[Deal] Google offering discounts on smartphones and smartwatches for Valentine’s Day
While the next big event everybody will be celebrating is Super Bowl on February 7, Valentine’s Day comes soon after. And Google wants to help you get the perfect tech gift for your loved one this year by offering some “romantic” tech bundles with some sweet discounts.
One of the deals Google is offering is the Nexus 6P and Huawei Watch bundle. If you’re buying the Huawei-made Nexus 6P, what better than to pair it with a Huawei Watch? This bundle will save you $50 off of a Matte Gold Nexus 6P as well as a $50 credit towards the Huawei Watch when you buy any Nexus 6P.
The last hardware discount is $50 off of a Nexus 5X. The Nexus 5X normally retails for $349, but this $50 off discount brings it down to a much more affordable $299 price point. One important thing to note: the 16GB model is currently out-of-stock, so you’ll actually be paying $349 for a 32GB unit instead of $299 for the 16GB model. There’s no firm date on when Google will have more stock in, but hopefully it won’t be long.
There’s no telling if Google will offer more discounted hardware bundles as we get closer to Valentine’s Day, so be sure to keep an eye out!
Anyone plan on picking up anything? Sound off in the comments!
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Google Hangouts for Android update adds quick replies
Google is updating its Hangouts chat app that adds some long-awaited functionality. The update is slowly rolling out now, but has already been thoroughly investigated by Android Police. The headline feature is quick reply. Clicking “reply” on a notification now brings up a simple text box so you can respond to messages without entering the Hangouts app itself. Also new is the ability to “save” important conversations to your your home screen, which gives them their own icon.
There are a number of other, less interesting tweaks included in the update, such as some design changes to the settings menu and pop ups. Speaking of, there’s one pop up in the update that suggests Google may be considering dropping some key functionality from the app in the future. Android Police reports that the new version now prompts you to “Check out Google’s new SMS app,” with a dialog box that also says “For sending simple, fast SMS text messages, try Messenger.”
Google added text messaging support to Hangouts years ago, but it also has Messenger, an app dedicated solely to SMS and MMS. Both features are still fully functional in the new Hangouts build, so it’s impossible to say what Google’s plans are here, but it’s unlikely that the company would try and push users over to Messenger without good reason.
Source: Android Police
Vertical scroller ‘Downwell’ fires its way to Android
Downwell is finally coming to the Play Store. The vertical scroller where your character falls down a well (hence, the name) while battling enemies was only available via Steam and for iOS devices. Its creator Ojiro Fumoto has been developing the Android version for quite a while, and he’s just announced on Twitter that it’s coming out on January 27th, 12nn PT/3pm ET. He didn’t mention how much the Devolver-published game would cost you, but it’s priced at $2.99 on iTunes. We don’t see it on Google Play yet, though, so you’ll just have to try searching for it later.
Downwell, if this is the first time you’ve heard of it, has garnered many positive reviews during its lifetime. Metacritic gave it a score of 91 and Polygon reviewer Douglas Wilson said it’s the best game he played in 2015.
Sorry for the wait! Android version will hit tomorrow 😉 pic.twitter.com/FyZKW6l4zJ
— Ojiro (@moppin_) January 26, 2016
Source: Ojiro Fumoto
Chrome is now faster and more reliable on iOS
Google’s Chrome browser has a loyal following on iOS, but it’s certainly not for the speed or reliability — it has long used a second-tier iOS web rendering engine (UIWebView) that isn’t nearly as polished as what you get in Safari. At last, though, it’s catching up. The latest iOS version of Chrome now uses a newer engine (WKWebView), giving it performance much closer to Apple’s own browser — it’s “significantly” faster, particularly when it comes to JavaScript. You’ll be glad to hear that it’s much more stable, as well, with a crash rate that’s a whopping 70 percent lower.
And don’t worry, desktop users, you’re getting some updates of your own. There’s a new Data Saver extension that compresses websites, helping you get that much more web surfing out of a slow connection or a capped data plan. Also, Chrome itself now puts the icons for your extensions right next to the address bar, so it’s easy to spot and remove a rogue add-on. Both the iOS and desktop upgrades should be available today, so you won’t have to wait long to give the new features a shot.
Source: App Store, Chromium Blog, Chrome Web Store
Google Shifts Chrome for iOS to Apple’s WKWebView, Reducing Crashes by 70%
Google today introduced a few stability and performance improvements into its Chrome for iOS app, mainly centering around the company’s switch from in-process rendering with UIWebView to out-of-process rendering thanks to WKWebView. Tests by Google proved the new update reduces the app’s crash rate by 70 percent, letting users pick up where they left off on a page from any device without a crash causing issues.
The biggest change is in stability: with WKWebView’s out-of-process rendering, when the web view crashes or runs out of memory, it won’t bring down all of Chrome with it. As a result, Chrome crashes 70% less with WKWebView. Even when counting the “Aw, Snap!” page shown when the renderer crashes, there’s still a big improvement.
Outside of stability, WKWebView brings many other benefits. Web compatibility is improved with support for features like IndexedDB, bringing the HTML5test score for Chrome on iOS from 391 up to 409. Switching to background tabs will cause pages to reload 25% less often. JavaScript speed on benchmarks such as Octane is an order of magnitude faster, and scrolling is smoother and more responsive.
For the web, Google also created a new extension called “Data Saver,” that will allow Chrome users the ability to manage data usage while outside of their home Wi-Fi. Similar in function to the extension available for Android devices, Data Saver reduces the data needed to access the web with the help of the company’s “compression technology.” The extension lets users see exactly how much data they saved and highlight which websites are using the most while out of the house.
Google said that the iOS Chrome update will begin rolling out starting today, and all users have to do is check for the update in the App Store [Direct Link] if they don’t feel like waiting for an automatic update.
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Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X get big temporary discounts in Europe
Following the recent price cut/credit voucher on the Nexus 6P and second price reduction on the Nexus 5X, European Nexus fans are finally getting some discount love too. The Nexus 6P is getting a 100 Euro discount on all models and the Nexus 5X is getting a 80 Euro discount across all models, but only for a limited time.
Unfortunately, the term “Europe” is a little misleading too, with not every EU country seeing the discount quite yet. It might still be coming, but the UK Play Store isn’t currently showing any change to Nexus prices. For everyone with access to the sale though, the discounted Nexus offers begin today, January 26, and continue until February 12, 2016.
2015 NEXUS REVIEWS:
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With discounts like this, you might want to consider splitting the difference and getting the larger capacity model instead of just taking the discount. For example, you can now buy the 128 GB Nexus 6P for the same price as the 64 GB before the sale and the 64 GB version is now 50 Euro less than the 32 GB version was yesterday. Meanwhile the 32 GB Nexus 5X is currently cheaper than the 16 GB version before the discount.
Will you be picking up a discounted Nexus? Have you seen any other good device sales lately?
Chrome’s latest tool checks your website’s security
You may never notice Chrome’s green lock showing that an HTTPS site is 100 percent secure, but developers pay rapt attention to it. That’s because Google prioritizes search results for sites with the strongest security, so a problematic site could find itself on the dreaded second page. The symbol also tells users that they’re less likely to be victims of man-in-the-middle and other “content injection” attacks. However, many operators still aren’t sure why their sites appear insecure, so Google has unveiled a security panel for DevTools in its latest version 48 of Chrome.
Each time you load a page, it will show the information for each network connection and why some are secure and others aren’t. The panel will indicate whether a security certificate is valid and if you’re using the proper connection protocol. It also flags the dreaded “mixed content” issue that arises from insecure HTTP subresources. From there, you can drill down to see which resource, exactly, is borking your page’s lock.
To use the new panel, developers just need to open up the Chrome 48 dev tools, or click on the URL lock icon and select “details.” The new version of Chrome also brings a number of bug fixes and eliminates the old and insecure RC4 encryption scheme. The stable version started rolling out yesterday and should hit most regions soon.
Source: Google
Chrome’s latest tool checks your website’s security
You may never notice Chrome’s green lock showing that an HTTPS site is 100 percent secure, but developers pay rapt attention to it. That’s because Google prioritizes search results for sites with the strongest security, so a problematic site could find itself on the dreaded second page. The symbol also tells users that they’re less likely to be victims of man-in-the-middle and other “content injection” attacks. However, many operators still aren’t sure why their sites appear insecure, so Google has unveiled a security panel for DevTools in its latest version 48 of Chrome.
Each time you load a page, it will show the information for each network connection and why some are secure and others aren’t. The panel will indicate whether a security certificate is valid and if you’re using the proper connection protocol. It also flags the dreaded “mixed content” issue that arises from insecure HTTP subresources. From there, you can drill down to see which resource, exactly, is borking your page’s lock.
To use the new panel, developers just need to open up the Chrome 48 dev tools, or click on the URL lock icon and select “details.” The new version of Chrome also brings a number of bug fixes and eliminates the old and insecure RC4 encryption scheme. The stable version started rolling out yesterday and should hit most regions soon.
Source: Google
Google Hangouts version 7.0 rolling out, quick replies and conversation shortcuts on board
Things don’t change often in the world of Google Hangouts, so every time we see a cool new feature arrive it’s worthy of celebration. It is the IM service all Android users have by default, after all (whether you use it or not).
Reports of Hangouts version 7.0 rolling out have started hitting the web. But there’s more than just a lucky number to this upgrade. Google has graced us with a couple features that many of us have actually been hoping for.
See also: 10 best messenger apps for Android
The first one (and the coolest, in my opinion) is the implementation of quick replies. What this does is allow you to reply to a Hangouts message without having to go into the app. When you receive an instant message notification, simply hit the reply button and a floating screen will show up. Type in your message and send away without having to go away from what you were doing.
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There’s also a new option that allows you to create conversation shortcuts on your home screen. Simply open a Hangouts conversation, hit the 3-dot menu button in the top-right corner and select “Save to Home Screen”. An icon with your contact’s profile picture will show up in your home screen so you can message away quicker than ever.
Both great additions, right? I am a huge Hangouts user, so these are definitely welcomed improvements by my book. Are you as excited about them? Be patient, as these updates roll out periodically. If you just can’t wait, though, here is a link to download your APK file. Enjoy!
Download the Google Hangoute 7.0 APK
Visit the Google Hangouts Play Store page
Do features in third-party UI’s outweigh the latest from Android?
It’s pretty well understood that Android is fragmented. Phone manufacturers nearly always tweak the baseline Android OS beyond recognition in an effort to stand out in the crowd. Enthusiasts who swear by a pure Android experience (the way Google made it to be) shun the crime that manufacturers continue to commit over and over again.
LG V10 with UX 4.0+ user interface
But what I’m questioning today is if it’s worth sucking up the non-ideal UI’s out there for the sake of functionality? Many Android fans peg stock Android as the only answer, but I don’t think it’s that cut and dry. I’ve heard the saying many times in Google+ chatter, “Once you go Nexus, you’ll never go back”. Well…I’ve gone Nexus before, and I’m back without contempt.
This isn’t to say that Material Design isn’t a gorgeous UI. I recently expressed how much I’ve missed it on the Nexus 6. But the other side of that story is that I’ve always found pure Android to be a bit too simplistic. Therefore, while I’m standing on this side of the fence (for the time being), I’m gonna throw a few nuggets at stock Android users, of what valuable features you’re missing out on. Not just because it’s fun to tease, but because I feel like these are features that we all should have.
Dual Window
It’s crazy to me that Google hasn’t coded a dual-window kind of feature into Android yet (splitting the screen between two apps, to use them simultaneously). I mean, Google is a software giant for Pete’s sake, it shouldn’t be that hard for its developers to do.
This feature debuted all the way back on the original Galaxy Note (Samsung calls it “Multi-Window”). It was introduced as a feature to take advantage of the large screen. But now that all phones are large now, whoever is not including it these days is being negligent.
Fortunately, Google did express that the dual window capability is finally in the works, as a response to the backlash over the Pixel C not having it.
“We’re working hard on a range of enhancements for Android in this form-factor – there are many things, like multiwindow, that we’ve been spending a lot of time on – hopefully we can share more about this soon.“
Navigation Button Customization
This fact is another crazy one to me. Google was the one who introduced software navigation buttons into Android (back with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus), so it should have been the one to make it better. Instead, third-party UI’s have stepped up to the plate.
LG was the first manufacturer to let us alter the navigation button layout to our hearts desire, on the G2. Not only could we rearrange them, but we could add two more buttons and fill up that unused black space with something useful. What’s more, LG’s software allows you to hide the bottom black bar all together and utilize your entire screen for content.
Theming
If you use Android, chances are that you like customization to suit your own style. What I love about theme generators is that it’s quick and easy to overhaul Android’s baseline look with touches of flare that make you happy.
Theming in HTC’s Sense UI
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Unfortunately, Google has yet to implement a theming engine into stock Android. I feel like this has been a significant oversight, because Android should be showing off what it can do in a world dominated by iPhone users. And a theme is simple to set, even an iPhone user can do it 
Tap-to-Wake
Why oh why doesn’t Google include double tapping on the screen to wake it from standby? It just doesn’t make sense. Even when the capability is built into the device, Google still refuses to allow it to work out of the box. I really want to know what’s going on here.
Sure, the brand-spanking new Nexus Imprint fingerprint method makes tap-to-wake not as critical. But there are times when I want to quickly glance at my screen when it’s laying on a table.
Gestures
Many Android enthusiasts are familiar with gestures, but through third-party launchers, because stock Android doesn’t have any. Essentially, gestures allow the user to register common functions to different motions on the phone. For instance, setting the browser to launch when you a two-finger swipe in a particular direction, or toggling Recent Apps when you do a pinch motion with your fingers. Motorola’s twist your wrist gesture to launch the camera is another good example.
Motorola gestures
Additionally, some manufacturers have coded in a nifty gesture in the front camera software, to take the shot with a hand motion.
Camera Software
I don’t think that stock Android fans can refute that Google’s camera software leaves to be desired. You can’t do much more than HDR, panorama, lens blur, photo sphere, and burst shot.
Third-party UI’s typically include camera controls that reach for dedicated camera capabilities, such as white balance, ISO, focus distance, exposure compensation, and shutter speed controls. Many camera-savy folks also like being able to capture the RAW format of images.
LG’s Android camera software
My ultimate point is that I wish stock Android would evolve more quickly. There are super useful features that have been in third-party UI’s for a while now that Google has yet to implement. Material Design is by far my favorite UI, but I don’t miss out on other things, so I’m torn.
I know that this discussion will follow with “Stock Android can have those features if you root/unlock/flash”, but we shouldn’t have to. Most folks either don’t want to mess with their phone or the process goes over their head.
What are your thoughts? Chime in down below!
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