Google+ gets Material
Back at Google I/O, Google walked us through their material design philosophy, and ever since, they’ve been updating apps to go along with it.
Google has just updated another app in the play store with the same design we’ve already scene in Google Hangouts, Google Now, Chrome, Google Play Newstand, Cloud Print, Google News and Weather, Google Drive and associated apps, their phone dialer app, and probably a few others I can’t think of right now. The latest addition is the Google+ app.
The new design for Google+ brings an even flatter experience, changes up the colors a bit, and makes everything more consistent with their new design philosophy; a philosophy that you will really see take shape when Android L is released. Word on the street is they have updated how the photos section works. It should make for a smoother experience, and I’m sure there are one or two bug fixes in there as well.
I haven’t received it on my Moto X (2013) yet so don’t freak out that you haven’t gotten it. Check the Play Store to see if the update is available on your device.
Source [Engadget]
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Feedback Loop: Bad Apple, app automation and more!
In this week’s edition of Feedback Loop, we discuss Apple’s rough September, share our favorite tools for automating tasks and talk about Google’s Project Ara. Head past the break to find out what Engadget readers like you have to say.
What’s going on with Apple?
September was a rough month for Apple, thanks to things like iCloudgate, U2gate, bendgate and updategate. This runs counter to a company that’s commonly recognized for having some of the best customer service and quality products around. What’s happening inside 1 Infinite Loop? Head over to the forums and share your thoughts.
Let’s get automated
Services like IFTTT make our lives way easier by automating simple tasks. Frank shares some of his favorite apps for getting things done, automatically. From things like Alfred and Launchy, to Huginn and Zapier, there’s a lot of great tools out there. Check out his list and then share your own preferred apps right here.
Are modular smartphones the way of the future?
Google’s Project Ara has the lofty goal of giving users the ability to customize smartphones to their hearts content. Is this the way of the future or are super thin (and sometimes bendable) phones here to stay. Tell us what you think about Project Ara right here.
Other discussions you may also like:
- Where do you go for sightseeing tips?
- Authy: 2-factor authentication without texts
- Operation Finish all the Games, September 2014
That’s all this week! Want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
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Nexus 9 gets more real as device gets FCC approval
Everything is falling into place for the Nexus 9 ahead of it’s October 16th release, as the Nexus 9 has received the FCC approval.
Whilst the documentation doesn’t reveal too much about the device, it does confirm that the device doesn’t support the usual 16:9 aspect ratio as seen on most Android devices.
HTC, who are expected to be manufacturing the Nexus 9, is expected to be make a press announcement next week regarding the device.
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For Your Consideration: mobile accessories to check out this weekend (Oct. 4)
Welcome back! It’s week two of the accessory round up! We have everything from sd cards to the chromecast.. Check it out!
Samsung Micro SD Cards 64, 32, 16
Micro SD Cards are an absolute must if you don’t want to worry about the cloud and carry a lot of music and videos with you. Micro SD cards looked like they were going away, but now they are on almost every flagship that came out this year. I have always used Samsung SD cards, and they have some great sales going on right now. Check them out here on Amazon: 16gb, 32gb, and 64gb.
One of Android’s newest products – Android Wear, is amazing. If you have an Android phone, it’s worth looking into. I have been using the LG G Watch since mid-July and have been completely satisfied with it. To sum it up: you have access to all of your notifications on your wrist, as well as some apps that can build more functionality in their app. The LG G Watch can be found here. LG g watch.
Phone batteries are getting better and better with every phone that gets released. But sometimes the battery just isn’t good enough. Zero Lemon’s extended batteries will add literally days of life to your device. There is quite a large downside, and that’s the custom case. Since the battery is so big, it comes with a custom made case for each phone. I have a friend that buys these for every phone he has, they are highly recommended. Check them out for the LG G3, Note 3, and the S5 here : LG G3, Note 3, S5
The Chromecast, the surprise device that came out of Google IO last year has quickly taken off. It has been ranked in the top 5 streaming video items on Amazon since it was released last year. The Chromecast will let you send content from your phone to your t.v. Netflix, Pandora, and HBO Go are just a few of the great apps that work great with Chromecast. We cover the Chromecast, as well as all things Chrome, extensively on Chromewatching.com, so check it out if you get a chance. The Chromecast can be found on Amazon here: Chromecast
Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker
I’ve used a couple of different bluetooth speakers, the Bose Soundlink is the best I have heard. The sound that this fairly small device can produce is amazing. It pairs easily with any bluetooth device, and even if the device doesn’t have bluetooth, you will still be able to connect the speaker using an auxiliary cable. Bose claims that the speaker gets 7 hours of battery life, I can say that they are very accurate, the battery life is good. Bose gets a mixed review from people: some people love them, some people think that they aren’t as good. I have personally used the Bose Soundlink, and I am a fan. Check it out on Amazon here: Bose Soundlink
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Google Now has your back for Voter Registration Day, too
Google surely has a lot of tricks in store for the Now app: one of the latest to surface, for instance, reminds American voters to register for November’s general elections. Residents in Michigan, Pennsylvania and likely other states recently received Now pop-ups about the registration deadline on October 5th. Some of those who reported seeing the card claimed they haven’t even done a search for anything election-related in recent years, so it’s possible that the app flashes the reminder based on your location. It’s unclear whether this is a national rollout or just something the company’s testing, though, since Google hasn’t officially announced it yet. We first caught a glimpse of this new feature when developer Zhuowei Zhang released his UnleashTheGoogle app in September, which shows all the cards the company’s currently testing. Since among the rather lengthy list is an API called “Election info,” we might see similar Now cards in the future.
[Image credit: Getty/Jupiterimages, Droid Life]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google
Source: Droid-Life
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Engadget Daily: Moto G review, Facebook enters the healthcare business, and more!
The Moto G has done it again. We we reviewed this year’s model, and surprise: It’s still the best budget smartphone around. But wait, there’s more — read on for Engadget’s news highlights from the last 24 hours.
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Google allegedly working on its own WhatsApp competitor
Google introduced its Android One program earlier this year, which focuses on building budget-friendly, solid quality smartphones for the developing world. Back then, the search giant made it pretty clear that, with help from manufacturers, it wanted to create a big splash in emerging markets — such as India, where the first Android One devices were revealed last month. But a rumor suggests Google’s next step is to build what it couldn’t buy when it lost out on messaging king WhatsApp to Facebook. The Economic Times, a trusted Indian news outlet, is now claiming the company from Mountain View has started working on a messaging app of its own that will head to emerging markets first, before potentially launching elsewhere.
Citing sources familiar with Google’s plans, The Economic Times says the purported service will “likely” launch in 2015, noting that it’s still in the early stages of development. One key way it might differ from the existing Hangouts service is that it wouldn’t require a Google account to login, and unlike WhatsApp, it would be entirely free to use. Hooking the service up to Gmail may have helped Google get messaging users in the US, but competing with Whatsapp and its ilk (WeChat, Line, Viber) may require more flexibility and support for different devices.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Google
Via: Reuters
Source: The Economic Times
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Google+ updates to v4.6, adds some more material design and color changes [APK Download]
Google went on a massive roll for a number of weeks that had all of us looking forward to Wednesday for Google app updates. The last few weeks have been a bit more scattered sadly, but Google keeps updating apps. That is the most important thing, right? Today’s staged roll out moves Google+ to version 4.6 and it brings in a number of visual changes.
The first thing you might notice is that “write a post” button is no longer white with a red pencil, it has been inverted to be red with a white pencil. The red banner bar at the top is a more vibrant red as compared to the deeper red that it once was. Check out some screens. Old Google+ images are on the top with the new update images below them for comparison.
You can see the clear all notifications icon has shifted to three small lines versus the old much larger three rectangular blocks. The people button and notification bell are also a little smaller with bolder lines. They made the overflow menu float more on top too. Not to mention the devoid of most of the color from the drop down tab too. There is also a super cool animation where the three line menu icon is. When you drag out the side panel the icon rotates into an arrow. Gotta check it out.
The Photo side of the app also offers up some changes as well. It gets the new grey icon changes on the slide out menu of course. The + icon has been altered to the auto awesome icon. That is where you can create your own auto-awesome movie.
The homescreen icon also got a make over. It is now flat with a drop shadow on the G versus the previous 3D looking block that the Google Search app still offers. I assume all the Google app related icons will be getting the more flat look in their next updates.
The update is working its way across devices everywhere, but we know you don’t like to wait. Head over to Gappsearly and pick up the updated apk and get it installed now.
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Google reportedly tried to purchase Cyanogen Inc.
In what must be the most interesting headline this year, Google has apparently been turned down after expressing an interest to purchase Cyanogen Inc. – the maker of the largest custom Android ROM in the world.
According to a report by The Information, Google’s Sundar Pichai recently met with reps from Cyanogen and was turned down after Cyanogen published an request for an additional $1 billion in funding – essentially a ‘increase your offer’ message to Google.
Cyanogen has told investors that it plans on bringing low cost devices running Cyanogemod to India, which directly competes with Android One. Not only would an acquisiton put this back in Google’s control, but would also allow Google to regulate the distributed ROM further than the minimum requirements Cyanogenmod currently as to adhere to by shipping with Google Services.
Whilst $1 billion seems slightly on the larger side of an estimation from Cyanogenmod, perhaps it’s the hands-off they wanted to issue Google. After all, competition is good – even if they are both running Android.
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Google+ is the latest Android app to get a Material Design makeover
Google’s quest to bring that extra-flat, extra-colorful Material Design look to every single app is still underway, it seems. The search giant has posted an update to Google+ for Android that flattens even more of the social network’s interface and adds splashes of solid color, such as a bright red “new post” button. This isn’t just a cosmetic update, mind you. The Photos section is both simpler and better-looking, so it should be easier to share recent snapshots with your circles. At this rate, about the only software Google has left to officially Materialize is Android itself… which might happen soon.
Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Internet, Mobile, Google
Via: Droid-Life
Source: Google Play
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