If you didn’t have a chance to lock into unlimited data back before most carriers killed it off, then you are likely on a tiered data plan that forces you to constantly monitor your usage. With limits as low as 1GB on some carriers, there may be times when you reach your limit and need to toggle data off to save yourself from overages and penalty fees. Thankfully, the Android operating system has made this easier than ever to do with just a few quick steps. Even better, though, they allow you to set data limits, so that your phone will warn you as you approach your monthly data allotment. 

Android 4.2.2 is a minor release for the most part. It appears to a back-end bug fixer that has yet to present a major change or new feature that will affect the way you use your Android device. With that said, there are some minor tweaks that have begun to surface which we are big fans of already. The first, was the new status and estimated time meter that shows during app installs. The second, we have included in a short video above.

From this new release of Android going forward, you will be able to long-press on Bluetooth and WiFi tiles through the notification pulldown to toggle them on or off. Simple change, but also an incredible time saver.

Via:  Google Source 

Back in the early releases of Jelly Bean, Google introduced a new command to adb called “sideload.” Using the sideload command, and the newest version of adb from the Android SDK, one could update their Nexus device through stock recovery, without having to root or flash a custom recovery. It’s something we wish was there from day one, however, at least we have it now. And I know that many of you feel that Nexus devices shouldn’t ever have a stock recovery and that they should be hacked on daily, but try to keep in mind that some like Nexus phones and tablets because of constant updates and  a 100% stock version of Android. 

A couple of weeks ago, a handful of readers noticed that Google Now was starting to display scores for their favorite college basketball teams. While awesome, without an announcement from Google or the ability to manual add teams as you did in other sports, it seemed like something half-baked or that Google had not yet finished implementing. As of today, it appears to be fully added to Google Now. 

With the introduction of Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), Google gave users the power to disable system-level apps on an Android device. At first, you may think, “Why would I ever need to do that?” But if you look at it from a control perspective, you’ll quickly realize that this move could be perceived as a slap in the face to carriers and their need to install bloatware, or apps that they have installed on your phone through partners which cannot be removed. It’s also a way to disable rogue system apps that may be gobbling up battery, are running too often in the background, or that you wish were unavailable to users of your phone or tablet. 

When you first turn on your smartphone and you are taken through the setup process, you will undoubtedly be asked if you want to turn on location services. As you read the screen that talks about these location services, one that mentions GPS tracking, locations, and the accessing of information you may not want the world to know on a minute-by-minute basis, you may skip right over it, hoping to reconsider activating them later. And you know what, there is nothing wrong with that. But in case you do that, we figured you should probably know how to turn them back on, as many of the applications you use will be crippled if location services are not turned on. 

When Google introduced Android 4.2, they announced an old feature, but in a new way. Once you were running this new version of Android, you had the ability to add select widgets to the lockscreen of your phone. In the past, you had always been able to utilize the widget power of Bugdroid on home screens, but expanding to your lockscreen gave you a new world of possibilities. Funny thing is, that third party lockscreen replacements have allowed this for years, so some of us were already used to the idea. For those not, this guide is for you. 

Having realized that your phones can be used for things other than making calls, like paying for goods on the go, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile teamed up to create a joint venture called Isis Mobile Wallet. It’s goal is to become your one and only NFC-based mobile payment system. While the service hasn’t rolled out nationally, it is being tested in two markets:  Salt Lake City and Austin. For those who live in these two cities, you can test the service to your heart’s desire this very minute as long as you have a phone with an NFC chip inside. The rest of us, we have to wait until it gets the thumbs up for a bigger rollout.

In the mean time, we thought we’d put together a little tutorial on the app since we were able to get a hold of one of Isis’ requirements, an NFC SIM card. We typically like to do our best at preparing the DL community for what’s to come. So let’s talk about it.