A couple of days back we brought you news that — along with the March security patch — the LG Nexus 5X was getting some much needed performance improvements with the latest OTA software update. As it turns out, the Nexus 6P is subject to similar improvements with its own over-the-air update.
Chrome 49 for Android, which introduces improved background sync, new APIs, notifications for nearby smart beacons, and more, is today available to all users through Google’s public, stable release channel.
Update: While it wasn’t appearing at first, it seems that the Nexus Player is now being listed as a compatible device with the program. Additionally, the General Mobile 4G (Android One) device is now compatible as well.
Google has now — as promised — just launched the Android Beta Program. With this program (much like similar programs from Apple), you can enroll your device to receive the latest beta builds of Android and receive them over-the-air without the need to do any manual flashing. Head over to the Android Beta Program website to sign up…
Google is rolling out a new feature for Google Docs on Android and the web today that will make navigating through long documents much easier. The new “outline tool” adds a new pane on the left of the page adds quickly links to the document’s headers so you can quickly jump to that section without having to scroll through the whole document to get there.
Displayed in a pane to the left of the page, the outline features headers for each section of your document, making it simple to quickly jump from section to section. If you haven’t manually applied headers, no worries—we’ll do it for you, intelligently detecting the logical divisions within your work. You can then edit or remove these headers as necessary.
And there’s also a second component to it that lets users scroll through documents easier with a new “navigation handle” that will appear once you start to scroll. “Touching that handle will display the entire document’s structure, allowing you quickly skip from section to section, instead of slowly swiping up and down.”
Here’s a look at the feature in action:
Look out for the feature in Google Docs on Android and the web starting today.
Update: It looks like the update also has a new “Cool color temperature” toggle for using cooler display colors.
I wrote my thoughts on the Nexus 5X all the way back in November, and the gist of it was this: the Nexus 5X is great, but its performance just leaves a lot to be desired — especially for a phone with such better-than-average specs. People familiar with its development told me that there was a lot of internal strife regarding the Nexus 5X and its performance issues, but it seems that drama has finally resulted in some good. The March security update that was issued yesterday packs some extra goodies for Nexus 5X owners…
Google has posted the new factory images featuring the March security patch for Nexus devices. The images are still based on Android 6.0.1, so it’s highly likely to just be security fixes. Like last month, there’s also a new factory image for the Pixel C.
Verizon is proving to be no slouch when it comes to rolling out Android Marshmallow updates to its customers. Having only recently been made available for the international unlocked Galaxy Note 5, Android Marshmallow is now being rolled out to Verizon-locked models.
Spinning off Photos in to its own app and service is arguably one of the best decisions Google has ever made. It’s a fantastic tool for storing your photos, it’s easily searchable and sometimes makes its own automatic moments of magic. It’s safe to say, I don’t love any of its services as much as I love Photos. But now it’s getting better.
If you’re a Huawei Watch owner, you’re likely to be glad to hear this one: the latest version of Android Wear, bringing the software up to Marshmallow level, is set to roll out to the Chinese company’s flagship smartwatch offering beginning today…
TouchWiz was once a complete mess, believe it or not, but the Android skin got much better with the release of the Galaxy S6 and Samsung’s move to using Android Lollipop. Now, most agree that the skin has gotten even better with the Galaxy S7. Thanks to some screenshots (via XDA) shared by one Daniel Marchena (who was lucky enough to already have his S7 delivered), we now have a detailed look at the modified version of the OS we saw running on the Galaxy S7 last week…
ASUS’ most recent phone entry to launch may be the much-delayed ZenFone Zoom, but it’s definitely not the most popular offering. Last year, at CES, the ASUS ZenFone 2 was basically the equivalent of this year’s Honor 5X. The phone was praised for its more-than-decent specs at a pricepoint that helped usher in the state of the market today. You can now get a few flagship-level phones at a mid-range price. And while the ZenFone 2 wasn’t necessarily a flagship or an amazing phone (terrible software and bloatware held it back), it was a great phone for the price.
Now, ASUS has come out to announce the full list of phones that are getting Android Marshmallow in an upcoming update. And in this update, ASUS says it is planning to ditch at least 3 of its default ASUS-branded apps and replace them with official Google apps as default on the phones…
Compared to the dozens of other Android Wear watches we’ve seen over the last couple of years, the Moto 360 Sport is both different and the same. It’s different because, unlike the more popular classy offerings in the form of the Huawei Watch, the Fossil Q, the Moto 360 (2nd gen.), and others, the Moto 360 was made from the ground up with an active lifestyle in mind. It’s the same, however, in pretty much every other way imaginable…
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After rolling out voice typing functionality to Google Docs on the web in Chrome back in September, today the web app is adding the ability to make edits using your voice too.
Google is announcing two notable new features for Gmail for Android today, including support for rich text formatting and a new “Instant RSVPs” feature that offers one-tap access to responding to Calendar invites.
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Microsoft’s Garage Projects seem to constantly be coming and going, but the last couple of months have seen more releases than usual. Last month Microsoft released a quirky new alarm clock called “Mimicker Alarm,” and now the maker of the flopped Android competitor Windows Phone has released two more projects: Hub Keyboard, and Sprightly…
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ZTE has today announced that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is now rolling out to the company’s Axon Pro smartphone. While the update may not be bringing any features specifically geared for the Axon Pro, it does bring many of the great features found in the latest version of Google’s mobile OS including Doze, Now on Tap, and more.
Of course it’s recommended that you have a WiFi connection to download this 835 MB update, and you’ll need to head to “Settings” -> “About phone” -> “System updates” -> “System updates” -> “Update Now” after the update has been downloaded. Sadly, ZTE says that this update is only for Axon Pro and that regular Axon owners should “stay tuned”.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow Now Available for Axon Pro
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After being all the rage when it launched on iOS last month, social network Peach has finally made its way to Android. Peach is basically another status sharing app, but its novelty comes in its heavy use of GIFs, multiple ways to ‘poke’ a person, and the use of “Magic Words” to send information and communicate in fun ways.
With Samsung having pushed the Marshmallow update to the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge recently, it was never going to be long before the new software landed on the Note 5. Today, SamMobile reports that some Galaxy Note 5 users internationally have started seeing Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow become available to download and install.
Very quickly, USB Type-C has this year become a part of every phone’s spec sheet. Either a new phone has USB Type-C, or it doesn’t. And it’s already being seen as a pro (or a con) when comparing phones against each other. Before the introduction of USB-C, pretty much every handset was assumed to have the previous connector, microUSB. And pretty much every phone did. Now, that’s changing.
With the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, and the OnePlus 2 before that, Android smartphones have recently begun adopting the new standard en masse, and as far as we know, many of the phones set to be announced in the coming months — including the HTC One M10 and the LG G5 — are going to make the jump. For me, supporting USB Type-C is absolutely a requirement for my next phone. Here’s why…
Recent updates to Google Drive added notification controls to the mobile apps and easier management of shared items. Its latest Android update, simplifies the cluttered file and folder menu, adds the ability to see deleted files on mobile, and more avatars.
Vimeo, the popular alternative to YouTube, has just released a brand new update to its Android app. Within the update, the company has finally enabled a feature which should have been there a long time ago: Chromecast support. Anyone downloading the app, or updating, will now be able to beam content straight to their Chromecast-connected TV with just the press of an onscreen button.
A month after your bday, you receive a card. It serenades you with a 90s slow jam before you slam it shut, mortified. But you smile — because Grandma loves you. *And* because Chromecast has arrived.
Late is better than never, and Vimeo loves you a ton too, and now you can tap the Chromecast icon to seamlessly stream videos to your big screen. We appreciate your patience, pals!
Oh and we fixed some bugs and crashing issues, also.
You can download the app free from the Play Store, or if you have the app already installed, check for updates and you should see it available to download right away.
Samsung has already shown off the new Edge panel for devices like the Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge+ which comes as part of the Android Marshmallow update. Today, it detailed some of the other, perhaps more important, additions coming to Galaxy phones with Android 6.0 which started rolling out two days ago.
Samsung has announced officially — at long last — that its Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge is rolling out from today. This news follows weeks after the company made it available for some Galaxy Note 5 beta testers on AT&T and some UK beta testers with the S6/S6 Edge. The rollout will begin in Korea from today, with other markets and carrier-locked models to come in the near future. Samsung also notes that the software update for other Galaxy models is “soon to follow”…
BandPage, a startup whose goal is to make it easier for artists to connect with their fans, has today announced that it has been acquired by Google’s YouTube. “More than 500,000 musicians use BandPage to reach & build deeper relationships with music lovers everywhere,” the company says, and now it’s going on to build those relationships for YouTube instead…
