Quick reply functionality comes to the Google Messenger app in new update
The newest update to Google’s Messenger application brings a new feature that will make your texting experience much easier. After installing the latest update, you’ll be able to quickly respond to text messages from your friends and family using the new quick reply functionality that’s now built-in to the app.
Once you receive the update and someone sends you a text message, all you need to do is simply click on the reply prompt that pops up on your screen. This will pull up a quick reply screen, allowing you to respond to the text without the need to jump into the application. You won’t be able to reply to messages with photos or videos when using the quick reply feature. But if you need to attach a file to your text, you can click on the shortcut Google has provided below the text box to jump right into the full application.
The new update to Messenger is rolling out now in the Google Play Store, so follow the link below to grab the newest version!
Google ‘Password Alert’ chrome extension further protects user identities
Google today announced software designed to prevent phishing attacks used by hackers which are often design to gain access to your password. To keep your account safe Google has launched Password Alert, a free, open-source Chrome extension that protects Google accounts and Google Apps for Work accounts.
Once installed, the extension will show you a warning if you type your Google password into a site that is not considered a Google sign-in page. This protects you from phishing attacks and also encourages you to use different passwords for multiple sites. The underlying message is for users to update and use different passwords for different sites. Too many people have used the same password across every site they utilize. Google hopes to encourage consumers to help prevent that.
Approximately 45 percent of hackers gain access to your password through bogus sites pretending to be websites that are used every day. Astonishingly, 2 percent of the phishing attacks are attempted while appearing to be Google mail. If you attempt to sign in to a bogus site, and the software detects the attempt, you will be notified by a message which appears on the screen.
Google’s working to constantly improve their Safe Browsing technology, which protects more than 1 billion people on Chrome, Safari, and Firefox from phishing and other methods of cyber-attacks.
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Via Voice by Treycent, Inc. The nifty app with loads of promise
One of the most appealing features of android now days is voice controls. Google has been at the forefront of voice commands by being simple and intuitive. One of the drawbacks to voice commands is lack of custom voice commands. Treycent has come up with a solution with an application called Via Voice. the application allows the user to set up custom voice commands to access pictures. This alleviates an issue that plagues many users by having quick access to pictures without having to search the gallery. The interface is simple allowing you to type in a command or speak the command and attach a photo with very little effort. Via Voice also works with your android wear device allowing you to show pictures without reaching for you phone. The application has had a fair share of updates adding capabilities such as posting to Twitter. Just say you command followed by post to Twitter.
Via Voice has a straight forward setup asking to create an account attached to your email. Once you are signed you are ready to set up you custom voice commands. Commands are created using spoken word or manually typing in the command. The photo you choose is attached to a web link allowing the app to pull the photo online with your command. The user can also type the command in loud settings where voice is not recognized. You can also share your voice command with friends through several avenues allowing them to access the photo with voice. The application on the phone works every time. On both the Galaxy S5 and Moto X (2014) I had to choose a photo from Google Photos, Dropbox, or Facebook. So in simple terms the photos must have a link to them somewhere, any photo not synced would not work with the app. This makes sense considering the voice control is attached to a URL. The program also has a website that works in much the same way as on the phone. I was able to type or say a command and the picture was shown in a new tab. The voice control is accurate and I had very little issues as far as operations. On the off chance the voice recognition failed I was able to type the command to perform the action. The issue was mainly in places with an abundant amount of sound which is to be expected with any voice control.
The android wear capabilities with this app show promise but come up short in real world settings. The concept is very intriguing and makes showing a photo to you friends effortless when it works. The watch aspect is a work in process. I have tested this out in various situations with several failures. This could be a flaw in android wear or the app. Android wear is by all accounts not perfect and has had its fair share of issues so to pin this on the app is unfair. One of the most agitating aspects is accessing the app on the watch when it is not active. Having to scroll down to start and select the app is painful and pretty much defeats the purpose of convenience. I would suggest wear mini launcher for this app or any others on your watch. Once the program is open the access is much more convenient with a simple tap. Another noticeable shortfall is that on my Moto 360 the voice search seemed to activate at random. With the LG g watch I did not have that issue but the process itself suffered a considerable lag. I stress these issues could be because of android wear itself or the hardware.
To sum my long experience with Via Voice up it is a very neat feature to have. What would make this a go to app for me is the watch features. To have my watch pull photos to show on the go would be a very valuable tool. As of now though the app is regulated to my phone and is more a novelty than a must have. The concept has promise to make wear devices even more useful and shaves some time off searching your phone in this fast paced mobile world. The execution is lost with the watch by being unreliable and defeats the purpose of a wearable by having to use my phone in many instances. The promise is that even when the watch side was finicky the app was always up showing the correct picture on the phone. The developer has put a lot of time and effort in creating this application and I encourage anyone to give it a try. Custom commands for easy access of photos you want to share with friends and family is really convenient and hopefully the wear side can be ironed out. Via Voice is free on Google Play as well as web access at Treycent.com.
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Google might offer a new Nexus 5 that supports Project Fi
Google announced Project Fi last week, which will bring down your cell phone costs considerably. The only catch is that it only works with one phone, the Nexus 6. A decent phone, but it’s too big for a lot of people.
We can only assume that future Nexus phones will also support it too. It has already been rumored that Google will offer not one, but two Nexus phones this year. Huawei and LG seem to be the likely suspects. It’s also likely that Google will end up calling these devices the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 since there is nowhere to go with the current naming scheme. The Nexus 5 refers to a 5-inch display, while the Nexus 6 refers to a 6-inch display. And they can’t call either device a Nexus 7 for obvious reasons.
In a recent video that Google released about Project Fi, there is a phone that is clearly not the Nexus 6. Many sites have considered it a place holder, which could very well be the case. It looks an awful lot like an updated Nexus 5 though. Now the new Nexus 5 might not look exactly like it, but it’s more than likely this phone represents what is coming later this year.
You can see it in the video below….
Click here to view the embedded video.
source: Tech Times
Come comment on this article: Google might offer a new Nexus 5 that supports Project Fi
TAG Heuer’s Android smartwatch will cost you $1,400
So much for hopes that TAG Heuer’s first smartwatch will cost less than its conventional counterparts. Jean-Claude Biver, the head of TAG’s parent company LVMH, says that the Android Wear timepiece will cost about $1,400 when it ships in October or November. That’s in the ballpark of lower-end quartz models from the watchmaker’s Formula 1 line, but it makes even the $1,000 steel link Apple Watch seem like a relative bargain. That money will get you more than just a luxurious brand name, however. Biver estimates that the TAG Heuer device will last 40 hours on battery, so you won’t have to panic if you forget to top it up one day. This is just a friendly reminder that watch prices at this level are dictated more by the design than what’s inside — a nice steel watch won’t come cheap.
[Image credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Wearables, Google, Intel
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Bloomberg
Google bumps up account security with Password Alert
Google has released a new, open source Chrome extension to help keep users a little safer from phishing attacks. The new Password Alert extension, which works with both regular Google accounts as well as Google Apps accounts, will notify a user if they have entered their Google password into any site other than an authentic Google sign-in page located at accounts.google.com.
Once the extension is installed, if a user tries to use their Google password at a non-Google site, the extension will trigger an email to them notifying them to change their password. As you may have figured out, this also encourages users to use a different password for sites they visit than the password they have set for their Google account. Using different, unique passwords for each site a user visits is considered a security best practice.
The extension includes features for Google Apps admins to setup auditing and notifications so that they will be notified when employees use their passwords on non-Google sites and can even force them to change their Google password.
If you want to install the Chrome extension, hit the link below to grab it from the Chrome Web Store.
Password Alert Chrome Extension
source: Google
Come comment on this article: Google bumps up account security with Password Alert
Google releases new Password Alert Chrome extension to help keep your account safe
In an effort to help keep your account safe, Google today launched Password Alert, a new Chrome extension that will give you a warning if you type your Google password into a website that isn’t a Google sign-in page. Not only does this extension protect you from phishing attacks, it also encourages you to use different passwords for different websites.
As for consumer accounts, Chrome remembers a scrambled version of your password, and obviously won’t share it with anyone else. If you enter a password into a non-Google account, you’ll be prompted with a webpage like the one attached above, asking you if you’d like to reset your password or ignore for the time being. Google explains:
Password Alert is also available to Google for Work customers, including Google Apps and Drive for Work. Your administrator can install Password Alert for everyone in the domains they manage, and receive alerts when Password Alert detects a possible problem. This can help spot malicious attackers trying to break into employee accounts and also reduce password reuse.
Combining the new Password Alert extension with other security features like 2-Step Verification and Security Key, Google is certainly doing it’s part to help you keep your Google account safe from attackers. If you’re interested in downloading Password Alert, head on over to the Chrome Web Store.
Chrome add-on stops scammers from getting your Google password
No matter how diligent you are about watching for scam sites trying to swipe your password, there’s always the chance that a very convincing page will trick you into handing over the goods. Thankfully, Google just gave you a safety net: its new Password Alert extension for Chrome will warn you if you’ve reused your Google password on another site. You can ignore the warning if you’re not worried, but you’ll also have an option of resetting your password right away if you realize that you’ve made a mistake. It’s a small add-on, but it might save you in a moment of weakness… or at least, remind you to spice up your password choices now and then.
Filed under: Internet, Software, Google
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Google, Google Official Blog
Google Play Services version 7.3 SDK now available, brings Google Fit enhancements and ability to connect multiple Android Wear watches to one device
Google has been updating all Android devices to Google Play Services 7.3, and they just announced the roll out has been completed. What does it bring to the table?
As we learned last week, Android Wear has a pretty big update and Google Play Services 7.3 plays a big role in that. It allows you to connect more than one Android Watch to your device. The Capability API is new, which allows apps to communicate different things to devices with different features. The Channel API is also new, which creates a bidirectional data connection between nodes for the transfer of larger binary files.
Users will of course need the latest Android Wear companion app and the newest Android Wear update, which should be rolling over the next few weeks.
Google Fit now has the ability to track granular nutritional information such as protein, fat, cholesterol, and more. Third party apps can start implementing these data types now. It’s also now easier for apps to retrieve data totals for the day, making it great for watch faces.
Lastly, you may not realize it, but a lot of apps are asking for your location these days, which can be a battery drain. Google has updated the LocationRequest with a maximum wait time for location updates via setMaxWaitTime(). This way the system will batch location updates together, which will not only consume battery, but it could improve location accuracy on some devices.
Here’s a video with more info….
Click here to view the embedded video.
And for even more info, hit the source link.
source: Android Developers
Come comment on this article: Google Play Services version 7.3 SDK now available, brings Google Fit enhancements and ability to connect multiple Android Wear watches to one device
Cyanogen and OnePlus are never ever getting back together
It’s always sad when a couple that looked so good together decides to part company, but that’s what’s happening with OnePlus and Cyanogen. The cracks in their relationship started to show back in November, when Cyanogen backed one of OnePlus’ rivals when it launched in India. After a few testy exchanges while out at parties, Cyanogen’s Steve Kondik has told PC World that the partnership is now over, but no-one’s holding a grudge. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei agreed, telling the same publication that the team-up had been “mutually beneficial,” but that the two companies would take different paths in the future. For its part, OnePlus is now working on its own proprietary Android skin, OxygenOS, while Cyanogen is working with Microsoft and other manufacturers to get its operating system in more places.
[Image Credit: Getty]
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Google
Source: PC World
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