Nexus 10 getting updated to Android 5.1.1
The Google Nexus 10 is possibly the longest supported Nexus device in recent memory. The tablet has been one of the first Nexus tablets to receive the latest updates, despite the fact that it’s over two years old in the tablet industry now. And now, Google has reiterated that yet again by rolling out the Android 5.1.1 update to the device.
As of now, only the Google Nexus Player is running Android 5.1.1, although a T-Mobile Galaxy S6 Edge user was claiming to have received the Android 5.1.1 update yesterday.
The update on the Nexus 10 should bring the build number LMY47V and probably won’t carry a lot of other changes. It’s a measly 13.9MB in size, so it shouldn’t take long to install. Don’t expect any fancy changes on board here as it’s only a minor bug fixing update.
Owners of the Nexus 10, are you seeing this update on your tablets yet? Sound off below.
Via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Nexus 10 getting updated to Android 5.1.1
Deal: Pick up a Nexus Player for $70 through Amazon, $20 of Google Play credit included
If you’re looking for a convenient way to stream movies, TV shows and games to your television, Amazon may have a great deal for you. From now until Sunday, May 3rd, you can pick up a brand new Nexus Player for just under $70 from Amazon and receive $20 of Google Play credit with your purchase. So not only do you receive a $20 discount on the Nexus Player, but you also get $20 to spend on whatever you’d like in the Play Store, whether that be movies, shows or games.
Read more: Best Media Streamers
Buying the Nexus Player from Amazon for this price will only get you the system and the remote, not the controller. So if you’d like to pick up a Gamepad for your new system, the Google Store is selling them for $39.99 (~$5 cheaper than what they cost on Amazon).
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Considering that the Nexus Player has yet to see many discounts or promotions since its launch, this is one heck of a deal. If you’re interested, be sure to head to the deal link below before time runs out!
Android customization – how to set up two-factor authentication on your Google account
Did you get the chance to follow along our Android customization series for the last few weeks? We covered the Android SDK developer tool ADB. While designed for, well, developers, it is actually a solid tool for file transfers, installing apps from your PC, taking screen recording and even for hunting down rogue battery killer apps on your device.
This week we shift gears, we would like to look at device security, or rather, securing your entire Google account using Google Authenticator.
Before we begin
You will need an Android device and your PC to follow along today. Make sure you know your Google account password and are prepared for your Google Account to log out of all of your devices, be they Android phones, other smartphones, computers, TVs and more.
I should be more specific, the Android device you need today should be your own personal device, and it should be secured itself with a PIN, pattern or passphrase.
Finally, if you do not have it already, you will need a copy of Google Authenticator, which is free in the Google Play Store.
Google Authenticator
Google Authenticator is more than just a fleeting application, this tool turns your Android device into the master key to your entire Google experience. The premise is simple enough, Google Authenticator uses what we call two-factor authentication. In this implementation, you will sign into your PC, for example, with your standard Google email and password, but before you can continue to access your account, you will need to enter an additional access number, as provided by Google Authenticator on your Android device.
Once again, the moment you activate Google Authenticator, your Google Account will log out, or lock up, absolutely everywhere you have it signed in. Your home or work computers, all of your smartphones and tablets and more. Make sure you know your password, and can trust that your Android device with Authenticator installed is reliable and can always be connected to the internet to get you your access codes.
Set up two-factor authentication on your Google Account
Part 1: Enable two-factor on your PC
Once you have Google Authenticator installed on your device, but before you fire up the app, sit at your PC and head over to your Google Account at https://myaccount.google.com/
Your Google Account Settings page is absolutely full of great security tools and measures that you should be familiar with, do at least take the Security Checkup at the top of the page, if you have not already.
Scroll down a little way, look for 2-step verification and click into it.
Click Start Setup.
Enter a valid mobile phone number. This does not exactly have to be your phone that you are setting up Authenticator on, it will be used as a backup to Authenticator if anything goes wrong. Tap Send code and take this opportunity to time your provider, to see how long it takes them to process an SMS message. If your patience is stretched too thin, go ahead and use the Voice Call feature.
In step 2, you will enter the provided code.
In step 3, you are asked if you wish to use this computer as a Trusted computer. We are not talking about by-passing the two-factor authentication here. This will establish this computer as a backup to your phone and to the above provided phone number, if you lose them, you can use this PC to access your account.
Finally, in step 4, you will need to verify that you wish to go through with this setup. Trust me, you can very easily turn it all back off later, if you don’t like how it all works.
Part 2: Log into your Android device with the new credentials
As mentioned, you will now need to log back into all of your phones, computers and more that use your Google Account. You can tap Reconnect my apps to get on that, but I think it is easier to just head to the phone first.
Do not close your Google Account on your computer yet, but pick up your Android phone to continue.
Your Android device will be going a little crazy on you now. Your Google Account is unable to connect, but don’t worry, just tap on the error notification and follow the instructions.
For this first device, you will enter your Google Account password, which will fail, and then you’ll be asked to use a web login, just hit next to continue.
Enter your password again, then you’ll be directed to the two-factor verification page, in which you are going to need to enter a 6 digit numeric code. Google is going to send an SMS, or phone you with the code.
Enter the verification code.
Check off the box that asks if you want to trust this device in the future. If you do not turn on Don’t ask for codes again on this computer, you will need to go through all this again and again.
Finally, tap Verify.
Good news, your Google Account is configured and your Android device is Verified. Only one last step remains, to configure Google Authenticator so that you can setup all of your other devices.
Part 3: Install and configure Google Authenticator on your Android device
Head back to your computer. Head back into the Two-factor Authentication section, if it bumped you out.
You will see that your current Primary method of receiving codes is your phone number, just below that is the option to enable the mobile app instead. Tap Switch to app.
I presume you are on Android, but as you can see, a few other mobile operating systems are also supported. Choose Android and hit Continue.
Open the Google Authenticator app on your Android device.
Tap Begin setup to, well, begin set up.
If so equipped, use your Android device to scan the QR code on your computer screen. There is a link right there to help you if you cannot scan codes.
Once the QR code is scanned, it will provide a verification code, enter that into your computer and hit Verify and Save.
In the words of the app on your device, You’re all set!
What’s next
Are you still with me? That was a bit crazy, but now comes the hard part – I am sure I mentioned that you will now need to have your Android device with you everywhere you go and try to log into your account. Let the process begin.
As you log into your devices, computers and more, take careful note of which ones you choose to trust implicitly by selecting the Do not ask for a code again on this computer option. Yes, you will still need to have your password to access the devices, so you are still covered there, you just won’t be asked for the second layer of security on those machines.
Using the Google Authenticator app is really easy, simply open it and use the provided access code. Check out the video below for what Google has to say on the subject. You can see that the code resets every 30 seconds or so, which is how the system keeps your gear secure. It is well beyond modern day consumer computing equipment to reasonably anticipate a successful brute force attack in this amount of time. I hope.
Google has a thorough set of resources available surrounding two-factor authentication, be sure to hit their support pages for more details on just what this whole security tool is and how to use it.
You can use the same Authenticator app on your device to work with several different Google Accounts at the same time, just go through the setup on your computer, then scan in the secondary QR code to proceed. That is not all, you can even use the Google Authenticator app on other accounts. For example, I use it for the two-factor authentication for our team communications portal over at Slack.
Finally, remember how I told you two factor authentication is simple to disable if you don’t like it? Just head into the settings on your PC, and hit the Turn off button on the far right hand side. Please do give it a chance before you give up on it. Convenience is always sacrificed for the sake of security, but we think it is worth the trouble in this case.
Next week
I hope you got through our Android customization post this week, setting up two-factor authentication for your Google Account is much easier than it looks on paper, and more than important enough to be worth the trouble. Now that your Google Account is doubly secured, let’s dive into it – we’ll take a look at managing your Google Location History next week.
Do you use the Google Authenticator app to provide two-factor authentication for your Google Account?
‘OK Google, Shazam this song’
Siri started handling song queries when iOS 8 arrived, and now Google’s voice commands recognize Shazam as a prompt to do the same on Android. That’s right, Android devices now recognize the “Shazam” command, in addition to “recognize” or “name” for “track,” “song” or “tune” identification. It’s not the only one either, as a few other apps like NPR One, TuneIn, Zillow, Flixster and TripAdvisor (a complete list is here) are also enjoying early access to the Custom Voice Actions feature. Previously you could search apps that way, but with this access developers can get more specific. It seems like the perfect kind of feature to use along with something like Android Auto, just when your phone is slightly out of reach.
With Shazam, after you’ve spoken the phrase the app will launch, do the heavy lifting and save the results for listening later. We tried it out, and the app only launched for commands that included “Shazam,” as in “OK Google, Shazam this song.” Phrases like “OK Google, name this song” kept the process inside the confines of the voice search interface. As you might expect, the music-searching software is one of the many third-party apps that display info cards in Google Now, and there’s easy access to listen, stream and purchase from Google Play Music. Other devs that want in are encouraged to apply here, and explain what kind of commands their apps will need.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Source: Shazam, Android Developers (G+)
Google rolls out custom voice actions to make talking to your apps much easier
Google today announced the ability to use custom voice actions with third party applications, allowing you to get things done much easier when using the Google search app. For now, custom voice actions are only compatible with a select number of partners, but the search giant plans to bring this functionality to more applications in the future.
With custom voice actions, you’ll be able to say things like “Ok Google, listen to NPR”, to start playing a new story through the NPR app on your device. Another example given is the ability to say “Ok Google, show attractions near me on TripAdvisor”, to bring up TripAdvisor results without having to launch the app the traditional way.
Custom voice actions are now live in Google search for Android, though you’ll have to wait for more developers to start implementing the code into their apps. While Google has yet to release a full list of applications that support this feature, it’s looking like early partners include NPR, TripAdvisor, TuneIn, Wink, Shazam, and a few others. Google also just posted a big list of “88 things you didn’t know you could ask Google“, which includes some of the new parters who are already using the custom voice actions feature.
Google now allows custom app voice actions, starting with Shazam
Google’s searching capabilities have extended well beyond finding the right website. Between the Knowledge Graph and Google Now, Google provides more functionality than any other search engine. Today, Google is opening it up even more on its Android app, allowing app developers to place custom voice actions to perform an action with an app.
Shazam is the first to implement this functionality, allowing you to find out what a song is by saying “OK Google, Shazam this song”. If you have the app installed, it will open and identify the song for you.
#Shazam + #Googleapp: discover what’s playing around you, without lifting a finger. http://t.co/eRA7vG0j1I @google pic.twitter.com/4xxdmv9ss2
— Shazam (@Shazam) April 30, 2015
A post was made on the Google Developers and Android Developers Google+ pages about this, saying to go to this web page to see about implementing a custom voice action for your app.
This certainly opens up a lot of new possibilities, and will only make accessing information that much easier. It’s also encouraging to see Android pushing developers to allow users to get more out of their apps.
The post Google now allows custom app voice actions, starting with Shazam appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Google launches Project Fi app on the Play Store
In preparation for its launch next month, Google has now released the Project Fi application in the Play Store. Unfortunately, when you download the app, you’re redirected to a screen requesting your login credentials — something only a very limited amount people have access to (beta testers).
Seeing as we’re looking at an app we can’t use just yet, Google thought it would be a good idea to include some screenshots in the Play Store listing to tease us with a taste of what’s to come, and yes, that’s made us want it even more.
Check the pictures out below:
Source: Play Store
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Waze will tweet if there’s unusual traffic in your area
Unless you live in California, it’s not that often that you make an effort to specifically check the traffic conditions for your morning commute. That’s probably because you’ll be spending a big chunk of your time with your face buried in Twitter instead. That’s why Waze thought it’d be a good idea to launch a traffic alerts program on the social network, called Unusual Traffic. The system compares current journey times with historical data and, when there’s a noticeable difference, will send a tweet letting you know.
The company has set up more than 50 different accounts, each one focusing on a specific metro area, including Atlanta, London and Buenos Aires. If there’s more information available like a faster alternative route or the cause of the blockage, then that information will also be included. That way, all you’ll have to do is favorite that specific account to make sure you never get stuck in traffic again, except all of the times that you do, obviously.
Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Internet, Software
Source: Waze
Google brings Dev channel version of Chrome to Android
Those of you that like to always have something new before anyone else will be excited to know that Google has released the Dev channel version of Chrome for Android.
The Dev channel has always been available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS, but now Android users can finally get in on the fun.
Now you might be getting the latest and greatest before everyone else, but you also have to be willing to put up with a few bugs. However, with your feedback and updates of at least once per week, new features move much quicker to the stable build. The good news is that if for whatever reason, the Dev app isn’t working to well, you can easily switch to the stable build since it can be installed side-by-side on your device.
You can download the Dev channel Chrome for Android app from the link below.
source: Google Chromium Blog
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Optimizing Compiler – the evolution of ART
The language of Android is Java and Java is slightly different to some of the other popular mainstream programming languages in that it compiles to an intermediate code (often known as bytecode) and not to the native machine-code of the target platform. Therefore to run a Java program on a platform you need a run time environment.
Prior to Android 5.0, Dalvik was Android’s runtime environment. It used a Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler which compiled portions of the bytecode every time the program was run, just in time for it to be used. However that all changed with Android 5.0 Lollipop and the release of ART.
The Android Runtime (ART) brought lots of improvements to app performance, garbage collection, and development/debugging, by moving away from Dalvik’s just-in-time (JIT) code compilation to mixed ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation. ART was originally offered as a developer option in KitKat, but officially replaced Dalvik as the default compiler with the launch of Android Lollipop.
However, to facilitate a snappy move over from Dalvik to ART, Android Lollipop makes use of a compiler known as ‘Quick’, which is really an AOT version of the Dalvik JIT compiler.
While offering some improvements over Dalvik, Quick isn’t at the cutting edge of compiler technology. To improve things further, ARM and Google are working closely together on a new ‘Optimizing’ compiler for Android, which features more up to date technologies, including fully optimized support for ARM’s AArch64 backend. The new compiler will also allow new optimizations to be easily added in future releases.
The Optimizing compiler optimizes for both AArch32 and AArch64 (32 and 64-bit) separately, depending on the platform. ARM are doing a lot of the work on AArch64, while Google is developing the AArch32 backend.
Unlike Quick, Optimizing is being completely rebuilt from scratch in order to produce superior code quality through a range of optimizations. This is accomplished by changes to the Intermediate Representation (IR), instead of using two levels IR like in Quick, Optimizing uses just one. By applying IR transformations progressively, Optimizing should be better at eliminating dead code, can add in constant folding, and global value numbering.
Another major improvement comes in the form of improved register allocation. Quick has a very simple algorithm, which targets speed rather than complexity, but this results in lots of registers being spilled to the stack. Optimizing moves over to Linear Scan Register Allocation, which is slightly slower at compile time, but offers better runtime performance. The technology minimizes register spills by performing ‘liveness analysis’ to better asses which registers are in active use at any time. With less registers to save on the stack and better use of the available registers, there is less code to execute, and that means greater performance.
An example given at ARM’s Tech Day in London last week shows how the use of three variables can be reduced to just two registers, by realizing that ‘c’ is actually unnecessary. If you look closely at the diagram you will see that step 3 is “c = b * b” and step 4 is “b = c + 1″. This can actually be optimized to “b = b * b” and “b = b + 1″ and you will get exactly the same result, however the code will be quicker as only two registers will be used rather than 3.
Development of Optimizing is still ongoing, but it already shows significant improvements in performance, up to 40 percent in one benchmark. The only drawback is an 8 percent increase in compilation speed and a 10 percent increase in file size, owing to additional metadata used by the compiler. Although these could be reduced in the future.
If all of this has you wondering when you’ll be able to benefit from Optimizing, the answer is sooner than you may think. Optimizing is now the default compiler for apps in the AOSP branch, although Quick is still used for some methods and compiling the boot image. Patches to support and optimize specific architectures, such as Cortex-A53 or Cortex-A57, are also in the works.
We’ll hopefully hear much more about plans for Optimizing at Google I/O 2015, which will be taking place from May 28th to 29th in San Francisco.
AIVAnet 