Microsoft wants you to stick with Windows 10’s default apps
If you don’t like how difficult it is to change your default web browser in Windows 10… well, you may be particularly upset in the near future. A leaked Windows 10 preview release now gives you a prompt whenever you’re trying to switch away from a default Microsoft app, such as the Edge browser. You’re asked to give the stock app “a shot,” and the most prominent option is to stick with the Microsoft option — not exactly subtle. It’s not certain that this will reach the public Insider Preview program, but it’s evident that the company is at least toying with the idea.
The move is somewhat understandable (how many people do you know who immediately install Chrome on a new PC?), but it could be a risky move. Even though antitrust regulators aren’t hounding the company like they did in the previous decade, they’re still watching. If officials believe that Microsoft is abusing its continued dominance in PCs to push apps like Edge, they may ask it to back off.
Source: The Verge
A small number of people are now testing Android Marshmallow on the Moto X Pure Edition
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A few weeks back, Motorola announced what devices would be getting the update to Android Marshmallow, however the question that most Motorola owners have been wondering is when the update is going to start rolling out. Well, if a post on Google+ by Motorola’s David Schuster is anything to go by, it would appear that a small number of people are already testing Android Marshmallow on the Moto X Pure Edition. However, Schuster was careful to clarify that this is not a soak test and that this testing would go for a few weeks before a soak test was started.
“There have been a couple reports of a Marshmallow “soak test” that has started for Moto X 2015 Pure Edition. Just want to make it clear that we have NOT started a formal “soak test”. We have started a small TestDrive for the Marshmallow upgrade on Moto X 2015 Pure Edition. We will be conducting these tests for the next couple of weeks. Pending the feedback during this test cycle will determine the timing of a full soak test.”
While it’s good to have visibility on Motorola’s update strategy, we can’t help but notice that Motorola is a sizeable step behind LG now in terms of update speed with LG announcing that its LG G4 would start being updated to Android Marshmallow by next week. Of course, the Moto X Pure Edition will still complete its update faster than the LG G4 thanks to a lack of carrier versions, but it’s a far cry from the days when Motorola would release its updates a mere few days after Google.
What do you think about Motorola’s update strategy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Google+ via Droid-life
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Scoot launches electric car rentals and plans second city expansion
Scoot is moving beyond its namesake. Today the company announced the availability of the Scoot Quad, a four-wheeled electric car from Nissan called the Mobility Concept (worst name ever) based on the Renault Twizy. The company’s fleet of scooters will be joined by 10 Quads as the company evolves into a light-electric vehicle sharing company that will soon be expanding into an unnamed second city. Mike Waltman, vice president of fleet said, “We are narrowing it down now and we expect to be the second city next year.” But the Quad is here now and I got a chance to drive it through the streets of San Francisco ahead of today’s launch.Slideshow-330491
Right off the bat, like the rest of the Scoot line, renting it easy. The company has been able to seamlessly add the little car into its app. Find a vehicle in a garage, reserve it and then when you arrive, turn it on with the app. After you complete the rather elaborate startup sequence you can start cruising around town.
The bubble of a car is more like a go cart or really awesome golf cart then a economy car. There’s a windshield and roof, but no windows in the doors which incidentally open up like a Lamborghini. It seems ostentatious until you realize the doors run the length of the car and if you want to bring a passenger along, you need the extra room.
Oh and about that passenger, they sit in the back seat. The seating situation is like a log ride or Disney’s Space Mountain ride. The passenger sits behind the driver with their legs on either side of them.
Scoot was looking for a way to let its users give rides to passengers. It’s current line of scooters don’t allow for a second person on the bike. This solution not only lets you bring along a friend, but also opens up opportunities for different types of rentals. Like showing off your city to family members when they visit or a very odd date.
On the road, the narrow wheelbase and short length make for a fun, nimble car. Then you hit 25 miles per hour and the acceleration stops (I was able to get it to 26 miles per hour once). Scoot has limited the top speed. If you’re used to driving a car, it takes a few miles to get used too. The speed limit of most streets in San Francisco is 25, so it’s technically ok. But drivers will need to avoid some of the main thoroughfares in the city so they don’t piss off other drivers. Fortunately, the acceleration isn’t damped by the speed cap. It’s on par with an economy car. Not quick, but adequate.
Slow top speed aside, I had fun driving the Quad and talking to the people that approached me when I pulled over to take photos. And people will approach you. They’re not going to see this vehicle anywhere else. You can’t buy the Mobility Concept in the United States. While Nissan has modified the vehicle for US roads, the company isn’t jumping into the market just yet. That’s where Scoot comes in. The two companies have partnered for what they are calling a “research project.” Scoot gets to expand its fleet offerings and Nissan gets data about the car in a busy urban environment.
Scoot members can start renting the Quad today if they’re fortunate enough to receive an invitation. The 10 vehicles will most likely be in high demand initially, so Scoot is slowly rolling out access to its members starting with its most active. At launch the car must be picked up and returned to select garages while the company adds the appropriate chargers to other parking spots. The price is four times that of a regular scooter rental. So instead of $2 for a 30 minutes ride, it’ll be $8. It’s pricier than the bus, but probably cheaper than Uber or a taxi.
Plus, a bit more fun.
Source: Scoot
Sony has clarified its update strategy, some Xperia devices will jump straight to Android Marshmallow
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Earlier this month, Sony announced exactly which devices would be getting an update to Android Marshmallow, but for many Sony owners something didn’t quite add up – most Xperia devices are currently on Android 5.0 and it was assumed that an Android 5.1 update was imminent, meaning the Marshmallow would still be many months away. Thankfully, that might not be the complete truth according to Sony’s support website which is now showing that Xperia devices will jump straight to Android Marshmallow from Android 5.0.
This includes devices like the Xperia Z3+, Xperia M4 Aqua, and Xperia C5 Ultra which just missed out launching with Android 5.1 as the Xperia Z5 range did. This news will likely relieve some owners who were worried that they would have to watch as the rest of the Android community got their Android Marshmallow updates before them. No doubt this is going to be a relatively common strategy for manufacturers who have many older devices still on Android 5.0.
What do you think about Sony’s strategy of making some Xperia devices jump straight to Android Marshmallow? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: XperiaBlog via Phone Arena
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Tinder’s parent company files for IPO
Match Group, the owner of Tinder and OkCupid, is going public. According to the filing, the company hopes to raise $100 million dollars. The mega-dating company states in its paperwork filed with the Security and Exchanges Commission that its advantage over its competition includes strong brand recognition (It’s tough to think of a dating brand larger than Tinder right now) and the ability to scale. It currently has 59 million monthly active users and of those 4.7 million are paid. Most of its intended growth will probably be international. The increased funds from the offering will help it focus on product development, becoming more mobile, improve customer acquisitions and expand its portfolios with new products and buying up competitors. The company will be listed on the NASDAQ as MTCH. Of course all these numbers and talk of growth come down to love. Or at least the short-term “love” of hooking up. The Match Group’s stated mission is “to increase romantic connectivity worldwide.”
Via: TechCrunch
Source: SEC
Huawei announces which Huawei devices will be getting the Android Marshmallow update
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The wave of manufacturers announcing which of their devices will be updated to Android Marshmallow continues as it was announced today which Huawei devices will be getting the Android Marshmallow update. There aren’t many surprises here with Huawei’s latest flagship devices, the Huawei Ascend P8, Ascend Mate 7 and Ascend Mate S headlining the list, and naturally the list cuts off around the 2 year mark (though I could be wrong). All said, the list contains 15 devices, which is pretty commendable in this day and age where mid-range devices tend to draw the short straw as soon as they are conceived.
Unlike LG who announced a timeline for when its first updates would start rolling out, Huawei didn’t specify exactly when this would all start and we definitely wouldn’t be holding our breaths just yet. All the same, we’re impressed with just how many manufacturers are being upfront about which devices are going to be getting updates in the immediate future, but conversely, it does punctuate how strict companies are going to be on their 18-24 month support windows.
What do you think about the list of which Huawei devices will be getting the Android Marshmallow update? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: GizmoChina via Phandroid
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Android Marshmallow for the LG G4 to start rolling out next week
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And so it begins. Earlier this week, LG announced the roll-out of Android Marshmallow for the LG G4, saying that it would be the first smartphone (apart from the Nexus devices, of course) to receive the update to the latest version of Android. For whatever reason, the roll-out will start in Poland, which is an awfully Samsung thing to do, but take that as you will. The update will start appearing sometime next week with Europe, Asia and the Americas to get the update in the following weeks/months/whenever. Also note that if you have a carrier variant of the LG G4 that you shouldn’t hold your breath as your update could be delayed by at least a few weeks, if not months.
This announcement comes just days after Google VP of Android Engineering, Dave Burke, made some comments about Google working with LG and how they had a wonderful relationship together. To supplement this, LG VP of marketing communications, Chris Yie, added:
“By working closely with Google, LG has been able to bring Android 6.0 to the G4 ahead of any of our competitors. While speed alone isn’t an indicator of great service, it does go a long way toward giving consumers the confidence that LG is committed to its existing customers first.”
Unless we’re reading too far into it, we’d say Google has a new favourite among all the Android manufacturers. Where you at, Motorola?
What do you think about Android Marshmallow for the LG G4 coming out first? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Google Play’s pending redesign gets an early tease
While an app store redesign may not be the most exciting update, there are some pending tweaks to the Google Play store app that tidy things up a bit. Thanks to Google software engineer Kirill Grouchnikov, we have an early look at a few of the changes. Aside from some aesthetic polish and scrolling animations, Google is dividing the store into two main parts: Apps & Games and Entertainment. Google Play is currently divided into six categories that appear when you first open up the app, so reducing those down to two seems to simplify matters a bit. There’s also support for languages that read right to left, based on some of the screenshots Grouchnikov uploaded to Google+. Unfortunately, there’s no indication as to when Android users will receive the update. For now, you can see how the Google Play has evolved since its early days as Android market on the other side of the break.
Via: The Verge
Source: Kirill Grouchnikov (Google+)
Your PC may update to Windows 10 if you don’t pay attention
Microsoft really, really wants you on Windows 10. We noticed last month that it was downloading the optional Windows 10 updater whether you asked for it (and had space for it) or not. Now it’s actually pre-ticking the update box, as Ars Technica reports. That means if you’re not watching closely and just hit “OK” to the latest updates, Windows Update will go ahead and install the whole shebang — all 3GB to 6GB of it — on your PC. While it’s a worthy upgrade, there are myriad reasons that folks may not want to do that just yet, including privacy changes and the lack of a free DVD player.
While Redmond’s decision to pre-tick the box seems presumptuous, the company told Ars Technica that the whole thing was, in fact, an error. “As part of our effort to bring Windows 10 to existing genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers… (the update) option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check.” Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek just to make sure, or you may get a rude surprise when you return from your coffee break.
Via: Ars Technica
Want Android Marshmallow on the 2012 Nexus 7? This method has you covered
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The man who was behind the way to get Android Marshmallow on the Nexus 4 is at it again, this time figuring out how to get Android Marshmallow on the 2012 Nexus 7. Dmitry Grinberg provides a guide on how to do it, but like the method for the Nexus 4 that he posted last week, the method of updating the 2012 Nexus 7 will require a little Android know-how – though learning some cool tricks is never a bad thing. That said, it looks like Grinberg has also provided the relevant files if you want to take the shorter, easier approach too.
According to Grinberg, all the major things are working, including the camera, NFC, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth so you should be able to use it as a relatively stable device. Nexus devices have slowly been dropping off the radar as Google stops their official support, but it’s always good to know that the community will keep these devices alive for the foreseeable future. If you try out this method, we’d love to hear how it turns out for you.
What do you think about Android Marshmallow on the 2012 Nexus 7? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Dmitry Grinberg via XDA
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