Apps and Updates

1,647 'Apps and Updates' stories June 2013 - October 2014

Google’s new Inbox app is a marriage between Gmail and Google Now (update)

Mark Hearn Oct 22 2014 - 10:16 am PT

Today, Google unveiled a new email solution called Inbox, which looks like a marriage between Gmail and Google Now. Currently available by invitation only, this new app takes bits from your email like purchase invoices and bank statements and groups them together for fast access. Like Google Now, Inbox adapts to the way you operate, highlighting key pieces of emails like flight plans, photos, documents and upcoming event information.

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Google confirms November 3rd Android 5.0 Lollipop release

Jordan Kahn Oct 22 2014 - 8:16 am PT

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Following several rumors of a possible November 3rd release for Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google today confirmed the release date in a note to developers (via AndroidPolice).
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Nokia’s HERE Maps now available for smartphones running Android 4.1 or higher

Mark Hearn Oct 21 2014 - 7:14 am PT

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After a leak of a preview build, Nokia’s HERE Maps officially became available for select Samsung Galaxy devices and today the company is extending its app to additional Android smartphones. Still not available at the Play Store, HERE Maps requires Android 4.1 or higher, 1GB of RAM and a device with a screen size between four and six inches, which pretty much describes most modern handsets running Google’s mobile operating system.

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Spotify Family to offer half-price Premium subscriptions for additional family members

Ben Lovejoy Oct 20 2014 - 5:00 am PT

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Anyone who has ever shared a Spotify Premium account with a partner or – worse – their kids will know the problems: arguments over who gets to use it when, and your playlists and recommendations polluted by the likes of Jason Mraz or the soundtrack from The Lego Movie.

Spotify Family will soon allow you to purchase additional Premium subscriptions for up to four family members for half-price. The first family member will continue to pay $10/month, but additional family members pay just $5/month.

Your account. Your music. With Spotify Family, everyone gets their very own account. Enjoy separate playlists and recommendations and play your music whenever you like.

Premium for everyone. Everyone on the plan gets the full Spotify Premium experience. Listen offline. Play any song, anytime, on any device. No restrictions. No ads.

The more the merrier. Having a family can be expensive. But music doesn’t have to be. With Spotify Family, you can add up to four family members to your account, and each additional user gets 50% off Spotify Premium.

No tantrums. No more fighting over what to listen to, and no more interruptions when someone else logs in and starts playing.

Spotify said a family membership has been one of its most requested features, and that the package will roll-out globally in the coming weeks.

Spotify apps are available for both Android and Windows, as well OS X and iOS. Spotify also made it to the Amazon Fire TV box last month.

Twitter introduces new audio card, allowing in-line audio playback in mobile apps

Mike Beasley Oct 16 2014 - 1:49 pm PT

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Twitter announced a change coming to its mobile apps today that allows users to play music directly from a tweet. The new Twitter Audio Card will allow certain users (there’s a list on Twitter’s blog) to share audio uploaded to SoundCloud with users in-line. Users will be able to listen to these embeds while they continue browsing their timelines.

Twitter says it’s just starting to test the feature right now and plans to roll it out to more content creators and partner audio sites in the future. You can try it out in Twitter for Android right now.

Hangouts isn’t going anywhere, Google explains Android’s new Messenger app

Mark Hearn Oct 15 2014 - 2:42 pm PT

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Google announced a plethora of goodies today and while we’ve been seeing several shots the company’s latest hardware, we keep noticing unfamiliar software icons hanging out on Mountain View’s new devices. Pictured above is a shot of Google’s new Messenger app that will be shipping with the Nexus 6 as part of Android 5.0 Lollipop.

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Plex is coming to Google’s new Nexus Player

Mark Hearn Oct 15 2014 - 11:52 am PT

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Earlier today, Google unveiled the Nexus Player, its latest combatant in the battle for your living room. As expected, Mountain View’s latest set-top receiver is attracting several major players in the entertainment software industry and Plex has announced that it’s coming to the search giant’s new media hub.

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Google Play app downloads exceed Apple’s App Store by 60 percent

Mark Hearn Oct 15 2014 - 8:10 am PT

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A new report from App Annie revealed that application downloads from Google Play exceeded downloads from Apple’s App Store by around 60 percent compared to statistics from the same time period last year. Although the Play Store saw a fair share of growth, iOS downloads managed to earn more money during Q3 2014, with a gap of nearly 60 percent. It’s possible that these changes could be due to Google Play’s expansion into emerging markets where people typically don’t download paid apps.

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Firefox for Android updated with Chromecast and Roku video streaming

Mark Hearn Oct 14 2014 - 11:18 am PT

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You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but what about a fox? Better yet, what about a Firefox? Cheesy introductions aside, today Mozilla announced a new video streaming feature for Firefox’s Android web browser. This Chrome alternative can now push videos from your mobile device to your TV via Google’s Chromecast media stick or a Roku set-top box.

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Google Classroom gets Groups integration, improved teacher controls & more

Jordan Kahn Oct 14 2014 - 10:01 am PT

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Google just announced some enhancements and new features rolling out to its Google Classroom service today including much improved controls for teachers. Google Classroom, a platform for teachers to plan lessons, assignments, and work alongside students in real-time, was announced earlier this year and first opened to all Apps for Education users in August.
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Google is investigating a Drive service disruption this morning

Jordan Kahn Oct 14 2014 - 8:30 am PT

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Update: Resolved.

Google Drive is currently experiencing a service disruption for many users. Google first confirmed the problem earlier this morning noting that it’s “investigating reports of an issue with Google Drive.” Users trying to access various Google Drive services might receive a “500 errors and latency,” according to Google’s App Status Dashboard.

Google’s latest update on the outage through its Google Apps status website said the company is continuing to investigate and will provide an update later today with more information on the issue.

The service isn’t down for everyone, but we’ll update here when Google resolves the problem or provides any further updates. You can check the status of Google Apps through its Apps Status Dashboard here.

Microsoft latest to mimic Snapchat with new Skype Qik ephemeral video messaging app

Mark Gurman Oct 14 2014 - 6:00 am PT

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIEnN1KmxKk&feature=youtu.be

Microsoft has just joined the ranks of companies looking to capitalize on the success of ephemeral messaging apps like Snapchat. Through its Skype division, the company has launched a new cross-platform app for iOS, Android, and (of course) Windows Phone called Skype Qik. The premise of the application, as can be seen in the video above and screenshots below, is simple: you can record a quick video, and then share it to either one person in your address book or multiple groups of people.

By default, videos will expire after two weeks, and you can also un-send messages at any time. A cool feature of Skype Qik is the ability to pre-record various 5 second GIFs that you can send as instant replies. So, if you don’t have the ability to send a live video reply, you can just choose one of your pre-record defaults. The app is free today on the aforementioned platforms, and Microsoft says that updates, such as one for blocking iPhone contacts (that feature is available today on Android and Windows Phone), will come often to enhance the feature-set.

You can view some screenshots of the Android app in action below:

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Anki Drive gains Android support, but only works with a few devices at launch

Mike Beasley Oct 13 2014 - 3:19 pm PT

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnsR-kZUx6o]

The app-powered Anki Drive cars first demoed during WWDC 2013 are finally gaining very limited Android support, TechCrunch reports. Nearly one year to the day after the official launch on iOS, the artifically-intelligent racers are finally available to users on select Android devices.

The only devices that will support Anki Drive out of the box today are the Nexus 5, Galaxy Note 3/4/10.1, or the Galaxy S4/S5. Unfortunately, the app will not support cross-platform play, which means everyone playing has to have the same operating system: Android users can only play with other Android users and iOS users can only play with other iOS users.

Anki Drive was updated in January with new customization options and a new car. The starter kit can you yours for $150, with additional cars available available for $50.
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Autodesk releases all-new SketchBook app for Android

Jordan Kahn Oct 9 2014 - 11:34 am PT

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Autodesk today released a new version of its popular Sketchbook painting and drawing app that introduces a single app for both tablets and smartphones alongside new features. Launching today on both iOS and Android the new SketchBook app has a streamlined UI and a number of new features and improvements over previous versions of the app. The company highlighted a few of the new features:

-Layer blending modes including glow and soft glow
-Selection tools for manipulating, transforming, and drawing within specific parts of the image
-All new brushes, including a set of synthetic and smudge brushes (a top community-requested addition)
-Dynamic flood fill tools with solid, linear and radial gradients
-A completely redesigned and customizable UI including the combined Brush and Color Puck enhancements
-An enhanced gallery for an easy way to view, organize and manage sketches
-Optimized for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iOS8

Autodesk notes the app is compatible with most stylus products including the new Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2 and Pencil by FiftyThree.

The app is free to download and includes a $3.99 in-app purchase to unlock full features. Autodesk also has memberships for those that want to purchase access to all Pro features on all platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac). The company also plans to release additional paid content packs in the future.

The new Sketchbook Android app is available on Google Play now.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2csTY_5KbY&list=UUqqzJUfJ_ofn8ZmL7dBdUwg]

Google launches Primer mobile app to help startups with their marketing needs

Mark Hearn Oct 9 2014 - 10:29 am PT

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Today, Google launched a new mobile app for startups called Primer, an interactive tool that helps companies with their marketing needs. Available now on iOS, the software cranks out five minute lesson plans for subjects like Content Marketing, PR & Media and Search Advertising. A simplified experience, Primer is packed with case studies, insider tips and quizzes designed to make marketing easier.

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Google announces new Hangouts app for Windows and Chrome OS users

Chance Miller Oct 9 2014 - 8:35 am PT

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Google this morning has unveiled a new Hangouts Chrome app for Windows and Chrome OS users. In a post on the official Chrome blog, the company described the app as a simpler and faster way to use Hangouts on your computer, while not intruding on other tasks and apps.

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Chrome for Android updated with security patches and Material Design enhancements

Mark Hearn Oct 8 2014 - 12:49 pm PT

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Today, Google announced the release of Chrome 38 for Android, which is based on a recent build from the software’s beta channel. This new release ships with several bug fixes, including a content spoofing security patch that earned a contributing developer a $1,500 reward.

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Chromecast now supports news, weather, & Google+ photos as a backdrop

Zac Hall Oct 8 2014 - 9:34 am PT

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(<a href="http://chrome.blogspot.ca/2014/10/turn-your-tv-screen-into-beautiful.html" target="_blank">via Chrome blog</a>)

Google today updated the Chromecast app for Android users adding a feature announced earlier this year at Google I/O called Backdrop. When the Chromecast HDMI streaming stick isn’t playing content like Netflix or Pandora Radio through your TV, it already displays the current time and featured photos as a screen saver, but now Chromecast users can display additional content like weather conditions and news headlines on Chromecast-connected TVs. Chromecast also now supports using your own photos from Google+ albums as the backdrop.
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Nokia’s HERE Maps now available for select Samsung Galaxy devices

Mark Hearn Oct 8 2014 - 7:06 am PT

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If you abstained from trying the recent leak of Nokia’s HERE Maps for Android, you can now download an official release — as long as you’re using a compatible Samsung device. Available from the Galaxy app store, this Google Maps alternative packs some nifty features like turn-by-turn directions, public transit routes and its standout offline navigation support.

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Google brings its ‘News & Weather’ app to iOS

Zac Hall Oct 7 2014 - 12:12 pm PT

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Google today brought its ‘Google News & Weather‘ app that presents local news and weather as well as headlines from a variety of categories and sources in one app to iPhone and iPad users. Categories for headlines can be added or removed from within the app for customizing the news you want to follow.

The app joins a huge list of existing Google apps including Gmail, which was just updated for the new iPhone 6 display sizes yesterday, and Google News & Weather is already optimized for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Full description below:
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Google Drive adds new image editing options for Slides

Jordan Kahn Oct 6 2014 - 11:34 am PT

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After previously announcing image editing features including cropping and borders for Docs, Slides and other Google Drive apps, Google today announced new options for images in Slides. Now, in addition to cropping and adding borders to images, you can now access recolor, transparency, brightness, and contract settings.

You can now select “Image options…” from the toolbar, format menu, or right-click menu, where you can adjust the opacity, brightness, and contrast of an image, or recolor it to match the theme of your presentation.

Google provided the examples above and below showing off some of the new image editing options. We imagine it wont be long before these features make their way to Docs and the other Google Drive apps that support images.

Gmail for iOS updated with support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus display sizes

Mike Beasley Oct 6 2014 - 10:37 am PT

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Google has updated the Gmail app for iOS with support for the larger displays on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. There don’t seem to be any other unmentioned changes (still no unified inbox), but you won’t have to use the awkward zoomed view when using the app anymore.

You can grab Gmail version 3.1415926 (yes, that’s Pi) for free from the iOS App Store.

What’s New in Version 3.1415926
Support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Adobe releases Creative Cloud app for Android in preview mode

Jordan Kahn Oct 6 2014 - 8:44 am PT

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Along with a number of announcements landing today during Adobe’s MAX conference, the company has quietly released an Adobe Creative Cloud app for Android in preview mode. The app, which works with the free 2GB Creative Cloud membership in addition to paid subscriptions, allows users to manage their Creative Cloud accounts by browsing and previewing files stored in the cloud service. The app was previously available for iOS users and sports a similar design.
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Slingplayer app for tablets updated with Chromecast and Roku support

Chance Miller Oct 6 2014 - 8:10 am PT

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A few weeks back, Sling announced that it was updating its Android phone app with ability to stream content to a Chromecast-enabled television. Noticeably missing at the time was an update to the company’s Android tablet app. This morning, however, Sling has started rolling out an update to Slingplayer for tablets with all the features its phone counterpart got last month.

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