Android

Google today appears to be rolling out much wider support for its “Ok Google” command within Search. This update pertains solely to the ability to say “Ok Google” within Google Now and the search box to activate a command or search and have Google automatically detect when you say it. Previously, this feature was supported only in the US, Canada, France, and Germany. Today’s update adds support for 7 new language locales, including Italian, Portuguese, and Japanese. Google’s been testing these languages in these regions for a little while now, so it’s possible that you could have been one of the lucky testers.

• English (now supports all accents / dialects)
• Spanish (Spain and Mexico only)
• Italian
• Portuguese (Brazilian only)
• Russian
• Korean
• Japanese

The update appears to be rolling out gradually, so it may take a little while to hit your device. You also need to be on the most recent version of the Google Search

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Following the WiFi-only model launch of its new Galaxy Tab 4 series in May, T-Mobile announced today that the LTE version of the 8-inch model will arrive on July 23. Previously Samsung said that LTE models of the device would become available through US carriers this summer. 
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Last month, a report emerged claiming that HTC was working on a new Nexus tablet dubbed the Volantis. At the time, the device was rumored to have an 8.9-inch display and an all aluminum design. Now, the notorious leaker @evleaks has posted some confirmation of the specifications for the Volantis.

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWsKgblN0oA]

You know what’s better than one music video? Six music videos playing at the same time! Google’s Creative Lab has put together an interactive virtual media box called the Cube that lets users mix up to six simultaneous videos while jamming to a single track. Supported by Chrome and most modern Android devices, would-be DJs can use their mouse or finger to cycle through different video sequences while a song plays in the background.

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If you have an Android tablet and would like to try out a pre-release version of Microsoft’s Office for Android tablet app, The Verge reports that the company is looking for beta-testers.

Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the company is currently preparing a private beta test for the Office Android tablet version, and is accepting participants through a special pre-release program …

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Samsung, HTC and Motorola are likely to be looking a little nervously over their shoulders as Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi more than doubled its year-on-year sales. The company announced (via TNW) that it sold 26.1M phones in the first half of this year, more than it sold in the whole of 2013.

These are impressive sales for a company which sold its first smartphone just three years ago, and whose sales were initially limited to China. Its growth has been fuelled by expansion into Singapore, Malaysia, India and the Philipines, with the company now eyeing up Latin America as its next market … 
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A Nielsen study (via TechCrunch) reveals that while we all spend much longer using mobile apps than we did two years ago, and we may have many more apps installed on our phones, the average number of apps we actually interact with in any given month hasn’t changed nearly as much.

While time spent using mobile apps climbed from 18h 18m in 2011 to 30h 15m by the end of last year, the total number of apps actually used only increased from 23.3 to 26.8. So we’re spending more time using pretty much the same number of apps … 
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As it usually does with new releases of Android, Google has just posted the source code for the “L” release of Android. The code is viewable on Google’s Android Git repo page for all of the current a previous generation Nexus devices. This includes both the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7s (WiFi and LTE models), the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, and Nexus 10.

Google has left a few things out of this release of source code, including binary packages and kernel source. This means that developers will not yet be able to build totally stock builds of Android “L” for those devices. This is to be expected, though, as “L” is still a developer preview at this point.

You can view the source code on Google’s Git repo here. If you’re still curious about Android “L,” read our first look here.

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Hot on the heels of updating the Docs app for Android, Google has just started rolling out an update to Sheets on Android, as well. The update is packed full of changes, both feature-wise and in terms of design. The update comes just days after Google announced it was shutting down Quickoffice on iOS and Android and introduces several features formerly available in the mobile editing app.

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIMnAaXIMg]

Earlier in the year we received word that Google Voice was getting the axe and its features were being rolled into Hangouts. Although it wasn’t openly discussed last week during Google’s I/O keynote, further exploration of the developer preview of Android’s L version has reinforced what we were told almost four months ago.

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Despite its highly successful and highly publicized Kickstarter campaign, OUYA hasn’t really caught on as a serious gaming platform. As other TV-friendly Android-based gaming platforms like Fire TV and Android TV start to take shape, the crowdfunded console needs a competitive edge to make its brand more appealing. Aware of this, OUYA is testing a new all you can eat subscription model with a $60 per year cover charge.

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Google recently revealed its plan to deep-six Quickoffice, so updates for apps like Docs are pretty much a given. The latest version of Mountain View’s word processing application introduces a cluster of new features, including support for Android L, which should make early, early adopters smile. Other noticeable changes in software version 1.3.251.9 include a redesigned  interface more in line with Google’s Material Design language, along with the ability to create and edit Microsoft.docx files.

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Android Wear got its big announcement at Google I/O last week, and the Mountain View company opened up orders for both the LG G Watch and the Samsung Gear Live on the same day. But unfortunately both US and UK residents have been left anxious with ship dates not coming until later this week. Luckily for those in the UK and wanting to get their hands on the G Watch, there seems to be a way to have the device dispatched a few days early.

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The Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition has been the subject of a lot of leaks lately, between it passing through Bluetooth certification, briefly appearing on the Play Store, and appearing on a Play Store support page. Now, notorious Twitter leaker @evleaks has posted a render of the device, seemingly confirming its existence, yet again. The Google Play Edition S5 looks identical to its TouchWiz counterpart, aside of course, from the software.

The Google Play Edition HTC One M8 is already available on the Play Store, so it seems a bit odd that it is taking Samsung and Google so long to release its Play Edition device for the year, but with this render coupled with all of the other leaks, the device still seems to exist and is presumably coming sooner rather than later.

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Google’s Play Music All Access service may soon be getting a rebrand, at least according to a support page that appears to have been preemptively updated. First noticed by Android Police, this support page refers to Google’s streaming music service as the catchy “Google Play unlimited music subscription.” The support page in question is for a promotion currently running for the Nexus 7 that offers Google Play Music All Access.

This change is most likely to help people differentiate Google’s music streaming service from the reportedly upcoming YouTube streaming service that has been in the works for a long time. YouTube’s music streaming service will reportedly run entirely separate from Play All Access (or Google Play unlimited music subscription), so it is believable that Google would want to change the name of the service to something more recognizable. Although, we can’t say that Google Play Unlimited Music Subscription is a very catchy name.

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The Verge observes that Samsung’s new 2014 Sustainability Report shows that the company has a lot of work to do to get its manufacturing in order.

As part of its 2014 Sustainability Report, Samsung commissioned independent inspections at 100 of its suppliers in China and the results make for grim reading …

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Samsung has officially announce its Galaxy S5 mini smartphone. This compact device retains everything you know and love about the original version, but with a slight decrease in specifications. The good news is, this is the best “mini” revision of a device that Samsung has released to date. Unfortunately, not everyone will be able to pick one up right away.

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