Intro to Android 4.2 – “Jelly Bean”

Google is at it again. As always, Google has provided us Android users with a few new features we’ve been hoping for, and a few surprises we didn’t expect with the new Android 4.2 Jellybean update.

For starters, we all like seeing pictures of things like our families or our recent Hawaiian vacation, more than we enjoy viewing a pitch black screen as our phone charges. Well, with the new Daydream interactive screensaver we can do exactly that. Daydream allows you to display your albums, news updates, and other things that may be important to you while your phone is docked or charging. Also, while re-living your Hawaiian vacation, simply tap the picture on the screensaver and it will take you directly to the picture app where you can share it with friends and family. But be careful, this might make them a little bit jealous!

Next, Google amped up the display by providing lock-screen widgets. You can display your email, text messaging, voice search and even Google’s song search right on the lock-screen. So next time you hear a song on the radio while driving, you won’t have to unlock the phone, search for the widget, and then launch the app just as your new favorite tune finishes playing. Just one tap, and you have all the info you need, one more tap and you can buy the song for yourself and play it again.

Another new display feature allows you to wirelessly share your phone screen with an HDTV. That means you don’t have to huddle 10 people around a 4-inch screen to watch a YouTube video. Or, for the sports fan who is trying to save a little cash, you can buy the mobile version of NBA league pass and still watch your favorite team on the big screen. Just insert a WiFi enabled HDMI adapter to your HDTV, and you are good to go.

A few other updates will surely increase your phone’s productivity and functionality, like the built-in gesture typing feature that will predict the next word in your sentence (almost like the twin brother, or sister, you never had). For the aspiring photographer, Photo Sphere will allow you to take panoramic pictures in any direction. Finally, the newest notification bar won’t just show you your last missed call; it also lets you call the person back right from the notification.

And now for my personal favorite. If you are like me and take your [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]tablet[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]tablet[/tp] into business meetings, it’s a little embarrassing when your coworker glances at your screen only to see your wife’s Pinterest app on your screen. Well, that problem has been solved. Android 4.2 allows multiple user accounts for tablets meaning goodbye Pinterest, hello ESPN.

In the end, Google has provided us with faster, more intelligent phones and tablets that will surely have something for everyone.

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This guest post was written for TechPatio by Spencer Malley, a copywriter for ARCHOS Inc.

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This guest post was written for TechPatio by Spencer Malley, a copywriter for ARCHOS Inc.

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