Play Music updated with fix for disappearing cached tracks issue
Since the latest update, Google Play Music no longer deletes cached music from devices, an issue that has been affecting some users for the past couple of weeks.
Users reported that tracks downloaded for offline use and stored on the microSD card disappeared without notice whenever the device rebooted or the card was removed. Given that offline music storage is one of the most common usages for microSD cards, the issue has left quite a few users miffed, to say the least.
Fortunately, Google has given the issue the priority treatment it required, and the version now available in the Play Store is free of this bug. According to the changelog, version 6.0.1950S also fixes an issue that prevented some songs and albums from showing up in the My Library section. Judging from the comments on this Reddit thread, the update also fixed a problem with the way album art was displayed in the notification dropdown.
It appears that the update is causing the app to re-download any music you have marked for offline playback, presumably to account for the possibility that some songs were removed by the bug in the previous version.
Have you noticed this issue? What other bugs in Play Music would you love to see fixed?
Cortana for Android Beta hands on (and vs Google Now)
Just a few hours ago, Microsoft’s Cortana app for Android leaked out ahead of its official launch, allowing eager users to get an early look at the virtual assistant application. The version of the app that leaked is a very early build, so there are still many improvements that will be made over the next few weeks. But since we have an unofficial build at our fingertips, why not go hands-on to see just how well Cortana functions?
Today we’re getting a brief look at the app in its current form, and we’re also pitting it up against Google Now, just for fun. In the video, we run your through the Cortana experience and then look at how it compares to Google Now while below the video, we’re talking through the experience as we’ve found it.
Overview
If you’ve ever used Google Now or Siri (which I’m assuming most of you have), you’ll be right at home here. Upon starting up the application for the first time, you’ll be shown a brief overview of what functions Cortana can perform. Just like other popular assistants, this app can access your location, contacts, voice input, search history, calendar details and much more. You can always change what Cortana has access to in the Notebook tab at any time.
You’ll then get to choose what the app calls you, then you’re almost on your way. To use Cortana, you’ll need to sign in using your Microsoft account. I know, I know – not everybody has a Microsoft account, and not everybody wants one. But how else is Microsoft supposed to collect your data? After you successfully sign in, you’re taken to Cortana’s main home screen.
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Similar to the main card view in Google Now, Cortana gives you a giant list of what it thinks you’re interested in – from today’s news and weather to movies playing near you. You can of course click on whatever piece of recommended information you’d like and check out more details when the full page opens up in your browser. And just like with Google Now, you can hide stories from your feed if you don’t like what Cortana is showing you.
Down towards the bottom of the app you’ll find the search box, where you can either type or speak your query. This is where you’ll go to perform tasks such as setting alarms, checking out the weather forecast, and more.
What it does well
Overall, this build of Cortana works pretty well. It can perform most of the same tasks Google Now and Siri can do, but not much more than that. Cortana is great for setting alarms, finding quick pieces of information from the web, checking out the weather forecast and much more. The majority of the app could use some polish, but we knew that going into this demonstration.
That being said, Cortana still does recognise accents – although simple words like Slack seem to cause it some trouble but that may be due to my British accent – and performance is actually quite smooth (apart from the odd glitch here and there). Given it’s a beta, performance issues were to be expected but as a whole, the experience is better than we might have expected given this early stage.
Shortcomings
For now, the list of shortcomings unfortunately exceeds the list of strengths in its current form. Cortana is pretty good at recognizing accents, though it still struggles with names more than we’d like it to. For instance, telling Cortana to “text Jimmy Westenberg” confuses the app, while telling it to “text Jimmy” pulls up the correct contact name and number. Also, unlike what you’d get with Google Now or Siri, there’s no way of speaking your message to the recipient. We’re sure this functionality will come in a future update to the app.
If you’ve ever used Cortana on Windows Phone, you’re probably used to the voice assistant responding to you after it’s been asked a question. With this build of the app, Cortana responds vocally to simple questions such as “what’s the weather like today”, though conversational search doesn’t work as well as it does on the Windows platform.
Cortana for Android in pictures
Wrapping up
Overall, Cortana for Android is really good at what it does, and actually seems like it could one day be a viable option for anyone who wants to branch out from Google Now. But with that said, even though most of the shortcomings we mentioned will probably be ironed out in the future, launching a voice assistant on another platform is a difficult thing to do. With Google Now just a tap away, most folks won’t even bother with another voice assistant. That’s not to say what Microsoft has produced is incapable by any means, but for those who don’t own a Windows 10 computer or Windows Phone, we’re not exactly sure this application will catch on to the majority of users.
Based on what you’ve seen of the app so far, what are your thoughts? Anxious to give Cortana a try, or will you pass? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
EE is giving away 100GB 4G data for 2 months
The UK’s biggest network, EE, is back with another limited promotion, offering a total of 200GB 4G data free for Pay As You Go (PAYG) users. Like its previous promotions, you’ll need to order a limited edition EE SIM – although some users are reporting it works with existing prepaid SIM cards – and then top up in order to get the extra data for free.
Top smartphones of 2015:
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To get the promotion, first head over to EE’s Summer SIM landing page and once it arrives, top up £10, which will get you 50 minutes and 50 texts along with 1GB data for 30 days. Then, text SUMMER100 to 150 and this will give you 100GB data per month free for two months. It’s worth noting that – at least with previous versions of the promotion – you could use the SIM card for tethering, which makes it perfect if you haven’t got home internet.
What does 100GB data give you? According to EE, that’s enough to stream up to 900 hours of video but from my personal experience, 100GB data is enough to cover just about any usage you have. I personally have 20GB data per month on my postpaid plan with EE and – apart from this month thanks to a dodgy Wi-Fi connection – I’ve only ever used under 8GB in a whole month.
As we covered in our EE review, the network is the UK‘s largest carrier by subscribers and has one of the strongest (and fastest) networks in the UK. It offers speeds of up to 300Mbps (aka LTE Cat 6) on paper with real-world speeds of up to 150Mbps and its network offers LTE to nearly 80 percent of the UK population.
Related: UK Network Reviews (2015)
The promotion is limited to just one per person but based on some quick testing, it seems that this is based on your email address. The promotion runs until August 31st and for more information or to order your SIM, hit the button below.
Are you going to get the SIM? Let us know what you think of EE’s promotion in the comments below!
Google Play performance Q2 2015 – Google and Apple gain big from new, emerging markets
It’s about that time of year for the quarterly report by App Annie that tell us how Google Play and the Apple App Store did over the last few months. 2015 was projected to be a big year for both iOS and Android as Android moves into emerging markets and iOS continues to dominate in China. If you want to see some prior stats, you can find those here.
1. Google still leads in downloads, but iOS still leads in revenue
The stats: According to App Annie, Google Play continues to outpace the App Store in app downloads. In fact, they’re doing it so well that they’ve actually increased that gap. Google Play had about 85% more downloads than the App Store. On the other hand, the App Store continues to outpace Google Play in revenue by about 70% and this is about what it was back in Q1.
The takeaway: Both companies have been making some big moves this year. With Android One and cheaper Android smartphones, Google has owned the emerging markets and this has led to far more app downloads. However, any impact this (and growth in general) has made on revenue was totally cancelled out by Apple’s continued growth in China.
2. Taiwan finds out Google Play has games and leaves Germany in the dust
The stats: Google Play’s strength in Germany has been stellar and it’s one of the few places where Google Play outpaces the App Store in revenue. However, over the last quarter, Taiwan apparently figured out that Google Play had games and they have flown passed Germany in revenue generated.
The takeaway: This is a very strong example of what can happen when an emerging market starts taking care of business. It wasn’t long ago we were talking about Taiwan from the perspective that they were new in the Google Play stats world. Now, thanks to some core games such as Fun Plus Game and Shoryuken, the country is now among those that generate the most revenue. It’s also worth mentioning (based on the graphic above), that this growth happened within the last four months which is extremely fast.
3. Cord cutting is making a serious impact in the US and China
The stats: Video streaming apps have made a large impact on revenue in the mobile space, but predominately on iOS thanks again to China. The Entertainment category is also in the top five categories for revenue for the first time on Google Play.
The takeaway: It’s been the long time assumption that when cord cutting became a big thing that we’d see it on mobile. Thanks to its ever present nature, mobile devices and tablets seem like the natural fit for things like Netflix, Hulu, and the Chinese streaming services. Expect this to continue to trend upward as services like HBO NOW, Sling TV, Showtime, CBS All Access, and major sports streaming services (NHL Gamecenter, etc) become more popular.
4. The top categories by total time usage and by session duration
The stats: These are graphs that show two things. The first is “total time used” which shows what categories people spend the overall most time on. The other chart is by session which shows what categories people spend the most time doing at once. Here’s the difference. You may check Facebook 15 times a day for five minutes each totally 45 minutes (total time spent). However, you might watch an episode of a TV show on Netflix which is 30 minutes in a single session.
The takeaway: Once you take a good, hard look at the data, nothing here should surprise anyone. Entertainment includes things like Netflix which people will sit and watch for hours at a time so it makes sense that it tops the charts with the longest sessions. Similarly, Social and Communication make sense because people send texts and check their social media profiles copiously. The interesting part is that Books & Reference make an appearance on Google Play session duration which means people read for longer on Android than iOS. The iOS folks seem to be sticking to Music and Entertainment as per the norm.
5. Top countries for revenue and downloads barely change at all
The stats: Part of these stats show which countries were responsible for the most downloads and the most revenue. For the App Store, it’s been China, the United States, and Japan while on Google, it’s been Japan, the United States, and South Korea. The only notable change was that Taiwan surpassed Germany for Google Play revenue to be fourth overall.
The takeaway: There really isn’t any takeaway here. Steady as she goes because the same names that made a splash in Q1 of 2015 were the ones who continue to dominate Q2 of 2015.
6. …and the same goes for app categories
The stats: These stats show which categories saw the most downloads and obtained the most revenue in Q2 of 2015. There haven’t been many changes with the only notable change being that Entertainment is on the rise in revenue for both iOS and Android.
The takeaway: We discussed the rise of Entertainment earlier as cord cutters become more common and services like Sling TV making the idea more appealing. Other than that, much like the revenue and downloads by country, everything here is pretty much the same as it was in Q1 of 2015. Steady as she goes.
Wrap up
Overall, there weren’t a lot of big changes for the App Store and Google Play in Q2 of 2015. Google got some extra downloads while iOS got a little extra revenue. The Entertainment category saw some excitement as did Taiwan. Really, though, everything is pretty much the same and we expect it to remain that way for a while. Change is in the air but it’s slow getting here. If you have any thoughts, let us know in the comments!
Mountain Goat Mountain: a new free game from Zynga
Enjoying the weekend? Probably not enough, so let’s take a look at a new game from popular developer Zynga. It goes by the name of Mountain Goat Mountain and it just might become your new addiction.
As its name entails, the new title revolves around a lonely little goat. The goal is to go as high up the mountain as possible, before dying. This may sound easy for a mountain goat, which can climb incredibly steep slopes without a problem, but it’s a bit harder for the animal in this game. There’s plenty of traps, falling objects and obstacles that can harm you.
The mechanics of the game are a bit interesting. The goat can go to different maps and locations by collecting new hats. Some of the maps include the Arizona Desert, VR Voxels and Winter Snowland. Pretty straight forward and fun, right?
Let me warn you, though – this game is addictive, which makes it a very fun-packed time for those of us who have nothing to do during the weekend. It’s no Flappy Bird, but it sure is a worthy download. Especially considering the game is free on the Google Play Store!
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The developer does make some cash through in-app purchases. The user can buy in-game currency to help him advance faster, as well as getting 20 different goats and other great buys.
With that in mind, let’s stop talking and get goating! I know I’ll be spending a good amount of hours on this game. Will you?
Znaps adds a magnetic charging port to any smartphone
Apple may not be our favorite company here at Android Authority, but we gotta give it to them for coming up with the MagSafe charger; it’s about the most convenient and safe charging technology we have seen. In fact, we wonder why they haven’t applied a similar concept to their mobile devices. Regardless, someone has already beat them to the punch.
The Znaps was just introduced via Kickstarter this week, and it seems like a brilliant idea that should have come years ago. In essence, Znaps is an adapter that turns any microUSB or Lightning port into a magnetic charger. You simply plug it into your port and a small protrusion will show, but it’s so small it shouldn’t really affect you. Znaps claims you can even continue to use your cases without an issue.
The set-up can’t really be any easier. And you have no idea how convenient something like this would be. Just think about it. These are gadgets we carry every single day… and we charge them very often, too. Smartphones are prone to much more accidents than computers are, yet this MagSafe concept hasn’t been adopted by the mobile industry yet.
Interesting fact: the guys from Znaps managed to avoid a lawsuit from Apple by making an adapter for your current chargers. Making a cable would have violated Apple’s patent, and we know they are not fans of people copying them! By the way, it seems this system can do as much as the cable you are using. It supports Quick Charge 2.0, data transfers and all.
I suppose something that also has me excited is that this will probably get rid of the hassle that comes with owning devices from multiple platforms. You could probably use a microUSB charger with an adapter to power up an iPhone with with a connector, for example. The same should apply the other way around.
As the Znaps team mentions on Kickstarter, your phone would be safe from sudden pulls. Charging will be super easy (you can even plug it in without looking). Oh, and there’s the added bonus of Znaps making your phone a bit more resistant to water dunks, as it stops water from going in through the microUSB port.
The best part is that Znaps is super affordable. You can get yourself an adapter and connector for only $9 USD, and they offer a calculator which you can use to make a custom order.
There’s no plans to support USB-C just yet, but the team does claim they will work on it if this Kickstarter campaign does well… which it has. They have more than doubled their $120,000 funding goal in just a few days and still have 26 days to go.
I am in love with this thing and am pledging today. I seriously hate cables dangling around my living space. They are annoying and get damaged very easily. Not to mention the damage they can create if someone accidentally pulls them while in use! A recent Zagg study states about 48% of smartphone users live with damaged smartphones. Something like Znaps would probably help reduce that number.
Wireless charging is also great, but doesn’t offer the same charging speeds and data transfers are impossible with it. Sadly, we do still need them cables, so we should at least have better ones. Are you signing up? Hit the comments and let us know how you feel about this little accessory!
T-Mobile paying $17.5 million in fees for 911 outages
Having access to 911 calls is of utmost importance to Americans. Being able to make these calls in time can be the difference between life and death, so the FCC takes it very seriously when a carrier has an outage in which calls can’t be routed to the nation’s emergency line.
The latest major 911 outage came from T-Mobile, in August 8, 2014. There were a couple nationwide blackouts this day, accounting for about 3 hours of down time. That is a long time of having no 911 access, especially considering T-Mobile serves about 55 million subscribers. The number was a bit lower when the event took place, at about 50 million, but we are sure more than a few of them needed help during this outage.
T-Mobile is making amends by paying $17.5 million USD in fees. In addition, they are taking responsibility and incorporating a compliance program to strengthen their 911 network communications.
- In particular, T-Mobile will develop and implement processes to:
- Identify risks that could result in disruptions to 911 service;
- Protect against such risks;
- Detect future 911 outages;
- Respond with remedial actions, including prompt notification to affected 911 call centers; and
- Recover from such outages on a timely basis.
T-Mobile’s prevention methods (or lack thereof) were not the single issue in this investigation. Matters worsened upon realizing the carrier hadn’t notified affected 911 call centers in a timely fashion, which is a requisite from the FCC.
The Commission has adopted a number of rules intended to ensure seamless, ubiquitous, and reliable 911 service nationwide. These rules include the obligation for wireless carriers to implement 911 routing and delivery systems to ensure that 911 calls are transmitted to the appropriate 911 emergency call centers and to notify those call centers of 911 service outages lasting longer than 30 minutes.
That’s a hefty chunk of cash t-Mobile has to fork out, though we don’t know how significant of a fee that would be for a large carrier. Regardless, seeing them improving their systems and keeping 911 accessible is golden. T-Mobile has been doing great improving their services with Uncarrier, offering deals no other carrier ever brought to the table. I am not sure I would give up 911 for all that, though.
Did any of you happen to notice these outages last year? It would be interesting to hear your take on this.
Slugterra: Dark Waters game launches on the Google Play Store
Have you ever watched Slugterra? This Canadian animated series has managed to get very popular since its 2012 launch. It’s been airing for a few years now and a new season is coming, but few of us knew the franchise’s next step was going to be mobile gaming.
Developer Apps Ministry put together a pretty fun game based on the show. Slugterra: Dark Waters is an action-packed shooting game with 13 levels, 10 unique enemies and many, many slugs.
For those who need a reminder or may not be familiar with the series, Slugterra follows a story line based on an underground world deep under our feet. This subterranean location has people, villages, amazing technology and slugs.
What are slugs? These creatures are cute little pets, but they are much more than they seem. They are also living ammo, as you can shoot them out of your blaster and use their unique abilities to protect the underground world.
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Pretty interesting, right? The game is looking to be just as fun as the cartoon, too. You would take control of the main character, Eli Shane, in order to protect the 99 caverns from Dr. Blakk. This evil character wants to gain control of the subterranean lands by giving slugs “dark water” a substance that turns them into evil weapons.
Want in on the action? You can download Slugterra: Dark Waters straight from the Google Play Store today. The game is free to play, but does offer in-app purchases to speed up your progress and upgrade your slugs. Have a blast and hit the comments to tell us how you are enjoying the new game!
SwiftKey releases new themes in anticipation for PIXELS
Most of us out there remember playing the classics like Pac-Mac, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders. Well in anticipation of the release of PIXELS, Swiftkey has released five new themes to show your excitement. While PIXELS doesn’t come out until July 24th, you can get your fix starting now on your devices.
It’s got video game aliens, a team of misfits including Adam Sandler and Peter Dinklage, and a Pac-Man that literally eats San Francisco. Who’s not excited for PIXELS, out in theaters on July 24th? Good news: you don’t have to wait any longer to get a peek at all your favorite old-school arcade characters.
SwiftKey partnered with Sony Pictures to bring these new themes to your devices, and have the following themes available:
- Donkey Kong
- Pac-Man
- Q*bert
- Centipede
- Space Invaders
No, don’t worry, you don’t have to pay for these new themes. You can either download only the themes you want, or download all five of the PIXELS themes in a pack within the theme store on your device.
Let us know in the comments below if you are excited for the release of PIXELS and what your all-time favorite games are, new or old.
Source: SwiftKey Blog
The post SwiftKey releases new themes in anticipation for PIXELS appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Speedy 50W 5-Port USB Charger
If the area around your wall outlet is beginning to look like a scene from Jumanji, it may be time to consider a neater solution. We’re all running so many wireless and battery powered devices that need nightly recharges and things don’t look like they’ll be changing anytime soon. When every member of your household has a smartphone and a tablet, space to tap into electricity can be scarce. Luckily, with the Speedy 50W 5-Port USB charger, you can wave bye-bye to all of these issues.
This Speedy Desktop USB Charger allows you to charge multiple devices, from one location, at the same time. With 50 watts of power, this unit adapts to your device specs to maximize and optimize your charging speeds. You’ll get the biggest bang for your buck and it’s completely portable. This precious little piece of power regularly sells for $30 but AndroidGuys readers take 26% off, today, and own it for just $21.99!
See more at deals.androidguys.com
The post Speedy 50W 5-Port USB Charger appeared first on AndroidGuys.
AIVAnet 
