How to get Android O on your phone right now

Having just shown it off again at I/O 2017, Google has a public beta of the next version update of Android O available for Pixel and Nexus devices.

Google typically announces the Android preview during its Google I/O developer conference held annually in May. In 2017 – for the second year running – the developer preview was made available early so many could test Android O before launch. 

• Android O: What’s the story so far?

Here are two different routes you can take: the traditional developer route and the super-friendly Android Beta Program route. Read on to find out more.

Android O: What is a public beta?

A public beta is a “work in progress” build that is released prior to a consumer rollout of the final software. Google offers the beta to collect and incorporate user feedback.

The aim is really to tease out problems with specific devices and allow developers to update apps to support O’s new features or changes, if there are any.

Android O: Public beta supported devices

In the initial phases Google is offering Android O for:

• Pixel
• Pixel XL
• Nexus 5X
• Nexus 6P
• Nexus Player 
• Pixel C

So far there’s no mention of any other handsets. Unlike last year, Google hasn’t included any non-Nexus/Pixel phones. Saying that, we wouldn’t rule out seeing another phone or two being included, particularly on the budget end of the scale, to test Android Go, the company’s version of O designed for less powerful, affordable phones. 

Android O: How can I get the public beta?

Android Beta Program

Google wants to make it as easy as possible for you to try Android O on a device, so it’s offering the Android Beta Program again this year. It allows anyone enrolled to update their Android devices to the preview and receive over-the-air updates. It’s very much like Microsoft’s Windows Insider programme.

The same beta program was used for Android Nougat and is very simple, meaning you don’t have to get involved in flashing updates or anything complicated.

Here’s how to get started:

Visit android.com/beta to sign-up to the Android Beta Program.
Sign into your Google account when prompted.
Your eligible devices will be listed on the next page, click to enrol in the Beta Program.
Updates will arrive over the air direct to your device.

That’s it, it’s so simple. We’ve managed to download and install it on one of our test Pixel XL’s already. 

Once you’re enrolled, you’ll continue to be updated to every new version of the Android O beta automatically, over-the-air. 

If you don’t want those updates, or if you decide you no longer want the beta software, you can follow the steps above, but then click to “unenroll device”.

It’s important to note that if you’ve used the Android Beta Program before and enrolled your device for the Android Nougat program, you will need to re-enroll your phone. You won’t automatically get upgraded to Android O. Follow the steps above to make sure you keep getting beta software. 

Traditional system image

The more traditional way to get the Android O developer preview is to go the system image/manual flashing route. You can download images from Google and then flash them onto your device, but it will be a fresh install, with everything erased. Here’s the site where you can download them.

• Pixel
• Pixel XL
• Nexus 5X
• Nexus Player
• Pixel C

This page details how to flash while also providing step-by-step instructions that’ll get you going.

Keep in mind flashing a system image will wipe all the information off your device, so ensure you back up important data beforehand. Also, flashing additional Android O preview images will cause more data wipes, and if go this route, you will not get automatic OTA updates like you do with the Android Beta Program (as above).

What is Android Go and why does it matter?

Google’s I/O developer conference kicked off on 17 May with the company announcing several new features and functions across its range of products from Android O to Google Home.

Among the new announcements was Android Go, a new version of Android that has been designed for lower-end smartphones. This feature is all about what Android Go is, what it will offer and why it matters.

What is Android Go?

Android Go is a lighter version of Android. It is still predominantly Android as you know it but the new software has been optimised for smartphones with lower performing processors, smaller amounts of memory and less available mobile data.

Google wants to bring the power of Android to everyone, which not only means more affordable devices but software that has been tuned to these devices. This new software has therefore been designed for entry-level smartphones with between 512MB and 1GB of RAM, such as the new Moto C.

What will Android Go offer?

Android Go focuses on three things. The first is optimising the latest release of Android, which will start with Android O, to run smoothly on budget devices. The second is a rebuilt set of Google apps, such as Google Chrome and Gboard, that will use less memory, storage space and mobile data.

The third is a new version of the Google Play store that will look the same as the Play Store you would find on Android O and feature the entire app catalogue, but it will highlight apps that use less data, storage or memory in a separate section at the top called “Optimised for your device”.

Additionally, Android Go will offer a Data Management and Savings settings feature that will allow users to see exactly how much mobile data they have left based on their plan, as well as top up their data.

The Google apps will also be smarter, with things like the data saver feature within Chrome switched on by default in the devices running Android Go. YouTube has also designed a new app called YouTube Go that will allow users to see a preview of the video they are about to watch or download, as well as select the streaming quality they want to watch and find out exactly how much mobile data it will use.

How is Android Go different to Android O?

On the surface, it doesn’t sound like Android Go will be all that different to Android O. In fact, you are unlikely to be able to tell the difference unless you look at the focus areas of the new software configuration, such as the Play Store or the data-specific features within Google apps.

In Google’s brief demonstration, it looks like third-party apps may be called things like Facebook Lite or Skype Lite within the Google Play Store, but aside from that and the data management feature in settings, your 1GB of RAM (or less) smartphone will run as any other Android device would.

Based on our understanding, Android Go is Android but with a few tweaks to ensure budget devices offer a smoother and more optimised experience based on their hardware configurations and the data limitations of some users.

Why does Android Go matter?

As we mentioned above, Google has said it wants to bring the power of Android to everyone. In order to accomplish this and deliver a good experience to all Android devices rather than just those with the flagships, such as the Pixels and Galaxy S8s of this world, the Android software needs to meet the needs of the lower-end devices too.

Some budget handsets are less able to handle heavier duty apps due to their lower memory capacities and less powerful processors. Android Go however, means that those who buy the low-end Android handsets, whether that be in developing countries or those with a lower budget, are offered a better overall experience as the software understands and adapts to the limitations of the hardware.

Ultimately, the reason Android Go matters is because it should result in a better and great user experience for all Android users at the lower end of the smartphone market, rather than just a great experience for those buying the £700 devices.

When will Android Go arrive?

Google has said that all devices with 1GB of RAM or less will get the Android Go configuration, starting with Android O. It also said that moving forward, every Android release will have an Android Go configuration.

The software giant announced the first devices with Android Go will ship in 2018.

How to pick and place an HD antenna for free HDTV

Long before cable existed, people had to use antennas to get over-the-air TV reception. Back then, antennas were spindly pairs of telescoping metal rods (affectionately known as “rabbit ears”) and getting them to work often required clever positioning, maybe a little aluminum foil, and sometimes a few interpretive dance moves.

Thankfully, modern technology has whisked antennas into the 21st century.  The most popular types today look more like a sheet of paper than a robot rabbit’s noggin, and some even come with tiny USB-powered amplifiers built right in. You’d think, then, that choosing an antenna and installing it would also benefit from modernization.

Yeah, that’s we thought, too. But when we got to evaluating various brands and styles, we learned that picking the right antenna and finding the best place to put it is still one part science and two parts Voodoo. The key to success is to manage your expectations and prepare yourself for a little trial an error. In the end, a little effort goes a long way, and we think it’s totally worth it. Here are some tips we think you’ll find helpful as you hunt down a new HD antenna and get it up and running in your home.

Get a lay of the land

You can get a general sense of where you’ll want to put your antenna by visiting Antennaweb.org. Plug in your zip code and street address, and the site shows where your local broadcast antennas are relative to your home. It also attempts to suggest what type of antenna you might need (medium multi-directional, small directional, amplified, etc.).

Picking the right antenna and finding the best place to put it is still one part science, and two parts Voodoo.

We’ve had mixed results with the antenna-type suggestion tool. For instance, at our address, a medium-sized directional antenna would appear to be the right choice. However, we’ve found we can pull in nearly every station available with a small, multi-directional antenna. If you live in or around a major metropolitan area, you may also find this to be the case.

Once you know where the broadcast antennas are, consider the geographical landscape between where you live and those towers. If there are any large, high-elevation objects within your line of sight, or if you live in a deep valley, you may find that you’ll need to place your antenna in the attic, on the roof, or even up in a tree to get solid reception. Conversely, if you live in an elevated area, you may find you can pull in great signal, even if you are far away.

If you live downtown where there are a lot of high-rise buildings, all bets are off. This is because most of the signals you pull in are going to be reflected off of other buildings, and there’s no telling where they are coming from. This doesn’t mean you can’t get reception, it just means that you may not be able to get all channels from any single antenna location.

Picking an antenna

If you’ve done any research at all, you know there are a lot of antennas to choose from. We’ve had the best results using antennas from Mohu, Winegard, Terk, HD Frequency, and Antop. In our testing, the antennas from HD Frequency  consistently came out on top. However, we prefer the style and durability of Mohu’s antennas — you’ll pay a little more, but we think it’s worth it in the end.

For those who live within 20 miles of broadcast towers, we suggest either the Moho Leaf Metro, or the HD Frequency Cable Cutter Mini. For those a little further out, the Mohu Leaf 30 and Mohu Curve 30 are excellent, as is the full-size HD Frequency Cable Cutter.

What about amplified antennas?

Amplified antennas are only a good idea if you live 50 miles or more away from broadcast towers. The amplifiers built into these antennas are great for taking weak signals and making them stronger so your TV’s tuner will recognize them and lock them in. Amps are also good for distributing a single signal out to several televisions. Amplifiers will not help pull in a signal any better, though. So if you are just barely getting a signal, an amplifier isn’t going to make that signal more stable. In fact, using an amplifier when it is not necessary can actually degrade the signal you are sending your television.

I live in the sticks. What can I use?

If you live out in the boonies, or are in a particularly precarious place, you will need to elevate your antenna, which means buying a mast, mast mount, and a long length of coax cable, and doing some climbing. How high the antenna must be mounted will depend on your situation. See anyone else around with an antenna set up? You probably need to go as high. We have had good luck with the Mohu Sky 60 in these scenarios, but you should also consider this 80-mile antenna from Antop for a kit that comes with almost everything you need to service three TVs (by tying into an existing cable distribution system .

Where do I put this thing?

This is the part where you need to embrace the practice of trial and error. There are so many factors that play into broadcast signal reception that the best place for your antenna might be the last place you’d think to put it. With that said, we do have some general guidelines to offer:

• Near the side of the residence closest to the broadcast towers — Generally, you should be better off trying to capture a direct signal rather than one reflected off your neighbor’s house.
• In a window  — The portion without the metal screen tends to work best
• High on a wall — Conventional wisdom suggests higher is better
• Behind the TV —  If you’ve got no problems pulling in reception, a tiny antenna like the Mohu Metro or HD Frequency Mini can be hidden right behind a TV. We’ve gotten better results placing the antenna toward the top of the TV rather than the bottom, where the TV’s electronics tend to live.
• Outside — Antennas like the HD Frequency models we mentioned actually look better outdoors than they do in, if you ask us. These indoor-outdoor hybrids can be tacked onto your home’s siding (see placement tip #1) and can often be tied into a home’s existing coax cable block, allowing for the signal to be split to several rooms. If you do split the signal, though, you may want to use an amplified splitter to maintain signal integrity.

Once you’ve picked a general location, or if you just want to experiment with several locations, you’ll want to connect your antenna to your TV and have it scan for channels. Based on your search at Antennaweb.org, you should know how many channels are in your area. When your TV is done scanning, it should not only tell you how many channels it has locked in, but which ones are locked in. If you see any missing channels, try a different location and re-scan. Rinse and repeat until you’ve found the best possible location.

Customize your channel list

Chances are, you are going to wind up scanning and programming  channels you have absolutely zero interest in receiving. Most TVs allow you to add or delete channels from your list manually. Make channel flipping a little easier by ditching the ones you don’t want.

That’s it! We hope this little guide has been helpful. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. We think you’ll find the picture quality you get with broadcast HD is far better than what you get from your cable or satellite company. In fact, since it is uncompressed, it will likely be the best picture you get outside of Blu-ray discs.

Did we miss anything? Got an interesting antenna-related story to tell? Be sure to let us know in the comments.

Google Home will handle your phone calls too

The Google I/O announcements didn’t skimp on the internet giant’s domestic assistant hub. Now, users can make hands-free calls on their Google Home — and so long as they’re to anyone in the US or Canada, they’ll be absolutely free. The hub recognizes your voice commands and automatically finds the right number from your contacts, but differentiates by your vocal tone, so asking to “Call mom” won’t accidentally call your significant other’s parent by mistake (and vice versa).

While Amazon announced hands-free calls for its entire Echo lineup a week ago, plus video calls with its new touchscreen Echo Show, recipients need to have an Echo device themselves (or the Alexa app installed on their phone). Google Home’s feature ostensibly makes standard calls to any phone and will use a private number by default, but users can link it to their personal one. It will roll out to Home devices in the US over the next few months.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

YouTube is bringing 360-degree videos to your TV

Google’s I/O 2017 developer conference isn’t just about its search engine getting smarter. The company has also announced that YouTube’s 360-degree videos are coming soon to TVs, expanding beyond smartphones and web browsers for the first time. “It’s not just about the size of the screen,” YouTube product manager Sarah Ali said before demoing a 360-degree video from Coachella. “It’s about giving you an experience that [traditional] TV just can’t match.”

Google says the feature will roll out in the next few months to Android TV, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as 2017 4K TVs from LG and Samsung. Once you have access to it, you’ll be able to play 360-degree videos and use a remote or game controller to pan around the environment as you’re watching. If you’ve ever checked out one of these on your smartphone, the main difference here is you won’t be swiping to get a different view — and you’ll enjoy the videos on a much, much bigger screen.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

Google Photos’ improved AI pesters you into sharing pictures

Google is adding ways to make photo sharing from Google Photos a lot easier. And guess what, it’s powered by AI. The feature is called “Suggested Share,” which will remind you to share photos and even suggest the people you should share them with. The app will have a new sharing tab, rife with all the stuff you’ve taken and then use machine learning to who you should send them to. And to ensure sharing happens regardless of recipient, Photos uses SMS to send shareable links, no app-install required for your friends.

Shared libraries are how your photos will be shared with a certain person. You can filter by a start date for sharing, sharing photos only of specific people and the recipient will be notified periodically when new photos are uploaded as well. And, perhaps most importantly, those photos will appear in your main feed, along with photos taken by your own device.

Oh! And if you want to make your own physical photo albums, you can do that from within the app as well. Google Photos’ AI is at play here as well, picking only the best images to put into the album. A softcover book will set you back $9.99, while a hardcover book will cost double that. Pre-made albums are available as well. You can order starting today and it should only take a few days for the book to arrive.

What’s more, Google Lens is coming to the app. Meaning, AI will identify the buildings your took photos of, a phone number for the business’ sign you snapped a picture of and even identifying information from a screenshot. The new Google Photos functionality will roll out on Android and iOS in the next few weeks.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

Android O adds ‘Notifications Dots’ to your app icons

If you have an Android phone, you probably live through the notification panel. The bite-sized alerts become a to-do list of sorts, summarizing which apps and messages require your attention. With Android O, Google is giving the experience a bit of a revamp. “Notification Dots” are small, circular blobs that sit on top of your app icons. They’ll only appear when you have an unread notification — long-tap and you’ll get a quick preview in the form of speech-like bubbles. You can either tap them to jump right in or drag down from the top of the screen (as normal) to get a better look.

On stage at Google I/O, Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Android, showed how this might work with Instagram. A Notification Dot appeared on his home screen, indicating that he had received a new comment. In this instance, he dismissed the alert from the notification panel, removing the “dot” in the process. Hopefully this feature is optional — while some will find it useful, we’re betting it won’t be for everyone.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

Google Play protects your Android phone against rogue apps

Your phone’s security is more important than ever, and Google knows it. The internet giant is launching Google Play Protect, a suite of services that help you secure any Android device with Play Store access. The feature scans apps for threats (including relatively new risks, thanks to machine learning) and will either keep these rogue apps off your device or remove them. It’s always updating, and its relatively high visibility (see the image above) promises greater transparency into the security of your Android gear.

Protect will also help you if the worst happens and you lose your hardware. It includes a Find My Device feature that will let you pinpoint, ring, lock down or wipe your device, including Android Wear smartwatches. This isn’t a completely novel concept (see: Find My iPhone), but having it baked into Google Play is a big deal — you won’t have to count on third-party software to track down the phone you left behind in the parking lot.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here.

Source: Google

Android O beta is available to download today

It wouldn’t be Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference, without the birth of a new version of Android, would it? 2017 sees the arrival of Android O, an operating system that’s not really about flashy, attention-grabbing features. Instead, the software is all about making the user experience much faster and easier, thanks to weirdly-named concepts like “Fluid Experiences” and “Vitals.”

Covered under the umbrella of Fluid Experiences are neat tools designed to make Android a little more seamless. There’s a picture-in-picture mode that lets smartphone users view videos and take notes at the same time. Notification Dots, too, is a more elegant way for people to find out what’s new and check out their messages.

In addition, users will be able to find new smart text selection and autofill options that use contextual clues to save you the effort of typing. Plus, Android O packs a “lite” version of Tensorflow, which is software that enables machine learning right on your device.

Vitals, meanwhile, is all about making sure that Android is more effective under the hood, which includes faster boot and app loading times. The company admits that while it does a lot of work behind the scenes on security, that effort isn’t visible to users. That’s why it’s launched Google Play Protect, that combines a raft of new security features that will protect your device from real-world and digital threats.

Several of the features shown off here today will be familiar to anyone who’s been checking out the Android O developer preview. It’s been available since March, and showed how Google was planning to improve battery life by cutting off power-intensive apps and joining up its text and machine learning platforms.

In the run up to I/O, we also learned about other features that Android O will be boasting, including a technology called “Copyless Pasting.” In addition, Google recently lifted the lid on Project Treble, which will apparently ease the pain of getting updates pushed out to various handsets.

Developers themselves had something to cheer about at the I/O keynote, too, with the news that Android O now supports the Kotlin programming language. The Android O beta is available to download from today and will be available for everyone later this year.

Much like last year, Google didn’t say — during the keynote — what the O in Android stands for, although we can probably guess. After all, what’s the almost universally-adored sweet treat that’s great anytime and goes great with a glass of milk? Onions.

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here

Android Go is streamlined for cheap phones

It’s no secret that Google has been working on improving its apps and operating system for those using less-powerful devices or unreliable connections. It’s optimized its apps to use less data and memory, but now it’s expanding its focus OS-wide. At its developer conference today, Google previewed a version of something the company has been calling Android Go, and it’s supposed to work well even on devices with less than 1GB of onboard memory. Google says Go will ship “as an experience” in 2018, which means manufacturers will potentially start making handsets with the lighter OS after that.

According to Google, “Android Go is designed with features relevant for people who have limited data connectivity and speak multiple languages.” It’s basically optimized to run smoothly on entry-level devices that are running at least Android O. This works in part by designing apps like Chrome, Gboard and YouTube Go so that they use “less memory, storage space and mobile data.”

Gboard, in particular, will make it easier to type in several different languages via transliteration. You can type the phonetic spelling of words in other languages, and the software will show you characters in the native alphabet. This targets regional markets where low-cost phones thrive, such as India and South America.

Android Go will also include a version of the Play Store that will show the entire app catalog, but it will highlight apps that have developers have finetuned for Go. Considering most budget smartphones today boast at least 2GB of RAM, the new software will likely bring Android to even cheaper devices than before. According to Google, there are already two billion monthly active devices running Android, and making it easier to install on lower-end handsets will help the company reach “the next billion users.”

For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2017, follow along here