Android Auto compatible head units have already begun shipping, but don’t expect to just plug in any old Android device and hope everything will just work. A new Android Auto app has been added into the Play Store enabling this functionality on Lollipop+ devices. The app brings a simple driver friendly UI, all powered by your Android device and mirrored onto the head unit.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Android Auto app:
Navigation with Google Maps – Free turn-by-turn navigation with lane guidance, live traffic conditions, points of interest, and more
Hands-free phone and messaging – Make calls and send messages without taking your hands off the wheel
Info and assistance – Get weather, traffic, commute information and more organized into simple cards
Bring your music – Listen to your music and playlists in the car with your built-in stereo system
Chances are, you don’t have a compatible automobile or head unit just yet, so you may want to bookmark the app for future use. We wonder how long it’ll be before Google begins preloading this onto devices with their current app suite. Check out Google’s promo video below.
With Google re-purposing store.google.com as their new devices page, offering up everything from Nexus, to Nests, and other hardware accessories, you may be asking yourself what happened to the old Google Store. You know, Google’s old merch store where they sold all kinds of Google branded merchandise from sweaters, to t-shirts, dog bowls, or even (our personal favorite) an Android cookie jar.
Google has officially opened their first retail store in Currys PC World in London. Called the “Google Shop,” the new store displays a variety of Google devices ranging from Android Wear smartwatches, to Chromebooks and Nexus devices. It’s really not unlike the smaller displays they already have inside of Best Buy locations.
The big difference is their London shop is much larger and features interactive experiences like Chromecast demos, or even a doodle wall where the user can use an electronic spray can to shoot virtual paint onto the wall. According to Business Insider, who got a firsthand look at the store, retail associates were actually real life Googlers, with one associate mentioning he previously worked on Google Glass (and we all know how that turned out). Ouch.
Because not everyone can make the trek out to London to experience the Google Shop for themselves, Google is also launching a new virtual reality app in the Play Store, giving users a 360-degree tour of the new store via Google Cardboard. Definitely a cool way to show off the fruits of their labor. The Google Shop is expected to launch in several new locations in the coming months, with Fulham and Thurrock, in Essex next on the list.
It was only a few weeks ago that Google moved all their hardware off of the Play Store and into their all new Google Store (their merchandise store has since been relocated). While the Nexus 5 was officially EOL’d, during this transition, that doesn’t mean they’re giving up on expanding availability of the rest of their hardware around the world.
In fact, starting today you can now purchase the Nexus 6 in 6 all new countries around the world: Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Portugal. This brings the running list up to 21 countries where the Nexus 6 can be purchased directly from Google, here’s the full list:
Nexus 6 country availability (green = new)
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom
The tiny set top box can now be picked up for a mere 80 quid, allowing you to infuse your television with Android TV smarts. If casual gaming is more your thing, you can also find the official gamepad — sold separately — for a £35.
If the Google Store isn’t your thing, you can also find the Nexus Player at Currys PC World, John Lewis, and, of course, Amazon. If you’re still on the fence, don’t forget to check out our full Nexus Player review right here.
That’s a lofty price tag for the LG Watch Urbane, though many would argue it’s for good reason. The device is crafted using premium materials (stainless steel body in gold or silver, genuine leather straps) and a very nice design. It’s probably the best looking Android Wear smart watch to date.
The LG Watch Urbane sports a 1.3-inch 320 x 320 P-OLED display, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 chipset. It also runs the absolute latest version of Android Wear out of the box (which brings support for WiFi, always-on apps, emoji gestures and more).
Unfortunately it doesn’t look like you’d have your watch in time for weekend fun. Google’s store currently shows that it’s not expected to leave the warehouse until May 8th, though as we’ve seen in the past a few lucky orders could arrive much sooner than anticipated. Be sure to place your order for one if you have the money to spare and have been waiting for a smart watch that’s as beautiful as it is capable.
A couple of smart watches have gotten permanent price cuts on Google Play! The LG G Watch R has been cut by a nice following the release of its much more beautiful follow-up today, making it just 0 to buy one. Meanwhile, the Motorola Moto 360 is now cheaper than normal at just 0.
It’s likely these price cuts were made to make room for new inventory of premier smart watches for 2015. While LG’s first big wrist dweller for 2015 is already out (more could be on the way), Motorola’s name has also been in the rumor mill for a sequel to 2014’s best Android Wear watch. We’re likely to hear something right around the time Google I/O rolls around if past timing is anything to go by.
That said, if you couldn’t care less about the latest and greatest and want to snap one of these up on your own you can head to the Google Store right now and order one.
Samsung’s Theme Store is probably one of the better things that was introduced in the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The ability to completely change up the look of your device’s user interface — app icons, wallpapers, settings, menus, etc. — was a breath of fresh air and something Android users have been asking for ages now. The only problem: there aren’t all that many themes to choose from at present.
But Samsung is looking to change that. Instead of allowing just any ‘ol Galaxy users to submit their own theme into the store, Samsung is looking for qualified designers looking to create themes for their Galaxy Theme Store via a new landing page. Samsung asks all potential candidates submit a portfolio of their work, along with a brief introduction, to theme.ptn@samsung.com.
This is in stark contrast to the way HTC runs their theme store on the One M9, which essentially allows any user to submit their own theme for others to download. Samsung’s method is better for quality control and should keep the Theme Store filled with only the highest caliber themes. Let’s hope they’ll update the Theme Store with categories and some kind of search function in the near future as well.
So, if you’re an Android themer looking to possibly make a little extra side money (paid themes aren’t available yet, but should be coming soon), drop Samsung an email.
It feels like it wasn’t too long ago that the Google Play Store added those fancy colored status bars. It wasn’t that big a deal, just something that was introduced in KitKat. Today, Googler Kirill Grouchnikov is revealing some new changes making their way onto Google Play starting today, but it’s only for users running Lollipop.
Evolution of the Google Play Store’s listings page
Once again, it’s not a big change, just a little something Android fans will get a kick out of. The Play Store now features transparent status bar when viewing listings, going full-on immersive in the latest update (Google Play 5.4). With the hero images for listings slowly inching higher up on your phone’s display, more content can be displayed below without scrolling. And that’s pretty neat.
For those that don’t feel like waiting for the updated Play Store to hit their device, you can download it from us below.
Google’s popular 7-inch tablet has been removed from the Google Store. The Nexus 7 was one of the first Android tablets to gain popularity. It was affordable, very capable, and ran stock Android. Instead of updating the Nexus 7 again, this year Google released the Nexus 9. Now Google is sticking with that device as their flagship tablet.
Google says there is still some inventory in stores and carriers, but they are really emphasizing the Nexus 9. If you want a Nexus 7 you should act fast. We’re sad to see the Nexus 7 being retired. The 7-inch size is still one of the best form factors for a tablet. It was easy to hold and it worked better with the many Android apps that don’t have tablet UIs.
Do you own a Nexus 7? Do you think Google should update the Nexus 7 again, or stick with the 9-inch tablet?
I have a confession to make. I’ve never heard of the game “Dungeon Hunter,” but apparently it’s pretty popular, because Gameloft has just released the 5th installment.
Dungeon Hunter 5 is a brutal hack-n-slash RPG reminiscent of Diablo. After stopping the demon invasion in the Kingdom of Valenthia, the world remains shattered at its very core. Only the warriors of the Bounty Hunter guilds keep the peace now. There are over 100 weapons and armor sets to choose from, which you will need in order to fend off the dozens of monsters.
You can play Dungeon Hunter 5 in single-player as well as online co-op and multiplayer. In typical RPG fashion you can find items to add to your arsenal as you play the game. You can ever craft new items by using the items you find. Since this is a Gameloft game you can expect plenty of opportunities to spend real money to speed up the game. You could spend a lot of money to win, or be a true warrior and beat the game with no help. That’s up to you.
Quick heads-up on a vulnerability you might learn about soon. The folks at Palo Alto stumbled across a major security vulnerability within Android that could allow malicious apps to hijack an app install. Before you freak out and hook your phone up to a chemo machine to rid it of any impurities, stop — there’s almost nothing to be worried about here:
The initial bug was reported to Google as early as January 2014. We suspect Google kept it under wraps this long to make sure no-gooders wouldn’t try to target exposed devices
The vulnerability only affects sideloaded apps or apps downloaded from third-party app stores
It only affected Android versions prior to 4.4
For devices not on 4.4 or higher, Palo Alto worked with top manufacturers like Samsung to patch this fix in with their most recent software updates. Amazon also updated their Appstore to patch the vulnerability
So what does it do? According to them, since a side-loaded APK is installed from an unprotected source such as an SD card, an app could hijack the process of installing the app by Android’s package installer. It’d do this by replacing the legit APK with one that would most likely contain some sort of malware and other nasty stuff, and it would all happen without the user even knowing.
The dirty (but full) details can be found in the report published here, but the reality is that most folks with a phone made within the past couple of years are probably safe. Still, if you’re the oddball who still as a Nexus One on Android 2.3 and might be using a third-party app store over Google Play, you’ll be glad you know about it.
Palo Alto made a neat app that will check your phone to see if it is vulnerable. If it’s not, you’re good to go. If it is? Well, you should definitely try to download a ROM based on at least Android 4.4, or use this as a good excuse to finally get that new phone you’ve been eying. Be safe friends, and try not to download anything outside of Google Play unless you absolutely have to.
Google’s exciting gizmos and gadgets no longer have to compete with a horde of games, apps and other digital goods available in Google Play — they have an online storefront of their own now. This is the Google Store, a one-stop shop for Nexus phones and tablets, Android TV boxes, Android Wear smart watches, Chromebook notebooks and, of course, the Nest Learning Thermostat.
Everything is as you’d expect for an online store. Each device category gets its own section, and diving deeper into each one will show you all the options available to you. You’ll get a good look at specs, features and accessories, too. Decide you want to order one? There’s a handy order button that remains visible even as you’re scrolling.
The Google Store isn’t a new idea or some grand innovation. It’s a store. But it represents Google’s desire to increase their retail presence and spread their consumer brands, whether it be in a small corner inside the UK’s biggest electronics store or a click away in your web browser. This is the first step, and we can’t wait to see what else Google’s looking to do to make sure Android, Chrome and all the wonderful products based on those platforms get as much of a spotlight as their rivals’ products in Cupertino do.
To say we’re over Lollipop and its shenanigans would be an understatement. Right now, we got our eyes locked on Android M and all the improvements and polish the future Android update looks to bring to the platform. There’s a lot of stuff being uncovered almost everyday — and we’ve shown you much of that already. — but if you’re wondering what Android M has in store for tablet user, it seems Google’s got your back.
Our friend Tim Schofield, better known around Android circles as Qbking77, uploaded a video showing off some much needed features heading to the Android M release. He discovered that the default Google keyboard actually features a split typing mode for use on tablets where your thumbs have trouble reaching all the keys. It doesn’t appear to be available for smartphones, even ones as big as the Nexus 6 but that could change in the future.
There was also an all new multi-window mode that actually isn’t available in any of the settings by default, but can be added only after tinkering around with the build.prop. Once the necessary changes have been made, the new setting can be toggled in the Developer options. It works pretty well even in this early state, with a button that appears in an app’s title bar whenever opening Android’s recents menu.
When pressed, a menu pops up asking you to specify the layout. It’s a little “hack-ie,” but we’re sure it’ll be polished up in time for M’s release later this year. We were actually surprised at how well everything worked. Even with 4 apps open at the same time, scrolling was smooth and everything loaded up quick.
Other small improvements like the notification shade the moves around the top depending on where you initiate the pull down gesture is also a nice touch. It’s surprising really. All these changes are somewhat small but when combined, make for an OS update that already has us drooling. Why these couldn’t have been included in Android Lollipop is anyone’s guess, but given Lollipop’s dramatic UI overhaul, I’m sure they just didn’t have time. We will admit, it’s nice seeing Google — who typically takes the bare bones approach with their apps — going this extra mile to add more user customizations like this. Choice is good. Check out Tim’s full video down below.
The LG Watch Urbane is perhaps the most beautiful Android Wear smart watch available right now. Its 0 price tag might be a tad off-putting at first, though LG is hopeful you’ll find it worth every penny once you have it in your hands (or, more appropriately, on your wrist). Let us know if your order has shipped if ordered one when they went on sale.
Meerkat is the newest quick live streaming platform that allows you to quickly launch a live stream from your phone and broadcast it to your followers on Twitter. It’s been in closed beta to this point, but the company has made it available to anyone able to download apps from Google Play as of today.
Meerkat’s schtick is that they don’t allow folks to rewatch broadcasts after the fact — once it’s over, it’s over (though you’re free to save a copy on your end and upload it to YouTube if you want). Other than that, there’s nothing really over the top or out of the ordinary about it.
It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s free and it’s now available for anyone to download. Oh, and it’s also in beta so expect some weird quirkiness as they work out the kinks — otherwise you might find yourself turned upside down like Derek did when he gave it a spin for himself. Head here for the download.
The Samsung Gear Live was Samsung’s first Android Wear powered device, and nearly a year after it first made its debut at Google I/O, the smartwatch can no longer be found on the Google Store. Before the Gear Live, Samsung was exclusively using their own in-house Tizen operating system to power inject their watches with some smarts.
It wasn’t too long ago the LG G Watch was officially discontinued, so it’s entirely possible these first gen Android Wear watches are simply being phased out in favor of new models on the horizon. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
We’re barely a few days away from Google I/O and related or not, the ASUS-made Nexus player is now officially been marked down to in the Google Store (that’s about off from the original price). It’s not a bad deal, but still about more expensive than the recent markdown on Amazon. Of course, the Nexus Player on the Google Store comes with free shipping, so that’s something you may want to factor into pricing. Not sure how long this will last (it very well could be permanent), but if you prefer to make your purchases with Google, have at it.
Just because OEMs seemingly never got the “Material design” memo doesn’t mean Google isn’t doing their part to show the world how its done. There’s probably no better place to find well-executed Material design than Google’s very own Play Store app.
Googler Kirill Grouchnikov posted onto his Google+ page about some new changes rolling out in the new Google Play Store update 5.5. It’s nothing too drastic, just some slightly tweaked UI animations and other small changes. But it’s enough to make us wish all our devices were running the most up-to-date version of Android as only those on Android 5.1+ are able to view them. Phooey.
You can either wait days (or even weeks) for the update to finally hit your device, or download the apk download for sideloading. Enjoy.
It was last week SEGA announced that they’d be removing a few key titles from across various mobile app stores as a result of some sort of quality control guidelines. According to SEGA, these titles — which they wouldn’t call out by name — no longer met their “standards” and would be pulled with the possibility of returning in the future.
Today, SEGA made good on that promise as we’re finally seeing the first few titles disappear from the Play Store. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as we thought. Looks like it was only After Burner Climax and Jet Set Radio SEGA gave the axe (at least for now), with the rest sitting pretty on Google’s virtual store shelves. iOS users weren’t so lucky however, and saw classics like every Super Monkey Ball title, Virtual Fighter 2, Streets of Rage, and more.
Both of the titles carried a price tag which wasn’t too bad considering they were full games with no in-app purchases. While it’s a shame to see them go, glossing over their Play Store ratings showed incompatibility with numerous Android devices. Seems SEGA didn’t want to put too invest any more time (or money) in getting these titles up to speed. It’s a shame, these were some of the better ones.
Anyone who had paid for and downloaded the games on a previous device should be able to still find them in your Google Play Store app for re-downloading whenever you like. For everyone else, well… you missed out.
