Android phones: Tips, tricks?

[Mercutio]

Most of the changes are pretty subtle, and if you're a Samsung user, Samsung likes to do as little as possible to expose users to Google stuff. There are some little things that you'll notice in Settings, like the battery use indicator is different. Samsung's philosophy is that users should be much more excited about changes to their launcher and UI bullshit.

 

[Mercutio]

Nearby Share has finally been implemented for Windows. No more sending everything to Google Drive first. Hooray!

 

[LunarMist]

Hasn't Apple had that for years or is it different? I see all the older folks "drop shipping" files to others nearby, whether phone, tablet, or laptop. Maybe I'm mistaken.
I would never send anything to the Google unless it were business related.

 

[Handruin]

They call it AirDrop when sending files via Apple

 

[Mercutio]

I would never send anything to the Google unless it were business related.

As the superuser for a whole bunch of Google Workspaces, that may or may not be the appropriate answer.

But Nearby Share can be a fantastic for copying over a 300MB PDF or to to share a bunch of photos without needing to know someone's contact details. I've discovered that many, many, MANY people don't know how to interact with pictures on a phone except to share them to an SMS (risking the photo quality if there's an Android-iOS transfer involved) or Email (young people have a more favorable opinion of HPV that they do email).

 

[Handruin]

It'll be nice to have for a nearby share option but it's rarely ever been a feature I've needed over the years. I usually just share from within Google photos to preserve quality when it comes to media type sharing.

 

[LunarMist]

I'm sure the Google doesn't do anything without a reason and to be profitable.
I just naturally distrust the smartphones. I have to assume that the Google is spying on me, like Amazon and everyone that has a connected device. My personal compters have no A/V for that reason.

 

[Handruin]

Google is 100% for-profit so that's a safe assumption. They aim to monetize all things. They also occasional try new projects even if the direct result isn't specifically for profit but if it helps enable other areas they will also support working on it.

 

[LunarMist]

How do you know they are not selling info to the people trying to get at you?

 

[Handruin]

Can you give me a specific example, I don't know what you mean by the people trying to get at me.

 

[LunarMist]

Not you, me.

 

[Handruin]

Yeah but what exactly are you concerned about for you?

 

[Mercutio]

As someone who takes a lot of pictures of butts, this is wonderful news. I'm not even joking.

 

[Handruin]

I need to get into that kind of hobby.

 

[Mercutio]

I need to get into that kind of hobby.

It is definitely the pastime of the bachelor. Also, step one is almost certainly "Make friends and keep up with people who were and still are working at a strip club over a thirty year period and somehow don't do anything creepy to anyone in all that time."

 

[Handruin]

I don't have that kind of energy these days.

 

[Mercutio]

I don't have that kind of energy these days.

I feel like it compares well to the average middle aged dude's weekend lawn care routine.

 

[Handruin]

Pushing around my silly battery powered mower is the extent of it all which is probably your point.

 

[Mercutio]

Quick Share from Google has had a Windows client for quite some time, but now Microsoft is in the process of adding Nearby Share access to Phone Link.

I don't need Quick Share very often but I do appreciate having it.
Phone Link works best with Samsung phones, to the point that I'm a little concerned that if I talk about features with others, I'm never sure what fully works and what doesn't.

Phone Link also has Windows Explorer integration in Windows 11 preview builds as of recently.

Also, I have become aware that not many people know about Intel Unison, which allows full sync to iOS. You have to have a PC with an Intel CPU and an Intel 802.11 NIC though. Works great with Thinkpads and Latitudes though, for values of great that involve voluntarily using iOS for some reason.