Android Auto: Make call, Play music with your voice command while driving

If you love to drive your car and in the same time you want to do the following things:

1. Make a call by voice
2. Get directions with voice commands
3. Listen to Music with voice commands

….. then Android Auto is for you.

What you need:

1. Car with Bluetooth system. If not then you can purchase this device which will be Car charger + Bluetooth receiver at the same time.
2. Your android phone with internet connection.

Steps:

1. Go to Google Play Store and install Android Auto.
2. Connect your mobile with your car
3. Launch Android Auto from your phone. It will be look like following screen:

Following things, you can do by your voice:

1. Make a call by voice
1. Say "OK Google”
2. Say “call” and then a contact name or phone number. For example:
1. “Call {My Wife}”
2. “Call 555-555-5555.”
2. Get directions with voice commands
1. Say "OK Google”
2. Some examples of things you can say are:
1. "Take me home." (Home should be saved in your map first)
2. "Navigate to Twin Towers."

3. Listen to Google Play Music with voice commands
1. Say "OK Google”
2. Say "Play music."  Or you can say "Play {Song Title}"

Some more tips here: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-auto-tips/

Google Keep: Make notes collaboratively

Today I will share one feature of Google Notes which accidentally I came to know. Though I am using Google Notes for last couple of years but I was not aware about this feature. If you and your partner (Wife/friends) wants to create a list which you guys want to buy and you both collaboratively update the same list from your mobile then google notes has an answer for you.

Steps:

1. Install Google Keep or go to https://keep.google.com/
2. Create your own list and at the bottom you can find “Collaborator” icon.

3. Select the person you want to share with. Now both you can see the same list and add/edit the it from your own phone or open the account online and edit there.

4. When complete one item you can just check the box to mark as complete

Ring your Android phone when it is in silent mode

We often use silent mode to our phone and we are not able to find out where it is. Even it is not possible to hear ring from a Silent mobile so there is no use to give a ring from any other phone. Wait!! Think again. It is possible. There are two methods to do that. Here they are:

Method 1:
In this method you need laptop with internet connection and the phone must be internet enabled - either Wi-Fi or mobile data connection. Open your laptop and go to the site https://www.google.com/android/devicemanager. Login with your Gmail account which you have used for this mobile. Click on the button Ring and you can hear the ring from your mobile.


Method 2:
In this method there is a prerequisite. You need be installed an App previously - Ring My Phone. Here is the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.in.mobile.ringmyphone&rdid=co.in.mobile.ringmyphone

Next you need to configure this app with an unique keyword. Whenever this mobile get an SMS with this keyword it will automatically ring. So in this case you need another mobile in hand but there is no need an internet connection.

Technology is fun.

UPDATE: 

Now you can avail two more features:

1. Lock the phone: If you lost your phone and you don't want to erase the data then you can change your password from here.

2. Erase: If you lost your phone and for safer side you want to factory reset your phone you can do it by this option.

Flutter: Change songs, Power Point Slides with hand gestures via webcam

From last month I have started developing a Windows 8 App. As I am working on Silverlight from the very first version of it, I am very familiar with XAML and which is also the base of Windows 8 App development (If you go for C# and XAML combo.). I am working on some BI which is not part of this topic and I will discuss about it some fine day. The point is when I installed it in a Windows Surface I was amazed. The Look and Feel was a great experience. Life always wants more. Me too. I thought what can I give more in this App depending upon the Surface features.

Some day back while I watching TV; I saw an advertise of Samsung Smart TV where a person can change channel with just a hand gesture. I thought can I implement this in my Win8 App? Asking Google I found a very good freeware: Flutter. By installing this software you can change a song playing in Winamp or WMP. Also you can change the slide of a PPT while you are demoing people. It needs a webcam. When this app runs, the webcam will get on. Your hand should be within 6ft of it. Fine ... Fantastic. ... But is that what I looked for? Nope. So start to find more about it. 

Now I got an open source project of a hand recognition system writing in C#. Here is the link. I am still working on this. Will let you know when I finish this. 

Technology is Fun.