‘Resident Evil 7’ took just 15 minutes to creep me out
Resident Evil 6 was a bad video game, and Capcom knows it. To save its zombie franchise, the publisher has taken a radically different approach for Resident Evil 7, throwing out the loud explosions and over the top combat for smaller, more atmospheric scares. First shown at E3, the game is unusual because it takes place from a first-person perspective — most of the core Resident Evil games are third-person — and is compatible with PlayStation VR. The tone is radically different too, with a new set of characters to discover and a rundown plantation as its setting.
At Gamescom, I was able to play a short demo taken from the game. (To clarify, this wasn’t the “Beginning Hour” demo available at E3.) It took place in an old, dilapidated house with smashed windows and broken floorboards. A frightening woman chased me inside the building, and there was little to do but desperately search for an escape route. I would throw myself through doors and frantically look in each room, hunting for something — anything — that could serve as a weapon. Before long my pursuer would draw near however, spewing threats in a ghoulish voice.
Just when I thought I had found a hiding place — a makeshift tunnel underneath the house — the woman caught me, ending the chase on a fittingly gruesome note. Capcom told me that this new “Lantern” demo will be an optional sequence inside the main campaign, which you’ll trigger by watching an old VHS tape. It’s one of many playable flashbacks that will be relevant to what’s happening with the main characters in the “present day” timeline. Was it scary? Heck yes. It’s still too early to make a judgement call on Resident Evil 7, but I like the direction Capcom is heading in.
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
The Big Android Dev Interview: Jolanda Verhoef
From the Big Android BBQ Europe: Blendle dev Jolanda Verhoef on getting into Android development, current challenges, and where it’s all going.
The Big Android BBQ Europe, held in Amsterdam, Netherlands recently, brings together some of Europe’s top Android developers, enthusiasts and other community members in a celebration of Android, code and cooked meat. A spin-off from the U.S.-based Big Android BBQ, the European event is now in its second year.
In addition to the actual BBQ part, it’s also host to two days of talks from Android developers, and this year’s keynote was presented by Blendle’s Jolanda Verhoef. We caught up with Jolanda during the event to talk Android, mobile development, the past and the future.
Who are you and what are you doing here at the Big Android BBQ Europe?
My name is Jolanda Verhoef and I’ve been developing for Android for six years, focusing mainly on architecture. [At the Big Android BBQ] I gave a talk on architecture together with RxJava. So, how can RxJava help you create a nice clean architecture. I work at a company called Blendle, which is a startup in the Netherlands, and before that I worked at companies like Philips, Dutch railway stations, Enexis, stuff like that. And I built my own app for geocaching as well.
How did you get started in the world of Android development?
I taught myself, did a few tutorials online, and ported the app to Android. And the basics of that app is still running in production today.
Well that’s actually a pretty nice story, and I’m gonna tell the long version because I feel like talking. Originally I was studying Computer Science, I’d just started [studying], and I had a summer holiday. And then my dad who is an iOS developer said, “well, I’ve got this nice iOS app, do you feel like porting it to Android?”
I was like “uh, what is Android?” because it was in the starting times of the smartphone business. And I was like “yeah, well, I don’t have anything to do anyway, I’ve just learned how to code, so why not.” So I didn’t know any Android at that moment, but I taught myself, did a few tutorials online, and basically ported the app to Android. And the basics of that app is still running in production today, so that’s pretty cool.
It’s called Geocaching Buddy, so it helps you with geocaching, viewing multicaches…
What are some of your favorite and least favorite things about working with Android?
My favorite things are, I guess, that you really get to build something that you actually see on-screen. Of course, that’s basically from app development, but I really like that with mobile it’s very touchable, very sensable what you’re building, and you directly see the results.
Also, I like the vibrant community around it, so you see that there’s a lot of people thinking outside the box, creating cool stuff like RxJava, but also like Jake Wharton creating all kinds of different libraries, and I really love that.
With mobile it’s very touchable, very sensable what you’re building, and you directly see the results.
The things I like less are that, in my opinion, the official Android guidelines kinda don’t help people create a nice architecture. So whenever you get, for example, into enterprise Java programming, then you will learn about design patterns and layered architecture patterns and stuff, and that is, like, core to enterprise software. But then if you go and build mobile apps they just have no idea. So thank god for the vibrant community.
Another thing [that I don’t really like] might be turning the screen, kinda, is very, very annoying. (Laughs) So, it’s just the landscape/portrait thing. It’s always messing around with things.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to someone starting out in Android development today?
Starting out, I would say that: Don’t assume that what the official documentation says is right. So read a lot of blog posts and ask for advice from everyone. Look further than just the basic documentation.
Where do you see Android development, or Android in general, headed in the next few years?
I expect Kotlin to take over, basically. So new developers will just learn Kotlin and stop Java development completely. And I expect… I hope that Google will get more into the whole architecture thing and that they will start giving advice on how to do that.
Jolanda Verhoef is the Android Master at Blendle. Follow her on Twitter at @Lojanda.
2016 Nexus phones: What we want to see from Google and HTC
Android Central editors sound off on what we want from the new Nexus hardware.
We’re quickly approaching that time of year when Google is poised to release new Nexus phones, and that means a few leaks fuel the fires for everyone to think about exactly what they want to see in the new phone (or, in this case, phones). We know the new hardware from Google is already finished and just waiting for some final touches before being released, so we’re really just daydreaming here, but that’s still fun to do!
So as we bide our time waiting for the real deal to be announced, here are a few thoughts we have on what we want to see from the new Nexuses — hardware, software, sales tactics, you name it. Read on.
Alex Dobie
The Nexus 6P was as close as we’ve yet come to a compromise-free Nexus phone — a device that isn’t just good for phone nerds who care about having the latest Google bits before everyone else, but a fantastic all-round handset. (By comparison the 5X took way too long to work out its software kinks.)
The Nexus 6P was as close as we’ve come to a compromise-free Nexus
Much of the hardware weirdness with the 6P — the huge physical size, the passable but not exceptional battery life, even with a large battery capacity, and the tendency to put out rather a lot of heat — should be solved automatically with newer, more efficient chips from Qualcomm. (Early 64-bit SoCs from the chipmaker just weren’t that great.) So from a refreshed pair of Nexus phones, I’m hoping to see similar screen sizes in more hand-friendly form factors. Something less overtly slabbish, even with a screen around the 5.5 to 5.7-inch mark would be nice.
A new generation of Nexus phones should also benefit from brighter screens with better daylight visibility. The 6P’s 2K display isn’t horrible, but the difference compared to Samsung or Apple in daylight is, well, night and day.
Next, that camera. I’m actually fine with the 6P’s image quality overall. It’s gotten better with updates over the past few months, and actually outperforms many 2016 models in low light, leaning heavily on Google’s HDR+ mode. The problem is it’s so painfully slow — slow to load, slow to capture, slow to pan, slow to everything. This is one area that desperately needs attention.
Andrew Martonik
Nearly a year on with the Nexus 6P and 5X, I’m still extremely happy with the experiences — though of course the 5X took quite a bit longer to come into its own. I really just hope that Google — and presumably HTC — have continued that formula rather than changing things dramatically. Compared to those previous Nexus phones, I just want a few subtle changes that will take the experience up that extra couple of notches.
The 6P and 5X are solid; they just need a few little tweaks to finish the experience
In terms of the bigger Nexus, a successor to the 6P, I think we deserve a better screen. With the wonderful hardware in the 6P, the one letdown was the display compared to what you’ve been able to get in other phones at the $400 and higher price point. I’d also like to see better battery life, as the 6P was pretty good but not fantastic for me. Here’s one more feature that’d really complete things: how about complete waterproofing, which has really won over consumers as a top feature.
For the smaller and cheaper companion Nexus, I want Google to keep the price down and offer great value like the Nexus 5X does — not necessarily try to kill it with bundles of specs. If we can step away from a cheap plastic build while keeping that price low — about $299, I hope — it’d be a killer option to have out there.
And one last thing that’s amazingly important for both devices: Google absolutely has to up its game in terms of camera speed — the Nexus 6P and 5X take amazing photos, but they do it at a glacial pace and it kills the experience.
Daniel Bader
I suspect that my dream Nexus is coming this quarter, since the HTC 10 is one of my favorite phones of 2016 so far. But more specifically, were I to take the Nexus 6P and lop off half an inch from the top and bottom, give it a less temperamental chip (the Snapdragon 810 was notoriously inconsistent in performance and battery life) and a faster camera, I’d be very happy.
I suspect that my dream Nexus is coming this year
Be it a Snapdragon 820 or 821, I am confident the next high-end Nexus will be extremely capable, and should the rumors of an HTC build be true, I’m sure it will have a great camera experience, too. I only hope that those other rumors — that of an overhauled, faster, less-reliant-on-HDR+ camera app — are also true.
As for the Nexus 5X, the faster we move on from that travesty the better. It’s pretty inexcusable that between LG and Google, who together build the very capable Nexus 5, left the Nexus 5X to languish with buggy software for as long as it did. Something tells me that even if LG makes this year’s lower-cost Nexus — which is unlikely, since HTC is expected to be building both — they won’t make that mistake again.
Finally, after using the Developer Preview of Android 7.0 Nougat on the Nexus 6P, I am confident that this upcoming version will be welcomed by the small number of early adopters who look forward to Nexus phones every year. It’s not a dramatic overhaul, but between more efficient Doze, improved notifications, and true multi-window support, Nougat will be considerably tastier than its edible counterpart.
Jerry Hildenbrand
- More gold.
- Free pizza on Tuesdays.
Seriously, Google, you just need to keep doing what you did in 2015. You know where the 6P and the budget-minded 5X weren’t perfect because you use them. Make those parts better without assing up what you got right.
Do whatever’s necessary to speed up the camera experience
Do whatever you need to do to the camera so the people who won’t install another app don’t have to wait while it opens or processes. Maybe even add OIS (though I’d love an option to turn it off) because apparently, it needs it, and use the same camera parts you used last time. If you’re sticking with AMOLED for the screens, be sure to stick with Samsung, too. Though I wouldn’t complain about LG’s Quantum Dots. Two versions mean you don’t even have to fiddle with the size(s) very much.
One thing you do need to change — make sure the “lesser” model is right at launch. The 5X will always have a bad name because it was pretty poor at launch and you took almost eight months to fix it. Only the people who stuck with it know that on the Android N Developer Preview it’s like a Corvette.
My list is small. That means it should be doable. Make the 2016 launch even better than 2015 was.
Russell Holly
I’m mostly here for a HTC 10 that isn’t just “Powered by Android” with the Nexus 6P camera that supports Google Daydream.
This is the first year since the Nexus line has been around, even way back in the Developer Phone days, where I haven’t felt a need to jump to a new phone after a year. The Nexus 6P is still a great phone at a great price. It’s still the phone I grab when I’m taking pictures in low light, and it’s still the phone I go to when I’m tired of the Android-based offerings from Samsung and HTC and LG.
If what we’ve seen from all the Marlin leaks are true, this next Nexus is going to address my only real complaints about the Nexus 6P. It’s going to have a slightly smaller overall body, and it’s not going to be quite as slippery. I like the feel of HTC’s metal over Huawei’s, and I like smaller phones. Everything else for me is small stuff. The Snapdragon 821 isn’t going to feel appreciably faster than the Snapdragon 810 in the 6P for 95% of the things we do on phones.
I want to see Google repeat the Nexus 5X formula, with a few tweaks
The only real reason I care about the Snapdragon 821 is Google Daydream. We’re going to see Google kick smartphone-based VR into high gear with Daydream on Marlin, and that’s going to be exciting even for folks who don’t care about VR. A big part of the Daydream spec is better sensors and better displays than anything we’ve seen in a Nexus before, which is going to be awesome.
For the smaller, “budget” Nexus I’d like to see Google repeat what they did with the Nexus 5X. Smaller, somewhat less capable, but still amazing. The 5X camera is unparalleled for its price, and a full year later there still isn’t a great competitor to that phone for anyone looking to buy unlocked. If Google can deliver that experience with something other than a cheap-ish plastic body, even better. I’m not convinced that’s a requirement though.
The only thing I’d like to see Google do differently this year is get the software right the first time. Out of the box, the Nexus 5X was a disaster. It’s amazing now, but it took way too long for those updates to come out. I’d like to see Google nail the “budget” Nexus software out of the gate and really drive home what an incredible experience you can get at such a reasonable price.
Ara Wagoner
I was never really blown away by the Nexus 5X, and while it did get better as the year went on — kind of — having a decently-sized (at least to my lithe hands) Nexus that works well from the get-go again would be wonderful. The 5X’s screen left a lot to be desired, especially outdoors, and the phone felt too light in the hand and more importantly in the pocket, leading me to sit down on it more than once because I simply forgot it was back there.
I don’t need much to change, but how about an SD card slot?
I’d like for both phones to get the same camera sensor again this year, preferably a sensor with OIS. I was happy both phones got the same Sony sensor last year, but the 5X camera was sluggish, and when I’m taking pictures on vacation, sluggish means missing that perfect shot of Mickey Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle during Festival of Fantasy.
Overall, the only real feature I want to come to the next Nexus phones is one we already know isn’t: microSD card support. Barring that, the only features I miss while I’m on Nexus phones are the IR sensors on the Moto X (which remains the most underrated feature I’ve ever encountered) and a front-facing fingerprint sensor. Yes, I prefer the front-facing sensor because I use my phone a lot while it’s propped up on my desk/in a mug/in a dock/lying on my pillow in bed and I prefer to simply place my finger on the front of the phone rather than pick it up and use the rear sensor. Or, y’know, use my backup pattern.
What do you think?
These are our ideas for what we want to see from future Nexus phones, but we value your opinions as well — sound off in the comments and let us know what you’re expecting!
Best car mounts for the Moto G4
What are the best car mounts that work with the Moto G4?
There’s no good reason to be driving with your Moto G4 in hand. Distracted driving is a hazard to the public and whether or not it’s illegal to text and drive in your state or local jurisdiction, you just shouldn’t do it.
Having said that, using your phone in your car is also incredibly convenient; we our phones for turn-by-turn directions or to play music and podcasts while driving. The common compromise is to use a car mount, so your phone is accessible for a quick tap or swipe when you’re stopped at a red light.
And there are no shortage of car-mounting options that will work with the Moto G4, all with their own unique features and methods of keeping your phone accessible and secure. Here are some of our favourites!
- iOttie Easy One Touch XL Car Mount Holder
- Affordable Universal 360-degree Rotating Car Mount
- Koomus CD-Eco Universal CD Slot Smartphone Car Mount
- WizGear Universal Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
- DigitlMobile High Grade Seat Bold Car Mount
iOttie Easy One Touch XL Car Mount Holder
If you’re looking for a standard dash car mount to hold your phone, you can’t go wrong with the iOttie Easy One Touch XL. Designed with a quick, one-touch lock and release system, you won’t be left struggling to secure your phone every time you jump in your car.
With 360-degree rotation available for either portrait or landscape orientation, this car mount ensures your Moto G4’s charging port and headphone jack are both accessible. It mounts easily with a strong suction cup coupled with a sticky gel for a secure, confident hold. If it’s time to switch cars, simply give the suction pad a quick rinse in warm water, then allow it to air dry — the suction will return to near-mint condition. Priced under $20, this is a great, if not slightly pedestrian, option for mounting your Moto G4 in your car.
See at Amazon
Affordable Universal 360-degree Rotating Car Mount
With the ability to hold phones up to 6-inches, the Affordable Universal 360-degree Rotating Car Mount will easily handle your Moto G4.
Securing your Moto G4 is as easy as pinching the clip in the back and placing your phone between the two rubber grips that will hold your phone in place. This mount attaches to your dash or windshield using a suction cup, with a quick push locking mechanism to ensure a secure hold. A 360-degree swivelling ball mount gives you the flexibility to adjust and rotate your phone as you see fit no matter where you decide to mount it in your car.
If you were wondering why this product is called Affordable, it’s available to buy for $10. Sweet deal.
See at Amazon
Koomus CD-Eco Universal CD Slot Smartphone Car Mount
If you’re car CD changer has been collecting dust, get new life out of it with the Koomus CD-Eco Universa CD Slot Smartphone Car Mount. This mount ingeniously uses your car CD changer to secure the mount, letting you mount your phone just above all your radio and center console controls.
With a stretch clamp that can hold a phone up to 3.5-inches, and a full 360-degree rotatable ball mount, your Moto G4 will be held securely, with a full range of customization for positioning it just the way you want it. There’s no tools or suction cups needed for installation. All you do is insert the flat end into your CD drive and you’re good to go. Because, let’s be real, once you’ve got your mp3-loaded or music streaming phone mounted in your car, who needs CDs anyways?
See at Amazon
WizGear Universal Air Vent Magnetic Car Mount
If your top priority in a car mount is the ability to quickly mount and release your phone with no muss, no fuss, the WizGear Universal Air Vent Magnetic Mount is right for you.
Your first step will be to mount the metal plate onto the back of your phone. It comes with both a magnetic metal plate for placing between your phone and a case, or a coin-sized adhesive magnetic metal pad that adds no bulk to your phone. The mounting bracket simply clips onto one of your car’s air vents, and allows for a full range adjustments. Once you’ve added the plate to your phone, all you have to do is bring the phone near the mount and let the magnet do all the work. You get a secure hold that won’t obstruct your dash or windshield, and your air conditioning will keep your phone cool when driving under the hot summer sun as an added bonus.
See at Amazon
DigitlMobile High Grade Seat Bold Car Mount
Saving perhaps the most interesting car mount for last, the High Grade Seat Bolt Car Mount from DigitlMobile features a fully-adjustable gooseneck arm you attach down by the floor of your car.
This one won’t be for everyone, and you’ll definitely want to confirm that you’ve got the mounting bracket required in your car before purchasing — but man does this thing look cool. It comes with an expandable clamp that should easily hold your Moto G4, whether or not you have it in a case. Installation is a bit more involved, as you’ll either attach it to the passenger seat track bolt, or drill it directly into the interior floor of your car for a more permanent fix. Once installed, you’ll be able to adjust the arm to exactly how you want near your car’s center console. An ideal option to avoid cluttering up your dash and field-of-vision, while also providing flexibility (literally) to let your passenger be your navigator or in-car DJ.
See at Amazon
How do you mount your Moto G4?
Which mount do you like best? Have any experience with the one’s we’ve suggested? We’d love to know what you think, so let us know in the comments!
Pop culture’s many takes on artificial intelligence
Over the years, artists, writers, filmmakers and game studios have all tackled the concept of artificial intelligence. Often their vision is of machines that are brutally hostile to humans. Philip K. Dick envisioned androids that murder their owners. The iconic HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey … also murders his human companions. Of course, there’s Skynet, which launches an all-out war on mankind. We could go on like this for a long time. But there are also those, like Spike Jonze, who envision us having a more complex relationship with computer-based personalities; one in which they could even be love interests. And in Star Trek: The Next Generation Data is not only a “good” android, but he’s often the hero of the show.
We’ve pulled together 13 of our favorite portrayals of AI over the years and put them in the gallery below. It is by no means comprehensive. So please, let us know what we missed in the comments or tweet at us (@engadget) to let us know your favorite AI character from the film, TV or books using the hashtag #EngadgetAIWeek.
‘Oh… Sir!’ is our favorite insult-em-up
Officially, it’s day two of Gamescom here in Cologne, Germany. For us, though, it’s day four of Nick Summers and I marching up and down a vast convention center, visiting developers to find out more about their games. It’s been a stressful 100 hours or so, working together without a break, but we finally got to let off some steam today with Oh Sir. It’s a game that let us sling abuse at one another in a way that wouldn’t involve a call to HR in the morning.
The idea is simple: you and your opponent pick a character and a location, and then the game starts. In the centre of the screen, you’ll see a batch of words and short phrases, and each player takes turns to pick in order to build out an insult. Once both are done, the game decides how good your insult is, and your opponent’s life bar is reduced as a result. You continue along that path until one of you runs out of health, and the character concedes defeat.
The game is styled with pixel art based on British gentry, and most of the insults you build are of a similar ilk. There’s some depth in the gameplay, too. Each of the characters has its own weakness; an old lady is particularly fragile when it comes to insults about age and death, while a sharp-looking gentleman is vulnerable to jokes about his sense of style. You can also build combos by using the same elements in succession. When I played against Nick, I went for “Your mother” insults three times in a row, and it was that tactic that led to my victory.
Oh Sir, like many indie titles before it, was born from a game jam, where developers come together, hang out, and code. These events promote creativity, and often give birth to some fantastical games. It was released for free on Steam last year, and has been downloaded over 140,000 times since, developing something of a cult following. In the meantime, developer Vile Monarch has been turning the idea into a full game, published by Gambitious. It’s just about complete, and now features AI opponents and online matchmaking. It’s going to release simultaneously on Steam (PC, Mac and Linux), the iOS App Store and Google Play.
We’re live all week from Cologne, Germany for Gamescom 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Recommended Reading: What happened at Hyperloop One?
How Hyperloop One
went off the rails
Sarah McBride,
Bloomberg
The folks at Hyperloop One are one group trying to make Elon Musk’s seemingly crazy idea of a levitating pod transportation system a reality. That task hasn’t been without its fair share of issues, including infighting and employee lawsuits. What the heck happened? Well, Bloomberg takes a look at the company’s inner workings to provide some context for the recent headlines.
|
Who’s afraid of tablet tech? The NFL made the switch to Microsoft Surface tablets for playbooks and in-game imagery already, but as you might expect not everyone is thrilled with the changes. Some coaches and players want to do things the old fashioned way. |
‘The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore:’ an appreciation A number of eulogies for Larry Wilmore’s show hit the internet this week, but I particularly enjoyed MTV’s look back at the end of #tonightly. |
|
The internet’s safe harbor just got a little less safe Now that Cox has to pay up for the copyright infringement of its users, other companies might start policing the content that’s posted using their services. |
How Sam Phillips invented the sound of rock and roll Some of the all-time greats recorded at Sun Studio and one man was behind the controls to engineer the sounds that would become iconic. |
Android Central 302: An Honor and a Nexus privilege
Andrew, Alex, Daniel and Jerry (and Jerry’s neighbor’s tractor) give you a generous helping of the Honor 8, which is a pretty great inexpensive phone coming to the U.S. and Europe this month.
And we’re coming up to the official release of Nougat, which means…. new Nexus phones! The team talks about potential features and designs of the two rumored HTC-built Nexuses.
Plus: is Google Duo a good thing, or a good waste? And Twitter Q&A!
Thanks to this week’s sponsor:
- Harrys: Use promo code AC to save $5 off your first purchase — start shaving smarter.
Podcast MP3 URL: http://traffic.libsyn.com/androidcentral/androidcentral302.mp3
Google Keep: Ultimate guide
Create lists, transcribe recordings, doodle, collaborate on to-do lists, and so much more with Google Keep.
Google Keep isn’t your average note-taking client. While the app sports a minimal interface and is very easy to use, it offers a set of powerful tools that make it an effective task management utility. From creating collaborative to-do lists to transcribing voice notes and saving bookmarks, the app does it all. The best part about Keep is that all changes are synced automatically, giving you quick access to your notes across all your devices, and on the web.
Here’s what you need to know to get started with Google Keep.
- How to install and login to Keep
- How to create and edit your first note in Keep
- How to create and manage lists in Keep
- How to share notes and add collaborators in Keep
- How to set reminders in Keep
- How to dictate audio notes in Keep
- How to add images to notes in Keep
- How to doodle in Keep
- How to use Keep as a bookmark tool
- How to export notes to Google Docs
- How to archive or delete older notes in Keep
- How to sort and organize notes with labels in Keep
- How to color code notes in Keep
How to install and login to Keep
This part’s straightforward. Just head to the Play Store, search for Keep, and install the app.
Open the Play Store from your home screen or app drawer.
Search for Google Keep and tap the first search result.
Tap Install.
Following the installation, open Keep and tap the Get started button.
Select the Google account you want to associate with the app.
How to create and edit your first note in Keep
One of Keep’s strengths is that it is very simple to use. Creating a note or editing an existing note is about as easy as it can get.
Open Keep from the home screen or the app drawer.
Tap the Take a note section at the bottom of the screen.
Enter the title and text, and tap the Back button to save the note.
Editing a note is just as easy. Tap the note you want to edit.
Tap the desired section to start making changes to the note.
Tap the Back button to save the changes.
How to create and manage lists in Keep
Keep allows you to easily create and manage to-do lists. Here’s how to get started.
Open Keep from the home screen or the app drawer.
Tap the List icon at the bottom.
Set a Title for the list, and start adding items. To delete an item, tap the Delete icon on the right.
If you’ve already started a basic text note, you can turn it into a to-do list by tapping the + icon at the bottom left of the screen.
Tap the + icon, and select the Checkboxes option to turn the note into a to-do list.
Don’t like the changes? You can turn the note back into a text note by selecting the Menu icon in the top left and selecting Hide checkboxes.
How to share notes and add collaborators in Keep
Keep has an excellent collaboration feature that lets you quickly share your notes and to-do lists with your friends and family. I use the feature to collaborate with my wife over grocery lists, chores for the weekend, and things to buy for the house. Here’s what you need to know about sharing notes.
Open Keep from the home screen or the app drawer.
Tap the note you want to share.
Select the Action icon at the bottom right.
Tap the Collaborator icon.
Allow Keep access to your contacts.
Enter the email address or name of the person you want to share the note with.
After adding the collaborator, tap the Save button to share the note.
How to set reminders in Keep
The ability to set reminders for notes or to-do lists is one of Keep’s most useful functions. The reminders feature works the same way as it does in Google Now: you have the option of creating a reminder based on time or location. Here’s how you can easily set a reminder in Google Keep:
Open Keep from the home screen or app drawer.
Select the note for which you want to set a reminder.
Tap the Remind me icon in the top right.
Set a reminder that triggers at a particular Time or at a Location.
You can also set recurring reminders for things like shopping lists. Reminders set in Keep will show up in Google Now and Inbox. When you’re setting a reminder, you get default options for Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. Here’s how to change the default options.
Open Keep and select the hamburger menu on the left.
Tap Settings.
In the Reminder settings section, tap Morning to change the default time for notification alerts in the morning.
How to dictate audio notes in Keep
In addition to text notes, you can also dictate notes to Keep, with the audio getting automatically transcribed. It is a lesser-known feature that comes in handy when you’re taking notes in class.
Open Keep from the home screen or app drawer.
Tap the Speak icon at the bottom.
Start recording your note.
After you’re done speaking, you’ll see a text form of the note along with the recording underneath.
You can hear the recording by selecting the Play button.
How to add an audio recording to an existing note
Adding an audio recording to an existing note is really easy.
Select the note, tap the + icon at the bottom left.
Select the Recording icon and start speaking.
You’ll see a text version of the recording as well as the audio added to the bottom of the note.
You can delete the recording by hitting the Delete icon at the right of the audio. Doing so doesn’t delete the text, which you’ll have to clear manually.
How to add images to notes in Keep, and use OCR
You can easily add images to notes, and extract text from within images.
Open Keep from the home screen or app drawer.
Tap the Camera icon in the bottom right.
Choose an image from your gallery or hit Take photo to take a new photo.
Add a title and text to the image if required.
How to extract text from an image
Want to grab the text from a photo you took, but don’t want to manually transcribe from the image? There’s a feature for that.
Tap the image, select the Menu in the top right.
Tap Grab image text.
You can also make annotations to an image by selecting the Pen icon in the top left.
How to add a photo to an existing note
If you’re looking to add an image to an existing note, it’s quick and easy.
Select the note you want to add a photo to and tap the + icon in the bottom left.
Choose Take photo to take a new photo to add to the note.
Select Choose image to add an image from the gallery to your note.
How to doodle in Keep
Like doodling? You can use Keep to draw digitally, with three modes available.
Open Keep from the home screen or app drawer.
Tap the Pen icon from the bottom.
Select between Pen, Marker, and Highlight tool.
Start drawing on-screen. To go back, hit the Undo icon on the right.
To erase your drawing, select the Eraser from the bottom bar.
To select and move a part of your drawing, use the Select icon from the bottom bar.
How to use Keep as a bookmark tool
Remember Delicious? You don’t need a dedicated tool to save bookmarks anymore, as Keep does a capable job of saving and organizing your bookmarks.
Select the Menu icon from Chrome to save a link to Keep.
Hit Share.
In the Share via screen, navigate to Keep to save the link.
Use the Label icon to assign a label to the link.
Tap Save to add the link as a note in Keep.
How to export notes to Google Docs
While Keep has a lot of features, it doesn’t offer rich text editing. If you’re in need of more robust formatting and editing tools, you can export your note to Google Docs, Evernote, Word, or other word processing services.
Long press on a note to show menu options.
Select the More icon from the top right.
Select Copy to Google Doc to turn the note into an editable Google Docs document.
If you’re looking to edit the document in another word processor, hit Send from the menu.
Select your editor of choice from the Send note menu.
Tap to save the note in your word editor.
You can also save several notes to a single Google Docs file. Just hold down to select individual notes, and then select Copy to Google Doc.
How to archive or delete older notes in Keep
If you no longer need a note, you can easily archive or delete it. Here’s how:
Select a note.
Tap the Archive icon to archive the note.
Tap the Action menu from the bottom right to access the delete option.
Select Delete to delete a note.
How to sort and organize notes with labels in Keep
Keep lets you add labels to organize your notes. If you’re like me and take a lot of notes throughout the day, labels are absolutely essential to make sense of the clutter.
Open the note for which you want to add a label.
Tap the Action icon in the bottom right.
Select Labels.
Add your desired label.
How to add labels via hashtags
You can also add labels quickly with the hashtag (#) symbol.
Open the note for which you want to add a label.
Type a #, which brings up all available labels.
Add your desired label from the list.
How to edit and organize notes base on labels
You can create, edit, and organize notes by labels with ease.
Tap the hamburger menu on the left.
Tap on a label to show notes tagged with that particular label.
Tap Edit to change label names.
Tap the Edit icon on the right to edit the name of a label.
Tap the + icon to add a new label.
How to color code notes in Keep
Along with labels, you can use colors to visually differentiate between different types of notes.
Open the note for which you want to add a color.
Tap the Action icon in the bottom right.
Select the desired color from the options at the bottom.
Tell us how you use Keep
Now it’s your turn. What do you use Keep for? Let us know in the comments.
ICYMI: Segway’s plan B and flexible concrete
Today on In Case You Missed It: Segway came to Intel’s Developer’s Forum to show a prototype for a self-balancing scooter that is also a robot. If the public SDK works out well, Segway hopes to release a consumer version of whatever it becomes in 2017.
Nanyang Technological University researchers created flexible concrete by embedding synthetic fibers inside the material, which makes it stronger as well as flexible.
If you’re interested, the CNNAir video is here. And in TL;DR, we run through the big headlines from the week, though we are most interested in seeing how the Ford vs. Uber self-driving race turns out. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
