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WITH THE LATEST version of Android now making an appearance, it’s only a matter of time before the update makes its way to other devices – some taking longer than others.
But for those who have it, there are a vast number of new features that are worth knowing about, while not changing the world, just makes things that little bit handier for everyone.
Here’s a rundown of the new features you should know about (and can look forward to when Lollipop arrives for your device).
Search for settings
Before we start proper, one incredibly handy feature you have is the ability to search for a specific feature instead of searching manually. The main Settings screen has a magnifying glass at the top so you’ve no excuse for not finding any of the new features displayed underneath (we’ll say where each feature can be found anyway so you won’t get lost).
Change default SMS app
If you’re using more than one app that includes SMS, and you want to step away from Hangouts entirely, you can change it here. Go to Settings > More and you will be presented with the option just underneath Airplane Mode.
Smart unlock
If you have any Bluetooth devices lying around the house, you can use that as a smart unlock. Go into Settings > Security > Smart Lock and you will be presented with three options. They are:
Trusted Devices: Any Bluetooth or NFC devices you use can be added here
Trusted Face: This is basically Face Unlock which means it looks for you anytime it wants to unlock
Trusted Places: If you have added any locations to your Google account, this will mean your phone unlocks automatically when you arrive there.
Create user profiles
If you ever find yourself lending your phone to a friend or family member regularly, you can create custom profiles to limit what they can do. By going into Settings > Users, you can either create a new profile or just used Guest mode.
Guest mode is similar to Google Incognito mode in which any information or data sent during a session is temporarily stored. A profile gives another person their own space to customise, similar to how profiles are created on Windows/Mac.
You can allow them to make phone calls and send SMS if you wish, although this is something you should only allow trusted users to do.
You can access profiles quickly by tapping the user icon whenever you’re viewing Quick Settings (two-finger swipe from the top down).
Create interruptions
Basically Lollipop’s version of Do Not Disturb, Interruptions allows you to prioritise certain apps, notifications and calls from getting through when you’ve busy. You can bring this up whenever you press the volume button, although you can only customise priority (None turns off everything without any exceptions).
Pin screen
Go into settings > Security and scroll down to Advanced. After you activate it, go into Overview and on the latest app or tab and you will see a pin icon on it. Tapping that will lock the phone on that service or app, which is useful if you don’t want to set up profiles for someone and only want them to see one thing.
Control notifications
Many apps try to take over precious real estate by firing you regular notifications, especially free games. If there is an app that is really bugging you with notifications, you can turn them off by going into Settings > Notifications and selecting said app.
Hide pattern password
This is a small but handy feature if you use patterns passwords but don’t want someone to see it. By going into Settings > Security, you can choose to hide the trail it makes.
It’s a small change, but you’re taking away one of the biggest cues for guessing it so it works out.
Turn on colour inversion/correction
If you have problems making out colours, you have two options, both of which are in settings under accessibility. The first inverts the screen colours but the second, more useful feature tweaks the display’s colour reproduction. You have three different options to choose from: Deuteranomaly, Protanomaly and Tritanomaly.
Turn off WiFi scanning
If you want to conserve your battery power a little bit more, it’s a good idea to turn off notifications and scanning when you get the chance. To do this, go into WiFi – either through settings or quick settings – tap options (on top-right hand corner) and select advanced. You will be presented with the two options.
On a related note, you can save battery power by using WiFi and mobile networks instead of GPS to determine your location. By going into Settings > Locations, you can disable it, although it may affect its accuracy.
Hide notifications
Found under Security > Sounds and Notifications, you can choose to hide any notifications that might contain sensitive information (SMS, emails, etc.) by selecting the option near the bottom of the screen.
Battery saver
Chances are you will end up bringing your battery life down to the red, in which case battery saver mode is your friend. You can choose to turn it on when your battery is reduced to 5% or 15% automatically, which will get you out of a tight spot.
And one easter egg
Go into settings > about phone and start tapping Android Version. When the screen changes, tap the circle and then hold down on the lollipop to play a version of Flappy Bird. It’s incredibly difficult, mind.
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Hahahaha! Would they not just install trackers on them ? This is getting beyond a joke yet I do laugh when I see another one has been pulled out of a wall.
@Nehppo McG: Youve a strange sense of humour.
@Damo.f: A sense of humour you don’t understand. Thankfully most people do understand this simple sense of humour.
@Nehppo McG: Atms being ripped out of a building just dont do it for me i suppose.
@Damo.f: Now your approaching the same humour kid.
That wasn’t so hard was it ? Xx
@Nehppo McG: it’s simple alright
@Nehppo McG: I lol’d too
@Nehppo McG: I don’t understand it.
Holy moly they are really getting stuck into the ATM’s ATM. GPS trackers for goodness sake. Who ever they are they’ve some serious money recently. Must have stolen over a million by now.
@andyearley: max ATMS hold is 30k, that’s why they keep going back for more
@John O’Connor: that’s not true
@John O’Connor: I would have thought it’d be way more than that. I would have thought it’d be 60-80 and in banks would have a lot more. But I’m only guessing.
@John O’Connor: by the time they pay a slab of tax to the republicans…..
Somebody has to pay for the posters.
@John O’Connor: can hold up to 250k
@John O’Connor: Each caseete of the machine can hold about 100k and the machines usually have between two and four casettes. Fair enough, rural machines would not be carying anything near max quantities but you are naive or misinformed if you think they are there is a max of 30k per machine, particulary ones located in bank buildings at weekends!
We always called atms the hole in the wall
It’s sinister if the monies robbed is being used to fund the purchasing of guns & explosives & lets face it the Conservatives & DUP & their Brexit could not be more two fingered to the Irish People the Bloody Sunday charges brought against alphabetical solider the uneducated British motor cycle brigade on the streets of London
The Conservative Northern Ireland Minister & her foolishness comments I think a lot of republican nationalists are being wound up
The pot is boiling & let’s not forget Garda Commissioner Harris Who balaclava’d Gardai on evictions & drives around the Republic of Ireland with armed RUC/ PSNI colleagues with immunity
Can someone please put a stop to this messing around with the All Ireland Irish Society
They haven’t gone away yeno… Another day another atm..
Election time
@CrabaRev: typical innuendo without the slightest iota of evidence!!!!
@CrabaRev: In fairness he is probably right. The Loyalists got a massive boost of donations from illegal sources during the Brexit campaign. They used those funds posting stupid ads in the London Metro. They are now facing a new European election campaign that they never planned for. FFG can’t be seen given out of cycle grants for Tricolorour sacrificing bonfires, so where else can the poor votes get the money for a European election campaign they never envisaged fighting.
It’s high time time this activity was now recognised as a regional pasttime.
Might even have ‘tourist trail’ potential – ‘The holes of the holes in the walls of Ulster’ or somesuch!
Images of the PSNI running around to the “Benny Hill Show” theme tune.
@Cathal: put a background video of the PSNI looking for the Glennane gang (leaving no stone unturned) in the background. Dirty politics and policing in the North once again.
@Cal Mooney: so you think the PSNI are in some way allowing these robberies to happen??Take the blinkers off would you,not all crime up here and not all police behaviour can be linked back to some secret political agenda-there are criminals here just as there are in the south or in England etc.
@Adam O’Donoghue: So you think the DUP didn’t use money from Saudi Arabia to campaign in support of the Leave the EU campaign. Sounds ridiculous except Westminster are trying to find them for it. Look it up. Not hard to do it.
The banks and revenue want a cashless society. Everything can be traced.
@Frank Lloyd wright:
Ah, so it’s the banks fault, well done.
@Patrick Nolan: Even I agree with you on that one. But you have to admit that there can’t be many suspects. None lifted to date. Sound familiar (hint … they don’t want to lift these guys because they believe they are serving the Unionist greater good).
@John Kelly: brilliant!
@John Kelly: funny as always JK
At some point they’re going to have to start locking those diggers and making sure they’re less accessible to be robbed.
@Fergus: Chances are they are locked at night. But unlike cars which need a unique key for every car. Most diggers can be started using a standard key from the manufacturer.
@Damo.f: We have seen the videos of the machine operators plying their craft. Now, I am not Drew Harris of the former RUC, but I am pretty sure I could reduce the suspect list down to a few dozen if I really wanted to.
@Fergus: go to construction spares and you can buy a key for any machine for €5
@Michael Walsh: and you would have the expertise to take it from the wall and drop it perfectly through the roof of a waiting vehicle? You might get lucky once. But doing it iverbabdbover requires practice. Then add in that the police should arrive within 5 minutes … these guys knew they wouldn’t. Collusion written all over it. I demand our PSNI/Mi5 point if contact respond to this. To now, he seems very happy to not be considered a suspect as he was in the Phoenix park for most of these robberies.
@Cal Mooney: “I demand” You’re a delusional lunatic ranting on a comments section of a 2nd rate clickbait “news” site. Go make yourself a new tinfoil hat.
The link is from a different robbery but it shows how long it takes. The atm is gone and the digger is on fire 2 minutes and 20 seconds after it it is driven onto the forecourt.
This money is for re-armament – very scary
big yellow bank card..
PSNI becoming a laughing stock ….
…….oh wait they already were
@Punters Pal: How are they a laughing stock, or maybe you’d prefer the RUC back?
The PSNI /RUC are one and the same they just changed the name
@Edward Fitzgerald: No they’d not, it suits you and your ilk with your revisionism to bandy that theory about. You could have the Gardai up North and you’d still whinge and moan, never bloody happy!!
In fairness, those election posters are dear.
Somebody has to make a black comedic true story film about this.
Sounds more like local UDA taking advantage of situation .
This is the DUP taking there money from Theresa in installments. Either that or Gerry has lost his card
Has anyone considered doing a Google search for how to drive a digger,
Then run an IP track for locations????
@Eddie Mc Keown: any one can drive a digger when all you need to is to rip an atm out of the wall u tube videos are not needed
@Eddie Mc Keown: 4 levers , 2 for the tracks ,2 for the arm. No requirement for neatness when it’s demolition.
Eventually these criminals WILL get caught, just a matter of time lads
Money should be taken out of ATM’s at nightime…leave a little for smaller withdrawals…..then they won’t be worth robbing.
They way things are going, you’d almost think the banks and police were in favour of ATM robberies!
Don’t park diggers near Atm outlets
Shave a mádra
They should require that diggers are securely stored and and offence to allow to be robbed. Would nip this in the bud.
@thephantomshit: Digger are contracted out to sites and farms to carry out work, and are kept at that place until the contract is finished. A digger may be left in fields on a farm for drainage work to be carried out for weeks at a time. Do yo want the contractor to transport the digger home with him every evening and back again the next day.
Hi why can’t ATMs have a dye that can’t burst over the notes in the event of theft like these ones might stop unnecessary disruption of service/damage to property/loss of money
Rgds Colum Meleady
@Colum Meleady: open under water or leave in a freezer trailer overnight.
have your say