Arxan launches new protection solution for Android apps
Application protection specialist Arxan Technologies is launching its latest Arxan for Android product.
It offers the industry's first protection technology for apps developed using Kotlin, the rapidly growing development language supported by Google for Android app development.
Peculiar Google bug shows your text messages in search results
Bugs found in software are often a little quirky, but the latest discovery of a bug in the Google Android app is very peculiar indeed. Use the app to perform certain searches, or make a typo when entering a URL, and you may well find that you see a list of your text messages rather than the page you were expecting.
At the moment it seems that the bug only affects Android users, with the iOS version of the Google app appearing to be functioning normally. If you get strange results if you try to visit the1975..com or search for "zela viagens", you might want to change your app permissions as a precaution.
Andy Rubin’s Essential is the failure we all knew it would be
The Android market is incredibly crowded, making it very hard to turn a profit. Unless your name is Samsung, you are going to have a tough time at it. Well-known companies like LG and HTC are struggling as no-name Chinese manufacturers flood the market with low-cost devices that surprisingly don't suck. Quite frankly, you'd have to be insane to even attempt to enter the Android market. And yet, Andy Rubin did.
If you aren't familiar, Rubin was a co-founder of Android, so when he announced he was entering the smartphone market with a company called "Essential Products Inc," it made news. His backstory aside, there was absolutely no reason for a new Android manufacturer to come along. With that said, he actually did get a device produced. Called "Essential Phone," everyone knew it would fail. And now it has -- just as it was supposed to. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company is no longer developing a successor to the Essential Phone.
WhatsApp bug means you could still receive messages from people you block
A bug has been discovered in popular chat tool WhatsApp that completely undermines the blocking feature.
The idea behind blocking people on WhatsApp -- just like any other app or service -- is to prevent them from contacting you, and to stop them from viewing your activity. But the bug means that blocked users are still able to send messages to people who have blocked them, as well as viewing statuses and profile details.
HTC U12+ is a bland-tastic Android flagship smartphone
The smartphone market is very mature these days, making it damn near impossible for a device to stand out. Even Apple’s polarizing notch is being adopted by countless Android smartphone manufacturers, making that unique thing very common. Hell, we are approaching the point where not having a notch will be odd!
Today, HTC announces its newest smartphone, and believe it or not, it doesn’t have a notch. Called the "U12+," it has all the fantastic specs you'd expect from a flagship, but unfortunately, its overall design is a little bland. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't look bad, but it is just very uninspired. It does have the second generation of HTC's cool "touch sense" technology, however, which lets you squeeze the phone's edges to interact with the OS.
LG K30 is the latest Amazon Prime Exclusive Phone
Amazon's Prime Exclusive Phone program is one of the best deals going. If you aren't familiar, this is where quality Android devices are sold at discounted prices to Amazon Prime members. The company used to subsidize the price by showing advertisements on the phone's lock screen, but it has since abandoned that. Instead, the phone is ad-free, but does come with some Amazon apps preinstalled.
Today, Amazon launches the latest Prime Exclusive Phone. The LG K30, as it is called, is your run-of-the-mill Android device, with ho-hum specifications and a generic design. What makes it truly enticing, however, is the price -- a mere $139.99. This is a massive $40 discount off the normal price of $179.99. Wow!
Fortnite for Android is coming very soon
The phenomenon that is Fortnite will be making its way to Android, Epic Games has revealed.
An Android version of the game is something that mobile gamers have been begging for for some time now, and it seems it will not be long until these pleas are answered. While an exact release date has not been revealed, Fortnite for Android will be happening in the next few months.
Major leak reveals OnePlus 6 pricing, pictures and release date
Details of just about every OnePlus handset have leaked ahead of their launches, and the OnePlus 6 is no different. There are only a couple of days until the phone is revealed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, and we've already had numerous leaks relating to the upcoming handset.
Amazon Germany has accidentally given away more than OnePlus may have liked, revealing high resolution renders of the glass-bodied phone, as well as the pricing and release date.
Google will require OEMs to provide regular Android security updates
The fragmentation problem that affects Android not only means that there are a tiny number of users running the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, but also that many handsets are not patched with the latest security update. This could be about to change.
At its I/O developer conference this week, Google announced that its security policies will be changing. While its not clear when this could happen, the company will require some smartphone manufacturers to roll out regular security updates to users.
Samsung Galaxy Note9 benchmarks and leaked image appear online
There are few handsets released these days that do not fall victim to leaks. Phones from Samsung are no different, and the same thing has happened with the upcoming Galaxy Note9.
In addition to a leaked image -- which shows that Samsung has done little to change the design of the phone since the Note 8 -- benchmark results for the handset have also appeared online. The image may not offer too much to get excited about, but the benchmarks give away more information.
Microsoft says that to text from Windows 10 with Your Phone app, you'll need an Android handset
There's bad news for iPhone users who were previously excited about Microsoft's upcoming Your Phone app. Revealed at Build 2018 earlier this week, this new Windows 10 app will provide a way to connect your phone to your computer and then view notifications, send texts and copy files from within Windows 10.
But some of this functionality will be Android-only. Microsoft says that it needs to work with Apple to get some features up and running, including being able to respond to iPhone text messages via Windows 10. But how likely is this cooperation?
Google launches Android Jetpack to speed up app development
Google has a new tool designed to help developers produce Android apps faster than ever. Called Android Jetpack, it builds on the Support Library and has a strong focus on backwards compatibility.
Android Jetpack also builds on Architecture Components, giving developers access to components, tools and architectural guidance split into four categories -- architecture, foundation, UI and behavior. Each component is provided as an "unbundled" library which Google says means you can "adopt each component at your own speed, at your own time".
The best Android apps and games revealed in 2018 Google Play Awards
It's not long since Google's Android Excellence program bestowed praise on apps and games on what were considered to offer a high quality experience. Now the company has used Google I/O to reveal the winners of the 2018 Google Play Awards.
Google says that the aim of the ceremony is to "recognize the best apps and games on Google Play over the past year", and it's a great way to discover something new to try.
Facebook copies Snapchat's Bitmoji and creates personal, customizable Avatars
Never afraid to steal an idea or two from its competitors, Facebook is at it once again, this time "borrowing" Bitmoji from Snapchat. The yet-to-be-released feature is called Facebook Avatars and it will let users create personalized cartoon images of themselves to use as stickers or emoji.
The Avatars feature has not even been announced by Facebook yet, but references to it were found hidden deep in the code of the social network's Android app. The company has, however, confirmed that the feature is in development.
Huawei Mate 10 Pro now $150 off, including Amazon-exclusive Mocha Brown color
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is one of the best Android smartphones you can buy. Not only is it elegantly made, but it has top specifications, including a drool-worthy display. The camera even leverages artificial intelligence, making it one of the best picture-taking experiences on the market. Don't forget -- BetaNews is giving one of these amazing flagships away, so be sure to enter our giveaway here.
Only one person can win our contest, however, so if you really want a Mate 10 Pro, your best bet is to simply buy one. Thankfully, starting today, the Huawei flagship becomes more affordable. You see, from now through May 19, you can score one for a mere $649 -- that is $150 off the MSRP! Best of all, the phone is unlocked, so you can use it on any GSM carrier in the USA, such as T-Mobile and AT&T.
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