Tag: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google’s upcoming Play Store changes make it easier to find good apps for tablets

Google announced plans to tweak the Play Store for people with big screen devices to make it easier to find quality apps that work well for large displays like tablets, foldables, or Chromebooks.

The announcement came via a post on Google’s Developers blog. The search giant says it will change how the Play Store ranks and promotes apps, how it displays reviews, alert messages and more.

On devices with big screens, the Play Store will use new logic for ranking and featuring apps that accounts for features like support for different device orientations, keyboard support, and more. The changes should prioritize high-quality apps in rankings.

“This will affect how apps are surfaced in search results and recommendations on the homepage, with the goal of helping users find the apps that are best optimized for their device,” Google explained in the blog post.

The search giant also said it planned to deepen investment in editorial content across Play “to highlight apps that have been optimized for large screens.”

As for reviews, Google plans to tweak the Play Store so it surfaces reviews for similar device types to what you’re using. In other words, Play will show smartphone users reviews left by other smartphone users, while tablet users will see reviews from other tablets users.

Finally, Google said it would change alerts that appear on apps that don’t meet compatibility requirements for large screen devices. The idea is that the alert will give users a better idea of how an app will run on their device after they install it, but Google didn’t provide much detail beyond that it will share more information later in 2022.

The changes to Play Store come as Google develops several improvements for large screen devices, such as the Android 12L update focused on improving the Android experience for tablets and foldables. What’s particularly interesting about the effort is that Google doesn’t make any tablets, foldables, and only one Chromebook (from 2019).

In other words, the company has virtually no skin in the large-screen game — could the work to improve these parts of the Android experience herald new big-screen devices from Google? Perhaps a return of the much-loved Nexus 7 (Pixel 7?) or maybe even a Pixel foldable? Only time will tell.

Source: Google Via: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

March security update and Feature Drop might hit Pixel 6 series on March 21

The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro’s March update was delayed until later March, but now it looks like it’s finally on the way.

According to Fido’s update schedule, the update will hit Google’s Pixel 6 series on March 21st. However, it’s worth mentioning that none of the other Canadian carriers cite the Pixel 6 in their update schedules.

The March security update also includes the ‘Pixel Feature Drop.’ 

Here are all the new features included in the latest drop:

  • Live Caption during phone calls no longer requires you to talk. Instead, you can read what the other person says and type back a response. Google Assistant will read out your typed responses to the other person(s) on the call.
  • You can host YouTube watch parties all on your phone.
  • You can share apps with live sharing for Google Duo using only your phone.
  • English speakers using Messages can now convert typed words into colorful stickers.
  • The At A Glance widget will now tell you battery levels for Bluetooth-connected devices, reminders to turn off alarms the day before a holiday, and earthquake alerts.
  • There is also a new standalone battery widget that gives you battery information for your phone and connected devices.
  • Three new wallpapers are available in the Curated Culture collection, this time celebrating International Women’s Day.
  • Night Sight now works right within the Snapchat app.
  • Interpreter Mode within Live Translate can translate face-to-face conversations in Spanish, Italian, and French right on your phone. All translations stay on-device. Try it by saying, “Hey Google, be my [Spanish/French/Italian] interpreter.”
  • Your phone can now identify Spanish in videos and translate it automatically into English, French, Italian, German, and Japanese (but it’s still in beta).
  • The Recorder app can now transcribe Italian and Spanish.
  • Assistant Quick Phrases are available in Spanish, Italian, and French

Alongside the Pixel Feature Drop, you can also expect the latest beta for Android 12L, which focuses on foldables and other large-screen devices.

Carrier update schedules aren’t always correct, but it’s possible likely see the update on that day. However, nothing is confirmed until Google releases its own blog post about the update.

Source: Fido Via: Droid-Life

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google developing ‘Switch to Android’ iOS app that could import iCloud data to Google Photos

Google is working on a ‘Switch to Android’ app for iOS that reportedly may be able to pull data directly from users’ iCloud into Google Photos.

9to5Google has been following Google’s Switch to Android app development for a while. It seems similar to Apple’s ‘Move to iOS‘ app for those making the jump from Google’s mobile OS to Apple’s.

The Switch to Android app appears to connect an iOS device to an Android handset using Wi-Fi and copies data that way, rather than the old method of backing up data to Google Drive and then restoring it.

9to5 says the app will be able to copy contacts, messages, and possibly even apps between devices. That said, app transfer is more likely a feature that checks for installed apps on iOS and then attempts to install those same apps from the Play Store — I highly doubt that it would transfer paid apps or anything exclusive to iOS.

The publication says that in a teardown of Google’s ‘Data Transfer Tool‘ app on Android, it found what looks to be an option to migrate iCloud data to Google’s ecosystem. More specifically, it seems Switch to Android will be able to move photos and videos from iCloud to Google Photos automatically.

The main way to move iCloud data like photos to Google services is to use Apple’s data transfer tool (available at privacy.apple.com) and then wait several days for the process to complete. It’s unclear if the Switch to Android app would streamline this process or replace it with something much faster.

Finally, 9to5 also found a line in a description within the Data Transfer Tool Android app that suggests it will work with Lightning cables. My experience with the tool is that it can already use a Lightning cable to connect an iPhone to an Android phone — the app shows an illustration of what appears to be a Lightning cable when telling users to connect a “cable that fits [their] old phone” to transfer data. It seems like this change is more of a clarification than anything.

Ultimately, it sounds like Google’s working hard to make switching from iOS to Android smoother going forward. That’s a win in my books — platform lockdown is incredibly frustrating, and anything that makes it easy for people to switch ecosystems is welcome.

Source: 9to5Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google releases I/O 2022 puzzle to reveal event date

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – September 30, 2019: Google sign in the Google Canada Kitchener-Waterloo office.

Google loves to tease its I/O developer conference, and this year is no different except it’s a bit earlier than we expect. The company has released a Google I/O 2022 puzzle that should reveal the date of the conference.

It’s currently unclear if I/O 2022 will take place online or in person. Last year, the conference was virtual except for a small audience who were present at the keynote.

The event typically takes place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre close to its Mountain View, California headquarters. The conference typically lasts three days and happens in early- or mid-May.

There are four strings with Google’s colours that you can check out, here. 

It seems pretty confusing — in previous years the puzzles were easier. Google says it will offer more clues over time.

However, it’s likely someone will post the answer in the coming days, if not hours.

Source: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Lobbying group backed by Apple, Google pushes for weaker U.S. privacy laws

A lobbying group backed by tech companies including Apple, Google, Meta (Facebook), and Amazon has reportedly backed weaker privacy legislation in the U.S.

According to Axios (via 9to5Mac), tech lobbying group State Privacy and Security Coalition (SPSC) promoted an upcoming state privacy law in Utah as the model that other U.S. states should adopt. However, critics have called Utah’s legislation too weak.

Specifically, Axios reported that consumer groups said the Utah bill wasn’t clear about how much control consumers would have over whether their information was used for targeted advertising. Moreover, the groups said the bill’s enforcement mechanism is weak.

Utah lawmakers considered and passed a state privacy bill in under two weeks. The bill is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Utah is set to become the fourth state with a privacy law, joining Colorado, Virginia, and California. 9to5 notes that California’s law is more along the lines of Europe’s GDPR.

States have begun stepping up to introduce privacy laws and regulations while the federal government’s attempts to do the same languish in Congress. However, there’s an incentive for a single, federal law over multiple state laws since it’s easier for tech companies to comply with one law instead of 50 individual laws. Moreover, one effective law is easier for people to understand.

Axios says that Iowa is considering a similar bill to Utah, and other states are also weighing their own privacy bills. Although the SPSC told Axios it’s trying to help align state privacy laws in the absence of federal law, it’s concerning that the lobbying group has chosen to promote alignment around weaker regulations.

Also concerning is Apple’s involvement, given the company’s strong messaging about its privacy commitments — commitments that may not actually help consumers that much.

Although U.S. state and federal regulation won’t apply to Canadians, it’s important to follow how the U.S. approaches privacy legislation as it could become a blueprint for other countries. On that note, Canada is in the process of updating some of its own tech legislation, including Bill C-10 and C-11. However, critics say C-11 doesn’t go far enough in curtailing tech companies’ ability to gather data on Canadians.

Source: Axios Via: 9to5Mac

Categories
Mobile Syrup

New Google feature lets you draft emails in Docs and send them with Gmail

Google Docs will soon let users draft emails and move them into Gmail with a click.

Docs users can type ‘@’ and select ‘Email draft’ from the context menu to start putting together an email. Once the draft is done, users can click the Gmail logo next to the draft to open their email and send the message.

It looks like a neat feature overall, although I wasn’t able to try it out myself. Google’s Workspace blog notes that the feature will roll out over 15 days starting March 15th for those on ‘Rapid Release’ domains, while people using ‘Scheduled Release’ domains will see the feature roll out over 15 days (or more) starting March 22nd.

It will be available to all Google Workspace customers, along with those on legacy G Suite Basic and Business plans.

The ability to draft emails in Docs and then send them with Gmail is part of Google’s “smart canvas” initiative, an effort to seamlessly weave its productivity services together. The search giant teased the email draft feature last month.

You can learn more about the feature here.

Source: Google Via: The Verge

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google announces Steam for Chrome OS, but you can’t get it yet

Google officially announced the Steam for Chrome OS alpha, but it seems like it isn’t quite available yet.

As reported by Android Police, a presenter at Google’s Games Developer Summit offhandedly announced the program, saying it “just launched.” However, it doesn’t appear to be available on the web yet, with Ars Technica’s Ron Amadeo tweeting that Google said people can learn more on the Chromebook community forum, but that there doesn’t appear to be anything on the forum about Steam yet.

That information should arrive eventually (hopefully). You can check for that here.

Until more official info becomes available, all we have to go on is what we’ve learned before. That includes an initial list of Chromebooks that will support Steam (you can check that out here), and general requirements of an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 and at least 8GB of RAM.

Although the requirements will likely rule out many lower-end Chromebooks, they could change going forward. Aside from the requirements, Steam for Chrome OS will likely be available for Chrome OS Dev or Canary builds to start before it moves into a beta and eventually stable release down the road.

Source: Android Police

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro alleged screen specs leak online

It looks like Google’s Pixel 7 will feature a slightly smaller screen size compared to its predecessor.

Well-known display analyst Ross Young has revealed new information about the upcoming Google’s upcoming smartphones, including the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

According to Young’s report, the Pixel 7’s screen size will shrink to 6.3-inches from 6.4 inches; a light adjustment that won’t be very noticeable. Additionally, Young says the Pixel Pro 7 will sport a 6.7-inch LTPO display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. This means the device’s refresh rate can drop to 10Hz in order to save battery life.

However, Young hasn’t confirmed whether the screen will be LTPO 1 or LTPO 2, as LTPO displays can drop to 1Hz similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra and the OnePlus 10 Pro.

Google’s 2022 Pixel devices aren’t expected to launch until October, so we have a few months until we officially see these upcoming flagships.

Source: Ross Young

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Here’s what was announced at the ‘Google for Games Developer Summit’

At its Google for Games Developer Summit, Google launched several tools, upgraded old ones and added new features and resources to help support developers and their endeavours, including game development and audience growth.

According to Google, Android usage on ChromeOS grew by 50 percent since 2021 and was mostly led by games. The company’s Google Play Games beta allows you to play Android games on a tablet or Chromebook, and is now releasing its beta for Windows PC.

Last year, Google released its Android Game Development Kit, allowing developers to produce better apps and games. Since then, Google has updated the kit on several occasions, based on developer feedback. The Android Game Development Extension allows native PC developers to build for Android directly from Microsoft’s Visual Studio, in addition to a new Memory Advice API that can let developers know how much memory their apps and games are consuming on a given device.

Further, to analyze and differentiate between CPU and GPU bottlenecks, the Android Game Development Kit now also includes an Android GPU Inspector that can help developers identify performance issues and achieve better frame rates and battery life.

To continue supporting developers, Google has launched a new Google Play Partner Program for Games. The new program “will provide larger game developers and studio the resources they need to maintain and scale their games (including faster releases, additional tools to help fight scaled abuse, and more),” said a Google spokesperson.

Additional tools to support developers include ‘Reach and Distribution,’ which allows developers to understand on which device the majority of their userbase sits, helping them make better decisions about what to build for.

A resource that has been available for developers is Google’s Android Vitals. It helps developers monitor and improve their game/app’s stability on Google Play. Today, Google added a new Developer Reporting API to the already-available resource to enable developers to fetch information about their crashing, ANR (app-not-responding) rates, clusters, and stack traces.

Lastly, a feature Android users globally have been waiting for. Google announced that the Android 12-introduced Play as you Download feature will soon be widely released for all Android 12 users. Play as you Download allows users to start playing a game while its assets are being downloaded in the background.

Learn more about everything introduced at today’s Google for Games Developer Summit here.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Google Messages users can now receive iPhone reactions as emojis

Google has added new features to its Android Messages app that make interacting with iPhone users a better experience.

Reactions from iPhone users will now appear as emoji on text messages — just like when you message your Android friends. This feature was available for Google Messages beta users starting last month, but it’s now rolling out for everyone.

Another new Messages app feature sorts your messages into ‘personal’ and ‘business’ tabs. One-time password messages will be deleted after 24 hours. Additionally, you’ll get nudges to reply to messages if you miss them.

Google Messages will also offer grammar corrections on Gboard now, but this only works with English (U.S.).

The Live Transcribe that’s preinstalled on Pixel and Samsung phones no provides real-time speech-to-text captions offline.

Lastly, Nearby Share is releasing to all devices Android 6+ devices, and you can now share with multiple people at a time.

Source: Google