Android 4.0, nicknamed 'Ice Cream Sandwich,' was an exciting release. It brought all the improvements in Honeycomb back to smartphones, and for the first time ever, Android had a somewhat-cohesive visual style. However, those days have long since passed, with 4.0-4.0.4 now representing less than 0.5% of the overall Android install base.
Read More[We did it!] Trusted Places has returned to Smart Lock
We reported yesterday that trusted places — Android's method for keeping your device unlocked when it's in certain locations such as your home — was no longer an option in Smart Lock settings. But surprise: it's back! Is this our doing? Well, no, probably not.
Read More[Update: It's back!] Trusted Places seems to have been removed as a Smart Lock option
Smart Lock, a feature that lets Android users specify conditions under which their devices will unlock without requiring the usual fingerprint, PIN, or pattern authentication, now has one less use case. Trusted Places could previously set a phone or tablet to remain unlocked when it was in a (well) trusted place, like at home, but that option seems to have disappeared.
Read MoreGoogle removes GApps 100 device limit for uncertified devices, fixes device registration page
Late last month, Google announced it would block the Play Store and Google Play Services from running on 'uncertified' devices. This was meant to keep OEMs from sideloading the Play Store on devices not approved by Google. The company offered a way for custom ROM users to register their devices, but it was a complicated process, because the registration page didn't actually provide instructions.
Read MoreGoogle is starting to block GApps on 'uncertified' devices, but you can register an exemption for ROMs
Google has always controlled which devices ship with its proprietary GApps—a package that includes such necessities as the Play Store and Google Play Services. Until now, they've even been pretty lenient about allowing custom ROM users to flash the necessary payload on top of their modified OS. Unfortunately, some OEMs used that loophole to their advantage, ignoring Google's CTS certification process while shipping devices with GApps or shamelessly encouraging users to sideload them.
According to XDA Developers, that loophole has now been closed. Google Play Services will soon check the build date for a given system image, and if that date is after March 16th, it will be blocked from completing the sign-in process—though custom ROM users can manually register their devices for an exemption.
Read More[Update: Rolling out] Google finally preparing a fix for Nexus Player remote sleep bug from last November
Since late last November, Nexus Player owners have had the frustrating experience of erratic behavior from the remote. After about 5 to 10 minutes, the remote would seemingly go to sleep. Pressing any button causes the remote to blink for a few seconds, then hopefully reconnect. While not precisely broken, the erratic functionality from the remote has been a point of pain for owners of Google's streaming hockey puck. Finally, Google is preparing to roll out a fix.
Read More[Update: Finally fixed] Nexus Player remote going to sleep randomly and frequently, responding slowly thanks to faulty Play Services update
Not a dull moment passes by in the land of Google product issues. Not long after Google Assistant functionality was added to the Nexus Player, Google's digital media player has begun to put its remote to sleep. Many people are complaining about the problem on Google's Issue Tracker, and the culprit has been revealed to be a Play Services update. It's similar to an issue NVIDIA fixed with SHIELD Experience 6.1 on the SHIELD Android TV.
Read MoreGoogle announces Fast Pair for Android 6.0+ devices, allowing you to connect your Bluetooth devices quickly and easily
Technology is all about making things faster and easier, and that's exactly what the newly-announced Fast Pair by Google aims to do. If you have a device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or above, your days of fiddling with Bluetooth settings will soon be over (with some select devices).
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
[Update: Fixed in a recent beta] Latest Google Play Services seems to have broken casting using Android hotspot for WiFi
Around the world, a lot of people rely on their mobile devices as their only point of access to the internet and don't have a WiFi connection or router at home. For many of those people, using a Chromecast would have been impossible if it weren't for one small logical workaround: creating a hotspot with their phone that the Chromecast can connect to. Unfortunately, that workaround is no longer, uhm, working right now and it sounds like the latest Google Play Services is to blame.
Read MoreLOL: Play Services is getting ads in the Play Store with random taglines, including "Be your own Boss, Dreams"
If you've ever set up an Android phone, chances are that you've seen notifications or prompts that say something along the lines of "Xxx app will not run without updating Google Play services." That's because Play services is the backbone of many Google services. But did you know that Play services also serves as a motivator, or that it simultaneously fits into many unrelated app categories?
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