Android is on a lot of different types of devices these days, and it might be confusing for even an experience developer to efficiently target all of them with a single app. Thankfully Google has come up with a great new code example to show you exactly how it’s done.
This example uses a standard music player app that has a full-fledged user interface on your phone or tablet, but simple pause, play, and skip features for those using the app through Android Auto, Android TV or on their Android Wear smart watch. The app itself is very basic, but the point isn’t to show you how to make the holy grail of music players.
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.
USB Type-C is fixin’ to become the new industry standard in how we transfer, power, and display content to external monitors in our next generation devices. Earlier today, we saw the arrival of the all new Chromebook Pixel 2, coming equipped with two USB 3.1 Type-C ports (because it’d be downright silly to only offer only one, right?).
For those unaware, USB Type-C is symmetrical, meaning there’s no “wrong way” to insert a connector into the port. All those late nights, fumbling around trying to nail your USB cable into your phone like a kid on prom night will finally be a thing of the past. And we couldn’t be happier.
With Google officially making the move to Type-C, you might be wondering if we’ll soon see this port in future Android devices. In what should be a surprise to no one, that answer is a resounding yes. In their latest Chromebook Pixel short on YouTube, Google Product Manager Adam Rodriguez (1:14) says specifically:
“We at Google are very committed to the USB Type-C spec, expect to see this in a lot of Chromebooks and Android phones in the near future.”
Did Google actually say we’ll see them use Type-C in the next Nexus device? No. But now that they’ve officially committed to it, it’s probably more than likely. Our bodies are ready. You can watch Google waxing poetic on the new connector that will soon come equipped on their over-powered netbook and future devices in the video down below.
Google’s back with another platform update, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect considering many developers are converging at Mobile World Congress and the Game Developers Conference. The latest update shows us that Android 5.0 Lollipop is now loaded up on 3.3% of all Android phones with access to Google Play. This is a decent jump from the 1.6% Lollipop had when it first found its way onto the list last month.
That number may seem small, but considering the sheer amount of Android devices roaming about that’s a sizable portion of the user base. Jelly Bean is dying a slow death, but it’s still commanding a combined 42.6%, which is sadly a bit more than KitKat’s 40.9%. Ice Cream Sandwich is also still hanging in there at a respectable 5.9%.
Despite the world’s leading device manufacturers racing to get their devices upgraded to the newest versions of Android, the fast pace at which the operating system evolves means no one version will ever fade off soon enough. Take Gingerbread, for instance, which still has 6.9% of the pie.
The sad truth is that there are just as many — if not more — devices that will get left behind as there are devices that will get the latest versions of Android. The good part? Manufacturers are starting to take the idea of budget devices seriously and are releasing great low-cost options that come with the latest versions of Android. You might as well upgrade to a new smartphone if you’re one of the unlucky few who are stuck on archaic software.
We’ve been seeing Android 5.1 Lollipop appear on a few Android One devices for quite some time, but Google has remained quiet about it. We heard about a couple of changes early on, and now Google has come out to detail them in an official changelog.
For starters, they’ve confirmed the addition of new WiFi and Bluetooth dropdowns in the quick settings menu in the notification pane. We also know that a ton of bugs were fixed, though Google didn’t care to detail any of them.
So what about the stuff we didn’t already know? For starters, Android 5.1 Lollipop finally brings native support for dual-SIM devices, which is sure to be great news for those in markets where dual-SIM devices are the norm. Google’s also bringing proper HD Voice support, with the first devices getting HD Voice love being the T-Mobile and Verizon Nexus 6.
Finally, Google’s new Device Protection feature will make it so that a phone you mark as lost or stolen will need your Google password to get into, even if the person with the phone somehow performs a factory reset. Neat stuff, there.
So who’s getting it? And when? We’re sure Nexus devices are first in line, and we already know T-Mobile’s Nexus 4, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 -are slated to receive rollouts as soon as today (with all of them having the same build number of LMY47D).
If you have one of those devices you’ll do well to charge your battery and get on WiFi to start checking for the upgrade. Others will have to wait until more rollout information is shared by Google and carrier partners, and we’ll be sure to report anything as soon as we hear more.
A wise man once told me that life is like a hurricane… and starting today, that raging storm of nostalgic gaming bliss is hitting Android devices in the form of DuckTales Remastered.
As the name suggests, DuckTales Remastered is the official HD remake of the amazingly wonderful (and insanely difficult) 8-bit title that launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1989. So, what kind of impact has 20+ years made? Well, the game’s 8-bit graphics have been updated with sprites so clear and vivid, you’d be hard pressed to find a single pixel. They literally look like cels taken straight from the TV show. Gameplay has also aged well, featuring that same pogo-like action that made the original such a hit.
Players take control of Scrooge McDuck who traverses the world in search of treasure and his kidnapped nephews, while facing off against familiar enemies like the Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell. All the levels are here and include the Himalayas, the Amazon, Transylvania, African mines and the Moon, while featuring a digitally enhanced soundtrack and voice overs from the original cast.
Disney Interactive has released DuckTales Remastered for just about every mobile platform at which includes, yes, our beloved Android devices. While that’s may sound a little steep to the casual Android gamer, keep in mind the title is still on consoles like the PlayStation 3.
Google has finally broken their silence about the rollout of Android 5.1, finally making an official announcement. Things are starting to move quickly: the company has wasted no time in publishing the first set of Android 5.1 factory images to their repository for Nexus Devices:
Download the appropriate system image for your device below, then unzip it to a safe directory.
Connect your device to your computer over USB.
Start the device in fastboot mode with one of the following methods:
Using the adb tool: With the device powered on, execute:
adb reboot bootloader
Using a key combo: Turn the device off, then turn it on and immediately hold down the relevantkey combination for your device. For example, to put a Nexus 5 (“hammerhead”) into fastboot mode, press and hold Volume Up + Volume Down + Power as the device begins booting up.
If necessary, unlock the device’s bootloader by running:
fastboot oem unlock
The target device will show you a confirmation screen. (This erases all data on the target device.)
Open a terminal and navigate to the unzipped system image directory.
Execute the flash-all script. This script installs the necessary bootloader, baseband firmware(s), and operating system.
Once the script finishes, your device reboots. You should now lock the bootloader for security:
Start the device in fastboot mode again, as described above.
Execute:
fastboot oem lock
Locking bootloader will wipe the data on some devices. After locking the bootloader, if you want to flash the device again, you must run fastboot oem unlock again, which will wipe the data.
Flashing a factory image will erase EVERYTHING on your device and if you don’t follow the steps properly, you risk damaging your device permanently. We won’t take any responsibility so proceed at your own risk and if you need help… we highly recommend visiting the appropriate section on Android Forums.
Google will inevitably push updates for additional Nexus devices over the course of time so stay tuned to Phandroid for that breaking news.
Google has just announced a forthcoming upgrade to Google Play Services. It’s version 7.3, and while most of the changes are specific to developers — such as more robust Location APIs and enhancements to Google Fit’s APIs — there’s one neat future everyone should know about.
According to Google, the update will make it possible for multiple Android Wear devices to connect and sync to a single Android device. This means it won’t be much of an issue for users to switch between smart watches at ease. We’re not sure what sort of baller you’d have to be in order to own multiple Android Wear devices that you regularly switch between, but if you ever find yourself in that scenario then you’ll be glad this functionality is here.
Developers can grab the SDK right now by accepting the latest update, and it shan’t be long before the functionality arrives to handsets everywhere.
As amazing as smartphones and tablets can be, their battery life leaves a lot to be desired. It’s 2015 and most devices still can’t last for more than one day without needing a charge. Sometimes we have to hunt for power outlets just to keep our devices from dying, which can be hard to do when you’re on the go. That’s where the Innori Portable Battery Pack comes in.
The Innori Portable Battery Pack will fuel your gadgets time and time again with its massive 22,400mAh battery, and trio of USB ports for simultaneous charging. Two of the USB ports are optimized for smartphones, while the third is for tablets. It recognizes devices to allocates the appropriate current automatically, and an LED indicator notifies you when devices are full charged.
Coming in at just around 6×3-inches and less than an inch thick it can easily fit in bags and pockets. The Innori Portable Battery Pack is on sale right now from AndroidArea.com for just with free shipping. It will only be available until April 12th. Grab this deal now and never leave the house without backup power!
Folks still rocking some of the original Google TV devices — such as the Logitech Revue and Sony’s Google TV box — will find themselves out of a YouTube app the next time they go to use their devices. Google has moved on to using their newest YouTube APIs, and only those who can update to certain recent versions of the YouTube app will be supported.
The problem is that many of the devices that haven’t moved on from Google TV software versions 1 and 2 have no way of getting a more recent version of the app. As such, they’ll either need to upgrade to newer devices or use the HTML5 version of YouTube from their web browser. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the sort of stuff you often have to deal with if you aren’t interested in upgrading.
You can check which version of Google TV your device has by heading to Settings > Customer Support > Android Version. If you have 3 or 4, great — head to Google Play and make sure you have the latest YouTube update. Otherwise you should probably start thinking about your options for upgrading to something more contemporary.
And just like that, our old friend, the Nexus 5, is now no longer available for sale on the Google Play Store. Earlier today, Google launched their new online store front (the aptly named “Google Store”) where they’ll now be selling all of their hardware. That means that every piece of hardware previously listed on the Play Store (play.google.com/store/devices) now redirects to the new Google Store, even the Play Store’s old Devices page.
As one of our readers discovered, the Nexus 5 is now listed as no longer available for purchase on this all new Google Store. Whether this is simply temporary and has something to do with the transition is anyone’s guess. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen the Nexus 5 disappear form the Play Store, only to return a few weeks later.
With so many new devices looming on this year’s horizon — HTC One M9, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z4 — we don’t imagine too many of you will be bummed out about this news. Of course, until we get official word from Google, this might not be good bye just yet for the Nexus 5.
It’s time once again to check in on Android distribution numbers. Google has released the stats for this month. As expected, Android Lollipop is on slightly more devices. Last month Lollipop was on 3.3% of devices, and now it’s up to 5.4%. We should see this number increase a lot more next month after the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 have been available longer.
For those of you paying extra close attention you can see that Android 5.1 is only on 0.4% of devices. KitKat and Jelly Bean are still leading the way with over 80% of the pie. It’s no surprise that Android updates take a while to reach devices, but these charts don’t always tell the whole story. “Lollipop” is really Google’s own version of Android, just like TouchWiz or Sense. It’s not fair to expect other manufacturers to be on the same level as Nexus devices.
Hopefully next month we see more devices experiencing the sweet taste of Lollipop. Is your device running Lollipop yet?
It’s been a little over a week since Mortal Kombat X was released for nex-gen consoles (and a few weeks since the iOS version became available). Today, the over-the-top gore fest finally lands on the Google Play Store for Android devices, courtesy of NetherRealm Studios and of course, is only suitable for ages 17 and up.
Gameplay is a bit different than that console versions, but anyone who’s played other “free-to-play” brawlers like Marvel Contest of Champions or previous Injustice will know what to expect. The actual fighting in the game involves mashing the screen to attack, with gestures cues and other quick time events popping up onscreen to execute some of the moves. It’s pretty basic and can get repetitive at times, but then again it’s the level grinding that really looks to suck players in.
The actual characters you use in battle are based on cards that can be leveled up the more you play, with successful matches netting you “Koins” (gold and silver) and “Souls.” Those are the currency in the game (freemium games tend to have at least 3 types of currency to keep things interesting) with the latter being the hardest to earn. Alliance points are earned with support cards, Koins are used to buy silver card packs for new characters or power up special moves, and Souls are the highest form of currency, used to gain access to gold characters.
All the violence you love from Mortal Kombat is here, with the series’ X-Rays and Fatalities making the successful transition to mobile. You can play online against other players in Faction Wars, or summon other players’ character cards for use in battle. Whatever your expectations of this game are, expect to spend plenty of time unlocking anything worthwhile.
If you look at reviews on the Google Play Store, you’ll find the game not running the best on older handsets. If your phone has 1GB of RAM or less, you’re probably going to want to stay away. The install takes up a whopping 1.5 GB of free space, so keep that in mind before downloading to your 8GB handset. The game is only available in select countries right now, but if you’d like to take a stab at it, Google Play link provided below.
We’re expecting the LG G4 to be a worthy addition to LG’s most successful line of flagship Android smartphones, and the company isn’t shy about teasing it well ahead of its April 28th revelation. The latest teaser gives us some insight into the camera LG will be using, namely that it’ll sport an aperture limit for f/1.8.
What does this mean? In photography, the size of the aperture determines how much light can hit the sensor. The lower the number, the wider the aperture, the more light can get in. Having a wide aperture is not only crucial for improving low-light photography, but also for creating certain effects in the final image such as the blurred backgrounds (commonly referred to as “bokeh”) you see in a lot of photos such as this one:
This technique is achieved thanks to the lens’ wider aperture providing enough depth-of-field to separate the foreground from the background. A smartphone camera lens isn’t quite large enough to provide an effect as strong as the one you see above, though, so it’s accurate to say that a wider aperture on a smartphone camera only serves to improve low-light photography.
To provide some context, most modern flagship smartphones top out at anywhere between f/2.0 and f/2.2. The Samsung Galaxy S6 boasts an aperture of f/1.9, while the HTC One M9 and Apple iPhone 6 are still sitting at a respectable f/2.2.
Of course, aperture size alone isn’t enough to guarantee the LG G4 will provide a quality low-light photography experience. Things like optical image stabilization (which rumors suggest it will have), lens size and quality, backlighting techniques and more will all have to come into play.
That said, while LG’s camera isn’t necessarily the greatest you’ll find in a smartphone the company hasn’t been known to disappoint in this area. We’ll have to wait until we get a look at the thing in person later this month to judge for ourselves.
Today Google took to their Android Wear help forums to officially announce Android Wear 5.1.1 again, leading us to believe that the update is fixing to rollout for the rest of us. They also confirmed that only a few smartwatches will be receiving WiFi support, leaving out the LG G Watch R (sorry, guys). Here’s the devices receiving WiFi support:
Google says to make sure the update hits your Android Wear device, make sure you’re running the most up-to-date version of the Android Wear app on the Google Play Store. The rollout is said to be rolling out gradually over the next few weeks, but we’ve started seeing reports from both LG G Watch and LG G Watch R owners that the update is already hit their smartwatches.
Oh, and if you’re curious, check out the video below to see how those fancy new wrist gestures work.
Sony was crafty enough to secure themselves an exclusive to Amazon’s Instant Video app for their Android TV products, but why should Bravia owners have all the fun? If you have yourself a Nexus Player or the original Android TV device — ADT-1 — you’ll be happy to know that it’s now possible to download and install the APK on your device.
The app was extracted from Sony’s firmware just as it exists. You sideload it onto your Android TV device if possible (how to sideload APKs on the Nexus Player) and you’ll be able to run it just like you would any other app. It’s possible the app works with other Android TV products, though only the Nexus Player and ADT-1 are reported to have been tested.
Once you’ve gotten it loaded up simply login with your Amazon credentials and before you know it you’ll be off to watching all the movies and TV shows you’ve bought through Amazon Instant Video, or the content you’re entitled to as part of your Amazon Prime subscription. XDA has the download you’re looking for right here so be sure to check it out if you’ve been looking for a way to grab this app for your non-Sony device.
Google’s big keynote yesterday had plenty of interesting stuff for the Android lovers among us, but some really exciting advances in technology were shown off today by Google’s head of advanced technologies and projects division, Regina Dugan. Dugan introduced one new technology development as Project Soli, a gesture radar solution that Dugan and her team have been developing since last June.
Dugan started the presentation by setting up an everyday use case–that smart devices currently don’t have a reliable way to interface with them since they’re considerably smaller than our phones. Project Soli is designed to fix that problem entirely, as it’s a gesture-based radar solution. Interacting with small interfaces using radar was previously impossible, as radar dishes are much too large to fit into a smart device interface.
ATAP created its very own mobile gesture radar system that’s small enough to fit inside of a smartwatch. Check out the demonstration above and you can see Ivan Poupyrev, the ATAP Technical Project lead give a short demonstration of how the technology works. You can hover your hand over the watch to interact with its software, play games, or even just adjust the time. You no longer need to tap on your watch, or curse after you’ve mis-tapped twice in a row because the screen is so small.
According to Proupyrev, the APIs for Project Soli will be available later this year, which could mean the next generation of smartwatches could include wearable gestures that take the complication out of building a UI that needs to be compact but also responsive to touch.
It’s not easy being a Lyft driver. Aside from dealing with questionable law enforcement and the occasional spurt of throw up in their back seats, having access to a fast and reliable network is an absolute must when navigating around town.
Well, Verizon is about to make it a little easier on drivers, announcing today a new partnership with Lyft to give some of their drivers a discount in monthly service. While that’s great for drivers, the deal also means the Lyft app has been added to the usual assortment of bloatware that comes pre-loaded on Verizon’s Android devices. Yay.
The discount in monthly service charges doesn’t go into effect until May 11th and only includes frequent Lyft drivers who are apart of the ride-sharing company’s “Accelerate Premier Driver Rewards” program. Whether you’re a current driver, or thinking about signing up, you can register for the discount through Verizon’s secure web portal.
With Android M becoming official last week — and available now as a Developer Preview — you may have lost sight of the most recent Android firmware version yet to hit your device: Android 5.0 Lollipop. It’s been more than 7 months since Lollipop was released, and you’d think with that with that length of time under OEM’s belts a modest number of Android devices are running the most recent firmware. Well, not so much. Anyone curious to chart Lollipop’s progress across the Android globe need look no further than Google’s newly updated Platform Version numbers for the month of June.
According to the updated numbers, only 11.6% of active Android devices (those that have recently accessed the Google Play Store) are running Android 5.0, followed by Android 5.1 at .8%. That brings the grand total of devices running Lollipop up to 12.4% (up from last month’s 9.7%). It’s not a terrible number, especially considering all of this year’s flagships are running Lollipop in some capacity. Of course, it’s 5.1 — which significantly polished up Lollipop from a usability standpoint — that Android fans are really looking forward to (at least until Android M launches at the end of the year).
There’s a bunch of other numbers you’re likely not to give a hoot about. Not unless you’re a developer looking to support older versions of Android in your apps. We always look at these Platform Distribution numbers as more of an Android report card which really isn’t so bad considering all the varying amount of hardware and carrier meddling that goes into issuing software updates on our smartphones. With the LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 picking up steam, we should see these numbers jump drastically in the coming months.
