Gizmodo: Google’s New ‘Push’ Feature Could Bring App Handoffs Between Chromebooks and Android. “Google has been working to provide better integration between Android phones and Chromebooks for years with features like its Phone Hub, but with its new ‘Push’ feature, Google looks like it’s closer to delivering a proper alternative to Apple’s Handoff feature for Macs and iPhones.”
CNET: Moving from Android to iPhone reveals my friends’ true feelings. “Yes, iMessage is convenient. Yes, so is FaceTime. While I personally decided to buy an iPhone 12 Pro Max for the redesign and app privacy controls in iOS 14.5, I didn’t expect it to make a difference to anyone in my social circle. I especially didn’t expect it to matter to the point of friends displaying fairly intense relief and jubilation.” I must admit I felt a bit of this when my mother switched from Android to iPhone. But not for long; she didn’t like the iPhone and switched back.
9to5 Google: Neat tool replaces Google Discover w/ Google Now-like ‘Snapshot’ on rooted Android phones. “Kieron Quinn, a fairly well-known Android developer and tinkerer, this week revealed a new tool that’s been in the works for some time called ‘Discover Killer.’ The tool, true to its name, can turn off Google Discover on your homescreen or replace it with something you prefer.”
Slate: The Most Cursed Emojis of All. “As someone who has used an iPhone for all of her adult life (after several lucky teenage years with an LG Chocolate in robin’s egg blue), there are certain things about Android phones that are simply mysteries to me. For instance, I only recently learned that the Android plays home to one of the most cursed phone features of all time: the Google Emoji Kitchen, a function on the Google’s Android keyboard.”
Wired: What You Should Know About the Google Play Store Changes. “GOOGLE IS INTRODUCING a major shift in the way that apps work on Android—and while the changes might not be too noticeable to consumers, it’s important to be aware of what’s happening and why, if you’re a user of Google’s mobile operating system.”
Lifehacker: How to Block Spam Calls With the Nuclear Option (and as Little Fallout as Possible). “We’re all in a battle against robocalls. Chances are you’ve tried out various apps, settings, and carrier services to stop—or at least mitigate—the endless train of scams and spam, and some of them even work pretty well, at least for a while. Unfortunately, new spam techniques crop up all the time, and it’s likely a few calls will slip past even the best spam blocking apps. That said, there are ‘nuclear’ options on Android and iOS that will block out those stragglers for good.”
9to5 Google: Google developing ‘Switch to Android’ app for iOS to copy data and apps from your iPhone. “Google is developing a new iOS app called ‘Switch to Android,’ which should be able to copy the most important data from your iPhone and bring over your apps.”
Neowin: Google is making on-device machine learning easier on Android later this year. “The usage of machine learning (ML) has become quite common across various applications for multiple use-cases. While on-device ML is preferred over its server-based counterpart for a number of reasons such as low latency and lack of dependency on internet connectivity, it also has numerous drawbacks. Google says that it will be addressing these challenges with the Android ML Platform, coming later this year.”
Daily Dot: ‘Uncensorable’ Freedom Phone raises a host of security questions. “Though people might understandably be drawn to a phone that prioritizes privacy and free speech, multiple reports have raised security concerns and questioned whether the Freedom Phone is being upfront with customers. The Freedom Phone appears to be a rebranding of the Umidigi A9 Pro, a roughly $120 phone made by Chinese tech company Umidigi, according to a report Thursday from The Daily Beast.”
Reuters: India’s antitrust watchdog orders probe into Google in smart TVs suit. “India’s antitrust watchdog on Tuesday ordered an investigation into allegations that Alphabet Inc’s Google abused its Android operating system’s position in the country’s smart television market.”
BNN Bloomberg: Google Bows to EU, Rivals With Android Choice-Screen Tweaks. “Google will scrap a fee and add more mobile search apps for users to choose from on new Android phones, bowing to pressure from the European Union and smaller rivals. The U.S. tech giant will make the changes from September ‘following further feedback’ from the European Commission, it said in a Tuesday blog post. The EU authority said the tweaks were ‘positive’ and addressed a number of complaints by other search companies.”
Engadget: FaceTime is coming to PC and Android via a web app. “When iOS 15 arrives later this year, it will come with some significant upgrades to FaceTime. Apple’s Craig Federighi previewed those changes during WWDC 2021. One of the biggest tweaks is that Facetime will work with Android and Windows 10 PCs thanks to new shareable links Apple will let you send to your friends and family.”
