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Mobile Syrup

All Google One subscription tiers now get VPN access

Google One subscribers who aren’t on the service’s ‘Premium’ tier will get access to Google’s VPN service.

The search giant announced in a blog post that the VPN will be available to all Google One subscribers, even though on the company’s $2.79/mo ‘Basic’ plan. Previously, you needed to subscribe to the $13.99/mo Premium tier to get VPN access.

The change applies to all countries where Google VPN is available, which includes Canada. You can find a full list here. To access Google VPN, you’ll need to download the Google One app from the app store on your Android smartphone or iPhone. At the time of writing, I didn’t have access to the VPN despite being subscribed to the Standard plan. Google says the feature will roll out “over the next few weeks.”

It’s worth noting that Pixel 7 and 7 Pro owners still get access to Google VPN for free without needing to subscribe to Google One. While that’s good for Pixel owners, I also imagine most Pixel owners subscribe to Google One, so the VPN benefit is basically moot now.

Google also announced One subscriber in the U.S. can get a feature called ‘Dark web report.’ This can scan the dark web for your personal information and warn you if your information was compromised, though you need to provide the info to Google first so it can look for it. It remains to be seen if this expands to more locations in the future.

In Canada, Google one starts at $2.79/mo and goes all the way up to $35.99/mo:

  • Basic (100GB) – $2.79/mo | 27.99/year
  • Standard (200GB) – $3.99/mo | $39.99/year
    Premium (2TB) – $13.99/mo | $139.99/year
    Premium (5TB) – $35.99/mo | $359.99/year

Source: Google Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Google exec admits what we all knew: Stadia shouldn’t have been its own platform

A Google executive has acknowledged that the company took the wrong approach with its Stadia game streaming technology.

Speaking to Axios, Jack Buser, former director of games at Stadia and current director of Game Industry solutions at Google Cloud, reflected Google’s former and current cloud ambitions. With Stadia having shut down in January, Google has been looking to use its cloud services in different ways.

“It was at that moment when we basically had to make decisions about Stadia that we realized that, at Google Cloud, we are at our best when we’re helping other people build this stuff, not necessarily building it ourselves,” said Buser of Google’s decision to shutter Stadia. When Google originally announced Stadia’s shutdown last October, Stadia boss Phil Harrison simply said the platform “[hadn’t] gained the traction with users that we expected” without providing any further insight.

Therefore, it’s interesting to see Buser be a bit more candid about the mistakes Google made with Stadia. Indeed, many had criticized Stadia for being a platform with a lack of compelling games, features and pricing options, while game makers hesitated to embrace it due to Google’s penchant for killing its own platforms.

Instead, Google saw some success in licencing Stadia’s core tech. Whether it was Bungie leveraging the tech for remote work on Destiny 2 during the pandemic, Capcom offering an in-browser Resident Evil Village demo or AT&T’s U.S. customers being able to stream Batman: Arkham Knight, Google has found other uses for Stadia.

While Buser told Axios that these streaming options are no longer offered following Stadia’s shutdown, he noted that the company now has an updated Google Cloud bundle that offers new solutions for companies running their live service games. So far, Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed), Niantic (Pokémon Go) and game engine company Unity have come on as active clients. Given all of the issues online games can face, Google is positioning its services as a way for companies to mitigate risks associated with investing in their own tech by using Google’s own massive Cloud platform.

Google is rolling out the expanded Google Cloud suite now ahead of the Game Developers Conference later this month to entice more companies to come aboard. Overall, Buser says Google is “committed” to the industry despite Stadia’s failure.

Source: Axios

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Mobile Syrup

Google I/O 2023 takes place May 10th

Google’s annual I/O developer conference will take place on May 10th this year. It will be live from the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the date in a tweet Tuesday evening. As usual, Google first shared a puzzle about the event that had to be solved before the event date was revealed.

Though Google I/O typically offers a developer-focused experience, the event often has interesting revelations and announcements for all. For example, we’ll likely learn more about Android 14 and other Google software. That could include learning more about AI-powered initiatives like Bard.

Moreover, Google may reveal the latest A-series Pixel device — presumably the Pixel 7a — at I/O 2023. Google has revealed A-series phones at I/O before, though more recently, the devices have launched later in the year.

Of course, we won’t know for sure what Google has in store until the event starts in May. While you wait, you can check out the I/O website here.

Header image credit: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Here’s why Apple’s App Store is better than Google’s Play Store

For most of us, the App Store on iOS or the Play Store on Android is where we download our apps.

Even though Android supports side-loading, unlike iOS, most users still download their apps directly from Google’s marketplace. Recently, there has been a lot of conversation around the potential of the European Union requiring Apple to allow third-party app stores on iOS, similar to Android and macOS. 

Admittedly, I have my frustrations with Apple’s App Store, primarily with the company’s decision to include ads within the store. Yet, for many reasons, I prefer the idea of Apple’s managed marketplace over the concept of side-loading.

This prompted a thought, how does an app store on a platform without side-loading compare to a platform with side-loading? 

App Store Overviews

Here are some facts you likely already know. The App Store is Apple’s app marketplace available on all of the company’s operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS. Mind you, there are not the same app offerings between all platforms. For this piece, I’m focusing on the App Store available on iOS and iPadOS, specifically.

Meanwhile, the “Play Store” is the app marketplace managed by Google and comes available by default on all Android devices. The main difference between iOS and Android is that Android allows a process called “side-loading.” This is where a user can download an app from a source outside the Play Store, such as from the internet or another app store. You’re likely familiar with the concept of a third-party app store if you use Setapp on your Mac or Steam on your Windows PC. 

App Store Benefits

Both the App Store and Play Store provide numerous user benefits over side-loading.

1. Automatic Updates. True, most side-loaded apps have an automatic update process, but that likely requires some background item, and frankly, I rarely find they work well. Instead, apps downloaded from the App Store or Play Store get controlled updates to minimize disruption to your day and protect system resources.

2. Saved Payment Information. No one enjoys typing in their payment information over and over again. A unified marketplace has the benefit of remembering your payment information for any app purchase instead of typing it in on every vendor’s website.

3. Simple Refund Processes. Both Apple and Google act as middlemen in the app purchasing process. A developer may be incentivized to not refund you if you are dissatisfied with your purchase or, even worse, if a malicious app doesn’t provide the functionality you paid for. Apple and Google have simple (albeit hard-to-find) processes for refund requests. In my personal experience, Apple is pretty generous with providing refunds, providing you delete the app before requesting the refund.

4. Unified Marketplace. Search for any app in the App Store or Play Store, and you’ll likely find it. On iOS, this isn’t surprising, being that it’s the only app store allowed on the platform. Yet, on Android, apps still opt to be in the Play Store to ensure users can easily find them, as directing users elsewhere is often too inconvenient.

5. Clean Removal. When deleting an app on iOS, you can be assured that no “cruft” will be left on your device. This is in contrast to where apps on macOS and Android, even when deleted, can still leave bits and pieces on your device. Sometimes these bits only take up storage, while other times, they impact the device’s performance.

6. App Reviews. Most consumers read reviews before making a purchase. This is often true for new apps too. Both the App Store and Play Store have product reviews written by real users. Compared to visiting a developer’s website, where they will likely only show you positive reviews about their product.

8. Gift Cards. Don’t want to use your credit card? Both Apple and Google have gift cards that can be purchased from your local retailer. Gift cards are a low-risk and secure way of buying apps for yourself or younger children.

9. App Privacy Information. Both app stores provide privacy information on the apps within their marketplace. This is nice for users like myself that consider if an app is worth downloading based on the data it collects and uses to track.

Platform Unification

Having the largest platform isn’t necessarily a great thing if there is no uniformity. One reason Android appeals to so many device manufacturers is that you can basically throw it on any device with any sized screen. The challenge here comes to app developers when they have to adjust their app’s layout and design to accommodate nearly endless displays and form factors. This is especially apparent with foldables, where most apps aren’t optimized for the larger-size displays.

On the other hand, many developers find efficiency in developing for the Apple platform because of its reasonably limited number of displays and pretty consistent aspect ratios. On top of having fewer device formats, Apple developers have to use more concise developing languages, including Objective-C, Swift, and SwiftUI.

Meanwhile, Android developers can use Java, C, C++, and Kotlin. While I am not a developer, I recently read a developer claim that a feature took less than forty lines of code to implement on iOS, whereas it took 500+ to implement on Android. Considering both display sizing variables and overall lines of code, you can see how a developer could save a lot of time working on a project for iOS over Android.

Monetization

Say a developer thought, “well, even if an app takes longer to develop for Android than iOS, surely I’ll make that money back because Android is a massively larger platform, right?” Sadly or not, the answer is no. While Android takes a whopping 70 percent of the international smartphone market share compared to iOS’s 28 percent, iOS users spend twice as much as Android users on apps, in-app purchases, and subscriptions. 

One report found that Android users value free apps much more than iOS users. Android users tend to skew older and in a lower income bracket. Where iOS users tend to be more affluent, skew younger, and have more disposable income. This translates into Apple making nearly twice as much as Google from app store revenues despite having almost a third of its market share.

App Availability

It’s hard to blame a developer for being attracted to Apple’s platforms over Android if it means they can access a market more willing to spend money and a platform requiring less overall development time. As a result, many of the best third-party apps are iOS only. Even if they do come to Android, it’s after they’ve had a successful run on iOS first. We saw this scenario play out with Super Mario Run several years ago. 

In fact, the most popular third-party podcasting app (after Apple Podcasts, Google, and Spotify), Overcast, is iOS only. Recently, the developer of Overcast said that despite the odd person asking for an Android app, there isn’t nearly enough incentive to develop an Android version. 

As a one-man development team, Overcast on iOS provides a good living for him. Working on an Android app would require him to take away time from iOS to learn Android development or hire an Android developer. It simply isn’t worth it. 

App Quality

Another tricky part about the Google Play Store is that it has over 3.5 million apps. This is compared to Apple’s App Store on iOS, with around 1.6 million apps. In most cases, you’d assume quantity is better. After all, more choices. However, once again, this isn’t the case. 

It’s widely known in the developer community that Apple has some pretty strict guidelines for user interface, app usefulness, and uniqueness. Around 40 percent of all app rejections are due to apps not being completed enough to Apple’s standards. Additionally, Apple has content moderation guidelines and other rules that developers must follow to publish to the App Store. 

Compare this to Google: other than not being allowed to have illegal, nudity, or malware, you’re pretty much free to publish anything. As a result, the Play Store is full of similarly looking, similarly functioning, or half-finished apps. It’s not hard to argue that apps on iOS are typically better designed, more performant, and sometimes even more functional than their Android counterparts. 

Security

Credit where credit is due, neither Apple nor Google does a perfect job moderating their app stores. Security controls are an area I hope to see both platforms improve upon to help keep users secure. Both marketplaces push submitted apps through automated scans that check for malware, copyrighted material, nudity, and general guideline compliance. 

However, Google typically has a lower bar for security and privacy than Apple. After all, Apple is far better respected for its stance on platform security and privacy. For starters, app reviews conducted by Google are typically faster than Apple, which often takes around 48 hours and seems to have a much higher rejection rate. 

Next, Apple requires apps to respect a feature called “Sandboxing.” Even on macOS, where apps can run outside of being Sandboxed, the app must be sandboxed to be listed on the App Store. 

Sandboxing is where an app must work within the confines of its own dedicated space. It cannot access or control another app or piece of data on the device. This is great for security but can lead to some limited feature sets. On iOS, Sandboxing is what allows the platform to maintain being so secure. In contrast, both macOS and Android have much higher levels of malware. 

While both platforms require developers to submit privacy information for their apps to inform users what data is being collected and used to track them, Apple is better known for implementing privacy-focused features. Some of these features inform users about app network traffic, accessing the device’s clipboard, using the microphone, and activating the camera. In situations where Apple does collect data, it is all anonymized and as much processing as possible is done on-device instead of being sent to a cloud. 

Even Apple’s developer fee acts as a small barrier to protecting quality. Google’s developer fee is only $25 compared to Apple’s $100. Many might say that Google is more accessible because of its price. This is true. However, spending that $100 on Apple compared to one-fourth of the cost on Google makes a person feel more invested in the platform, making them want to make sure they get the most out of their investment. 

Cross Platform Availability

With the release of Windows 11, Android apps can run on Windows at least in some capacity. And, of course, there are Android tablets and Android wear devices. However, bang for your buck is another area I’d say Apple wins here. A single purchase or subscription can unlock a single app for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS.

Although, not every app developer allows for a single purchase for all platforms. For example, Reeder, an RSS reader, has one purchase for iOS and iPadOS, whereas macOS is a separate buy. But it’s the fact that a developer can bundle multiple app versions into one or two purchase prices that make for a pleasant user experience. Apple Silicon Mac users can sometimes benefit from downloading an app’s iOS version and running it natively. 

Plus, there’s no app license limit if you own multiple Apple devices. You can continue to download the app across all of your devices. Even family members can benefit from your purchase. Family sharing allows family members to download a paid app at no additional cost once bought by another member through a feature called Purchase Sharing. Developers have to opt into Purchase Sharing. However, the majority do. 

Support

Finally, I want to address support for each platform. Have you ever tried contacting Google support? Don’t bother. It basically does not exist. This lack of customer support has frustrated Android users who need refunds or Play Store-related support. 

Meanwhile, Apple has a phone number, 1-800-MY-APPLE, where support agents can transfer you to the iTunes support team to assist with refund or support requests. Being able to talk to a human can go a long way in having happier customers. 

The fact is, if you have a free app that you want on as many devices as possible, Android is likely the platform for you to develop. However, if you want to prioritize development time and revenue, iOS is likely the platform for you.

As a user, both platforms have their merits, but I’ll be sticking with the App Store and Apple ecosystem, at least for a while longer. 

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Mobile Syrup

iPhone, Android feature opens security hole that could let someone steal your account

For all the talk of security, iPhones and Android smartphones are both vulnerable to a surprisingly low-tech hack that could leave you locked out of your Apple or Google account, with no access to find your device tools or your data.

The low-tech hack in question? Thieves just need your smartphone passcode and your smartphone. Both iOS and Android have built-in features that let users change the password for their Apple ID or Google account with just the PIN or passcode used to unlock their phone.

The Wall Street Journal detailed the low-tech hack in a recent report, noting that the feature is intended to make it easier for people to change their account passwords. It works because your smartphone is considered a trusted device.

Moreover, the WSJ shared several accounts of this happening to people, revealing just how easy it can be. Someone snooping over your shoulder could see you tap in your PIN. Then if they steal your smartphone, they could use the PIN to change your Apple ID or Google account password. Once changed, the thief would have access to a trove of personal data and the account owners would effectively be locked out. Even worse, the thief could take advantage of the option to force sign out all devices tied to that account, locking victims out of their accounts on other devices they have.

Coupled with the apps many people have on their phones, thieves could potentially do a lot of damage. The WSJ cited several cases of victims having their bank accounts drained by thieves who took their phones, not to mention the thieves would have access to Apple Pay or Google Pay to make purchases. Some victims reported that Apple Cards were opened in their name and used by thieves.

Finally, with access to the Apple or Google account, the thieves can disable security tools for locating missing devices, ultimately enabling them to wipe and resell the stolen phones.

How to protect yourself

Obviously, all of the above is quite concerning for smartphone owners. Thankfully, there are a few ways people can protect themselves. Most of the advice boils down to avoiding using your passcode in public and relying on biometrics like Face ID or fingerprint unlock instead. Though it’s worth noting that there are issues with these unlock methods as well. You can also avoid sharing your passcode and be careful about when you enter it into your phone.

Beyond that, you can strengthen your passcode by making it longer or by switching it to a password instead. Either of these could make it harder for someone to steal by watching you unlock your phone.

Moreover, it’s worth being careful about how you use apps on your phone. For example, don’t enable PIN unlocks for things like your bank app or your password vault. It’s less convenient, but it could hamper a thief’s ability to gain access to sensitive data if they have your passcode.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google Pixel Watch finally gets fall detection

Following a false start and multiple rumoured launches, Google is officially pushing fall detection out to the Pixel Watch.

Fall detection, for those unfamiliar, works exactly as it sounds. If the Pixel Watch detects that the wearer fell, it will automatically call emergency services for you. Now that it’s out, we know a little more about how Google’s take on fall detection will work.

First up, as noted by 9to5Google, the Pixel Watch should be able to tell between a hard fall and exercise (such as burpees, which could appear similar to a fall). Part of that is the Pixel Watch’s ability to check for recovery from a fall. For example, if the wearer doesn’t move for 30 seconds after a hard fall, the Pixel Watch will show the ‘Fall detected’ screen. It asks whether the wearer needs help or if they’re okay — tapping the “I’m OK” prompt will dismiss the screen.

The Fall detected screen also counts down and will vibrate and sound an alarm. After a minute of no response, the Pixel Watch will call emergency services and use an automated message detailing your current location and what happened. If the wearer can do so, they will be able to talk with the emergency operator.

9to5 reports there are some differences in how fall detection works depending on your Pixel Watch variant. The Wi-Fi model needs to be in the range of your phone and connected with Bluetooth in order to place a call to emergency services. However, the LTE variant of the Pixel Watch can place the call without your phone.

Fall detection is rolling out today — Pixel Watch owners can check the companion app on their phone and look for a card promoting the new feature in the ‘Updates’ feed (tap the speech bubble in the top-right corner). A prompt should also appear in the Personal Safety app. Finally, the Pixel Watch needs to be on version RWD9.220429.073 or newer.

At the time of writing, fall detection hadn’t appeared on my Pixel Watch even though it’s on the latest software. As with most things, Google is likely staggering the update — I expect it will arrive sometime soon.

Source: 9to5Google

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Mobile Syrup

Google will bring eSIM transfer feature to Android this year

Android will get a tool for transferring eSIM profiles later this year, Google revealed at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023.

Google will roll out eSIM transfer capabilities to Android in 2023, which should make the process much simpler than it currently is. For those who haven’t had to mess with eSIM yet, users currently need to unregister an eSIM profile from their old device before reactivating it on the new device. Sometimes, this process requires contacting your carrier (which, as most Canadians know, is a hellish exercise).

Although it’s not clear when these capabilities will arrive, my money would be on Android 14 delivering eSIM transfers. In part, this is due to preview builds of Android 14 featuring in-development pieces of the eSIM transfer tool.

While an exciting development for eSIM, it, unfortunately, won’t totally eliminate carriers from the process. Google also announced that Deutsche Telekom will be one of the first to adopt eSIM transfer on Android handsets. While that means little for Canadians, it does indicate Canadians will need to wait for Canadian carriers to support Android’s eSIM transfer feature.

eSIM has been around for some time, though support from carriers has so far been lacklustre. MobileSyrup’s creative director Brad Bennett recently hopped on the eSIM train after switching to Rogers — his experience was, well, not the best. Read all about it here.

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

Google One unlocks Pixel’s Magic Eraser for Android and iPhone users

Google is expanding its Photos and Pixel features like Magic Eraser to more people through its Google One membership program.

Google says that starting today, One subscribers on both iOS and Android will be able to access Magic Eraser in Google Photos. The previously Pixel-exclusive feature will have much wider availability going forward, assuming you’re willing to pony up for Google One (though you don’t need a One membership to use it on a Pixel).

Magic Eraser, for those unfamiliar with the feature, debuted on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. It allows users to erase people and objects from pictures captured with their phone. For example, if your selfie has someone in the background, or if there’s a chair messing up your favourite shot, Magic Eraser makes it easy to rid photos of those blemishes. Despite being exclusive to newer Pixel phones, there were workarounds to get Magic Eraser on older Pixels too.

Moreover, Google announced that a new HDR video effect and new collage styles will be available to One subscribers, and members will get free shipping on print orders.

The new HDR effect is just an extension of the existing effect for images, but now you can apply it to videos. Google says the HDR effect can enhance the brightness and contrast of videos.

Google Photos will get new collage editor designs too. Google says all Photos users can now apply Styles to a single photo in the collage editor, and it’s adding a “range of new Styles” for Google One members and Pixel users.

Finally, the free shipping benefit will be available to Google One members in Canada as well as the U.S., E.U. and the U.K. As before, people can use Photos to create custom photo books, as well as canvas and photo prints — now shipping is free for One members.

In Canada, Google One costs $2.79/mo or $27.99/year for 100GB, $3.99/mo or $39.99/year for 200GB, $13.99/mo or $139.99/year for 2TB, and $35.99/mo or $359.99/year for 5TB. Along with storage for Photos and other Google services, One offers other benefits like VPN access, store credit back in purchases on the Google Store and more. You can learn more here.

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Mobile Syrup

Google is blocking some Canadians from accessing news content under new test

Google is blocking some Canadians from accessing news content as a possible response to Bill C-18.

If the bill, known as the Online News Act, passes, digital platforms like Google and Meta will be responsible for paying news outlets for articles and other content they publish on their platforms.

According to The Canadian Press, the trial impacts roughly four percent of Canadians and pertains to the search engine and Google Discover on Android. The test will last five weeks, the publication reports.

“We’re briefly testing potential product responses to Bill C-18 that impact a very small percentage of Canadian users,” Google spokesman Shay Purdy told The Canadian Press. “We’ve been fully transparent about our concern that C-18 is overly broad and, if unchanged, could impact products Canadians use and rely on every day.”

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: The Canadian Press 

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Mobile Syrup

Google Messages finally admits ‘chat’ is RCS

It seems Google is giving up and finally just calling it RCS.

The search giant has been hard at work pushing Rich Communication Services (RCS) as the new de facto messaging protocol between smartphones, going so far as to engage in an extensive bullying campaign against Apple for doing everything in its power not to adopt RCS.

The thing is, Google has so far shied away from actually calling RCS by its now. All through Google’s Messages app, the word ‘chat’ is used instead of RCS. That’s changing now — as spotted by 9to5Google, Google now uses ‘RCS chat’ throughout the Message app.

According to 9to5, the changes show up in various places. Text that previously read “Enable chat features” now reads “Turn on RCS chats.” Messages now specifies whether you’re using SMS/MMS or messing with an “RCS message.” Another change; “RCS chat with [contact]” rather than “Chatting with [contact].”

RCS Chat

Messages with the old ‘chat’ branding (left) and new ‘RCS chat’ branding (right) | Image credit: 9to5Google

Currently, the change is rolling out to users in the Messages open beta — I haven’t received it yet, but I tend to get these changes after everyone else.

While it may not seem like a big deal overall, it could be a subtle way for Google to build name recognition for RCS. Given the company’s other efforts trying to convince people to use RCS (and trying to convince Apple to get on board), this could prove helpful. On its own, though, I don’t think putting RCS front and centre will win over new users.

Image credit: Google

Source: 9to5Google