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With each new version of Android, we all look out for the big, front-facing changes that alter the way the OS looks or works in a big way. But for every major new feature, there are countless smaller ones behind the scenes that altogether add up to a better experience. One such change that seems to be heading our way with the upcoming release of Android O is an improved SMS authentication process for use by third party apps.
As the race to build the first commercially viable self-driving car hots up, a number of major players in the technology and automotive industries continue to position themselves, hoping to grab a slice of the potentially lucrative pie. This has led to a number of high-profile alliances being formed. Alphabet has its own arm dedicated to the technology in Waymo, which was spun off from Google late last year, and it has been keen to form useful partnerships where it can. The latest test vehicle is a minivan built by Chrysler, for instance. Now Waymo has a new ally in the form of ride-hailing start-up Lyft.
Earlier in the month, Google released an official statement on a particularly virulent phishing email imitating Google Docs that was doing the rounds. That same day, coincidentally or not, an update to the Gmail Android app added a special warning page that pops up every time a link in one of the suspect emails is clicked. Now, Google is implementing further changes to help prevent future scams of this type.
Some of you may remember a bizarre story from last year in which a Russian video blogger filmed himself playing Pokemon Go in a church and was subsequently arrested for mocking religious beliefs. Ruslan Sokolovsky has now learned his fate, narrowly escaping prison time after being handed a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence.
Turner's TBS and TNT networks have always been at the forefront of digital TV content in the US, having been the first to stream live on-air content several years back. In an attempt to maintain that good reputation, both providers have announced considerable multiplatform upgrades to their digital offerings, including updated Android apps and support for Google's Chromecast.
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We knew changes were incoming for Facebook Messenger after last month's F8 Developer Conference, during which the focus was largely on better discovery of bots and "Chat Extensions" to add those bots into group conversations. Now it seems Facebook is testing new UI changes, including top-level tabs and a games section in the bottom nav bar.
Has it ever annoyed you how outdated Street View is where you live? Is that garish new shopping mall still a pile of rubble left over from the beautiful period building that stood before it? Or did you want to do more than just take photographs of that exotic market you walked around on your last trip? Now you can take matters into your own hands and create your own space with a "Street View ready" 360 camera.
For a couple of months now, Google Home users in the US have been able to easily order shopping from a range of US retailers through the Google Express service. Now, those in the UK are going to be treated to a similar luxury, with supermarket Tesco adding support for ordering with the Google Assitant via a clever little workaround — using a special IFTTT recipe.
The lucky few who pre-ordered the Galaxy S8 or S8+ through a carrier will have had the latest and greatest from Samsung for 2 and a half weeks by now. The day has finally come for those looking to pick up an unlocked version, as pre-orders officially open today at several US retailers. The carrier-free versions ship on May 31st, but you'll need to get your order in fast if you want to receive it on that date. That's the same day you'll be able to buy an unlocked version in-store, though numbers will obviously be limited.The official word is that pre-orders are exclusive to Best Buy and Samsung. And that's true for US models but we've also found international versions of both phones available on B&H and Amazon, too. As for the pricing, you're looking at $724.99 for the S8 with its 5.8" screen and $824.99 for the S8+ and its 6.2" screen. It seems that Samsung and Best Buy are only offering the Midnight Black models for now. Pre-order from either site and you'll also get deal-sweeteners like an Entertainment Kit and 6 months of Netflix thrown in for free.The international versions available at B&H and Amazon come with slightly higher price points than their US counterparts. However, this is currently the only way to get an unlocked model in any of the more exotic color options (Orchid Gray, Maple Gold, Arctic Silver, and the rather stunning Coral Blue). Beware though, if you do plump for an international variant it will work with some US carriers but not others, so make sure you check the bands relevant to your network before you make a purchase. As far as I'm aware they should play nice with AT&T and T-Mobile, at least.It's worth mentioning that unlocked versions of other recent Galaxy S devices have been very slow to get Android 7.0 Nougat updates compared with carrier models, so if quick OS updates are important to you it might be better to get in bed with a carrier. Another consideration is that carrier-specific technologies, such as 4x4 MIMO or WiFi-calling, may only work on the model sold by the carrier, so check that before you buy, too.Let us know if you see any other retailers getting in on the act, or any other tempting deals.Source: Business Wire
Another good reason for non-Pixel owners to be jealous when the device was released last year was the excellent wallpaper picker that was baked into the exclusive launcher. That jealousy thankfully evaporated when Google released the standalone Wallpapers app, and made it available for all Android phones through the Play Store. It recently saw an update to version 1.1 that included plenty of fresh images in every category. And now we're seeing two entirely new categories: Art and Solid Colors.
Premium cable and satellite television network Epix has launched its very own casting technology that doesn't require any extra hardware. The imaginatively named "EPIX Cast" enables any Android device loaded with the Epix app to stream content to any connected TV set. This is all part of the company's "TV Everywhere" approach, which it hopes will attract customers through being easy to use and ubiquitous.
Early last year, Facebook got all emotional, allowing us to do more than just actively like or passively dislike a thing. Reactions were introduced in the biggest shake-up the Like button had ever seen. This made it possible to react to a post with the entire range of human emotions. Well, with love, laughter, shock, sadness, or anger. Of course, this wasn't enough. We want to be able to react with emotion to everything. So now Facebook is bringing these same options to the comments below posts, too.
This is Sprint's Magic Box, the world's first all-wireless small cell, which promises to improve LTE data coverage and download speeds indoors. The plug-and-play unit is aimed at both small businesses and regular customers and offered at no extra cost, with availability subject to qualifying locations.
It appears that Google may be introducing tags to search results for movies, at least in the Google app on Android and potentially across Google search on desktop. We've received screenshots that show a section called Top voted tags in the Overview tab, alongside a little New sticker to indicate that this is indeed a very recent addition.
Google announced today on its India Blog that it's introducing a new home screen layout for Maps on Android. The new interface has been designed exclusively for users in India. In what looks like a streamlined version of the pull-up tab found in the US and European versions of the app, here we see cards that are optimized to be less data-hungry and load faster on poor connections across India.
According to several frustrated posters on Google's product forums, the hands-free reply function built into Android Auto is broken. The feature enables users of various different messaging apps to reply to incoming messages while keeping their hands on the wheel. There is a bizarre workaround, though — make sure you have Hangouts enabled and up-to-date.
Last month it was announced that Google Classroom would be opened up to anyone with a Google account — the collaboration tool for education was limited to those with a G Suite account, previously. That change meant that normal users could join classrooms, but now Google is expanding the functionality and allowing anyone to create and manage classrooms, too.
The ability to quickly set a reminder on your phone is one many of us take for granted these days. Smartphones have seemingly always had this basic PDA functionality. Type ‘add reminder’ into the Google search box and you’ll be able to quickly set up a notification to jog your memory about something later on. You can even use the ‘OK Google’ voice command: “remind me to pick up the groceries at 6pm,” for example. Easy-peasy.
US retailer Walmart has just added another app to its burgeoning selection on the Google Play Store. The oft-maligned company already has several Android apps available with varying degrees of success. With Walmart Grocery, food shopping could be a whole lot easier. The new app allows you to select your items, make a payment, and organize delivery or collection. A similar experience can already be had at its regular, non-grocery stores with the Walmart app.
Last year Spotify teamed up with lyric knowledge base Genius to add an interesting new feature to its iOS app. Behind the Lyrics takes the same annotations from Genius and bakes them directly into the Spotify app. According to the music streaming giant, millions of iPhone owners make use of this every day. And now, it's finally bringing the feature to Android.