Android 7.0 Nougat has been out for a few months now, so we're getting to the point when older phones are seeing the update. T-Mobile project manager Des Smith reports that the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus is next up. This phone's Nougat update is on the way next week.
Here's the tweet from Des with the basics.
SOFTWARE UPDATE: @TMobile Engineers have approved the #GalaxyS6EdgePlus Nougat build! Should start pushing early next week!👏 pic.twitter.com/GPEadUQ26j
— Des 📱 (@askdes) April 28, 2017
Nougat on the GS6 Edge will be similar to other Samsung devices. There are some UI tweaks, better doze mode, standard Android split-screen apps, and so on. There's no firm launch date, but early next week is a safe bet. There's still no work on Nougat for the regular Galaxy S6 on T-Mobile, though.
Amazon's Appstore for Android has always been at a disadvantage compared to the Play Store. It isn't included on devices other than its own Fire tablets, and the Play Store has a lot more content. Amazon has tried to entice users to get __apps from the Appstore with various promotions and free apps. Back in 2015, Amazon launched the Actually Free program, which offered paid __apps and games at no cost. Today, Amazon has announced it's discontinuing Underground Actually Free.
The shutdown will come in several phases. beginning on May 31st, developers will no longer be able to submit apps for inclusion in the Actually Free program. Those that are already in will continue to generate payments based on the amount of time people use them. Devs can keep publishing updates to the Actually Free apps through the end of 2019 when the program shuts down completely. However, there won't be as many people to use them pretty soon.
Android devices other than Fire tablets will lose access to Underground Actually Free apps this summer, but anything previously downloaded will continue working until the end of 2019. Owners of Amazon's Fire tablets can continue to download and use Actually Free apps and games until the end of 2019. That means owners can download, uninstall, and reinstall those apps without losing access to the free content... for a while.
We've reached out to Amazon to see if there are any changes to the regular Appstore program. Maybe the return of free app of the day? There's little reason to start using Amazon's Appstore without some sort of freebie.
Update 1: 2017/04/28 7:29pm PDT
Details from Amazon
Amazon tells us that the Appstore will continue operating normally going forward. Developers will be able to set prices for their apps or take advantage of other free programs like FreeTime Unlimited for kids. There's no word on the free app of the day coming back. Fingers crossed, though.
The LG G6 is a big step up for LG after the mess that was the G5. It's a good phone, and you can get if from your carrier right now. However, what if you don't want the carrier version? Well, LG is launching an unlocked North American variant in a few weeks. B&H is accepting pre-orders now, and they've knocked $100 off the price.
The unlocked LG G6 (model LGUS997) is essentially the same phone you can get from carriers, but it works on any GSM or CDMA network. It also has a ton of LTE bands (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25) that should cover most networks. It runs the on same Snapdragon 821 and 4GB of RAM as the carrier versions. The software is also still just 7.0 rather than 7.1.
The phone comes in either silver or black (the black looks better), and the MSRP is $700. B&H is only asking $599.99 if you pre-order the phone now. There's no firm launch date, but the phone is expected to ship out around the middle of May.
Update 1: 2017/04/28 12:20pm PDT
Watch Style
B&H also has a deal for an unlocked G6 with a Watch Style for $649.99. You basically get the watch for $50, which usually costs $250 by itself. You can get the bundle with a gold, black, or silver watch.
More of this year's schedule for Google's I/O developer conference is finally up. At least, more than the last time we talked about it. Not all of the events are on it, as some would likely give away announcements made during the keynote at I/O by their presence on the calendar, but it looks like most of the talks should be there now. If you are planning on attending, as some of us are, then you might want to start figuring out how best to divide up your time.
Some of the time slots have 12 different events, so the odds are very likely that you won't be able to make every single talk you want. Things kick off May 17th with a breakfast before the Keynote at 10AM. The developer keynote follows that at 1PM after a break for lunch, though there are some talks available during lunch if the subjects appeal to you, or the food doesn't. For the rest of that day and the other two, though, you're on your own to find out what you'd like to attend. Remember that some of the talks will require that you reserve a seat. The schedule will continue to be updated as we get closer to the event.
Those of us who may not be there should still take a look, as Google also streams some of the other events and sessions at I/O. That means even if you weren't able to make it to the event, you can still get your developer thing on. The talks that will be streamed are marked on the schedule with a little camera icon, still leaving you with entirely too many choices. If you end up with a scheduling conflict you can always go back and watch some of the old recordings. With that, you might want to prioritize to attend things that aren't being recorded, like the "Office Hours," if you have any unwanted overlap.
Another option for those that can't attend are the I/O Extended events. Feel free to check and see if any are being hosted near you. I'll probably be attending the show this way, myself.
The official I/O app hasn't been updated for 2017 yet, but feel free to pull it down in anticipation via the attractive widget below, or over at APKMirror. Google has a pretty nice set of tools put together, both in the app and online, for managing your I/O schedule. With the wide selection of talks and events, it's a really good idea to use them. For the full details, to plan your schedule, or to just lament not going, feel free to check out the source link below.
Asking if a PC is better than a Mac is like asking if the chicken came before the egg. You’re going to have many compelling arguments that could convince you of either stance. There are certain things that a PC is known for being better at and there are certain things that a Mac is known for being better at. But that’s not really the definitive answer that most are looking for when purchasing a new computer. They want to know which one is ultimately better and best suited for their needs, which means that the question, in general, can be quite subjective.
Over the last year, I’ve been in a battle between choosing a Mac or PC. Needing a more powerful workstation, I’ve tried all sorts of Windows laptops, Macbooks, Macbook Pros, and more! With all of that, I feel that I’ve ultimately decided on which is truly better, find out in the video below.
The Razer Blade is an amazing powerhouse of a machine. It’s spec with Intel’s latest processors, ample amounts of system memory, fast and reliable SSD hard drives, and includes a full desktop class Nvidia GTX graphics card. Razer is not playing around when it comes to the Razer Blade!
While the Razer Blade is targeted towards gamers, this is apparent from the styling of the laptop, as well as Razer’s motto, “For Gamers, By Gamers.” Because it has plenty of powerful hardware, this laptop can also be used for creatives looking find the best balance of hardware and build quality. Check out the video review for more details.
Razer Blade (Skylake) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mOaW4R Razer Blade (Kaby Lake) on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mUoCNz
If you use Gmail and your office uses Google __apps or you like to maintain multiple Facebook accounts, than operating on a phone can be a nightmare. Multiple logins means constant logging out of __apps and then logging back in—a process that only gets more excruciating when you have two-factor authentication (and you should really have two-factor authentication).
Advertisement
But there’s a way to have a multiple accounts without juggling multiple phones or trying to juggle multiple logins on one phone. Here are a few tips to help make your life easier.
Managing multiple accounts inside apps
Image: Screenshot
Some apps do a decent job of handling multiple accounts all by themselves. Gmail is one example of this: the apps for iOS and Android can handle different Google email addresses very well. In fact the apps do a much better than the web interface does. You can even add other accounts, from the likes of Yahoo and Outlook, and combine all your inboxes together via the Manage accounts link on the app menu.
Advertisement
Twitter lets you manage multiple accounts from inside the official apps for iOS and Android too. On iOS, open the Me tap, tap the Accounts icon (two portraits), then choose More options and Create new account. On Android, tap your avatar then tap the downward arrow at the top of the menu and pick Add existing account. You can’t merge account streams, but you can quickly switch between them.
Image: Screenshot
Another app we can add to the natively-handles-multiple-accounts list is Instagram for iOS and Android. Head to your profile page, tap the menu button (three dots on Android, a cog icon on iOS), then choose Add Account. Up to five different accounts can be added (switch between them by tapping the username on the profile page), and you get push notifications for all the accounts where alerts are switched on.
Meanwhile multiple account support has also made it to Facebook Messenger for iOS and Android. If you tap your profile image at the top then choose Switch Account, you can log in using different credentials, allowing you to keep up with your conversations across several different accounts.
Image: Screenshot
Other apps aren’t so generous: Snapchat, WhatsApp, Signal and the primary Facebook app don’t natively allow you to manage multiple accounts without repeatedly logging in and out (although you could log into a different Facebook account in your mobile web browser). The good news is there are a handful of apps that can help, though the major ones only work on Android for now, with Apple’s OS being more restrictive in what it lets apps do.
Advertisement
Sponsored
There are a few solutions for iOS that require installing unverified software from unknown sources so we’re not particularly comfortable with recommending them. If you’re prepared to proceed at your own risk, a quick web search will pull up some options for running multiple instances of WhatsApp or Snapchat on an iPhone.
Managing multiple accounts with a third-party app
Image: Screenshot
First we’ll look at the one app that work on Apple devices reliably: Friendly. It’s available for both iOS and Android. It works as a kind of wrapper for the Facebook mobile website, and promises to reduce storage and data usage compared with the official app, as well as adding some extra bonuses—such as multiple account support.
Install and log into Friendly and you can log into your Facebook (and Instagram) accounts one by one, then switch between them with a tap. It’s not the fastest or most stylish app we’ve ever seen, and you need to pay a couple of dollars to remove the ads, but if you’re on iOS it’s the best choice currently available.
Image: Screenshot
Android users will have a much easier time supporting multiple instances of an app. App Cloner does an incredibly thorough job. As the name suggests, it creates a clone of your original app that you can set up with an alternative set of user credentials, so you have two instances of the same app running side-by-side. App Cloner lets you tweak the name and icon style of the second instance of your apps, and even hide the shortcut from the app drawer if you want.
It works with the likes of Facebook, Skype and Spotify, though you might find bugs with some apps, and it struggles with apps requiring Google accounts. If you upgrade to the premium version of the app, you can gain access to more customization options for your cloned apps, and clone WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Image: Screenshot
Equally impressive in its capabilities is Parallel Space, which does just about the same job as App Cloner. In fact its list of supported apps is longer than App Cloner’s, and includes WhatsApp free of charge. All your duplicate apps are handled through the Parallel Space interface, which makes them a bit more awkward to use.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Some users have reported issues with crashes and excessive battery drain on Parallel Space, but we didn’t notice any major problems with the app during our testing, though, of course, with anything like this it’s liable to break at any time as developers update their code and sign-in processes change. Bear in mind too that apps like WhatsApp are tied to your mobile number, so you’ll need a second number to set up a separate instance of the app. The app does feature plenty of ads too, but you can remove those with an in-app purchase.
It's an app-filled world
7 Great Drawing and Sketching Apps That Turn Anyone Into an Artist
The Best Apps for Sending Money, From Least to Most Annoying
If you haven’t heard, a lot of Chromebooks can run Android __apps now, but not everything in the Google Play Store is going to make sense for your lightweight laptop—we’re looking at you, Snapchat.Here are seven Android __apps that are actually well suited to running on top of Chrome OS.
Advertisement
Shockingly not a single one comes from Adobe. The company has optimized all of its mobile apps for Chrome OS, but they still feel unmistakably like mobile apps—not desktop ones. The seven apps you’ll find on this list actually feel like they belong in a world of keyboards and trackpads.
1) Quik
Image: Screenshot
Online apps can do a decent job in most situations, but one area where they definitely lag behind their video counterparts is in video editing. While most Chromebooks won’t have the grunt for serious video editing work, a lightweight app like Quik can do wonders for some quick and dirty cutting. We wouldn’t suggest it for piecing together a short film, but it’s perfect if you just want to cut footage of the kids and send it to friends and family.
Advertisement
It’s one of our favorite picks for editing on mobile devices, and it looks great on a Chromebook too. Now owned and developed by GoPro, Quik doesn’t just let you do simple cuts, it also allows you to add music, choose filters, and even overlay some really cool text onto your videos. It’s not the most advanced app out there, but the results are impressive enough that you might not miss iMovie.
Quik (free)
2) Instagram
Image: Screenshot
This is one instance where having a Chromebook definitely beats having a computer running Windows or MacOS. Instagram is available on the web, but in a cut-down, half-baked form, so get the Android version loaded up on your Chromebook: you can import and upload files from just about anywhere, scroll through your feed, view the new Stories format, and so on and so on.
Plus, having that Chromebook keyboard makes it easier to message people and tap out those witty comments. The app hasn’t been fully optimized for Chrome OS just yet (it still lives in a square box), but it’s still fully functional and easy to operate from your laptop.
Sponsored
Instagram (free)
3) Dropbox Paper
Image: Screenshot
Google and Microsoft have capable online office suites you can use on your Chromebook, but the Android versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint aren’t currently compatible with the best of the current batch of Android-enabled Chromebooks and sometimes it’s nice to get away from the all seeing eye of Google. To plug the processor gap, try Dropbox Paper.
Advertisement
Improved offline support is one reason to go for this app over the online alternatives, and in general it’s a cleaner, more capable take on the old word processor idea. The interface works fine on a larger screen, and your keyboard and trackpad should work flawlessly too.
Dropbox Paper (free)
4) Spotify
Image: Screenshot
File this one under “instances where the Android app is better than the web version”, which is fairly obvious when you think about it. Spotify’s web player is fine and everything, but the Android version is better, and as a bonus it even looks good on a big screen.
On top of that you can cache playlists for offline listening of course, so you’ve got something to rock out to when your internet goes down or you’re stuck on a train. With the magic of Spotify Connect you can beam tunes to other hardware from Chrome OS.
Advertisement
Spotify (free)
5) Firefox
Chrome OS is essentially just Chrome, which makes it kind of tricky to install another browser. But sometimes you don’t want Google knowing your every online move. If you like the appealing price tag of Chromebooks, but aren’t crazy about using Google for every single thing on your computer then download Firefox for Android. It gives you an alternative browser (albeit in a form optimized for mobile), complete with desktop syncing capabilities.
That means if you use Firefox on another computer you can sync all of your stuff straight to your Chromebook. Firefox for Android also comes with plenty of other features to make use of, including smart searches, an intuitive tab system, and a huge library of add-ons.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Firefox (free)
6) Alto’s Adventure
Image: Screenshot
Another area where Android apps are streets ahead of web apps is gaming, and we could’ve picked almost any game here. We’ve gone for Alto’s Adventure as it looks gorgeous in landscape mode, and is compatible with trackpads (so the screen stays unobstructed).
It’s also just a great endless runner-style game. If you’re new to the world of Alto’s Adventure, the idea is to last as long as you can on a downhill snowboard run, picking up points for catching llamas, performing tricks, and escaping Elders on the mountain.
Advertisement
Alto’s Adventure (free)
7) Gmail
Image: Screenshot
Yes, yes, yes, you can access Gmail through your web browser—but the Android app looks particularly elegant on larger screens, and comes with a few tricks the web interface doesn’t have, including customizable alerts you can switch on and off for individual labels.
The Android app also handles multiple Google accounts better than the web version does, and the interface is a little bit neater too. What’s more, you can swipe messages to plough through them more quickly, using your Chromebook’s touchscreen or built-in trackpad.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Gmail (free)
All roads lead to Chrome
Everything You Can Do Offline With a Chromebook
10 Tricks to Make Yourself a Chromebook Master
How to Get Windows and macOS apps on Your Chromebook
Android Authority, in collaboration with OnLeaks, has obtained a render of the Moto C and C Plus. First, here's a video of the C Plus: And the
Motorola's upcoming super low-range phones, the Moto C and C Plus, were first leaked yesterday. With even worse specs than the Moto E lineup (with presumably a far lower price), the phones likely won't even be sold in the United States. Now more photos of the Moto C phones have leaked, in addition to two other upcoming Motorola devices.
Left: Moto C, Right: Moto C Plus
First up is the Moto C and C Plus, embedded above. Both phones appear to have capacitive navigation buttons, rear-firing speakers, and a 'Moto' logo on the front. The only difference seems to be the thickness - the C Plus appears to be marginally thinner than the C, but has a camera hump.
Next is the fourth-generation Moto E Plus, shown above. The phone definitely shares a common design with the recently-released Moto G5/G5 Plus, with a similar finish. There's a fingerprint sensor on the front, a first for the Moto E line, although only the E4 Plus will have it.
Finally, we come to the Moto Z2 Force, the more durable version of the upcoming Moto Z2. This looks pretty much identical to the current Z Force, but with smaller plastic bezels at the top and bottom of the back, and the same Moto logo found on the other phones.
All of these devices, with the exception of the regular Moto C, appear to have a Lenovo logo on the side. The Moto branding on the front isn't too annoying, but adding another logo on top of that is just stupid. Let us know in the comments below if you plan to buy any of these devices.
Source:
@OnLeaks (Twitter)
Update 1: 2017/04/16 11:41am PDT
Android Authority, in collaboration with OnLeaks, has obtained a render of the Moto C and C Plus. First, here's a video of the C Plus:
Spring cleaning of the YouTube Android app is continuing apace. Already this month we've seen tests for seek bar video previews and an iOS style bottom nav bar. Now, some users are seeing a new interface for collapsing the currently selected video, offering more than just a picture-in-picture window. The new UI moves this into a floating bottom bar including a play/pause button, as well as the option to close without having to swipe away.
Left: New bottom bar UI. Right: current picture-in-picture behavior.
These changes are appearing in version 12.13.53 of the app. Aside from the video window itself being quite a bit smaller, as part of a floating card on top of the background feed, this new design also sees greater control over the collapsed video. Not only does the bar include a play/pause button, it also shows a red progress line along the full-width of the new-style card. This gives you greater visibility while you search for a new video, and you can choose to start another one safe in the knowledge that the current video is close to the end. Currently, collapsing a video gives you a picture-in-picture video in the bottom right corner, and tapping on that simply maximizes the video again.
Here's how these changes look in practice:
Left: New collapse animation. Right:Video playing collapsed, including progress line.
This new interface does seem far more useful than the current behavior. However, as with all tests of this nature, there's no telling whether or not these changes will stay the course.
Shortly after bringing it back from the dead, it would appear that Google may have inadvertently broken call recording for a short period. For the last two weeks there have been multiple different user reports of problems with recording calls in Google Voice. Thankfully, the issue appears to have been resolved and recording is now working as intended.
While there is not yet any word about the status of recordings presumed lost during this period, all new recordings should behave as expected and appear in your Google Voice inbox.
The precise cause of the original problem isn't known. We've reached out to Google for more information. In the meantime Google hasn't made any statements about the matter outside the responses on the forum, so in lieu of an official statement all we can provide is the response given to posts on the subject:
Thank you for reporting the issue you had with call recordings. We believe that we have resolved the issue and new call recordings should work as expected. Our engineering team is continuing to investigate the recordings that took place during the time period affected. We will update this thread once we have an update to provide. Thanks for your patience!
If you believe you may have been affected, you can check if any of your recordings made during that time are present. If you don't find them in your Google Voice inbox double check by opening the overflow menu on the left, open "Legacy Google Voice," hover over More and select Recorded calls. Recordings should appear there, and if any are missing from the last two weeks you may be among those who have experienced the issue.
For those users that might have made recordings while things were broken, it looks like Google is still looking into things and plans on updating the relevant threads later. If we hear anything more on the subject or if we get a statement we'll be sure to update this post.
Google Inbox and Gmail have been competing for our hearts (and email) for some time now, and it doesn't seem like Google is slowing down development of either [great] app. Clearly, Gmail is for some, and Inbox for others - so which one are you?
I'm personally keeping one foot in both doors right now. I use Inbox for 100% of my personal email on both mobile and desktop, and I have zero inclination to go back. I also use Inbox for work email here at Android Police when I'm on the go. But on the desktop, AP email goes through a fairly fastidiously managed tabbed Gmail layout, something I'm not sure I could function without. Inbox on the desktop with my AP email address would be a nightmare to sort through and manage, given I receive anywhere from 100 to 300 emails in a single day.
So, how about you? Inbox? Gmail? Both? Neither? vote in the poll and talk it out in the comments below.
'The Pilot,' the first episode of Doctor Who season 10, aired yesterday worldwide. The new season comes about a year and a half after the final episode of season 9, so it's been quite the wait for fans of the show. To celebrate, the episode is currently free on Google Play, along with the first episode of Class, the latest Doctor Who spinoff.
If you've never heard of Class, it's understandable - the BBC has done a terrible job advertising it. It takes place at Coal Hill Academy, a common recurring location of Doctor Who, where a group of students try to deal with alien threats. It's substantially darker and more adult than DW, much like the previous spinoff Torchwood.
You can grab both episodes at the source links below.
With all the talk about the Galaxy S8, you may have missed Samsung's latest milestone. For the first time, one of its Play Store __apps reached one billion installs. Given its 4.1 star rating and over half a million reviews, it is surprising it took this long.
According to reviews, the "Samsung Push Service" is an incredibly useful app that has seemingly flown under the radar for years. As its name implies, it appears that Samsung has developed a powerful tool that provides a push in all aspects of your life. After its March 21st update, users continued to pile on the praise for this innovative app.
Some of the app's utility includes a CPU cooler that actually works:
Previous updates have added translation skills never before seen:
Samsung is clearly watching these reviews. It wasn't very long after this post that Samsung added its online doctor feature:
I am considering taking this app out on my next mountain trek to test its stability improvement system. Watch for that review.
James Shank, whose lower half works as a paralegal, experienced a miraculous recovery from the app:
Beyond its ability to resolve physical conditions, the Samsung Push Service tackles mental health:
I had no idea of the impact and scope of Google's "Be together, not the same" campaign:
The wheel, electric light, combustion engine, sliced bread... Once the word gets out, the Samsung Push Service may become the world's greatest invention.
Despite its myriad uses, some reviewers boldly request even more features:
Apparently, there is some risk involved. Maybe Samsung should consider a disclaimer on their app listing.
The fact that Samsung misspelled the word "improve" in the latest release notes did not go unnoticed either:
Some users expressed their dissatisfaction with where Samsung was directed their efforts:
Of course, in the end, there is always someone who takes things a little too seriously:
Samsung is clearly hoping to keep all of these enhanced features under wraps for now. It still describes the app as a service that provides the notification service only for Samsung services. Don't be surprised if Samsung uses an announcement about this app to draw attention away from its failure to launch Bixby, its new voice assistant, as users get the Galaxy S8 into their hands.
Note: As a rule Android Police neither condones nor encourages leaving fake reviews or ratings for an app on the Play Store. Even if some of them are really funny.
Loading ... 
