Google Play Online Shopping

Online Shopping? Yes! Its possible in our country KENYA. I took the option of using a VISA Card. Which card am I using… a debit Yeah! acoount Card from Co-Op. This account ya ‘masufferer’ has been activated for online shopping after filling a ‘2 minute’ form…simple & straight forward. So paid apps are a reality.

So my first test was to buy apps off the Android Market [aka Google Play] and now I’m a proud owner of 3 PAID apps…its a start. As Kenyans & youth we always use the excuse that online payment is hard & complex OR that the costs for some select apps are high. These excuses are poorly founded and are based on limited knowledge. In my own opinion payment is SIMPLE once your Card is activated, cost of apps on the other had depends on the developers, but Android apps are fairly priced + its a one time purchase only.

I’d like to urge you/us to Purchase apps as this puts food on the table for that developer who worked extra hard to make that app service available to you. Games like Asphalt only cost 90 Ksh (marked up price) and yet we SHAMELESSLY pirate… Let’s get into the spirit of paying rather than hacking, that way we are assured of quality & life enriching products; + this also gives you the permission to complain, vent & fume over poorly done apps.

Lets Demistify the process:

How to do it:

1. Do you have a Visa Debit or Credit Card? If not get 1.
2. Go to your bank branch & demand them to allow your Card to make online purchases.
3. Fill in the paperwork they give you to their satisfaction. [Here you relinquish responsibility of fraud from the bank & take it upon yourself…As far as I know Google Play is SAFE]
4. Go to Google play & attempt buying an app. Fill the form (appropriately) they give you for VISA cards & you’re good to go.

Charges from online purchase: As far as I know Co-Op charge me 30Ksh per transaction. Which I find fair as I’m used to the m-pesa transactional charges!

When you buy an app: You OWN IT & all its updates (for nearly all apps).

When you uninstall an app you bought: Its still available for re-download. You still OWN it.

Can I transfer ownership of an app: NO! One needs to buy it under their specific gmail account.

Can I use a paid app on several droids using one account? YES! as long as you bought it ownership belongs to your gmail account.

So that’s my two cents on buying apps. Let’s support developers & frown upon theft & piracy especially of things we can EASILY afford.

Android for the Experienced

Android phones…. one of the greatest things that has happened to Kenyans (ideos) & everyone else the world over… their ability to be found in every price range, shape & colour are what attract most people to these devices, not forgetting their smartphone nature.
The challenge most people are faced with after owning the device for a while is, “How do I optimize this device?” This question involves issues that have plagued the Android community for so long…issues such as battery life… data consumption….speed/lag of the OS.
Over time, through experience and multiple mistakes I can be as bold as to say I’ve ALMOST found a fix to the above problem(s)…
We’ll deal with them slowly & easily that even the noobs (new users) will find it tax-free….

People make the mistake of filling an A-device [newly coined term for an Android device] with too many applications which inevitably leads to battery drain…

To optimize for speed, discard of applications that are:

1. NOT necessary/unessential…. those that just are in your phone but you don’t use much… those that a week can pass before you even open it, by mistake….
2. That consume a lot of data but don’t add as much value to your life…. sorry to say this…apps such as foursquare, Skype, Facebook (just use the browser)… I picked on such apps because they’re constantly running in the background & keep consuming data…
3. Redundant….. having 3 media players, 4 browsers, 2 twitter apps.. all 3 versions of angry birds…. (just remain with one at most 2 if REALLY necessary)
4. That ALWAYS run in the background unless intended by you… (one can check on this at Settings > Applications > Running Services by observing the time the apps have been running). Such apps are the same that consume excess data or drain your battery unnecessarily….such as Skype, most social network apps…etc

To optimize data use….
Learn which applications use your data most and wisely decide on their necessity (do a cost-weight analysis)….apps for social networks tend to use a lot of data same as those for RSS/news feeds. If they don’t meet your analysis… DISCARD!!!

One can also opt to retain the said apps BUT drastically reduce their SELF/AUTOMATIC refresh rate… this also applies to accounts & sync… preferably keep the refresh rate at a minimum or turn it off all the same.. .it also depends on how much you value the ‘refresh’ of the info offered by that application..
Some prefer to Turn OFF background data but if the above is done well the background data that your phone will self-acquire/consume will be intended.
Get a low running app such as data counter which is just a widget that shows you daily data consumption which assists you in assessing your consumption patterns & planning accordingly.
One can also get Traffic Counter/3G Watchdog which breaks down the data consumption PER APP… showing you those that run rampant with data when you’re not looking!!!!

To optimize battery life…
The above steps should get you well on your way to a longer lasting battery life… but for those who want more
Turning radios off…. such as GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC even turning to Flight Mode (turning off the phone function) will ALWAYS save battery life.
Also, Turning your data off is a real battery saver & even better is turning to flight mode but such tactics compromise the title awarded to our devices….SMARTPHONES!!! But I’d recommend an app such as JuiceDefender…. better yet the PAID version… which does the above but in a wise but automated manner…it toggles your data (turns it off or on) when your phone is idle or when you’ve locked your screen… it also can put your phone in Flight mode at convenient hours of the night & restore connectivity at peak hours…. & wisely control use of your radios!!!

If all of the above is done you shall come to notice an increase in performance of the device….

~DGM

Android for the Beginners

Now that you’ve joined the Android community by purchasing or inheriting a new device, I’m sure the question eating at you is, what apps do I get for my device…. This is a simple guide for those who recently acquired Android phones or are interested in discovering what other people consider good apps!!

The data represented here is sourced from a couple of my friends who wield the mighty droids….

I’ve done my best to break the wide array of apps into six essential categories….namely Social Networks, Music/Media, RSS & Feeds, Browsers, Utilities & Games!!!

Social networks

• Facebook – the app is self-titled but I prefer to use the browser.
• Twitter – Tweetcaster & tweetdeck take the throne here.
• Google+ – A really big application(size wise) but really worth it if you’re into GOOGLE stuff.

Music/Media

• Music players- PlayerPro, PowerAmp & Winamp are really powerful tools & offer a great music experience.
• Video Player – MX player handles most if not ALL conceivable codecs.
• Soundhound – Used to ID songs playing in the ‘wild’.
• Gstrings – for those in love with/play guitar.

RSS readers & feeds

• Personally I’d recommend PULSE – which is a full feature RSS/Feeds reader…but is data consumptive if misused…another is gReader handles feeds well & is pocket friendly!
• WordPress app for blogs…
• Free merriam-webster dictionary
• Bible – A simple multi-version app
• Goal – For the best info on European Soccer

Browsers

• Opera Mini – cost effective & supposedly fast.
• Dolphin Browser – Wholesome & easy/fun to use browser.
• Firefox – To experience the WHOLE internet + save as PDF, but comes with its data cost.
• Wapedia – Exposure to the Wiki family at ridiculously low costs!!

Utilities

• JuiceDefender – For battery management [IT REALLY SAVES YOUR BATTERY]
• Battery Indicator – Displays battery stats.
• Data Counter – Simple DATA WIDGET…displays data use per day/week/month!
• Watchdog – to limit & monitor your data usage per day!
• ThinkFree Office – all in one document editor & reader.
• ES File Explorer – self explanatory… & very thorough.
• Bluetooth File Transfer – in assisting those with Bluetooth problems (ideos)
• GoSMS pro – For enhanced sms-ing
• Go Launcher – For a better home screen experience

Games

Speed3Dx, angry birds and many more…. here, its all upto you.

~DGM