video adjusts to your connection, so if it’s 3G,
quality suffers, but you should still get streaming without any annoying
transmission delays.
Make the most of your tablet
Save battery life
Save
battery life
If you find that your tablet’s battery life
keeps unexpectedly draining away, use Battery Booster (http://bit.ly/rExoYu) to find the source of the
extreme juice-drain. This app also offers ways of saving the battery life on
your tablet – for example, turning certain battery-hungry functions off when
the power level gets low.
Type with a swipe
Type
with a swipe
Swype (www.swype.com) is a brilliantly simple
app that will instantly improve your typing speed. Instead of pressing letters
to type out whole words, you simply swipe across the keys to create the words
instead, making text entry seriously fast and easy. Unfortunately, Swype is
only available for Android tablets running version 3.0 or later.
Find good Wi-Fi
Find
good Wi-Fi
If you’re the kind of person who travels a
lot and tries to connect to numerous Wi-Fi hotspot, Wifi Analyzer (www.bit.ly/y8E3Ss)
could be an invaluable tool for you. It shows you the strength of any Wi-Fi
channels nearby, as well as how many people are connected to it. It’s also
great for checking the strength of your home network around the house.
Go rooting around
Go
rooting around
If you’ve decided to root your Android
tablet, the world is your oyster as far as Android apps are concerned.
AutoKiller Memory Optimizer (http://bit.ly/ruFuES)
is just one of the many great programs available to you, and it offers
increased speed and lower battery consumption by optimizing any apps that are
running.
