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The Google app and its feed, formerly Google Now, have been through a plethora of changes recently, and they could be about to see another redesign alongside the launch of the new Pixel phones. The whole interface looks like it's going to be tweaked, with more rounded corners on cards and new menu navigation.
In August we heard that Google was following the recent trend and testing a lite version of its Search app aimed at users with slow data connections. Search (Test App) has only been available in Indonesian and Indian markets while being tested, but it was updated to a newer version a couple of days ago, and now it appears to be available in the US for some.
Carriers are notoriously slow to update their devices to newer versions of Android, and while this is not only annoying for users who want to try out new features, it also has implications for the security of devices. Until now, the Verizon HTC Desire 530 had been running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (released by Google in December 2015) with anything but up-to-date security patches. A new update has just been announced, and it does improve the situation, if only a little bit.
If you use Google Home to control your smart home gadgets such as lights and thermostats, you'll probably be aware that you can assign them to different rooms in the house. That way you can turn multiple devices on or off with a single command, by saying "turn off the living room," for example. Until now, Google Home speakers themselves couldn't be added to a room, which didn't make any sense.
When an app reaches 100 million downloads, it's usually very easy to see why. Often it's an app whose popularity is clear, but sometimes it's a little harder to see why. That might be the case with the Google Indic Keyboard. At first glance, it's understandable as Indic languages cover numerous countries in the Indian subcontinent, the population of which is massive. What's surprising about it is that Gboard has surpassed the Indic Keyboard in every way, and yet people are still going for an option with fewer features.
Google really wants you to use Android Pay. Dunkin' Donuts really wants you to get hooked on its donuts and/or coffee. That's sometimes all it takes in the world of commercial tie-ins, and sure enough, that's how this deal was born. A free $5 gift card for Dunkin' Donuts is up for grabs, and all you have to do is use Android Pay a few times.
Earlier in the year, Google announced that it would be working with hardware partners to launch Street View ready cameras that anyone could buy. There were four different types of cameras mentioned: mobile, auto, VR, and workflow. Thanks to Insta360, it's now possible to get your hands on the very first Street View auto ready camera.
The latest mobile gaming offering from Humble Bundle is live and to continue the country theme after the recent Made in France set, this time around its celebrating games Made in Korea. As with every Humble Mobile Bundle, you get what you pay for, with pricing tiers this time giving you 2, 5, or all 7 games, depending how much you fork out.
Google has been toying with changes to the Google Feed in its eponymous app all year, seemingly settling on a translucent look when you swipe right from your launcher home screen, or the three-tab interface in the full app. Google may still be testing different options, so yours may not be the same as mine, but I find it a lot worse than what I had before, especially as I can't swipe away cards to dismiss them anymore.
Despite being a year and a half old at this point, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is still a great phone to pick up, depending on the price. David heaped praise on the device in his review, Rita did even more so in her second take, and Richard also had nice things to say about it in his long-term appraisal. We've teamed up with Daily Steals to give you the chance to buy a refurbished S7 Edge for just $285. That really is a steal, somebody call the Android Pol... oh wait, that's us.
Back in March, Google announced an interesting new app allowing parents to set up accounts on Android devices for kids under 13. Unlike setting them up with a standard account, Family Link gives you power over what they can do with their phone or tablet. The app was available as part of an invitation-only test in the US, but now it's getting a widespread public launch.
Amazon has been busy announcing its latest hardware lineup this week, including a range of brand new Echo devices and a 4K Fire TV dongle. You may think you'd have to wait a while to see any of the new products discounted, but it's already the case for the new Fire TV. The high-definition TV dongle can be bought with either the HD Antenna or an Echo Dot with a healthy saving, and there's also a deal involving the original Fire TV Stick.With the introduction of the new smaller Echo and the alarm clocked-sized Echo Spot, the older Echo Dot is perhaps a slightly harder sell, despite still being the cheapest in the lineup. That may explain why Amazon is offering it as part of these bundle deals. Here's exactly what you can get:
Internet radio app iHeartRadio is pretty popular with Android users and with good reason. It's built up an impressive feature set to go along with its attractive interface and is frequently updated with useful additions, such as Google Home support earlier in the year. The latest version brings with it a dedicated Android Wear 2.0 app, and you don't need your phone for it to work.
A couple of days ago Mozilla announced its biggest update to its desktop browser in a long while with the Firefox 57 beta, bringing the speed boosts of the long-awaited Project Quantum. We already knew the Android version wouldn't be quite so revolutionary, but it's here now, and there are a couple of notable changes nonetheless.
This is one of those minor UI changes we often see pop up in Google's apps, but we've been getting so many tips about it we thought we might as well let everyone else know about it. The Play Store, the portal to the Android app world, has been updated to include a slightly altered menu layout, and to be honest, it is an improvement.
Google's stock SMS app for Android should be an undramatic affair, but it's been in the news more than you might expect recently. This is largely due to a bug that has been preventing notifications for many people, and that's a pretty big problem for a messaging app. The decision to remove the FAB (floating action button) in the last update has been controversial, too. In the latest update, it seems everything is back to "normal."
If you use Google Finance to keep track of your investments using the portfolio feature, you're soon going to be disappointed. The platform is under renovation and will presumably get a number of design and functional changes. The only thing we know for sure, however, is that the My Portfolio page will no longer be available come mid-November.
Even if you're not that familiar with the original Sphero remote control ball, you've probably seen the more recently released Star Wars tie-ins, such as R2-D2 and BB-8, or Lightning McQueen of Cars fame. The impressive toys have garnered much praise from reviewers, the robotic balls especially. A few days ago, a Play Store entry for a new app briefly went live before being taken down again, which leads us to believe a Sphero Mini is about to be released.
Google added an experimental version of WebVR to Chrome as far back as version 56 earlier in the year, and there were a handful of sample web pages you could take a look at to test out the various features. Since then, more demos have been added and other uses have also been toyed with, including the interesting VR short-film, Tabel. In a recent AMA, the Chrome team said they were re-working WebVR, and it seems as though that job is done.