update

AnTuTu is likely a familiar name to you, as it’s probably one of the biggest sources of device specification leaks (most recently, a prototype Galaxy S6 was purportedly noticed). But unless it’s your job to test devices, it’s probably not likely that you actually use the AnTuTu Android app on a daily basis. Today, AnTuTu has updated said app to bring a completely new UI, support for 64 bit CPU testing, and a variety of bug fixes.
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HP quietly launches new higher-end touchscreen variation of the Chromebook 14

Stephen Hall Dec 22 2014 - 11:02 am PT

HP has quietly launched a new version of the Chromebook 14 (via OMGChrome), a laptop the company launched earlier this year that was met with much criticism over its less-than-perfect screen. Now, with a more expensive revised version of that device (but the others aren’t going anywhere, obviously) being available, customers have the option of going with a touchscreen Chrome experience and slightly improved specs over its little brothers. HP said that it would be coming soon at the launch of the Chromebook 14, and it looks like company has now followed through with that promise.

Google adds new stats, examples of government requests in latest Transparency Report

Stephen Hall Dec 22 2014 - 10:20 am PT

Google released the latest version of its Transparency Report today, revealing data about government requests the company received between June and December of 2013. According to the report, Google received 3,105 requests to remove 14,637 pieces of content within that time period, which brings the total number of requests received by the Mountain View corporation up to 6,591 for the entirety of 2013, a figure that’s about 60% higher than the previous calendar year.

Google adds always-listening ‘OK Google’ voice activation to Chromebooks

Stephen Hall Dec 19 2014 - 2:05 pm PT

While “OK Google” capability has been available in the form of a Chrome extension for quite some time now, those using it had to be on a specific page within Chrome for the browser to be listening for the appropriate hot words. Now, Google has pushed—in the dev build of Chrome OS—the option for users to turn on always-listening “OK Google,” which will allow you to use voice activation from anywhere as long as your device is on and unlocked.

Google goes on offense, takes Project Goliath main player Jim Hood to court

Stephen Hall Dec 19 2014 - 10:50 am PT

The story of Goliath continues today, and this time it looks like Google is going on the offensive. The Verge is reporting that Google has today filed a lawsuit against one Mississippi State Attorney General Jim Hood, who has largely been at the center of the Goliath controversy. He has recently been facing scrutiny over his deep involvement with the MPAA’s efforts to take a stand against Google, and now Google is taking a stand of its own.

Minuum keyboard rolls out version 3.0 with Material Design, multilingual typing support

Stephen Hall Dec 19 2014 - 9:37 am PT

If you’ve ever tried any third party keyboards on your Android device, there’s a decent chance that Minuum was one of them. Today, version 3.0 of the space-saving keyboard has begun rolling out, packing a slew of new features including Material Design and experimental support for simultaneous use of multiple languages.

Videos preview upcoming Android 5.0.1 update for Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Note Edge, & S5 LTE-A

Jordan Kahn Dec 19 2014 - 8:59 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7f2N_Dj2mg]

Samsung focused blog SamMobile today posted the videos above and below showing off an upcoming Android 5.0.1 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge, and Galaxy S5 LTE-A.

The update is mostly bug fixes, according to the report, but it also has a few notable new features including slow and fast motion video recording functions.
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Google testing new layout for Play Store app pages

Stephen Hall Dec 19 2014 - 8:13 am PT

The current version of the Play Store

Some have started to notice yesterday and this morning that Google has apparently begun testing a new layout for app pages on the Play Store (via Android Police), and the new look seems to do away with the full-width layout of old, replacing it with a more traditional 3-column look. I don’t see the new version of the Play Store when using the latest stable build of Chrome, but when using the latest Beta, it pops right up.

Here’s what it looks like:

A newer version being seen by some

The new looks compacts some of the previous information into a thinner middle column, making room for a new column on the right that offers suggestions for similar apps. In addition to apps that are simply similar, there’s also a new section that shows apps that were created by the same developer. I haven’t noticed any other changes to the Play Store after clicking around for a little bit, but if you notice something else, feel free to let us know in the comments below.

Secret update basically copies Yik Yak, brings communities and cute new mascot

Stephen Hall Dec 18 2014 - 12:21 pm PT

Secret was one of the first to the anonymous social network category of apps, but Yik Yak recently took the spotlight and started really catching on with the college crowd. It appears that Secret felt a bit threatened by its university-based competitor. Today, the app has been updated with a completely new appearance, a new, cuter version of its fox mascot, and a re-imagined way of communicating with those around you anonymously.

Google launches Android TV Launcher on the Play Store

Stephen Hall Dec 18 2014 - 10:48 am PT

Google has now listed the Android TV Launcher on the Play Store, providing a much more efficient way for the Mountain View company to update the main interface of any device running the TV flavor of Android. It’s worth noting that this isn’t an Android app for your phone, but rather an official listing of the Android TV Launcher (much like the Google Now Launcher, for instance) on the Play Store.

Android TV Launcher is the jumping-off point for starting all activities on your Android TV entertainment device. The Launcher is optimized to put content at the center; from casual movie-watching, to edge-of-seat, immersive gameplay. It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction and providing quick access to all the features Android TV has to offer.

In this version, there’s apparently a slew of bug fixes to be had. Since this app only works with Android TV devices, you’re currently restricted to the Nexus Player and the ADT-1 developer kit. That means that, sadly, this isn’t going to work on any of Google’s older Google TV devices and most definitely isn’t going to be of any use for Chromecast owners.

You can get the Android TV Launcher on the Play Store.

Yahoo Android app adds local news, comments, & new side-swipe navigation

Jordan Kahn Dec 18 2014 - 10:10 am PT

Yahoo announced an update to its Yahoo Android app today that adds local news, commenting, and UI tweaks to the company’s app for accessing news and other Yahoo services.

Want to know more about what’s going on around you? Today we’re bringing local news to your fingertips with the Yahoo App. As you move around the country, you’ll be able to see what’s going on in your area.

In addition to local news stories for users in the US, readers now have the ability to comment on articles:
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Amazon pushes a big update to its Fire Phone, but no one really cares

Stephen Hall Dec 17 2014 - 3:19 pm PT

Amazon’s Fire Phone, announced in June, was a flop to say the least. Offering hardly anything that wasn’t already on the market, the device launched at a price of $199 on contract (and AT&T-only, to boot), but very soon became basically free (and $199 unlocked) after sales figures turned out to be absolutely depressing. But even with the device’s failures, Amazon is today pushing a relatively substantial software update to its flopped attempt at entering the smartphone market…

Inbox for Android updated w/ enhanced support for tablets and Android Wear

Chance Miller Dec 17 2014 - 12:48 pm PT

Google, as part of its Update Wednesday regiment, has started rolling out a new version of its Inbox app on Android. Inbox is Google’s latest attempt at making it easier to manage email. The app initially launched back in October and is still accessible by invite-only. Today’s update to Inbox adds a handful of notable features:

Hangouts in Gmail gets updated, lets you set a status message

Stephen Hall Dec 17 2014 - 10:45 am PT

Google has updated Hangouts in Gmail today to allow users to set a status message. The Hangouts area, if you weren’t already using it, looks much more like Hangouts in Google+, showing you a small avatar for each contact. There’s also a Hangouts icon at the bottom that will show your most recent Hangouts message, truly bringing a Hangouts-like experience to Gmail–albeit in mini form. To get the updated version of Hangouts in Gmail, just click your own contact name, where you’ll find a button labeled “Try the new Hangouts.” After that, just click your own contact again where you’ll find you can now set a status message (and even use Emoji if you’d like!).

Here’s the official announcement from Google, really bad pun and all:

Status messages for Hangouts in Gmail are “available” starting today! Status messages make it easy to tell your Gmail contacts what you’re doing – whether you’re going on a trip, working from home on Tuesday, or thinking about adopting a puppy.

You can see your friends’ statuses by selecting the “Contacts” tab on the bottom left corner of Hangouts. If you’re not already using Hangouts in Gmail, simply click on your photo above the chat list and select “Try the new Hangouts”.

Hangouts Dialer can now be used as a system dialer, replace your phone for good

Stephen Hall Dec 17 2014 - 10:36 am PT

Before today, if you wanted to replace your phone with the Hangouts Dialer, it was a pain. The app didn’t actually identify itself as a system dialer, meaning that tapping phone numbers within other apps wouldn’t let you dial out via Hangouts. Calling out from the Yelp app or within Chrome meant using your phone’s app, and you were never prompted with the option to go with the Hangouts Dialer instead.

Today we’re launching an update to Hangouts Dialer. You’ll now be able to use Dialer to place calls initiated from other apps like your browser or Maps, directly from the Hangouts Android app. Just select Hangouts Dialer when you’re choosing your call method.

This is all changing with the latest release of Hangouts Dialer, meaning the app will finally be useful for many people. As you can see in the screenshot above, tapping a phone number within another app will now prompt you with the option to go with the standard Phone app or the Hangouts Dialer. And if you’re sure you want to always use Hangouts, you can choose “Always” and never deal with this problem again.

Keep an eye on the Play Store today for the app to be updated.

IP Cam Viewer update lets you monitor your security cameras from Android Wear

Stephen Hall Dec 17 2014 - 10:10 am PT

IP Cam Viewer is well known in the Android community as being one of the best solutions for keeping an eye on IP cameras in live time, but the app is also known for having a really bad user interface. Today, while IP Cam Viewer’s UI is still as ugly as ever, a slew of really useful new features have been introduced, including the ability to monitor cameras on your wrist via Android Wear.

Moto 360 5.0.1 update delayed, some devices now receiving LWX48T build

Stephen Hall Dec 16 2014 - 12:07 pm PT

3 Comments

Motorola may have originally planned to roll out the Android Wear 5.0.1 update to all Moto 360 devices by the end of the day yesterday, but it looks like the company is facing some kind of delay in the rollout. Now, some users are seeing yet another build of 5.0.1 hitting their devices, and Motorola is saying everyone should be up to date by the end of the week.

The forum page that we cited in our post from yesterday originally listed the 15th as the last day of the rollout, but today, some users on Google+ and elsewhere—even those that already had the update—are now reporting that a second build, dubbed LWX48T, is rolling out. This is probably just to fix some last minute bugs, and Motorola has since said that the new rollout schedule is that Moto 360 users should receive the update “by the end of this week.”

Have you received the Android Wear Lollipop update on your Moto 360? If so, have you received the new release also?

Google shuffles its notification interface around, puts most functionality in Google+ (Updated)

Stephen Hall Dec 16 2014 - 10:54 am PT

Google has decided to mix up the way it handles Google+ notifications, and you may have noticed the beginning of this shift yesterday afternoon when the design of the normal notification button changed suddenly. Previously a simple bell, the new button has a smaller bell within a circle (see above)…
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Upcoming 2.3 Pebble update brings actionable Android Wear notifications and more

Stephen Hall Dec 16 2014 - 10:22 am PT

Pebble users have been left in the dust this year as Android Wear has taken hold over the smartwatch market–and offered some functionality that Pebble and other companies haven’t yet implemented. Today, Pebble has announced that they’re taking a step toward bringing their smartwatch offerings up to par with Wear, showing off a new upcoming software update that’s going to add actionable notifications and slew of other great features.

OnePlus One to get MaxxAudio in future update, rumors of new devices swirling

Stephen Hall Dec 16 2014 - 7:49 am PT

OnePlus has announced this morning that the One, its flagship smartphone, will soon be getting a software update that brings a new audio enhancement software called “MaxxAudio” from GRAMMY Award winning company, Waves Audio. But that’s not all that’s happening in the world of OnePlus today, as rumors have begun swirling that the company plans to introduce a couple of new devices—and hardware updates to the One—very soon.

Netflix for Android updated w/ Social Recommendation feature, Android Wear support coming soon

Chance Miller Dec 15 2014 - 7:07 pm PT

Netflix announced in a blog post this evening that it is pushing out an update to its Android app with a handful of new features. First off, the update introduces a new “Social Recommendation” capability, which has been available on iOS for some time now. This feature allows users to easily and privately recommend shows that they love to friends and family, right from an Android device.

Google posts Lollipop 5.0.1 factory image for Nexus 5, OTA rollout imminent

Stephen Hall Dec 15 2014 - 3:09 pm PT

We had clues earlier today that the over-the-air Lollipop 5.0.1 update for the Nexus 5 would be happening imminently, but now Google has updated the factory image page on its developers website with download links to make it easy to update your devices manually if that’s something you might be interested in doing…

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for Android get updated with a slew of new features

Stephen Hall Dec 15 2014 - 1:19 pm PT