Alexander: Cellphone won't live-stream sports anymore

Q: I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Nexus cellphone last July because it could stream live sporting events and was a size I liked. Then I got a message asking if I wanted to update the operating system to Android 4.1, also known as Jelly Bean. Since the upgrade, I can't stream live sporting events, which I'm told is because Jelly Bean is incompatible with the Adobe Flash software. To make matters worse, Samsung says I can't go back to my original Android operating system.

What should I do? And what if Flash goes out of use for PCs, too?

Jean Lange, Vail, Ariz.

A: Adobe decided not to develop its Flash software for newer versions of Google's Android operating system, much to the dismay of people who watched sporting events that were streamed using Flash technology.

Sports broadcasters could use a newer streaming technology called HTML5 that you could receive, but relatively few have made the switch.

Until that happens, your least-expensive solution is to use a workaround that will put Adobe Flash back on your Galaxy Nexus, despite the Jelly Bean upgrade.

To do so, you'll need to download Flash from a third-party website (the Google Play website doesn't offer it anymore), then download a flash-compatible browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, to your phone. For directions, see tinyurl.com/cfl6sop.

Is this the end of Adobe Flash for all devices? That's probably going to happen (in no small part because Apple's iPhones, iPads and iPods don't support Flash either.) But leaving Flash will be easier for PCs, which can install new software for whatever new streaming technology is adopted.

Q: My e-mail address has been with Microsoft's Hotmail for years. Now, suddenly I've been transferred into Outlook.com, even though I still have my Hotmail address.

Outlook.com is supposed to be better than Hotmail, but I'm not convinced. Is there any way to get out of Outlook.com, or am I stuck with it?

Peter Sethre, Circle Pines

A: You're stuck with it. Outlook.com is Microsoft's new free e-mail service, replacing Hotmail. But, as you observed, your Hotmail e-mail address will continue to work.

Hotmail had a checkered reputation for security, while Outlook is the name of Microsoft's flagship corporate e-mail program.

In addition, the new Outlook.com has more features than Hotmail. It can automatically unsubscribe to newsletters you no longer want, or combine your e-mail address book with your contacts from social media websites.

E-mail tech questions to steve.j.alexander@