Keen followers of the new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P smartphones may have spotted references to a ‘double twist’ camera launching feature lately. Qualcomm recently mentioned the feature in a blog post about the new phones, but it turns out that the feature was dropped.
Originally, the phone camera was supposed to have a launch shortcut that could be activated by twisting the device around twice using your wrist. The shortcut was originally to be powered by Qualcomm’s Context Core, which has since been renamed to the Android Sensor Hub. Google has confirmed that this feature didn’t actually end up making the cut into the final product, instead the company opted to use a double tap of the power key to quickly launch the camera, which certainly sounds more practical.
The feature to launch the camera via double-twist of the device was replaced by double tap of the power key. The name Context Core has been changed to Android Sensor Hub. – Qualcomm
Google has not provided a detailed explanation about the decision, other than to say that it tried them both and opted for the power button option.
Perhaps it would have be nice of Google to offer users the option between the two? Fans of the double-twist feature will just have to hope that there’s a way to re-enable the feature, perhaps through a custom ROM.
There has been a rumour floating around that a redesigned Google Play Store is going to drop on us at some point in the future, and we might have gotten our first look at it today. This is all thanks to Googler Kirill Grouchnikov who is moving from the Play Store team to some other team within Google, and was somehow allowed (or not allowed) to post up sneak peaks of the redesigned Google Play Store for all of us to enjoy. Check them all out below.
As you can see, the new layout is a lot more picturesque, providing a space at the top to show featured apps, and it appears that the subtitles of the store are now going to be scrollable as opposed to always needing to hit to “More” button to see more options. Another really cool thing that it looks like Google is adding in the near future is RTL (right-to-left) support which will allow the Play Store to be shipped with Arabic translations – a huge deal for our Arabic reading and speaking friends. No word on when this redesigned Google Play Store could drop, but it’s looking pretty ready to us, so let’s hope it is released soon.
What do you think about the redesigned Google Play Store? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Google Play has jettisoned a handful of VR apps that use the word “cardboard” in their names, according to Variety. Some of the affected applications are Cardboard VNC, Cardboard Catapult and Cardboard Theater. VNC’s developer plans to rename it to “VNC Client for Cardboard,” while Theater’s maker has already changed his to “VR Theater for Cardboard.” While they still contain the word, the new names make it clearer that they’re apps intended for use with Mountain View’s inexpensive VR viewer.
The original Google Cardboard was launched during the company’s I/O event in 2014. It’s open source and anybody can make their own version, which is why Mountain View started the “Works with Cardboard” program earlier this year. The project ensures VR apps are optimized for each specific viewer. Google introduced a larger version back in May, and the DIY headset now also works with Street View. We reached out to Google to clarify why those apps were removed from the Play Store, and we’ll update you once we hear back.
If you have ever wanted to turn your old laptop into a Chromebook, that is now possible with Neverware’s CloudReady. In a partnership with Google, the software can turn almost any Mac or PC into a Chromebook.
There is a paid version, but also a free version. Both are certified to work on nearly 200 different computers, but can be used on hundreds of others too. Very easy to install, just install the OS from a USB and you’re done. You also get automatic updates.
Neverware CEO Jonathan Hefter said:
“We’re very excited to be able to offer a free version of CloudReady. This will allow users around the world to have free access to the simplicity and speed of Chromebooks, using the computers they already have.”
If you would like to try the free version for yourself, head over to neverware.com
Press Release:
NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Neverware announced the availability of a free version of CloudReady, an operating system that, in partnership with Google, turns almost any existing PC or Mac into a fully functional Chromebook.
Like the paid version of CloudReady, the free offering has been certified by Neverware on nearly 200 computer models and can be used on hundreds of others. Both versions include automatic updates and simple installation from a USB thumb drive. Since CloudReady is based on the same code that powers Chromebooks, it offers complete and secure integration with Google Apps and other Google services.
“We’re very excited to be able to offer a free version of CloudReady,” said Neverware CEO Jonathan Hefter. “This will allow users around the world to have free access to the simplicity and speed of Chromebooks, using the computers they already have.”
The paid version of CloudReady, which offers dedicated support and integration with Google’s device management console, launched in spring 2015. It has already been purchased by over 100 school districts in the United States, and CloudReady pilot programs are underway with organizations in 10 countries.
“Our teachers are amazed that they are using the same hardware – the difference in student engagement is astounding,” commented Dawn Young, Director of Educational Technology at Binghamton School district in New York. “As we move to learning environments that require increased access to technology, CloudReady has been a great way to increase our device to student ratio.”
CloudReady can be downloaded for free at neverware.com
About Neverware
Neverware is a New York-based developer of operating systems. Its flagship product, CloudReady, enables school districts and other organizations to cost effectively transform their existing hardware into simple, secure, and fast machines that can be managed right alongside Chromebooks.
Neverware recently launched a joint initiative with Google to let organizations that have never tried Chromebooks to do so, cost-free, using CloudReady. Neverware’s investors include Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst, Rethink Education, and Collaborative Fund.
Product images, case studies, company bios and additional quotes are available at:www.neverware.com/media
Please direct all enquiries to: Peter Freudenberger Email 909-957-8586
On Google+ today, Kirill Grouchnikov shared images of what will become of Google Play in a soon-to-be-released update. The upcoming facelift for the Play Store seems to focus more on graphics and less on text. Navigation will be done through more noticeable tabs with animations following the company’s own Material Design guidelines. And, as you can see above, division will occur between the content found in the Play Store. Apps and games will have their own place away while everything else offered — movies, television shows, music, books, news — is pushed into an Entertainment section.
Look! A new animation!
Google Play will also be getting its own introduction like almost every other major app from Google. It informs users that this is the place for apps, games, movies, television shows, music, books, and news.
Grouchnikov has been working on the Play Store for almost six years, a time when it was still known as the Android Market; however, his time there is over with a transition in place to go to the Android frameworks team:
“Android Market / Play Store has been my work home for the last (almost) six years. Now that I’m moving to the frameworks team, the story of Play Store will not be mine to tell – if I could even ever lay such a claim to begin with, since it’s always been a team effort, and I was the self-selected messenger of all things pixels.
In fact, the vast majority of pretty pixels I’ve posted today are not mine. I did a few minor things here and there, mostly documenting all the terrible hacks and all the awkward decisions that were made over these years.
I’m sad to leave the team after being on it for so long and seeing the product evolving along the way. I’m also very excited to have watched the evolution of the new design from the sidelines over the last [REDACTED PERIOD OF TIME WHERE NOBODY NOTICED THE NEW BITS AND PIECES IN ALL THE TEARDOWNS SERIOUSLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE CAN YOU NOT READ BETWEEN THE LINES ANYMORE].”
In honor of his work, let’s admire how far the Play Store has come:
We’d like to thank Kirill for all of his work on the Play Store and wish him the best in what’s next to come.
Reports from multiple users and media outlets are indicating that Google is preparing to ship Nexus 5X orders from the Google Store. Select orders are now “Pending” and some people are noticing that Google has charged their bank accounts.
As for my own order of the Nexus 5X, it remains in the “Processing” stage by the Google Store. My bank account, though, has been moving it on and off of a “Pending Transaction” for the last two days.
The individuals and organizations that borrowed Trekkers from Google’s loaner program have been a big help to Street View’s growth, capturing various places around the globe that you can tour online. Now, Mountain View has launched the five newest Street View locations that came out of the project, which can take you on a virtual journey across the US. You can take a tour of the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve with its ancient redwoods and meadows, or of Kansas City that takes you to the top of the Liberty Memorial Tower and to the famous Shuttlecocks installation.
Next stop is Cane Creek within the Daniel Boone National Forest, then Pennsylvania’s Ringing Rocks County Park and the Sand Castle Winery’s vineyards. Finally, you’ll now be able to soar across the waters of the Hudson River in New York. All these routes were captured by different organizations using Google’s camera-equipped backpacks. You can access them all, along with other places in the US you can explore right from your computer chair, on Street View’s website.
Google has just updated its official Translate companion application for Android, so Marshmallow users now have the facility to visually translate written text and public signs in Arabic, English and German.
This feature can be accessed by opening the app, clicking on the camera icon and positioning your smartphones camera in front of the text you want to translate. The translation will then appear on your handsets display in real-time.
To install the upgrade, simply open up the Play Store, toggle the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of the screen, select ‘My Apps’ and click on ‘Translate’, then hit the update button.
If you’re in the market for a Chromecast, aren’t too fussed about having the latest hardware and are quite happy to settle for a refurbished device, you’re in for a treat. Online discount retailer Groupon has just kicked off a sale on the first-generation Chromecast, meaning you can pick one up for just $20.
If you cast your mind back to the end of last month, you may recall that YouTube announced a brand new feature it was gearing up to bring to its mobile application, which would enable owners of Android-powered smartphones and tablets to live stream games to the service. However, at the time, no official release date was given. The new functionality was simply introduced as “coming soon”, but now it’s on its way and rolling out to users all around the world.
Here’s what YouTube had to say:
“Every day, games are played while waiting for the bus, riding the subway, or lounging on the couch—but what about live streaming your mobile gameplay? You heard it from us at the Tokyo Game Show and now it’s here to stay. You can now record and live stream mobile gameplay on-the-go directly from Android devices using Mobile Capture on YouTube Gaming.”
To install the upgrade, simply open up the Play Store, toggle the hamburger menu by swiping in from the left-hand side of the screen, select ‘My Apps’ and click on ‘YouTube Gaming’, then hit the update button. Alternatively, you can hit the link below to initiate the download on your smartphone from the Web.
If you have ever wanted to turn your old laptop into a Chromebook, that is now possible with Neverware’s CloudReady. In a partnership with Google, the software can turn almost any Mac or PC into a Chromebook.
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