Google Maps for Android lists your events, flights and reservations
Google Maps’ Play listing doesn’t quite elaborate on what’s new with the latest version, but the update’s definitely more than just a bunch of bug fixes. Android Police has discovered that the app can now mine your Gmail account for info whenever you search for these particular key phrases: my events, my flights, my reservations and my hotels. “My events” will list your Calendar entries, while the others are pretty self-explanatory. Unfortunately, these key phrases only work for the Android version of Maps at the moment — the good news is that they’re not exclusive to Mountain View’s navigation service. You can actually type those key phrases or use them as voice commands on Google search or on Google Now. So long as you’re logged into your account on a browser or a relevant app, they’ll work perfectly whatever your device or platform is.
[Image credit: Android Police]
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Google
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
Cox continues rolling out its gigabit internet to US cities
Last May, Cox Communications announced that it would join Google and AT&T in offering residential customers gigabit-fast wired internet service to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Omaha. Today the service, dubbed “G1GABLAST“, has finally arrived in Omaha and Las Vegas as well as parts of Orange County, California. “We started in Phoenix last fall, but we have not stopped there,” Cox President Pat Esser said in a statement. “We are excited to have the choice of gigabit speeds available to more customers today, and we’re adding new building projects every month.” To that end, Cox has already increased the speeds of its High Speed Internet (HSI) Essential and HSI Starter plans over the past few months and intends to similarly boost its HSI Ultimate package later this year. The company also announced that communities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Virginia will be offered gigabit speeds by this summer with Cox’s entire user base receiving the option by the end of 2016.
[Image Credit: The Associated Press]
Filed under: Internet, HD, Google, AT&T
Source: Cox Communications
Project Fi invites begin to roll out as new Google Voice information surfaces
While Project Fi was just officially announced a few weeks ago, Google has finally begun sending out invites to join its new service, according to a lucky Reddit user. We’re still patiently waiting for our invites here at Android Authority, but lucky for us, the Reddit user took screenshots of the entire setup process, revealing some interesting details on how Google plans to handle users’ Google Voice accounts with its new service.
For starters, if you’re just signing up for Project Fi with either a new phone number or a number that’s currently attached to a certain carrier, this process will be easy. Following the on-screen prompts to choose your data tier and phone number will be a breeze, according to the screenshots. But things get a little hazy when it comes to porting over your Google Voice number.
Google says that many aspects of Voice will carry over to your Project Fi service, and your Google Voice credit will be transferred to Project Fi, as well. If you choose to use your Voice number, though, there are a few important things you need to understand. Take a look at the screenshots below:
Here’s what we can tell so far: It’s looking like Google won’t let you activate a new phone number on Project Fi when you already have a Google Voice number attached to your email address. So, no matter how long you’ve had your GV number, you need to use it on Project Fi, or unfortunately, you’ll end up losing it.
We’re not entirely sure of all the details quite yet, but we’ll be certain to let you know when we get more information on the Google Voice situation. If you’re interested in checking out the rest of the setup process, take a look at the gallery attached below.
Any Google Voice users out there who were hoping to sign up for Project Fi?
The clone that won’t disappear: ‘Threes’ vs. ‘2048’ on Google Play
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Google removed the quirky puzzle game Threes from the Play store on Tuesday. Its removal was unceremonious and sudden, but that’s not exactly why Threes creator Asher Vollmer found the situation frustrating. That came down to two reasons:
- A robot informed Vollmer that his game was removed from Google Play in a cold, automated message.
- Threes was removed from Google Play because it used “2048” as a keyword — and 2048 is a blatant, known clone of Threes.
Google — probably a human there, not a robot — reinstated Threes after just a few hours offline and following a stream of articles and Twitter activity around its removal. Of course, 2048 remained live on Google Play the entire time, alongside a bunch of other Threes clones. This string of events highlights one of the biggest differences between Google and Apple, and how they approach their app stores. “Apple’s policies are preventative and Google’s policies are retroactive,” Vollmer says. “You can probably figure out which one I prefer.”
Vollmer spoke with a few of his Android developer friends during the Threes blackout and they said his situation was fairly common.
“Google has bots that crawl over their store and look for instances of ‘keyword stuffing’ and then automatically take down the app,” Vollmer explains. “You then have to appeal to get the app back on the store, which can take two to three days. On the Apple app store every app goes through an approval process for a few weeks before it shows up on the store. On Google Play you can publish a game instantly, but you are at risk of Google pulling it at any moment.”
Vollmer has tried to fight against the wave of Threes clones, which popped up at a ridiculous rate starting just 21 days after the original game’s release. Threes took 14 months and more than 500 emails between Vollmer and artist Greg Wohlwend to plan and perfect, and these games took the idea and ran with it, often with a price tag of “free.” Threes, on the other hand, costs $1.99. At first, the developers tried to get rid of the clones whack-a-mole style — and then 2048 showed up.
“There was technically nothing wrong with it,” Vollmer says. “It didn’t steal our art or our name and the creator of the web version was so far removed from the game scene that he had never even heard of Threes. He cloned a clone without knowing.”
Google Play has taken Threes off the store because we used “2048” as a search keyword 😡
– Asher Vollmer (@AsherVo) May 5, 2015
The studio behind 2048 is a notorious clone-making machine, and it’s able to stay in business because it’s not technically breaking any rules.
“My copyright on Threes only covers the look and feel of the game, and 2048 looks very different,” Vollmer says. “My trademark only covers the icon and name, and 2048 has neither. My only hope of legal action would be to patent the game mechanics, which I will never do for a thousand different reasons. All I can do is treat 2048 like a healthy competitor — one that wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for me.”
According to Google Play, Threes has been installed 100,000 to 500,000 times, while 2048 has been installed 10 million to 50 million times.
Clearly, today, Threes was placed on the Google Play support fast-track once people there realized the mistake. This saved Vollmer a few days of not only inactivity, but of potential customers being directed to clones of his game. It was a mistake and at least it was handled quickly, but Google Play’s “publish now, pull later” philosophy remains. The Apple app store has its own issues as well, including oversaturation and pricing standards that feel like a race to the bottom. However, with the ironic removal of Threes, the oddity of Google Play’s app policies are currently on full display.
“I want Google to rely on humans and not on robots to make these decisions,” Vollmer says. “I want Google Play to at least issue warnings before they take these kinds of actions…. This was a completely tone-deaf move.”
Android 5.0.2 factory images arrive for the Nexus 9 Wi-Fi and LTE
Following the discouraging reports from earlier today, Google has just released Android 5.0.2 factory images for the Nexus 9. Bearing build number LRX22L, the factory images are now available for both Wi-Fi and LTE variants of the tablet.
As we reported earlier today, Android 5.0.2 is just now rolling out to the Nexus 9, one of Google’s most recent devices. Even the Nexus 7 (2012) and Nexus 10 received an update to the most recent version available, Android 5.1.1. We’re not sure exactly why Google is doing so poorly on updating this tablet, but at least Nexus 9 owners are getting an update that will squash a few bugs. Try to stay positive, everybody!
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If you’re interested in sideloading the update before you get the OTA, feel free to download the factory images by following the links below. If you aren’t sure how to flash a factory image, be sure to check out our walkthrough. While the guide was designed for Android 5.0 Lollipop, the same overall process should apply. Just remember that things can go wrong, so be sure to flash at your own risk.
Android developers will get to experiment with app prices
When you make a mobile app, you usually have to find out the hard way what will sell. You can’t fiddle with pricing for just a few people, for instance. All that could change very shortly in the Android world, however. Sources for The Information claim that Google is introducing a feature that lets Android developers try different versions of the same Google Play Store page. You could not only see different previews of the app, but different pricing — the creator could charge you $2 for that hot new game, but ask $3 from others to see if they’ll accept higher pricing.
The move could be slightly frustrating if you realize that you just paid more than someone else for the same title, but it could go a long way toward encouraging Android developers to stay aboard. They’d find out if they’re charging a fair price, and whether or not their marketing is effective in a given country. Google hasn’t confirmed that it’s going this route, but you may discover the truth soon enough given that the search firm is reportedly announcing the feature at its I/O conference later this month.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile, Google
Source: The Information
Snowden documents reveal how the NSA searches voice calls
The Intercept has released a new document from Edward Snowden’s cache of government files describing how the NSA has been converting voice calls to searchable text documents for nearly a decade. The NSA has long monitored signals intelligence (SIGNIT) around the world (as is its primary function), especially in active combat zones like Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in Latin America. Traditionally, this sort of data gathering required that a live operator listen in on calls and translate them in real-time. However, the NSA has reportedly developed what it calls “Google for Voice”; an automated system that provides a rough but keyword searchable transcription. According to the documents, the NSA has also developed analytical programs and sophisticated algorithms to flag conversations for human review.
What’s more, these do so on an automated and industrial scale, allowing the NSA to monitor larger amounts of the total SIGNIT traffic within a given region. Granted, these transcriptions aren’t perfect — they’re pretty rough in fact — but as NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake explained to The Intercept, “But even if it’s not 100 percent, I can still get a lot more information. It’s far more accessible. I can search against it. The breakthrough was being able to do it on a vast scale.”
[Image Credit: Getty]
Source: Firstlook
Download and manually install Android 5.1.1 on the Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi, Nexus 7 (2012) Wi-Fi, and Nexus 10
Google began pushing the Android 5.1.1 update to the Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi, Nexus 7 (2012) Wi-Fi, and Nexus 10 about a week or so ago. We know that it takes a while for the update to hit all devices, and you’re probably waiting patiently tapping on “Check for Updates.” I mean impatiently!!
There is no reason to wait any longer because you can download the actual over-the-air update straight from Google and manually install it yourself. If you already know what you’re doing, just grab your download(s) from one of the links below. If not, be sure to hit up our very extensive guide on how to do it. You will be surprised at how easy it is to do, and you there is no need to lose your data.
Nexus 7 (2013) WiFi (razor) From LMY47O to LMY47V (5.1.1)
Nexus 7 (2012) WiFi (nakasi) From LMY47D to LMY47V (5.1.1)
Nexus 10 (mantaray) from LMY47D to LRY47V (5.1.1)
Come comment on this article: Download and manually install Android 5.1.1 on the Nexus 7 (2013) Wi-Fi, Nexus 7 (2012) Wi-Fi, and Nexus 10
What’s in Town Android app review
I travel a lot so often resort to apps with points of interest to determine my surroundings, and What’s in Town is an app with a difference that aims to provide information about not only the standard shopping and eating places, but also historic locations.
The user interface is incredibly straight forward and easy just to pick up and use. It’s this particular point which is one of What’s in Town’s strength – I don’t want to have to sit and try and figure out how an app works; I want to open it, see what’s around me, and go and this app does just that.
The different types of points of interest are colour coded and you’re able to filter on the type of location depending on your preference.
The points of interest are designation on the map that when clicked display additional information. The historic landmarks, for example, popup a Wikipedia page to give more information on that monument. What’s in Town also allows you to search for a specific landmark and search for locations within a certain radius of your location.
The database seems to be constantly updated with new points of interest appearing regularly.
Current towns in the app include:
Abingdon-on-Thames, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Aylesbury, Bedford, Beverley, Cambridge, Carlisle, Cumbria, Chelmsford, Chester, Chichester, Derby, Dorchester, Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Guildford, Hereford, Hertford, Huntingdon, Ipswich, Lancaster, Leicester, Lewes, Lincoln, Maidstone, Matlock, Morpeth, Newport, Northallerton, Northampton, Norwich, Nottingham, Oakham, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Taunton, Trowbridge, Truro, Wakefield, Winchester, Worcester, York.
What’s in Town is a great start to a great idea and if the developer keeps the information expanding then this is a must-have app for anyone interested in historic landmarks around the UK, as well as the regular shopping and eating locations.
The app is available for free from the Google Play Store, and is supported by in-app purchases.
The post What’s in Town Android app review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
While everyone else moves towards 5.1.1, Nexus 9 finally gets an update to Android 5.0.2
Considering it’s the latest Nexus tablet on the market, one would expect the Nexus 9 to be treated as a high priority when it comes to rolling out new software updates. Unfortunately, that’s far from the case. The Nexus 9 is the only current member of the Nexus family that doesn’t have factory images for at least Android 5.1, and the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 even recently received updates to Android 5.1.1.
So when will the Nexus 9 finally move past Android 5.0.1? The answer is today, as a new OTA update is arriving that bumps the software up to… Android 5.0.2. That’s right, while everyone else is preparing for a move to Android 5.1.1, the Nexus 9 is getting a very minor bug fix (a meager 23.3MB file).
So what’s going on here? We can’t say for sure why Google is being so slow to upgrade the Nexus 9 to the latest version of Android, we can only speculate that something with the hardware maybe causing trouble and Google doesn’t want to push out an update until they get everything running smoothly. Here’s to hoping that Android 5.0.2 update was a necessary one in order to push out 5.1.x, and that it won’t be long before the Nexus 9 catches up with its Nexus brethren.
Nexus 9 owners, are you okay with being stuck on 5.0.x for now, or is this unacceptable? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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