On October 15, 2014, a new 5th version of the Android system was released under the name Lollipop, which means "lollipop". The list of devices for which the update is already available includes such popular models as Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, HTC One, Samsung GALAXY S4, LG G Pad 8.3, SONY Xperia Z, Motorola Moto G and many others. Some new items have a built-in Android Lollipop system, for example, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. In general, in six months the percentage of users of the new version of the Android OS exceeded the 12% mark, which is a significant indicator on the market.
/ 3dnews.ru
For this reason, we decided to consider in detail all the useful innovations that the 5th version of Android OS presented to users - Lollipop.
The main feature of the new system interface is animation, in relation to which the developers themselves use the term "choreography". If earlier the animation of each element was individually configured at the discretion of the developers, now its basic principles have been formed. The main such principle was the following: "nothing appears from nowhere, windows smoothly flow into each other." This means that henceforth, if something appears on the screen, then this appearance will be gradual, and the element will "exit" from somewhere. For example, when you click on someone's contact, the name will move up, thus becoming the title of the subscriber card. The windows will smoothly slide over each other.
In addition to animation in Android 5 Lollipop, the interface structure has changed slightly, new light-shadow effects, new colors and shades have been added.
Despite the fact that before that the system had a full-fledged notification panel, the developers of Android 5.0 are convinced that there is no limit to perfection, and therefore were not too lazy to improve it. Previously, the notification and settings panels were located in separate windows, but now they are all on one screen. Also, next to the icons to enable / disable one or another function, two auxiliary elements have appeared. The first one opens the full settings screen, and the second one calls up an additional panel with advanced settings, which "slides out" right on top of the current one.
However, the “automatic brightness” function has disappeared, since the operating system will now always automatically adjust to the lighting, changing the brightness level, relative to which the further manual brightness adjustment will be carried out.
/ firstpost.com
The principles of sorting notifications have also changed, which will greatly simplify the search for the reason why the device beep. Previously, the system used the so-called notification priorities: minimum (weather and other informative information), low (new updates, etc.), standard, high (new letters in the mail) and maximum (various alarms, important reminders and missed calls). Now, in addition to priorities, the system will also sort notifications by time, and sometimes automatically determine their importance. For example, the message from the subscriber from the selected contacts will be higher than the usual one.
/ geek.com
Also, notifications with the maximum priority now do not pop up in full screen, which allows you to complete the currently running task, and only after that - to respond to the notification.
In the new 5th Android OS, there is a setting of modes in which sound and light notifications are turned on according to the selected one.
There are only three modes: all notifications, only important ones, do not disturb at all. The list of these notifications in the corresponding panel will contain everything, including notifications that did not cause any visual alerts.
The main innovation in the lock screen design is the ability to include a list of notifications that will be displayed in the center of the screen. And if you slide your finger from top to bottom, you will see a complete list of notifications. Each type of notification can be assigned the attributes "public", "private" or "secret" - in the latter case, they are not displayed on the lock screen. The device is unlocked by swiping in any other direction.
/ andevice.ru
An interesting innovation was the “Smart Look”, that is, the so-called “smart lock”. Among the specific ways to protect the phone is such a function as face recognition. True, you shouldn't seriously use it, since a person with a similar appearance will be able to access your device, so for now this function is more likely to exist for entertainment purposes. Other unlocking methods include Bluetooth on your smartwatch or on your car dashboard.
Initially, Android 5 Lollipop has two user accounts built into the system: one for the owner and one for guests. In the second case, you can transfer the phone to someone for a limited time of use, being sure of the safety of your data stored on the device.
Also, thanks to the multi-user mode, you can access your device, which, for example, stayed at home, using any other device - just log into your account. The only condition is that this second device has a Lollipop system.
loftog.com
Now a full-fledged Google Search program with a lot of functions is built into the new system. It is noteworthy that voice search starting with the phrase "OK Google" can now be performed even if you are working in another program, or do not use the phone at all, and it is locked. To execute the command, it is enough that the device just has the screen turned on. An exception will be running games or watching a video, during which if the voice search is up and running, then the requested information is usually displayed in text form in the top panel of the screen.
/ alwawee.com
The new design for the Open Application Manager has a slightly different look. If earlier these were screenshots from programs that were evenly spaced horizontally with pictures, now we have several sheets with specific applications that are displayed on top of each other. In this case, several tabs of the same program are displayed as separate applications. In addition to the new design, the manager has the ability to block, set the device to work with this one application, which allows you to direct all the forces of the processor to it.
Speaking of performance, one cannot fail to mention the new Java virtual machine - Android RunTime (ART). Its superiority over the previous Dalvik reduces the power consumption of the device and increases its performance, in the case of some applications - four times.
The new operating system reduces video playback latency and has a multi-channel playback function. Using the OpenGL ES 3.1 specification, Lollipop can compete with computers and game consoles.
The interface of Google Calendar has also changed, while most of its functions have been curtailed. The appearance of the system settings has been changed, in the section of which it is now possible to search by one or another parameter.
/ droid-life.com
Summing up, it should be said that Google developers really tried to do everything as best as possible, down to the smallest detail - all for the sake of user convenience. You may not like some of the innovations, but the vast majority of them make working with the device much easier. Also, the 5th version of the Android OS optimizes the work with applications, minimizing power consumption and increasing performance.
The ability to update the system is already available for most mobile devices, and soon a lot of new gadgets already using Lollipop will enter the market.
Photo on the main: / xakep.ru
In four years, from a small but ambitious project, Android has turned into perhaps the most complex and full of functionality mobile OS of our time. Android has support for a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden where you would not even think to look. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without having to get root.
I think I'm not the only one annoyed by how the market behaves when installing the application. For some reason, he thinks that for any slightest software or the next game, I definitely need an icon on the desktop, and he successfully creates it. And I have to delete it. And then another one. And so every time.
Fortunately, this behavior is easy to disable - just open the Google Play settings (on the left panel) and uncheck the "Add icons" option. There you can also turn off the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.
The standard firmware of Android smartphones includes a huge amount of useless software, ranging from a bunch of Google applications (do you know that Google requires manufacturers to include almost all the software developed by it in the firmware of their devices?) And ending with all kinds of junk from the smartphone manufacturer ... All of this (or at least most) can be turned off.
Go to "Settings → Applications → All", tap on the desired software and click "Disable" (of course, you will be warned how "dangerous" it is). By the way, when you turn off Google search, Google Now will disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), instead of which an empty area will remain.
Few people know, but Android, like many other operating systems, has a so-called Safe mode. This is a mode in which the operating system boots with disabled third-party applications. Malware that is not very skillfully written (the one that is not registered in the system partition) falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen lockers, applications that cause the smartphone to freeze, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating the battery - the next firmware or software update.
The mode is turned on in a fairly simple, but not at all obvious way: by pressing the power button and then holding your finger on the "Turn off the power" item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed through "Settings → Applications".
"Construction of the castle is over!" - how did you get these notifications. All and sundry are trying to notify me about all possible and impossible events: "Vasya Dzhubga answered you on Twitter", "You have 100,500 new messages", "You won the surgery to enlarge your right leg." You swipe one notification, three new ones appear in its place.
How to get rid of all this slag: hold your finger on the notification for a long time and uncheck the box under the "Stop" button. This is a recipe for KitKat. In Lollipop, everything is a little different, but the essence is the same: hold down, then the i button, in the window that opens, put a check mark on "Block". There, you can also force the notification to be prioritized so that it is always at the very top.
Another not at all obvious function is the service menu. It can be opened by dialing the number * # * # 4636 # * # *. Basically there are various technical information like IMEI number, signal strength, current location or network type. But there is also a function of forced switching of the smartphone to the required type of network (2G, 3G, LTE), which is very useful for some situations.
In conditions of a poor 3G / LTE signal, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to conserve battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and select WCDMA only or LTE only in the "Configure preferred network type" item. In the same way, you can switch your smartphone to 2G - GSM only. It will help if you need to save battery power and the Internet is rarely used. By the way, in the same place you can turn off the radio module altogether (of course, until the next reboot). 
Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is * # * # 3646633 # * # *. There are various system information and a huge number of tests, among which you can find several useful settings, such as adjusting the volume level during a conversation or, for example, changing the GPS / AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so many differently shaped information that I do not even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader three letters - XDA.
I don’t know why users dislike the built-in Android browser so much. In my opinion, he is beautiful. Lightweight, fast, on the Chromium engine, it can sync with your Google account (that is, it immediately includes all bookmarks and passwords from Chrome), but most importantly, it has a very convenient and almost ingenious navigation method. This is the so-called radial menu that can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0-4.4).
In the Google piggy bank there are web services not only for remote installation of software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All contacts of people ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found at google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and removed. And, oddly enough, it is essentially a part of Gmail.
Android has a built-in feature to show the current CPU load and currently active processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for developers of applications and firmware and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one bothers us to activate it. But first you have to reach out to the "For Developers" section of the settings, which by default does not exist at all.
We go to the settings, then "About phone", find the line "Build number" and tap on it seven times in a row. The message "You have become a developer!" Should appear on the screen. This means that the item "For Developers" is now open, and we are going to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the "Monitoring" section we find the "Show CPU load" switch.
Turn on and see the list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, showing the number of processes that had to run or wait for their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it very roughly: if these values divided by the number of processor cores are higher than one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most voracious processes (in fact, the analogue of the top command from Linux).
We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify device management from a computer for a person who is familiar with the console (here we are mainly talking about Linux, of course). In addition to the ability to install software, transfer files to a smartphone, view logs and other utilities, recently ADB allows you to backup all settings and applications of a smartphone.
To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download the ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the ADB archive, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, run the command line and execute the command
A message will appear on the smartphone screen asking you to specify the encryption password for the backup - you can safely press "Next". The application backup process will begin, which will affect both the APK packages themselves (the -apk flag in the command) and their settings. All applications from the memory card will also be included in the backup. You can restore a backup using the following command:
$ adb restore backup. ab |
Working in the background, applications can actively use the Internet for a variety of purposes, from updating their content to leaking information about your location. In addition, such activity in any case leads to an increased consumption of battery power. 
Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications for transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prohibit any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to the settings, then - "Data transfer", scroll down the screen to the list of actively using the network of applications (for some it will be a surprise that it is there at all) and tap on the desired software. At the bottom there will be an option "Limit background". It should be borne in mind that the option will disable data transmission only over the mobile network, so that data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.
Often, owners of Android smartphones neglect the search bar at the top of the home screen. This is really logical, given the ability to perform a search by typing a request into the address bar of any mobile browser.
The desktop search bar, meanwhile, does a lot more than just redirect a request to google.com. It allows you to search your contacts, apps, calendar events, bookmarks, and web browser history automatically. With normal smartphone use, it may not be so useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click
Smart Lock is one of those functions that you don't think about, but having tried it once, you can no longer live without it. This is one of the most notable new additions to Android Lollipop and one of the most useful features added to Android in recent times. The idea behind Smart Lock is extremely simple - it disables the pin code or other lock screen protections if there is a specific Bluetooth device or location on the map nearby.
By default, Smart Lock is "kind of" disabled. That is, it does not light up anywhere, but after pairing with a new Bluetooth device (of any type), it will definitely offer to add it to your whitelist. After that, you will forget about her again. But only until you turn on the lock screen protection in the "Security" section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.
The Smart Lock settings themselves are located in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify “safe places” there, and immediately with a list of options based on the “observations” of Google Now. By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will be lost.
Another notable innovation in Lollipop is the Power Saving Mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who used to implement it on their own. Now the function is in pure Android - you use your smartphone to the fullest, and when 15% of the battery charge is reached, the system offers to turn on the power saving mode, which turns off the background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the FPS of screen rendering to a couple of dozen frames per give me a sec. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so as not to forget.
To save battery life on your smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set a black wallpaper and use apps with a black background.
Energy saving mode is configurable. Go to Settings → Battery → Menu → Power Saving Mode. Here you can specify the condition for automatic activation of the mode (however, the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, enable the mode right now. It is very convenient if you have to travel for a long time without the possibility of recharging.
Most likely, smartphone manufacturers, as usual, will shovel the standard Android 5.0 interface and change everything (hello Samsung - the biggest fan of breaking interfaces), but in the standard Lollipop shutter, or rather, in the "second curtain" with 
There is one highlight with the quick settings. The data transfer button in the center does not switch the data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows not only viewing the current traffic consumption, but also turning off the data transfer using the switch above.
Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning function that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other usefulness, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to "Settings → Security", wind almost to the very end and turn on the "Lock in the application" option.
Now, if you press the button for viewing running applications ("Browse"), a concave button will appear at the bottom of the thumbnail of the current application. After clicking on the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected application and to go back, you will need to hold the Back and Browse buttons at the same time. In this case, you will have to enter a pin code if it is set for the lock screen.
Any graphical Android application includes one or more so-called “activities”. Each of them is an application window (screen), for example, the main screen or the settings screen, maybe even a file selection window. By default, you can open directly (from the desktop) only those activities that the application developer will mark as main (main), the rest are available only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows it.
However, having the right tool at hand, you can reach any other activity of any application and even create a shortcut for it on the desktop. The Activity Launcher does exactly that. Just install the application, select "All Actions" from the menu above and find the software you need. All her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or hung on the desktop with a long finger hold.
An example of useful "internal" activities is the Chrome bookmarks window (Chrome → Bookmark), access to the hidden AppOps mechanism in Android< 4.4.2 (Настройки → AppOps), запуск поиска в TuneIn Radio (tunein.ui.activities.TuneInSearchActivity). Очень много активностей имеет в себе ES Проводник, включая редактор, музыкальный плеер, просмотрщик изображений и многое другое. Любую из них можно запустить напрямую с рабочего стола. Таким же образом можно открыть любой раздел настроек и получить доступ к некоторым функциям ОС, достучаться до которых проблематично. Это абсолютно легальная функцио нальность, и она не требует root.
Android has a large set of keyboard shortcuts for pluggable keyboards. You can use the arrows, Tab and Enter to navigate the desktop and various menus. In addition, the following key combinations are available:
Esc - Back button;
Win + Esc - Home button;
Ctrl + Esc - Menu button;
Alt + Tab - switch between applications;
Ctrl + Space - switch layouts;
Ctrl + P - open settings;
Ctrl + M - manage installed applications;
Ctrl + W - change wallpaper;
Win + E - write a letter;
Win + P - music player;
Win + A - calculator;
Win + S - write SMS;
Win + L - calendar;
Win + C - contacts;
Win + B - browser;
Win + M - Google maps;
Win + Space - search;To find out your MAC and IP address, go to Settings → Wi-Fi → menu → Advanced
functions ". MAC and IP will be at the very bottom.Lollipop has a built-in Flappy Bird style game. Go to "Settings → About phone",
tap on the item "Android version" several times, then hold your finger on the "chupa-chups" that appears. We play.Google Now supports a large number of Russian-language voice commands. All of them can be divided into two groups: voice search and the actual voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform smart searches on Google, when the system displays a specific answer instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. The list of commands is shown in the image "Google Now Voice Commands". Voice search, on the other hand, includes more than a dozen different types of questions:
Weather. What is the weather tomorrow morning?
Addresses. Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Flight information. When does Aeroflot flight number 2336 depart?
Time. What time is it in London?
Developments. When does the sun go down today?
Calculations. What is the square root of 2209?
Translation. What is the Spanish word for cucumber?
Sport. When does Spartak play?
Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?
Facts. What is the height of the tallest building in the world?
Exchange Rates. Convert 2600 rupees to US dollars.
Images. Show photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Interestingly, in English, Google Now understands a large number of and much less obvious questions. An example can be given:
Should I wear a jacket today?
How much is a tip from 420 rubles?
Where is my parcel?
This, of course, is not all that could be talked about, but it will not work to stretch the article, and many of the other possibilities are already known. Do not forget about these tricks, and the smartphone will become
a little more convenient.
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We've already talked about the pros and cons of getting. If you disdained all the dangers and nevertheless decided the question of "root or not root" in favor of the first option, the owners of tablets do not have a natural question: what about the presence of several users in the system? This opportunity has become both a privilege and a problem for owners of gadgets with the latest version of Android today. How will it be reflected root for Android 4.2?
A good option for obtaining root rights would be, for example, Framaroot - getting root rights in one click. If you are worried about whether a child (husband / wife, brother / sister, etc.) will delete system files with your root-rights instead of innocent games, do not worry: Google has done a good job of separating accounts. Everything that you do in your "master" part of the system remains only here. All apps, settings, data and even Root on Android 4.2 with multiplayer mode concern only you. The rest of the users will not get any new features.
It's another matter if you just need to provide root rights for the second user. With this possibility, things are more complicated. On the one hand, it is understandable - there will be few cases when the owner of the device wants to take such risks. On the other hand, the heroes of these rare cases still feel left out.
An attempt to solve this problem is going to be proposed by the developer SuperSu applications... This application is installed on a rooted android and allows you to conveniently manage these features. You can allow or deny applications access to such rights, temporarily remove the root and make a bunch of useful settings.
Unfortunately, for the sake of speeding up the release of the application, the author postponed the multiuser function for the simple reason that the prevalence of Android 4.2 is still very low, and support for multiple users is possible only on tablets, which further narrows the range of those who need such a function. However, he did not abandon the idea, and those who follow the updates will surely notice such an opportunity in the changelog one day.
Anyway, SuperSu may well be useful to you - even without the ability to work with a multiuser, so we post its latest version for download - SuperSu 1.04... Appendix e (pro version can be found on Google Play).
Hurray hurray hurray! I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that now the stream of news has changed to those about the new version of the system, and not about endless leaks of basically the same type of devices. I'm fed up already. But system changes, changelogs and innovations are interesting. The guys at Android Police share screenshots and a description of how it is implemented. However, it was before, but not obvious and available only on tablets. Now the situation has changed.
The principles remain the same: the first user of the device is the owner. The main one in everything, the sole owner and commander, but if desired, he can create several accounts for guests. This is how it looks.
The account creation wizard will guide you through the procedure for creating new users. Upon completion, a switch icon will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. There you can change active accounts.
As a result, now each user will receive their own specific allowed set of applications, as well as the style of design: wallpapers, sounds, etc. Moreover, when you connect the device to a PC, you will only have access to what belongs to the current active user.
Now you can safely give your smartphone to a child, without fear that he will climb somewhere in the wrong place, or show something from the phone to curious friends. Of course, we tend to share tablets more often, but smartphones also travel from person to person, and therefore the multiplayer mode is a useful thing.
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