Tag: Google

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Mobile Syrup

YouTube updates its music app to help users discover new artists

After testing a new ‘Add to Playlist’ interface for the YouTube Music smartphone app, Google has now improved the radio algorithm for the music streaming app, which will result in better recommendations for users and help users discover new artists.

According to the YouTube Music team, the “back-end logic that nominates the music that shows up” in Song Radio and playlist auto mixes has been updated to show more songs and artists. Since making the change to the radio algorithm, YouTube says that it has observed an increase in likes and song discovery from Song Radio and playlist auto mixes, with the team aiming to polish the algorithm further down the road.

In addition, YouTube also details how Android YouTube Music users would now be able to save a queue of songs to a new or existing playlist. This feature has been available to YouTube Music iOS users since January.

Other changes and improvements listed by YouTube include a new ‘Family Shelf’ with programmed playlists and a personalized Family Mix. If you usually listen to music that’s appropriate for the whole family, you’ll now be able to access a new ‘For the Family’ shelf with the Family mix as the first playlist available on your home feed.

Additionally, on Wear OS, YouTube Music now allows you to shuffle your downloaded music, unlike in the past when users were limited to ordered album play and could only shuffle playlists.

Lastly, YouTube premium subscribers on the web would now be able to switch between audio and video for the music they are listening to with a toggle available on top of the player screen. This feature has long been available on Android and iOS and is finally available to YouTube Music web users.

There are a few more changes and upgrades that Google made to YouTube Music.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel 6a now expected to launch in Canada

It looks like Google’s Pixel 6a is coming to Canada.

Canada’s Radio Equipment List approved the upcoming mid-range phone on April 11th, indicating that it’s likely set to release here.  The approved model has the hardware version identification number GX7AS.

MySmartPrice spotted a trio of listings via the U.S.’ Federal Trade Commission (FCC) earlier this morning. The FCC listing confirmed that the ‘GX7AS’ model supports 5G bands n38 and n41. This leak also indicates that Google is also working on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 7a.

Last year’s Pixel 5a didn’t come to Canada, so it’s nice to see that Google is bringing its mid-range smartphone to the North this year.

The Pixel 6a is rumoured to feature with 128GB of storage and come in white, green and black colour variants. Additionally, leaks indicate the phone sports a 6.2-inch OLED display, centred hole-punch selfie camera, two 12-megapixel sensors, a Pixel 6-like visor and a 5,000mAh battery.

We’re likely to hear more about the Pixel 6a on May 11th during the Google I/O keynote presentation.

Source: Canada Radio Equipment List, MySmartPrice

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Mobile Syrup

Google partners with iFixit so you can fix Pixel devices yourself

Google is partnering with iFixit to provide official parts for Pixel phones later this year so that you can fix your device yourself. You’ll be able to order parts randing from the Pixel 2 all the way to the Pixel 6 Pro and later.

iFixit’s parts include batteries, cameras and displays. You can use the parts alongside iFixit Fix Kits or with your own tools.

The initiative will be available in the U.S., U.K, Australia, Canada and EU countries where the Pixel handsets are sold. Additionally, Google says it will partner with independent repair providers like uBreakiFix to offer more Pixel repair options.

In 2021, Apple launched a DIY repair program for iPhone and Mac and started selling official parts to third-party repair shops. Samsung also recently launched a similar program, but it’s not currently available in Canada.

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google bans apps with reported data-harvesting code

Google has banned a variety of apps after finding that they were secretly harvesting data, according to The Wall Street Journal. The report indicates that research found that weather apps, highway radar apps, QR scanners, prayer apps and others used a code to harvest a user’s precise location, email, phone numbers and more.

Reportedly, the scanning information was made by Measurement System, a company that’s said to be linked to a Virginia defence contractor that does cyber-intelligence for US national security agencies. The company has denied the allegations.

Researchers Serge Egelman from UC Berkeley and Joel Reardon from the University of Calgary were the first to discover the code. The two researchers spoke to federal regulators, Google and WSJ to confirm that the coding is best described as malware.

Additionally, Measurement Systems reportedly paid developers to add its SDKs to the apps. Then, the developers would get the money and receive information about their user base. The app was reportedly downloaded to at least 60 million mobile devices. An app developer said to WSJ that he was told that the app was collecting data on behalf of ISPs, financial services and energy companies. Further, Measurement Systems said it wanted data mainly from the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia.

Google pulled the apps from the Play Store; however, the researchers say the code already exists on millions of devices. However, they found that the SDK stopped collecting user data after their findings went public.

Measurement Systems told WSJ  “the allegations you make about the company’s activities are false. Further, we are not aware of any connections between our company and U.S. defense contractors nor are we aware of… a company called Vostrom. We are also unclear about what Packet Forensics is or how it relates to our company.”

Source: The Wall Street Journal

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Mobile Syrup

Google delays signup date for G Suite users wanting to keep their account

Detroit, MI – December 2019: Sign on the Google building in downtown Detroit. Google office in Michigan

Google has pushed the payment deadline for G Suite users who want to continue using the service.

According to 9T05Google, Google previously said users have until May 1st to select a new plan. Billing would begin July 1st. A post under its Workspace help section has moved these dates slightly.

Users now have until June 1st to upgrade their plans. Billing will start on August 1st for those who choose to use the flexible payment plan. The company rebranded G Suite to Google Workspace in October 2020.

Google’s original announcement also detailed a no-cost option for those who still wanted a Gmail address. Users have to join a waitlist which the company will soon introduce.

“Those on the waiting list will remain on the G Suite legacy free edition until the no-cost option is available,” the post says. The company will share more details when the option becomes available.

Google will automatically upgrade those who don’t pick an option.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google to build cable across Pacific Ocean to connect Canada and Asia

Google has introduced a new cable that will connect Canada with the continent of Asia.

Topaz is a subsea cable that will run through Vancouver and Port Alberni B.C. to Mie and Ibaraki in Japan.

The company says the cable will go into service in 2023, delivering low-latency access to various functions and increasing network providers in both regions.

The cable is as wide as a garden hose and will have 16 fiber pairs to deliver a capacity of 240 Terabits a second. Google will include support for Wavelength Selective Switch  (WWS).

This is the first trans-Pacific cable on the West Coast. Google has consulted and partnered with various Indigenous groups as the cable will be built alongside traditional territories.

Google has invested in several subsea cable projects, including one connecting the U.S and France.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Heritage Minister tables bill to make digital platforms pay news organizations

June 11, 2019, Brazil. In this photo illustration the Google News logo is displayed on a smartphone.

Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, has introduced Bill C-18, also known as the Online News Act, to ensure digital platforms pay Canadian news outlets for using their work.

At a press conference Tuesday, Rodriguez said the way people access news has changed with preference going to digital platforms and social media. The shift results in advertising dollars moving away from the news industry and towards platforms that gatekeep the news.

Online ad revenues in 2020 totalled $9.7 billion, and Google and Facebook shared 80 percent of these revenues.

“The news sector in Canada is in crisis, and this contributes to the heightened public mistrust and the rise of harmful disinformation in our society,” Rodriguez said.

The bargaining process

If passed, the legislation will require platforms to make deals with news organizations to share content. These deals will include several criteria, including compensating organizations fairly, respecting journalistic independence, and investing in diverse news outlets.

Newspapers and magazines, public and private broadcasters, and non-Canadian news businesses that meet the criteria can take part in the bargaining process.

“This is fundamentally fairer for Canadian news media, which will be able to negotiate on more equal terms with the tech giants,” a press release following Rodriguez’s announcement states.

Bargaining between the platform and the news business is mandatory unless they meet a list of exemptions. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be the regulator.

News organizations will receive support if a deal can’t be reached.

The need for transparency

To make the process transparent, Rodriguez said platforms that meet the criteria for payment, all exemptions granted, and names of participating news outlets will be made public. An annual report outlining the value of the deals made will also be published.

Regulatory tools will include a code of conduct to ensure fairness and an undue preference provision. The latter will ensure platforms that hold power in the market don’t engage in practices that negatively impact policy, organizations, or how Canadians receive news.

Some Canadian publishers have welcomed the news with open arms. News Media Canada, which represents 500 print and digital titles across Canada, says the bill was needed.

“Trusted information is needed more today than ever before, and real news reported by real journalists costs real money,” Jamie Irving, chair of News Media Canada, said. “This legislation levels the playing field and gives Canada’s news publishers a fair shot and doesn’t require additional taxpayer funds.”

What Australia taught Canada

News access was a problem in the last country that introduced similar legislation. Early last year, Australia passed an act forcing large digital platforms, like Google and Facebook, to pay publishers for the news accessed on those platforms.

Soon afterwards, however, Facebook blocked Australians from accessing news on the platform. At the time, former Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said the actions wouldn’t deter Ottawa from continuing its pledge to pass a similar law in Canada.

Rodriguez said the model is similar to what was seen in Australia and includes feedback from stakeholders.

Image credit: Shutterstock

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Mobile Syrup

Google’s April update is now available for supported Pixel devices

Google’s April software update for its supported Pixel devices is rolling out now. Supported Pixel devices in the Pixel 3a series, Pixel 4 series, Pixel 4a series, Pixel 5 series and the Pixel 6 series.

Yes, finally, the Pixel 6 series is getting the update at the same time as other devices.

This update includes the following :

Battery and Power
  • Additional improvements for wireless charging performance with certain accessories (Pixel 6 & 6 Pro only)
Camera
  • Fix for issue causing front-facing camera preview in certain apps to appear zoomed in  (Pixel 6 & 6 Pro only)
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing green screen to appear in camera preview (Pixel 6 & 6 Pro only)
User Interface
  • Fix for crash in System UI while using apps in Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode in certain conditions
  • Fix for issue causing error message to display when setting up certain live wallpapers
  • Fix for issue causing notification shade and Quick Settings to appear invisible after changing wallpaper in certain conditions
  • Fix for issue occasionally causing animation to display incorrectly when canceling a search in the app drawer
  • Fix for issue occasionally preventing navigation in overview screen while TalkBack is active
  • Fix for issue occasionally preventing recents button to show the overview while using 3-button navigation with third-party launchers

Additionally, the security patch mentions about five fixes that moderate from high to moderate severity.

The update should be hitting your device over the air. If you can’t wait for the over-the-air update, the OTA files and factory images are now available.

Recent Pixel 6 updates have either launched late or included a series of random bugs, so if you’re rocking one of those devices, hopefully, this patch isn’t too problematic.

Source: Google, (2) 

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Mobile Syrup

How to use your phone to discover music in the real world

If you have a smartphone, you’re likely already aware that it’s an incredibly powerful device, but did you know that modern handsets can automatically look for music around you?

Both Apple and Google offer a few ways to make this happen in their mobile ecosystems.

Here’s how:

Android

All Android phones have access to Google Assistant, and it’s likely the best way to find out what song is playing around you quickly. On most phones, you should be able to say, “Ok Google, What song is playing,” and then Assistant will analyze the sounds around you.

Assistant even takes this to the next level with hum-recondition. This means that if you can hum 15-30 seconds of a song, you can sometimes find out what it is. In my experience, this feature is a little hit and miss, but it’s cool functionality nonetheless. The machine learning that makes this possible is pretty fascinating.

If you have a Google Pixel, your phone may already tell you what songs are playing nearby ambiently on your lock screen. If not, you can enable it by searching for ‘Now Playing’ in settings and making sure it’s enabled. If you want to look for it manually, it’s under the Sound Settings. You can even add a song search button to the lock screen so you can start looking for songs with one simple tap.

iPhones

If you’re on an iOS device, there are three ways to find songs playing around you.

The first method is to use Siri and ask “What song is playing?” This is the simplest way and operates very similar to Google Assitant, but it cant recognize humming or singing.

Since Apple also owns Shazam, it can use the app’s technology to figure out what songs are playing around you. However, you need to enable this in the settings first.

The easiest location to access this feature beyond Siri is to add it to Control Center. To do this, go to your Settings app. Next, select ‘Control Center’ and then enable the ‘Music recognition’ toggle. Now you can swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to see these tools. The Shazam music recognition icon looks like a stylized ‘S.’

Alternatively, you can head into the ‘Accessibility’ settings, and select ‘Touch.’ Then, scroll to the bottom of that list and tap on ‘Back Tap.’ Next, you can set the Shazam shortcut to open whenever you tap on the rear of your phone twice. I find this one a little hit-or-miss, but it is handy if you use Shazam a lot. You can find out more of the specifics on Back-Tap here.

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Mobile Syrup

Google Docs getting new style and tone feature

Google Docs users are long familiar with the red and blue squiggly underlines that pop up on their text from time to time. But some users will soon see a third colour added to the mix; purple.

The new feature will highlight tone and style and go along with spelling (red) and grammar (blue) suggestions.

“Suggestions will appear as you type and help guide you when there are opportunities to avoid repeated or unnecessary words, helping diversify your writing and ensuring you’re using the most effective word for the situation,” the company states in a blog post.

Image credit: Google

But the feature won’t be available to all users. Only those subscribed to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus plans will have access.

This is the latest feature Google has added to the popular application.

A couple of weeks ago, the company announced it would let users draft emails in Google Docs and move them to Gmail with a quick click. The company also recently announced markdown support for text shortcuts.

Source: Google