APK BRO™ - Download APK Android Apps: 05/11/16

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Report: Google’s Amazon Echo-Like Device is Codenamed Chirp, Possible Google I/O Tease to Take Place

Back in late March, a report surfaced that stated Google was working on an Amazon Echo-like device. Not many details were known at the time, but really, how much info does one need? The Amazon Echo is a pretty straightforward device. You speak to it, it listens. It can play music from Amazon Prime Music, can create shopping lists for you, and even works with Nest, if you own a smart thermostat. Now, picture all of that stuff, but built by Google for use with Google’s multitude of services.

According to sources of re/code, the device’s internal codename at Google is Chirp. Working like Google Now does on your smartphone, a user could say, “OK, Google” and the device will await your command.

We expect Chirp would do virtually everything Echo can do, such as play music from Play Music, read books aloud from Play Books, create calendar events that are synced with your Google Calendar app, and give you a breakdown of top news stories from sites you frequent. It is also reported that Chirp will look similar to an OnHub WiFi router.

Sadly, the same sources claim that Chirp is not expected to be launched during this year’s Google I/O, which takes place next week in Mountain View, CA. However, it is expected that the device will be teased on stage during the keynote, with launch set for later this year.

Is Chirp shaping up to be something you want inside of your home?

Via: re/code

Google Calendar on Android Can Automatically Add Passcodes for Conference Calls

Conference call crusaders, Google Calendar just became your best friend. Through an update to the Google Calendar app on Android, passcodes can now be automatically added to conference phone numbers, decreasing your chances of punching an incorrect code and having to call back.

The passcodes are found by Google Calendar from the location or notes field in the calendar event you are calling from, so be sure that information is included going forward. If it is, a tap on the conference call number from within an event will ask if you want Google to call with or without the code. How handy.

Play Link

Via: Google Apps Updates

Poll: Do You Like the Instagram Redesign?

It’s no secret, the Internet’s inhabitants are not too thrilled with Instagram’s new icon. Yeah, it’s sorta bright and obnoxious, but what about the revamped UI? Do people like that? Well, let’s find out.

Earlier this morning, Instagram made official changes to the UI, switching from its long-standing blue-hue look, to a white and black (monochromatic) aesthetic. To me, it’s a nice touch. It allows photos to pop a bit more. Surprisingly, I haven’t seen any change.org petitions going up to have IG reinstate the old UI, so that’s a good sign.

Share your feelings on the icon and new UI down below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Google Photos Update Introduces Commenting in Shared Albums

Sharing albums and photos are a big part of what makes Google Photos such a great product. You don’t have to jump through a bunch of hoops to share single photos or bigger albums like you do in other services. All you really need to do is just tap the share button in the app and then push the auto-copied link it generates to your recipient(s). Honestly, it’s one of the best things Google has done in years.

But Google Photos can still improve and Google is doing so today by adding new features to albums that are shared. In the latest update to Google Photos (v1.20), Google has added in commenting to photos and albums that are shared. That means the people you are sharing photos with can comment on them without ever leaving the app. That’s pretty cool, right?

Along with commenting, Google is also providing “smart suggestions” that could make for good additions to a shared album. If someone sends you an album of a birthday party that you were at recently, Google will dig through your photos and see if you took any from the party before asking if you’d like to add them.

Play Link | Download Link (.apk)

Via: +Google Photos

WhatsApp Intros Desktop App, Available for Windows and Mac

Calling all WhatsApp users, a desktop app for the service is now available on Windows and Mac. Standalone from the web client and mobile version of WhatsApp, the desktop app behaves the exact same way as the online version does, with the exception that you don’t need your browser open. In usage, you still have all of your contacts readily available, and don’t worry, all of your conversations are still encrypted.

According to WhatsApp, the desktop app is simply an extension from your smartphone. All of the same conversations will be available. Additionally, when you send messages from the desktop, you will see them instantly pop up on your smartphone, no delay.

Because the app runs natively on your desktop, you’ll have support for native desktop notifications, better keyboard shortcuts, and more.

The desktop app is available to users on Windows 8+ and Mac OS 10.9+. Downloads are available here.

Via: WhatsApp

YouTube Testing Native Sharing, Threads of Videos and Conversations With Friends

Rolling out to a very limited amount of users, YouTube is testing a messaging and sharing feature from directly within the YouTube app on Android. With this feature, called Native Sharing, users can share YouTube videos to other YouTube users, without the need of leaving the app itself. For example, if you have a friend who you share YouTube videos with constantly, you both can start a thread to share videos in, as well as discuss them, all inside of the YouTube app.

This feature will be housed inside of a new tab, located in the YouTube app. It will sit directly between your subscriptions and profile tab on the home page. If you have a group of friends you want to share videos and commentary with, you can add multiple individuals to a single thread. The sharing aspect is handled the same exact way it is shared normally, with a popup window sliding in from the bottom of your screen. Once you have the contact chosen, hit send, and away it goes into your thread.

As previously stated, this feature is available to a small group of YouTube users, but if you happen to be selected, you can actually invite friends to partake in Native Sharing with you. This should help increase the number of users quite rapidly. To invite friends, simply begin a new thread with their Google account selected.

As for me, I don’t have any update for the YouTube app, so it’s hard to say how exactly YouTube is choosing its participants. Either look for an update on Google Play, or open your YouTube app and see if the new Sharing tab is there. If you have it, you’re a very lucky duck.

Do you think Native Sharing and conversation threads will influence you to share more videos with your friends?

Via: Wired | reddit

Sunrise, the Calendar App I Already Miss Dearly, Shuts Down August 31

Yeah, I know, that was the perfect opportunity to toss out some lame sun setting joke, but I spared you. Instead, just know this – Sunrise, the really, really good calendar app that Microsoft bought back in 2015 before deciding to kill it off in an attempt to sucker you into using its Outlook app (which I understand is a solid app, but do not care because its existence means the death of Sunrise), will fully shutdown on August 31 and completely stop working.

The Sunrise team, which is probably awesome even as Microsoft employees, penned a blog post today to talk about the end. It’s heartfelt, but ultimately talks about bringing Sunrise’s life to a close because they aren’t supporting it at all anymore. That includes not providing bug fixes. Rather than abandon Sunrise and turn your beautiful memories of it into terrible, “YOU SHOULD UPDATE THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE” ratings on Google Play, it’s best to just let it go.

I probably won’t ever let Microsoft live this down and will complain about it every time another calendar app comes out, but you should let it go.

Goodbye, dear friend, Sunrise.

Via: Sunrise

Google’s Awesome Tap to Translate Available Inside 3rd-Party Applications

Thanks to an update for Google Translate, translating text from within 3rd-party applications just became a total breeze. Instead of copying and pasting the foreign text into the standalone Translate app, simply “Tap to Translate,” directly from within whichever app you are using. For example, if you are texting with someone in WhatsApp and they are speaking German, you can tap the Translate icon inside of the WhatsApp settings to translate the text. You can then even translate your own words and reply to them in German. The GIF image above details this process.

This feature works for all of Google’s 103 supported languages, and even better, you don’t need a data connection to use it. If you know that you will be using a particular language frequently, you can download a language package for offline use. Previously, these language packages were massive, but with Google working a bit of magic, they were able to shrink the packages by 90 percent. That means they won’t crowd up your valuable onboard storage. And yes, audio is available for all of your translations, just as it is in the official Translate app.

For those in need, the Translate app is also receiving Word Lens in Chinese. Supporting both simplified and traditional Chinese, Word Lens allows the user to translate signs from a given language to and from English. With Word Lens in Chinese, Google states it is supported on menus, signs, packages, or other printed text.

For a straightforward look at how this works, watch the video below. If you are ready to give all of this a try, you will need to wait for Google to roll the update out, which will be over the next couple of days.

Play Link

Via: Google

Android VR Headset Said to Launch at Google I/O, be “Better” Than Gear VR

With Google I/O quickly approaching, we’ve been wondering how Google planned to surprise us. With Android N already alive and in preview 2, it wasn’t going to be with that, though we may still get a preview 3 next week. With the current line-up of Nexus devices still fresh enough, we aren’t expecting to see 2016 models yet either. So what could the big reveal be, if there is one? According to Peter Rojas of Gizmodo, Engadget, and various other tech venture fame, it’ll be with Android VR.

Rojas took to Twitter this morning to say that “Android VR will definitely be announced next week” and that it will be “better than Gear VR.” He also noted that this is a stand-alone device that runs off of a smartphone, like the Samsung Gear VR, so don’t expect it to be close to the Vive and Oculus experiences.

Here are the tweets:

We aren’t sure what prompted the mention from Rojas, but a redditor form yesterday did see a mention of “AndroidVR” in a list of release notes for the latest Unreal Engine preview. That could just mean that Unreal Engine is creating some sort of Android related VR product, but after the notes were called into focus, they quickly changed them, removing any mention of “AndroidVR.”

Keep in mind that this isn’t the first time we have heard about Google making a Gear VR competitor. A report back in February suggested the same, telling us to expect it later this year, along with native Android VR software built-in to Android. That report also mentioned that it might be an upgrade over Gear VR with “better sensors, lenses, and a more solid plastic casing.”

As a VR hater who has come around to appreciating the technology (Vive addict here), this is pretty exciting news if Google can do this right, build out a legitimate Gear VR competitor, and figure out how to get content creators on board. Because in the end, VR is only as good as the content available.

Ooh, Google I/O is shaping up nicely.

Via: @PeterRojas | reddit

Unlocked HTC 10 Now Working on Verizon, But There are Prerequisites

We have attempted to throw an active Verizon SIM into the unlocked model of the HTC 10, but it doesn’t work. This really shouldn’t shock anyone, even though the device features the necessary radios to run on Big Red’s network. However, with S-OFF and root achieved for the HTC 10, the good folks at XDA have released a fix for this issue, meaning anyone with an unlocked HTC 10 can now get their device working on Verizon. After all, in our opinion, this is truly what unlocked should mean.

In order to begin this process, you will need S-OFF and root on your HTC 10. To do so, look over the instructions here. Before you get started, though, please note that attempting these types of actions can cause your device to behave unexpectedly. If you feel comfortable doing this, proceed. As a refresher, S-OFF equates to security off, which allows HTC device owners to modify any partition on the device, and changes will not be reset once a reboot takes place. When a device is S-ON, changes are not permanent. For a deeper understanding of S-ON and S-OFF, read this.

Now, it is stated in the instructions that you will need S-OFF and keep S-OFF during your usage of this radio. If that works for you, then really, all that is needed is a single flash of a radio.img via adb. The file is available on XDA from the via link below. For those of you with experience in adb and flashing files, this process will be extremely straightforward. Once the flash is completed, you will select the “CDMA/EvDOGSM/WCDMA/LTE Auto” option from within the secret radio menu. This menu is accessed by inputting *#*#4636#*#* into your dialer and dialing.

At this time, advanced calling features are not yet available, but according to the team behind this, they can later be added once available for the device.

If you happen to have an unlocked HTC, and want it to work on Verizon’s LTE, this is your chance.

Via: XDA

Cheers Rashad!

Buy a HTC 10 From T-Mobile Starting May 18, Receive Free Rapid Charger and Ice View Case

Between May 18 and May 24, customers who purchase a HTC 10 from T-Mobile will receive a free HTC Rapid Charger and Ice View case. That’s a total of $85 in free goodies.

According to T-Mobile, the Magenta-colored carrier is, “the only place to enjoy the HTC 10 with its powerful HTC BoomSound HiFi speakers and OIS on the front and rear cameras – the way they were meant to be used – unrestricted and untamed.” While this statement is completely false (you can enjoy those things no matter where you buy the HTC 10), the company cites its Music Freedom and Binge On services, which allows customers to stream music and video from select services without the used data counting towards your monthly allotment.

For pricing, you can purchase the HTC 10 for $0 down and $28.34 over 24 months ($680 FRP) on an interest-free financing option.

Again, this deal kicks off on May 18 (next Wednesday) and runs through May 24.

Via: T-Mobile

DEAL: Brand New Nexus 5 at Woot Today for $149.99

Google’s Nexus 5, a phone so loved they re-created it in modern form as the Nexus 5X, can be purchased today at Woot.com for a ridiculously low price of $149.99. The best part? These are brand new Nexus 5s. I don’t know how that’s possible, but I’m not about to complain about a 2.5-year old darling of a phone available to fans or those in dire need of an affordable, yet still awesome phone, in new condition.

The listing says that this is the D820 model, which is the North America variant that works perfectly on AT&T or T-Mobile or a variant of GSM prepaid outfits. This phone will not work on Sprint or Verizon.

As a reminder, this phone is still (for now) being supported by Google and runs the latest version of Android Marshmallow.

Better hurry!

WOOT Link

Cheers Matthew!

Instagram Gets New Icon, Simpler Layout in Latest Update

Instagram’s non-flat, retro camera icon that seems about six years beyond its prime, has been replaced this morning by a new app icon and a refreshed design. That’s right, we have a new Instagram icon!

The new icon is an updated take on the original icon, only in rainbow gradient form. Honestly, it’s pretty bad! But hey, I’m no designer and I think (Maybe. Hopefully. Please do me right.) I’ll be able to live with whatever most icon designs interpret this as through their own creations. (Stock?) Rainbow gradient, folks, rainbow gradient.

As for the app refresh, the UI elements are now mostly black and white, likely as a way to put the focus on your colorful photos. We saw this UI in testing on a handful of devices over the past couple of weeks, but it’s now official as the Instagram layout. There are also smaller buttons along the bottom of the app for navigating, again, to get you fully immersed in the app and photos. The location of UI elements all remain the same, though.

Thoughts?

Play Link

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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Via: re/code

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