Google ordered to unbundle Android apps in Russia by next month
Last month, the Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service found that Google is unfairly using Android to give itself a competitive advantage and has now given Google a little over one month to comply with the agency’s demands. Come November 18th, Google will have to change the requirements that it places on its hardware partners, specifically the ones that the Russian regulator feels are unfairly restricting apps that aren’t created by Google.
Russian Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has taken a particular exception to arrangements that Google comes to with its partners with regards to pre-installed apps. By pressuring device manufacturers to pre-load a range of Google owned apps, such as Chrome, Maps and Search, along with the Play Store, but not allowing them to pre-install competing apps, third party services are being disadvantaged. Google has been ordered to amend these type of agreements and may also face a fine of 1 to 15 percent of revenue from these services.
The case arose after search rival Yandex issued a complaint against Google. The Russian search provider probably has a lot less to worry about now, as the change in rules would increase the likelihood that OEMs will include its software out of the box for regional handsets.
“To restore competition on the market, Google should amend agreements with mobile-device producers within a month and exclude the anti-competitive clauses,” – Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service
Google doesn’t appear to have any way to appeal the ruling and the company has not commented on the matter. While the decision may help out third parties, it’s not clear how this will affect important services, such as maps or email, which are linked into other Android features like Google Now.
This case is just the latest in a long list of anti-trust investigations faced by Google. The search giant is under investigation by the European Commission regarding its Android OS and pre-installed services, and is also fighting a similar anti-trust case in Europe over alleged preferential shopping search results. India has also launched its own investigation into the manipulation of search results and the FTC is pondering a case of its own.
Sony announces devices that will get Marshmallow, Xperia Z1 left out
Now that Google has opened the Marshmallow floodgates, manufacturers are beginning to detail their plans for the update to Android 6.0.
Sony, one of the better Android OEMs when it comes to updates, has revealed exactly which devices will make the jump to Marshmallow. The list is predictable, if you’ve been following Sony over the past months, with just a couple of names shining through their absence.
These are the Sony devices that will receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow, as per a company blog post:
- Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, and Xperia Z5 Premium (absolutely no surprises here)
- Xperia Z4 Tablet (not included: the Xperia Z4, which is exclusive to Japan, where updates don’t seem to be a priority for companies. Xperia Z4v? Yeah, Sony and Verizon want you to forget about that)
- Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact (again, predictable)
- Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet (released in February 2014, probably at their last major update)
- Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4 (the select few mid-rangers getting Marshmallow)
The most glaring absence here is that of the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact. Launched in September 2013 with Snapdragon 800 processors, the Z1 duo have outlived the two-year period that Google itself promises for major updates. Sony did release Android 5.1 for these devices, just last month.
It looks like the 2013 Xperia Z is also reaching its end of support line, which shouldn’t be a surprise, as Sony didn’t include it in the Android 5.1 update wave. Other devices not deemed worthy of Marshmallow include the Xperia E3, Xperia A4, Xperia T2 Ultra, and the Xperia Z Ultra.
Sony promised it would share more details on the updates “soon.” For what is worth, the post includes the standard disclaimer about timing and availability varying based on market and operator, and a rather ominous warning that some of the listed models may not get the update at all, for certain markets/operators.
Porsche Chooses CarPlay Over Android Auto Due to Google’s Data Collection Policy
Porsche has announced that its forthcoming 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S will support Apple’s CarPlay platform. According to Moto Trend (via AppleInsider), Porsche selected CarPlay over Android Auto because under the agreement of partnering with Google, certain amounts of data would have been sent to the search giant.
Some of this data would have included vehicle speed, throttle position, and engine revs, all points of information that would constantly be flowing back to Google’s headquarters each time a driver gets in the car. Comparatively, all Apple’s CarPlay requires to know is whether the car is accelerating while the system is being used.
There’s no technological reason the 991/2 doesn’t have Android Auto playing through its massively upgraded PCM system. But there is an ethical one. As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, certain pieces of data must be collected and mailed back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto. Not kosher, says Porsche.
Porsche’s reasoning behind the decision points to not wanting to share the information with Google that could include the ingredients to its “secret sauce that makes its cars special,” along with the fact that Google is reportedly building its own car at the moment. A few other vehicle manufacturers have announced support for CarPlay, but the service is just this year beginning to see a wider release despite being announced — as “iOS in the Car” — over two years ago.
Belkin Debuts ‘Charge Dock’ With First Integrated Chargers for Apple Watch and iPhone
Earlier this year, Apple expanded its Made for Apple Watch program to include Apple Watch stands with integrated chargers. Popular accessory maker Belkin has now worked with Apple to develop the an Apple Watch stand with an integrated magnetic charger, which also includes a built-in Lightning connector for charging an iPhone.
The new Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone is the very first third-party product to incorporate a Lightning connector and a charging puck for the Apple Watch, letting both an iPhone and an Apple Watch charge through the dock without the need for user-supplied cables.
Ahead of the launch of the Charge Dock, I went hands-on with it to see how it measures up to other Apple Watch and iPhone charging solutions on the market and whether it’s worth its $130 price tag.
Design
Belkin’s Charge Dock consists of an aluminum platform with a built-in Lightning connector for the iPhone and a chrome arm that houses an Apple Watch charging puck. It’s a simple, unobtrusive design that fits well into any decor, but it does only come in silver, so it’s not going to perfectly match all iPhones and Apple Watches.
The mix of a matte aluminum base and a shiny chrome arm may not be appealing to everyone, especially with the black accents on the base where the iPhone rests and the black detailing on the back of the Apple Watch stand.
Size wise, the Charge Dock is compact so it’s not going to take up too much room on a nightstand or desk. It measures in at five inches long, three inches wide, and it’s less than an inch thick. In length, it’s a bit smaller than the iPhone 6s and about an inch smaller than the iPhone 6s Plus.
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New video takes a look at Android’s Easter egg tradition
When I got my second Android phone, the Samsung Galaxy S III, it came shipped with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. I learned that there was a secret Easter egg hidden in the system. It took me some time, but I eventually discovered the Easter egg: pixel-art Androids wearing Ice Cream Sandwiches flying across the screen, Nyan Cat style.
Google has long included amusing little Easter eggs in their products, but the Easter eggs found in Android releases are some of their most well-known. Natalie and Lorraine, a duo of Google engineers who also make videos of what goes on behind-the-scenes at their workplace, take a brief look at these secret goodies and how they came to be.
They both travel to Cambridge to chat with Android Framework Engineer Dan Sandler. The first such Easter egg, in Gingerbread, was created by artist Jack Larson and contained a painting of a zombie gingerbread. Since then, Dan has been in charge of bringing these Android version Easter eggs to life, starting with the Android bee in Honeycomb.
Unfortunately, we do not get a glimpse of what Marshmallow’s Easter egg will look like, but Nat & Lo have also created a video on how the Marshmallow lawn sculpture was created.
Do you have a favorite Android Easter egg? Tell us yours at the comments below!
Source: Android Developers Blog
The post New video takes a look at Android’s Easter egg tradition appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Android 6.0 Marshmallow update begins rolling out to Android One handsets
Google began rolling out the Android 6.0 update to Nexus devices yesterday (OTA download links here) and now it seems that the Android One handset, the Spice Dream Uno, is also receiving some marshmallow goodness in the form of an Over-The-Air update.
Thanks to a screenshot posted on TechDroider.com, we can see that the Android 6.0 OTA update for the Spice Dream Uno handset is around 338MB in size, so it’s advisable to download the update via WiFi if you have a data cap. If your handset hasn’t received the update notification, just go to Settings, About Phone and select Software Updates. If the update still isn’t available, don’t worry, it’s a staggered roll-out, so it’s just a case of waiting. The update will no doubt begin rolling out to Android One handsets from other manufacturers sooner, rather than later.
If your handset has received the Android 6.0 update, let us know your experience with the new firmware, and if there are any noteworthy bugs.
Source: TechDroider
Come comment on this article: Android 6.0 Marshmallow update begins rolling out to Android One handsets
Nat and Lo make a video about “A brief history of Android easter eggs”
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Nat and Lo, otherwise known in real life as Googlers Natalie Hammel and Lorraine Yurshansky, have become the default mouthpieces for revealing what goes on behind the scenes at Google. Famously, they were there when Google unveiled the Android Marshmallow statue (and were there to prepare it too), and their latest video focuses on “A brief history of Android easter eggs”, namely, the themed animations the pop up if you keep hitting the software version number in “About Phone”. Check out the video below:
Nat and Lo’s video series makes up their “20% time” project, a famous (or infamous) mantra at Google where employees are encouraged to use 20% of their work time on other projects which further Google as a company. We like this kind of initiative as it humanizes Google a little more, rather than the robot that churns out Android software updates every 12 months, and puts faces to the easter eggs that we love claiming to know about to our less enlightened friends. Also, we won’t ruin the easter egg in Android Marshmallow either, but we have a feeling that it’s going to be very familiar. It’s Flappy Bird.
What do you think about Nat and Lo’s video about “A brief history of Android easter eggs”?
Source: YouTube via Android Police
The post Nat and Lo make a video about “A brief history of Android easter eggs” appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
T-Mobile publishes list of devices to receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow update
While Nexus owners revel in the Android 6.0 Marshmallow goodness in the form of both OTA‘s and download links, the rest of us wait to find out when, or indeed, if, our devices will ever be updated. The US carrier, T-Mobile, has published a list that consists almost entirely of flagship devices that will be updated to Android 6.0, the details of which are after the break.
T-Mobile has included the Nexus 5/6/7 and 9 models in the list, with the Marshmallow update being available for all of them except the Nexus 6, which T-Mobile has yet to approve. The delay is probably down to the carrier requesting WiFi-calling to be included in the firmware. You may notice that there are no Sony devices in the list, whatsoever. Let’s hope the Xperia Z3’s exclusion is merely an oversight and not an indication it will be marooned on Android 5.1.1 lollipop.
It’s a three-stage process, with the devices starting off in Manufacturer Development; which is where the handset makers develop the update, which then proceeds to the second-stage where T-Mobile evaluates the update. And finally, the only part that most of us care about, the third stage sees the update released to the handset.
Is your handset on the list? Let us know in the comments.
Source: T-Mobile
Come comment on this article: T-Mobile publishes list of devices to receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow update
HTC’s Jason Mackenzie says that pushing out monthly Android security updates is “unrealistic”
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There are things that people want to hear, and then there are things that people don’t – we have a feeling that this falls in the latter category. When asked whether or not HTC will be committing to monthly Android security updates as Google, LG and Samsung have, president of HTC America, Jason Mackenzie, had this to say about the matter:
@bkerensa @htc 1. Because commitment to this is not realistic. In order to push an update you have to get carrier approval.
— Jason Mackenzie (@JasonMacHTC) October 3, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Now, before you grab your pitchforks, let’s just take a step back here. It’s a well-known fact that when software updates are released by Google, the manufacturer has to take time to incorporate the fixes into their software, then it goes to the carrier who adds their own stuff, before it actually reaches all of you. Now, there are varying degrees of waiting depending on what carrier you’re with and such, but all said and told, the whole ordeal is several weeks, if not months. We definitely understand where Mackenzie is coming from, though we’re yet to see exactly how this all turns out once Samsung and LG start churning out the updates.
On the flip side, we have to question – just because it will take awhile to get through to the user, why then delay the security updates even further just so you don’t have to get as many through at once? And that’s without mentioning unlocked devices which wouldn’t have carrier bureaucracy to worry about. It would seem careless to delay presumably crucial security updates, but of course, we have to give all the manufacturers the benefit of the doubt at this point.
What do you think about Jason Mackenzie’s comments on monthly Android security updates? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post HTC’s Jason Mackenzie says that pushing out monthly Android security updates is “unrealistic” appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Enable multi-window mode in Android 6.0 Marshmallow with a bit of tinkering
Multi-Window is one of the most awesome features that has blessed larger Android devices. You will never use a smartphone the same way once you try running two apps at once, but sadly this is a feature limited to very few handsets (mostly Samsung ones). This is why the whole Android modding community went nuts when it was discovered the Android M developer preview code included this featured, hidden deep within all those ones and zeroes.
People had to tinker with the phone to enable multi-window mode in the Android M developer preview, but it was definitely possible. The real question was whether this would also be the case for Android 6.0 Marshmallow when it became available, in its full glory. It turns out multi-window works, and all you have to do is follow the very same steps you did with the Android M developer preview.
The news comes from Reddit, where Android enthusiasts shared their experiences regarding the matter, and showed images as proof of this feature working. The process is not that simple, but those who know their way around rooting, flashing custom recoveries and running ADB on a PC should be fine.
And just in case those crazy words don’t manage to scare the faint of heart, the following might. Do keep in mind that rooting, flashing recoveries and tinkering with your device may harm it or void your warranty. Go on with this at your own risk and do your research, for you may be left alone if anything happens.
With that in mind, those who choose to continue can just follow the instructions over at XDA Developer forums, where pretty much all hacking and modding goodies come from. Have any of you tried this? How is it working for you?
AIVAnet 