Google Photos will hide pics of your ex on Android
An unfortunate part of the future we live in is photos surfacing in our digital history of people we’d rather not see again. Google has a way around that with the latest update to its Photos app on Android. Now you can hide a specific person under the People tab. As the Google+ post tells it, that’ll keep the new grouped photos tool from resurfacing in those people under the “rediscover this day” tab as well. It isn’t quite the level that Lacuna, Inc. works at but, combined with Facebook’s similar tools, it could help save some heartache. It’s rolling out to folks running Mountain View’s mobile OS right now, with iOS and web updates coming “very soon.”
Source: Google Photos (G+), Google Play
Microsoft Arrow Launcher out of beta and into the Google Play Store
I happen to be a fan of what Microsoft has been putting up in the Google Play Store. This is because they are obviously not trying to imitate what is done in their own platforms, and these apps actually happen to offer unique abilities to Android users (unlike what Apple has been doing). Today the Redmond computer giant introduces a new app that some of you may actually be familiar with – Arrow Launcher.
I checked out Arrow Launcher myself back when the beta was made available, in July. The launcher is optimized for the Android experience, but it is unlike vanilla Android… or most other third-party launchers, for that matter.
The whole point of Microsoft’s customized UI is that it tries to offer a smarter experience that adapts to your own usage habits. It gets rid of all the extra fluff and tries to put all your information front and center. You will notice it really has no home screen. The UI consists of three sections: People, Apps and Notes & Reminders.
The People section unites your contacts and messaging services, so all your recent numbers, messages and email addresses will be readily available here. You can also dial your own digits or find people.
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I would say the Apps section is actually among the most interesting, as it puts together all the apps that really matter in a single place. You may not like it if you prefer your neat, alphabetically organized apps, though. And all the way to the right you can easily find a simple note and reminder section for easy task jotting.
The app was a bit less polished back when I experienced it, though. Other features include widgets, page rearrangement, a customizable dock, icon pack support and more. Some of these were already there, while others have been added in.
Want to give Arrow Launcher a try? Just go over to the Google Play Store and get installing. It’s also a free application, so you have nothing to lose.
Nintendo’s first mobile app will be Miitomo… and it’s not really a game
Earlier we told you that Nintendo would announce its first mobile game tomorrow (Oct. 29). Guess what? It’s already tomorrow in Japan, and the video game giant has announced this highly anticipated title during an investor briefing.
The new game goes by the name of Miitomo, and it’s pretty much a communication tool that uses Mii characters. It’s said to be part of an effort to get more people in touch with other Nintendo users, as they may currently be hesitant to get to know each other more. In essence, it’s a messaging app of sorts, so we wouldn’t exactly call this the “first game” from Nintendo. It’s just the first app they will be publishing.
More details will emerge as the release date comes closer. This should be soon, right? After all, Nintendo did tell us the first of their upcoming 5 titles would come this year. That’s where the bad news come. Nintendo also mentioned they won’t be launching Miitomo until March 2016. They do have an explanation for this delay, though. It seems Nintendo will need more time to appropriately promote Miitomo; the issue is they are busy promoting other apps right now.
On a brighter note, the game will be free to download and released globally. In similar fashion to most mobile games nowadays, there will be in-app purchases.
Another significant concern about these Nintendo games is that it first announced they had partnered with DeNA to build games together. This had plenty of us worried, as we suspected this might just be a simple licensing deal, but Nintendo did reassure that most of the games will be developed in-house.
Senior Managing Director Shigeru Miyamoto also states DeNA will mostly be in charge of game operations, so all these titles should still be designed by Nintendo, something that will be good news for fans.
With all that in mind, let’s just wait until next year to see what Nintendo has been buttering up for us. In the meantime, just hit the comments and share your 2 cents about Miitomo. Were you guys hoping for something more exciting? Maybe an actual game?!
Skype’s filters bring some life to your video messages
The Skype team doesn’t have it easy these days — it not only has to compete with legions of live chat apps, but also the back-and-forth video messaging of Snapchat. What’s it going to do? Fight on Snapchat’s home turf, apparently. Microsoft has released Skype updates for Android and iOS that let you add “fun” filters to your video messages, such as a creepy inverted color scheme or goofy face stretching. Yes, it comes across as trying to stay hip with what the kids are doing, but it could be helpful if your birthday greeting just isn’t festive enough. And don’t worry if you like plain vanilla videos, since there’s something new for you as well. Skype now supports 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, so you can quickly start a call or peek at a conversation.
Source: Skype
If you code Android or iOS apps, Engadget wants YOU!
While the web is where most of Engadget’s over 20 million monthly readers get their fix, we also bring the goods through our Android and iOS apps. That’s why we’re looking to hire two talented engineers in San Francisco who can help reinvent our apps and make them better than ever! You can get the full details of the position here, but know that experience in media is a huge plus, as you’ll be collaborating extensively with Engadget’s editorial team. These are full-time positions with generous benefits. If you think you’d be a good fit, drop us a note with your resumé and/or LinkedIn profile, a few work samples you’re proud of, and a quick summary of why you think you’d be a great addition to our team. We look forward to hearing from you.
Huawei hires a former Apple director to design its phone software
Huawei has been kicking up the quality of its hardware design as of late (see the Mate S and Nexus 6P as proof), but software? Not so much, unless you believe that knuckle gestures are the pinnacle of ease of use. However, it might be close to improving its reputation on that front. The Chinese mobile giant has hired former Apple creative director Abigail Brody as its chief user experience designer, which puts her in charge of interfaces for many Huawei devices. The firm is even creating a US design studio in the process, in case there was any doubt as to how serious it is about the new hire.
Via: CNBC
Source: LinkedIn
Android can record your mobile gaming sessions
Google doesn’t want YouTube Gaming to be populated solely with videos from consoles and PCs. It’s rolling out a feature in the Google Play Games app that lets you record 480p or 720p footage from any Android game that supports the Google Play framework. All you do is pick the game from the GPG app and start capturing — when you’re done, you can edit the clip before sending it YouTube’s way. You can have it record your on-camera reactions, too, if pure gameplay isn’t entertaining enough. Only US and UK gamers will have access to recording in the next few days, but more countries are coming “soon after.”
Facebook notifications tab blessed with life events, weather and relevant info
The Facebook notifications tab is great for seeing content related to you, but it’s not the best at presenting relevant information. What I mean is that so far it has simply been a list of your activity, as opposed to a smart service that goes above and beyond to find extra information you may like to see.
Some would say this is a complete waste of space, as there is much more Facebook could be doing to keep you in touch with people and your surroundings. But it seems the social network has been listening and now they are turning the notifications tab into something that reminds us a lot of Google Now.
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Starting today, the Facebook app is getting an update with a completely reworked notifications tab. This area will now include timely, relevant information such as birthdays, life events, sports scores, TV reminders based on pages you like and events.
If that’s not enough, you can also opt to receive some extra cards (yes, they call them that too!) by enabling Location History. These additional cards include events happening around your vicinity, weather information, movies playing in theaters around you and even a list of nearby businesses.
Facebook wants to make sure these new features don’t get in the way or create a shock on users (we all know how everyone gets whenever Facebook changes something!). They have made sure to keep your notification settings the same, and you can customize what you see by tapping on the arrow to the right of each card.
As usual, the update is rolling out periodically, so not all of you will be getting it right away. And it’s coming to both Android and iOS devices. Have any of you checked out the new notifications tab yet? Hit the comments and let us know what you think about it.
HTC One A9 review: Not the winner this company needs
After the year HTC has had, you almost can’t help but feel bad for them. Don’t. The Taiwanese phone maker can’t take your pity to the bank, so it sequestered itself behind closed doors and tried to build a new smartphone that would excite people the way the last-gen One M9 simply couldn’t. The end result is the One A9, a “flagship” smartphone that traded some of the One series’ signature features for a divisive design and a seemingly mid-range brain. If this were any other company, I’d have written it off already. The thing is, HTC jumped straight into the big leagues with the One M7 two years ago and I so want it to make a comeback with another brilliant smartphone. Sadly, though, the One A9 seems not to be that device.Slideshow-335127
Hands-on with Motorola’s shockingly sturdy Droid Turbo 2
Motorola’s new Droid Turbo is here, and its arrival might be a tough pill to swallow for Verizon customers who just shelled out cash for a new Moto X. After a bit of hands-on time, though, it’s clear that the Droid Turbo 2 has plenty of compromises of its own. Slideshow-335140
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