Diving into M: Battery menu adds new “ignore optimizations” setting
During its announcement of Android M, Google touched on how battery optimizations would play a role in the next version of Android. While they specifically touched on things like Doze mode — which puts your device in a deeper state of inactivity when you haven’t used it for a while — we also have just stumbled upon a new and potentially interesting option in the “Battery” settings menu.
As you can see in the screenshots above, Google has added a new ignore optimizations option. Looking a bit deeper, it gives you the power to authorize any app to ignore these optimizations: “Don’t apply battery optimizations. May drain your battery more quickly.”
While we can’t say for sure exactly what this is all about, we can certainly make an assumption or two. From the sounds of it, you can select which apps you want to ignore M’s new battery optimization settings, which would presumably let them run faster/better than with the optimizations on, but at the cost of additional battery drain. We’re sure there’s probably a bit more to it than that and we’ll be sure to attempt to dig a bit deeper in the days to come. If we can learn more about this new option, we’ll update this post accordingly.
Duarte talks about Material Design in new session (live at 7PM PST)
For us non-developer types, the big draw of Google I/O is the keynote speach, where we learn about all the new goodies heading our way. Of course that’s only just a small part of what I/O is about, with developers coming from all over the world to participate in various Android and Google related sessions.
One such session is “Material Now”, which kicks off at 7:00 PM EST (4:00 PM PST). The upcoming session is hosted by none other than Matias Duarte, where he’ll take a look at “where we’ve been and where we’re going with material design”.
Here’s the full session description taken from the schedule:
This talk will examine the logistics of materializing products inside and outside of Google over the past year, from working collaboratively with product teams, to expanding and refining our guidelines for designers and developers. It will ask: how can we push material design into new and exciting territory?
While these types of sessions aren’t for everyone, if you enjoy Material Design and are curious to see where it heads next, you might want to tune in. You’ll find a video embedded above containing a livestream of the event for those interested in tuning in.
Lock screen widgets on Android Lollipop – Android customization
Have you had greater success with your spelling after taking control of your auto-correct settings in last week’s Android customization post? I hope so. Now that you are in control of your Android keyboard, let’s take a look at controlling your Android lock screen, or at least utilizing it with widgets.
The idea of putting a widget on your lock screen is not new, it has been around since Android 4.2 natively, and prior using alternate apps. When it was introduced, it was available as a tool that any developer could create or modify their Homescreen widget to show on the lock screen. This was utilized by having the user swipe the default clock to the side and manually add widgets as desired.
Android 5.0 Lollipop changed things up a bit. Gone was the ability to select near any widget for your lock screen, instead swiping to the sides now triggers your phone application and your camera, on stock Android at least. In place, Android introduced a new and complex method and controls for displaying notifications on the lock screen.
Before we begin
I hope it goes without saying,you will need a device running at least Android 5.0 Lollipop to follow along today. We will use an Android 5.1 equipped Google Play edition phone ourselves. Although there are many apps, both free and paid, that can offer similar functionality to what we are about to look at, we will be using the paid app Notifidgets today. It has a 7 day trial, but will run you $0.99 via in-app purchase to continue.
Remember, other apps provide similar functionality, like the very similarly named NotifWidget that handles a few more options.
How to put widgets on your Android Lollipop lock screen
The premise is pretty simple here folks, you really cannot put widgets on the lock screen. Since Lollipop has been locked down to just include notifications on the lock screen, the solution has been to put your widgets into notifications.
Notifidgets is simple enough, it is a persistent notification that itself hosts your normal desktop widgets.
Open up Notifidgets and tap the Material Design big green “+” button.
Choose your desired widget.
Special note here that you can select your other customization widgets, like Zooper Widget and Tasker. You recall we’ve talked about both at length before, so you can now put that power right on your lock screen, if you want it.
As you can see, you are able to put multiple widgets into Notifidgets, so go ahead and load up. Just remember that these will be on your lock screen, so anyone that picks up your phone will be able to see and interact with your widgets and the information that they present.
Make sure Notifidgets is turned on with the toggle at the top.
You are done.
The next time your phone locks, you will be able to see your widgets inside of the Notifidgets notification on your lock screen.
If Notifidgets is not showing, make sure that the app has not been closed by a task manager or the like. Also, if you have locked down your lock screen security, be sure to allow all notifications for Notifidgets on your lock screen. If you need assistance managing lock screen security settings, we took a quick look at that a while back as well.
Finally, you will likely find that the Notifidgets notification on your lock screen is in the minimized state, use a two finger pull down action to expand it.
What’s next
Do you recall how I mentioned you are able to place widgets by Zooper Widget in Notifidgets? That was a tongue twister, just as the idea that a deep rooted Zooper Widget with Tasker controls can bring near any functionality and information to your lock screen. Be sure to check out some of our older Zooper Widget and Tasker articles to get an idea of what you might create for your device.
Please keep in mind that Notifidgets is not the only tool out there to take advantage of the new lock screen of Android Lollipop. NotifWidgets and Notifidgets are just the two we’ve been using.
Also, we did not talk at all about the many lock screen alternatives out there, applications that are specifically built to take over the secured entry to your Android device. Many of these apps, especially in the earlier days of Android, were the only way to get custom info on your lock screen. Sadly, many of them were quickly forgotten when Android 4.2 rolled out.
In the end, Google’s vision is to not have you use widgets on your lock screen, the idea and controls for having notifications show prominently is the new approach. We admit that this is a solid technique to make sure that the content you are seeing is new and relevant, but for those of us that like just a little bit more detail, we are happy that there are options out there.
Next week
I hope you liked the idea of Notifidgets, and the ability to place multiple widgets into a single notification on your lock screen. Next week on our Android customization series, we want to tackle this task in a different way with our trusty old what-can’t-it-do application, Tasker.
Do you spend time developing your lock screen, or would you rather just jump into Android and get on with things?
Canadian man gets fined for using his Apple Watch while driving
Now that electronics manufacturers are releasing more and more smartwatch models, you might be wondering what the authorities’ stance is on using one while driving. Well, this clears things up a bit for our Canadian readers: a man named Jeffrey Macesin was recently pulled over and fined $120 for using his Apple Watch behind the wheel. Macesin told CTV News Montreal that the watch was inside a bag, and that he was only changing songs on it at that moment, since it was plugged into the car radio. He thought the cop only wanted him to get out of the way when he turned the cruiser’s lights on, but the officer obviously thought the device was a cause of distraction.
In the end, he got a ticket under Section 439.1 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code, which states “No person may, while driving a road vehicle, use a handheld device that includes a telephone function.” Technically, smartwatches aren’t handheld devices, but it has an LCD screen and smartwatch-like features, so they fall within a grey area. A lawyer who specializes in traffic violations, Avi Levy, told CTV News he believes a smartwatch is a Bluetooth device instead of a handheld, and “it has been established in the law that you’re allowed to use Bluetooth devices and it doesn’t constitute an infraction.”
In at least two other locations, New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, cops made it clear in April that if you use a smartwatch while driving, you could face penalties. As for everyone else outside those locations, it’s best to ask your local government or law enforcement agencies for now if you want to know your chances of being ticketed. Or, you know, you could just do the smart thing and keep your eyes off your shiny new gadget while driving.
Filed under: Misc, Wearables, Mobile, Apple
Source: CTV News Montreal
Sign into Netflix straight from your Google account
You’ve been able to sign into third-party websites with your Google credentials for years, but now the company is broadening out the places that info can take you. On its Developer Blog, the outfit is talking up its new Identity Platform, a suite of developer tools that let others build “frictionless” entry to name-brand sites. The biggest name on the list of early partners is Netflix, which will now let viewers keep watching on their Android devices without having to re-enter their subscription details.
Essentially, this makes Google one part universal log-in, one part password manager, that can do the same for both websites and newly-downloaded Android apps. The aim of the exercise is to provide a seamless experience, and in another example, if you’ve browsed Orbitz on your phone, those same searches will instantly be available to you should you switch to the desktop (on Chrome, at least). Oh, and if neither of those names are exciting to you, just wait until Linkedin joins the party, which is expected to happen in the very near future.
Source: Google
‘Pillar’ is a personality test and much more in video game form
“When people think you’re dying, they really, really listen to you instead of just — “
“Instead of just waiting for their turn to speak.”
This scene from Fight Club encapsulates one of the driving ideas behind Pillar, a video game starring a series of characters with disparate personalities and quirks, each given mysterious puzzles to solve. Indie developer Michael Hicks is interested in how people communicate and the unique way every human perceives the world. Pillar distills these broad observations into just a few characters running around a wintry town, searching for a secret artifact. Each character is different, but their goal is the same — it’s a lot like real life. Hicks wants his game to inspire conversations; he isn’t looking to start arguments or incite rants. He’d love for people to truly connect with each other and Pillar might make that happen.
“I hope it encourages players to consider other people in real-life conversations, which we rarely do,” Hicks says. “If someone says something we don’t agree with, the knee-jerk reaction is to argue or superimpose our views. I think the world would be a better place if we tried to understand where other people are coming from and accept them for who they are.”
Pillar has roots in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, a personality test that rates people based on four dichotomies: deductive, inductive, subjective and objective. Hicks ran into the Myers-Briggs test during a psychology class and was struck by the mechanical way it approached personality traits — almost like a game would.
“Originally, I made Pillar to express how it felt to be around a girlfriend I had,” Hicks says. “It’s hard to verbalize, but she was strong at things I was weak at, and I was strong at things she was weak at.” Hicks interviewed her and discovered they had two traits in common and two opposite, just as he intuited. “Pillar isn’t a perfect reconstruction of the test, but all of the main traits are there somehow,” he says.
It started with the test, but Pillar doesn’t stop there. Hicks doesn’t see Myers-Briggs as the silver bullet of personality analysis — “It’s clearly not a science, but that doesn’t mean it has no value,” he says. Overall, Hicks has grander thoughts about relativity, morality and the rejection of subtlety in everyday communication. As he discovered with his girlfriend, opposite traits between two people can equalize both parties, but this often requires people to step outside of themselves, recognize their own shortcomings and accept the faults in others.
It’s hard to have constructive conversations when we just preach and don’t listen to the other person.
“The whole concepts of right and wrong, good and evil — I think those are horrible things to subscribe to because they separate people and cause conflict,” Hicks says. “What I think is ‘right’ is a reflection of my environment and upbringing; everyone thinks they’re right. The game explores the idea that maybe there’s a purpose for both extremes we find in life, even things that are detrimental to us. I’m not saying we should be quiet and not speak our mind, but so many do it in a toxic way. It’s hard to have constructive conversations when we just preach and don’t listen to the other person.”
Pillar launched on PlayStation 4 back in February, but Hicks wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it. He “flubbed” the marketing, he says. For one, he didn’t receive review codes until a few days after launch. “I should’ve announced the release date a month or so ahead of time to avoid things like this,” he says.
“But I’ve been happy with the number of people playing so far,” Hicks continues. “I have a ways until I’m where I’d like to be but I can’t complain. What’s cool is there’s a steady stream of new people playing even after three months; it’s had a very grassroots way of growing so I’m thankful for that.”
And Pillar is still growing. It’s due to launch on Steam on Friday, May 29, and it’s available to play right now on PS4 for $8.
AT&T offers up LG G4 launch details
Beginning May 29 at 12:01 AM ET, the LG G4 will be available for pre-order at AT&T‘s site. If you prefer to buy it from its retail stores, the G4 will be ready on June 5. The device will come in two color options: Metallic Gray and Genuine Black Leather.
Customers who purchase the G4 through either of the above methods can also get the LG G Pad F 8.0 tablet for $0.99 on a two-year contract (as opposed to $149.99), so long as you buy the G4 through AT&T Next.
Below, you can find the different levels of pricing for both offerings of the phone.
| AT&T Next 24 | AT&T Next 18 | AT&T Next 12 | Two-year contract | No contract | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metallic Gray | $21.00 x 30 payments | $26.25 x 24 payments | $31.50 x 20 payments | $199.99 | $629.99 |
| Genuine Black Leather | $22.34 x 30 payments | $27.92 a 24 payments | $33.50 x 20 payments | $239.99 | $699.99 |
The post AT&T offers up LG G4 launch details appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google rethinks pictures and videos with launch of Photos
Google, as part of its keynote address at Google I/O 2015, today announced Google Photos, its latest effort to help users store and share their photos and videos.
As Google sees it, there should be a central location for people to store their images and clips. What’s more, there ought to be an easy way for managing, searching, and sharing of these files.
Available online (soon) and through mobile apps, the service provides a quicker way for digging through your archive. Employing the simple concept of pinch and pulling, it’s possible to search via days, weeks, months, and even years.
“In one tap, get instant adjustments tuned to the photo’s color, lighting, and subject to make each photo look its best. Press the “+” button to create your own collages, animations, movies with soundtracks, and more. If you swipe to the left, you’ll open the Assistant view, where we’ll suggest new things made with your photos and videos, such as a collage or a story based on a recent trip you took. “
Google will automatically keep a collection of your images and put them into albums based on time stamps and locations. Additionally, it can even recognize your most often snapped subjects, putting them but one tap away.
The demonstration we saw today was able to recognize a female face from teen years all the way back to when she was a baby. Somehow, some way, the secret sauce is able to detect changes in people’s faces over time.
One of the coolest, albeit most natural, features demonstrated today was the sharing function. As it stands, it matters not what platform you’re using or what apps you have installed.
Taking it further, it doesn’t matter if your recipients have a particular app on their device. Simply pick the photos you want to share and it creates a URL that opens online for any and all. The shared images can then be downloaded or stored online in the other’s account.
Google Photos will allow for unlimited storage of pictures and videos up to 16-megapixels (pictures) and 1080p HD (video) at no cost.
The Google Photos app is available for mobile devices today and can be considered somewhat of a splintered approach to the photos experience from Google+.
The post Google rethinks pictures and videos with launch of Photos appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google Inbox now available to all
Google on Thursday confirmed that its Inbox email service is now available to all users. Offered online as a desktop client as well as through mobile apps, Inbox no longer requires an invitation.
In addition to rolling out a wide release, the Inbox experience gets better with new features. Below are some of the highlights in the new version of Inbox.
- Trip Bundles – All of your emails about a trip will now be bundled together and the most important details (like flight times and hotel reservation numbers) will be available the instant you open Inbox.
- Undo Send—now for the first time on your phone—you can take back an email right after sending in case you spotted a mistake, or have second thoughts
- If you’d rather get rid of messages, you can make ‘Delete’ the default swiping action
- If you want to personalize your sent messages, you can now add a custom signature
- When you create Reminders in Keep, they’ll now appear in Inbox
- When someone emails you a to-do, Inbox might suggest adding a Reminder so you don’t forget
- When you get an email from HotelTonight or Eat24, you can now open your reservations and food orders within their app, directly from Inbox
The post Google Inbox now available to all appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Wax Woz is coming to Madame Tussauds in San Francisco
Step inside the Madame Tussauds in San Francisco and you’ll find waxworks of Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and other American icons. Steve Jobs is also present, but for many Apple fans there’s something amiss about his model. The problem? There’s no Steve Wozniak standing alongside him. Following a public competition to decide the next “tech innovator” waxwork, Madame Tussauds has agreed to immortalize the Apple cofounder next to his friend and fellow tech visionary. Woz now needs to visit the museum and conduct a two to three hour sitting, during which 250 measurements will be taken to ensure his model is accurate. Sculpting should take three to four months, and when the finished article is unveiled in the fall, Woz will be there for a quick side-by-side comparison. “I can’t wait to see my figure next to Jobs – it’ll be just like old times,” he says.
[Image Credit: Charlotte Observer via Getty Images]
Via: techeye
Source: Madame Tussauds
AIVAnet 