Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about. Show all posts
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Android Beam Why you should care about this hidden gem
Near Field Communication technology (NFC) has spread its way across the mobile landscape like a forest wildfire, yet how many of us actually use it, let alone use it to its full potential?
We all know how NFC works (if not, then heres all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Googles Android Beam.
In order to help you make the most out of your hardware heres our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.
Having been baked into every iteration of Googles mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether its a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.
The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Once this has been confirmed for both handsets its as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isnt always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although wed suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.
The handset that youre hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam".
Just tap the screen and youll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.
As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.
If you find that Android Beam doesnt appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldnt fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.
Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as youll find out if you read on.
S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.
Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.
One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.
In mobile phones the problem isnt so bad given theres limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.
This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each others presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didnt want to register Beam.
It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhones dont even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones dont want to know.
Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.
Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.
At a stretch its not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.
While NFC hasnt quite caught on as a payment method, theres still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - heres hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.
Read more »
We all know how NFC works (if not, then heres all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Googles Android Beam.
In order to help you make the most out of your hardware heres our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.
What is Android Beam?
Having been baked into every iteration of Googles mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether its a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.
How do I use it?
The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Once this has been confirmed for both handsets its as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isnt always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although wed suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.
The handset that youre hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam".
Just tap the screen and youll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.
What if my handset doesnt show Android Beam?
As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.
If you find that Android Beam doesnt appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldnt fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.
Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as youll find out if you read on.
What is S-Beam?
S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.
Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.
Are there any downsides?
One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.
In mobile phones the problem isnt so bad given theres limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.
This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each others presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didnt want to register Beam.
It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhones dont even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones dont want to know.
What does the future hold?
Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.
Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.
At a stretch its not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.
While NFC hasnt quite caught on as a payment method, theres still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - heres hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.
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How to expose a Twitter fraud Its all about the time of day and how often you receive Tweets
The timing of tweets is the major clue as to whether they are authentic or not, new research suggests.
Scientists determined the difference between human tweeters and automated Twitter accounts based solely on the timing of tweets.
The researchers, from Imperial College London, found that they could easily tell if humans were responsible for tweets, without even looking at their content, based on when the user’s tweet was posted.
Their technique also enabled them to distinguish between individuals and those accounts managed by groups of people.
Surprisingly, they found that there was not an obvious pattern for automated Twitter accounts, which were more random than humans in terms of the timing of tweets.
The technology behind the research could provide a new way to verify the authenticity of Twitter account users.
The study, published in the journal PloS One, is also providing fresh insights into how our brains operate when using social media tools.
Study author Doctor Aldo Faisal, said: We found that it does not matter whether you are a model in Sao Paulo or a student in Beijing; it seems that we all share something very similar in our tweeting pattern that dictates the timing of when we send out messages.
Why is this important to know? Well, it suggests that there is something fundamentally similar in the wiring of our brains that comes into play when we use twitter to communicate.
Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has accrued more than 200 million active users worldwide, producing 400 million tweets per day.
The researchers analysed 160,000 tweets from around the world using computer programmes that they developed to spot complex behavioural patterns in Twitter users.
By analysing the timing interval between tweets the team were able to determine that personal accounts holders tweeted more evenly throughout the week and, on each day, more tweets were recorded during typical waking hours of 7am to midnight.
Managed accounts, run by people in corporations, were more active during the five working days and during working hours between 8am and 8pm.
However, tweets from automated accounts were less easy to predict using their method because they were random in terms of when they were sent out.
Dr Faisal added: I am a Twitter user and this project was born out of my curiosity in wanting to know who I’m actually tweeting with.
Sure, there are methods for verifying account holders, but are they fail-safe methods? Are we really speaking to a Member of Parliament on Twitter or a PR representative or a machine? We have now developed a method that can help us determine who it is we are actually tweeting with.
Read more »
Scientists determined the difference between human tweeters and automated Twitter accounts based solely on the timing of tweets.
The researchers, from Imperial College London, found that they could easily tell if humans were responsible for tweets, without even looking at their content, based on when the user’s tweet was posted.
Their technique also enabled them to distinguish between individuals and those accounts managed by groups of people.
Surprisingly, they found that there was not an obvious pattern for automated Twitter accounts, which were more random than humans in terms of the timing of tweets.
The technology behind the research could provide a new way to verify the authenticity of Twitter account users.
The study, published in the journal PloS One, is also providing fresh insights into how our brains operate when using social media tools.
Study author Doctor Aldo Faisal, said: We found that it does not matter whether you are a model in Sao Paulo or a student in Beijing; it seems that we all share something very similar in our tweeting pattern that dictates the timing of when we send out messages.
Why is this important to know? Well, it suggests that there is something fundamentally similar in the wiring of our brains that comes into play when we use twitter to communicate.
Since its creation in 2006, Twitter has accrued more than 200 million active users worldwide, producing 400 million tweets per day.
The researchers analysed 160,000 tweets from around the world using computer programmes that they developed to spot complex behavioural patterns in Twitter users.
By analysing the timing interval between tweets the team were able to determine that personal accounts holders tweeted more evenly throughout the week and, on each day, more tweets were recorded during typical waking hours of 7am to midnight.
Managed accounts, run by people in corporations, were more active during the five working days and during working hours between 8am and 8pm.
However, tweets from automated accounts were less easy to predict using their method because they were random in terms of when they were sent out.
Dr Faisal added: I am a Twitter user and this project was born out of my curiosity in wanting to know who I’m actually tweeting with.
Sure, there are methods for verifying account holders, but are they fail-safe methods? Are we really speaking to a Member of Parliament on Twitter or a PR representative or a machine? We have now developed a method that can help us determine who it is we are actually tweeting with.
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