Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in android

What is NFC?

The name for the technology is a giveaway to how it actually works. You have two NFC-capable devices, and they are able to communicate with each other if they are close to each other (i.e., “near” each other’s “fields”). Communication occurs via radio frequencies. Check out our other expanded overview of NFC and how it works for more details.
Neither very old nor very new, NFC technology has become a buzzword in the Android phone and tablet industries lately. Most recent phone and tablet releases include NFC chips. There are currently about a hundred Android devices that support NFC.
  NFC is mostly being marketed as a file-sharing or data-sharing tool. This specific use came to the fore when Google released Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which also debuted the Android Beam functionality. Through NFC and Android Beam, devices can swap files very quickly to each other. More than that, the presence of NFC on an Android device also allows the same device to read and/or write to programmable NFC tags.
To check if your phone is NFC enabled ;

1. On your Android device, tap on Settings.
2. Under Wireless & Networks, tap More.
3. Scroll down and you should see the NFC and Android Beam options.

Activating NFC

If your device has NFC, the chip and Android Beam need to be activated so that you can use NFC:

1. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > More.
2. Tap on the NFC switch to activate it. The Android Beam function will also automatically turn on.
3. If Android Beam does not automatically turn on, just tap it and select Yes to turn it on.

Smartphones’ NFC capabilities operate in tandem with Android Beam. If Android Beam is disabled, it may limit NFC’s sharing capacity.

Data Sharing via NFC

With NFC activated, you already use it for beaming data. For successful data sharing, take note of the following:

• Both sending and receiving devices must have NFC and Android Beam activated.
• Neither of the devices should be asleep or locked.
• You’ll get both audio and haptic feedback when the two devices detect each other.
• Do not separate your devices until the beaming has started.
• You’ll hear audio feedback when the file or content has been successfully beamed.

At this time, the ability to share content is limited to small files. Regardless, you can still send content or file types such as web pages, map locations, and contacts with no trouble.

Beaming Content via NFC

Whatever content or data it is you want to share via NFC (e.g., photos/images, contact info, webpages, videos, apps, etc.) — and regardless of whether you’re beaming to a tablet or to a phone from a phone or from a tablet — the generic way to beam content remains the same:

1. Open the content to be shared.
2. Place both devices’ backs against each other.
3. Wait for sound and haptic confirmation that both devices have detected each other.
4. Notice the sender’s screen shrink into a thumbnail and display “Touch to beam” at the top.
5. Touch the sender’s screen to begin beaming. You’ll hear a sound when beaming starts.
6. When beaming completes, you’ll hear audio confirmation. You’ll also get either a notification that the beaming has completed, or the appropriate handler app will launch and open the beamed content.

 

Conclusion

Most of the newest Android handsets already come with NFC functionality, although it may not yet be one of any device’s strongest selling points. For now, its application on Android tablets and phones is still limited to quick content sharing, wireless payment, and task launching. Yet, NFC’s future appears wide and bright.

The Samsung Smartwatch tech specs

Rumours of the Samsung 'Galaxy Gear' Smart watch havelong been heard ever since the launch of Sony's SmartWatch 2 with the release date, pricing and the specs all pondered over.
 With smartwear now becoming ever more popular thanks to fitness trackers like the Fitbit Flex and Nike Fuelband smartphone companies have also realised the potential of wrist-worn technology with Sony being one of the first major smartphone manufacturers to start producing a smart watch which will act as a portal to your device.

It'll probably be called the Samsung Galaxy Gear

Unless Samsung is creating one of the biggest  tech diversions in history we're pretty sure that it'll be calling its smart watch the Samsung Galaxy Gear after it was reported that the company had filed for the trademark 'Galaxy Gear' in both Europe and the US.
With Sony already coining the phrase 'SmartWatch' Samsung will no doubt been looking at a way of placing their own unique stamp on the smartwatch market.
The Samsung galaxy gear will come in five differen t colours and is rumoured to be priced around   £200 this is nowhere near confirmed but by looking at the current market you're able to guage how much any technology company will price their products in relation to the competition.
For example the Sony SmartWatch 2 costs £159.00 on Expansys whilst the Nike Fuelband costs around £129. If Samsung is looking to release a product that is as flagship as the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the Note 3 then it'll need to be not only premium in the specs department but also an investment financially.
Taking into account the current rumours which point at some pretty high specs along with a considerable amount of connectivity including Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC it would be reasonable to assume that Samsung will price it slightly above Sony's own effort which is, at present, the only main competition.

Samsung will announce the Galaxy Gear release date at Samsung Unpacked

SamMobile believe they have confirmed reports that Samsung will not only unveil the Galaxy Gear (SM-V700) but also the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 ahead of the IFA 2013 tech conference in Berlin.
It's believed the Galaxy Gear will act as a companion device for other Galaxy devices like the Galaxy S4, Note 2 and Note 3 and possibly even Samsung's Galaxy tablet range including the Galaxy Tab 8.0.

The Samsung Galaxy Gear will run Android

Galaxy Gear specs have been pretty thin on the ground but what we can say with relative certainty is that it will be running a heavily skinned version of Android.
Samsung's smart watch could also feature a flexible screen after Samsung's patent filings revealed their plans for a device which would feature a flexible display that would wrap around the users wrist.
The images show a device with a long screen which would bend around the wrist along with two standard Android soft keys at the bottom as found on Samsung's smartphones.
One of the more interesting specs that has been leaked via the patent is the news that the Galaxy Gear will be able to access the internet, send messages and make calls without pairing it to your smartphone suggesting that the device will actually support mobile networks via what would almost certainly have to be a Nano SIM.

How to install custom roms to android devices

Android being an open source platform gives us the option to modify our phones to suit our speciffications depending on our daily use of our phones.this is achieved through rooting of  android handsets  same as jailbreaking an IOS.
Rooting is acquisition of absolute control over the device e.g choice of apps to execute in your device .

learn how to root your android device here

After rooting your device  super user app is created in your phone which now breaks all the barriers and enable you modify your phone to suite your needs through use of third party apps such as Rom Manager and Rom Toolbox to enhance your devices performance such as clockspeed , flash custom fontpacks and themes.it also allows you to flash custom roms from android developers such as xda developers since waiting for official android updates from relevant device developers ussually takes long.

Your next step is to download an operating system that is compatible with your device considering specs such as RAM and processor generation of your device for a practical example lets use huawei ideos u8150 .

steps to root huawei u8150

Now download and install the rom manager app. That will enable you flash custom Roms after installing the ROM manager flash it to the latest recovery to update its database

Now download the custom Rom clockworkmod 7.2 and its GOOGLE APPS  by clicking on the relevant highlights and copy them to the root of your sd card.
At this point before  proceeding back up your current operating system and data just incase things go wrong you can restore from the created backup and make sure your device battery is atleast 70% fully charged.

you now boot into recovery by switching off your phone and holding the volume up+call button and holding the power on button as shown by the image.

From the menu that pops up choose factory reset data to wipe data.
navigate using volume rocker button  choose go back and select using the power button and select install zip from sdcard and navigate to the zipfile and choose install and wait for the installation to take place.
Repeat the same procedure to flash the google apps.
Once all is complete select "REBOOT NOW"and wait for the device to power on which should take around 4-10mins.
Proceed to the settings menu and select about phone and check the android version to confirm.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BRICKED PHONES AND DEAD SD CARDS DURING THE PROCESS IF YOU POINT AT ME I WILL JUST LAUGH AT YOU!!

Any questions and complication in the process just drop them in the comment box below...success and dont forget to thank me the blogger for this work...

Smartphone beast war... HTC ONE MINI versus SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 MINI

a good smartphone is more often than not a large smartphone. Screens of 5 inches and above dominate the high-end segment, meaning that anyone who wants the very best must learn to live with a handset of not-so-pocket-friendly proportions. However, there is a handful of smartphones that pack lots and lots of bang in a small, compact package – a combo sought after by a considerable fraction of users. And right now, the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and the HTC One mini are among the best specimens fitting the description.

On one hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and the HTC One mini seem to have a lot in common. They are both compact, easy to handle, equipped with 4.3-inch screens, and rich in terms of features. That makes ranking one of them above the other rather tricky. But the more we play with these two minis, the more differences between them we can list. In fact, we can pretty much give you a clear picture as to which smartphone you'd be more satisfied with, depending on your needs and preferences
 That the HTC One mini has the better screen is as clear as day. While both displays have the same area and share a diagonal size of 4.3 inches, the HTC One mini's panel delivers much higher resolution and pixel density – 720 by 1280 pixels vs 540 by 960 pixels for the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. And the difference is easy to notice when the two smartphones are put side by side. Anything from text in web pages to the pictures in the image gallery is sharper, more detailed, and easier to make out on the HTC One mini due to the higher pixel count.

Color fidelity is also better on the HTC One mini. Its Super-LCD3 screen displays very accurate hues across the entire spectrum, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini, packing a Super AMOLED screen, tends to boost color saturation, albeit not by much. We're also very pleased with the One mini's outdoor visibility. Its screen is brighter and reflects only a fraction of the light that hits it. The display on the Galaxy S4 mini has a low reflectance rating as well, but it isn't as bright, which makes it not as easy to see under broad daylight

HTC ONE MINI

GALAXY S4 MINI