Apps and Updates

Yesterday at its I/O developer conference, Google introduced its new take on bringing the power of Android to the living room with Android TV. Google’s new “L” version of Android will power set-top boxes and full TV sets from Razor, Asus, Philips, Sony and more bringing voice control and gaming capabilities to the entertainment experience.

In addition to making an Android TV SDK available later today so developers can create software for Android TV, Google has already released a remote control app on the Play Store for use with Android TV when it’s available later this year. Google notes that the app is intended to work with the ADT-1 Developer Kit. The app features both a d-pad and touchpad for using your Android device to maneuver around the Android TV interface. Android TV Remote Control is available today on the Play Store.
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Google Search updated with “OK Google” hotword detection everywhere, new Audio History feature

Chance Miller Jun 25 2014 - 6:38 pm PT

In addition to its slew of announcements at I/O earlier today, Google this evening rolled out a major update its Search app on Android. Bumping the app to version 3.5.14, the update adds several new features, but the biggest is the ability to activate a voice search from anywhere within the operating system. This feature was initially reported on back in April, but is only now making its way to the app.

Google introduces new API beta that makes it easier for apps to integrate Gmail features

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2014 - 11:23 am PT

Google has more on the new API here.

Yet another announcement from Google I/O today comes in the form of a new Gmail API beta that will make it easier for developers to integrate Gmail features into their apps:

While IMAP is great at what it was designed for (connecting email clients to email servers in a standard way), it wasn’t really designed to do all of the cool things that you have been working on, which is why this week at Google I/O, we’re launching the beta of the new Gmail API.

Designed to let you easily deliver Gmail-enabled features, this new API is a standard Google API, which gives RESTful access to a user’s mailbox under OAuth 2.0 authorization. It supports CRUD operations on true Gmail datatypes such as messages, threads, labels and drafts.

So what’s the benefit over IMAP or other solutions that developers have already been using to integrate Gmail features? Google says the new API, unlike IMAP, “gives fine-grained control to a user’s mailbox.” That means that an app, for example, “only needs to send mail on behalf of a user and does not need to read mail, you can limit your permission request to send-only.” There are also other benefits like speed:

To keep in sync, the API allows you to query the inbox change history, thereby avoiding the need to do “archaeology” to figure out what changed. Finally, a huge benefit is speed. While there’s still some tuning to be done (“beta” – remember?), results from our tests and feedback from pre-release developers suggest that the new Gmail API is delivering dramatic performance improvements over IMAP for web application use cases.

Netflix for Android updated with new logo, tweaked interface

Chance Miller Jun 24 2014 - 4:30 pm PT

Hot on the heels of a similar update to its iOS app, Netflix this evening started rolling out a minor update to its Android app. The app bumps the app to version 3.6, but is relatively small. The first thing you’ll notice is that the app has an entirely new logo. Instead of being white on red, the logo is now red text on a white background.

There’s also a minor interface tweak within the app. The action bar along the top of the interface is now black, whereas it was originally red. This makes the app look quite a bit different, more so than you’d expect a different color change to.

The update is available on the Play Store now.

“Works with Nest” support added to latest version of Nest Android app

Zac Hall Jun 24 2014 - 1:59 pm PT

Last night we discussed Google and Nest’s plans to make the Nest smart appliances a hub of sorts partnering with various services to make the Nest smart thermostat and smoke detector even smarter. Now the Android app for the Nest appliances was updated to support the mentioned “Works with Nest” initiative.

What’s New

– Support for the Works with Nest program

– Bug fixes and enhancements

The latest version of Nest for Android is rolling out now on the Play Store.

Minuum keyboard coming to Moto 360

Mark Hearn Jun 24 2014 - 9:14 am PT

Minuum announced today that it’s retooling its smart predictive keyboard to fit the face of circular smartwatches, like the Moto 360. Positioned along the edge of a watch, the keyboard features three rows of letters that can be used for text input. Keying in words on a small watch face might not sound like the most practical idea, but Minuum contends that voice commands don’t always cut it.

Google Voice Search now optimized for Indian accents

Mark Hearn Jun 24 2014 - 8:01 am PT

Google announced on Tuesday at a press event in New Delhi that its Voice Search now supports Indian accents. Still limited to English, the company has implemented new technology that helps its software recognize commands spoken with a heavy accent. To pull this off, Mountain View worked with over 700 volunteers, collecting samples of people speaking English with an Indian accent. Some of the items rehearsed were common queries in different settings, like restaurants, busy streets and the inside of a car.

Yahoo Aviate Launcher now available for Android

Mark Hearn Jun 23 2014 - 2:31 pm PT

Following its recent acquisition of Aviate, Yahoo has relaunched the company’s home screen replacement software today. Rebranded as Yahoo Aviate Launcher, the app is now out of beta and introduces some new features like Favorite People, which automatically places your most popular contacts into a list of favorites for fast access. To place a call or send a text, simply swipe upward from your device’s home screen.

Path launches new Talk app, a privacy-focused standalone messaging app

Zac Hall Jun 20 2014 - 9:00 am PT

The private social network Path updated its Android app today with a simpler chooser for posting content and a tabbed navigation bar for moving around the app. It’s biggest feature, though, follows a growing trend with mobile apps: Path Messaging has moved to a standalone app called Talk that’s rolling out today.

With its new Talk app, Path wants to replace SMS and Facebook as it focuses on privacy with a feature called Off the Record. While it’s not quite as ephemeral as instantly self-destructing messaging app like Snapchat and Cyber Dust, Path promises its users that messages sent via Talk automatically erase from the social network’s servers after 24 hours from sending the message…

Android 4.4.4 over-the-air update now live for Nexus devices

Mark Hearn Jun 20 2014 - 8:00 am PT

Almost immediately following the pandemonium that was the release of Android 4.4.3, Google is now rolling out software version 4.4.4 of its mobile operating system to Nexus devices via an over-the-air update. Yesterday, the company released factory images of its newest version of Android, so device updates were pretty much inevitable. The new release only weighs in at 2.5MB and is believed to squash a few bugs that were missed by its predecessor.

Google Play Movies arrive in 21 new countries

Jordan Kahn Jun 20 2014 - 5:51 am PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/GooglePlay/status/479994540091531264/]

Google has opened up access to Google Play content in ton of new countries in recent months, but today we get one of the largest expansions yet with Google Play Movies arriving for 21 new countries. The full list of new countries (below), which includes Greece, Poland, Croatia, and Thailand just to name a few, brings the service’s availability up to a total of 90 countries worldwide (via AndroidPolice).

Google’s full list of supported countries for Google Play Books, Movies, Music, and more i s here.

Albania
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Croatia
Czech Republic
Estonia
Greece
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Poland
Slovakia
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan

Android’s stock Email app now available at Google Play

Mark Hearn Jun 19 2014 - 9:31 am PT

Slowly but surely, Google is starting to bring some of Android’s core apps to Google Play and today that trend continues. The company recently added its stock Email application to the Play Store, making it available to folks with eligible gear like Nexus or select Google Play edition smartphones and tablets. In the past, Mountain View has opened its base apps up to most devices, so it’s possible that we may see its Email app get the same treatment at a later time.

Google Drive Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps now let you delete files right from the editor

Jordan Kahn Jun 19 2014 - 8:44 am PT

A nice little enhancement for Google Drive users started rolling out last night with the ability to delete files directly from within any given app’s editor. For instance, if you’re editing a Google Doc, Sheet, or Slide, you will no longer have to return to your main list of files in Drive to delete it.

The new option is located under File > Move to Trash as pictured below:

Google Maps adds Street View imagery for Greece

Jordan Kahn Jun 19 2014 - 6:19 am PT

Google has done a lot of interesting Street View tours recently, which allow Google Maps users to explore streets, parks, historical locations, monuments, and even the inside of some buildings right from their desktop or mobile device. Today Google is adding its 56th country to Street View with the addition of Greece, a country with more than enough cultural and historical monuments to make for quite an incredible Street View experience to explore. As noted by Google, the introduction of Street View can also greatly improve the experience for tourists, businesses and others traveling through Greece:

From now on unique Greek landmarks, such as the Corfu Old Town, the White Tower in Thessaloniki and the Arch of Hadrian in the center of Athens, will be vividly represented on our computer screens… Many Greeks long have been keen for us to bring its benefits to their country, seeing Street View as a powerful tool for the promotion of a country. At a launch event in Athens, Andreas Andreadis, President of the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises, said the new service will prove invaluable to tourists coming to Greece — and Greek businesses serving them. Visitors now will be able to check their hotel in advance and preview places they want to visit. Street View benefits everyone from the wheelchair user who can check whether a building has a ramp to the elderly who may check whether there are sufficient parking spots before leaving home. Minister of Culture and Sports Panos Panagiotopoulos welcomed Street View in Greece as nothing less than “a gift from God.”

You can check out some of the interesting locations Google captured in Greece in its own Views Gallery collection.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t4m9lII8mk&list=UUS-dIYJRJz01BwmqZBaqVHA]

Spotify, Pandora, and more streaming radio services no longer count against T-Mobile data

Mike Beasley Jun 18 2014 - 6:47 pm PT

T-Mobile has just announced at its “Uncarrier 5.0” event (which apparently double as the Uncarrier 6.0 event) that all streaming music services will now be free to stream on T-Mobile, including iTunes Radio, Pandora, iHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, and Spotify.

Any streaming you do will always be done over the company’s fastest available network, and won’t count towards your high-speed data limit.

Customers can visit T-Mobile’s website to request new services to be added to the “music freedom” selection. As streaming services gain votes, they will be added to the program.

Twitter users can now share animated GIFs on Android, iPhone and the web

Mark Hearn Jun 18 2014 - 10:43 am PT

The internet is a strange place. While you’d probably think that the World Wide Web’s rapid pace would be filled with short-lived trends, some things are making a comeback. The Graphics Interchange Format better known as the GIF was created by Steve Wilhite and introduced by CompuServe way back in 1987.Extremely popular in the 90s, these retro animated images have returned to the web and are flooding social media networks. Not being outdone by its competition, Twitter has finally adopted this classic piece of web culture, but you probably gathered that already by reading the title of this news article.

Waze updated for Android and iOS with a new UI and enhanced location sharing features

Mark Hearn Jun 18 2014 - 9:30 am PT

Google-owned, social navigation app Waze for Android and iOS has been updated today. Version 3.8 introduces a cluster of new features, including friends via contacts, which lets you sync your phone’s contact list with your Waze friends, keeping you connected when heading to the same destination. Also new is the ability to send your current location to friends, as well as addresses from your favorites and history. When you share an address with a friend, they’ll receive a link from Waze with directions to the location that can be used whenever they’re ready.

Sunrise Calendar updated with third-party app integration

Chance Miller Jun 17 2014 - 4:37 pm PT

Sunrise, a popular Android calendar app/platform announced a major update today. This update, available on the Play Store now, adds third-party app integration to the app. With the update, Sunrise now connects Songkick, Evernote, Tripit, Github, and Asana directly into the app.
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Facebook launches new Slingshot app to compete with Snapchat

Chance Miller Jun 17 2014 - 10:57 am PT

As we reported last night, Facebook’s new Slingshot app is now available for iPhone. The app briefly appeared on the App Store last week but was quickly removed. Slingshot is Facebook’s attempt at competing with the popular Snapchat messaging service.

Nike finally launches FuelBand app and compatibility for Android

Mark Gurman Jun 17 2014 - 10:00 am PT

Just over a year ago, Nike announced that it would not be developing a FuelBand application and compatibility for Android devices. Now, times have changed. Nike has just announced that it is bringing Fuel to Android and it can be found on Google Play.

Here are the features:

NikeFuel Daily Goal – Create a goal, edit and view progress toward that goal.

Sessions – Track deliberate periods of movement, such as workouts and games, by starting and ending a Session on the Nike+ FuelBand SE. Review session data afterward for a focused analysis of movement. Users can calibrate and share sessions via Nikeplus.com.

Move Reminders and Win The Hour – Users can set up Move Reminders on their Nike+ FuelBand SE so they will remember to get moving for five minutes out of every hour. The Nike+ FuelBand App allows users to track their success with Win The Hour stats.

NikeFuel Leaderboards – Compare data with friends and the community by using Nike+ Friends and the NikeFuel community.

Activity and Session History – Analyze past activity data to see progress and patterns.

NikeFuel Daily Goal Recognition – When a goal is achieved, an onscreen celebration will appear.

Automatic Syncing – Bluetooth LE seamlessly syncs Nike+ FuelBand data to a compatible Android handset.

Profile and Settings – View and edit Nike+ account information and Nike+ FuelBand SE device settings on the app.

The launch of the app comes as Nike winds down development of FuelBand hardware and as its engineers get poached by other hardware makers like Google and Apple.

Parallels Access lands on Android, lets you pin Windows/Mac apps on home screen

Mark Gurman Jun 16 2014 - 9:01 pm PT

After launching on the iPad nearly a year ago, Parallels is today launching Parallels Access on Android tablets and smartphones running version 4.0 or newer. Parallels Access is a remote desktop client that allows you to access your Mac or PC via the touchscreen of your Android device. The software is also launching today on the iPhone and bringing new enhancements to the iPad.

In our review of the iPad version last year, we noted how blown away we were with the speed and performance of Parallels Access. The software makes accessing and using a computer via the iPad’s touchscreen a breeze, and it provides a huge convenience factor for those times when you need to access something on your home computer but do not have the machine with you.

The application is far and above other remote desktop client applications because of its integration with Android, iOS, OS X, Windows, its speed, and its overall reliability. Parallels Access utilizes gestures, Android’s native keyboard with editing, “SmartMagnification” and “SmartTap” to make the computer feel responsive and alive on your Android device. The application allows you to use your Mac swiftly and connects over the internet…

Angry Birds Transformers mash-up game coming soon from Rovio and Hasbro

Zac Hall Jun 16 2014 - 7:54 am PT

Rovio has a lot in the works. The Finnish-game maker last week released Angry Birds Epic, an RPG-style game and a first for the series, and later this year Rovio will release Angry Birds Stella led by the lady bird in the saga.

On top of all that, Rovio is announcing something they’ve been working on with Hasbro: Angry Birds Transformers. The latest title in the series will be like Angry Birds Star Wars, another Hasbro partnership for Rovio, combining the iconic gameplay with characters that resemble those from the movies.
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AllCast updated with new tablet interface, auto-pause functionality, more

Chance Miller Jun 16 2014 - 7:54 am PT

The streaming media app AllCast received a hefty update this morning with some much needed features. Koush, the developer and creator of the app, updated AllCast to version 1.1.1.6 on the Play Store. New with the update is a new tablet interface. The tablet design has a split view that allows you to browse your media selection on one side of the interface and control playback on the other side.

Google appears to be testing 480p and 1080p resolutions for Android’s YouTube app

Mark Hearn Jun 13 2014 - 1:44 pm PT

Smartphone and tablet displays are only getting better, however not all mobile video software is capable of taking advantage of high-res content. For example, Android’s YouTube app gives users the option to display videos in either 360p or 720p, but this appears to be changing. People are reportedly starting to see playback options in 480p and 1080p resolutions.