Apps and Updates

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

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Nest Protect smart smoke detector updated w/ Steam Check, Safety History, more

Zac Hall Sep 4 2014 - 7:49 am PT

Shortly after Google acquired Nest, Tony Fadell’s company behind the smart thermostat and smart smoke/carbon monoxide detector, the company ran into a patch of unrelated issues with its Nest Protect product launched months earlier with reports of false alarms from many users and an issue with the ‘wave to dismiss’ feature touted as a key benefit of the product. A soft recall later followed remotely disabling the dismiss feature after a safety bug was discovered followed by a reduced price once it went back on sale.

While the ability to motion to dismiss an alarm is still disabled as the company works toward better implementing it reliably, current and future Nest Protect owners will benefit from new features delivered through a software update for the product. Steam Check, a feature that takes advantage of the device’s humidity sensor and an advanced algorithm, now allows the Nest Protect to distinguish smoke from steam by determining the presence of moisture. Steam from hot water shouldn’t be a reason to panic, and the Nest Protect says this feature will reduce the number of false alarms for users.
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Evernote Android app gets slick new update for faster navigation, plus extra features

Ben Lovejoy Sep 4 2014 - 7:11 am PT

The Evernote Android app has been given a slick new user-interface designed to speed up the things you do most often, like add new notes, access shortcuts and switch between business and personal notebooks …
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Freemium Angry Birds Stella hits the Google Play store with emphasis on the -emium

Ben Lovejoy Sep 4 2014 - 4:13 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDADCXFdj5A]

The latest Angry Birds edition, Stella, hit the app store today, with pink, female characters apparently designed to appeal to girls. The game itself, though, is a variation on the familiar theme of firing birds at pigs hidden in the scenery …
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Isis mobile wallet rebranded as Softcard to avoid association with violent militant group

9to5 Staff Sep 3 2014 - 8:50 am PT

Following through with its announcement from a few months ago, Isis mobile wallet on Wednesday officially became known as Softcard as part of a rebranding move to avoid association with the violent militant group in the Middle East known as ISIS. The transition from Isis to Softcard, including an updated app, will occur over the next few weeks.

Softcard CEO Michael Abbott discussed the change in a blog post:

“Our search for a new name has been rooted in our founding vision: to use the power of the mobile phone to help consumers find a safer and better way to shop, pay and save. But we also wanted a name and visual identity that had the power, flexibility and simplicity to define our category.”

The service will continue to function as it always has.

Facebook for Android passes 1 billion Play Store installs, becomes first non-Google app to do so

Stephen Hall Sep 2 2014 - 11:31 am PT

Following Google’s official Maps app hitting this big milestone earlier this year, the Facebook app has become the very first third party application to hit the 1 billion install mark on the Play Store. Not many apps ever reach this number, but with Facebook being the world’s most popular social network, it would make sense that Zuckerberg and Co. would be the first outside of Google to do it. Notably, this actually proves that Facebook is more popular than many of Google’s own offerings, including Chrome, Hangouts, and Google Search. Which of Google’s apps have hit the big billion? Maps, as mentioned, along with Google Play Services, Gmail, and YouTube have all beat Facebook.

Google Forms adds custom themes & new survey designs

Jordan Kahn Sep 2 2014 - 9:44 am PT

Google announced today that it’s rolling out the ability to customize themes in its Google Forms web app. It’s also adding a number of new pre-made survey designs to the current selection of templates.

One of your top requests has been the ability to add your own personal touch to forms, and starting today you can with custom themes.

You can customize a theme using a new “Change theme” button in the toolbar (pictured above). From there, you can add your own photos or logos to the header, customize fonts and colors, pick a background, and more.

Google also gave a look at some of the new themes it’s added:

More on adding custom themes in Forms here.

Google Play features new Beautiful Design app collection highlighting Material Design

Jordan Kahn Sep 2 2014 - 8:28 am PT

After first publishing its Beautiful Design Collection on Google Play last summer featuring apps handpicked by Google to show of great Android UI design, today the company has updated the collection. With some apps starting to implement UI elements based on Google’s new Material Design coming with Android “L” this fall, Google decided to update the collection to show of some of its favourite app designs:

Today, we’re refreshing the Beautiful Design collection with our latest favorite specimens of delightful design from Google Play. As a reminder, the goal of this collection is to highlight beautiful apps with masterfully crafted design details such as beautiful presentation of photos, crisp and meaningful layout and typography, and delightful yet intuitive gestures and transitions… . Some apps are even starting to incorporate elements from material design, which is great to see. We’re on the lookout for even more material design concepts applied across the Google Play ecosystem!

Apps in this year’s collection include:

Flight Track 5
Oyster
Gogobot
Lumosity
Vivino
FIFA
Duolingo
SeriesGuide
Spotify
Runtastic
Yahoo News Digest
Airbnb

Google reminds developers to take advantage of the material design spec when redesigning their apps for the next-generation of devices.

OneDrive for Android updated with merged business and personal account access

Mark Hearn Aug 28 2014 - 11:31 am PT

Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage mobile app received an update today across multiple platforms. The Android flavor of the new software push mixes work with play, giving users access to their personal and business files at the same time without having to switch accounts.

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Google adds Analytics statistics to its Publisher Toolbar extension

Mark Hearn Aug 28 2014 - 8:46 am PT

Today, Google announced that it has integrated Google Analytics statistics into its Publisher Toolbar. This gives website administrators fast access to performance statistics, making it easier for them to gauge trends and other data related to their web properties. Available to download from the Chrome Web Store, the Publisher Toolbar also lets you quickly monitor individual ad stats and block inappropriate content from your website.

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Apps and Updates

Xbox One SmartGlass app adds gameplay recording, TV streaming & more as it expands into new markets

Jordan Kahn Aug 28 2014 - 6:22 am PT

Microsoft updated its Xbox One SmartGlass companion app today with new features as the app and some of its flagship features expand into new markets. After first rolling out the features in beta, which include TV streaming and OneGuide features in certain markets, the updates are now available to all through the Android app.

The update brings the ability to stream live TV from Xbox One to the SmartGlass app, but the company originally said the feature would slowly roll out to certain markets with 29 new markets arriving in the weeks to come.

The other big feature included in the app update is gameplay recording via a new Game DVR record button directly in the app. Threaded conversations and other tweaks round out the update rolling out today for iPhone and iPad.

The updated Xbox One SmartGlass app is available now on Google Play. A full list of what’s new is below:

What’s New in Version 2.9

• Share and post activity feed items
• Post status updates to your activity feed
• See your activity feed on your profile
• Display messages in a new conversations view
• Record game clips
• In-app display of release and feature notes
• Expanding to new markets
• TV and OneGuide available in new markets

Refreshed Hangouts in Gmail makes it easier to see who’s online

Mark Hearn Aug 26 2014 - 2:37 pm PT

Today, Google announced an update that improves Hangout’s integration in Gmail. In an effort to make your contacts more accessible, this new tab displays friends who are online first, followed by those who aren’t. You can still send messages to offline contacts, however they won’t get them until they sign into Hangouts from a desktop, smartphone or tablet.

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Google News & Weather updated with new widgets and a refreshed UI

Mark Hearn Aug 26 2014 - 10:29 am PT

Google rolled out a new update for its News & Weather Android app today that brings a much needed facelift for the aging software. Version 2.0 introduces a new Material Design inspired setup with a card layout akin to what you’d see with Google Now that lets users navigate the app’s menu by swiping through content.

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WatchABC and NPR One Android & iOS apps add Chromecast support

Jordan Kahn Aug 26 2014 - 9:34 am PT

A couple notable mobile apps for both Android and iOS are receiving updates today that bring Chromecast support including NPR One and the WatchABC apps.
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Instagram introduces Hyperlapse to stabilize and speed up your video

Zac Hall Aug 26 2014 - 8:29 am PT

Facebook-owned Instagram is introducing a new video capturing app called Hyperlapse, according to Wired. The photo (and video) sharing social network recently soft launched a new app called Bolt in Singapore, South Africa, and New Zealand that focused on quickly photo messaging friends, but Hyperlapse is more like an advanced feature that could have been found within Instagram. Hyperlapse offers up a unique way to capture and edit video using processor smarts to make panning shots smoother and add a time-lapse effect.

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Apps and Updates

Google releases Slides app for iPhone & iPad, updates to Docs and Sheets

Jordan Kahn Aug 25 2014 - 10:33 am PT

Google today announced that it’s releasing a version of its Google Drive Slides app for iPhone and iPad alongside updates to its previously released Docs and Sheets apps for iOS devices.
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Nexus 6 rumored to be launched as Nexus X to avoid Blade Runner trademark, expected quiet launch around Halloween

Ben Lovejoy Aug 25 2014 - 5:41 am PT

We heard last month that there was a new Nexus phablet on the way, code-named Shamu. The device is said to have a 5.9-inch 1440×2560 screen and a fingerprint sensor, and to be made by Motorola rather than LG – and seemed a good candidate for the Nexus 6.

PhoneArena is now citing anonymous Motorola sources as saying that the device will instead be launched as the Nexus X, to avoid trademark issues over the Nexus-6 androids in the Philip K Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – later turned into the cult movie Blade Runner …
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Secret for Android update removes ability to access photo library or post full names, adds Flickr search, polls

Mike Beasley Aug 22 2014 - 5:09 pm PT

The popular anonymous social sharing network Secret may be under fire in Brazil, but in the U.S. and abroad the software lives on, and today received a big new update on the Android platform. The new version both adds and removes several capabilities to the app.

One of the most important changes in the new build is the removal of the ability to access photos saved to a device’s photo library. The camera is still fair game, but Secret is attempting to cut down on personally-damaging photos by taking away the option to upload older images.

That’s not to say that the camera is the only way to upload photos, though. The app now supports Flickr search so users can still find just the right photo for their posts without the need to go through their photo libraries.

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Google Maps adds StreetView in Cambodia & Indonesia, navigation in Panama

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2014 - 9:09 am PT

Google has announced that its Google Maps StreetView feature is now available for users in Cambodia and Indonesia.

Full support for StreetView across Cambodia comes following the launch of a StreetView tour for the thousand-year-old temples at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia in April. Google has put together a collection of imagery from Cambodia you can check out on its Views website.

Another Maps improvement rolling out today is support for navigation in Panama, as noted by AndroidPolice. Google also confirmed the roll out by adding Panama to the list of supported countries for navigation on its website.

The new features are available in the latest version of Google Maps for Android on Google Play.

Latest Google Search app update brings support for multilingual voice search

Stephen Hall Aug 21 2014 - 1:48 pm PT

Google today announced a new feature for its Google Search app for Android, catering to the billions of people in the world who speak more than one language. Previously, you had to manually switch between the language you wanted Google to recognize, but now you’re just a flick of a switch away from being able to speak in multiple languages at once—and Google will be able seamlessly switch with you.
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SNK Playmore Android 20th Anniversary Sale: The King of Fighters ’97, Metal Slug 1-3, and more drop to $0.99 each

Justin Kahn Aug 21 2014 - 11:59 am PT

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of its classic fighting game series The King of Fighters, SNK’s Android platformers and fighting games are getting discounted to $1 each. Other than The Rhythm of Fighters and Blazing Star which are regular $1, all of the paid titles available regularly go for $3.99, bringing you a savings of up to 75%.

Some of the more popular titles available on sale today are The King of Fighters ’97 which has received a 4+ stars from over 4000 ratings and Metal Slug 3 which has received 3.8/5 stars from over 4,200 ratings. You’ll also find the rest of the Metal slug series and King of Fighter ports in the sale, all of which have received positive reviews on Google Play.

Full list of titles below:

SNK Playmore Android games for $1 on Google Play:

METAL SLUG 3: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
METAL SLUG X: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
METAL SLUG 2: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
METAL SLUG 1: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’98: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
THE KING OF FIGHTERS ’97: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
THE KING OF FIGHTERS-A 2012: $1 (Reg. $3.99)
SAMURAI SHODOWN II: $1 (Reg. $3.99)

Google Play Music for iPhone updated w/ ability to remove music on-the-go, improved playback, more

Zac Hall Aug 21 2014 - 8:22 am PT

It’s been just over a month since the last big update to Google Play Music for iPhone, and today the Google Play Music team is rolling out another update with new features and improvements. The latest release brings the version number to 1.3.2.2559 for those keeping track at home, and adds a handful of new functionality like the ability to remove music from your library via the iPhone app. The update also boasts additional accessibility features which will surely be appreciated as well as fixes for issues with skipping during track playback and eliminating duplicate listings in the music library. You can see the full change log below.
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MediaFire for Android updated w/ refreshed UI, automatic photo backup, streaming, more

Chance Miller Aug 20 2014 - 1:47 pm PT

Popular file sharing service MediaFire announced a major update to its Android app this afternoon, bumping it to version 2.0. The update adds a variety of new features and enhancements, both visually and feature-wise. Overall, the interface looks much cleaner in version 2.0 than it did in earlier versions. The overall navigation process remains the same for the most part, but icons, menus, text, and other visuals have been modernized quite a bit.

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Minuum keyboard updated with new keyboard modes, more

Stephen Hall Aug 20 2014 - 1:01 pm PT

Minuum just keeps on getting better with each update, and this one—as described on the company’s blog—gives you the flexibility to move the keyboard around the screen as you please by way of a couple new keyboard modes. The first of them is called floating mode, which lets you move the keyboard around at will as you can see in the above image. Secondly, compact mode is functionally similar to floating mode, and lets you dock the keyboard to different locations on the screen. Also included in this update is the ability for users to change how periods work when double tapping the space bar. Finally, some buttons—including layer and mode—have been removed from the shift menu to reduce clutter.

You can grab the updated Minuum from the Play Store.

Uber introduces API for integrating the transportation service into other apps

Zac Hall Aug 20 2014 - 9:06 am PT

The popular transportation service Uber has quickly been growing this year with new features like adding your destination right on the smartphone app when requesting a ride and poaching long time Apple engineering manager Chris Blumenberg who managed the Maps team. The service is even integrated into the Google Maps app on iPhone and Android, and check out the Uber care package the company sends new employees.

Today Uber is taking a major step toward integrating its service into even more apps and services as it introduces an API for developers to use in their own apps and a list of partners already planning to take advantage of it.

As of today, we officially open—to all developers—access to many of the primitives that power Uber’s magical experience. Apps can pass a destination address to the Uber app, display pickup times, provide fare estimates, access trip history and more.

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