gizmosure

Tag: Google

  • Android Q Beta 4: All you need to know

    Android Q Beta 4: All you need to know

    Google released the latest Android Q Beta 4 build during its I/O 2019 Developers conference. The latest beta seems rather close to the final build with standard API level (29) as well as official SDK for developers. Now, this essentially allows app developers to start final compatibility testing and add new features.

    After this build, Google plans to release two more builds before Android Q’s public launch in Q3 2019. System images for Android Q Beta 4 are available for the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, and Pixel 3 XL. Besides, the latest beta is also available for the new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. Users can also install the build as an OTA by manual download or via the Android Beta program.

    Here’s everything new in Android Q beta 4:

    Dark theme changes in Pixel launcher notifications

    In Android Q beta 4, some minor tweaks arrive in the Pixel launcher that makes notifications shades more legible. Notifications also get more colors in the dark mode in the latest beta. Besides, the device search bar at the bottom of the screen turns gray when the dark theme is activated. All in all, they are minor chnages but greatly enhnace overall legibility by visually separating stream of alerts while using dark mode in Andoird Q.

    Notification tweaks

    Unlike ealier Android Q betas, the latest build brings the ability to swipe notifications away in any direction by default. Put simply, users can swipe notifications either way to dismiss, just like they would in Android Pie. Elsewhere, notification types have changed from ‘Interruptive and Gentle’ to ‘Prioritized and Gentle’ in the latest beta. Besides, the layout and icons of the notifications controls also get minor tweaks, with new subtle icons.

    4 new accent colors

    Google has also added 4 new colors to choose from in Android Q Beta 4. To begin with, we have Cinnamon which appers to be a mix brown and red. Next, we have Ocean which appears to be a mix of blue and green shades. Then, we have the Space color theme which happens to be a dark, subtler shade of blue. Finally, there’s Orchid which which is lighter shade if purple.

    Relocated lock icon and a tweaked lock screen

    Another minor change in Android Q Beta 4 is a tweak on the lock screen. Google has relocated the lock icon on the lock screen from the bottm to the top, above the time and weather. It’s interesting to note that this new lock screen layout looks rather similar to the latest iOS home screen layout, especially when gesture navigations are activated.

    Gesture navigation improvements

    Full gesture navigation controls now gets a black arrow which makes it much easier to see. It appears when you swipe in from the left or the right. The arrow now turns black in a light background and changes to white in darker backgrounds.

  • Pixel 3 Lite allegedly shows up in a video

    Pixel 3 Lite allegedly shows up in a video

    We’ve already come across several leaks and rumors about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Lite. Past reports indicate the search engine giant plans to launch the duo in the US this spring in partnership with Verizon. Today, we have another leak about the Pixel 3 Lite, which surprisingly, comes in the form of a review.

    Sources indicate the Pixel 3 Lite shown in the video is likely a pre-production sample. However, it falls in line with earlier leaks which tipped at a plastic body instead of metal like the standard Pixel 3 range. Even the frame appears to have been made of plastic, and the white color variant shown in the video sports a yellow power button.

    Besides, the video reveals the presence of the classic 3.5mm headphone jack on top. Another interesting bit of information revealed is the repositioning of the SIM card slots, which have now been moved to the side.

    In terms of specifications, the video suggets the Pixel 3 Lite gets powered by Snapdragon 670 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. Elsewhere, it features a 12.2MP primary camera as well as an 8MP front-facing shooter. The device runs Android 9 Pie and gets fuleled by a 2915mAh battery. You can check out the video below:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaT4u-1Y60

    Finally, the video suggests Google plans to launch the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite sometime in Spring this year, right after the I/O conference.

    Readers, however, are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt as nothing is official for the moment. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anyhting new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

  • RCS Chat finally arrives on Google Fi

    RCS Chat finally arrives on Google Fi

    Google officially announced that RCS Chat support has arrived on Google Fi network. It’s the next-generation chat standard that allows users to share high quality images and video, texting over Wi-Fi, read-receipts, as well as better group chats. That said, the RCS standard doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption in order to protect users’ privacy.

    “With RCS in Messages, you can do and share more when you message friends, family members, groups, and even businesses who are on RCS. You’ll be able to see typing indicators and read receipts, share high-resolution videos, and message over Wi-Fi or data with others that have RCS enabled,” explained Product Manager Punyabrata Ray explained in a blog post. ”

    google fi

    As long as you have a ‘designed for Fi’ phone, RCS support will be automatically enabled on your device. It’s available on several handsets such as the likes of Pixel phones, LG G7, LG V35, Moto G6, as well as Moto X (Android One variant). Besides, RCS also supports other Android smartphones as well. All you’ll need to do is donwload the Google Messages app and set is as your default messaging app.

    Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries

    Apart from announcing RCS Chat support, the search engine giant also announced that it’s improving data sppeds for users on roaming. Google says it’ll offer 4G LTE data speeds for users who travel internationally. Users on roaming are expected to get faster 4G LTE speeds on their travels in the ‘next few weeks’.

    Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries it covers. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, as well as the UK.

  • Google gets rid of 85 malicious apps from the Play Store

    Google gets rid of 85 malicious apps from the Play Store

    Google has removed 85 dangerous apps from the PlayStore, after security experts found such apps to contain adware. According to researchers at TrendMicro, these apps were available on the Play Store as games, TV, and remote control simulator apps.

    “This adware is capable of displaying full-screen ads, hiding itself, monitoring a device’s screen unlocking functionality, and running in the mobile device’s background,” explained the researchers at Trend Micro in the blog.

    The report further notes that these malicious apps have witnessed over nine million downloads on the Android PlayStore. One of these apps, called ‘Easy Universal TV Remote’, was the most downloaded among the 85 malicious apps, with over 5 million downloads.

    It’s also worth noting that these apps showed and shared the same source code, despite coming from different developers and different APK certificates. Once installed, as soon as the user launched these apps, a full-screen pop-up would appear asking users to perpetually press several buttons to continue.

    Every button press would then open a new ad page, and this kept on happening until the app finally crashed. That said, they would still run in the background and suddenly show up after every hour or so on the device. For more information, click on the source link below.

    Well, this isn’t the first time Google has removed malcious apps from the PlayStore. In November 2018, Google removed 13 malware-infested apps from the PlayStore. Back then, popular malware researcher researcher, Lukas Stefanko, found 13 malicious apps on the Play Store, which tricked users to install malware on their handsets.

    Besides, Stefanko also found 29 other malicious apps on the PlayStore between August until early October 2018 in the Google Play store, which also masked themselves as authentic banking apps and used phishing forms to collect a user’s personal banking information.

  • Google denies withdrawal of two-year updates for Android One phones

    Google denies withdrawal of two-year updates for Android One phones

    A Reddit user earlier spotted some missing text from the official Android One page that promised 2-year software updates for Android One phones. This led to worries that the tech giant isn’t going to live up to its promise to offer timley updates for devices sold under the program. However, Google has now responded with an official statement stating it has no intentions of doing so.

    “We confirm that our promise to provide 2 years of updates on Android One devices still stands and our website design does not impact the promise of this program,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

    A little bit of text from the official webpage which indicated that participating devices would be receive guaranteed OS updates for two years went missing. The text removal was pointed out by a Reddit user.

    Though, with Google now denying the withdrawal of two-year software updates, it appears the removal of update-related text isn’t that big a deal as some of us thought to be.

    That said, it’s worth pointing out that the original text that guaranteed two year updates is still missing from the official webpage. The reason, according to Google, is because they’re redesigning the website.

    Android One is Google’s effort to offer timely updates

    Google launched the program a few years ago in an effort to unite the fragmented Android market and offer timley software updates. With so many smartphone manufacturers, most companies choose to modify the stock Android OS, which eventually disrupts the update process.

    With the initiative, Google wanted to bring more companies under the program so that system and security updates can land much quicker on all handsets. All smartphones under the program are free of any bloatware, which makes it the purest form of Android.

  • Google seemingly removes two-year OS updates for Android One devices

    Google seemingly removes two-year OS updates for Android One devices

    Google appears to have removed some text from its official Android One webpage which claimed that partcipating handsets would receive guranteed OS updates for two years. However, now there’s no mention of the OS updates on the official website. The original text on the website was as follows:

    “With Android One, your phone will receive at least two years of OS upgrades to the latest version of Android. That means access to the latest innovations and a phone that always runs as smoothly as the day you bought it.”

    The removal of text was spotted by a Reddit user, which already suggests that the community is slightly baffled with the text removal. It could either be a mistake or appears to have gone for some reason, but it suggests Google is no longer interested in living up to that promise. The only devices to receive regular OS updates would be Google’s Pixel range of devices. And for obvious reasons, users aren’t going to be happy if this turns out to be true.

    It’s also unclear what will happen to these devices that are already listed on the website. There’s also a possibilty that the update poilcy could only apply for new devices. That said, nothing can be said for certain until Google clears the air about the issue.

    To recall, Google launched the Android One program a few years ago in an effort to unite the fragmented Android market and offer timley OS updates. With so many smartphone manufacturers, most companies choose to modify the stock Android OS, which led to delay in OS and security updates.

    All smartphones under the program are free of any bloatware, and are meant to receive timley software updates. With the Android One inititaive, Google wanted to bring more companies under the program, so that system and security updates can land much quicker on all handsets.

  • Google removes millions of fake ratings and reviews from the Play Store

    Google removes millions of fake ratings and reviews from the Play Store

    Google is obvioulsy irked by the increasing number of fake app reviews and ratings on the Play Store. However, it appears the company has finally taken stringent measures to combat fake reviews and improve authenticity on Google Play. The search engine giant has introduced a system that uses both AI and human insights to combat fake reviews and ratings on the Play Store.

    “In 2018, the Google Play Trust & Safety teams deployed a system that combines human intelligence with machine learning to detect and enforce policy violations in ratings and reviews. A team of engineers and analysts closely monitor and study suspicious activities in Play’s ratings and reviews, and improve the model’s precision and recall on a regular basis. We also regularly ask skilled reviewers to check the decisions made by our models for quality assurance,” explained Fei Ye, software engineer at Google.

    Google further adds that it has removed millions of fake ratings and reviews, along with thousands of apps that exhbhit such shady behavior. The search engine giant is essentially targeting a sudden surge in ratings, along with reviews that are hateful, vulgar, profane, or off-topic.

    Play Store
    An example of incentivized ratings on the Play Store

    Besides, Google urges developers to not run incentivized campaigns in order to improve Play Store ratings. “Don’t run campaigns, in-app or otherwise, like “Give us 5 stars and we’ll give you this in-app item!” That counts as incentivized ratings, and it’s prohibited by policy,” Google further adds in the blog post.

    Finally, Google advises users to send feedback if they come across bad ratings and reviews on Google Play.Users can mark reviews as Spam if they sound hateful, gibberish, sexual, or profane.

  • Google Plus suffers another data bug, 52.5 million users affected

    Google Plus suffers another data bug, 52.5 million users affected

    Google Plus has witnessed another data bug, and the company has now decided to close the social network earlier than initially planned. The service will now shut down in April next year instead of August 2019, according to Google.

    The company confirms that the new data leak has affected a whopping 52.5 million users. The bug may have compromised personal user information such as their name, email address, profession, and age, even if they set their profile to ‘private’.

    “With the discovery of this new bug, we have decided to expedite the shut-down of all Google+ APIs; this will occur within the next 90 days. In addition, we have also decided to accelerate the sunsetting of consumer Google Plus from August 2019 to April 2019. While we recognize there are implications for developers, we want to ensure the protection of our users,” said Google in a blog post.

    No misuse so far

    The bug was discovered in Google Plus API, and the company assures that its API will stop functioning within 90 days. Google, however, suggests there’s no evidence of the vulnerability being misused so far. The company also asserts that the bug has been patched now, and users can safely use the service until April.

    To recall, a similar security bug was found in Google Plus back in October, which exposed users private and personal data to developers for as many as three years. The vulnerability was discovered in March this year, though Google did not publicly acknowledge the issue up until October. Following the public reveal, Google announced its plans to shut down Google+ for consumers, which has since struggled to attract users.

    However, with the latest bug, Google states it found the leak by itself which was live only for a period of six days. Google also says it’s begun informing users and business customers who may have been impacted by the latest vulnerability.

  • Google retiring its chat app Allo for good

    Google retiring its chat app Allo for good

    Google has officially announced plans to shut down its chat app, Allo. That said, the news shouldn’t come as a surprise given the fact that Google stopped investing in the app since April. Back then, Google revealed that Allo couldn’t garner the level of popularity the company thought it would.

    Google has always struggled to create a chat app to rival the likes of WhatsApp or Messenger, despite owning Android, the world’s most adopted smartphone OS.
    Allo was launched nearly two years ago with much fanfare. Though, Google has now announced plans to retire the chat app, adding that Allo will continue to work only till March next year, and users will be able to download or export their conversations until then.

    Google will now put its focus on creating ‘Messages’, another chat app the company is prepping for Android phones. The company announced earlier this year that it has joined hands with mobile carriers on the new RCS (Rich Communication Services) standard. It’s essentially an upgrade to old-school SMS texting, which according to Google, should make messaging and group chats more seamless across Android devices.

    The company has also announced its plans to kill off ‘Hangouts Classic, which will be replaced by two enterprise-focussed apps, Hangouts Chat and Meet. Both of them will launch for all consumers next year, as right now, Chat and Meet are only available to G Suite users.

    Well, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Google deciding to shut down its chat apps. The serach engine giant has become rather infamous for killing off several chat apps and social networks. In the past, the company has axed multiple apps such as the original GChat, Google Plus, Buzz, as well as Wave.

  • New Android Auto update will roll out soon, here’s what’s new

    New Android Auto update will roll out soon, here’s what’s new

    The latest Android Auto update has officially arrived. As expected, the update brings new features and enhances the old ones to make your ride simpler and more personal. The update makes the user interface less cluttered and reduces the risk of distraction while driving.

    To begin with, the new Android Auto update improves search and media browsing features so that drivers can access content more easily. Media Content is now visible more clearly on the screen so you can view and browse content easily.

    Besides, the layout now displays bigger album art images so you can easily view what you want to play. Hence, you don’t have to spend a lot of time fiddling the screen to find what songs you want to listen. Popular streaming apps such as Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pocket Casts, Google Play Music, and Google Play Books are also available. And thanks to Google Assistant, you can also use voice search.

    android auto

    Talking about messaging, you get the ability to launch WhatsApp, Messages, and Hangouts right from the Android Auto display. Group Messages and Visual Message previews are also available, however, they can only be viewed when the car isn’t moving. Also, you’ll need to activate the feature first within the Settings menu.

    Google has also expanded messaging support in the new Android Auto update with support for MMS and RCS ( rich communication services).

    The new Android Auto update is expected to roll out in the next few days. In the meantime, make sure to watch out for an OTA alert or head over to the PlayStore to check if the latest update is available for download.

  • Google removes 13 malware infested apps from the Play Store

    Google removes 13 malware infested apps from the Play Store

    A security researcher has found over a dozen malware infested apps have on the Play Store that trick users to install malware on their handsets. Renowned malware security researcher, Lukas Stefanko, has found 13 malicious apps on the Play Store, all of which happen to be motor racing games.

    According to Stefanko, these apps were created the same cybercriminal Luiz Pinto. Stefanko also notes that these apps have been downloaded by users nearly 560,000 times. Besides, he also added that a few of them also happen to be top trending apps.

    Reports suggest that once users were tricked into installing these malware infested apps, these apps never functioned properly as they crashed whenever a user tried opening them. And over a period of time, these apps could hide the icon from a user’s view and then asked users to install in-app application Game Center.

    Users were mostly unaware, and without their consent it used to install malware in the background to steal sensitive information. Researcher Stefanko informed Google about such malicious apps thriving on the Play Store.  Thankfully, Google came out with a swift response as the company has now removed 13 such malicious apps from Play Store.

    That said, the search engine giant continues to fail in its efforts to stop such malware ridden apps popping up on the Ply Store. As this isn’t the first time malware researcher Lukas Stefanko has found malicious apps on the Play Store.

    Earlier, this month, he found a Trojan-ridden call recording app which disguized itself as a normal call recording app and tricked users into downloading an additional app. While back in September, he found a Trojanized banking app which stole banking information from compromised Android devices.

    Stefanko suggests that if an Android app asks you to download Flash Player from servers besides Adobe, it should be taken as a warning sign as the app is most likely infected.

    One of the primary reasons that such apps are constantly showing app on the Play Store could be Google’s open source code policy. In contrast, Apple controls almost everything for its iOS store apps and allows developers to work within stringent parameters only. Hopefully, Google takes a cue from Apple to prevent such instances from happening in the future.

  • Google Pixel 3 available at a bumper deal on BestBuy

    Google Pixel 3 available at a bumper deal on BestBuy

    If you’re planning on picking up the Google Pixel 3, now would be the right as Best Buy is offering a bumper deal on Google’s latest smartphones. The online retailer is offering the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at a bargain that any prospective buyer would be absolutely insane not to take advantage of.

    You an get both handsets at a massive $400 discount. Buyers can get the Pixel 3 for $399 and Pixel 3 XL for $499, down from their original price of $799 and $899 respectively. That said, the deal only applies to Verizon-branded Pixel handsets. However, you might be able to get either of the two devices without being contract-locked.

    Not to mention, Best Buy has also confirmed that you’ll save $400 immediately, as the remaining balance of the phone’s price will show up on your Verizon account. Now, this essentially gives you the option to pay it back in full anytime, along with the option to switch carriers instead of being chained for 24 months on Verizon.

    Put simply, the contract you’ll sign for this deal is basically a $400 loan as the terms clearly mention you can back in full anytime. Besides, you can pay the phone’s total price in installments over a 24-month contract, $16.66 per month for the Pixel 3 and $20.83 for the Pixel 3 XL.

    That said, you’ll still need to pay $30 activation fee in order to unlock the phone. Best Buy has also confirmed that the deal is availble at both online as well as its physical stores. Though you better hurry, the deal won’t last long. For more information, head over to BestBuy’s product page.

  • Google Duplex now available on a few Pixel phones in the US

    Google Duplex now available on a few Pixel phones in the US

    Google Duplex has finally arrived on some Pixel smartphones in the US. The AI-powered chat agent that can fix appointments and make reservations over the phone is now available to a small group of Pixel users in select cities across the US.

    Though for now, Duplex can only be used to make restaurant reservations. To do so, users just have to ask Google assistant to make the booking. Besides, users will be asked certain questions such as the preferred time of booking, how many people you want the booking for, and the phone number under which you want the booking to be made.

    Early reports about Duplex are seemingly positive, as sources indicate the system worked every time it was used to make a reservation. However, not all restaurants are equipped with support for the AI-powered voice booking system. Now, this could be due to the fact that some restaurants have not yet opted for bookings through Duplex.

    “We’re currently ramping up the ability to book restaurant reservations through the Google Assistant over the phone using Duplex technology. To help deliver a good experience to Pixel users and to businesses, we’re starting with a slow rollout and will expand to more Pixel users as we continue to ramp up,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to VentureBeat.

    Besides, Google has also put some security measures to prevent Duplex from being misused. As users can only cancel a restaurant booking only once per day. In addition, users found to have cancel multiple bookings in a row will be banned from using the system.

    For now, we aren’t sure when a wider rollout will begin or by when Duplex would get the ability to perform other tasks. Nonetheless, initial signs look positive as the current system seems to work as Google intended it to be.

  • Google Pixel 3 XL running Android Q allegedly spotted on Geekbench

    Google Pixel 3 XL running Android Q allegedly spotted on Geekbench

    One of the main reasons users prefer Pixel-branded handsets is because they receive timley Android updates and security patches. The Google Pixel 3 range shipped with the latest Android 9 Pie. And now, it appears Google has already started testig the next version of Android on the Pixel 3 XL.

    A Geekbench listing has allegedly been spotted which shows the Pixel 3 XL running Android Q. This, for obvious reasons, comes as a surprise given the fact that Google will reveal details about Android Q next year. Though, the listing seemingly suggests that Google has already started testing the next version of Android OS on the Pixel 3 XL. As per the listing, the Pixel 3 XL running Android Q pulled off single and multi core scores of 2404 amd 8510 respectively.

    android q

    Android Q is the next version of Android that will arrive on supported Pixel-branded handsets in 2019, followed by smartphones from other manufacturers. Therefore, it’s rather suprising to see a listing with Google Pixel 3 XL running the forthcoming version of Android.

    With that being said, Google also promised that it’ll offer comaptible smartphones an early chance to test Android Q. Hence, it’s possible that some testers might have been given early access to test Android Q build for the Pixel 3 XL.

    That said, there’s also a possibilty that the listing is fake given that it has become rather easy to tweak Geekbench listings. Editing the build.prop with a different version of Android is one of the most common methods to tweak Geekbench listings. For now, nothing can be authecticated or verified, therefore, readers are advised to take this leak with a huge grain of salt.

  • Chromecast gets support for multiple speaker groups

    Chromecast gets support for multiple speaker groups

    Google today announced Chromecast support for multiple speakers along with its Home speakers. With this support, Chromecast owners can add the streaming device to play songs, add playlists, podcast, and audiobooks across several Chromecast connected devices in their homes.

    Chromecast support for speaker groups is now rolling out for everyone and works on all generations of  the streaming device. The feature is certainly good news for owners who want a better aural experience. Not only can users play audio on their Google Home speaker, they can also sync the audio with any other device connected to their dongle. All in all, it’s a great way to setup multi-room audio with the devices you already own.

    The feature is gradually rolling out to all Chromecast devices, hence it might not show up instantly on your dongle. That said, it will likely become available soon. In the meantime, you can join the Preview program with your device to try this feature.

    To join the preview program, just open the Google Home app on your iOS or Android device. Then tap on the Chromecast connected to your Wi-Fi network, and click on the Settings Tab at the top right corner. Just scroll down the Preview program section, and join in by following the on-screen instructions. That said, you might need to restart your dongle a few times in order to see the option.

    Once your device is setup, you’ll need to add your dongle to a speaker group in the Google Home app, as well as other speakers you ant to sync with. To do so, just open the Google Home App. Then tap Add> Create speaker group, and then tap on each device you want to sync. Give your group of connected devices a name and hit Save. Try to play some music and audio should play through your connected devices as well as your speaker.