Recommended Reading: NFL player turns mercenary in ‘Call of Duty’
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you’ll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.
‘The Whole Game is Beast Mode’
by Sam Alipour
ESPN The Magazine
Kevin Spacey temporarily shelved his presidential persona to play a private military contractor in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. For this year’s title, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch hung up his cleats to play a mercenary in Call of Duty: Black Ops III. ESPN The Magazine has a behind-the-scenes look at the process, from motion capture to facial scans required to construct the digital version of the NFL player.
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It’s Official: Everyone Has the Same Plan for Tech’s Future Did a lot of Apple’s WWDC keynote sound familiar? The folks in Cupertino announced a collection of items that have already been done before by another company, whether it’s Google, Microsoft or others. Are companies just borrowing ideas now? |
The Day I Learned to Stop Hating Laptop DJs Have you wondered what a traditional turntable DJ thinks of folks who prefer to do their scratching with a laptop? DJ Rob Swift discusses his initial reaction and how he came to realize that the modern setup is nothing more than a tool. |
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Moog Music Gives Employees More Control Moog Music’s small size and workshop-like atmosphere are two things I’ve always loved about the company. This week, owner and chief executive Michael Adams told employees he was selling half of the company… to them. |
The Unkillable Demon King A 19-year-old League of Legends juggernaut can kill more than half of an opposing team in under 40 seconds. ESPN’s Mina Kimes takes a look at how Lee Sang-hyeok (better known at Faker) rose to superstar status. |
[Image credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]
Filed under: Gaming
Google introduces ‘Free App of the Week’
We have seen several applications in the Google Play Store that claim to offer ‘Free App of the Day’. Third party Amazon Appstore itself offers a free app of the day, but never before have we seen any such remotely possible scheme in the Google Play Store.
At Google I/O 2015, Google talked about a new Family section that they have added in the Play Store. It contains kid friendly Android apps that the whole family can enjoy. A few hours back when we checked on the Family section, we noticed that Google has put a banner offering ‘Free App of the Week’.
Daniel Tiger Grr-ific Feelings is the first ‘Free App of the Week’ that is being offered in the Google Play Store. The Android app which normally costs $2.99 is currently free for this week in the Play Store. On directing yourself to the Family section in the Play Store, you will see a big banner touting ‘Free App of the Week’. Clicking on that banner will result in a pop-up which will show you the current ‘Free App of the Week’, which you can download by clicking the download button there.
The offer can only be availed by clicking the banner, for if you go the application page of the app being offered for free it will still show its normal price.
Google has never before applied this type of scheme in the Play Store and it comes as a good promotional strategy for developers as their apps will be featured on the Play Store for a week if they offer it for free. This also benefits the users as who doesn’t love a free app?
In the end, since the ‘Free App of the Week’ exists in the Family section of the Play Store, we cannot expect apps and games that exist out of this section to be free under this offer. Check the link below to download the ‘Free App of the Week’ and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Google introduces ‘Free App of the Week’ appeared first on AndroidGuys.
France gives Google 15-day ultimatum against privacy violation
A French privacy watchdog, the CNIL, has given an ultimatum to Google to extend the European “right to be forgotten” regulations worldwide or be ready to face sanctions.
“If Google Inc does not comply with the formal notice within the fifteen days the President will be in position to nominate a Rapporteur to draft a report recommending to the CNIL Select Committee (the Committee in charge of imposing sanctions in case of violation of the French data protection law) to impose a sanction to the company,” the CNIL notice reads.
In 2014, the European Union had passed the right to delisting that allowed individuals to request search engines to remove results that get generated upon entering their names or credentials. The search engines were then required to review the requests and grant them if found legitimate.
The CNIL found that Google has merely been removing links from appearing in European search results, while they were still available on the global site in a clear violation to the ruling passed by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
While the search engine giant may have ruffled some feathers it data protection domain, it maintains that it has always been complying to the law of the land.
Google released the following statement:
“We’ve been working hard to strike the right balance in implementing the European Court’s ruling, co-operating closely with data protection authorities. The ruling focused on services directed to European users, and that’s the approach we are taking in complying with it.”
Come comment on this article: France gives Google 15-day ultimatum against privacy violation
Google puts Twitch on notice with launch of YouTube Gaming
For awhile, the rumor was that Google would buy Twitch. That didn’t happen (Amazon did that instead), but that doesn’t mean it’s given up on gaming. Today at an event held in YouTube Space LA, the company is taking the wrapper off its very own video game-centric effort called, appropriately enough, YouTube Gaming. It’s both an app and a website and is designed to put YouTube’s gaming content front and center. More than 25,000 games will have their own dedicated page and each page will feature videos and live streams related to that particular title. And if you’re really into, say, The Witcher 3, you can add that game into your “collection” to keep up on the latest videos.
Aside from those dedicated title pages, you can also subscribe to channels from game publishers and indie YouTube creators. Once you’ve subscribed to a few channels and pages, YouTube will offer up recommendations based on the stuff you like. And, of course, searching within YouTube Gaming will bring up results that are specifically gaming-related (“Mine” will bring up Minecraft and not that Taylor Swift song, for example).
Just like Twitch, live streams will a big deal for YouTube Gaming. Indeed, it’s the first thing you’ll see when you launch the app or the website. An essential part of this equation is to make live streaming on YouTube appealing to gamers who want to broadcast their gameplay. YouTube says it offers features like high frame rate streaming at 60fps, a DVR function and it’ll automatically convert that live stream to a YouTube video. It’s also redesigning its Live broadcasting system so that you don’t have to schedule an event ahead of time and you’ll be able to share a link to all your streams.
The comparison with Twitch is obvious here, but it’s not like YouTube doesn’t have its own dedicated gaming userbase. “Let’s Play” YouTubers like PewDiePie are insanely popular in their own respective YouTube channels, some with millions of subscribers. But with YouTube Gaming, the online video giant is putting Twitch squarely in its crosshairs, with the hopes of drawing even more gameplay broadcasters to its side. Twitch certainly has the headstart here, but YouTube’s sheer clout might make up for it. YouTube Gaming will be available later this summer in the US and the UK.
Source: YouTube
Despite slow start, Google plans to stick with Android One
India is one of the largest emerging markets for smartphones on the planet and the potential there is a big reason so many manufacturers have specific strategies for India. One of those companies is Google which introduced the Android One standard as a way to help manufacturers get devices into the market quickly and at a price point that will be successful. However, the lofty goals of the program have not yet lived up to the promise with less than a million units sold. In a recent interview, Google’s Ceasar Sengupta says the company is not planning to back out on the project and is actually looking for ways to enhance it for future success.
In an interview with The Economic Times, Sengupta says Google is “not backing away from the program.” They have actually expanded to seven countries and continue to work with about 20 OEMs to produce devices for those markets. Sengupta also said Google wants to be “a catalyst and move the overall Android ecosystem forward in a way that helps and benefits users.” That may mean focusing on measures other than volume and not getting caught up in a release schedule in India that saw 1200 new devices launched last year.
One specific issue that Google did identify with the Android One program is the need to expand sales channels. The initial launch of Android One devices saw a distinct lack of retail sales locations for the devices as partners focused on on-line sales channels. Google has realized that was a mistake and that they need to be sure to work in the future to ensure Android One devices are “truly available everywhere.”
Another challenge that has surfaced in the Indian market for Android One is connectivity issues. That has translated into some benefits on a broader level though as Google has had to look at products like YouTube offline and Maps offline. Google is also finding pricing and the ability to tap into consumers with little disposable income is a challenge.
source: The Economic Times
Come comment on this article: Despite slow start, Google plans to stick with Android One
Google brings subtle changes with latest Google+ app update
As we’ve covered numerous times here at AndroidGuys, Google has been quite busy over the last few weeks. From Google I/O and Android M to adding features such as Location Aware Search to the Google application. It’s almost like the teams over at Google don’t sleep because there is a new update rolling out to the Google+ application.
This update is filled with minor improvements and bug fixes, however there is one noticeable feature that is now missing. At Google I/O 2015, Google announced the separation of Google Photos from Google+. Well with this updated app, the option to have your pictures automatically back up, is gone forever. Maybe not forever, but probably.
Also included in this newest update is a change to to the Floating Action Button that’s found everywhere within Google+. The FAB allows users to quickly create a post from wherever they are within the application. Normally, the FAB is red all the time, but now, if you’re browsing a community, the FAB turns grey.
The final major/minor change made with this update is the addition of a loading spinner. Previously, when Google+ was working on loading a specific page, the page itself would just go blank as the network tried to load everything up. Now there is a loading spinner that pops up and gives you a better idea of how long before the page is loaded up.
This isn’t a feature packed update, and is pretty uneventful in terms of other updates, but we thought that you should know about it due to the removal of the auto-backup feature from within the Google+ app.
The post Google brings subtle changes with latest Google+ app update appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google discusses privacy and permissions within Android apps
Privacy and security are big issues for consumers lately, especially when it comes to technology. It’s such an important topic that during Apple’s keynote last week, they used privacy as a selling point for their products. Staying in control of your data and information is invaluable to customers now, and companies are striving to make sure their users stay in control of those things.
With Apple making such a huge push in the direction of privacy, that puts eyes on Google to see what they’re planning on doing to help out on the security front. A Google executive recently sat down to discuss some of what goes into managing user info, especially when it comes to apps on a smartphone, and why it took the company so long to get things to where they are now.
With Android M, Google has implemented a useful new feature that lets users pick and choose which permissions apps get upon installation. If you don’t think that new game should have access to your microphone and photo gallery (and it probably shouldn’t) you don’t have to allow it those specific permissions. Currently, you have the option to install the app with all of its permissions, or just don’t install the app. Not an ideal solution.
If we back up a bit to the Jelly Bean days of Android, you might remember when an “app ops” setting was uncovered that set the foundation for this new privacy feature. App ops let users pick and choose and revoke permissions for apps, and although the feature was a little half-baked at the time, it was never designed for public use at the time. Google hadn’t planned far enough ahead to figure out what would happen when you revoked a camera app’s permission to access your camera, for instance. Android’s APIs weren’t set up to handle those kinds of exceptions, which would likely cause lots of crashes and errors within apps.
Those APIs are changing in Android M, so users can selectively allow permissions to different apps, and the apps won’t break when they’re missing a permission they were expecting. The caveat here is that developers aren’t required to use these new tools, but they are if they want to use the newer developer tools that Android M brings. Google is hoping that’s enough of a selling point to bring most developers across the line.
These new APIs are part of the reason why it’s taken Google so long to implement the feature. Finding a balance that keeps developers and users happy has obviously taken some time, but it looks like the solution is finally ready for primetime later this year.
source: The Guardian
Come comment on this article: Google discusses privacy and permissions within Android apps
Android head explains reasoning behind new permission system
One of the most radical changes coming in Android M is a new way to handle permissions for Android apps. Google is finally giving users control over the specific permissions they want to grant to an app, moving away from the current model, where permissions are granted in bulk before the app is installed.
Talking to the Guardian, Google’s head of engineering for Android and Chrome Hiroshi Lockheimer explained why it took so long for the company to change course when it comes to permissions.
First up, Lockheimer clarified why Google released and then quickly pulled App ops, a feature present in Android 4.3 that allowed users to revoke permissions of installed apps.
Applications on Android were not built with the notion that certain functionality could be turned off behind their backs
“Applications on Android, starting in 2008, were not built with the notion that certain functionality could be turned off behind their backs,” said Lockheimer. “App ops was launched somewhat out of context; we really needed to solve the whole story, not just launch App ops without moving apps from install time to run time permission requests.”
Google removed access to App ops in Android 4.4.2, in December 2013.
The jump to Android M (or rather the new corresponding SDK version) gave Google the opportunity to initiate a controlled transfer over to the new system, where users are asked to grant individual permissions when they are needed while running an app.
“We’re starting in M, because every time we have a major release we can change these things, and we were able to modify and create new application programming interfaces (API) to handle it,” said Lockheimer.
Only apps designed to work with the Android M SDK (API level 23) will use the new permission system. App developers can stick to the old system, as long as they target API level 22 (Android 5.1) or earlier. However, if they want to take advantage of the new features supported by Android M and future versions, devs will have to adopt the new system. Google hopes this will be a strong-enough incentive to nudge the ecosystem towards the new permission model.
Hiroshi Lockheimer hopes that the new permission philosophy will help break what he called the “finger memory.” Let’s face it, right now most of us just click Accept without really going through the list of permissions that an app requests.
Developers will have to find thoughtful ways to explain why they need permissions for their apps, as well as account for what happens when a permission is denied. But what happens to older apps, designed for Android pre-M? This video from Google I/O explains that users will still be able to revoke permissions of these apps in Android M. In this case, apps will be fed blank data, which means they won’t break, and instead they will just show empty objects – for instance, if you deny Hangouts access to your camera, when you fire up a video chat, the app will show a blank screen instead of the camera feed.
This compromise gets the job done, but it may cause a lot of confusion for some users. Still, it’s a sacrifice Google is willing to make in order to ensure a reasonable level of consistency.
What do you think of the new Android M permission system? Is the right step or were you fine with the old way of handling permissions?
Google can tell you which Android phone you should buy
The sheer variety of Android devices out there means that it’s hard to know which one best serves your needs. That’s what we’re here for, but if you’d prefer not to take the advice of technology reviewers, then Google is now offering a second opinion. The company has launched Which Phone, a website that asks you a handful of questions to narrow down which device you should purchase.
Would-be Android owners are asked which three things they do with their phone most often, from a list that includes the obvious things like Photos or Social Media through to Staying Fit and, uhm, “Expressing My Style.” When you’ve gone through each one, you’ll be asked how much time you spend on each activity and which American carrier you’d prefer to use. When that’s done, you’ll be offered up a trio or more of suggested devices.
Interestingly, we ran through the site several times, decreasing our requirements each time, until we were just asking for a device that could handle phone calls, texts and playing music. Despite this, the service only offered up a list of flagships like the Galaxy Note Edge, HTC One M9 and LG’s G4. That’s because you’ll only be suggested lower-end models if you specifically select the low-cost tab on that final page. Still, seems like a bit of an oversight, since at first blush it looks as if only the very best phone would suit your needs.
Filed under: Cellphones, Google
Via: XDA, VentureBeat
Source: Google
France tells Google: expand ‘right to be forgotten’ globally, or else
It’s been a tough year for Google, especially after it was told it must delist search results as part of the so-called “right to be forgotten” ruling. In that time, the company has vetted each individual request, throwing more than half of them out, but also getting some of its decisions wrong. CNIL, the French privacy watchdog, also takes exception with Google’s judgement, but is more worried that when it does carry out a delisting, links are only removed from Google results in Europe. The regulator today announced it’s giving the search giant 15 days to make them apply globally or face sanctions.
CNIL says that according to the European Court of Justice, Google must remove links “on all extensions of the search engine and that the service provided by Google search constitutes a single processing.” Google, however, believes it’s doing exactly what is asked of it: “We’ve been working hard to strike the right balance in implementing the European Court’s ruling, co-operating closely with data protection authorities. The ruling focused on services directed to European users, and that’s the approach we are taking in complying with it.”
Right now, the regulator’s demands serve only a notice, but if that period expires without any action on Google’s part, CNIL will seek to draft a report asking the CNIL Select Committee to establish a formal judgement against the company. This would likely come in the form of a fine, something Google is familiar with following previous privacy rulings in France and in Europe. CNIL threatened to take action last month, but is only now acting upon it.
[Image Credit: Shutterstock]
Source: CNIL
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