Thursday, November 13, 2025
Home Blog Page 64

9 Hidden Android Settings you should Know about

0

Android Phones comes in different shapes and sizes but most are always tailored to function and behave in the same way which makes it one of the most popular operating systems running on phones worldwide. The simplicity and availability on all almost 1 out of 5 devices make it a perfect fit for everyone, Guru8 has gone around to organize for you some hidden settings that will make you set everything to your fashion your needs.

Before we start just a quick forewarning: as we all know Android developers always add in a new layer of patch or upgrade the current Android versions due to myriads of reasons including security and user experience among others. Our instructions specifically apply to the current stock version Android, 7.0  Nougat currently running on new devices coming out. Meanwhile, you may get other settings in the lower android versions as well as well as the latest Android 8.0 Oreo.

  1. Increase font size

With Android 7.0, You don’t have to squint and strain your eyes when viewing Android screens: Open the Settings app and choose Display, followed by Font size, to make adjustments. Drag the pointer along the slider to make changes, and check the preview window to see what the end result will look like. Once you set the Android font size, most apps will apply it. Isn’t that awesome !!

  1. Make sure you can find your phone

You nolonger have to worry about losing your phone? To maximize your chances of recovering a missing device, make sure to activate Android’s built-in tracking system: Open Settings, go to Security & location, and tap Find My Device. After that, if you should misplace your phone, head to this page in any browser and log in to your Google account. You’ll be able to view your handset’s location on a map, among other options. But remember it is most reliable only when the device is connected to the internet.

  1. Tweak the Quick Settings panel

Here is quick tip everyone with a smartphone has done it before probably but Justin Drag two fingers down from the top of the screen, and you’ll open Android’s Quick Settings panel, which provides immediate access to settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and flashlight mode. These shortcuts are useful, but you can make them even handier by customizing which ones show up and the order in which they appear. Open the panel, tap the pen icon on the lower left, and you’ll be able to add shortcuts and drag the icons into a new arrangement to make it suit your style.

  1. Change app permissions

Privacy of personal info has been the discussions since the genesis stages of Internet breakthrough.With the latest Android version, you can control how much of your personal information can any individual app access? You can see exactly which permissions an app has been granted by going to Settings, tapping Apps & notifications, and picking an app (or hitting See all to view the full list). Then, to view and edit that app’s access, tap Permissions. For example, you might allow an app to access your location list but not your Microphone or Contact list.

  1. Control battery use

Android now optimizes apps so they won’t drain the battery as much. For example, your email app can still run in the background, checking for updates, but it does so less frequently. However, you can stop certain apps if you want them to always have full control. Open Settings and tap Battery, then the menu button on the top right, thenBattery optimization. Next, hit the Not optimized link, then All apps. Finally, select an app and pick the Don’t optimize option.

  1. Wake your phone with your voice

Google Assistant can really be helpful and vital component on the daily arrays of apps you use. You don’t have to touch your phone to gain access to Google Assistant. You just need to adjust your settings. Open the Google app, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines on the bottom right), and then hit Settings followed by Voice. Choose Voice Match, and then the phrase “OK Google” will work at any time, even when your device is locked. In fact, you can use voice recognition to unlock your phone this way.

  1. Customize notifications from specific contacts

To help you instantly identify who’s calling—and to decide whether or not to pick up—you can assign certain contacts unique ringtones. Your default ringtone will remain the same—change it in Settings, under Sound, via the Phone ringtone option. To change notification settings for individuals, launch the Contacts app, tap on a contact name, open the menu (three dots on the top right), and choose a Set ringtone. Then you can select a specific sound from a list. You can as well set someone’s favorite songs as their ringtone.

  1. Change volume levels separately

You might not want to play your alarm at the same volume as your ringtone. To adjust those separately, launch Settings and open the Sound menu. Here, you’ll find volume sliders for media, alarms, and ringtones. You can also access individual volume settings by pressing the physical volume button, which will make one slider appear on screen, and then tapping the down-pointing arrow to the right. This will open a drop-down menu where you can see all three volume

  1. Get help from Cortana

When it comes to various AI assistants, everyone has a favorite. Your friend Joe may prefer iPhone’s Siri but If you like Microsoft’s digital helper to Google Assistant or Bixby, you can install Cortana for Android. You can even make it the default app that appears when you hold down the Home button: Open Settings, go to Apps & notifications, and then tap AdvancedDefault appsAssist & voice input, and Assist app.

African broadband operators increase investment to meet soaring data demand

0

An urgent requirement for new investment into telecom and broadband infrastructure in Africa is driving a fresh flurry of mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, investment and financing activity, as the region’s key players jostle for position to meet the soaring demand for data across the continent, says global news provider, TMT Finance.

Joseph d’Arrast, EMEA Editor, TMT Finance said: “The continent’s growth in the digital economy and the rising demand for data is helping to boost investor confidence in major broadband projects, of which there are many currently underway or in the pipeline. In response to this, many telcos, investors and specialised operators are looking to plough significant amounts of money into key projects, with a number of IPOs, new capex financing and M&A also in the pipeline,” he added.

To discuss the next wave of opportunities, chief executives and leading heads of finance and strategy from Africa’s key broadband infrastructure companies, private equity investors and telecom operators are meeting on a dedicated panel at TMT Finance Africain Cape Town 2018 on March 15.

The TMT Broadband Infrastructure panel, which will discuss strategies for regional growth, includes: Nic Rudnick, CEO, Liquid Telecom; Brandon Doyle, CEO, Convergence Partners; Byron Clatterbuck, CEO, SEACOM; Brian Jakins, Managing Director of Africa, Intelsat; and Thomas Hintze, CEO, Wananchi Telecom; and will be chaired by Keith Webb, Investment Banking, Infrastructure Finance, Rand Merchant Bank.

Over 70 key speakers have been announced for the event, with CxOs and senior executives also confirmed from companies including Vodacom, Telkom BCX, MTN, Standard Bank, American Tower Corp, Millicom, Google, Econet Wireless, MainOne, Teraco, Alcatel Submarine Networks, DLA Piper, IFC World Bank, Rack Centre, Investec Asset Management, Citi and Credit Suisse.

Other key session themes announced include: Telecom Leadership Africa; Digital Africa; Mobile Tower Strategies; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity Africa; Spectrum sharing; Regulation and Policy; Financing TMT; Investing in Mobile Data and Services; Mobile Payments and Banking, Fintech and M-Health; and Media and Convergence.

Skype is now much better and optimized for Android devices

0

This past year, Skype for Android reached the exciting milestone of over one billion downloads from the Google Play Store and was selected as a top Editors’ Choice for face-to-face video calling apps.

Skype has released a new optimized version of Skype for our customers on Android devices 4.0.3 to 5.1. worldwide. This update—starting to roll out in the next few days—is lighter on both disk and memory consumption, allowing for greater speed and better audio and video quality on lower end Android devices, as well as increased performance in challenging network conditions. This update builds on our mission to connect people from wherever, whenever, and from whatever device possible.

In the coming weeks, the update will be rolled out around the world, so no need to worry if you are not seeing the update just yet. If you want to try out the latest version of Skype for Android today, simply sign up for our Skype Insiders Program and help us create the future of Skype together. As you receive the update, we hope that you will share your feedback, so we can provide the best Skype experience possible for our customers across the world and across all devices.

Source: Skype

Airtel Appoints New Managing Director

0

After successfully merging with Tigo in Rwanda a few weeks ago, Mr Philip Amoateng the ex-chief executive officer of Tigo from 2016 until it was bought by Bharti Airtel in December 2017 has been appointed the new Managing Director of Airtel Rwanda, the firm said in a statement.

According to Airtel, the move to combine the two entities will see improvements in coverage and a wider network of customer touch points.

Mr Amoateng has held various operational, financial and strategy positions while working for Millicom over the past 16 years. The move to combine the two entities will see improvements in coverage and a wider network of customer touch points, the statement added. Amoateng is a member of the Association of Chartered Accountants and a graduate of the University of Leicester with an MBA.

In 2016, he was appointed CEO Tigo Rwanda, a position he held until the organisation was acquired by Airtel.

Source: IT News Africa

Report Names MTN the Most Valuable Telecom Brand in Africa

0

MTN has once again been named among the top 300 valuable telecom brands in the world. In the research conducted by Brand Finance, MTN is the most valuable telecom brand based in Africa and 45th in the world. Based in South Africa, the MTN Group has about 25 subsidiaries most of which are in Africa. According to the research, moved 2 places from 47th 2017 to 45th in 2018. MTN’s value was placed at $3.3bn, a rise of 9% in 2018. MTN also got an AAA- rating from AA+ in 2017.

The improved valuation of MTN cements its position as the most valuable telecom brand in Africa, just as it did in 2017. MTN’s largest competitor on the continent, Airtel is not ranked based on its Africa operations but rather the larger company, Airtel, which is headquartered in India.

Africell is also mentioned in the report, ranking at 228th on the continent.

According to the report, other African based telecoms that have been ranked include; Safaricom, Kenya (99th), Maroc Telecom, Morocco (111th), Glo Mobile, Nigeria (130th), Sonatel, Senegal (136th), Telkom, South Africa (140th), Cell C, South Africa (158th), Inwi, Morocco (169th), Telecom Egypt (201st), Blue Label Telecoms, South Africa (207th) and Econet, Zimbabwe (223rd), Africell, Gambia (228th), Ethio-Mobile, Eithiopia (231st), Tunisie Telecom, Tunisia (237th), Movitel, Mozambique (239th), Libyana, Libya (250th).

The telecoms ranked above 50th position did not have their valuations revealed in the report.

“Whilst American telecoms brands are at the top of the table, they are grappling with falling brand values as they find themselves navigating a complex regulatory environment and competitive offerings from the internet challengers, all whilst battling sinking revenues. In order to survive in the digital era, telecoms must put up a strong fight by adopting innovative strategies,” David Haigh CEO, Brand Finance

In a global context, the report shows that the top 10 valuable brands in 2018 were the same as in 2017. The top 10 list has 3 American companies, two Chinese companies, and two Japanese companies, indicating the dominance of some of the strongest economies in the world. America’s AT&T remains in the top spot, with a value of $82.4bn. In the top 10, it is China Telecom that is the largest mover from 10th to 7th, with its value jumping by 36% to $24bn.

“Telecoms revenue growth has been in decline since 2013 as more customers opt for Over-The-Top (OTT) messaging services to remain in touch. With Microsoft  (Skype), Facebook (Messenger, WhatsApp), Amazon (Alexa), Tencent (WeChat), Google (Hangouts) and many other firms expanding in this space, demand for  OTT services is causing telecoms brands to adapt fast,” the report reads.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ officially released, here are the specs and prices

0

Samsung has just announced the latest Galaxy phone, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ today at an event in Barcelona

The new phones have a striking resemblance o their predecessors that on passing glance, they look and feel exactly the same. The S9 pair maintain the S8’s attractive and efficient design, with extra tall 18.5:9 screens, curved sides, and glass front and backs.

The 5.8-inch (S9) and 6.2-inch (S9 Plus) screens are the same Super AMOLED panels with 2960 x 1440 pixel resolutions, though Samsung says they are slightly brighter this year

The eye catching feature on the new Galaxy s9 is the new camera system, which comes as a single lens on the S9 and a dual camera on the S9 Plus

The new camera can switch between a very bright f/1.5 to a smaller f/2.4 depending on exposure conditions. The bright aperture lets in 28 percent more light than the S8’s f/1.7 lens, and the f/2.4 aperture is said to help prevent overexposure in bright scenes, such as a sunny outdoor day

Also interesting, though the phones look and feel the same as last year’s models, they have slightly different dimensions and weigh a little more

Find the Full Specifications via GSM Arena

The new Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to cost $720 and $800 respectively which is about UGX 2,637,720 and 2,930,800 here in Uganda depending on the retailer or carrier

Credits: The Verge, TechCrunch and GSM Arena.

EXCLUSIVE: Uber set to launch “UberBoda” in Uganda

0

Uber is expanding its services from four wheels to two with the U.S. based company set to be launching a motorbike taxi on-demand service in Uganda.

Following a successful launch in Uganda in 2016 and steadily seeing itself grow among Ugandan movers, Uber is set to make a new addition to the transportation sector with the launch of “UberBoda” a new service that gives riders an affordable and convenient motorcycle ride at the push of a button, through the Uber app.

‘UberBoda’ which is a replication of a pilot service in Bangkok, a city where motorbike taxis are already a popular way to beat the city’s dreadful traffic and get from A to B quicker dubbed ‘UberMoto’. Riders receive driver and bike details just as they do for other Uber rides, as well as all standard safety features before, during and after the ride.


It has not yet been confirmed when the service will be rolled out but GURU8 can authoritatively report that Uber is working on the option and are already testing it with a few select beta users. The service is already a success in some countries such as Bangkok, Thailand and India that have a wide usage of Motorbikes.


If launched, UberBoda will be a direct competition of SafeBoda the pioneer motorbike on-demand service in Uganda after it’s inception in 2014 and has since itself grow and give Uber a run for their money last year.

Why You Need These Apps to Catch More Sleep in the Night

0

There’s a debate going on about the role smartphones play when it comes to our good night rest. One side claims they disrupt our sleep cycle by keeping us up at night, while the other side advocates for the benefits of using smart applications to monitor our slumber and help us improve it. Sign me up for the pro-apps point of view! I honestly believe that these clever programs are an excellent ally since they are designed to help us correct our sleeping habits and thus get more and superior rest during the night.

Turning on the sleep app, when preparing for bedtime, may indeed change your life for the better. The benefits begin with the fact that you don’t need to go to a sleep clinic and investigate your issues the old-fashioned way. Sleep apps will gather information about your slumber habits during the night, while you repose in your beloved bedroom. Besides providing solid graphics and data about how you sleep, some of these apps also make informed suggestions meant to help you boost your repose. Let me underline just a few reasons for which you should use sleep apps when trying to catch a good night rest:

Perfect time for waking up

Most smartphone apps come with this particular feature: they can choose the perfect moment to wake you up, in your sleep cycle, usually within 30 minutes of your set alarm hour. Sleep Cycle and Sleep as Android, for instance, are two of the most popular apps presenting the smart alarm option, but several others have it as well.

Detailed graphics on sleep quality

The advanced sleep apps register the amount of time you spend in bed, and they can interpret the quality of your rest. For instance, Sleep Cycle uses the phone’s accelerometer to monitor the activity of your muscles, and thus it learns how often you move during your sleep. MotionX-24/7 is specially designed to follow body motion overnight and give relevant data about the characteristics of rest. Sleep as Android also relies on your smartphone tracking abilities to record muscle movement; this way, it knows when you’re awake or asleep. SleepBot (Android) and SleepTracker (iPhone) can make a log with the number of hours you sleep; you have the option of keeping a daily journal with this information.

Relaxing music or sounds

Most apps play soothing music or lullabies to help us sink into the world of dreams, or they allow us to combine different ambient sounds meant to induce relaxation. CountSheep, Sounds of Silence, MotionX-24/7, etc. are just a few of them. There are also apps that can play white noise if that’s what helps you fall asleep.

Snoring control

I am a big fan of this feature because snoring is a problematic issue especially when you don’t sleep alone and you ruin your partner’s rest… MotionX-24/7, Sleep as Android, SleepAid, and many other smart apps are just the thing you need to find out not only if you snore, but also how badly and, most importantly, how it affects your sleep. Sleep as Android can help you diagnose the sleep apnea which you didn’t know you had; MotionX-24/7 records audio clips with all the noises you make overnight, and SleepAid compares the sounds you make during your repose with the ones from a medical database, also to help you determine if you have sleep apnea.

 

Customized sleep recommendations

A few groundbreaking apps become the voice that tells you when it’s time to make changes in your sleeping habits and schedule. According to Try Mattress, MotionX-24/7 shows you graphics which indicate if something’s wrong with how you sleep, based on your body motion during rest. SleepCoacher, an app developed by Brown University, spends a few days collecting data about your sleep and then it delivers personalized indications meant to improve your sack time.

WhatsApp makes it possible to “unsend” messages for the first time; Here’s how to do it

0

WhatsApp eagerly awaited “Unsend” feature is finally ready and it’s working. It’s finally possible for you to unsend embarrassing message before your boss gets a glimpse of it, with the new updates there is that capability to delete sent messages for the first time before your contact has had a chance to read them. The new feature will be available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone users.

The new feature, dubbed “Delete for everyone” will be available to use for both messages sent to group and individual chats. The company says that all purged texts will be replaced with a ‘This message was deleted’ notice.

Delete for Everyone work on all types of messages, including text, images, videos, GIFs and documents.

How to unsend WhatsApp messages?

  1. Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp for iOS or Android, you can find this in the App Store or Google Play Store
  2. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat with the message you want to delete within seven minutes of sending
  3. Tap and hold the message. You can also tap multiple messages to delete more than one
  4. Tap the Delete icon at the top of the screen > tap Delete for Everyone
  5. Everyone on your chat will see the message: “This message was deleted”. So you may still have some explaining to do

Video: Unboxing the Infinix Note 4 Pro and Infinix Smart

0

In this Video we Unbox the Infinix Note 4 Pro and Infinix Smart X5010. We show you all the accessories that come with the 2 phones and you should keep your heads up for detailed reviews of the Smart, Note 4 Pro and Infinix Smart. Enjoy the video and don’t forget to subscribe.

LATEST POSTS

Follow GURU8

3,734FansLike
15FollowersFollow
1,046FollowersFollow
19SubscribersSubscribe