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Google messaging strategy is a mess; here’s how to fix it

Andrew Allen
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For those that don’t know, Google is heavily investing in Android Messages as its future of messaging on its platforms. While I would normally commend them on leveraging an agnostic web app, I really think they should also make the Android version more universal.

What’s The Big Idea

I get that the Android Messages for web movement is a good workaround. It functions well and offers a decent solution across platforms. Honestly, in my solution, it would continue to exist as a fallback for my beloved Linux and non-Chrome OS systems. The web app needs to live on, but Android Messages should live up to its name as an Android application.

See, Google has bet on Android, and the Google Play Store, as the endgame for apps on Chrome OS. With this in mind, Google should make the Android Messages app a proof-of-concept for what that future on bigger screens looks like. At the same time, Messages should also bring all the mature back-end functions of Android.

Where Android Would Shine

Android would add to the experience in a couple of different ways. First, you would have better performance of an app that was naturally designed to run in the background. This would allow for notifications to be listening behind the scenes much like on traditional phones.

And speaking of notifications, Android style pop-ups are just better than Chrome’s. They aesthetically fit the new look of the combined Settings and Shade. They also have the quick reply input options to respond to your messages directly from the notification.

Finally, in theory, as an Android app Messages could be used on tablets as well. I know tablets are something of a dying breed, but many of us still use them on a regular basis as readers and bed stand devices. Android Messages is behind the curves of similar apps like Pulse and Pushbullet with available to respond to your loved ones on tablets.

Why It Matters

If Google wants to compete with the likes of iMessage, then the shift to RCS isn’t enough. One of the reasons iMessage works so well for Apple is it gets treated like a first class application no matter the form factor or OS. It acts and functions similarly across OSX, iPhones, and iPads. Users get a robust experience on all its Apple-branded devices.

That’s the type of overall polish Google needs to start exhibiting on Chrome OS. It will take time for this larger approach to be adopted by third-party developers, but the team at Mountain View should be setting the standard. There’s no excuse that Gmail essentially still has the same UI as it did on my Nexus 10 on my $1000 Pixelbook. Android and Chrome OS have grown up to premium hardware and the software should reflect the same.

I’m not saying Google should copy Apple’s every move. Tim Cook and company have definitely made decisions that have driven me to Google over the years. However, Google can learn from some of the things that it has been successful with. iMessage is the most proven messaging app on iOS for a reason. Apple invested in making sure its users were provided the most fluid experience possible from one device to another.

Google I/O 2019 returns to Shoreline Amphitheater on May 7

AndroidGuys
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The annual Google developer conference Google I/O returns to the Shoreline Amphitheater on May 7, confirms Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Spanning the three days of May 7-9, the gathering convenes at its now regular venue in southern California.

As of today the website has not been updated to reflect the 2019 event but we suspect that will change shortly. Once refreshed we’ll get a better understanding as to what Google on the horizon.

Over the last few years we’ve seen Google tease out some of the features of its latest release of Android. If the past couple of generations are any indicator, we might see an early look at Android Q in the coming months with more light being shed at the May event.

SEE ALSO

In addition to Android we ought to learn more about Google’s Fucshia OS as well as the future of Wear OS. Then there’s always Chrome the browser and Chrome OS, too.

This year could prove to be quite an interesting one as Google continues to work on its own hardware. Not only with Google Assistant-powered devices, but wearables, too. Perhaps we’ll see hints of what Google plans to do with the technology it has acquired from Fossil.

Look for more details to surface around Google I/O 2019 in the next few weeks and months. Invitations and registrations are likely to commence as soon as February.

Coolpad Dyno smartwatch for kids now available for $150

AndroidGuys
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Coolpad has dipped its toes into the world of “family-oriented connected products” with the introduction of the Dyno Smartwatch. Formerly known for its budged smartphones, Coolpad is expanding its reach as part of a re-branding effort.

Available immediately, the Dyno is a $150 wearable designed for kids ages 4-9 but with parents firmly in mind. It keeps things simple for the wearer, giving mom and dad peace of mind at the same time.

Like other smartwatches, the Dyno can track steps and, of course, tell time. Additionally, it also lets kids stay in touch with parents using its intuitive interface. The watch has a two-way calling app that connects them with parents; the messaging client has preset messages to send directly to mom and dad. Aside from that, there’s nothing else to the Dyno.

The aim is to keep kids from staring at yet another screen, distracting them, or prohibiting them from enjoying the world. There two buttons on the watch — one which wakes it and doubles as a back button, and another that operates as an SOS button. Hold the latter down for five seconds and it will call the emergency contacts stored on the watch. If nobody answers, it will give kids an option to contact 911.

The Android and iOS app lets parents create a geo-fence and alert them when the child leaves the designated area. Moreover, it allows for mom or dad to check on location which is updated every 30 minutes. It’s possible to change the refresh period to be every 15 minutes or hour, each impacting the battery in expected ways.

Other features of the Coolpad Dyno include 2.5-day battery life, IP65 water, dust, and sand resistance, and swappable bands. The watch comes with a built-in SIM card charges via microUSB, and has a durable Dragontrail glass.

The watch costs $149 but parents should also expect to pay $9.99 each month for the service to track location tracking and provide communication. There are no long-term commitments; parents can pause and/or cancel service as needed.

How to install region restricted Android apps on your device

AndroidGuys
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When I first learned about Spotify, I was really excited. Here was this music streaming service that seemed to have all of the features and functions that I wanted.

You can imagine my frustration when I came to learn that the developers of Spotify had made it a region restricted application. In short, it was not available for download in my country.

However, I didn’t give up. Instead, I found a couple of workarounds where you can manage to install any compatible app or game on your Android device. Yes, this means even if the developer has made their app restricted to select regions.

Here are a few ways to install Android region restricted apps or games to your device, particularly if they are not available in your country at all.

Option One: VPN

A VPN app will help you to mask your location and trick the Google Play Store into believing that you are from a different physical location different from your actual location.

There are a lot of Android VPN apps available which let you change your location to a different country. The only trick is figuring out which market the app or game you want to download is officially available and to mimic or spoof the location.

As part of this tutorial, I have used the Express VPN app which is a popular VPN app with options to manually or automatically connect to an optimal location.

Step 1

Download and Install the Express VPN app or any other VPN app of your choice from the Google Play Store on your Android device.

Step 2

Now open the Express VPN app or the one you downloaded and then select the location where the app or game you want to install is officially available.

For this tutorial, I have used the Pandora Music app which also happens to be unavailable in my country but is officially available in the US. So, I have selected the location as the United States in the Express VPN app.

region restricted

Step 3

Open the Settings app on your device and go to Apps and select Google Play Store from the list. Tap on storage and then select the clear data and clear cache options from the app.

Now go back to the main page of the app, often the one just before where you are now, and select force stop to stop the app from running.

region restrictedStep 4

Once you have completed the above step, on your phone search for the app you want to install on Google Play and then click on the associated Google Play Store link from the search results. This will launch the Play Store on your device.

Now the app page on the Google Play Store will be opened and you will have the option to install the app on your device even if it is not officially available at your region. Thanks for the help, VPN!

Method Two – Sideload an APK file

If you are not willing to install a separate VPN app in order to install a region restricted app or game on your device, then you might be interested in knowing about this method.

Using this method, you can just install any region restricted app that is unavailable in your country to your device, without having to install any third party VPN app. Perhaps you don’t fully trust the apps or experience just yet.

Step 1

Do a simple Google search with the name of the app you want to download followed by the letters ‘APK‘.

region restricted
Search for the name of the app and “apk”.

APK is basically an Android application package which is the format used by Android for the distribution of its apps. Sometimes, the app manufacturers will officially make the APK file of their app available for download direct from their website.

Step 2

Click on a search result, follow the steps, and proceed to download the APK file for the app you want to install on your device.

For instance, in this example, I have tried to download and install the Pandora Music app to my device, which as previously mentioned is not officially available in my country. So, I did a Google search for “Pandora Music APK” and then downloaded the APK file for the app from one of the search results.

We suggest using APKMirror for your APK needs, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, you can take your chances using Google search results.

Be warned, there are malicious actors out there that can modify these applications and install some nasty things on your device. We take no responsibility for what you choose to download. It’s “buyer beware” if you want to do this sort of thing.

Step 3

Once the download is complete, click on the downloaded APK file and then select install to install the downloaded app to your device.

region restricted Once the installation is complete, you can proceed to open and start using the app just like every other app on your device.

Heads Up!

If you are installing an APK file on your device for the first time, then you might have to tell your phone to allow for installation of files outside of the Google Play Store. Often this is as simple as checking a box in your phone’s settings to “install apps from unknown sources and locations” or something to that effect.

Updated: August 24, 2021

Samsung debuts Galaxy M series for India

AndroidGuys
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Samsung on Monday introduced its new Galaxy M series of phones, giving the Indian market a pair of devices aimed at millennials. The Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 are highlighted by Samsung’s new “Infinity-V” teardrop display.

As successors to the Galaxy A line, the two handsets are low-cost phones with large displays and dual rear cameras. Both are offered in ocean blue and charcoal black and will be sold through Samsung’s website and Amazon.

Samsung Galaxy M10

The Samsung Galaxy M10 offers up a 6.22-inch display with a 720×1520 pixel resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. In other words, it’s a big, narrow screen with HD quality. Indeed, it covers around 90 percent of the front side of the phone.

Powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7870 (octa-core 1.6GHz) processor, it comes in two options: 2GB RAM with 16GB storage and 3GB RAM with 32GB storage.

The rear houses a 13-megapixel F1.9 main camera with an ultra-wide 5-megapixel F2.2 camera. Rounding things out are a 3,400mAh battery, rear fingerprint sensor, USB Type C, and headphone jack.

Samsung Galaxy M20

The Samsung Galaxy M20 is just a smidge larger at 6.33-inch display with a higher (1080 x 2340 pixels) resolution.

Power comes from a Samsung Exynos 7904 octa-core chipset at 1.8GHz. Memory is also boosted a bit with 3GB RAM/32GB storage and 4GB RAM/64GB storage.

In terms of cameras, this one also has a 13-megapixel F1.9 and 5-megapixel ultra-wide setup. Around front is am 8-megapixel F2.0 camera and in-display flash.

The battery here is a generous 5,000mAh power source; also present are USB Type C, a rear fingerprint reader, and fast 15W charging.

The Samsung Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 go on sale starting from February 5 with Rs. 7,990 ($112 US) and Rs. 10,990 ($155 US) price tags, respectively. Interested customers can shop both Samsung and Amazon.

Laserbreak 2: Fun game held back by plain audiovisuals (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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To me, puzzle games are a perfect fit for mobile devices. They are normally short enough that you can enjoy while commuting, and the controls feel at home on our touchscreens. Laserbreak 2 takes advantage of this and offers a compelling puzzle game with fun game play and great level design.

Developer: errorsevendev
Price: $1.42

Overview

Laserbreak 2 is a puzzle game in which you control a laser that has the power of breaking blocks, coins, and other objects scattered through the more than 100 levels.

Your main objective is to break a big, red block with an X on it. However, there are three coins on each level, not unlike the stars earned in Candy Crush.

You can clear a level just by hitting the red target, but completionists will like the added challenge of hitting every coin.

Game play

On each level, there is a spherical device that fires a green laser (kind of like a Death Star). This laser has the ability of incinerating objects moments after making contact with them. This sphere can be rotated by touching on it and then swiping in the desired direction. As previously said, to clear a level, you just need to burn a red target.

This is easier said than done, since the red target is normally out of reach. In order to clear a level, you have to interact with your environment to redirect the laser to your goal. As the game’s tutorial points out, there are glass and metal objects (like boxes, floors, or prisms) that reflect the laser.

There are also warp tunnels that transport objects through them. These can be used to warp coins, dynamite, and whatever objects need to break wooden platforms or glass walls. Some interactions are activated by pressing red buttons, which in turn activate fans, moving platforms, or doors.

All of these elements make for a very entertaining experience, in which a lot of different interactions are chained to reach a goal. Hitting the red target only can get a bit boring, especially in the first levels, where the difficulty is absurdly easy.

It is when trying to hit all coins that the game shines. The puzzles are intricate and rewarding, while the difficulty is ramped up gradually.

In case you are wondering, there are no in-app purchases or in-game currency. At first, I thought that the coins collected in each level could be used in some kind of store or other rubbish modern mobile games love to bundle. This is a no-ad game with zero in-app purchases or prompts to spend even more money.

Graphics and Sound

While the game play is normally pretty good, the weak point for this game come from the audiovisual department. I think that as long as a game is entertaining, any deficiency in graphics can be forgiving. However, the graphics on this game are very rudimentary. Tunnels especially look pretty bad. At least, all of the sprites follow the same basic style, with a very industrial look.

Sound effects are not the best quality either. The SFX when something burns is especially displeasing, but almost all of them are poor. There are also some that are higher volume than others, which creates a shoddy experience.

Conclusion

Laserbreak 2 is a puzzle game capable of creating a fun experience for its players. There are a lot of elements to interact with, making every level different and rewarding. The difficulty increases gradually in a satisfying way: it is never neither too easy nor too difficult, especially if you go after the three coins and not only the red target.

However, the game is held back by less-than-average graphics and sound. If you don’t mind this and are looking for fun game play only, feel free to give it a shot.

Download and install Laserbreak 2 from the Google Play Store.

Nokia phones now offered at Verizon and Cricket

AndroidGuys
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It might have taken a few years but Nokia phones have returned to the US market. At least in a manner formally offered by wireless carriers.

As of January 25 the Nokia 3.1 Plus can be purchased through AT&T prepaid subsidiary Cricket Wireless. What’s more, a few days from now (January 31) Verizon will carry the Nokia 2 V.

Nokia 3.1 Plus

The Nokia 3.1 Plus is highlighted by a 6-inch display, 3,500mAh battery, and Android 9 Pie operating system. Performance comes from a Snapdragon 439 processor with 2GB RAM and storage is 32GB internally with a microSD expansion card for up to 256GB.

SEE ALSO

Additional details include a dual-camera rear setup with 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Also present are a fingerprint sensor, USB Type C charging, and a host of sensors and connectivity.

The Nokia 3.1 Plus retails for $160 through Cricket and doesn’t require a long-term contract.

Nokia 2 V

The Nokia 2 V is a lesser-powered phone that caters to the basic, often first-time, smartphone user. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo Go edition and features a Snapdragon 425 processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. Should one need more space, the microSD expansion card slot allows for 128GB of media.

The Nokia 2 V has a 5.5-inch display, primary 8-megapixel camera on the rear, and a 5-megapixel camera on the front. Sold in blue and silver colors, it’s not immediately clear what Verizon will charge for the phone.

Alcatel Onyx launches exclusively on Cricket with dual cameras, fingerprint scanner, and more for $120

Jason England
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Launching today exclusively on Cricket is the Alcatel Onyx, a feature-packed phone that won’t drain your wallet. With a price of only $120 you might be surprised the Onyx packs in some premium features such as a dual camera with portrait mode, fingerprint scanner, and face unlock.

Along with all of these extras the Onyx is backed by a quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 5.5-inch 18:9 HD+ display. The 13MP + 2MP camera setup on the back not only features a portrait mode but also a night mode to help your low light photos look their best.

To ensure all your selfies come out great in any light, the 5MP camera on the front includes a screen flash option. Thankfully, with all this photo taking the Alcatel Onyx includes 32GB of internal storage as well as microSD card slot for expansion.

There is also a generous 3000mAh battery inside allowing the Onyx to last up to two days with mixed use. Which is great news when you’re on the go, but also because the Alcatel Onyx is still using the old micro USB standard.

The Alcatel Onyx runs Android Oreo 8.1 and is available starting today in Suede Black for $120 exclusively from Cricket Wireless. It might not be as impressive as some flagship phones out there but it packs a lot in for those of us on a budget.

Palabre: One of the most customizable and beautiful news readers around (Review)

Gerson Noboa
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Even in 2019 there are people who still have not forgiven Google for discontinuing Google Reader. The silver lining was that several alternatives popped up to try to fill the spot that Google inexplicably withdrew from.

One of the strongest apps in the category today is Palabre, a news reader that is as beautiful as customizable.

Developer: LevelUp Studio
Price: Free

Overview

Palabre is, at its core, a news reader. You can either use Palabre’s news sources or connect it to Feedly. Regardless of which provider you choose you can view different categories of news (or all at once, if you so desire) in several different layouts and themes.

Setup

To start using Palabre, you need to complete its long setup process. First, you need to choose a content provider. You can use either Palabre or Feedly. In addition, you can also add Flickr, Inoreader, The Old Reader, Twitter, and Feedbin.

In case you use Palabre, you can follow different categories, such as News, Tech, Android, and Apple. These categories have different sources inside, but you also have the option of adding sources individually.

Next, you need to choose a layout for the presentation of news. There are three different layouts: magazine, list, or large cards. Magazine is the default, and it shows a combination of large and small cells.

For those of you who prefer to use dark themes wherever possible, Palabre does feature one. The default, however, is a white theme that is not as eye-burning as Google’s latest downgrades to UI on their own apps.

Reading news

On its main page, Palabre shows you all the news sorted by the time they were published. A tab bar at the top lets you change to different categories (you can also swipe to either direction to change between tabs).

News show an image, the title, the source, and a small description. Even though it is loading news from several different places and getting images from a lot of sources, the app is buttery smooth and barely slows down.

I am testing on a OnePlus 6, but I also have an old LG G Tab 8.3 and Palabre does not stutter there either.

You will find a hamburger menu to the left to check individual sources, along with the amount of unread news. There is also a very convenient History option, in which you can go back to news you have previously read. This is something that Feedly has failed to introduce in all these years.

News details

Upon clicking on an article you like, the news reader is opened. This shows the article’s image on top, along with a share button. The article itself is shown below. At the end of it, a big “Visit Website” button is displayed, which takes you to an in-app browser that shows the article on the original website.

After the news article, there are three buttons: Readability, Keep Unread, and Share. Readability lets you read the article without distractions, and Keep Unread is self-explanatory. The share button is a little baffling, since there is one at the top already.

Something very nice is that Palabre has a section called “Similar content,” which is exactly that. I don’t know how it determines that an article is similar to another, but it is something nice to have regardless.

Settings

Normally, apps do not include this many settings to choose from, but Palabre has so much customization that it merits its own section. There are six different settings categories: Syncing, Display, Quick Actions, Reading, Notifications, and Other.

Syncing deals with the automatic background syncing of the app. You can set it to as short as 15 minutes or as long as 16 hours. There is also an option to turn it off altogether, or only doing it on WiFi.

You can also activate an offline mode, in which Palabre fetches the article itself instead of only the metadata, so that you can read it without an active connection.

Display deals with fonts, colors, images, and other options that deal with the article’s appearance. Quick actions are shortcuts on each news cell, which can be customized. For example, you can tap a corner to mark an article as read or share it.

Reading gives you the choice of controlling stuff like full screen or navigating with volume keys. Notifications control… notifications. Lastly, the Other category deals with data collection, beta community, feedback, licenses, and privacy policies.

Conclusion

Palabre offers a fully-featured news reader in a package that is fast, beautiful, and customizable. From the multiple source categories to the beautiful magazine-style interface to the insane amount of options, Palabre is the go-to news reader app. After using it, going back to Feedly felt like living in the Stone Age for me.

Download and install Palabre from the Google Play Store.

Verizon-backed Visible adds support for Android

AndroidGuys
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Backed by Verizon, Visible bills itself as a digital carrier – not a prepaid one. Still, though, for your money each month you get a no-contract plan that provides unlimited talk, text, data, and hotspot.

After having launched as an iPhone-only service less than one year ago, Visible has officially expanded to begin supporting Android. Today sees the brand offering an Android app in beta so that you can bring your own compatible device.

The plan is straightforward; there’s just one to choose from and it runs $40 per month. There’s no extra tax, fees, or hidden charges. How is that possible? It’s simple, Visible simply doesn’t have the same costs and overhead that come with other brands.

There are no physical Visible stores or costs associated with traditional call centers. Also, and perhaps more importantly, the data speeds and hotspot are capped at 5Mbps. This may not matter to too many people, but it might affect more than those who need support.

Visible Protect

In addition to launching support for Android devices, the carrier is introducing its Visible Protect service. Available for $10-$12 per month, and provided by Assurant, it covers accidental damage, loss, theft, and out of warranty mechanical breakdown. For new iPhone users this could also mean same-day repairs.

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