Database Info

To you, what is the one most important feature of a smart-phone

Okay, let's gather some data. I want to know what the majority at XDA find that they rely on the most on a smart-phone?
Take the poll and look at the results.
To those of you who aren't sure what they find the most important feature for them, here is a short criteria list:
Personal Information Management
Calendar
Contacts
Notes
Tasks
To-do
Finances
Passwords
Reminders
Communication
Call Quality & Clearness
QWERTY Keyboard
Phone Log
Email and Messaging Compatibility
Travel and Assistant
Dictionary
Calculator
Unit Converter
Bar-code Scanner
GPS
Alarm Clock
Encyclopedia via Web
Multimedia
Music
Video
Picture
Entertainment via Web
Games
File management
Speaker Quality and Loudness
Camera & Audio Recorder
Sound Recordings
Captured Pictures
Recorded Videos
Productivity
Word documents
Spreadsheets
Presentations
Other Documents
Audio Editor
Video Editor
Image Editor
Computer Programming
I am also working on a personal project and I need help from anyone who is willing to participate. I would like to organize a list for smart phone criteria. I want to correctly categorize each feature and sub-feature to the correct and most APPROPRIATE parent category. I will take the suggestions of each new post. And I do hope that at least a few of you participate in the poll and also give me other features to add to the list and give me category advice.

If I had to pick just one then I suppose I'd say communication; but I think this poll kind of misses the point, to be honest: the reason I want a smartphone is precisely the fact that it is NOT limited to just one set of functions. If it only did one of those six things then I wouldn't buy it regardless of which of the six it is. The fact that it does all six is what's important.

Shasarak said:
If I had to pick just one then I suppose I'd say communication; but I think this poll kind of misses the point, to be honest: the reason I want a smartphone is precisely the fact that it is NOT limited to just one set of functions. If it only did one of those six things then I wouldn't buy it regardless of which of the six it is. The fact that it does all six is what's important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point of this thread is to see what users like the most, so people (the ones who make your phone) can decide what is trendy right now. If they know what is trendy, they can spend a bit more time on improving something that is currently in demand, and less time on the less desirable features. They can also look at the smallest probabilities and see why people do not like that feature. Maybe then, they would understand why people don't use the feature. Then they can make decisions on not what is most beneficial to improve, but on what NEEDS improvement. Keep in mind that time is always moving forward so distributing equal attention and work on all features is probably uneconomical. Of course, this is only a personal experiment. Sorry, people.
I didn't ask what makes a smart phone essential (as in necessary). I asked, what is the feature that is most essential (ahem... useful and most addicting) to you.
Ya know, I am fairly certain that I use PIM more than Communication. If a smart-phone specializes in every feature such as awesome communication capabilities, awesome recording capabilities, and awesome multimedia capability, but fails to implement useful PIM management buttons/software/capabilities, then I would look for another phone. But if it only had an awesome PIM implementation than I wouldn't buy it because a smart-phone is an all-in-one device. So your point is invalid to me, and would make sense on a topic talking about how useless every other feature--except communication--is.
Please, reconsider the fact that I said smart-phone. I said nothing about travel phones, basic phones, business phones, or multimedia/music phones, or camera phones. I mean okay, maybe there is a phone that you like and think that is a perfect 10 for each category. But considering that all features are really good, I WILL still ask you what do you like the most about it? It's so simple, that I am don't know why you have to deviate from the purpose of this poll.
Otherwise, you are saying that your preference on a phone is perfectly and equally distributed. That would mean you love PIM 16%, Communication 16%, Travel and Assistant 16%, Multimedia 16%, Camera & Recorder 16%, and Productivity 16%. This is impossible in the real world.
So my topic absolutely makes sense. I think YOU are missing the point.
Please vote people. Thanks.

[Q] A way to digitize notes

I'm looking for a way to digitize notes. Normally (at least at my last job) I would either take my laptop or my TF700 into a meeting and just dictate the notes straight to the device. However at my new job I have had a few stipulations put upon me. They are:
1.) Actions must be documented and filed.
2.) Electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, smart phones, and recording devices (IE Camcorders, cameras) are prohibited.
I am allowed to bring a pad of paper and/or an audio recorder as long as it does not have an LCD or anything with a lens in it (Tape recorder / etc).
My current process is to take a legal pad in with a pencil, short hand everything and duplicate drawings /schematics, then go home and transcribe everything to my computer and sync it with my phone/tablet. To say the process is tedious is an understatement.
Is there a way to do this so that the process is faster and easier?
Any suggestions at all would be helpful.
Thank you.

Search for software that lets you scan a piece of paper and have it turned into digital text.
It shouldn't be that hard to find, I know something like that came with a cheap scanner we bought in the 90s - and the technology can only have improved.
Or if you don't care about file size and if it's in text or picture, you could just keep the scanned image as is, compress a little and use that.

Pennycake said:
Search for software that lets you scan a piece of paper and have it turned into digital text.
It shouldn't be that hard to find, I know something like that came with a cheap scanner we bought in the 90s - and the technology can only have improved.
Or if you don't care about file size and if it's in text or picture, you could just keep the scanned image as is, compress a little and use that.
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Click to collapse
Pennycake, I kind of need to have the OCR for key word searches the handheld scanner and software that I have does not recognize my handwriting, even in print.

I would wonder if there is better software / hardware out there.
You can record and there are speech-to-text programs, but I wonder if they would even be as successful as the attempts to digitize the handwriting.

Actually, in my opinion the suggestions made so far are looking at this problem the wrong way.
I think he correct solution is to talk to your manager about the situation and point out that:
i) Any security benefits they think they are getting by banning laptops etc from the meeting are delusional, as after the meeting you are transcribing your handwritten notes to electronic format anyway.
ii) That the current process of you working outside normal hours at home on your personal devices results in a very high risk of the meeting notes being exposed in an insecure environment - in fact, if laptops are banned from the meeting I'm surprised you're even allowed to remove the notes from the office to work on them at home on a personal device.
iii) That while they may have valid reasons to restrict electronic devices at meetings, common sense would suggest that now days the most secure and efficient method of recording meeting notes is to enter said notes directly into a secure enterprise computing environment using an enterprise approved secure device ie., if no-one else, the meeting secretary should be able to use an approved laptop (or similar device) during the meeting.
You need to initiate the discussion that results in a rule change that allows you to take the meeting notes in the most efficient and secure way, rather than search for a better method of circumventing the existing rules - both you and your employer will be better off - you won't have to transcribe the notes at home in your own time and they will have a much higher level of security surrounding those notes.

Pennycake said:
Search for software that lets you scan a piece of paper and have it turned into digital text.
It shouldn't be that hard to find, I know something like that came with a cheap scanner we bought in the 90s - and the technology can only have improved.
Or if you don't care about file size and if it's in text or picture, you could just keep the scanned image as is, compress a little and use that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mike_NZ said:
Actually, in my opinion the suggestions made so far are looking at this problem the wrong way.
I think he correct solution is to talk to your manager about the situation and point out that:
i) Any security benefits they think they are getting by banning laptops etc from the meeting are delusional, as after the meeting you are transcribing your handwritten notes to electronic format anyway.
ii) That the current process of you working outside normal hours at home on your personal devices results in a very high risk of the meeting notes being exposed in an insecure environment - in fact, if laptops are banned from the meeting I'm surprised you're even allowed to remove the notes from the office to work on them at home on a personal device.
iii) That while they may have valid reasons to restrict electronic devices at meetings, common sense would suggest that now days the most secure and efficient method of recording meeting notes is to enter said notes directly into a secure enterprise computing environment using an enterprise approved secure device ie., if no-one else, the meeting secretary should be able to use an approved laptop (or similar device) during the meeting.
You need to initiate the discussion that results in a rule change that allows you to take the meeting notes in the most efficient and secure way, rather than search for a better method of circumventing the existing rules - both you and your employer will be better off - you won't have to transcribe the notes at home in your own time and they will have a much higher level of security surrounding those notes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually tried this, but the reason they don't want electronic media in these rooms are due to the rooms being marked a secure. Electronic media is not allowed to be brought into or out of the room. We have some rooms that have computers that are not allowed to connect to the network or internet in some rooms.
Me removing the notes from the building is not a problem because they are not proprietary or classified in any shape or form. As an engineer they want to make sure I document everything on the projects that I work on. They don't care if I did it via handwritten or pdf. In fact they only request that I make it readable. I transcribe it to electronic media because it makes it much easier for me to do a quick search for key words and find the notes or diagrams and for the teams that I work on to add or make changes.

Android Tricks For Newbies

Perhaps you purchased your
new Android phone because
you’re really into the latest
wireless technology, or
perhaps you purchased it
because you’ve been admiring
new phone covers on Etsy
(totally adorbs, btw). Either
way, we hope our top 10
Android tricks help you
uncover new functionality in
your smartphone.
1
Access a hidden menu
We’re not sure why you’d need
a hidden menu, but if you enjoy
living your life in the shadows
and the dark of the night, read
up on how to create and access
a hidden menu from your home
screen. You’ll be able to keep
both spies and perhaps your
children out of your secret
ploys.
2
Easy Phone Sync
If you think of Apple’s iOS and
Google’s Android system as
mortal enemies, consider the
Easy Phone Sync a skilled
mediator between the two. If
your desktop has iTunes and you
want those songs on your
Android phone, download the
Easy Phone Sync so the systems
can talk to one another and
share data.
3
Near Field Communication
If your Android has Near Field
Communication (NFC)
functionality, you can use your
phone to swipe a “tag” you
create on an electronic device.
Swiping the tag will tell the
device to do whatever it is that
you have pre-programmed it to
do, like turn on the lights in
your house or fire up your
Jacuzzi.
4
Swype keyboard
If you have a strange index
finger twitch, or perhaps bulky
fingers that are constantly
causing your keyboard to
autocorrect improperly, the
Swype app will allow you to text
or search without ever having to
pick your finger up from the
keyboard. Utilizing Swype will
reduce your autocorrect
embarrassment and risks of
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, all in
one easy download.
5
Widgets
We love widgets. Mostly, we
love saying the word
“widgets.” But widgets are
actually pretty cool, too. They
allow users to check out lots of
important information in one
spot on the home screen, like
news, weather and traffic. Here
is Techland’s list of the best
Android widgets for 2013.
6
Control phone from
computer
The AirDroid app is amazing. It
allows you to send text messages
through your phone from your
desktop computer. It also allows
you to locate your phone from
your desktop, and move all your
data to and from your phone.
7
Talk to text
Please don’t be the person that
drives and texts at the same
time. Really, there is no need to
do something so dangerous. Just
hit the microphone button when
your keyboard is open for
texting or searching, and
Android’s powerful voice
technology will do a pretty
bang-up job of understanding
you.
8
Utilize Dropbox
Consider the Dropbox app as a
Cloud system for all your
devices. Although you can
always back up your files on
your Google Drive account,
Dropbox adds a layer of
functionality to the process. If
you use Dropbox on your
Android phone, all of your
uploaded files become available
on all of your devices, and many
users find the interface easier to
navigate than Google Drive.
9
Get organized
As of April 2013, the Android
operating system boasted over
800,000 apps in its app
marketplace, Google Play. Even
if you’re not app-happy, it’s
probably a smart idea to
organize the apps you use by
type so that you can easily find
what you need on your phone.
The Android operating system
allows users to create folders
for their apps. Check out this
tutorial for information about
how to create folders.
10
Use Maps offline
Nothing
is as
irritating
as
looking
up
directions on Google Maps and
then running into difficulties
with internet connection once
you’re already en route. Next
time you look up directions,
click on the button “Make
Available Offline” so you can use
your map regardless of
connectivity.
Hit The Thanks Button If I Helped You

which one is the trick part?
all i get throu the text is just explanation about the app
but i guess it might help for noob thou,

10 apps to reinvent yourself in 2016

Clear your head
Headspace
Mindfulness, the act of focusing on awareness, both in your mental and physical state, is becoming an increasingly popular way of managing stress, attention issues and overall well-being.
The free version of Headspace offers up 10 mediation sessions. All it asks of you is 10 minutes a day and listening to a calm, British voice guiding you through the process of finding your inner Chi. There are also unguided sessions. After you polish off those, you can purchase individual meditations (one off or Series) from the apps library of hundreds of self-soothing options. (iOS,Android)
Elevate Brain Training
Your body and mind feel good, but what about neural plasticity? Are you as smart as you used to be or want to be? Probably not (especially if you had to reread the last two sentences more than once). Elevate Brain Training works on memory, comprehension, math and concise writing. It actually starts by testing you on all these metrics, which can be quite daunting, especially when it comes up with a rating for you on all those factors. Once it has a benchmark, the training begins with 35 brain games (free version). You can get more training by paying $4.99 for the pro version. (iOS, Android)
Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
There are the lucky few who wake up without an alarm clock. Then there’s the rest of us, buzzer hitters, alarm ignorers and overall sleep-walkers. We need something different to get us out of bed. Sleep Cycle Alarm clock tries to work with your own sleep rhythms to help you wake up more easily.
The app uses your iPhone’s microphone to listen to your sleeping (you keep the phone by the bed, as you always do) and then, based on when you set the alarm, it will wake you up during your lightest sleep phase, which should help you feel more rested than if you’re jolted awake by an alarm during your deepest sleep. Don’t worry about waking up late — if you set the app for 9 a.m., it'll start watching for a good time at 8:30 a.m. (iOS, Android)
Protect yourself
GT Recovery for Android
Accidentally deleted messages or contacts on your Android devices? Or lost photos from the SD card on your Android device? No need to worry now! GT Recovery for Android is capable of recovering messages, contacts, photos, video, audio and documents on/from an Android phone or tablet. Due to the ease-to-use interface, it's ideal for everyone. Scan, preview and recover. Simple clicks bring you what you want.
Directly scan and recover SMS, contacts, photos, video and more
• Recover photos, video, audio and documents from SD cards inside Android devices to a computer.
• Retrieve deleted contacts, including names, numbers, Email & addresses.
LastPass and 1Password
Isn’t it finally time to dispose of all those little slips of paper with your passwords for every service you use?
Apps and services like 1Password and LastPass take the password guesswork and management out of your hands. You simply remember one very strong master password and they’ll generate strong passwords for you, store them and retrieve them and even input them automatically (on the web and Android, at least). They’re mostly free, though the mobile and business options will cost you.
Better yet, if you can’t remember a long password, the latest versions of these apps will let you log in with your finger — as long as your phone has a fingerprint reader. 1Password: (iOS,Android, Windows) LastPass: (iOS, Android, Windows)
Organize your life
Coach.me
Perhaps you’d have more luck getting things done in 2016 is you had a little help. That’s Coach.me’s perspective. It lets you enter goals big and small, track your own progress and then use the app to hire coaches (they have over 5,000), starting at $14.99, to help you achieve goals. Once you sign up, you’ll get a steady stream of emails from your own coach pointing you to a ton of different goals and coaching options. (iOS, Android)
Google Photos
You have photos, Google has answers — perhaps the answer. Last summer, Google introduced Google Photos with unlimited cloud-based storage. All you have to do is install it on your mobile devices and let the app collect and store all of your photos (there’a also a desktop uploader to collect photos from your PC or Mac). The "Assistant" will suggest movies and collages from your photo collection, and it'll also notify you when contacts share an awesome photo or album.
The free version will store a high-quality copy of every picture. If you want the original resolution, though, you can only store up to your amount of allotted Google Drive space (you can always buy more storage). Even if you just go for the free option, think of the peace of mind that comes with knowing that all your priceless photos are stored safely in the cloud. (iOS, Android)
Put your financial house in order
Mint
Even before Intuit bought Mint, it was one of the best personal-finance services on the web. As an app and with the backing of Intuit, it’s even better; one-stop shopping for all your financial accounts, reports and budgetary matters.
Just pour all your account info into the app and you’ll instantly get a world-view of your spending habits, including cash flow, monthly budget, bill reminders and a spending breakdown. You can use that knowledge to make meaningful financial changes for the rest of 2016. (iOS, Android)
Acorns
You know how when you pump gas you work extra hard to make the final bill round up to the nearest dollar? Stop doing that. In fact, for the rest of 2016, let the spare change bills come and then invest the rest. That’s the snappy idea behind Acorns. You give the app access to your main bank account and then every time you make a purchase — for, say, $1.25 — Acorns will take the remaining 75 cents and invest them in the stock portfolio of your choice.
The app tracks your investment performance, tells you about your latest round-up amounts, the overall size of your account and lets you deposit and withdraw funds at will. Just think, 2016 will be the year you save and, perhaps, make money without even really trying. (iOS, Android)
Work smarter
Asana
You can grouse and gripe about office productivity and communication, or you can do something about them.
Asana is a powerful project and team-management tool that helps you watch over projects big and small from start to finish. It’s easy to assign tasks and make sure everyone knows what’s due today, tomorrow and next week. You’ll also see when stuff is past due. (iOS, Android)

cool, thanks for the list.

Skalofrio12 said:
cool, thanks for the list.
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Click to collapse

Android Notes app equivalent to iOS Notes?

Hello all!
I'm switching from Apple to de-googled Android due to privacy concerns - in doing so, I'm looking for an app equivalent to iOS' Notes app.
The iOS Notes app has features that I utilize almost on a daily basis:
Sharing/Collaboration with another user.
Pinning notes so they sit at the top of the list of notes.
Locking notes so that they cannot be accidentally deleted.
Searchable - will produce a list of all notes that have specific word(s) I search for.
*Bonus: It has a security feature. Whether setting a code on each note or on the app itself upon opening.
This is a de-googled device so I don't plan to use Google or Windows apps/services.
Any recommendations would be appreciated!

I use ColorNote to save bookmarks (can open them directly from there) and other references when not using word documents.
ColorNotes has a search feature although I haven't had a need to test it. Easy to cut&paste to and from. No ads. Can be backed up to the SD card and with a little ingenuity backed up to hdd, etc. If you do use it, save a installable copy just in case to future proof it.
I've used Apple but loathe those plain Janes.
Never used that Apple app though.
Note: Apple delayed their kiddy porn scan program for now because of the PR disaster it caused. Who the hell would trust a company that even considered putting ratoutware in their phones? Apple still might implement it next year.
Clearly they've been spending too much time in bed with the CCP