The Play Games app is riding high with a series of recent changes and still a few more things to come. The latest update doesn't bring any revolutionary changes, but it does change the icons adorning the built-in games so they can all share a uniform style. Buried within the APK are also signs that a new easter egg is in the works that will probably launch another new mini-game.
Read MoreGoogle Play Games v5.11 brings redesigned game icons and prepares a new hidden mini-game [APK Teardown]
FDA okays 'digital birth control' app Natural Cycles despite ongoing European investigations (and some unexpected pregnancies)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has, for the first time ever, allowed an app to market itself as a contraceptive. Natural Cycles brands itself as "digital birth control" and offers a return to the age-old rhythm method, albeit with the addition of technology that promises to make the process more accurate. But global regulators are casting doubt on that promise, and the company's aggressive marketing taglines.
Read MoreGoogle Duo v38 removes all signs of screen sharing, reveals referral rewards for India, and more [APK Teardown]
A new version of Duo is making the rounds with some interesting changes both on the surface and behind the scenes. There are some visual tweaks that bring a slightly updated look to Duo, and an option was removed from settings. Sadly, it looks like screen sharing may be dead for the foreseeable future. And if you're interested in scoring some rewards in trade for signing friends up to Duo, you'll have something to look forward to.
Read MoreInbox v1.76 may be bringing back the 'Someday' snooze option [APK Teardown]
Were you personally wounded when Google declared that Inbox would no longer include 'Someday' among its list of Snooze options? It's likely you weren't alone. The latest update to Inbox doesn't appear to bring back the recently removed feature, but a couple lines from a teardown suggest it might be coming back.
Read MoreGoogle app v8.16 beta hints at spoken notifications in more places with 'Eyes-free' project [APK Teardown]
An update to the Google app landed early Saturday morning, but as is standard, there aren't any recognizable changes. The teardown reveals about a dozen minor tweaks to text, but only a little bit of it actually has anything to do with upcoming features and changes.
Read MoreUpdate Notes for Google Voice, Play Store, Translate, YouTube, YouTube Kids, Contacts, and more (August 11, 2018)
Every week, I examine somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred app updates while looking for changes. The most interesting things turn into APK Teardowns or Download posts. Many of the remaining updates are unremarkable, amounting to a few bug fixes, routine updates to libraries, or even just pixel-level adjustments to layouts and images. However, there are usually a few updates that land somewhere in between. I don't want to spam readers with dozens of short posts, but I hate to ignore things that people might want to know about, so I'm going to wrap up the leftovers for a little weekend reading and call it Update Notes.
Read MoreGoogle is working on a new Favorites tab for the Phone app [APK Teardown]
Following the update to the Google Contacts app, a matching update to its Phone app was also shipped for Pixels and other Google-supported handsets. The story is the same, though the visual changes look less severe since the old versions were already less colorful and contact photos were a bit more dominant. There aren't any live functional changes for the general public, but there is one notable change to the Favorites tab in the works.
Read MoreGoogle Photos v3.26 prepares for editing VR images, enables captions in photo books, and adds more suggestions [APK Teardown]
Google is rolling out plenty of updates today, including a new version of Photos. This update probably won't change much for most users, but if you're preparing a photo book, you'll now have the option to add captions to your shots. A teardown also reveals plans to support editing of stereoscopic images and there are a couple new types of suggestions that may pop up on some of your photos.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
Newton Mail shutting down on September 25
Nary a month after raising its prices, Newton Mail has decided to shut down for good. The drop-dead date is September 25, and all new sign-ups will be blocked.
Read MoreGoogle app v8.15 beta hints at 'Memory Aid Locker,' conversational translation on smart displays, and categories in Top Apps [APK Teardown]
It's Friday afternoon and that means there's probably going to be a Google app update. The latest version doesn't appear to change much on the surface, so we'll be looking to the teardown for more information. Details are a bit thin with this update as most of the topics are little more than breadcrumbs, but we'll take a look at a new feature called the Memory Aid Locker, the first substantial pieces of a Top Apps view, and a cut-and-dry implementation of Google Translate for smart displays.
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