Facebook shoves mobile web users toward the Messenger app
Remember when Facebook divorced instant messages from the main app and forced folks to download Messenger if they wanted a direct way to send quick missives while on the go? Well, the social network is doing something similar once again. Reports are floating about that people accessing their messages from the mobile web either isn’t possible or that there are a few annoying obstacles in place.
Android Authority writes that some mobile web users are getting a reminder that “Your conversations are moving to Messenger” with a near instantaneous redirect to the Google Play download page for Zuckerberg’s blue chat application. In our tests, it’s been hit or miss. I can still access everything from Chrome on iOS without any hiccups, but Android-owning coworkers experienced a couple of hurdles to get to their existing message threads — including a few bounces to Messenger. Zuckerberg and Co. are cranking the nag factor way up here for Android users.
Facebook’s motivation is pretty clear: It’s putting an awful lot of effort into Messenger and wants everyone to use it, whether the users care to or not. After all, there have been hints at ads making their way to the chat app. If there are ways to circumvent seeing those, people are going to use them. Until they’re gone, that is.
Source: Android Authority
Facebook: No, we’re not using your phone’s mic to eavesdrop
In a story that mostly proves Facebook really doesn’t manipulate what stories are popular on its service, today the company responded to a rumor that its app is listening in on users. This time around, the rumor started in an article from The Independent reporting that a communications professor from USF noticed Facebook serving ads with topics similar to stuff she’d discussed near her phone. Not surprisingly, the story spread rapidly on Facebook, and today the company responded with a statement trying to clear up the situation. As it said to Gizmodo: “Facebook does not use microphone audio to inform advertising or News Feed stories in any way. Businesses are able to serve relevant ads based on people’s interests and other demographic information, but not through audio collection.” Clear enough?
Recently FUD stories like this have spread as a result of incomprehensible terms of service wrapped in so much legalese that no one knows what they’re really agreeing to. This time however, the fuel appears to be app permissions on Android and iOS. While Facebook does list a permission to use the microphone on iOS and Android, it’s only activated when a user tries to identify something like music or a TV show.
Unfortunately, most people aren’t sure what the permissions mean — even an app like Skype with an obvious need for access has to explain it — and assume anything listed might be in use at any particular time, no matter how unlikely that is. That said, if you do want to make sure Facebook does not have access to your microphone, you can disable it on either mobile platform. On iOS, just go to settings, select Facebook, and move the slider for microphone to off, or on Android, if you look under Apps in the settings menu, find Facebook and select permissions, you should see a similar slider for the microphone.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Facebook
Microsoft Outlook has an Android Wear watch face
Microsoft Outlook made its debut on current wearables with an Apple Watch app last year, before launching an Android Wear app in April. Now Microsoft has gone a step further, by updating its app with an Android Wear watchface. Outlook users with a Wear device get details on their day’s schedule, next upcoming meeting or unread messages right on their initial screen, without needing to dive into an app or wait for a notification. If your work setup is centered around Outlook instead of Gmail, it should make dealing with scheduling and messages far easier — grab the latest update from the Play Store and sync apps on your Android watch to get the latest version.
Source: Microsoft Office Blog, Play Store
Now TiVo Bolt owners can stream TV anywhere
When I reviewed the TiVo Bolt last year I didn’t mind its odd design as much as I missed some features it lacked compared to the older Roamio DVR. Now the recently-acquired company is fixing that with a software update (the full list of changes is here) it’s rolling out that lets owners stream recordings or live TV on even when they’re away from home, and also download shows recorded from protected premium channels (like HBO or Showtime, usually) to a mobile device for offline viewing.
The choice between a Bolt and a Roamio Pro is still a tough one, especially now that the older box with more tuners (6) and storage (3TB) has added those SkipMode commercial skipping and QuickMode fast watching features that debuted on the Bolt. At least now, opting for the newer model doesn’t mean missing out on any Slingbox-like placeshifting.
Source: TiVo Blog, TiVo Support
VSCO update simplifies how you capture, edit and browse photos
Last time we heard from VSCO, the company trotted out a separate photography app for GIFs. Turning its attention back to its flagship software for snapshots, the VSCO options for both Android and iOS are set to receive a substantial update to better balance creativity and discovery. First, a retooled gesture-based UI lets you easily flip back and forth between the photography editing tools and a feed of images from the folks you follow in the app. The overall look of the interface is simplified, too.
In addition to improved image capture and search functionality, there’s a new “Find My Friends” tool as well. You’ve likely seen something similar in other apps, especially those that integrate with Facebook. The feature basically allows you to find the people you know who are also taking pictures with the VSCO app. Social features were added to the app a few updates back, and the pending updates will only build on the discovery options. New versions of both the Android and iOS app are rolling out over the next couple of weeks, but for now, you can take a look at what’s on the way via the video below.
Source: VSCO
Google Now on Tap now lets you search via image and text
Google Now on Tap has just been updated with a few significant features, especially if you’re someone who lives for Google’s image search capabilities.
The changes will now let you select certain text for specific search terms, conduct real-time image searches using the camera app, and make simple image searches, which vastly improves on what Google Now on Tap was previously capable of.
Now, rather than having to get Now on Tap to assume which search terms you actually want, you can type in the correct terms without too much trouble. For example, if you stand in front of something like a painting or a monument you can take a photo of the item in question and have Now on Tap search for it for you.
If you received the update today, you should be able to find the new feature on the Now on Tap bar, denoted by the finger icon at the bottom.
Google will add special touches to Nexus phone software
For years, Google’s Nexus devices have been synonymous with stock Android. While they may be showcases for new features, they still represent the baseline for what the platform can do. That might not last for much longer, though. CEO Sundar Pichai told guests at the Code Conference that Google will “thoughtfully add more features” to Android on Nexus phones going forward. The company will also be more “opinionated” about the design, the exec said. Third-party companies will still make the hardware, but it’s evident that rumors of Google taking greater control of the Nexus program were well-founded.
You can see the Nexus-related remarks below, starting at the 20:24 mark.
The chat also saw Pichai tackle concerns about privacy, especially for Google Home. No, you won’t have to share your voice command history with Google — there will be an “off the record” mode that doesn’t send your data. The CEO also mentioned hopes for tighter control over privacy as a whole. He imagined telling Google to forget the last 4 hours of search activity, as an example.
On top of this, Pichai was adamant that Google “want[s] to be in China” and is taking a “thoughtful” approach to making it happen. Just what that means isn’t immediately apparent, although there has been talk of Google Play and a handful of Android services coming to China. The big challenge is balancing the company’s desire for profit with its historical aversion to censorship. As much as the company hates that its services aren’t available on Android phones sold in China, it also doesn’t like having to remove apps or search terms in the name of silencing political dissent.
Via: Business Insider
Source: The Verge, Recode, YouTube
OnePlus is ditching its invite system once and for all
The worst part about OnePlus phones? Trying to buy them. All three of the company’s phones have been sold, at least initially, using an often frustrating invite system. Fans could obtain one by completing various competitions, responding to social media posts or by cajoling their friends who had already bought a OnePlus phone. But no more. With the OnePlus 3, which will be launching on June 14th, the company is killing the invite system once and for all. Fans with a OnePlus VR headset will get a head start, but then it’s fair game from 3pm ET on the OnePlus website.
OnePlus has always argued that the invite system was necessary to control demand for its phones. Co-founder Carl Pei says it stopped the company from building too many handsets, which could have sat unsold in a warehouse somewhere. Unlike Amazon, which can easily take the loss on some unwanted Fire phones, OnePlus had to be careful with its supply chain. “The invite system allowed us to scale our operations and manage our risks to help us grow more sustainably,” he explains in a forum post.
“Invites are gone forever from future OnePlus product launches.”
Two years later, much has changed. OnePlus is no longer a fledgling brand with few fans and zero reputation. It’s delivered three, mostly excellent phones and has built a strong, loyal fanbase that crave new announcements. With the OnePlus 3, the company is finally ready to sell a phone like a conventional OEM. How that will affect its image — and the hype associated with each product release — remains to be seen, however.
Source: OnePlus
Google Play will suggest neglected apps for you to uninstall
When you add an app from Google Play and space on your phone is tight, you’re often stuck wondering which of your darlings programs you should kill delete. According to Android Police, Google Play is going to help your decision-making process by offering up suggestions as to what you no longer need. When you’ve run out of on-board storage, you’ll be given a list of your least-used apps, ranked in order of weight. So, in the example, the store suggests that you wipe Google Translate or Facebook Messenger and free up some much-needed space. It’s not clear if the feature is rolling out to users worldwide or if this is a limited trial, but we’ve asked Google to let us know.
App size is increasing at a time when many mainstream phones are losing their microSD card slots, and that’s causing a headache for plenty of users. Devices from companies as diverse as OnePlus and Samsung have moved away from providing expandable storage, and last year Hugo Barra told Engadget that “SD cards will disappear.” It doesn’t hurt, of course, that manufacturers can charge a premium for built-in storage that it can’t for third-party cards. Then there’s the fact that the threat of an app being nominated for deletion might just inspire developers to start trimming the fat from their products.
Via: 9to5Google
Source: Android Police
‘Alto’s Adventure’ zen mode is built to help you relax
Alto’s Adventure is already something of a tranquil experience between its endless snowboarding and beautiful pastoral landscapes, but developer Snowman wants go even further. It’s introducing a “zen mode” to Alto that removes scores and lets you continue from wherever you crashed — all you have to do is enjoy the experience. There’s also a more relaxing soundtrack in this mode, and you’ll even get a photo tool that lets you zoom in and peek behind foreground objects that might clutter the scene.
The update will arrive on June 2nd for all iOS users. As for Android? That’s coming “soon,” Snowman promises. Alto might not be your first choice for a chillout session (a soothing album and a quiet room would be my pick), but this should help for those moments when you’re more interested in tuning out than beating your previous run.
Via: The Verge
Source: Built by Snowman
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