Tips & Tricks: 25 Tips for Sony Xperia Z

The Xperia Z is Sony's flagship smart phone for 2013 and arguably the best phone we've seen so far this year. As well as being waterproof and having a gorgeous 5-inch 1080p screen, it has a selection of Xperia-specific features.

Here's CNET's run-down of how to get the best from this elegant Android powerhouse.

1. Importing contacts and email settings

You'll need a Google account to purchase apps from the Google Play app store. Log in and contacts associated with that account will be recognised on the Xperia Z.

2. Install Sony's file transfer manager

PC Companion is Sony's USB file transfer manager, letting you easily move photos, video and more from your computer to your phone, including stuff from your old phone. It can be used to import contacts from your computer too. Tap the Contacts app on the home screen and you'll be offered PC Companion as an import option.

3. Share contacts using NFC

NFC stands for near-field communication, and is another close-range radio tech, a bit like Bluetooth. You can share contacts -- and music and photos -- with friends just by touching your NFC-enabled phones against each other (the Nokia's Lumia phones, such as the 620, can do this too). Enable NFC content sharing in the Settings > Wireless and Networks > Moremenu. When the phone vibrates, tap the onscreen message that says 'touch to beam'.

4. Manage battery life

The Xperia Z has a gorgeous screen, but it's a battery-zapper. In Settings > Display set the screen to go into Sleep mode after 30 seconds or less. You could also turn off the Bravia screen optimiser and disable the auto-lighting adjustment feature in the Settings > Screen brightness menu. In the Developer options you can also adjust the screen rendering to require less processor power. 

5. Manage mobile data settings

For a more stringent battery-saving regime, activate the Stamina mode in the Settings > Power Management options. This will switch off mobile data when the screen is in Sleep mode. As an alternative, low battery mode lets you select whether Bluetooth, mobile connections, Wi-Fi and auto-sync should become inactive when the battery levels drop below 20 per cent. [pic: Xperia Z 5.png]

6. Manage your apps

Use the dropdown preference list above the apps screen to switch between recently installed, alphabetical list, most-used or your own order. In Settings > Storage there's a list view of all installed apps, plus all those currently running. Click on an app and choose Stop to switch it off. 

7. Call up a legion of little helpers

What Sony calls 'small apps' are a bit like the simple onscreen widgets in Windows 7 or the Dashboard on a Mac. Calculator, timer and voice commands can be accessed by clicking the overlapping photos icon at the bottom right of the screen. Use the + option to install more, such as media remote control tools. [pic: Xperia Z 7.png]

8. Boost your storage

The Xperia Z has 16GB of internal storage, but you can supplement this with a microSD card. The phone takes up to 32GB microSD cards -- available online for as little as £15 -- taking the total storage to 48GB. Offload photos, files and videos by going to Settings > Storage. SelectTransfer to SD card.

9. Archive photos and free up more storage

Use the Dropbox Android app to automatically archive your smart phone's snaps. Dropbox'sCamera Uploads folder stores photos taken on your Android smart phone when you're connected to Wi-Fi. You can then then delete them from your phone.

10. Backup options

Google servers offer a simple backup option. Go to Settings > Backup & Restore and tick theBack up my data option. Your ebooks, apps and digital magazines will be backed up, along with your photos and music.

11. Edit documents

Mobisoft Office6 is preinstalled on the Xperia Z and is useful for working on documents when you're out and about. It's a cinch to log in to your Google Drive, SkyDrive, SugarSync or Dropbox account, then pull down Word or Excel documents to work on. 

12. Setting up visual voicemail

Verizon is offering visual voicemail to US Xperia users, while O2 and EE in the UK now give iPhones 5 users the service. There's no word yet about it coming to the Xperia Z here, but we wouldn't bet against it. In the meantime, try the HulloMail app for advanced voicemail management.

13. Tethering your phone using NFC

The Z's preinstalled Xperia Link software lets you provide tethered Web access to an Xperia tablet or other Xperia smart phone. Launch Xperia Link and the Xperia Z's camera will be activated. This is because it's searching for a keen-to-be-tethered device displaying a QR code. Scan this with your phone to make the connection.

14. Tethering without NFC

Bluetooth and USB can also be used to tether your phone. Click on your Xperia Z's device name in the Bluetooth menu to make it visible, and ensure the other device is also discoverable. Click the option at the bottom of the Xperia screen to search for Bluetooth devices and tap on the device you want to pair with. Check the passcodes match, and connect. You also need to check in the Tethering & Portable Hotspot menu that Bluetooth tethering is selected.

15. Push phone content to your TV

NFC can also be used to mirror video content on your TV. Go to Settings > Xperia > Mirroringand have the phone search for the suitably NFC-enabled device. Unfortunately, so far it only works with the Sony Bravia TV with NFC that the company demoed at CES. For any other device you need to use the Settings > Throw feature. It uses the widely supported DLNA tech and your Wi-Fi connection to push video and music to your TV or speakers.

16. Setting up your phone as a remote control

The Media Remote app is not installed by default, but there's a link to the Play Store app so you can easily retrieve it. It works with DLNA-compliant devices such as Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray players. Use it to switch TV channels, skip through scenes in a Blu-ray film and browse programmes stored on your PVR. 

17. Send music to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi speakers

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct can both be used for media sharing. Ensure Bluetooth is active in the Z's Settings menu and that it's visible to all nearby devices (not just those with which it's already paired). NFC-enabled accessories are in the pipeline. When these launch, you'll be able to connect your headphones and speakers this way and instantly switch output options.

18. Automate frequently used actions

Smart Connect initiates a preset action when you plug in headphones or a charger at a set time of the day. Options include switching data traffic on or off, connecting to a Bluetooth speaker and playing music through it, and sending a custom text message. Paired devices can be controlled using Smart Connect too. Buddy up with your Sony Tablet S, for example, and the Xperia can mirror content to it.

19. How to use Xperia Smart Tags

Xperia Smart Tags are coloured discs used to trigger preset actions. So when you get home, your 3G data could be switched off as you know Wi-Fi is available. Set up a tag by placing it on the back of your Xperia Z phone, and selecting an action. Put the tag somewhere logical, such as by your front door or next to your bed, so you'll pass that location with your phone and trigger the changes to the phone settings. Tags cost £13 for four. The app is free to download from Google Play.

20. Taking photos in challenging conditions

The autofocus on the Xperia Z is effective, and anti-shake is also active by default. For moving subjects, try using the Sports scene option or Burst mode so you take multiple shots -- that'll give you a better chance of taking at least one good one. Use the light metering tools to help overcome poor light conditions. In the image above left, the sharp autofocus means there's little glare, while in the middle image, the macro mode is able to resolve the pattern of my jumper.

21. Taking underwater photos and video

The Xperia Z is waterproof, which theoretically means it can be used underwater for photography or video. Our putative attempts at an homage to Steve Zissou (above right) proved less than convincing. For the best results, use the video option and start recording before you take the plunge -- the touchscreen isn't especially responsive underwater.

22. Creating panoramas

Panoramas are easy-peasy. Open the Xperia Z's camera, tap the yellow i-camera option and select Sweep Panorama. Follow the onscreen lead and pan at the pace the moving lozenge dictates. To change panning orientation tap the panorama arrow icon and select your preferred direction.

23. Take a photo while capturing video

In Video Camera mode, you can change the resolution, set the self-timer for 2 or 10 seconds and select scene modes. Choose the Quick Launch > Launch and capture option to enable photo capture while recording video. The camera shutter button will remain onscreen as you shoot video footage. Tap this when you're ready to take a still shot.

24. Editing your photos and videos

Vignettes, lomo, sepia, black and white, and documentary effects can be added, as can particular colour or scene effects and image crops. Tap the bar at the extreme top right of a photo and choose Edit photo. Videos can simply have custom output options. Turn on location settings to have geo-tagging information automatically added to your shots. Bear in mind there's no option to add it afterwards.

25. Sharing your photos and videos

Photos and videos can be shared too. Click the Share button for standard Messaging, Facebook and Twitter options, but if you tap See all, you can share via Bluetooth, Picasa, Google+, Gmail or Notes too.

Google releases stock Android keyboard as standalone app in Play Store

It seems that Google has started to take the Nexus experience and provide bits and pieces of it to users on non-Nexus Android devices. To begin with, Google has released its Google Keyboard app for phones and tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above. The app on the Google Play Store is now available for English speaking countries while Google says that more locales will be added soon.

The application gives you the stock Android keyboard that comes with Nexus devices. Much like how keyboard applications like Swiftkey and Swype work, you can download the Google keyboard application from the Play Store in order to replace the existing keyboard on your Android device. It is however important to note that while these popular keyboards are paid, Google has launched the Google keyboard free of cost.

The stock keyboard was updated during the launch of Jelly Bean and comes with features such as Gesture typing and next-word prediction. With gesture typing you basically glide through letters without lifting your finger and when done you can lift your finger to finish a word. You can also tap the microphone on the keyboard to compose messages with voice typing.

The keyboard comes with support for 26 languages. One major missing point that most users claim is the absence of emoticons, something that OEMs like Samsung, LG and HTC add to their keyboards.

For Nexus enthusiasts the stock keyboard coming to the Play Store is certainly positive news. Third-party applications that claim to give a Nexus keyboard experience are available on the Play Store, but there's nothing like the real thing. With the official Google keyboard now available for download, all these have surely become obsolete.

The keyboard is presently not available in India for download. But staying in line with Google's promises, we expect a roll out soon.

How To: Root the Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500

Searching for the easiest and safest method to root your new investment? Here you go.

You just bought yourself a new Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500 and you are impressed with your investment. The smartphone was shipped to you with an older operating system version of Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and the shopkeeper informed you to go ahead and update it from the Internet. You readily agreed and went home to start the phone and set up the email accounts and all the necessary applications on it. You also noticed the update from Samsung available and went ahead to install it. Now that you are pleased with the performance, you want to root it. Uh-oh! You went through a lot of websites online to find a method to root it and got the easiest one out. But it happened to be working on the older version of the operating system. Unfortunately, you have already updated to the latest firmware version from the Internet. Now your smartphone shows you the version or build number as "I9500XXUAMDK", which is not being rooted with the older method. So, how do you root your S4? There are a lot of websites helping users out on rooting the Samsung Galaxy S4, but most of these are methods to root the older version of the operating system, which has been blocked by Samsung. The new version for the S4 states build number "XXUAMDK" and cannot be rooted as easily with the older method. We show you how you can root this version with great ease. So let’s get started. First, confirm that the Galaxy S4 you are using is the I9500 (Exynos version) and not the I9505(qualcomm version). You can confirm this at the booting screen itself or via "Settings -> More -> About Device". Check your build number here too – it should reflect "XXUAMDK" as the last few digits. Now you need to get your phone ready for the rooting. And for this you need to enable the USB Debugging mode. But the newer operating system does not have the "Developer options" visible or enabled in the settings by default. To enable it, click on "About Device" and scroll down till you see the "Build number". Now keep tapping continuously on the Build number field till  you see some messages on the screen counting down to enable the Developer options. After a while, you will see a message informing you that the "Developer mode" is enabled. Hit the back button and you will find the Developer options field available. Click on it and enable it with the toggle switch on the top right. Now head below to the "Debugging" section and enable "USB debugging". Finally, go back to the "Security" options and click on the field "Unknown sources" to allow third-party apps to be installed. Your phone is now ready for being rooted. Now all we need are two files and a simple utility to be downloaded from the Internet. Download the files from the links below. Enable Developer options, USB debugging and Unknown sources Samsung SGS4 drivers. These are drivers required for the PC to recognise your phone.  Odin. This is the utility that will help you flash the above two files to your phone.  Adam’s kernel. This is an insecure kernel that needs to be replaced with the Samsung SGS4 kernel; it will also root the phone for you in a single step. It has a built-in auto rooting feature. ClockworkMod Recovery. This is a recovery utility that you need to install on your phone to flash ROMs and take backups of your existing operating system.  The entire rooting takes around 10 minutes (even less actually) once you have everything in place. So let’s begin. Preparing the phone: Make a folder on your desktop and unzip the files you downloaded into this folder. Switch off your SGS4 and wait for a few seconds. Now press the "Volume down" button and the "Home button" together and keeping the two buttons held down, press the power button. Release the buttons when you see the Samsung logo on the screen. You shall see a message stating that the phone is in download mode and asking you to continue by pressing the "Volume Up" button. Go ahead and press the Volume Up button once. Your phone is now in download mode and ready for being flashed with new files. Put the phone in download mode by pressing the Volume down+Home+Power buttons simultaneously Flashing and rooting: Plug in the USB cable to the phone and the PC. Windows will now be seen installing the necessary drivers for the phone. Wait for a while till all the driver installation work is done. Now open the folder where you have your files you downloaded for the rooting. Double-click on the Odin executable file. Odin will start up and you should see the phone connected to the utility and ready for flashing. To confirm this, the field "ID:COM" should have a light blue colour with "0:(ComXX)" written in it. (Please note that XX can be any number and will vary from PC to PC). This states that your phone is recognised by Odin and is ready. Now click on the button "PDA" and choose the file "GT-I9500_AdamKernel.V1.2.Odin.tar" from the folder where you stored the downloaded files on your desktop. Next, ensure that the check boxes "Auto Reboot", "F. Reset Time" and "PDA" are the only check boxes checked and the rest are not. Double check and hit the "Start Button". Watch the "Message" box on the lower left side to see if everything runs fine and there are no errors. This process will take a few seconds and Viola! The phone should reboot on its own. After the phone restarts, you should see the "Superuser" app installed and the phone already rooted automatically by this kernel. To confirm that the phone is successfully rooted, download any app that needs superuser permissions (such as Titanuim backup, ROM manager  or Root explorer) and you should be prompted for the root access. Flash the kernel by choosing the PDA option and the .tar file Flash the CWM Recovery: Now that your phone is rooted, you will need the recovery utility to be flashed. The procedure is very simple and involves similar steps that you followed earlier. Proceed similarly as above—shut down the phone and put it in download mode and start Odin. This time, click the PDA button and choose the file "recovery-clockwork-6.0.3.2-i9500.tar.md5". Once again, ensure that the check boxes "Auto Reboot", "F. Reset Time" and "PDA" are the only check boxes checked and the rest are not. Hit the "Start" button and wait a few seconds till it gets done and the phone restarts automatically. Disconnect the phone from the PC and shut down the phone. This time, press the Volume Up button and the Home button together, and keeping the two buttons held down, press the power button. The phone should now enter the recovery mode automatically. Congratulations! Your phone has now been rooted and you are free to install root-level applications and flash your own custom ROMs. For starters, go ahead and make a complete backup (Nandroid) of your existing operating system from the recovery mode to ensure that the operating system can be safely restored in case of a mishap.  Flash the recovery by choosing the PDA option and the .md5 recovery file Note: Rooting your phone is considered risky and can brick or damage your phone permanently. Rooting also will void any and all warranty on your phone. Proceed with the steps mentioned above with extreme caution. We are not responsible for any damage to your phone. The steps in the workshop are limited to the mentioned build version only. Do confirm this before you proceed. Root your SGS4 at your own risk.

How To: Root the Xolo Q700 and flash CWM Recovery

We found a method on XDA to root the Xolo Q700 and install CWM recovery.

Just purchased the Xolo Q700? Do you want to root it? Do you want to install CWM recovery and take backups, install custom ROMs and do more? Well, here's a step by step method to root the phone and install CWM recovery. This method was cited on the XDA forums recently and we combined the procedure for you in a How-To. Lets head straight for it. Requirements: The Xolo Q700 phone fully charged Download the USB and ADB drivers for the Xolo Q700 from here and here Download the Motochopper rooting utility from here Download the flash tool for the recovery from here Download the recovery image from here Download the necessary drivers and tools to a folder on your desktop and extract the archives to their respective folders. First, we shall root the phone and later install the CWM recovery patch. Make sure you have administrative rights on your Windows PC before you proceed. Install the necessary driver(s) Rooting the Xolo Q700 For this, we will need the USB and ADB drivers installed. Go ahead and install the drivers (usually one driver should work, but in certain cases, you would have to install both the drivers). To be on the safer side, install both to make your work easier. Once the drivers are installed, head over to the phone’s settings and click around 5 to 7 times on the “Build Number” in the “About Phone” in “Settings”. This will enable the “Developer Options” from where you should enable “USB Debugging”. Then head back to the “Settings > Security” and enable “Unknown sources”. Now connect the phone to the PC and let the drivers be installed for the ADB mode. Your phone is now ready for rooting. If you have installed both the drivers on the PC, make sure that the “PdaNet Desktop” utility is not running in the background. You will see the app running in the system tray. Shut it down or your phone will not be rooted. Don’t forget to do this before proceeding. Execute Motochopper and let the exploit complete Now all you need to do is double-click on the folder where you downloaded the files, double-click on the Motochopper folder and then again double-click on the “Run.Bat” file. This file is a DOS mode batch executable file, which will do the needful for you. Proceed with the on-screen instructions and your phone should be rooted in a few seconds. In case you see the procedure halted for more than 5 minutes, you should try repeating the method. If you still get stuck here, go to the “Settings > Security” and enable/disable “Verify Apps”. This should allow the Superuser app needed to be installed on the phone by the rooting script. Now run the batch file again till you see the last line stating “Exploit complete” and “press any key to reboot the phone”. Your phone should reboot automatically and your Xolo Q700 is finally rooted. Install any app that requires root permissions, such as Root Explorer or Titanium Backup, to verify that the rooting is successful. Confirm the rooting with an app that needs superuser permissions Flash the CWM Recovery on the Xolo Q700 Rooting and flashing a recovery software on the phone is considered risky and will void any and all warranty on the phone. The procedure can also brick your phone rendering it dead or useless. Do this with extreme care.  Assuming that you have gathered all the necessary files for this process in a folder on your desktop, proceed with extreme caution. Also make sure that you have two files required for the recovery present on the recovery folder. These files are “recovery.img” and “MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt”. Now head on to the folder “SP_Flash_Tool_v3.1248.0.96” in the folder you downloaded all the files. Here, execute the “Flash_Tool.exe” file and bring on the utility. Now follow the steps given below very, very carefully. Do not connect the phone as yet. Make the necessary settings and give proper file names before flashing 1. In the Smart Phone Flash Tool utility, click on the button named “Scatter-loading” and feed the file named “MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt”. The window below will fill up with some vague values and text. Make sure the “Recovery” line is the only one checked.  2. Then click on the “Recovery” line and feed the file “Recovery.img” from the folder you downloaded. Usually this is done automatically, but we recommend you confirm this step.  3. Next, click on “Window” in the menu, click on “Write Memory”. Make sure the check mark is present. This will bring up an additional tab “Write Memory” in the main interface. 4.  Click on the “Write Memory” tab. Here, check the box “EMMC” in the “Memory Settings” section.  Double check the entries you type in before hitting that "Write Memory" button 5. Now click on the “Open Raw Data” button and feed it the “Recovery.img” file again. This file path should be seen in the “Write Parameter” field below.  6. This step is crucial. In the “Write Parameter” section, you will find two mode fields— “Begin address” and “Container Length”. Enter these two values respectively: Begin Address:            0x2d80000 Container Length:       0x600000 The above values are “Zeros” and not the alphabet “O”. Double-check the values or copy and paste them from here. Check the screenshot for verification.  7. Once all these settings are done, hit the “Write Memory” button on the top. The utility will start searching for the phone.  If you see the green circle, the flashing is successful 8. Now turn off the phone, remove the battery and reinsert it after around 30 seconds. Do not switch it on. Just connect the switched-off phone to the USB cable. The drivers for the EMMC mode will be installed automatically and the utility will start writing the recovery software to the phone. You can see this happening and confirm it with the change in colours and the activity on the bottom of the utility’s window. At times, the phone’s drivers take a while to be installed. Don’t panic if the utility does not continue ahead after the drivers are installed. Give it a while more, then disconnect and reconnect the phone again after the drivers are installed. Voila! The recovery utility is installed and to confirm this, you will see a small square window pop up with a bright green circle in it. It is now safe to disconnect your phone.  The Xolo Q700 in CWM Recovery mode.  To get into the recovery mode, simply press the “Volume UP + Power” buttons together for a few seconds and you will automatically land into the recovery mode. Now you can take backups and flash custom ROMs on your Xolo Q700. Sadly, there are no custom ROMs available as yet, but I am sure, there are a few developers already working on a few. Check out the XDA forums for more information.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD Android 4.2 Jelly Bean manual update [How to Install]

We now have got hold of the Android 4.2 firmware file for Micromax A116, using which you can easily update your A116 Canvas HD smartphone to Android 4.2.1.

Before you go any further, the usual disclaimers apply, if you haven’t done this before, you are better off visiting a service center and getting your phone updated by them. We are not responsible for any harm that might or might not come to your phone as a part of this update.

So, first you need to download the Android 4.2 update file for A116 from this linkor this link. Make sure the whole 362MB file has been downloaded.

Now, download the flash tool from here and drivers from here.

·         Install the drivers

·         Unzip the flash tool and the firmware files to separate folders on your PC

·         Open flash_tool application from the folder where you have unzipped the flash tool.

·         Click on scatter-loading and select the scatter loading file from the unzipped firmware file.

·         Now, switch off your A116 Canvas HD and keep it switched off.

·         Then, go to options in the menu of flash tool and select USB mode.

·         After enabling USB mode, go to options again and go to DA Download All under the USB mode click on speed and then click High Speed.

·         Now, Go to the Firmware > Upgrade option, click on it then Flash tool will look for your phone.

·         NOW, connect your A116 Canvas HD (in switched off state) to your PC. The Flash Tool will start the flashing of your phone and this process can be seen by a colour progress bar present at the bottom of the Flash Tool.

·         A green ring will be displayed once the process is complete.

·         Disconnect your phone and remove the battery once and put it again

·         Now, switch on your phone and there will be a TP update your phone, do not touch the display during this update. Once finished, you are good to go.

·         Your phone is now running on Android 4.2.1. Enjoy. Do let us know about the experience in the comments section.