Cody Toombs
Senior Reviewer
Contributing since February, 2013
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1509articles
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About Cody Toombs
Cody has been writing with Android Police for ten years. While best known for the hundreds of APK Teardowns and breaking news on many of Google’s new products and services, he also covers deeper technical topics about the inner workings of Android, app development, and security. Cody is a software engineer and consultant with two decades of experience developing mobile and enterprise applications. In addition to writing, Cody is a regular podcaster and has made appearances on CNN, All About Android, and Tech News Today. Cody is also an active photographer and videographer, occasional gamer, and an all-around decent human.
What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?
Cameras and smartphones for photography. New technologies are bringing a lot of interesting things capabilities to the worlds of photography and video.
What was your first phone and what do you remember about it?
My true first phone was some old Motorola candybar phone from before the days of smartphones. I started on smartphones with the Cingular 2125 (a rebrand of the HTC Faraday, I think?)
Latest Articles
[Freebie Alert] The Android Game Developer's Handbook is free from Packt for 24 hours
Packt Publishing has been doing a really cool Free Learning promotion for... Wow, almost two years now. Anyway, Packt is giving away a free technology-focused eBook every day. All you have to do is register an account and claim the book before the time is up and a new title replaces it. After that, it's yours to read online or download in one of three DRM-free formats. We thought a few people might be interested in grabbing today's selection: The Android Game Developer's Handbook.
Google Maps v9.61 makes language and voice user-selectable, foretells of "two-wheeler mode" and Reserve with Google [APK Teardown]
The latest Google Maps beta update began rolling out to users late last night, and it brings with it a feature some users have been requesting for years: User-selectable language and voices. Not only that, but there are a few things from the teardown that may be of interest. Some of them are more like follow-ups to older topics, but there are some new bits of information to check out with each one.
Google is updating its policies for apps with Wear 1.0 support, multi-APK distribution to replace bundled APKs
Android Wear has come a long way in the last three years, but it was the launch of Wear 2.0 that brought the most significant changes. With most of the Wear devices updated to 2.0, Google is adjusting the way it markets apps that target small(er) screens and implementing a new distribution model that removes some of the compromises associated with supporting older Wear devices.
Google Photos v3.4 prepares to add favoriting and offer one-time permission to do backups over cellular [APK Teardown]
Version 3.4 of Google Photos started rolling out earlier today, and like so many other recent app updates, you're probably not going to see much in the way of changes. This is a pretty common theme around this time of year as Google prepares to launch new hardware and services. But investigating the app updates themselves can still turn up clues about future enhancements. In this release, there are signs that users will be able to mark photos as "favorites" and quickly pull up a list for easy browsing. There's also going to be a new notification when you're on cellular networks to allow one-time passes for the backup system to use some of that data and get your photos and videos into the cloud ASAP.
Duo v17 begins experimentation with color effects, white balance, and exposure controls, also brings round and adaptive icons [APK Teardown + Download]
Duo has done well positioning itself as a simple, yet innovative app for video chat. Despite a focus on simplicity, it's time to begin experimenting with enhancements that can establish Duo with new audiences. The latest update contains clues suggesting the development team may bring some advanced camera settings to the app so users can make sure they're sending the very best image possible.
Google Maps v9.60 brings usable Picture-in-Picture mode, prepares for adding personal notes to locations, food reviews, and more [APK Teardown + Download]
Friday saw the launch of video submissions by Local Guides, some of which are already popping up. But that wasn't the only thing to come with the v9.60 update, the Picture-in-Picture mode added in the last update has been fixed and now offers a useful window into your trip while you're using other apps. There are also several new topics for a teardown, including personal notes for locations, food reviews with photo submissions, and much more.
Allo v17 prepares to add "web stickers" for more variety, will soon sort sticker packs into searchable categories [APK Teardown]
It's hard to imagine writing about Allo without talking about stickers, and as the title suggests, this post isn't going to change that. Version 17 just started rolling out, but it looks to be basically the same on the surface. At least no significant changes have turned up for me. However, a teardown of the apk shows that there are even more sticker-related improvements on the horizon.
A teardown of Google Maps v.9.58 turned up some signs that video contributions would become a feature in the very near future. If you're registered as a Local Guide, that time has come. Or at least it's coming, this seems to have only just started rolling out to members of the program today. It doesn't seem as though the videos are actually visible from the detail views yet, but that will probably come soon enough.
Google v7.10 beta reveals Bisto-like headphones to be made by partners, details about hardware buttons and capabilities, and much more [APK Teardown]
Yesterday was a busy day with the official announcement of Android Oreo and our sun playing a short game of peekaboo behind the moon. Yesterday also saw the release of a brand new version of the Google app to the beta channel. After a bit of digging, there aren't any notable changes jumping out at us, but a teardown of the APK provides a monstrous amount of information about a mystery device called Bisto. There's plenty here, so let's dig straight into the juicy bits!
Duo v16 adds new notification types and Notification Channels on Android O, tweaks UI for Audio/Video toggle [APK Download]
While Allo's new web client scored most of the headlines this week, its sister app Duo wasn't to be left out in the cold. A new update to the video chat app is out with a few changes of its own. Notifications are a significant part of this release with a new toggle in settings for all users and full support for Notification Channels on Android O. And for some users, there are a few tweaks to the UI of the Audio/Video selector and contact list.
Photos v3.3 cleans up notification options on the settings screen [APK Download + Teardown]
A new version of Google Photos is rolling out to users today. Noticeable changes seem to be pretty scarce in both this release and the previous v3.2 update, or at least we haven't seen much in the way of differences. However, between the two, there are a few things to talk about. Today's update brings a little cleanup work to the Settings screen by grouping notification options together, as well multi-selection support in the shared libraries screen. There are also clues about a new themed video creation, enhanced rules for auto-saving shared photos, and some cost-saving measures for Airtel subscribers in India.
[Update: Allo for web is live] Allo v16 prepares for hotword detection, sporting events, birthdays, and more
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Say what you will about Allo, good or bad, but don't suggest that the developers aren't busy with new features. Each update typically brings some change to the interface, and sometimes it happens even between updates. The latest example is a new edit button that now appears at the top right of images and custom stickers (not regular stickers) in the chat window. It can be used to quickly take an image from chat, make changes, and post it for others in the conversation to see.
Google Maps v9.59 beta adds Q&A section, Picture-in-Picture support, monthly driving stats, and more notification channels [APK Download]
A new update to Google Maps is rolling out to the beta channel members right now, and like so many previous releases, there are a few new features to check out. First, the Q&A feature from the last teardown of Maps is live. Drivers will soon be able to see a monthly report of their behavior right inside the app. If you're running an Android O developer preview, the first thing you can look forward to is the addition of Picture-in-Picture support. Also for Android O are a pair of new notification channels to get better control over navigation-specific information.
Google app v7.9 begins work on day planning feature called At A Glance, saving web pages and images for later, possible Lens interface called "Eyes," and more [APK Teardown]
Version 7.9 of the Google app began rolling out last night, but like so many other updates, this one doesn't appear to change much once it has been installed. However, it may be setting the stage for a number of things, both new and previously announced. A teardown of the APK brings to light some new features for at a glance visibility of travel information and storing search results and web pages for later use, plus a few follow-ups for topics we've seen before.