Tag: Android

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Android Automotive 12 is all I want on my dashboard

My biggest gripe with most automakers is that the infotainment software that runs the radio, Bluetooth, navigation and pretty much everything digital is outdated and a few steps behind phones and computers. Google has been on track to change that with Android Automotive, and the latest reference designs are stunning.

To be clear, Android Automotive is a set of software built on top of Android to replace infotainment systems in cars. Android Auto is a phone-based app that can play over your existing infotainment. The draw of Android Automotive means you don’t need to use your phone as much, and the car can just run Android apps and interact with Google Assistant and Maps.

There are only two versions of Android Automotive out in the world. Volvo has a version in the XC40 Recharge, and Polestar has a slightly different version in the Polestar 2. However, both versions are based on Android 10, so they’re still a little dated. Both also use a very Volvo-esque design language, so parts of the software, like changing climate controls, are still done through a menu that looks a little outdated.

The new Android 12-based version of the software has improved support for traditional style controls like sliders, dials and other nudge-based controls. It suggests that Google’s software design might one day cover all of the infotainment, hopefully unifying the in-car software design quite a bit. This new version also seems purpose-built for larger displays with a more tablet-style two-column design within some pages.

It’s still unclear when this will roll out, whether automakers will adopt it and if they’ll cover it with their own software skin like Volvo and Polestar do. However, GM and Ford are planning to use Android Automotive, and Volo will continue to innovate on its take on the software as well.

What’s the most interesting is that Google rolled out the Android Automotive platform over a year ago, and Apple has yet to retaliate with something of its own that moves beyond the capabilities of CarPlay. There are tons of rumours about an Apple car and I expect it to be running proprietary software. However, I can’t see Apple sitting back and letting Google take over the car software space, so I’d expect the Cupertino tech giant to release something similar someday as well.

Source: Mishaal Rahman

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Mobile Syrup

Fix coming for Android bug that broke 9-1-1 calls with Microsoft Teams installed

Google is aware of a strange issue with Android and Microsoft Teams that can prevent emergency service calls, such as dialling 9-1-1.

The company posted a detailed response following an investigation into a report about a Pixel device preventing someone from calling 9-1-1. A Reddit user detailed what happened with their Pixel 3 running Android 11 on U.S. carrier Verizon:

“I got off a phone call with my mom, and proceeded to dial 911 just by typing and calling on my pixel. My phone got stuck immediately after one ring and I was unable to do anything other than click through apps with an emergency phone call running in the background. This is all while the phone informed me that it had sent my location to emergency services.”

In its response, Google said it was able to “reproduce the issue under a limited set of circumstances,” and shared the following:

“We believe the issue is only present on a small number of devices with the Microsoft Teams app installed when the user is not logged in, and we are currently only aware of one user report related to the occurrence of this bug. We determined that the issue was being caused by unintended interaction between the Microsoft Teams app and the underlying Android operating system.”

The key here is that the issue only seems to impact people who have Microsoft Teams installed on their phone but haven’t signed into the app. Google also notes that the issue only impacts Android 10 and up. If you fall into that group, Google advises that you uninstall and reinstall Microsoft Teams — that should fix the problem in the interim.

Moreover, Google said that it and Microsoft had prioritized the issue due to the impact on emergency calling and it expects an update to Microsoft Teams to roll out soon. Additionally, Google will push an Android platform update to the Android ecosystem in January.

Finally, Google thanked Reddit user ‘KitchenPicture5849’ for bringing the problem to the company’s attention. Although the issue is quite concerning, it’s good to see Google and Microsoft taking fast action to resolve the problem.

You can check out the Reddit post for yourself here.

Source: Reddit Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Huawei will reportedly unveil Mate V foldable on December 23

Huawei is reportedly planning to reveal a new clamshell foldable smartphone on December 23rd, according to a Weibo tipster.

The rumoured Mate V foldable handset will lead the upcoming event, but Huawei says it will also reveal new TVs, laptops and a new smart band.

According to previous leaks and patent filings, the Mate V Flip will sport a new hinge design and feature a unique heat pipe designed for the foldable. It’s unclear if this foldable smartphone, in particular, will feature the flexible heat pipe.

Huawei likely aims for the Mate V to be a direct competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.

That said, without access to Google’s Play Store, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mate V release in Canada.

Source: GSMArena, Weibo

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Mobile Syrup

Huawei will reportedly unveil Mate V foldable on December 23

Huawei is reportedly planning to reveal a new clamshell foldable smartphone on December 23rd, according to a Weibo tipster.

The rumoured Mate V foldable handset will lead the upcoming event, but Huawei says it will also reveal new TVs, laptops and a new smart band.

According to previous leaks and patent filings, the Mate V Flip will sport a new hinge design and feature a unique heat pipe designed for the foldable. It’s unclear if this foldable smartphone, in particular, will feature the flexible heat pipe.

Huawei likely aims for the Mate V to be a direct competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3.

That said, without access to Google’s Play Store, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Mate V release in Canada.

Source: GSMArena, Weibo

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Mobile Syrup

Google Photos private folder rolling out to all Android users

Since the summer, Google has been rolling out an update for the Google Photos app that adds a locked folder, and now it’s finally coming to even more Android phones.

When the update began to roll out last June, it started on Pixel phones, but now users with other phones have reported getting the update signifying that it’s likely rolling out to everyone. I was able to set up the feature on a OnePlus phone running the OxygenOS 12 beta, so it definitely seems likely that the update is out for all.

This folder isn’t perfect if you have multiple Android devices, but if you only have a single phone, it does an excellent job of keeping sensitive photos and videos out of the cloud and locked behind a pin code on your device. To set up a locked folder you can access it from the Utilities section within the Library page in the photos app.

It should also be noted that if you delete that Google Photos app, you’ll lose all the images you’ve locked away. This also means that if you switch to a new phone, you’ll need to transfer these photos manually. This update is also not available in the Google Photos app on iOS or the web.

Via: 9to5Google 

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Mobile Syrup

Google turns Assistant Driving mode into a widget shortcut

Google has released Assistant Driving mode updates very weirdly over the past few years. With that in mind, several users are reporting a new shortcut widget option that makes accessing the feature significantly easier.

To add the shortcut, open Google Assitant on your phone and say “Driving mode.” Then, navigate to the app drawer in the bottom right corner, and at the bottom of that window, you should see an option that says “Add Driving mode to Home screen.” This button allows you to add a small widget that’s roughly the same size as an app icon.

If you’re someone who drives a lot and uses Assistant Driving mode, this is likely a useful update for you. I managed to update my Pixel 4a (5G) with the feature, and you can even place the widget/shortcut into folders.

If you don’t want to use the new shortcut, you can also have Driving mode launch automatically when you start using Google Maps. All you need to do is connect to your car’s Bluetooth or when your phone detects that you’re driving for Driving mode to launch. You can, of course, still say, “Ok Google, start Driving mode.”

Unfortunately, Driving mode still hasn’t adopted Google’s ‘Material You’ colour guidelines yet and it’s unclear if it ever will.

Via: 9to5Google 

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Mobile Syrup

Google announces several new Android features in time for the holidays

Android is getting a suite of new features for the holidays.

The first of these, ‘Family Bell,’ lets you and your family stay on track with your schedules. The feature works with your Android phone, home speaker, smart display and notifications will alert you and your family throughout the day.

Google has also added three new widgets — one for Google Play Books, another for YouTube Music and a third for Google Photos — that put your family on the Home screen.

Further, there are new Memories in Google Photos that help you look at previous holidays like New Year’s Eve or Halloween as well as birthdays and graduations. You can choose to rename, personalize, correct or remove these Memories.

Additionally, Android Auto is letting users reply to messages with quick smart reply options, so you can just tap on the dashboard. There’s also a new always-on play button on the Home screen, and you’ll soon be able to voice search for music in your Android Auto media apps.

Another feature Google announced is the ability to unlock your BMW cars with your Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S21’s digital car key.

Additionally, there’s a new Gboard update that lets you combine emojis, like combining a ‘pupper’ emoji with a sad face. This feature is available for Gboard Beta users today and will come to everyone else in the coming weeks.

Gif of a cursor selecting the pleading face emoji and the dog emoji to create a pleading dog face sticker

You can check out the full list of new December features in the Google blog post.

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Mobile Syrup

Your Android device will soon remind you to reply to messages

We usually nudge people to get their attention. Now, Google is doing the same thing with its Android Messages app.

First seen in the development phase back in September, the ‘Nudge’ feature is meant to remind you of unread texts and messages you might have forgotten to reply to. Now, as XDA Developers points out, the feature is rolling out to some users.

According to XDA, the feature offers a couple of toggles, including the following:

  • Suggest messages to reply to: Messages you might have forgotten to respond to will appear at the top of your inbox.
  • Suggest messages to follow up on: Messages you might need to follow up on will appear at the top of your inbox.

Once the feature is live for you, you’ll see that messages you might have forgotten to respond to or messages that you might need to follow up on will appear at the top of your inbox.

While the feature doesn’t seem to be live for us at MobileSyrup, you can head to the Messages app, navigate to Settings -> Suggestions and check if there is a ‘Nudge’ option at the bottom.

You can also head to APKMirror to grab the latest Google Messages 10.8.260 beta build.

Via: XDA Developers

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Mobile Syrup

Rocket League Sideswipe now available on mobile

Rocket League Sideswipe, a new take on the popular vehicular soccer game, is now available on mobile.

The free-to-play title translates the Rocket League experience into the 2D space, rather than the 3D arenas of the main console and PC game. Sideswipe features a virtual joystick on the left side of the screen, while jump and boost buttons are found on the right.

To further streamline the experience, cars auto-regenerate their boosts, so there’s no need to seek out pads to do so like you would in the main game. The game also features a basketball-style “Hoops” mode on top of its signature soccer-focused offerings.

Sideswipe can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra camera app brings ‘Pro Mode’ support to more lenses

If you’re one of the few people out there who prefers to use a ‘Pro Mode’ with your smartphone camera and you’re a Galaxy S21 Ultra owner, this update is for you.

A new update to the S21 Ultra’s several shooters now allows Pro mode across both its telephoto cameras, including the 10-megapixel 10x telephoto and 3x telephoto shooter, instead of just its main 108-megapixel and 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. So far, the ‘Expert Raw‘ app is only available in the South Korean Galaxy Store, but according to leaker FrontTron, if you install it via an APK, the app will work in any region.

Samsung will likely release the app in Canada and the U.S. in the near future. It’s also worth noting that the tech giant could release a version of the app for the S21 and S21+ soon.

As its name suggests, Pro Mode gives options for advanced camera features, allowing you to control settings typically associated with a DSLR like ISO, shutter speed and RAW file types. It’s worth noting that if you plan to edit RAW photos, make sure to use an app like Photoshop or Lightroom and not Google’s Photo app since it removes HDR and other editing options.

For more on the S21 Ultra, check out my review of the smartphone from earlier this year.

Source: @FrontTron Via: The Verge