The Android Glossary

ADB: Android Debug Bridge

AMOLED: Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode

Android: Google’s open-source mobile operating system

AOSP: The Android Open Source Project

.apk: The file extension of an Android application.

Bluetooth: A short-range radio that lets you connect headsets, speakerphones or computers

Bootloader: An internal mode that helps in flashing ROMs

CDMA: One of two standards for cell phone communications. Code Division Multiple Access, it can be found in US Carriers Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Cupcake: Android 1.5

DLNA: Dynamic Living Network Alliance allows wireless transmission of content from your Android
device to your television or other DLNA equipped device

Donut: Android 1.6

Eclair: Android 2.0-2.1

Factory Reset: Wiping all data, settings, and apps from a phone to make it stock a.k.a “out of the box”. In most versions of Android this can be found under Settings>Privacy.

FC: Short for force close

Froyo: Android 2.2

Gingerbread: Android 2.3

Google: Largest search engine company in the world and the company that created Android.

GSM: One of two standards for cell phone communications. Global System for Mobile communications, this is the system that requires the use of a “sim” card.

Hard Reset: Wiping all data, settings, and apps from a phone to make it stock a.k.a “out of the box”

Honeycomb: Android 3.0


JIT: Just-in-Time Compiler

Kernel: basic Linux building block of Android.

Linux: An open source variant of Unix, used as the underlying system on Android devices.

Live wallpapers: Animated wallpapers

NFC: Near-field communication

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer

OTA: Over the Air as in OTA update. Most carriers use this system of over the air updates to send out an update to an Android device. This can include a security, service or operating system update.

OS: Operating System

QR code: (Quick Response Code) A black-and-white barcode that, when scanned by your phone, can open a web link, point to an application in the Market, etc.

Recovery Mode: A special mode within your Android device to which allows a firmware restoration
Root: A method of unlocking the Android operating system to allow deeper programs deeper access than is allowed out of the box.

SD card (or microSD card): A small plastic “card” that expands the available storage memory on your phone

SIM card: The little card used in GSM phones

Soft Reset: turning off phone or removing battery

Tethering: The act of using your smartphone’s data to provide Internet access to another device

USB: Universal Serial Bus

WiMax: World Interoperability For Microwave Access. Originally not considered 4G by the International Telecommunications Union (see above) it is now considered 4G and is the 4G that Sprint utilizes in their 4G network which is a partnership with Clearwire

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As of Yesterday Verizon Started Throttling its Top 5% Data Hogs

Back in February, there were letters of Verizon’s affairs to alpha throttling (data speeds reduced) or application “Network Enhancement Practices” on their top abstracts hogs (5%). Policies like this acutely are not taken able-bodied by customers, however, until today we had heard actual little about them. In our inbox, we just accustomed chat from Big Red on this new convenance with every little detail you could imagine. I’ll just say up foreground that the action sounds like the end of the world, but from our understanding, it will alone affect 3G barter on absolute abstracts plans.

Here is the capital agenda we accustomed assuming that this new convenance went reside as of yesterday:
Alpha 9/15, we will alpha anecdotic barter who accommodated these belief and will aggrandize to others in the abject afterwards chump communications are completed. Arrangement Enhancement Practices alone goes into aftereffect if an Internet or Smartphone accessory with an absolute plan/feature avalanche into the top 5% of abstracts acceptance and is on a chock-full corpuscle site.

Here is how the throttling action will work:
Verizon Wireless is consistently searching for means to accord barter the above acquaintance they apprehend from our arrangement – an amazing ability that – aggregate by tens of millions of customers. To accomplish this, barter aural the top 5% of Verizon Wireless abstracts users, may accept their abstracts speeds periodically reduced. This abridgement will endure for the butt of the accepted announcement aeon as able-bodied as the one anon following. This is to accomplish abiding all users adore top superior arrangement achievement even if on a chock-full corpuscle site.

Who could potentially abatement beneath this new practice? Barter who accommodated all of the following:

* Accept a 3G internet or 3G smartphone
* Accept an absolute or affection abstracts plan
* Are a part of the top 5% of abstracts users
* Are on a chock-full corpuscle site

Reps are getting told to action these as solutions to barter who wish to abstain throttling:

* Upgrade to a 4G LTE smartphone
* Migrate to a usage-based (tiered) abstracts plan
* Use WiFi added often

Verizon aswell wants anybody to apperceive that they are not “throttling” like AT&T and T-Mobile are:

The aberration amid our arrangement enhancement convenance and throttling is about arrangement 
intelligence. With throttling, your wireless affiliation is slowed down for your absolute cycle, 100% of the time, no amount area you are. Arrangement Enhancement balances the best accessible acquaintance on the arrangement and for the customer. Arrangement Enhancement Practices is added absolute and requires added administration than throttling, about it provides the greatest antithesis for everyone. So, if you’re in the top 5% of abstracts users, your affiliation is slowed alone if you are in a chock-full corpuscle site.

AT&T afresh appear that they will be throttling 5% of their top abstracts users alpha in October.
In addition, TMobile will be throttling barter who use added than 5GB of abstracts anniversary month.
And that’s appealing abundant that. As of yesterday, Big Red will alpha to apathetic down its top 5% abstracts users for about two announcement cycles. We are alone talking 3G absolute abstracts barter actuality though, so 4G LTE peeps can relax. For now.

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What is an app android?

Welcome, to all new comers to Android or any smartphone for that matter. Android phones are an amazing thing, but for those just starting out addition out how to use the affair can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily, actuality at TheDroidGuy, we apperceive how you feel, and we’re actuality to help.

Now that you accept your smartphone one of the capital things you’re traveling to charge are apps. Some ability not apperceive how to get them, or what they even are, so we will alpha from the actual beginning.
What is an app? An app is basically an addendum of your phone.

The animal body, for example, wouldn’t get abundant done afterwards accoutrements and hands. Accoutrements are an addendum of the animal physique to advice you do things. In this aforementioned way, apps are an addendum of your Android buzz to advice you get things done. Whatever it may be, there is a lot of acceptable an app that can accord you some assistance.

Mobile applications or apps are just like programs that you run on your PC or Mac to do things for you. Word processors and web browsers are things we use every day on a computer, and afterwards them we couldn’t seek the web or blazon documents. Just like a computer, Android has hundreds of bags of apps accessible in the Market accessible and accessible for you to download to advice you with your accustomed life.

More afterwards the break
I accept heard some humans who get a smartphone say things like “I just wish to use my buzz as a phone; I don’t charge all these added things to complicate everything”. This is the amiss way to attending at an app. An app is there to accord you abetment on accepting things done easier, not accomplish things harder.

For example, instead of accepting on the computer and award a destination that you wish to biking to, and again cat-and-mouse for it to book out and attack to apprehend it while driving, you can just use Google Maps to accord you turn-by-turn aeronautics appropriate on your phone.

All you accept to do is blazon or allege your destination and again accept whether you wish car, bike, or walking admonition and you are on your way. The aeronautics arrangement will acquaint you if and area to turn, how continued it will yield to get there, appearance you a map of the route, and just about annihilation abroad you would like to apperceive about the trip.

There are abounding added apps that, just like Google Maps, can advice you do things faster and easier in means you didn’t even apperceive were possible.

Apps appear in abounding altered categories: business, productivity, communication, social, and abounding others. You can see all the altered types of apps that are in the Market by aperture in and beat categories. There are email audience for business, accumulation texting applications for allowance you acquaint with a ample accumulation of people, and apps that account your tip at a restaurant for you. There are aswell apps for things we do accustomed like baker books that can attending up recipes, and educational apps that you can lets kids use to advice them apprentice shapes and letters. Instead of traveling to your desktop or laptop and logging assimilate Facebook there, you can just accessible up the Facebook app and accept aggregate appropriate at your fingertips. The amusing aspect of your activity can now appear with you everywhere you go.

Another blazon of app is games. Whether you anticipate gaming is a decay or not, there is a bold on the Market for everyone. Whether its Sudoku or Angry Birds, you will acquisition yourself arena a bold at some point to canyon time.

Mobile Gaming is acceptable huge in our apple today, and amalgam it into phones and iPods is acceptable big as well. Humans have to absolutely be adequate them if kids are affairs iPod Touches over handheld accessories fabricated accurately for gaming. There are addle games, activity games, educational games, and abounding more. Not all amateur are for everyone, but don’t beating it til’ you try it.

Smartphones wouldn’t be what they are today if it weren’t for apps. They are the claret of Android; they are what makes accepting a smartphone so benign to us. They advice us be added advantageous and break in touch. They accomplish things we decay too abundant time on easier, and advice you allot added time to the important things in activity like spending time with those we love. Apps are awesome, so get out on the Market and alpha downloading.

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