Better graphics, better cameras, and maybe even a voice-command feature similar to Siri–bundled with the latest iteration of Apple’s iOS operating system–could be on the horizon for Internet search leader Google.

Android’s latest big update, Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich, is coming with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and it’s only a matter of time before other smartphones and tablets begin seeing the update.

But even as fresh as Ice Cream Sandwich is, users are looking ahead. Android is already installed on tons of smartphones across countless wireless carriers, and that reach is sure to expand with each new update.

Here’s what to expect for the little green robot in 2012.

Doing More With Voice

Siri brought voice commands to the masses, and you can bet that Google is working on something similar for Android.

Ice Cream Sandwich already allows for instant speech to text, and voice commands have been a part of the OS since Android 2.0, but they lack some of the personal charms that Apple has given its voice-activated virtual assistant.

While we shouldn’t expect a snarky secretary like Siri, we can look forward to Google incorporating voice functions into more of its apps. A great example of this is the new Google Translate app. It has a conversation mode that allows you to translate your speech and the speech of others into one of more than 50 different languages. It’s by no means perfect, but it gives us a good idea of how Google can use voice input to make even better apps.

Better Camera Software

When it came to mobile cameras, the stock Android camera software was hardly something to brag about. It was clunky, slow, and had only a few basic settings you could really customize.

Ice Cream Sandwich gave the software a much-needed update, introducing features like panoramic photos and zero lag between snapshots. Future Android updates could include face detection and more-advanced settings for experienced shutterbugs. But those camera improvements wouldn’t just be for phones. Tablets that use video chat would gain better focus and video quality, especially as we begin to see more tablets that run over 4G and LTE networks.

More Apps That Take Advantage of Hardware Acceleration

We’ve recently seen more phones with dual-core processors, but unfortunately not all apps have been optimized to take advantage of the extra processing power. Starting with Ice Cream Sandwich, however, hardware acceleration is enabled by default, meaning that new apps released on the OS will run smoother and games will look better than their predecessors. Older apps will have to be updated to see a boost in performance, and how an app behaves on a dual-core versus a single-core device will be noticeably different.

More Devices

Android is a versatile OS, and it’s been installed on everything from USB drives to robotic bartenders.

At Google I/O 2011 (an annual developer conference), Google launched the Android@Home project, a framework for Android to be installed into automated “smart” houses. These Android smart houses would communicate with other Android-powered gadgets to make life easier for the people inside.

Some car manufacturers are even looking into Android to power the media consoles in their vehicles and to do things like media sharing from phones to the car. If it has a chip in it, chances are someone will try to install Android into it.

Lighter Overlays

Android overlays are no big deal as long as they don’t get in the way of the Android experience.

Overlays can add a lot of functionality–such as what we saw on Honeycomb tablets–but on phones, most of them are clunky and resource-heavy. With Ice Cream Sandwich incorporating a ton of useful features that were previously seen only on HTC and Samsung devices, overlays are slowly being toned down.

A good example: Motorola’s MotoBlur overlay. Once an overwhelming and visually assaulting UI, the MotoBlur overlay has been greatly reduced to a lightweight skin that blends in relatively well with the stock Android UI.

A More Complete Shopping Experience

When it comes to media, iOS is the reigning king.

The iTunes store has not only apps and music, but also movies, TV shows, and even books. With the launch of Google Music, Google is trying to create a similar ecosystem for Android.

The Android Market is steadily becoming the one-stop shop for all Android-related media. You can currently rent movies from the Android Market, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see TV shows and podcasts also make their way to the Google-run store. Once Google adds those to its Android Market lineup, Android will become a much stronger contender in the mobile media-player space.

Next: Jelly Bean?

Expect at least two updates to Android in 2012.

One will most likely be an incremental update to Android 4.0, but some observers expect another major update to the Android OS as well. Reportedly named “Jelly Bean,” some people are already calling this next iteration of Android a “game changer.”

While details so far are slim, it is quite likely that Jelly Bean will contain one or more of the features described here.

This article is written by Armando Rodriguez

Apple iPhone 4S users can easily annoy people around them by talking to their handset when using the built-in assistant feature known as Siri.

The nuisance can be even more of a problem than listening to someone have a regular phone conversation. That’s because when using Siri, you often need to speak unnaturally — adding punctuation, for example, when sending messages.

The New York Times recently highlighted a slew of examples of people engaging in annoying behavior using the 4S.

But fear not. You can enjoy Siri and practice good etiquette at the same time. Here are five tips.

Hold the phone up to your ear. While YouTube is littered with people playing around with Siri using speakerphone, they do it because of recording for video. In real life, you don’t need to use the speaker to talk to Siri.

Use the standard ten-foot rule. Don’t talk to your phone if you’re within ten feet of strangers in a quieter locale such as a restaurant or standing in line. This is the same for a regular cell phone conversation. Obviously, if you’re in Grand Central Station nobody’s going to care what you’re doing. Once you sit down in the train, however, it’s a different story.

Be mindful of your audience when playing around with Siri. The ten-foot rule flies out the window if you’re in the company of friends who want to hear what your awesome new phone can do, or hear some of its funny quips. Ask it how much wood a wood chuck could chuck, for example, and it’ll respond, “42 cords of wood, to be exact. Everyone knows that.” So, yes, Siri can be fun. Maybe just don’t play around like this while alone in your cube at work to the distraction of co-workers.

When in public, tap it if you can. If there’s a chance your conversation with your machine is going to perturb someone, let your fingers do the walking instead. The voice assistant feature is optional and you can do everything you need without actually using it.

Don’t be a show-off. Even Bluetooth headset users still get pegged for trying to be lofty when communicating hands free in a shopping aisle, when they could use their phone in the usual way like everybody else.

This article is written by Christina DesMarais

We can talk till we’re blue in the face about making good choices at holiday parties—but sometimes you want to throw calorie-caution to the wind and simply celebrate the season.

You can eat what you want and not gain a pound—if you’ve banked calories to spend. Here are 10 simple ways to free up an extra 1,000 calories for a future splurge.

1. Have green tea instead of coffee with cream and sugar. For a 12-ounce size, this will save you about 100 calories.
2. Run or walk an extra mile: either way, you’ll torch about 100 calories.
3. Have an English muffin instead of a bagel. You’ll save 100 calories if that bagel was 4 inches in diameter—and even more if it was a bigger one from the bakery.
4. Lose the top piece of bread on your sandwich. An open-face sandwich is often just as satisfying as one with double the bread. Isn’t the filling the best part anyway?
5. Skip the cheese (on that sandwich) too. Load it up with veggies and you’re less likely to miss it.
6. Swap that heaping tablespoon of mayo for some mustard. Mayo delivers 90 calories in just 1 tablespoon. Mustard adds a spicy bite to your sandwich at only about 10 calories per tablespoon.
7. Halve the amount of rice you have with your stir-fry. A cup of rice (200 calories) is technically two servings of grains, actually. Which is fine: even if you’re eating only 1,200 calories—the lowest calorie level that’s considered healthy—you still need six servings of grains a day. But if you’re trying to bank calories, it’s a place to cut back.
8. Snack on popcorn (2 cups, 62 calories) instead of peanuts (1 ounce, 170 calories). Yes, nuts have heart-healthy fats, but popcorn is significantly lower in calories. Plus, it counts as a whole grain!
9. Dress your salad with 2 teaspoons of olive oil (40 calories) and plenty of lemon juice (6 calories per ½ lemon) instead of 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing (145 calories).
10. Spread 1.5 tablespoons of hummus instead of 1.5 tablespoons of peanut butter on a whole-grain rice cake and save 106 calories.

This article is written by Nicci Micco

When the holiday season rolls around I eagerly break out my mixer and rolling pin and pump out tons of cookies. They’re not just for me—I send them all over the country to my friends and relatives as gifts.

But this whole baking extravaganza means that before they hit the post office I have tons of cookies lingering around my house. Since I care about my family’s health (and my own), I’ve gotten savvier about making cookies that are better for you. Here are some tricks of the trade for making healthier Christmas cookies:

Tip 1: Cut Back on Butter
Butter is a popular ingredient when it comes to cookies, but we all know by now that it’s loaded with saturated fat. There’s no need to get rid of it entirely, but it is a good idea to keep it in check. Try substituting canola oil for at least some of the butter in your recipe or try recipes that call for fat replacements which can be anything from fruit purees to reduced-fat dairy products like low-fat milk or buttermilk.

Tip 2: Use Some Whole-Wheat Flour
I used to think whole-wheat flour made baked goods taste like cardboard, but thankfully this isn’t the case. If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour, I swap out half of it for white whole-wheat flour. White whole-wheat flour for baking looks and tastes similar to all-purpose, but it’s higher in fiber (about 12 grams per cup vs. 3 grams for white flour). Look for it in well-stocked supermarkets next to the other flours or in the baking section of your local natural food store.

Tip 3: Keep Size in Check
There are so many cookies to try around the holidays. If they’re big and you want to try them all, you’re suddenly consuming tons of extra calories. I try to make my cookies small—no more than 2 or 3 bites’ worth. It’s a great way to keep calories in check and satisfy your craving for something sweet. Plus if you ship them like I do, the smaller cookies are less likely to break!

Tip 4: Avoid Artificial Ingredients
Until recently, I dressed my cookies up with frosting every color of the rainbow. But now I try to avoid artificial colors in my cookies and decorate them creatively with white frosting, melted chocolate, nuts and jams instead.

This article is written by Hilary Meyer