August 2015 | Android Match

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Skype v5.11 Adds Quick Reply And Call To Heads Up Notifications

When you get a text message in Google's Messenger app, you can reply without having to first pull up the entire conversation. You just tap the buttons that appear in the notification. This capability appeared years sooner in apps like Gmail, which allowed you to reply, archive, and delete messages.

It turns out this feature is available in the latest Android version of Skype. When an incoming notification appears in your notification shade, you will have the option to call the person or reply via text.

Skype v5.11 Adds Quick Reply And Call To Heads Up Notifications was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Android Police - Android News , Apps , Games , Phones , Tablets » Apps/Games 11:58 PM No comments

5 Popular Tools That You Might Know Work on Android Tablets

There are certainly many more solid apps available for Android tablets than there were a few years, yet there are still many times when someone will ask me if one of my recommended tools is available for Android. In no particular order, here are five of my most frequently recommended tools that will work on Android tablets as well as on Chromebooks, iPads, and in your laptop’s web browser.

Padlet is probably my favorite tool for quickly creating an online space in which students can post short notes, respond to questions, and share links to things they’ve made and or discovered. Padlet now offers an iPad app, but they don’t offer an Android app. However, Padlet does work quite well if you just open it in the web browser on your Android tablet.

Storyboard That is an excellent tool for creating short stories in a comic strip style. By offering more than 40,000 pieces of artwork for students to use in their storyboards, Storyboard That makes sure that students never run out of possibilities. Learn more about Storyboard That in this webinar recording. Like Padlet, Storyboard That does not offer an Android tablet, but it works very well in the web browser on my Nexus tablet.

Animoto has long been a staple of my ed tech toolbox as it provides a good way to quickly introduce people to making simple videos. I find that making a video in Animoto is a confidence builder for people who have never tried to make a video. Once that confidence is built then we’ll move on to trying more robust video creation tools. Animoto has offered an Android app for a couple of years now, yet it many people are still surprised when I mention it.

ThingLink is another staple of my ed tech toolbox. ThingLink is a free tool for creating interactive images. The ThingLink Android app has been offered for quite a while, but people still seem surprised when I mention it. If you don’t want to install the app, the browser-based version of ThingLink will work on your Android tablet too. I like to use the ThingLink app in conjunction with the PicCollage app to have students summarize the highlights of a field trip. Click here for an example of that.

When searching for data or other computational information, Wolfram Alpha stands superior to other search engines. I recommend Wolfram Alpha not only for searches involving mathematics but for many searches that are in seek of static information like the lifespan of a president, height of a mountain, or the lyrics to Smells Like Teen Spirit. If you open Wolfram Alpha in the browser on your Android tablet you will be prompted to buy the app ($2.99) but you can bypass that by scrolling to the bottom of the page and tapping the link to “continue to Wolfram Alpha.”

Disclosure: Storyboard That is an advertiser on my other blog, FreeTech4Teachers.com.

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Android 4 Schools 11:46 PM No comments

Android Wear now supports the iPhone

We’ve long been enjoying Android Wear on our wrists, including Google Now alerts and voice commands, for a while now. And starting today, our iPhone-toting friends can do the same.

Google today officially announced Android Wear support for iPhone. iOS users will get many of the same features that Android Wear on Android offers, including alerts for phone calls and messages, always-on displays, and notifications from various apps. They’ll also have access to fitness tracking with Google Fit, “Ok Google” voice commands, the ability to set reminders, and Google Now functionality like traffic and flight info.

Unfortunately for iPhone users, they won’t get the same watch face selection that we enjoy. While Google Play offers thousands of different faces, iOS users will have to make do with a handful of faces selected by Google and included with the Android Wear app.

Android Wear for iOS supports the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus, and it requires iOS 8.2 or higher. Right now you can only use the LG Watch Urbane with iOS, meaning that you can’t pick up a cheap LG G Watch or Moto 360 to try it out. However, Google says that all future Android Wear watches will support iOS.

Kudos to Good Guy Google for extending support for Android Wear to iOS. And while Android Wear for iOS isn’t quite as fully-featured as it is on Android, is supports most of the basic features that you’d expect from a smartwatch, and iOS users will soon have a much wider selection of smartwatches to choose from.

You think Apple will ever add Android support to the Apple Watch?

Via: The Verge
Sources: Official Android Blog, App Store

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Android and Me 11:45 PM No comments

Android Wear Will Now Work On The iPhone

One of the most requested functionality for Android Wear was compatibility on iOS and while there were 3rd party hacks on getting it working, Google had remained quiet until today as it officially launches Android Wear for iOS.

For those of you who own an iPhone, the app will be available today on the App Store and will work on the iPhone 5, 5s, 6 and 6 Plus running iOS 8.2 or greater. For now the only watch that works on iOS is LG’s G Watch Urbane and in the future, Huawei Watch and ASUS ZenWatch 2. Android Police asked Google to comment why, and the reason was this:

We wanted to make sure that iOS users would have a great experience with Android Wear out of the box. We’ve worked with manufacturers to ensure that the newest watches work really well with modern iPhones, but last year’s watches aren’t officially supported.

Hopefully Google releases a future update allowing older Android Wear watches to work on iPhones.

[Google]

Android Wear Will Now Work On The iPhone is a post from: Android in Canada Blog

The post Android Wear Will Now Work On The iPhone appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

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Android in Canada Blog 11:29 PM No comments

Android Wear now works with iPhones

(Cross posted on the Official Google Blog)

When you wear something every day, you want to be sure it really works for you. That’s why Android Wear offers countless design choices, so you can find the watch that fits your style. Want a round watch with a more classic look? Feel like a new watch band? How about changing things up every day with watch faces from artists and designers? With Android Wear you can do all of that. And now, Android Wear watches work with iPhones.

Android Wear for iOS is rolling out today. Just pair your iPhone (iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, or 6 Plus running iOS 8.2+) with an Android Wear watch to bring simple and helpful information right to your wrist:

Get your info at a glance: Check important info like phone calls, messages, and notifications from your favorite apps. Android Wear features always-on displays, so you’ll never have to move your wrist to wake up your watch.
Follow your fitness: Set fitness goals, and get daily and weekly views of your progress. Your watch automatically tracks walking and running, and even measures your heart rate.
Save time with smart help: Receive timely tips like when to leave for appointments, current traffic info, and flight status. Just say “Ok Google” to ask questions like “Is it going to rain in London tomorrow?” or create to-dos with “Remind me to pack an umbrella.”

Today, Android Wear for iOS works with the LG Watch Urbane. All future Android Wear watches, including those from Huawei (pictured above), Asus, and Motorola will also support iOS, so stay tuned for more.

Dr. Seuss once said: “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” We agree. So whoever You are, and whatever You like—Android Wear lets you wear what you want.

Posted by David Singleton, Director of Engineering, Android Wear
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Official Android Blog 10:57 PM No comments

Moto 360 Sport shows up in new leak

Motorola’s 2nd gen Moto 360 is expected to arrive soon, and while the leaks have given us a good idea of what to expect from it, we’re now starting to hear about a variant. @upleaks is reporting that the 2nd gen Moto 360 will launch in September, while a variant called the Moto 360 Sport will arrive a couple of months later in November.

What’s the difference? Well, a leaked image from @upleaks shows us that the Moto 360 Sport will ditch the metal body and metal or leather strap and instead replace it with a polyurethane body and strap. It will also come in at least three color options of black, white and orange. Additionally, the image shows off a fitness tracking app that we haven’t seen on the existing Moto 360, and it can track heart rate, distance, pace and time, making the Moto 360 Sport a great fit for those looking to increase and track activity. Given the change in design materials, it also wouldn’t surprise us if the Moto 360 Sport came in at a lower price than the standard Moto 360, much like Apple has done with the Apple Watch.

You can check out the Moto 360 Sport in the tweet below. We’ll keep you posted on more leaks regarding Motorola’s upcoming smartwatches.

moto 360(2nd gen) and moto 360 Sport. http://pic.twitter.com/xKtUOiOqvP

— upleaks (@upleaks) August 31, 2015

moto 360 2nd gen will be coming in September, Sport version will be coming in November.

— upleaks (@upleaks) August 31, 2015

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Android and Me 9:45 PM No comments

Qualcomm Smart Protect coming with Snapdragon 820 for improved security

Qualcomm is known for being a huge name in mobile processors, but it’s also put a lot of effort into working on mobile security. Its latest effort is Qualcomm Smart Protect, which uses cognitive computing for real-time malware detection, classification and analysis. That allows it to protect against zero-day malware threats and complement ordinary signature-based anti-malware programs, with Qualcomm Smart Protect detecting and protecting against new threats even before a signature is updated.

Since Smart Protect will be built right into upcoming Snapdragon processors, such as the Snapdragon 820, it can constantly monitor apps and services to detect if any malicious activity is taking place without your knowledge. Qualcomm is also working with existing anti-malware companies, such as Lookout and AVG, to make their services and Smart Protect work in the best way possible together.

Qualcomm will launch Smart Protect in 2016 with the launch of the Snapdragon 820 processor.

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Android and Me 8:40 PM No comments

T-Mobile targeting “network abusers” who use too much tethering data

T-Mobile has garnered a reputation for standing out from the crowd in what it’s willing to do, and today it’s taking another interesting step. The company is now going after what it calls “network abusers,” which are T-Mobile users who are taking advantage of the company’s network and its unlimited 4G LTE data plan.

The unlimited data plan comes with 7GB of data for tethering and unlimited reduced-speed tethering after that, with the option to pay for more high-speed tethering data as needed. However, some T-Mobile customers are using all sorts of workaround to hide their tethering data, allowing them to use high-speed tethering data unchecked. T-Mobile has developed technology that has allowed them to see which customers are using these workarounds and has decided to take a stance against them, as some of the customers are using — or in T-Mobile’s words, “stealing” — as much as 2TB (that’s 2000GB!) of data every month.

The total number of users who are using these workarounds comes to about 3,000, which is a small amount, but even those few can have a significant impact on the data speeds for their area. To combat them, T-Mobile is sending out warnings to all of the customers beginning this morning, August 31. If the customers don’t stop abusing the data plan, T-Mobile will move them to the cheapest plan with a set amount of 4G LTE data, thus neutralizing the workarounds, which rely on labeling tethering usage as smartphone data usage.

The move could be controversial, but most will likely support the fact that T-Mobile is taking care of its network by eliminating those that are knowingly and intentionally taking advantage of T-Mobile’s unlimited data offer. In any case, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. We’ll keep you posted if anything notable happens.

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Android and Me 8:30 PM No comments

LG Watch Urbane Luxe has a gold case and a $1200 price tag

LG has been a big supporter of the Android Wear platform, having released several different smartwatches to date. Now LG has introduced a new, luxury version of the LG Watch Urbane that’s the most expensive Android Wear device yet.

The LG Watch Urbane Luxe is a luxury version of the Watch Urbane that’s got case made of 23-karat gold and an alligator leather band. The device, which LG touts as being “designed with a specific wearer in mind,” will cost $1200 when it launches at the end of October. It’ll be available for pre-order at www.reeds.com and Reeds Jewelry stores.

LG says that there will be 500 units of the Watch Urbane Luxe made. Each will be engraved with its serial number to ensure authenticity.

While the Watch Urbane Luxe appears to be similar to the Watch Urbane in terms of specs, its gold case and alligator leather band could make it more appealing to folks that want a more jewelry-like smartwatch. The limited edition aspect ought to help make this luxury smartwatch even more appealing to the “specific wearer” that LG is targeting.