With Chrome 55 rolled out to Android and desktops, version 56 is now entering the beta channel. As announced in September, HTTP sites that handle sensitive information will now be marked as ‘Not Secure’ as part of a broader plan. Other additions include Web Bluetooth support and some new APIs that add functionality to mobile sites.
Last week, we covered Yahoo’s new Answers app for iOS and Android, but noted that at the time it was still invite-only. Today, however, the company officially announced that Yahoo Answers is available to all users on iOS and Android.
Even though Google Assistant is the best option Android users have today for a mobile assistant, some still prefer to dive a bit deeper into Microsoft’s ecosystem where Cortana is king queen. Last year Microsoft brought Cortana to Android, and today it’s updating the app with a brand new design and other improvements.
At the moment, Google Assistant on Pixel and Home is still very much limited in what it can do. With the launch of Actions on Google, the company is finally opening up its Assistant to third-party developers and services. Google Home will be the first device to benefit, with Google taking a noticeably more curated approach.
In recent versions of Android, Google’s built-in backup & restore functionality has been enhanced to take care of not only contacts and calendar data, but also a list of apps, app data, and even some device settings (such as launcher layout). This has made setting up new devices a breeze, but we’ve never been able to manage these backups or see what’s going on behind the scenes, at least not easily, until now.
Google Maps is one of the best ways to get directions, but it’s not a perfect app. When driving, the navigation interface is fairly well optimized for quick taps, but accessing any settings in the app covers up your directions. That requires users to look at the screen longer to finish the desired action and get back to the map. However, in a new update, it appears Google is changing things up a bit.
Pokémon Go is teaming up with Sprint to turn businesses into PokéStops and Gyms as part of Niantic’s latest move to keep players in the game. The news comes just one day before Starbucks is expected to do the same while introducing a Pokémon Go-themed drink for trainers. Niantic has also teased out when we might start seeing new monsters appear in the game.
Chrome 55 for Mac, Windows, and Linux was a major update that has the browser default to HTML5 in a bid to further kill Flash usage. Rolling out now, version 55 for Android adds a ‘Downloads’ feature that saves sites, music, and video for offline viewing, as well as improvements for low-memory devices.
Dropbox today updated its Android app with a new feature that brings it closer in terms of features to other cloud storage apps on the market. The update adds support for offline folders, making it easier for users to prepare for being without a data connection…
Following a premature rollout last month, 4K movies are now available in the Google Play Store. First launching in the US and Canada, 125 movies ranging in price from $7.99 to $29.99 can be rented, purchased, and streamed on select Android TV devices and the Chromecast Ultra.
In light of Google Assistant, Google Now has undergone several changes in the past few months. The latest has been in testing since October, but is now officially rolling out. A new ‘Upcoming’ tab shows more personalized cards, while more general items will remain under ‘Feed.’
Update 12/27: Following a small update aimed at devices on UK carriers, Verizon has just listed a new build (NMF26U) for the Pixel and Pixel XL. This update is likely minor with release notes only mentioning security patches. Interestingly, the Google Developer site has not been updated with links to the factory image or OTA.
Following a brief developer preview, Android 7.1.1 is now available for Nexus and Pixel devices. The update brings features that have been on the Pixel since October to current Nexus and Android One devices, as well as the Pixel C. Meanwhile, the Pixel and Pixel XL gain some new Moves and other bug fixes.
While Allo is intended to be Google’s new consumer messaging solution, Google Assistant is the real star of the app. Following its launch in September and several updates that introduced major features, Allo is adding support for Brazilian Portuguese and Hindi.
The world we live in today is a dangerous one, so keeping tabs on friends and family can be important in a lot of situations, such as walking home at night, going out on a hike, or in the worst of cases, natural disasters. Most people tend to call, sometimes frantically, to find out where their loved ones are, but now there’s a new option — Trusted Contacts by Google.
Ahead of Google Wifi units shipping out to buyers, Google has today released an update to the “Google On” app for Android which rebrands the app as “Google Wifi” and prepares it for use with Google’s latest routers.
Announced two years ago, Material Design has yet to make its way to the most visited site on the web. There was an A/B test of Google Search back in June, but nothing came of it. The latest iteration seen by a few individuals is subtle, but noticeably different.
AirDroid has been a popular service on Android for years, allowing users to easily and wirelessly access the files on their smartphone from a PC, mirror notifications, and send/receive text messages. However, security company Zimperium has been tracking some major security vulnerabilities in the app for a few months now, and they’re still not fixed…
Over the past year, Google Chrome has been implementing a multi-phase plan to de-emphasize Adobe Flash. Rolling out now to Mac, Windows, and Linux, Chrome 55 will take the major step of defaulting to HTML5 on the majority of sites.
This year is quickly drawing to a close, and as the company has done over the past few years, Google is today releasing (via its official blog) a few lists of the top trending content that was released on Google Play over the past 12 months. This year, that also includes the most popular songs, movies, TV shows, books, and games as well…
Google announced in a blog post today that it is rolling out a handful of new features to the mobile apps of its Docs, Sheets, and Slides. For iOS, there’s anew trash view, while Android users gain the ability insert GIFs with Google Docs.
Earlier this month, Google Photos added machine learning-based filters and more fine-tuned editing controls similar to the ones in Snapseed. An update today to Google’s pro-level photo editor revamps the interface for those controls and makes them easier to use.
After adding support for 4K HDR video earlier this month, YouTube is today launching support for 4K live streaming in both standard and 360-degree videos. The latter should be especially beneficial for VR, with more providers, like HBO, working on VR apps for Daydream.
Update: SwiftKey has also made all themes free in this latest update for users on Android and iOS.
SwiftKey is a popular choice for many Android users when it comes to a third-party keyboard, and for good reason. The excellent gesture typing and predictions on SwiftKey make it a fantastic option, and now, it’s getting even better with a big new update.
A month after introducing app shortcuts, version 15.0 of Hangouts for Android is rolling out with support for sending GIFs through image keyboards in Android 7.1+. Additionally, the update brings a fix for a bug that listed the sender’s name twice in notifications.