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Android 12 DP 2 has a sweet new textured ripple animation for taps
It's a bit scratchy, in a nice way
One of the most fun things about new versions of Android is seeing all the new visual bling Google builds into the operating system. One such example was spotted by developer @kdrag0n, who managed to get it working on Android 12, Developer Preview 2. It's a more busy, "noisy" animation for tapping a standard interface item.
The Tap Strap is a unique solution to working on the go and avoiding problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It's a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard that allows you type on almost any surface and angle, and we've partnered with Tap to give away three of them!
Back in March, we mistakenly reported that the Pixel Buds had received an update which enabled the double-tap gesture for track advancement. Turns out, that was just a bug. But according to a blog post just pushed by Google, the feature is actually rolling out today as part of an update that delivers a whole pile of new touch-based controls, including triple-tap for on/off,
The Amazon Tap has always been a solid option for a portable Bluetooth speaker, especially since it has all the functionality of the Echo and Echo Dot. The speaker has occasionally dropped in price since it was released, but this is the lowest it's been yet - $79.99. That's a whopping $50 off the MSRP.If you're completely unfamiliar with the Tap, it's essentially a more portable version of the Amazon Echo. It's a tall circular speaker with hands-free Alexa (so you don't have to press a button before you start talking, you just say "Alexa"). When you're away from a Wi-Fi connection, it works as a normal Bluetooth speaker, with an estimated 8-9 hours of continuous playback. Amazon also sells an optional 'Tap Sling' that protects it against bumps and drops.You can buy the Echo Tap at the source link below. Again, this sale is only for one day, so don't wait too long.Source: Amazon
Feedly has become the new darling of the RSS world after Google threw itself out of the market last year, but there are still plenty of users (including yours truly) who aren't crazy about the Feedly app itself. Hopefully the changes shown off in the newest beta release will change that. You can check out the beta via the usual Google+ community method: join this community on Google+, then head to this page in the Play Store.
Swype pioneered the use of gestures to enter words into our mobile devices, a feature that competitors have since picked up, including the keyboard that now ships pre-installed on Google's Nexus devices. Yet while Swype remains a champ at forming words out of our illegible squiggles, it hasn't been the fastest option for manually typing out words the old fashioned way. Now the app has received an update that the team promises significantly improves tap input. They've also addressed performance issues when typing out lengthy text entries and moving the cursor around to erase more specific parts of a sentence.
There comes a time in every person's life when he or she must decide what to do with the time they've been given on earth. Will it be used to benefit mankind, or to destroy it? Will it be to help or to harm? In Google engineer Paul Carff's case, he went for both. Thus, KegDroid was born. This gorgeous Android statue, with beer taps for hands, dispenses home brew at the touch of a screen.
It's been a while since the Nexus S hit the Android scene, bringing two noteworthy new features with it: Gingerbread and NFC. While the former has seen relatively wide adoption, the latter hasn't gotten much action as of yet - the closest we've come to witnessing a useful example of the technology is Google Wallet, and we have yet to find out when that will be available for public consumption.