Voice control and dictation options are coming to Facebook Messenger
The ability to control devices and apps with your voice is becoming increasingly common, and Facebook is looking to bring this capability to its Messenger app.
Analysis of the Android version of the Facebook Messenger app shows that the company is looking to use its M assistant in messages to listen out for commands. App code shows that users will be able to make requests of M: "You can ask me to make calls, send messages, and create reminders".
People love Microsoft's Your Phone so much, it's the top trending Android app in the Google Play Store
Having abandoned its own mobile operating system, Microsoft is increasingly embracing Android and iOS and improving interoperability with Windows. A recent example of this is the Your Phone Companion app which makes it possible to send texts from your computer and easily access photos stored on your Android phone.
The ability to access and use a phone via Windows 10 has gone down very well -- as the interest in our story about the app showed. So well, in fact, that the Your Phone app is the number one trending app in the Google Play Store.
How to voice-control your Android phone using the Voice Access app
Digital assistants are becoming increasingly popular as people become used to the idea of controlling electronic devices by speaking to them. With Android, Google has supported limited voice control for a while with "OK, Google", but with the release of the Voice Access app you can now do much, much more.
The problem with uttering "OK, Google" at your phone is that there are fairly severe limitations on what you can do -- there are only a small number of supported actions. But with Voice Access you can use your voice to dictate and edit text, and interact with anything that appear on the screen. Here's how to get started.
How to access your Android phone from Windows 10 with Microsoft's Your Phone app
Without a mobile operating system of its own, Microsoft is doing more for iOS and Android users than ever before. One example of this is the Your Phone app which makes it possible to view your Android phone's photos on your computer, as well as viewing and sending text messages from the comfort of Windows 10. Microsoft has also promised to enable an exciting-sounding app-mirroring feature.
As long as you have upgraded to the Windows 10 October 2018 Update, you'll have the Your Phone app installed on your computer already. Here we take a look at this handy tool and show you how to get started with it.
Google Assistant gets a revamp and new features
Having introduced a new Voice Access app to allow for full voice control of Android phones, Google has also redesigned Google Assistant on both iOS and Android.
The revamp makes the app a more visual experience, with Google acknowledging that while the Assistant is a voice-activated tool, touch is also a key component. With the redesign, Google hopes that bigger visuals and new controls will make it easier and faster to get things done with a combination of voice and touch.
Google's new Voice Access app lets you control your Android phone with your voice
Google has a new app that allows for full control of an Android phone with your voice -- Voice Access. While it has been possible to perform simple actions such as switching apps and writing messages, the ability to interact with on-screen elements is something that has been missing.
Pitched as an accessibility tool, Voice Access fills in many gaps in Android's voice control system, making it possible to navigate apps, edit text and much more.
Android rooting tool SuperSU disappears from Play Store
If you haven't already made the jump to Magisk to cater for your handset rooting needs, now is very much the time to do so. The long-popular SuperSU has been removed from the Google Play Store, meaning one of the most popular rooting tools has been lost.
The disappearance is not entirely surprising as SuperSU has not been updated for some time and plenty of other root apps have grown in popularity -- but it will still come as a disappointment for its many fans.
Behold, Honor 8X!
Android smartphones are largely all the same these days. I mean, look, they are rectangular slabs that can run apps, surf the web, and take photos. Sure, specifications can vary, but for the most part, all modern Android phones are powerful enough to all run apps wonderfully. With that said, why would you spend a fortune on one? If you can score a solid smartphone without breaking the bank, you totally should!
If you want an elegant and inexpensive Android phone, look no further than Honor. That is Huawei's budget-friendly brand, but you know what? Low cost does not mean low quality. Today, the company officially launches the Honor 8X -- a drop-dead gorgeous Android smartphone with very respectable internals and a huge 6.5 inch display. Much like the iPhone Xs, you can unlock the device with your face, but unlike Apple's offering, it also has a fingerprint reader -- nice! Believe it or not, the Honor 8X even has a 3.5mm audio jack -- crazy, right? I guess Honor isn't as courageous as Apple! And yes, it has a notch, because... why notch?
Sign up with The Lab and you could get a OnePlus 6T early
If you're a fan of OnePlus handsets, you might like the idea of getting your hands on the OnePlus 6T not only free of charge, but before the official launch.
As part of its marketing program, OnePlus has opened up The Lab -- as it has done with previous models of its phones. This gives you the opportunity to sign up to review the phone, which means you'll be given one for free!
Major Google Maps update brings real-time public transport updates, music control, and more
Google is pushing out a big update to its Google Maps app with the aim of making your daily commute easier. One of the biggest additions is support for mixed-mode commutes -- those journeys that involve multiple modes of transport -- and to help with this, there's also real-time information about the location of buses and trains.
But it doesn't end there. Google Maps now also supports Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music podcast and music playback to help keep you entertained while you travel.
OnePlus 6T teaser video invites you to 'unlock the future'
With the launch of the OnePlus 6T expected in the next few weeks, the OnePlus marketing machine is now in full motion. We've had a number of leaks and rumors, as well as some official news, and now the first teaser video for the upcoming phone has been released.
The video, released to Twitter, bears the tagline "unlock the future", and says simply of the handset: "It's coming".
Google Maps now has a voting option to help plan group events
Both the iOS and Android versions of Google Maps have received an update that will be welcomed by anyone who has ever struggled to arrange a meet-up place, or a dining location with a group of friends.
A new voting function makes it easy to gauge opinion and see which location is most popular without having to resort to endless messages, or arguments in group chat. It's a simple idea, but one that can help avoid many heated arguments and allow you to reach a decision faster.
Android 9.0 Pie lands on OnePlus 6 in OxygenOS 9.0
After a series of betas, the OnePlus 6 now has Android 9.0 Pie. OnePlus has released the Pie-based OxygenOS 9.0 and it's rolling out to handsets now.
But while OnePlus 6 owners will be excited at the prospect of getting their hands on a stable version of Android Pie, there's some bad news. Unlike with previous OxygenOS updates, using a VPN to try to get hold of this one probably won’t work.
Android emulator BlueStacks 4 brings massive performance improvements
The latest version of the popular Android emulator for Windows, BlueStacks 4, is now available, bringing with it a huge performance boost over its predecessor. The new release also sees the emulator jumping from KitKat to Nougat as its base -- specifically Android 7.1.2.
The developers say that BlueStacks 4 is many times faster than the Samsung Galaxy S9+ -- or "any mobile on Earth" according to the blurb -- and features Hyper-G Graphics for unparalleled visuals in games. But besides performance, there are lots of other changes in the latest version of this emulator.
How to hide the Twitter bug reporter icon in Android
If you have enrolled in the beta version of Twitter -- and, in some instances, even if you haven't -- you may well have noticed the appearance of Twitter bug reporter icon in the Android status bar. It very likely annoys you, and you probably want to get rid of it.
Hunt through the app's settings, and you'll find nothing that relates to the icon. So, what can you do? You could move away from the official Twitter app and try one of the third-party options, but you may not want to. Read on to find out how to stick with the app you've come to know and love (perhaps) and banish the Twitter bug reporter icon once and for all.
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