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Google brings new feature to Docs called Explore

Andrew Orr
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Google is constantly working to improve its productivity suite. Last week, the company brought natural language search so it’s easier than ever to search for documents in Drive. Today, Google is rolling out a new feature to Docs, Sheets, and Slides called Explore.

Explore

Explore is a way to bring insights, design tools, and research recommendations to your documents to help you get work done more quickly. According to Google,

“it’s like having a researcher, analyst and designer by your side.”

Insights for Sheets

Insights helps you make sense of your data. For example, let’s say you have a big spreadsheet filled with numbers, like prices. You can search the sidebar for things like:

  • “how many units were sold on Black Friday?”
  • “what are the top three items by sales price?”
  • “what was the total cost of jackets last month?”

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This makes it easy to get specific answers if you find spreadsheet formulas confusing (like me).

Designs for Slides

Using Explore in Slides gives you more attractive design templates. But this is different than regular templates. Explore can automatically create design suggestions based on the slide content. You just pick a suggestion you like and apply it with a click.

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Research for Docs

Explore for Docs makes writing reports and research papers much easier. Opening Explore gives you smart suggestions based on your content. Maybe you’re writing a company report about shopping expenses. Open Explore to get Google images based on the keywords found in your document.

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Maybe you already have the image? No problem. In Explore, you’ll find three tabs for Web search, Images, and your Google Drive. Search Drive and drag/drop an image into your report.

I’m assuming the Explore feature will gradually roll out to everyone. I checked my own Google account to see if I could test it, but it didn’t show up.

BlueStacks App Player for Mac/PC (review)

AndroidGuys
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7

BlueStacks App Player from BlueStacks Inc. is designed to allow you to use your Android apps on a PC or Mac. Their slogan for the application is “Play Bigger,” and that’s exactly what BlueStacks App Player offers. Not necessarily better, but often times bigger–BlueStacks is essentially a software emulation program that can run windowed or full-screen on a Windows or Mac computer. This review covers the Mac version of BlueStacks App Player in its current release as of time of publishing. Please be advised that BlueStacks may look and operate differently on PC and as the software is updated over time.

Upon booting up BlueStacks for the first time, you’re asked to enter your Google account credentials. After a successful login, you will be presented with a homepage of sorts that lets you launch any compatible app. It’s different from what you find on a smartphone or tablet with Google’s mobile operating system, but still functional and easy to navigate.

BlueStacks Home
Typical ‘Home Page’ upon starting up BlueStacks App Player

From here you have full access to all compatible applications that you’ve purchased or previously accessed with your Google account. Applications will need to be downloaded for your new emulated device, and some compatibility issues may arise–just as if you were running a different version of Android on your smartphone or tablet.

It’s not just games either. You can download music or office-based apps, e-reader applications, or creativity programs. Microsoft Word (mobile version) installs and performs perfectly fine and even allows you to connect to your Microsoft One Drive for access to online documents. If you download Instagram or Twitter, you can even use the webcam built into your computer as the camera. Pretty neat!

Twitter in BlueStacks
Twitter Application when used through BlueStacks

The general interface is simple to use and differs very little from what you would see on a tablet in landscape mode. Some settings show different options being that they’re in an emulated mode but are self-explanatory in nature. I found that applications behaved similarly to their native devices; however, a handful of applications that I tried either did not load at all or had minor graphical glitches.

The biggest difference I found while using BlueStacks compared to an Android device was using the mouse to click and scroll instead of the traditional swiping that would be used on your smartphone or tablet. This took some getting used to and was especially cumbersome in games that required swiping. After some time it became less of a burden, but it’s definitely not ideal.

BlueStacks Settings Menu
BlueStacks Settings menu differs from what you might see on your smartphone

Searching from the program is very useful. If the application you are searching for is not found on the “device”, BlueStacks automatically lists a clickable option to search the Google Play Store instead. This is incredibly handy.

BlueStacks Search
Searching in BlueStacks is quick and effective

So, why does BlueStacks even exist? What’s the real purpose of having Android emulated on a Mac or PC? Well, in general, I can’t think of too many reasons why you’d want to use BlueStacks App Player over Android on a dedicated device. However, this could be very handy for someone developing an Android application on a PC or Mac for testing purposes. Or maybe you left your tablet at home, and you’re traveling with your MacBook and want to get in a couple games of Clash of Clans. The possibilities are there, and BlueStacks App Player is definitely filling the void.

I would definitely recommend BlueStacks for someone that needs to access Android in a pinch or for an instance where you want to try out an application in Android before purchasing a new device. It’s far from perfect, but when it works, it works like a charm.

Download BlueStacks App Player for PC or Mac at BlueStacks’ Website.

 

VTIN VRazr wireless sport headphones: quality under $20 (review)

Derrick Miyao
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0

Wireless headphones have certainly taken hold in the mobile accessory market. What was once highly limited to big brand names has now been infiltrated by unknown brands at ultra competitive prices. It’s been a personal quest of mine to review low-budget accessories because there are so many options that make a whole lot of sense. While brands like Bose and Beats are sure to please many, the prices are out of reach for most.

I’ve been using VTIN’s VRazr wireless sport headphones that are priced under $20 and are well worth the price.

Build and Usage

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When it comes to in ear Bluetooth headphones, there are a few styles to select from. True wireless earbuds now exist in the form of the Gear IconX and Bragi Dash, but those suffer from poor battery life and high first generation pricing. There aren’t many people who are willing to spend $200 on a set of wireless earbuds that only last 1-3 hours on a single charge.

There are Bluetooth earbuds with a neck piece that contains the internal electronic components with earpieces that come from them and slide into your ears.

The Bluetooth earbuds like the VTIN VRazr in the image above provide grip onto your ears while the internals are in each ear piece, and are connected by a single wire. Each style of Bluetooth earbuds has its own benefits and downfalls. The main benefit of the over ear style wireless earbuds is comfort for those with smaller ears. Many people don’t like to wear a neck band and in ear wireless earbuds like the Gear IconX can simply be too big for most. With the three included silicone tips, this style of earbud is rather comfortable and can be worn for several hours at a time without fatigue.

JayBird made the ear fin style popular as an alternative to bulky ear grips, but again those aren’t always comfortable for everyone.

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In the image above, you can see where the ear hook holds the component that houses the internal electronics. Connected to that is a traditional shaped earpiece that most are familiar with from similar wired ear pieces. Inside is where the battery, wireless components and controls reside.

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The power button sits in the middle flanked by the +/- buttons that control loudness and tracks. The microphone for taking phone calls also sits in the same ear piece.

Battery life is rated at six hours, but I frequently averaged about 4-5 hours mainly because I listen to these at 80% of max volume. The VRazrs also use the aptX driver to deliver CD-like quality over Bluetooth. When you buy Bluetooth headphones you should always look for the aptX driver as data over wireless is limited. aptX helps compress the music in a way that still sounds good. It’s clear from the moment you put the VRazrs on that they do have the aptX driver as the earbuds sound balanced, warm and powerful. Older generation Bluetooth earbuds generally suffer from weak and tinny sound due to the inability to transfer music at a fast enough rate.

When it comes to any style of headphones, they have to sound good first and foremost. All other features are secondary to sound quality and the VTIN VRazrs definitely are worthy of its price.

I wouldn’t say call quality is great when using these outdoors. When I tested them out they suffered from background noise, but indoors they performed adequately. Considering the cost is just $18, it’s hard to expect every area of these earbuds to be flawless.

Summary

It’s a very good thing we have companies like VTIN who offer mobile accessories at such affordable prices. While you may not recognize VTIN like you would Beats or Bose, these cost 1/10th of the price while offering very similar performance.

Right now the VTIN VRazrs are just $12.99 at Amazon with discount code FPZKO7W6, making these an extremely good deal. With free Prime Shipping it seriously makes me wonder how VTIN can make a profit priced at just $12.99. Build quality, sound reproduction and battery life in the VTIN VRazrs are all very good and the price is just icing on the cake.

If you’d like to take advantage of this AndroidGuys’ exclusive discount, head on over to Amazon and get the VTIN VRazrs for  $12.99 at Amazon with discount code FPZKO7W6.

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Vtin 20W Waterproof outdoor Bluetooth speaker (review)

UMi Plus is redefining the concept of “4GB RAM flagship”

AndroidGuys
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UMi Plus has been called the “budget flagship” because it’s able to give a no-compromise experience at a very convenient price, only 179.99$ for a phone which has the Helio P10 Octa core SoC, 4GB RAM, 4000mah Battery, PE+ fast charging technology and 13MP Samsung PDAF Camera with pure Andriod 7.0 update at this Christmas!

We know the good performances of the Helio P10, a chipset able to balance performances and power consumption/heat very well, but let’s not forget how much it’s important to have a nice amount of RAM: with the 4GB provided in the Plus, multitasking will be no more an issue, your apps will be stored and will be ready to be recalled immediately, without having to recharge them all over again, also saving power. Browsing, gaming, keeping track of your activity will be immediate, in addition the system will perform smoother since it won’t be bottlenecked by low RAM. A no-compromise experience which is flagship territory.

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But UMi knows that only the processor and the RAM don’t make a complete experience, so they wanted to also dedicate some attention to a few functions and specs that are often overlooked:

UMi Plus has a programmable shortcut button, which allows you to recall the app/setting you prefer. It’s set on the Camera app by default, but you can change it and customize it as you like, so to have your favourite app in just one click.

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UMi revealed that Plus will go with SHARP supplier to pursuit an ultra-high color saturation Sunlight screen.

We’ve seen this function used on some model of Xiaomi and Meizu claiming it has 17% better overall color saturation for a richer viewing experience. The great thing to have sunlight screen is that you will not have problem reading your phone under the sun. Not to mention Plus’ display will have 95% NTSC gamut which enhances vivid colors.

qq%e6%88%aa%e5%9b%be20160926184802Whether you’re looking at photos, watching videos, or using exciting apps, Plus delivers intense vivid colors.

The Fingerprint sensor used on UMi Plus is included into the home button, for an easy and fast usage: it has an outstanding reliability, while being the fastest in its class. It’s enough to press gently on the sensor for 0.1s and the smartphone will immediately unlock, more convenient and faster than using patterns or pass codes. A dedicated Chip encrypts and stores your fingerprints in a totally safe way, no one can access them – not even you!

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The Samsung® 13MP camera included uses Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) technology, a 0.1s ultra- fast focusing technique commonly found in DSLR cameras. In addition to high megapixel count, UMi Plus has dual ISP processing for exceptional image quality. The camera provides a “manual mode” which enables you to have total control on most of the camera functions and the “auto mode”, which is the standard one found in every phone, ideal for point-and-click users.

UMi Plus is one of the few devices which allows you to choose between virtual on-screen buttons and physical buttons: users have different preferences on this feature, many prefer virtual keys while many others hate them, so Plus solves the problem giving the possibility to switch between the two types of keys.

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A useful notification LED (red/blue/green light) is included, you can know in advance if you have a missed call, an sms or some other notification, without the need to turn on the screen of your smartphone.

UMi is offering a free sample of the Plus to one of its loyal users, just point out to their official product page and participate to their giveaway!

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More informations here: http://bit.ly/UMiPlusPresales

Buyer’s Guide: Unlocked Smartphones

Amazon refreshes the $40 Fire TV Stick with Alexa remote

Dan Bartram
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2

Amazon has thrown its hat into the streaming device update ring. The refresh of the widely popular Fire TV streaming stick comes straight on the heels of Roku upgrading its entire line of streaming devices. Amazon has decided against a complete overhaul, however, and instead opted for marginal improvements in order to keep the device so affordable. Great news for streaming enthusiasts.

Amazon has kept the Fire TV Stick as a full HD (1080P) device, and not pushed it into the realm of 4K like they did to the full Fire TV set top box earlier this year. Instead, the Stick gets a shiny new Alexa-powered remote for voice control. This used to be an add-on for an additional cost, but Amazon has included it for the same low price, just $40, of the original stand alone device. The Alexa remote allows for searching for content across apps, control of media playback, and even ordering a pizza through Domino’s. Also included in the refresh is a slight improvement to the internal specs. A quad-core 1.3 GHz MediaTek processor now powers the stick, Bluetooth 4.1 and a new Wi-Fi antenna that supports dual band MIMO AC wireless signals is on-board for improved wireless streaming performance. The rest of the internals remain the same, with 8GB of internal memory and 1GB of RAM.

This is a good job by Amazon to improve its budget streaming device ahead of the holiday season. Keeping the price low and adding some welcome features and improvements without sacrificing anything should keep the Fire TV Stick in competition with similarly priced devices like the Chromecast, and keep it on the list of excellent gift ideas for anyone.

Xiaomi unveils Mi5s and Mi5s Plus

AndroidGuys
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5

Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has unveiled its two new smartphones–the Mi5s and the Mi5s Plus. Each device will sport different internal and external specifications with the Mi5s being the cheaper and smaller of the two. Xiaomi is set to begin pre-sales for the two devices on Thursday, September 29th, in China.

Xiaomi's Mi 5s Plus
Xiaomi’s Mi 5s Plus

New to both variants is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor that is reported to allow quicker and more accurate scans even when your finger is covered in moisture–something current fingerprint sensors have issues with. This is thanks to Qualcomm’s “Snapdragon Sense ID” tech that uses ultrasonic waves to read your fingerprint in a 3D mapping, which should be much more accurate.

The Mi5s and Mi5s Plus also feature a camera upgrade with UltraPixel technology that we saw in the most recent HTC One. This feature should allow for more vibrant images and better shots in low light.  The larger Mi5s Plus has two 12MP sensors while the Mi5s has just one 12MP sensor, yet they both include dual-LED flash.

A look at the two-sensor tech in the Mi 5s Plus
A look at the two-sensor tech in the Mi5s Plus

As you can see in the specs listed below, the Mi5s and Mi5s Plus don’t share the same internals, like an iPhone or Galaxy would, but instead offer more with varied colors, sizes, and memory options.

Xiaomi Mi5s Plus

  • 5.7 inch 1920×1080 display (386 ppi)
  • Android OS version 6.0 (Marshmallow)
  • 64GB (4GB RAM) or 128GB (6GB RAM) internal storage (non-expandable)
  • Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821
  • Adreno 530 GPU
  • Dual 12MP f/2.0, with dual LED flash, camera sensor
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
  • USB Type-C
  • Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro sensors
  • Quick Charge 3.0, 3800 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Colors: Gray, Gold, Silver, or Rose Gold

Xiaomi Mi5s

  • 5.15 inch 1920×1080 display (428 ppi) *
  • Android OS version 6.0 (Marshmallow)
  • 64GB (3GB RAM) or 128GB (4GB RAM) internal storage (non-expandable)
  • Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821
  • Adreno 530 GPU
  • Single 12MP f/2.0 camera with dual LED flash
  • 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
  • USB Type-C
  • Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro sensors
  • Quick Charge 3.0, 3200 mAh battery (non-removable)
  • Colors: Gray, Gold, Silver, or Rose Gold
    *3D touch only available on 128GB/4GB device
Color options available for the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus
Color options available for the Mi5s and Mi5s Plus

Xiaomi has stated previously that it would like to sell smartphones in the U.S. in the future, but as of now, there is no indication these will be sold outside of Asian territories. US Mobile has imported Xiaomi devices in the past and they do fully support the GSM and CDMA networks, but until Xiaomi officially announces anything, we will be left only with the option to import.

Note 7 users faithful to device as replacements arrive

AndroidGuys
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Samsung is busy offering exchanges for faulty Note 7 phones after issuing a major safety recall of faulty internal batteries. As customers continue to return these devices to retailers around the world, Samsung has given each consumer the option of replacing with another Note 7, swapping with a Galaxy S7 Edge (plus accessories), or a full money-back refund.

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Samsung Galaxy Note7

So far, early reports indicate that Note 7 users are staying loyal to Samsung. Samsung’s own website shows that “around 90 percent of Galaxy Note7 users” are staying with the Note 7 as their replacement device. This is good news for Samsung, as initial Galaxy Note 7’s sold through at a strong rate.

DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, says “We are humbled by our customers’ loyalty to the Galaxy Note 7 device.” Although Samsung did not immediately admit to faulty batteries, once they did, the replacement program rolled out quickly. The new devices were quickly shipped to retailers for the customers requesting a hardware swap.

If the replacement devices work without any additional problems, Samsung could potentially save face and keep those loyal customers, as well as their shareholders, happy with the way they handled the dire situation.

Call of Duty: Heroes (review)

AndroidGuys
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Not Super.  But a Hero, nonetheless.

Lately game publishers have been eager to spin off their popular console and PC titles onto mobile platforms, in order to broaden their audience and cash in on the popularity of some big name games. Call of Duty: Heroes is a perfect example of this push towards market expansion and big name proliferation.

Created by newcomers Faceroll Games, Call of Duty: Heroes sets players on a path of resource gathering, troop and operations management, and leader of the heroes, as a commander of a military base. As missions are completed, the player is rewarded with fuel and money which brings more items, heroes, and resources to expand. The overall mission structure is fairly strong and the base mechanics work well, as long as you can avoid the occasional network issues.

Being a free-to-play game, you will come across the “pay-to-advance” system that is unfortunately found in many games. Each building you create or troop you train takes time, and in order to skip the wait, you can spend the in game currency, Celerium. However players also have the option to watch video advertisements in order to acquire more Celerium.

Occasionally you’ll attack bases from a first-person mode

Overall, the base-building and supply gather system can be quite addictive. This is a tactical, real-time strategy game interspersed with short mini-game action sequences. Troops and buildings are discernible from the bland backgrounds and the sounds and music are good, but not quite what we normally expect from a Call of Duty game.

Controlling heroes is where the game gets a little more in depth and consequently a little more entertaining. All heroes are callbacks from the mainline Call of Duty games and fun to watch when they’re out strutting their stuff. Each hero has the ability to go on ‘Killstreaks’ as they progress through their own missions. This is a nice changeup to the otherwise bland mechanics found in basic troops.

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Captain Price makes a return as a “Hero”

As you complete missions you’ll open up new play styles including a PvP mode that lets you play online against others and a survival mode that pits you against waves of enemy forces. Upgrade quickly and effectively and you’ll soon find yourself on the next mission – or make a mistake in allocating resources and you may find yourself scrambling for the appropriate weapons and troops to take down your enemy.

Call of Duty: Heroes doesn’t bring anything new or amazing to the table, but its overall polish, variety and unique callbacks within the franchise, make for a solid game. Any fan of military action or strategy games -or Call of Duty fans in general – will find a solid amount of entertainment and gameplay here. Heroes is a back-pocket call to duty that’s worthy of recruitment.

Check out Call of Duty:Heroes at the Google Play Store.

 

This is our clearest look at the Google Pixel yet

Jason Botha
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Over the past few weeks, we have heard inevitable rumors and whispers about 2016’s Nexus phone lineup. They all point towards the fact that we should expect the range to be called “Pixel” instead of the age-old “Nexus”, along with a new design for the flagship phone.

As it turns out, today we have our clearest image of the 2016 Google “Pixel” yet. The device graces us with a full front view of the hardware, and also reveals a slightly unfamiliar software interface. This model is believed to be the standard sized 5″ version.

google_pixel_narrowThe launcher is the same one that was pulled from system dump several weeks back, featuring a redesigned search bar and dock at the bottom of the screen. The navigation buttons in the navigation bar are, however, slightly different and are a solid color, as opposed to the outline that has graced Android since the dawn of time.

Hardware wise, there is nothing radical. The volume rockers and power buttons are on the right side of the phone, with the typical speaker and camera setup on the top bezel. The back side is expected to feature a fingerprint scanner, and should look like something like this:

Courtesy: HTCsource.com
Courtesy: HTCsource.com

The Google Pixel is expected to come in two version, one 5″ and the other likely 5.5″. The supposed specs for the smaller variant are outlined below:

  • 5″ 1080p display
  • Quad-core 2.0GHz 64-bit processor
  • 4GB RAM
  • 32GB Storage
  • 2770mAh battery
  • 12MP camera

The devices are expected to be announced on the 4th of October 2016, during Google’s annual hardware event. Are you looking forward to the announcement?

Buyer’s Guide: Prepaid Carriers

New app called YouTube Go cuts down on data usage

Andrew Orr
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Today Google is rolling out a new YouTube app, called YouTube Go. It’s meant for the next billion users that come online. These users are found in countries like India, Indonesia, Brazil and China. This is part of Google’s strategy to connect the rest of the world.

YouTube Go

Don’t get too excited yet, because the app is first debuting in India. In a blog post, Google said that eventually the app will come to other countries later, but doesn’t give a specific timeline.

In countries like India, people don’t have the fast internet and cellular connections that we in the U.S. do. In 2014 Google tried to help this by launching YouTube Offline. Then this year, the company rolled out Smart Online. This lets people schedule videos to be saved offline later, at off-peak times.

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Features

  • Homescreen: The app homescreen has trending and popular videos based in your area.
  • Preview: You can preview videos before you save/watch. Tap on a thumbnail to get a sense of what the video is about.
  • Resolution: Choose which resolution you’d prefer to watch the video in. This means you can see and choose how much data you’re willing to spend on the video.
  • Share if you care: You can share videos with nearby friends without using data.

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The sharing feature is interesting. Apparently it works via Bluetooth, similar to AirDrop. In the latest update to the regular YouTube app, I’ve already seen some new changes. Sharing videos is different in that it saves a list of videos you share, and you can share them under your username.

YouTube Go was primarily built for consumption. The videos only contain six-second ads, which don’t use as much data. Every video is ultra-compressed, to make downloads as small as possible. The app doesn’t have any tools for creators. No subscriptions, trending modules or comments either.

A YouTube engineer told Wired:

“Giving them something that YouTube has iterated on with its users over ten years, all at once? That’s a little daunting…So we want to stage how we introduce people to different functionality.”

Hopefully Google will continue this trend of providing more offline functionality. We’ve seen great offline stuff with Google Trips, and I’d like to see more. Whether you live in a country or state with poor cellular access, or you’re just camping in the wilderness, offline usage is important.

Google provides a signup page where you can enter your phone number and email address to be alerted when the app launches in your country.

 

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