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Apps and Updates

1,647 'Apps and Updates' stories June 2013 - April 2016
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Samsung’s Good Lock alternate UI gets updated w/ a plethora of bug fixes

Avatar for Stephen Hall Apr 4 2016 - 1:38 pm PT
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“24.0.6 Feedback applied. More feedback will be provided soon,” Samsung says to open up the changelog for a substantial update rolling out for its alternate Good Lock UI today. Besides a less-than-perfect translation, the changelog also features a huge list of much-requested bug fixes and additions. Among other changes, this update adds a swipe gesture to delete in the recent apps view, fixes an issue that caused the SD card to stop working, removal of the permanent location prompt, and more…


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Google removes Taliban app from the Play Store, alleged ISIS app remains

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Apr 4 2016 - 5:12 am PT
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The BBC reports that Google has removed an Android app used by the Taliban to post propaganda.

Alemarah, an app for Android phones created by Islamist fundamentalist group the Taliban, has been removed from Google’s Play Store […]

The hardline group blamed “technical issues” for its disappearance shortly after it launched on 1 April. However the BBC understands it was taken down because it violated a Google app policy which prohibits hate speech.

However, TNW reports that a messaging app allegedly created by ISIS remains available on Google Play.

Google says that it never comments on issues relating to specific apps.

Photo: AP Photo/Rahmat Gul

Latest Nova Launcher beta introduces ‘Night Mode’, more search bar choices

Avatar for Cam Bunton Apr 4 2016 - 4:13 am PT
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Nova Launcher is easily one of the best launchers available for Android right now. That’s mostly thanks to the fact that you can change virtually any part of the Android user interface. Whether you want to download custom icon packs, change their size, change the home screen, folder or app drawer layout, it can do virtually anything. And the latest beta version adds a couple of new, welcome additions.


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Google announces all-in-one Acer Chromebase for meetings and video conferencing

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 31 2016 - 11:36 am PT
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Chromebox for meetings were announced two years ago and introduced the constantly updating Chrome OS model to corporate video conferencing. Previous hardware included a Chromebox and a camera, but required companies to supply their own monitor. Today, Google is announcing a more complete package that features an all-in-one Acer Chromebase that runs the enterprise software.


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Updated Samsung+ app provides remote support for Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 31 2016 - 10:02 am PT
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9to5Google’s Cam Bunton had a less than stellar Samsung support experience with the otherwise great Galaxy S7 Edge in case you haven’t read. In order to improve its customer experience, however, the company is launching a major update to the Samsung+ support app that adds a remote assistance feature.


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Waze app will now alert you when driving over the speed limit

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2016 - 3:40 pm PT
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The Waze maps app— the one Google acquired a few years back to improve its own mapping services—today announced a new features that will warn drivers when they are driving over the speed limit. 

Now when you’re using the Waze app to navigate, you’ll automatically see a visual warning (pictured above) if you go over the speed limit, and you can also manually set audio warnings for reaching the limit or hitting 5, 10 or 15% over.


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Snapchat update adds new voice and video features, stickers, and more for messaging

Avatar for Zac Hall Mar 29 2016 - 9:46 am PT
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Snapchat is changing how you communicate with friends in a major way through what it’s calling Chat 2.0. The social network says it focused two years ago on making chatting more like face-to-face conversation with features like letting you know when your friends were present and “listening” to what you were typing, and the latest Snapchat update refocuses on the 1-to-1 chat aspect of the app with new features around voice and video calling plus stickers and more. How you watch Stories is also getting a change in the new update.


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SoundCloud launches $10/month ‘Go’ subscription service w/ ad-free & offline listening

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2016 - 7:14 am PT
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Big changes are coming to the community-based music streaming service SoundCloud as the company today introduces a new subscription service for the first time.

The new feature, dubbed SoundCloud Go, will allow users to listen to SoundCloud music both offline and ad-free for $10/month:


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WhatsApp beta update includes Quick Reply popup, solid color wallpapers, more

Avatar for Cam Bunton Mar 29 2016 - 5:28 am PT
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WhatsApp is preparing a new set of features for its Android users, many of which have been on my wish-list for many years, and have perhaps been the biggest causes of my disdain for the popular messaging app. The new beta, WhatsApp version 2.12.560, rolled out today and features (among other things) quick reply, solid wallpapers and new multiple-selection tools and options.


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App teardown suggests that the Google Wallet card is going away June 30th

Avatar for Stephen Hall Mar 28 2016 - 12:35 pm PT
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Update: It’s confirmed. Google is now sending the below email to users who have a card.

A new app teardown from Android Police today reveals that the Google Wallet card — which was first announced in November 2013 after many rumors of the troubled project being scrapped — is now finally getting the boot effective June 30th. The card assumably never really took off, and it seems that I’m one of the rare few that still has one of these little now-souvenirs…
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Google Admin app for Android updated w/ full mobile device management features

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 12:03 pm PT
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Mobile first is a frequent buzz phrase for newly minted startups and for the most part it is easy for them to achieve. However, for legacy companies with products designed for the web, it is often harder to cram functionality and information on a smaller screen. With that in mind, the Google for Work Admin app for Android has been updated with mobile device management features previously restricted to the full web app.


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Samsung Internet 4.0 rolling out to older Galaxy devices and variants running Lollipop

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 10:11 am PT
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Early last month, Samsung updated their built-in browser with private browsing, a picture-in-picture video player, and third-party ad blockers on devices running Marshmallow. While Android 6.0 is rolling out to newer devices, those still on the Galaxy S4, S5, and other older devices will get these new features via an update starting today.


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Google’s Nik Collection of Photoshop & Aperture plugins are now free to download

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 24 2016 - 2:16 pm PT
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In 2012, Google purchased Nik Software and made their excellent mobile photo editor Snapseed free on Android and iOS. Since then, many of Snapseed’s features have been integrated into Google’s various photo products. Besides mobile, though, Nik also developed plugins for desktop photo editors — and starting today they are also free.


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Google’s easy to use ‘Accessibility Scanner’ analyzes apps for accessibility issues

Avatar for Abner Li Mar 24 2016 - 9:07 am PT
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Google has published a new tool to help Android developers improve the user interface and experience of their apps. Accessibility Scanner can analyze any app with an eye towards accessibility issues that might not be a problem for most users but may cause user experience problems for some.


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You can now change themes, filters & layouts in updated Google Sheets and Slides for iOS

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 24 2016 - 8:57 am PT
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Google is updating its Google Sheets and Slides apps for iOS today with new features that allow changing themes, filters and layouts on the fly from within the mobile apps.

For Google Sheets, the update brings the ability to view and change existing filters applied to a spreadsheet.


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First look at gameplay from the upcoming Pokémon Go Android game

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Mar 24 2016 - 8:10 am PT
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After announcing a deal in September to produce a Pokémon Go games with Nintendo and Alphabet-owned Niantic, the Pokémon people are today showing a little more about how gameplay will work and giving us a first look at the title coming to both Android and iOS devices.

The game uses augmented reality features to blend real world objects and locations with the gameplay, and the company today gave the run down and a look at how exactly that will work:


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Todoist app for Android gets updated with more Quick Add functionality, keyboard support, speed improvements, more

Avatar for Cam Bunton Mar 23 2016 - 7:05 am PT
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Todoist, one of the best productivity apps released for any platform, has been updated to bring more smarts to its Android app. Unlike the last major update, this version doesn’t include a massive visual overhaul. Instead, the team focussed on bringing more intuitive and productive methods of adding, searching and filtering your projects.


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