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Gboard gets a ton of new suggestions: Stickers, smart replies, and GIF search
Soon you won't have to type anything yourself anymore
Google is constantly enhancing Gboard with new smart features, making many people question why they should even install third-party keyboards at all. These days, the app already comes with tons of intelligent suggestions for clipboard items, GIFs and stickers search, and, uh, podcasts. With the latest slew of server-side experiments and updates, Google is adding even more proactive features: Some people report seeing smart replies, and others see sticker recommendations right on top of the keyboard while typing. There are also intelligent GIF search recommendations based on the last text you sent.
Stadia Pro subscribers can claim four free games this month
Two brand-new additions to Stadia among them
Another month, another round of free Stadia Pro games. This time, you can get your hands on a total of four titles if you subscribe to Google's $10 Pro tier, and if you're a Chromebook owner, you can even get three months of the service for free. The games in question are Strange Brigade, Kona, Metro 2033 Redux, and Just Shapes & Beats.
Microsoft gets Trump blessing on TikTok deal, but it must be closed within 45 days
It could lead to a US-only version of the popular social media app
The events surrounding President Donald Trump's TikTok ban have been unfolding rapidly over the weekend. Initially, Trump wanted to force ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company, only to follow up by saying that he prefers an outright ban of the Chinese social media app. He's since backtracked, as Microsoft announced that it's interested in the app's US business and would like to start negotiating. Reuters then followed up with an exclusive, stating that the president would give Microsoft 45 days to close the deal.
Chrome 84 is exhibiting stability issues for some people on Android. Whenever they close their last incognito tab, the browser freezes and eventually displays the dreaded "Chrome isn't responding" dialog. The bug seems to bog down the whole interface, as neither home nor back buttons/gestures work while you wait for the popup to appear. Other people even report that Chrome just freezes out of the blue for them, with no incognito tabs involved.
The AT&T Galaxy Note9 is receiving the July security patch
Following the update for the unlocked models
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Shortly after the Galaxy S20 series started receiving the July security patch in Korea and Europe, all kinds of unlocked US Galaxy phones started receiving it, too, as 9to5Google and Redditors reported. And now, the update is also available on the Galaxy Note9 on AT&T.
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After our first pixelated look at a press render of the Galaxy Fold successor, we're now in for a blurry hands-on photo. Twitter user @hwangmh01 shared a low-light, smudgy image of a slightly folded boot screen that says "Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G." Other sources corroborate that this is in fact what Samsung's next Fold device will look like. Like the press render before it, the photo proves that the Fold2 will fold like a book to reveal a bigger, tablet-y screen, in contrast to the Galaxy Z Flip, which opens like a flip phone.
Garmin confirms cyber attack, working on bringing systems back online over the next few days
Services like Garmin Connect, call centers, and even production lines have all been affected
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If you tried to sync your Garmin fitness band or smartwatch to the company's servers over the last few days, you may have noticed that something's awry. After initial reports pointed to a ransomware attack (via ZDNet), Garmin has now publicly confirmed that it's been hit by a cyber attack and that it's working to bring its servers back online over the next few days.
Google Photos movie creations are now always in portrait mode for some reason
Because landscape videos are so out
If you recently tried to create a movie via Google Photos and got a portrait only result, even though all the videos you've added were shot horizontally, you're not alone. It looks like Photos is preventing people from creating horizontal movies. The app is instead always opting for a vertical layout with black bars at the top and the bottom.
Quick Charge 5 promises to charge phones from 0 to 100% in just 15 minutes
Coming with 100W+ charging power
While many Android manufacturers have created their own fast charge methods over the years, Qualcomm's Quick Charge (QC) standard remains the most ubiquitous on the market. Three years after its last update to version 4+ with up to 100W, Qualcomm has introduced Quick Charge 5 today. It promises more than 100W (without saying how much exactly), much higher charging speeds, and cooler phones.
Google tweaks Chrome's lazy-loading images to help save more data
Native lazy-loading is also available for iframes
Google Chrome has supported native lazy-loading images since Chrome 76, which first rolled out a year ago. When websites utilize the feature, they can help you save some precious data by only loading images when they're about to come into view. Google has decided to make that feature even more efficient, reducing the threshold that determines when to start loading images that you are about to scroll to. That should help save you even more data.
Chrome working on a Read Later feature for desktops, 3 years after it added it on iOS
Chrome for Android is still left out, but at least it offers an alternative solution
For more than three years, you've been able to save articles for later via Chrome on iOS. Google never cared to introduce the feature on other platforms, but it looks like that's about to change rather soon. An entry spotted in the Chromium Gerrit (via Techdows) shows that the company is working on bringing a Read Later feature to Chrome OS, macOS, Windows, and Linux.
The OnePlus Nord might save Europe from the iPhone SE
OnePlus' new phone is currently Android's best answer to Apple's surprise midranger
With the iPhone SE making many Android users switch platforms, it was just a question of time until we'd see a response from Android manufacturers. In Europe, that might just be the OnePlus Nord. The €400 phone undercuts the €480 iPhone by €80, and its modern, sleek exterior stands in stark contrast to Apple's tried-and-true iPhone 6 look. It might just become the reset button for the Android midrange market.
AT&T is scaring customers into buying new phones with a misleading email
Even recent unlocked phones like the Galaxy S10e or the Nokia 6.1 are affected
Amid an economy-crushing pandemic, AT&T decided that now was a good time to send a scaremongering email to many of its customers, claiming that their phone "is not compatible with the new network and you need to replace it to continue receiving service." The email conveniently omits that this message is regarding a change that won't take place until February 2022, providing only a link that later calls out this change linked to the decommissioning of AT&T's legacy 3G network.
COVID-19 tracing apps may fail to notify exposed users due to aggressive OEM battery saving measures
Showing once again that Google needs to enforce a standardized approach to background activity on Android
We've extensively reported on OEMs that needlessly kill useful background processes to save battery life, creating problems like missed notifications and alarms, aborted sleep tracking, broken upload schedules, and more. While all of these issues are annoying, they're not exactly life-threatening. However, as soon as we're talking about coronavirus tracing apps, missed exposure notifications could put you or others at risk, and it looks like that happened to the German COVID-19 tracking app, which hasn't been able to alert some people due to background restrictions.
Chrome OS 84 comes with redesigned Files app, better Overview screen, and resizable on-screen keyboard
Many small improvements make the OS better all-round
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Following the release of Chrome 84 on desktops and mobile, Google has now launched Chrome OS 84. Other than the regular Chrome browser features like intrusive notification request blocking and app shortcuts support, the OS is in for some more treats. The redesigned, all-white Files app is finally going stable, the virtual keyboard is now resizeable, there are simpler split-screen options built into the Overview screen, and we get a new Explore app that replaces the Get Help application.
Dave Burke teases surprises for Android 11 and shares the internal dessert name
Meet Android Red Velvet Cake
Android 11 is nearing the finish line — there's only one more beta before it goes stable. That's why we thought we knew everything about the new OS there is to know, but it looks like the Android team might have one or two aces up its sleeve. In the All About Android podcast, Android VP Dave Burke hints that there are a few surprises left that haven't been announced yet. He also unveils that Android 11 does have an internal dessert name, after all. Meet RVC, or Red Velvet Cake.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 will support electronic IDs later this year
Only online identification at first, though — you'll still have to carry your ID with you
Samsung is working on making online identity verification easier by creating a framework that lets you store your ID securely on the Galaxy S20's embedded secure element (eSE) chip. The API will be available later this year, and is deemed safe enough by German and European authorities — the country will be among the first to let citizens store their IDs on the Galaxy S20 and use the eIDs to identify themselves online.
Google Pay is now available for 25 new banks in 14 countries
Leave your wallet in your bag or pocket
Google Pay support is ever expanding among financial institutions, and that's both the case in the US and the rest of the world. As such, we've compiled a list of the latest international banks that have added their credit and debit cards to Google's contactless payment service, coming in at a total of 25 institutions across 14 (mostly European) countries.
Get Mortal Kombat 11 for $30, plus 16 other deals on Stadia this week
Stadia Pro subscribers can grab the game for $25
Stadia Pro deals:
New devices with 2GB of RAM or less must run Android Go, according to leaked documents
The requirement could be finalized with the launch of Android 11
There are a plethora of cheap, low-power phones (and some tablets) out there running Android Go, a specialized version of Android tailored to weaker hardware. Its use is not mandatory, though, so there are also plenty of devices that can feel less optimized and might shine a bad light on Android as a whole for those who have never owned another phone with the OS. It looks like Google wants to change that, as a leaked document shows that starting with Android 11, any device with less than 2GB of RAM wishing to ship with Google software must use the easily updatable, low-power Android Go version.