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What is Android System Intelligence?
This core component puts the "smart" in smartphones. Here's how it works and why you need it
Android System Intelligence (ASI) is behind most smart features on devices, from budget phones to high-end tablets. If you've updated it several times in the Google Play Store without knowing what it does, you'll be surprised how far from the basic functionalities it takes you. Using machine learning technology, ASI allows you to apply Live Captions to media, use the Now Playing widget on Pixel phones, and use voice typing, among other features.
Dynamic Island clone for Android already has over 1 million installs
dynamicSpot is the hot new modding app in town
It's almost inevitable: Apple introduces its next iPhone, and smartphone fans find their new obsession. This year, it was all about the Dynamic Island. Instead of replacing the bathtub notch with hole-punch cutouts for the front camera, like you'd see on most Android phones, Apple went with this new software-fueled solution for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. And almost immediately, the Android developer community started creating their own apps that mimicked the Dynamic Island effect on Android phones. We took a look at one of those, dynamicSpot, soon after it launched, and now it's already shaping up to be one of the more popular Android implementations.
First look at dynamicSpot: Bringing Apple's Dynamic Island to your Android phone
So close, yet so far from Apple’s Dynamic Island
Apple clearly knows a thing or two about design, and releasing year after year of premium iPhone hardware has earned it a top spot as smartphone industry trendsetter. Just think — when the company discontinued the headphone jack, we saw nearly every major Android manufacturer rush to follow suit. Occasionally, though, things go the other way around, and Android phones end up setting the bar for iPhone features. Brands like Samsung ditched the notch in favor of circular hole-punch cutouts for their front-facing cameras. Apple may be fashionably late to this trend, with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max only transitioning to a pill-shaped cutout called the Dynamic Island this month, but boy, does it still manage to leave quite the impression. Android developers have been quick to try replicating the software side of Apple's implementation, and today we're checking out how well an app called dynamicSpot manages to succeed at bringing the Dynamic Island experience to Android.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition brings back the magic of Moto Maker in 2021
Customize your phone with up to 49 possible combinations
For all our complaining about smartphone manufacturers keeping the fun colors to entry-level phones — I’m looking at you, Google — gadgets feel a lot more fun than they did a decade ago. Sure, you can still opt for a slab of black glass and metal, but with blues, greens, yellows, and more available for purchase, why not add some radiance back into your life. With Samsung’s latest addition to the Galaxy Z lineup, it’s taking things one step further — complete color customization for its latest foldable.
Google is giving your Chromebook the nerdiest possible customization
Soon you'll be able to set your own custom hostname
Network administration is one of those annoying realities of using so many connected devices, and while there are plenty of tools that can help streamline things, sometimes it feels like Chromebooks are doing everything they can to make the task more difficult. Right now, it's a hassle to even identify your Chromebook on your local network because Chrome OS doesn't broadcast your device's hostname — a unique label that helps it stand out. As a result, diagnosing even simple wireless issues is more painful than it needs to be, forcing you to deal with cumbersome IP addresses. Thankfully, you won't have to wait much longer before you can assign your Chromebook a convenient, easy-to-recognize hostname of its own.
Chrome OS is getting a new wallpaper app with Material You vibes
It's also way smoother and less broken than the old picker
Personalizing your Chromebook's desktop is key to spicing up your device with a modern, fresh look. With Google's attractive selection of stock backgrounds (that you can download here), it's easy to find a wallpaper that matches your style — as long as you don't mind dealing with its mediocre wallpaper-selection interface. For years, choosing a background has been a bit of a drag thanks to awkward sorting and confusingly poor performance. That may soon be over, as Google is rebuilding its wallpaper picker from the ground up.
Google Pay users in India are going to start seeing targeted ads — but you can opt out
The new version of the app will show the choice on boot
The Google Pay app has seen a major overhaul recently, being a more wholistic approach to shopping and money transfers in addition to a basic payment tool. This change hasn't been universally appreciated, but it's there nonetheless. Starting next week, Google Pay users in India will see a new option: targeted advertising based on traffic and spending habits. Google calls it "personalization."
Netflix to roll out Shuffle Play feature globally in the next few months
Apparently nobody can decide what to watch
Netflix announced its Q4 2020 earnings today, but amidst the actual figures being presented, the company briefly mentioned a new feature it's been working on. The working title for this is Shuffle Play, and it'll help you decide what to watch by showing content its algorithms think you'll like. Netflix says this feature will fully roll out to all users worldwide by the first half of this year.
New Gmail settings give you more control over your data
You can opt out of product personalization using your Gmail data and turn off smart features for enhanced privacy
In recent years, Google has come under increased scrutiny regarding how it uses your personal data, and this has led to the introduction of new privacy features across various products and the ability to auto-delete location history and web activity. The company's latest effort to put users in control of their own data comes in the form of new settings in Gmail.
Google Wallpapers celebrates Pride Month with fabulous rainbow-hued collection
Strut your stuff with this wonderful eel
June is Pride Month, and as part of a broader initiative in support of LGBTQ+ people, Google has brought a little Pride flavor to its Wallpapers app. Starting today, you can deck out your phone or Chromebook in a collection of vivacious rainbow-colored backdrops — including one featuring an absolutely delightful eel.
Read update
- Google officially announced that the For You tab is rolling out to everyone along with the new Material look and the score matching we covered earlier.
Google announced some personalization tweaks to Google Maps at I/O this year, including a new tab called 'For you' that's meant to provide info about places that are relevant to you, personally. That feature is rolling out to some users now.
Taking an Uber is already a much more enticing option than hailing a cab. One of the things that makes it so great is that it's so amazingly convenient. Uber is almost everywhere, and you can get a lift without having cash on you, or even knowing the local language. All you need is a smartphone.
There comes a time in the evolution of every tech company where things just need a refresh. For Foursquare, that time is now. Last month the company branched its core app into two separate offerings, with the friends-hanging-out portion taking the name of Swarm. Now the mainline app's refresh has arrived, and it's all about delivering personalized recommendations. Think more Yelp and less Twitter.
An update has rolled out to the Pandora Android app that builds upon what made the Internet radio service popular to begin with - making it easier to discover new music. To this day, Pandora still has an uncanny way of serving out songs that fit a listener's tastes precisely, especially for those who have been tweaking their stations for years. But we are all creatures of habit, and it can be easy to still fall into a rut even with Pandora's helping hand. The newest update addresses this by providing up to six suggested artist stations to add to your lists.
Google+ Developer Platform Announced: Soon We'll Have Share Plugins, +1 Buttons, And The Ability Sign Into Apps With Google+
As Google+ continues to get better, it's only inevitable that it'll start showing up in more and more places. And Google intends for that to happen as
Google TV still exists. It's important to be reminded once in a while because, while Google TV promised to be our deliverer from the evil world of crappy cable box interfaces, so far the company has yet to deliver. Today's update to the TV & Movies app, though, is a step in the right direction. For starters, Google has finally done what we've all wanted since there were more than three channels: now you can see what shows are on just your favorite channels on a single screen.