About Scott Scrivens
Senior UK Editor — My interest in Android began with the beautiful Nexus 4 and the less-ugly-than-before Jelly Bean. Right now, I'm probably watching Black Books, playing football (soccer), or listening to Answer Code Request.
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There were a number of small but interesting features of Android O (Oreo? Octopus??) that popped up at Google I/O back in May, and one of those was Smart Text Selection. I'm sure we've all been frustrated when trying to select text on our phones, and this feature intends to fix that by highlighting exactly what we need with a simple double tap. Now, Google Docs is implementing this feature and it should work for anybody currently running the Android O Beta.
Hot on the heels of the news that Australia would be the fifth country to get Google Home (following the US, Canada, France, and the UK), it seems the smart home assistant has now learned its third language. The official Google blog in Germany has announced that Google Home will be available in the country from next month. It was only a matter of time really, as Google Wifi was made available there last month. This just leaves Japan to come, of the countries Google said would be getting the smart speaker this summer.
For those who like to tinker with their Android phones on a regular basis, the Substratum Theme Engine is a great way to style your rooted device with seemingly endless possibilities. It's based on code hidden within Android that's intended for use by OEMs to change themes in their skins, but this app now allows anyone to do this. Additional apps can be installed to work in conjunction with Substratum to change certain aspects of a device's theme, and that's exactly what Awesome Navbars does. It changes (you've guessed it) the Android navbar.
Google recently made some significant changes to its Play Music app for Android, adding a search history and notification channels for use with the upcoming Android O release. That was followed up with the addition of New Release Radio, a personalized mix of recent releases similar to your own collection. Thanks to a couple of tips, we've also become aware that Google is testing a couple of small improvements to search in the app, namely a play button and album art for top results.
The HTC U11 is a pretty good phone, but it has one particularly divisive feature: Edge Sense. Squeezing the frame of the device can activate various software features, most notably a personal assistant (a feature the next generation Pixel XL is apparently set to borrow). When it was announced by HTC, the U11 was supposed to have a choice of three assistants, including the company's own HTC Companion, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. The last of those didn't make it in time for launch, but it appears to be included in the latest update to Edge Sense.
When Minecraft exploded on the scene I was one of the countless people who assumed it would just be a fad. We were all wrong, and the game has sold more copies than any other game except Tetris. It's so popular that Microsoft put up $2.5 billion to acquire the game's developer Mojang. Part of the game's strength has been catering to kids and adults alike, and it does that through several different games on various platforms. Minecraft: Story Mode arrived on Android a couple of years ago and has been immensely popular. Fans of that game will be thrilled to hear that the sequel has just been launched.
It's a bit of a strange time in the smartwatch world right now. The novelty seems to have worn off a little, and while some have really bought into the scene, many remain skeptical (myself included). Android Wear 2.0 was delayed, as was its eventual roll out to compatible devices. At the same time, luxury brands have tried to ignite some interest, with Tag Heuer's $1,500 Connected Modular 45 leading the charge. Just yesterday, Louis Vuitton announced the Tabour Horizon, starting at $2,450. Thankfully, Mobvoi has got us regular folk covered, with two affordable new devices that have just smashed their Kickstarter goal.
Amazon's Prime Day event is in full swing now and lots of interesting technology deals are showing up. We've already covered some big discounts on Amazon hardware, as well as a number of phones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Now we've noticed another good deal, this time for the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, which can be had by Prime subscribers for as little as £179.99.For your money, you'll be getting a 2017 version of the SHIELD TV, which comes with a remote and the redesigned SHIELD controller. The Android TV box comes with Nougat 7.0 and offers you access to all your favorite TV and music services, plus plenty of Android games and even some SHIELD exclusives. Both the controller and remote have the convenience of voice control, a much faster way to get to all of your content.This is a Prime Day only deal, which means it'll expire at 11:59 p.m (PT) today. There won't be unlimited stock, either, so I'd get in quick if you don't want to miss out.Source: Amazon
The LG V30 will be the South Korean company's second flagship phone of 2017, after the G6, when it's launched later in the year. The last two iterations have included a secondary display and an even heftier price tag than the G series. Thanks to OnLeaks and his latest collaboration we now know what it's probably going to look like. These renders are produced using supposed factory CADs and should be pretty accurate, barring any last minute design changes.
It's been a while since we've had any good UK related Android Pay news, the last tidbit being the addition of Metro Bank to the service back in February. You may have seen that American Express got Android Pay support in Canada recently, something I was more than a little bit jealous of as I've been waiting to have my Amex on my phone for ages now. Finally, my calls have been answered, and Amex cards now work with Google's mobile payments app here in the UK.
Those of you with a good memory may remember the ZenFone 4 name from a few years ago. In 2014, Asus was using screen sizes for its naming convention when it released the ZenFone 4, 5, and 6 with respective display sizes in inches. Here we are three years later, and Asus has long since switched to a more conventional chronological naming scheme for its ZenFone line. Following on from last year's ZenFone 3 series of phones, the first in the 2017 ZenFone 4 range has been revealed on Asus' Russian site.
Samsung phones are pretty popular in India. In fact, its J series makes up a full 30% of all smartphone sales in the country. Now, Samsung is introducing a brand new device in the Galaxy On series, aimed squarely at those who like to share selfies or take photos at night. The Galaxy On Max will be an exclusive for Indian online retailer Flipkart.
We've been treated to plenty of leaks recently, and the latest devices to break cover are Meizu's next flagship phones, the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus. Thanks to serial leaker OnLeaks, in collaboration with Indian price comparison site CompareRaja.in, we're able to cast our eyes on renders apparently based on official CAD designs, as well as some details about the potential specs for the upcoming devices.
Video streaming app Hulu has recently made great strides in its attempts to catch up with other similar services like Netflix. In the last few months, it's added profiles to support individual watch histories and introduced Google Home integration. It's also got live TV now, and you can read our thoughts about that in our recent review. No streaming service would be complete without quality shows and movies, and with that in mind, Hulu has now added HBO and Cinemax to its burgeoning list of content partners.
It's been little more than a week since the OnePlus 5 received versions 4.5.2 and 4.5.3 of its OxygenOS software in quick succession. OnePlus isn't resting on its laurels, though, and has announced that the 4.5.5 update is already available, including yet more optimizations and bug fixes.
In a plenary session at the European Parliament yesterday, there was an interesting conversation about consumer electronics that could lead to some very positive legislation for smartphone buyers in Europe. MEPs discussed how to ensure that goods and software are easier to repair and update. Essentially, they want to tackle the industry propensity towards planned obsolescence and regular upgrades.
The BBC is pretty good when it comes to 360-degree content. The British media network even has a dedicated '360 Videos' YouTube playlist with a nice selection, ranging from tours of Italian cities to immersive wildlife experiences. It's now taking this to the logical next step, courtesy of its experimental BBC Taster studio, which has released a new VR app.
It's been a difficult year for LeEco, and it looks as though things may be about to go from bad to worse. The Chinese tech firm had ambitious plans to break into the US market, particularly with its LeMobile phones, but mounting debt and poor sales leave it in a perilous position. Just last month we learned that Jia Yueting was voluntarily leaving his position as CEO at the same time as around 70% of the organization's US workforce was let go. The LeEco founder, who remained as chairman of the company's private smartphone branch, has now had 2 million worth of personal assets frozen after a missed loan repayment.
Last year, Motorola (Lenovo) surprised everyone when it hit pause on its Moto X flagship line and introduced a new modular silo to take over the mantel. The Moto Z Play was the cheaper sibling of the Moto Z, with better battery life and a more affordable price tag, and both were designed to showcase the new Moto Mods attachments. The second generation model leaked a couple of months ago, and the Moto Z2 Play has now been officially unveiled, alongside 4 new or updated Moto Mods.
For anyone who understandably hasn't heard of it, Vertu is the previously Nokia-owned luxury smartphone maker that tries to convince celebrities and the super rich to shell out up to $50,000 on extravagant devices made from materials such as sapphire and platinum. Vertu phones have tended to be ugly and underpowered, and its business model seems to rely on the adage that wealthy people love to decorate themselves with expensive, superficial accessories. It would appear that even those with money to burn still prioritize a decent smartphone experience, however, and Vertu may be finding that out the hard way.