“Ok Google” voice commands now supported by Android Auto

Finally, "Ok Google" keyword support has arrived for Android Auto. It's only taken the company almost two years to implement the hands-free feature, but now drivers can fully control their car's infotainment system with their voice, in addition to individual services like Google Maps.

To make use of the Ok Google keyword in your vehicle, you'll need to grab the latest version of the Android Auto app and the Google App. It's inside that latter that you should find that the "While driving" setting now says that it works with Google Maps and Android Auto. This toggle is found under the "Ok Google" detection menu.

If you're not already using "Ok Google" voice detection on your phone, the feature offers up a range of commands to performs tasks from opening up apps, to setting timers, making calendar appointments, and replying to emails and messages. The fact that all of this can now be done hands-free in your vehicle is bound to be quite useful.

See also:

Everything you can do with Google voice commands

June 20, 2016

If Android Auto or the Google App haven't updated for you yet, you can grab the latest software from APK Mirror. Just hit the download button below. There may also be a server side switch that Google needs to flick to enable the feature, so it may take a little while for the upgrade to reach everyone.

Download Android Auto

Download Google App

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Huawei announces Nougat update list, P8 and Mate S aren’t on it

Samsung, Sony, HTC, and a few other big names in the industry have either already started updating their devices to Android Nougat or have at least announced a time frame as to when the update should be available.

Now, Huawei is joining in as well. The Chinese manufacturer has released the list of devices that will get the Nougat update along with the company's latest EMUI 5.0 user interface.

The beta version of the update has already hit a few Huawei devices, but the first phones to receive the stable version will be the high-end P9 and Mate 8 (the Mate 9 just received final software yesterday). In an official statement, Huawei said that the update will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2017.

See also:

Huawei faces "challenging" Mate 9 launch in the US

3 days ago

A few weeks after the P9 and Mate 8 get the sweet Nougat treatment, the most profitable Android manufacturer in the world (Q3) will start updating a few of its other devices. These include the P9 Plus, P9 lite, Nova and Nova Plus.

It's not known if this is the full list of devices or if Huawei will add a few more models to it soon. But we'd be surprised if the company doesn't at least increase the Nougat lineup with last year's flagship, the P8. The Huawei Mate S on the other hand, might not be so lucky.

Do you own any of the above-mentioned Huawei devices? Are you looking forward to the Nougat update? Let us know in the comments below.

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Black Friday deals gave Google’s Pixel a big boost compared to the iPhone

Black Friday deals are often good business for tech brands, and this year it's the Google Pixel that has been one of the major hot sellers. While Apple's iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S7 ranges were some of the best sellers in terms of raw numbers, the Pixel line-up saw the biggest growth rate out of the bunch, according to data collected by Localytics. This is a another rather sign for Google's new premium smartphone series.

In terms of growth rates, the Pixel boasted a 120 percent boost to device activations during Black Friday, followed by the Galaxy S7 with a 36 percent jump. The iPhone 7 only saw a 13 percent increase, and the 7 Plus model only accounted for 1 percent of that number. Worryingly perhaps for Apple, consumer appetite for grabbing a discounted iPhone 7 is down significantly compared to the iPhone 6S, which saw a 36 percent boost to device activation last year over the Black Friday period.

Given the Pixel's high price point compared with previous Google phones, it wouldn't surprise me if a good number of customers had been waiting for its price to fall before picking one up. Combine this data with numerous reports of stock delays and big sales forecasts this year, and the Pixel is certainly shaping up to be one of Google's most popular smartphone releases.

This data isn't perfect though, it only reflects the change in sales between Black Friday and the previous weekend, which are usually sedated as customers wait for the deals anyway. The data doesn't really show any longer term trends either. Not to mention that the Pixel saw much greater discounts than the iPhone, as Apple was only offering a $50 gift card with purchases made over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Still, at least over the weekend it looks like the Google Pixel was in quite high demand. Did you buy one?

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Samsung Gear S3 heading to India January 2017?

Samsung's new Gear S3 smartwatch went on sale in the US, UK, Canada and other markets recently though Samsung hasn't officially commented on the possibility of a release in India. Now, a report from Sam Mobile suggests that its Indian launch could be set for January 2017.

Both the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier variants are said to be arriving in India, according to Sam Mobile's unnamed source(s), however a price point wasn't mentioned. In the US, both versions of the Samsung Gear S3 cost $349.

See also:

Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 currently not compatible with the Pixel smartphones

3 days ago

In our hands-on review Gear S3 review, we said that the Tizen-based smartwatch, which features LTE and NFC capabilities, looked like a good addition to Samsung's Gear line of smartwatches and noted that the Gear S2 is still around for those who want a more accessible size and design.

We'll look out for an official announcement from Samsung on this and let you know when we learn more. Are you likely to pick up a Gear S3? Let us know in the comments.

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Sony rolling out the Nougat update for Xperia XZ

The LG V20 was the first smartphones available on the market with Android 7.0 Nougat, followed by the Pixel phones with Android 7.1. Since Nougat first appeared, manufacturers have been working hard to update their devices to the latest version of Google's OS.

Yesterday, Sony started rolling out the update for the Xperia X Performance smartphone. Today, the Japanese company has announced it is also releasing the Nougat update for its high-end Xperia XZ device.

See also:

Sony releases PlayStation Communities app to help gamers chat to their comrades

1 day ago

The update brings quite a few new features to the device including multi-window support for improved multitasking, manual camera settings control and a more personalized home screen with Google Now integration. The update should also improve the battery life of the device and comes with Sony's latest Messaging app. As always, a few design changes are included as well.

The Nougat update rollout is phased and will be available in selected regions first. Some devices may receive it right away, while others will be able to download it in the next few days.

If you have received the update, please do share your first impressions with us? We'd be happy to hear your thoughts.

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Samsung updates Game Launcher with new features and design improvements

Game Launcher, an 'app' that was first available on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, is targeted at heavy gamers. Its mission is to enhance your gaming experience by maximizing playing time through power-saving features, as well as grouping your games together and providing handy shortcuts. With the help of the Game Tools feature, you can also turn off notifications, minimize the game screen, lock the Recent and Back keys, and even take screenshots of the game you're playing.

Samsung has now announced an update to Game Launcher 2.0, which brings a few new features as well as a simplified UI to the table. The new Game Discovery tool provides you with customized game recommendations based on the previous games you have played as well as your general gaming preferences.

See also:

This is Nougat on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

3 days ago

The other big new feature is called My Diary, which basically just analyzes and documents your gameplay records. As already mentioned, the newly updated app also has a different design. This time around, Samsung opted for a more opaque background that makes the icons and menu stand out a bit more.

In addition to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, the Game Launcher app is also available on the S7 Active, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy A8, C5, C7, and C9. You can download it on the Samsung Galaxy S6 series as well via Galaxy Apps. It's available in over 185 countries worldwide.

Have you tried out the latest version of Game Launcher on your Samsung device? What do you think of the new features? Let us know by posting a comment below.

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Cyanogen Inc. co-founder Steve Kondik speaks out about company failings

 

Cyanogen Inc co-founder Steve Kondik has posted a statement regarding news this week that the company is closing its Seattle office and laying off staff. In the statement, published on the private CyanogenMod developer Google+ community, Kondik offers his thoughts on what happened at Cyanogen and what the future holds.

"We started the Inc with the intent to bring CM [CyanogenMod] to more people and ship on devices out of the box. I hired everyone I knew, including a lot of community folks, moved everyone to Seattle and we got to work. We got the project in order after years of technical debt, and started to have some successes with our first devices," Kondik wrote.

"Unfortunately once we started to see success, my co-founder [Kirt McMaster] apparently became unhappy with running the business and not owning the vision. This is when the 'bullet to the head' and other misguided media nonsense started, and the bad business deals were signed. Being second in command, all I could do was try and stop it, do damage control, and hope every day that something new didn't happen."

 

Cyanogen Inc's Kirt McMaster (above right) has come under fire several times in recent years, notably for making provocative remarks like "we're attempting to take Android away from Google," and his interactions with OnePlus found Carl Pei when the companies ended their partnership in 2015.

As well as referencing McMaster's role in Cyanogen Inc's recent problems, Kondik also acknowledges his own contribution. "I fucked up and got fucked over. It's the Silicon Valley way, isn't it? First world problems in the extreme? It hurts, a lot. I lost a lot of friends, and I'm truely [sic] sorry to everyone I let down. I wish I had made different choices and trusted different people (especially one in particularly early on), but all I care about now is figuring out what to do next."

See also:

CEO denies rumors that Cyanogen is shifting focus to apps

July 25, 2016

Whether Kondik will stay at Cyanogen Inc remains to be seen, however he stated: "It's been a huge part of my life for 8 years now and I don't want to let go of it," before asking the Cyanogen community about what direction to go in from here.

"1. Should we keep going? Is it worth it? I'm sure I can crowdfund the project, especially if we did something like "Darkside" and really revitalized it. I'm not sure of the endgame yet, though.

2. The main IP is the brand and trademarks. I don't know if I can get it back without a fight, and I'm tired of fighting. We will likely need to fork and rebrand, which might not be a bad thing. Would you support it?

3. If we reboot, what should we do differently?

4. The rest of the ROM community seems to be highly dependent on us, but simultaneously wants us dead. How on earth do you fix this?

5. WWJBQD?"

What are your thoughts on the current situation at Cyanogen Inc? Let us know in the comments.

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