Android Match

Home » All posts

These are all the apps and services that will work with Google Home [Continuously Updated]

Google first talked about Google Home back at I/O, but the device became official at the recent October hardware event. The speakers didn't go into detail on all the apps and services that Home would work with, preferring instead to focus on a few specific demos. Now, Google has published a list of everything that works with Home, and we expect this will grow over time.

Here's what Google has published so far on its support site for Home.

These are all the apps and services that will work with Google Home [Continuously Updated] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Android Match

New Urbanears Stammen, Baggen Bluetooth speakers come with Chromecast support

Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, but the new Stammen and Baggen from Urbanears are meant to stand out from the crowd. Color options include Dirty Pink, Vinyl Black, Plant Green, Concrete Grey, Goldfish Orange and Indigo Blue, allowing the speakers to perfectly match your space and style. But the two speakers have more to offer than just their looks. In addition to Bluetooth connectivity, Urbanears has given the Stammen and Baggen the full built-in Chromecast treatment, allowing you and anyone on your WiFi network to instantly stream music from any app which supports the Chromecast streaming protocol.

But that’s not all.

If you have more than one, the speakers can also be synced, allowing you to play the same music in multiple rooms around your house. The Stammen and Baggen speakers also work with the Urbanears app, giving you full control over speaker grouping, equalizer settings and more. The speakers themselves have two physical dials which give you the ability to quickly stop and start your music, switch between Solo to Multi Mode, adjust the volume or select between seven different presets.

Gallery

The $350 price point of the Stammen and $450 price of the Baggen may seem a bit high, but the price is in line with other speakers on the market which offer similar functionality.

Android Match

Android and Me 4:31 AM No comments

Not one to let a franchise sit on its laurels, Ubisoft is bringing its Tom Clancy series to Android

Ubisoft has just announced a new Tom Clancy game for Android titled Tom Clancy's ShadowBreak. Something that has been noticeably absent from the Play Store, it was only a matter of time before Ubisoft brought the Tom Clancy series to mobile. From what I have seen, this looks to be an online multiplayer title that mixes sniper combat with Clash Royale lane-based combat. An odd mix for sure that only time will tell if it pans out for them.

Not one to let a franchise sit on its laurels, Ubisoft is bringing its Tom Clancy series to Android was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Android Match

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 4:09 AM No comments

Samsung’s New DeX Dock Turns the Galaxy S8 into a Full Desktop

Like anticipated Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ arrive with a slew of accessories. And by far the most interesting is the DeX dock which will allow Galaxy S8 owners to turn their smartphones into a desktop.

Samsung explains that all proprietary apps have the ability to expand in order to offer a full-screen experience. The Korean tech giant is working hand in hand with app creators like Microsoft to populate the new DeX Android interface. So users will be able to run multiple apps at the same time and also resize them in order to fit their current desktop display.

The company offers us a taste of what’s to come by saying that Adobe’s host of mobile apps will eventually land on DeX, as well as the company’s own Knox security suite. The dock features a USB-C port meant for plugging the phone in and a HDMI output to connect the external display with. On top of that there’s two USB 2.0 ports and an Ethernet jack. A standard keyboard and mouse can be connected via Bluetooth.

Samsung hasn’t unveiled the official pricing for this accessory, but based on recent leaks you should expect to pay around $213 CAD. We’ll update you when we know for sure.

[CNET]

The post Samsung’s New DeX Dock Turns the Galaxy S8 into a Full Desktop appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

Android Match

Android in Canada Blog 2:51 AM No comments

Samsung Launches the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+

They are here, they are here! Samsung finally officially launched the long rumoured Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. And at first contact, there’s only one thing that we have to say – these handsets look absolutely fantastic.

With these two Samsung has changed the design language completely. Say goodbye to the home button and side bezels and hello curved displays and extremely sleek profiles.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ bring a lot of novelties in the feature and software department as well, including Bixby – the virtual assistant and Samsung’s new cleaner approach to Android dubbed Samsung experience. This is what you can expect:

Samsung Galaxy S8

5.8-inch double curved display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution (570ppi)
Snapdragon 835 (in Canada)
4GB of RAM
64GB (microSD card slot available for expansion up to 256GB)
9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm
152 g
12MP main camera OIS (f/1.7)
8MP secondary camera AF (f/1.7)
3,000 mAh battery (Fast Charging on wired and wireless Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA)
4G LTE Cat. 16, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC
Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor
Bixby, IP68 certified water-resistant, stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.
Android 7.0 Nougat
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Artic Silver, Maple Gold and Coral Blue

Samsung Galaxy S8+

6.2-inch double curved display with 2,960 x 1,440 resolution,529ppi
Snapdragon 835 (in Canada)
4GB of RAM
64GB (microSD card slot available for expansion up to 256GB)
5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm
173g
12MP main camera OIS (f/1.7)
8MP secondary camera AF (f/1.7)
3,500 mAh (Fast Charging on wired and wireless Wireless Charging compatible with WPC and PMA)
4G LTE Cat. 16, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, 1024QAM Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC
Accelerometer, Barometer, Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Heart Rate Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor, Iris Sensor, Pressure Sensor
Bixby, IP68 water and dust resistance, stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C.
Android 7.0 Nougat
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Artic Silver, Maple Gold and Coral Blue

The two phones also come with a bunch of nifty accessories including a new nifty Samsung Gear VR with Controller powered by Oculus and the new Gear 360 (2017) camera which will allow users to create 4K 360-degree videos and 15MP photos.

The Samsung DeX dock allows users to connect their Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to a display and peripherals in order to get a desktop experience. A new high-performance earphones tuned by AKG by Harman will also be available for sale alongside the two flagships.

But the big question is – when will Canadians be able to get it? Well we have the answer for you right here. The two phones will become available in Canada starting April 21 in Midnight Black and Orchid Grey. As for pricing the unlocked Galaxy S8 will sell for $1,035 CAD, while the Galaxy S8+ will become available for $1,115 CAD.

So are they everything you ever wanted and more? Are you hoping to get one?

[News Wire]

The post Samsung Launches the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

Android Match

Android in Canada Blog 2:51 AM No comments

CRPG fans rejoice, Planescape Torment will see an enhanced edition release on April 11th

Much like Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II and Icewind Dale have received enhanced edition ports to Android, classic CRPG Planetscape Torment is receiving the enhanced edition treatment as well. To be more specific, the developer Beamdog will be releasing Planescape Torment: Enhanced Edition as a cross-platform release on April 11th of this year. That's right, all of you Planetscape fans out there, you will soon be able to play the game on the go.

CRPG fans rejoice, Planescape Torment will see an enhanced edition release on April 11th was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

Android Match

Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 1:49 AM No comments

Samsung Galaxy S8 U.S. carrier launch round-up: Pre-orders start March 30

Today, Samsung made official the latest generation of the Galaxy S flagship smartphone lineup, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Now it’s time for carriers to jump on the information bandwagon and unveil their own launch timing for Samsung’s new flagship handsets.

Verizon Wireless has confirmed that it will have the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ available in its physical retail stores and its online store beginning April 21. Pre-orders for the two devices will go live beginning at 12:01 AM ET Thursday, March 30.

Verizon has priced the Galaxy S8 at $720 full retail, but customers can opt to pay $30 per month for 24 months. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8+ is priced at $840, and subscribers can pay $35 per month for 24 months.

T-Mobile is also opening pre-orders at 12:01 AM ET on Thursday, March 30, for both the new flagship smartphones. The handsets go on sale beginning April 21. As far as pricing goes, the Galaxy S8 has a $30 down payment and costs $30 per month for 24 months on the T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan. JUMP! On Demand customers can snag the device for $0 down and just $33 per month. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S8+ will be available for $130 down and $30 per month for 24 months on EIP, with the same down payment and monthly payment amount for JUMP! On Demand customers.

The Galaxy S8 will be available for MetroPCS customers beginning April 21 as well, and it will be priced at $729.

AT&T opens pre-orders for both the GS8 and GS8+ on March 30 as well, and select AT&T physical retail stores will have “sneak peeks” of the Galaxy S8 beginning March 31. With AT&T Next, the Galaxy S8 can be yours for $25 per month for 30 months, while the Galaxy S8+ will be available for $28.34 for 30 months.

U.S. Cellular has announced that the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ can be had for free with an eligible trade-in and that pre-orders begin on March 30. The regional carrier will have each device in Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, and Arctic Silver.

We’re still waiting for Sprint to announce its own Galaxy S8 and S8+ release plans.

Android Match

Android and Me 12:29 AM No comments

Update your app to take advantage of the larger aspect ratio on new Android flagship devices

Posted by Neto Marin, Developer Advocate, Google Play

To deliver more engaging viewing experiences to their users, many Android OEMs are experimenting with new, super widescreen smartphones. Samsung has just announced a new flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S8, featuring a new display format with an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. At the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, LG also launched their new flagship device, the LG G6, with an expanded screen aspect ratio of 18:9.

(Left) An app with a maximum aspect ratio set at 16:9 on an 18.5:9 device

(Right) An app with a maximum aspect ratio set at or over 18.5:9 on an 18.5:9 device

In order to take full advantage of the larger display formats on these devices, you should consider increasing your app's maximum supported aspect ratio. To do so, simply declare an android.max_aspect <meta-data> element in the app's <application> element:

<meta-data android:name="android.max_aspect"
    android:value="ratio_float"/>

ratio_float

Maximum aspect ratio your app can support, expressed as (longer dimension / shorter dimension) in decimal form.

We recommend that you design your app to support aspect ratios of 2.1 or higher. For this, you would add the following to the <application> element:

<meta-data android:name="android.max_aspect" android:value="2.1" />

Note: if you don't set a value, and android:resizeableActivity is not true, then the maximum aspect ratio defaults to 1.86 (roughly 16:9) and your app will not take advantage of the extra screen space.

As more super widescreen Android devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG G6, become available, you'll have more opportunities to display more content and create more engaging experiences with your app.