Facebook today announced it’s rolling out a new feature for its Messenger chat app that will let users book a car through Uber. The feature, it said, expands on other “integrations” it’s added recently outside of the app’s core chat functionality, like the ability to send money or use the app for customer support.
The Huawei Watch is without a doubt one of the hottest wearables of 2015. The watch made waves this year as one of Huawei’s big breakout product launches in the United States, paired with the Nexus 6P — which is also a hit, widely regarded as the best Nexus phone ever. Now, people familiar with the matter have told 9to5Google that the Chinese company is planning to launch a made-for-women version(s) of the watch at CES 2016, and has already begun development of a second generation watch scheduled for the second half of next year…
Motorola has something of an advantage over other Android OEMs when it comes to pushing out software updates. Because its phones run a virtually stock version of Android, there’s very little to test and optimize before the update can be made available to users. Android Marshmallow has already started its rollout for users of this year’s Moto X Pure/Style, Play and Force, and now the software is being pushed to users of last year’s Moto X in India.
According to Android Central, the update weighs in at just under 885MB in size and comes with all of Marshmallow’s software features like Now on Tap, Doze Mode, granular app permissions and better volume/media controls.
With it now being available in India, we can expect it to be pushed to customers in other regions soon. Motorola’s software update list states that Moto x (2014) users in Latin America, Canada, Europe and Asia will all receive the update, while only Pure Edition users will get the software in the US. Of course, plans can be (and have) changed depending on customer demand when it comes to software rollouts, but as things stand, only Pure Edition models of the Moto X 2014 will get Android 6.0 in the States.
Google today has announced an update to its Google Play Books app on Android and iOS that brings with it a new feature called “Night Light.” The update is available now and bumps the app to version 3.7.45 on Android.
With Android Marshmallow having been announced more than two months ago, and released on new devices last month, now’s the time when Android owners start getting anxious about when they might see the latest version on their devices.
Most manufacturers have already announced that they will be rolling out Android 6.0. Some, like Motorola, have already started pushing it to customers while HTC was the first to launch a non-Nexus device with Android Marshmallow pre-loaded out of the box. For those with existing HTC phones, that won’t come as any comfort at all, but what might is a roadmap leaked by LlabTooFeR which shows which HTC phones are getting a taste of Marshmallow, and when the manufacturer has planned to push the updates…
Following the recent major Google Plus update and renewed focus on Communities and Collections, the social network’s web view recently updated with a few much-needed tweaks. Googler, Luke Wroblewski posted to his profile with details of the new changes being made to the online version.
As you’d expect, many of these new changes are being released to strengthen the Communities and Collections experiences. Within Community pages, the sidebar now has links taking you directly to individual categories specific to that Community. What’s more, you can now pin posts within Collections, and there’s a clearer notification indicator on the home stream to inform you how many notifications you have to read through. Google has also built in a new pop-up window to make sure you don’t lose new posts when you switch to a different page.
Perhaps of most relief is the new toggle which lets you switch auto-playing GIFs on or off. Apparently opinion was divided on whether they should auto-play, or not. Some loved it, others hated it, so Google gave users the option to choose. Details and images of the new features are below:
G+ Web Preview Update 12/11
Today we’re rolling out several updates to our G+ preview on the Web including:* Visible links to categories on Community pages
* Auto-play of animated GIFs (with a setting to turn on/off)
* Ability to pin posts within Collections
* Clearer indication of notifications on the home stream
* Warning to ensure you don’t lose new posts when changing pagesSome of these changes were unanimously requested (people want community categories visible!). Others required us to strike an appropriate balance between opposing feedback (some people love animated GIFs, others don’t!). In all cases, we really appreciate your thoughts so please keep them coming using the Send Feedback menu item.
Google today has updated the Android Wear companion app to version 1.4.0.2470307.gms and while it’s a minor update, it brings back one feature that many have been missing since version 1.4 was released last month…
Google today has pushed a beefy update to its Play Movies & TV app on iOS that bumps it to version 2.0.7910 and brings several new features. The update gives the app a refreshed interface, AirPlay support, recommendations, and more.
Google has highlighted new features for Google Drive apps today that it says make it easier to search for files on Android, iOS, and web.
Among the improvements to search in the app, you’ll now be able to narrow your search by file type and open advanced search from the search box. For iOS specifically, users can now get quick access to recent files and search from the Home screen icon using 3D Touch and the ability to search from iOS’s Spotlight feature.
Here’s a full list of improvements courtesy of Google:
Google says the improvements for Drive will roll out to the Android and iOS apps over the coming weeks.
Motorola first announced its Android 6.0 Marshmallow rollout plans in October. At the time, 11 devices were included in the list that was mostly made up of devices from 2015 and 2014. One notable absence was the Moto E, the company’s entry-level smartphone. Thankfully, the list has since been updated and now includes the budget device, although if you have one in the US, you’re out of luck. The update seemingly won’t grace US shores.
Puzzlingly, Motorola has left the States and China out of its list of markets due to receive the Marshmallow update. The 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE will get Android 6.0 in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia (excluding China). Moto could still change its plans, and does state in the list that the China upgrade is still being evaluated, although no such statement is made about the US market.
Other handsets added to the list are those which were announced and released after the original list was published. As well as the Moto E, Motorola will bring Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Moto X Force (which is currently part of a soak test), and the Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2. The full updated list of devices runs as follows:
Moto X Pure owners, rejoice! If you’re in the US and have the new 2015 Pure Edition running on Sprint, Verizon or US Cellular, you should find Android 6.0 Marshmallow landing on your phone relatively soon. David Schuster announced on Google Plus yesterday evening that the full rollout for those devices has begun…
Update: Just like the multiple account support that disappeared mere hours after it appeared, this awesome 3D Touch feature is now gone.
Instagram for iOS has had 3D Touch features for quite a while, but it looks like the Instagram team wanted to experiment with bringing some of these to Android as well. While the latest version for Android obviously doesn’t take advantage of force sensitive hardware (which doesn’t really exist of this side of the mobile space anyway), it does add a nifty new pop up for quickly liking, commenting, and sharing posts…
Today Google Calendar for both Android and iOS gains a handy new Reminders feature that works alongside the app’s to-dos feature.
With the Reminders feature, users will be able to keep track of to-do lists across Google platforms including Inbox, Google Keep, Google Now, and Calendar.
Here’s how the new reminders work:
You might already create calendar entries to remind you to call the doctor or pick up groceries on the way home. But while those entries come and go, Reminders stick with you over time so you can track them until they are actually done. If a Reminder isn’t completed, it will appear at the top of your Calendar the next day. And the next. When you do finally call the doctor or pick up those necessities, just swipe the Reminder away … and you’re onto the next to-do.
And since the reminders work across Google apps, you can create them from Inbox, Google Keep, Calendar, and even using Google Now voice commands: “Ok Google, remind me to buy birthday candles.”
The new Reminders feature for Calendar on Android and iOS is rolling out this week. Google says it will come to the web apps in the near future. The updated Google Calendar app for iOS also adds 3D Touch to create events or reminders.
Many manufacturers have committed to keeping up with the monthly security patches being released by Google. The move came after a major security threat, dubbed ‘Stagefright’ was discovered a few months ago. Among them, Samsung stated that it would release security updates to its high-end devices. Up until now, however, you haven’t been able to see how up-to-date the security is on your Samsung flagship.
In its latest round of firmware updates, Samsung has updated the ‘About Phone’ section within the settings menu to show when the last security patch was delivered. Spotted by Android Central, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ builds in Europe and Galaxy Note 5 builds in the Middle East are seeing this new information. The builds specifically mentioned are G928FXXS2AOK9 for the S6 Edge+ and N920CXXU2AOK6 for the Note 5.
Like in Android Marshmallow, the new Lollipop firmware on these Samsung phones shows a new field with the label, ‘Android security patch level’, followed by the date when it last received a security update. If you have recently downloaded a new version of firmware, you can check for yourself by heading to Settings, scrolling down to ‘About Phone’ and the new security patch level field could be there.
Up until now, Android Marshmallow was the only software which showed how up-to-date security is on a particular device. This development could signal a couple of things: Either Google has mandated that manufacturers need to start showing this information, or that Samsung is genuinely attempting to keep users in the loop, and being transparent about its software delivery. Either way, this can only be a good thing.
A couple of days ago we told you that Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android at Google, announced on Twitter that new emoji recently approved from Unicode 7.0 and 8.0 are soon coming to Nexus devices (specifically, it looks like they should be rolling out starting sometime next week). If you’ve been wondering what these new emoji are going to look like, you’ve come to the right place…
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Twitch has announced the launch of its app for Android TV, bringing the site’s video game streaming experience to your living room. With the new app, you’ll be able to watch both live and recorded video from the site, follow the channels and games that you love, and browse profile pages just as you would on the Android mobile app…
Our Android TV app gives you a more personal viewing experience, including the ability to login and follow content you love, search for your favorite games and broadcasters, and an integrated chat experience. Here’s the full breakdown of the features you can expect:
- Watch live and recorded video of top games, players, and esports events.
- Follow channels and games you want to keep tabs on.
- View profile pages to learn about broadcasters, including the ability to check out their VODs.
- Hi-res video (1080p/60fps) support for Android TV devices.
Additionally, Twitch says that Whispers 2.0 has launched on mobile in the latest versio, bringing an updated chat experience. You can read more about Whispers 2.0 at Twitch’s blog.
Yahoo Messenger has long taken a back seat to other Yahoo products on mobile devices, but today the company is finally unveiling a revamped app that brings its messaging platform into this decade with a completely redesigned user experience and new features.
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If you’re an HTC One M8 owner, you’ll be glad to know that the Android Marshmallow update is rolling out from today to unlocked devices. Mo Versi, the company’s VP of Product Management confirmed the rollout on his personal Twitter handle yesterday afternoon.
[tweet https://twitter.com/moversi/status/672105656489349120 align=’center’]
Sadly, if you’re using a carrier-locked version, or if you’re in a market outside the Americas, you’ll have to wait a little longer. Those devices almost always take more time to be updated as carrier approval and testing needs to be done before pushing the software out to users:
[tweet https://twitter.com/urbanstrata/status/672114884520226816 align=’center’]
It’s impressive that HTC has managed to start rolling out Marshmallow updates so soon after the software became officially available. Even the virtually stock Motorola handsets are yet to receive the official update, although they are currently subject to software soak testing for some users.
HTC, of course, was the first Android OEM to release a non-Nexus smartphone running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The One A9 was announced a few weeks ago and makes full use of Google’s latest mobile operating system, including the baked-in fingerprint sensor support and Android Pay, Doze mode and more. No other manufacturer has managed to do that yet.
Since the One A9 was announced we’ve seen several new handsets including the likes of Samsung’s new A-series, Huawei’s Mate 8 and the Oppo R7s among many others, all of which have (or will) hit the market running a version of Android Lollipop. HTC, clearly then, is ahead of the curve with software updates and that’s something to be applauded.
Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer has announced on Twitter this evening that Android devices will soon support the latest set of Unicode emojis. Lockheimer confirmed in his tweet that an update will begin rolling out to Nexus devices next week with the changes, while Google has also shared the fonts and tech details with other OEMs so they can update as well.
Update 2: And they’re back!
Update: Uh oh. Looks like they have disappeared from the Play Store.
Google has slowly been moving many of its in-house built stock apps to the Play Store for quite some time now, and today two more apps were added to that list. Starting now, you’ll be able to download and update both the stock Dialer app and the Google Contacts app via their Play Store listings…
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Let’s just say that HTC doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to software updates, but here’s a glimmer of hope: According to HTC’s Mo Versi (the same guy that announces pretty much all of HTC’s smartphone software updates), the unlocked HTC One (M8) should be getting Android 6.0 Marshmallow very soon.
Specifically, Mo says “testing has been complete,” for the new software and that “the update for Marshmallow will be sent out within 24 hours.”
You might be surprised that the M9 didn’t get the update first, and we’re in the same boat (and so is pretty much everyone else on Twitter). Mo did clarify, however, that the update should be coming to the M9 soon. “Will advise once testing is complete,” he says in reply to one user.
HTC One (M8) unlocked owners! Great news, all testing has been complete and the update for Marshmallow will be sent out within 24 hours. Thx
— Mo Versi (@moversi) December 2, 2015
https://twitter.com/urbanstrata/status/672114884520226816
Motorola’s David Schuster recently came out on Google+ to mention that the company is now soak testing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Moto X Pure Edition:
I’m pleased to announce that today we are starting the soak test period of Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen) in the US. We will monitor the soak for next week and with good results, proceed to full launch.
The soak test period, which means that certain devices will be receiving the update early to test its reliability, will last about a week. Assuming nothing goes wrong, a full launch will follow.
Motorola is known as being one of the fastest third-party manufacturers to update their devices to the latest version of Android, and it seems they’re maintaining that reputation this year.
The latest Android distribution numbers (from last month) show Android 6.0 Marshmallow on just 0.3% of devices, and that data is expected to be updated at some point today without much improvement.
Google today has updated its Google Admin mobile app with a handful of enhancements that admins will greatly appreciate. The update makes it much easier to manage users and groups, further reducing the necessity for admins to always be near a full-fledged computer.
The first new feature is the ability to import a contact from their contact list and have all of that user’s information be auto-filled into the “Add user” form in the Admin mobile application. The information can then be edited if needed, but it makes it much easier to quickly add new users to your team.
The second major new feature is the ability to quickly change a user’s role in a group and to more easily remove them all together. Now when you tap on the member of a group, you’ll see to new options to quickly “Change Role” of a member or “Remove Member” with just a few taps.
The update to the Google Admin app on Android is rolling out now to users. The latest version is available on the Play Store now.
• Integration with your Contacts App – Create new users by importing your existing contacts directly from the App.• Better Group membership management – Quickly change a member’s role or remove them from the group.• Bug fixes – Resolved issues related to app crashes and minor UI elements.
BlackBerry announced this morning that it’s pushing the first major software update to its new Android customers. The recently launched BlackBerry PRIV update weighs in at around 475MB and features a number of improvements as well as the regular security update promised by the company. Anyone who purchased their PRIV unlocked through ShopBlackberry will start to see the software update from today, while carrier-purchased PRIVs will receive the software from December 7th…