Discover the best apps and games with Google's Android Excellence April 2018 update
It's less than a year since Google launched the Android Excellence program through which the company highlights the very best Android apps and games. The list is refreshed every three months, and Google has now published details of the winners of the accolade for April 2018.
The latest installment includes titles such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, SoloLearn: Learn to Code for Free, and MARVEL Contest of Champions.
Intel Remote Keyboard app nixed after discovery of critical remote control vulnerability
Intel has issued a security advisory about its remote keyboard app after discovering a bug that made it possible for a remote user to mimic keyboard and mouse input with elevated privileges.
Intel Remote Keyboard was available for both iOS and Android, but the critical vulnerability -- and two other bugs with a High rating -- means that it has now been pulled from Google Play and the App Store. Intel is also recommending that anyone using the app uninstalls it as soon as possible.
Case-Mate launches 'Power Pad' Qi fast wireless charger for iPhone and Android
Wireless charging is nothing new -- I first used it many years ago with a lowly Nokia Lumia running Windows Phone. For years, many Android phones have had this feature too. Apple's iPhone was very late to the Qi charging party, only launching in 2017, but I suppose late is better than never, right?
Today, Case-Mate launches a new wireless charger that is compatible with all Qi smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the latest iPhone devices -- 8, 8 Plus, and X. In fact, it supports fast wireless charging, so you can juice up your device more quickly (not as fast as using a wire, though). Best of all, it has a very unique design, where the charging pad itself can be inserted into a base. This allows the device to charge while laying flat or propped up in either portrait or landscape modes. In other words, you can decide how the phone is positioned, and you can change it whenever you want -- a very clever design.
6et ready! OnePlus teases the OnePlus 6 and opens forum for the upcoming flagship
There's always a great sense of excitement surrounding the announcement of a new OnePlus phone, and this is something that the company is only too happy to play on.
We've already seen a leaked photo of the yet-to-be-released handset and heard that the phone has an iPhone X-style notch; now OnePlus has (pretty much) confirmed the phone's name and started its "6et ready!" teaser campaign. While we were all but certain about the name, it has now been officially established that it will be called the OnePlus 6. Well ... almost.
Less than half of Android security apps offer effective protection
A new study from independent testing lab AV-Comparatives reveals that of over 200 Android security apps tested the majority are dubious, unsafe or ineffective.
The company downloaded 204 apps from the Google Play store in January this year and found 84 of the apps detected over 30 percent of malicious samples, and had zero false alarms. 79 detected under 30 percent of malware samples and/or had a high false alarm rate.
Yep, the OnePlus 6 definitely has a notch -- deal with it!
OnePlus is a company with something of a masterful grasp of the notion of building up excitement about a new handset -- often ramping up anticipation levels months in advance. In the last day or so, an image of the rear of the upcoming OnePlus 6 "leaked", and now the company has released the first official picture showing the front of the phone.
The image doesn't give away a great deal about the appearance of the phone, but it does confirm one thing for sure: the OnePlus 6 has a notch, just like the iPhone X.
This is the OnePlus 6
With the OnePlus 5T now officially out of stock -- and not being replenished -- in the US, coupled with the time of year, it should come as little surprise that there's a new OnePlus handset around the corner.
There have been various rumors about the OnePlus 6 over the last few months, and now serial leaker Evan Blass gives us our first glimpse at what the phone actually looks like. There are two questions that many people will have: does it have an iPhone X-style notch, and does it have a headphone jack? The leaked photo goes some way to answering them. (Update: there is now an official image of the OnePlus 6 available.)
Google Play Movies & TV now lets you search for shows across a range of streaming apps
There are so many streaming apps and services to choose from, it can be hard to know where to look when you want to watch something. With its latest update to Google Play Movies & TV, Google may just have come up with the answer for Android users.
The update means that when you search for a show within the app, you'll be told which app or service you can use to watch it -- regardless of whether you're a subscriber or not. In all, there's support for over 20 services -- including the likes of Hulu, HBO, ABC and Showtime -- but, for the moment at least, Netflix is not available.
Google puts a limit on how many custom Android ROMs you can install
Having the option to install a custom ROM is something that many folks, myself included, love about Android. It's not something that is possible on every device running the operating system, as you may know, but on the smartphones and tablets that do support it, it can make a huge difference to the user experience.
Why? Because, if you like the hardware but you aren't getting along well with the stock distribution, chances are you will find something that works better that's been made by the community. Or, if the manufacturer ended support, you can still get newer versions of Android this way. Trouble is, Google, which has tolerated the practice so far, has decided to put a limit on how much fun you can have with it.
Privacy: Facebook has been collecting call and text data from Android users
It has been a bad week for Facebook -- and its users -- after it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica had harvested data from millions of accounts on the social network. Now it turns out that Facebook itself has been engaged in gathering user data.
A social media user, Dylan McKay from New Zealand, downloaded his Facebook archive and was shocked to discover that nearly two years' worth of call and text logs from his Android phone were included. McKay is not alone, and it's possible that details of your communication have been logged as well.
How to change countries in the Google Play Store -- the official way!
There can be few Android users who have learned about an exciting new app or game, only to be disappointed to discover it's not available in their country. There have been various ways around this, including downloading APKs from unofficial sources, but now Google has introduced a way to do it officially.
An update to the Google Play Store sees the addition of a new "Country and profiles" option which makes getting Android apps from other regions a whole lot easier. Here's what you need to know.
Samsung unveils rugged Galaxy Tab Active2 business tablet with LTE
Quality Android tablets are becoming increasingly rare on the consumer market. Why? There are many reasons, such as the adoption of large-screen smartphones. When your phone has a 6-inch screen, a 7- or 8-inch tablet can feel redundant. Not to mention, despite an arguably stronger economy, there are still many consumers that don’t have much disposable income.
Where Android tablets still have a fairly bright future is in the enterprise. For many jobs, sitting down with a laptop is not possible. Instead, being active with a tablet can be preferable. Today, Samsung unveils the Galaxy Tab Active2 -- a rugged Android 7.1 business tablet with integrated LTE (carrier unlocked). It is very rugged (MIL-STD 810G certified) making it great for dirty jobs -- even the S-Pen is rugged. And yes, it has USB-C.
Google Play Instant lets you stream Android apps and games to try them out
With so many apps and games to choose from in Google Play, it's very easy to be tempted to try all of them out. Well... maybe not all of them, but it's easy to get carried away. This can mean waiting an age for a particular title to download, only for you to try it and discover you don't like it.
Today Google announces a solution to the problem: Google Play Instant. It lets you get started in a game without having to download it completely -- in essence you're streaming the bits you need to your Android phone or tablet.
Data-saving Facebook Lite is now available in the US
Originally designed for countries with slower mobile internet connections, Facebook's cut-down and data-light Facebook Lite app is making its way to the US.
The app has been around since 2015, but it was only available in a limited number of countries, with the focus being primarily on developing nations where connectivity was an issue. But now Facebook is spreading the love to the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.
Google Images gains captions to make search results much more useful
By its very nature, searches on Google Images are very visual things -- but that's not to say they couldn't be enhanced with some non-pictorial content. And that's exactly what Google has done, adding captions to image search results to make them more useful.
The aim is to provide greater context about results, giving users the chance to judge the quality of the image, and to perhaps determine whether the host site will have other useful images.
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