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My background is a bit different than the other authors on Android Police, so this introductory post is going to have to be a bit different, too. To begin with, I'm not a real nerd like some of my AP compatriots.
News of Qualcomm's string of lawsuits continues, this time through an arbitration result in a disagreement between the chipset maker and BlackBerry. BlackBerry alleged that they were overpaying Qualcomm for royalties.
US carriers have had a busy few days, it seems. After AT&T's updates yesterday Sprint must have decided it was time to jump on the same bandwagon, bringing Nougat to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
Some of you may remember the suit Apple brought against Qualcomm back in January. In it Apple alleged that Qualcomm was withholding around $1 billion from Apple in retaliation for their cooperation with Korean authorities during an anti-trust investigation (another similar suit in the US with the FTC is ongoing) in addition to failing to adhere to FRAND licensing (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory). Well, Qualcomm's had some time to think about it.
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The Nougat OTA for the AT&T Galaxy Note 5 (N920A) has been released. Be sure to check yours for updates.
Verizon and Google have posted factory images today for the Pixel and Pixel XL devices on the network. The changes noted are Wi-Fi/Bluetooth fixes, Calendar, Drive, and Messenger backup, as well as SMS-related fixes (among others).
AT&T announced today that they're going to acquire Straight Path Communications, a holder of a number of millimeter wave spectrum licenses in the US for $1.6 billion. This brings them one step closer to realizing their AirGig plans for last-mile data infrastructure.
LG may not have the perfect track record when it comes to things like strength (or reliability), but it really looks like they're doing everything they can to turn that impression around with the new G6. They've just released a new promotional video demonstrating the device's durability in humorous but obviously controlled circumstances.
We've talked about App Cloner before, and one of the problems we specifically noted was incompatibility with WhatsApp. Well, the update to 1.4.0 brings with it precisely that support, and that is a very good thing.
Amazon has a pretty good deal today on a 4-pack of microUSB adapters. These particular units are originally $7.99, but through the magic of Slickdeals and the associated promo code (2YZPICHF) an extra $3.04 can be knocked off. And the difference between having $3 and needing $3 is $6, more than these cost on sale! See, you're making money.
Those of you with a pile of microUSB cables about that might already own or be considering purchasing a device with a more modern connector might well consider this offer. It has 5 stars on Amazon, but no word on if these meet the Benson specification standards. If you use them with a sub-3A charger your risk should be minimized.Source: AmazonVia: Slickdeals
As of April 3rd, 2017 the Nexus 6/Shamu has truly reached end of life status. Although we knew it was coming, it seems it was easier to keep the buildbots running until more major changes were made. We’d like to take this time to sit back and reminisce on our fond, and large, memories of the device. Death, however, is not the end, but a new beginning. Or, at least, an excuse for those of us without upgrade fever to move ourselves over to a nice and shiny new ROM. While Google may have given up on Shamu, some devices just can’t stay down. And there are a few different flavors for your favorite fish out there.
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- Google has shared a nice GIF to show how this new sign-in process and page will look. Here it is:
Starting on April 10th Google plans on pushing out an update to the sign-in page for Google accounts. This change is meant to further unify the sign-in process across your various devices.
Earlier today Facebook launched their new M assistant service in Messenger on iOS and Android for the US (with other countries to come). Much like Google Assistant in Allo it's meant to drop in at convenient points in a conversation to give you shortcuts and tools to simplify things.
Fast on the heels of Developer Preview 2, Google has just pushed out their latest Developer Preview for Android Things, the IoT embedded platform based on Android.
Well, the Galaxy S8 isn’t even out yet and already the first few software modifications for the device have started dribbling in. It seems that enterprising redditors have found a way to bring the Bixby button new functionality using the All in one Gestures app, allowing users to remap the key to other applications or inputs, such as Google Now.
Those of us with a library card now have another means of easily accessing the local library’s free eBook and audiobook collection. OverDrive, a long-time manager of eBook collections for libraries, recently released their new Android app Libby.