Android News

* Wrapping up 2018 with Google Play and Android* How Android can help you switch off and enjoy the holidays* Making Google Play ratings and reviews more trustworthy* Google is deprecating the Android Beam API used to share files with NFC

App News

* Firefox 64 brings better browser tab management and smart recommendations.* Poweramp v3 finally reaches stable after 3 years in development.* Movies Anywhere now supports 4K on Android and has come to Xfinity.* Dark Sky now available on Wear OS* YouTube adds 1.75x playback speed on Android and the web.* Google Duo reaches 1 billion downloads* Action Launcher adds Pie Styling, more granular QuickTile settings, etc.

In Other News

* 2018 saw people using eleven new dumb passwords, including ‘donald’.* Man sues feds after being detained for refusing to unlock his phone at the airport.* Google Home can now read events from shared G Suite calendars for some users.* Google Assistant now shows predicted flight delays* For the first time in nearly 20 years, copyrights will expire in the US.* TicWatch Users can now set Google Fit as their default left swipe app.

Home Automation

* Logitech Harmony removes local API but reverses course* These Smart Thermostats don’t require a C wire* Douglas Adams was right, “Genuine People Personalities” are coming to our gadgets*

Android News

* Guru gets Pie
* Lenovo Smart Display gets an update.* More visibility into the AOSP.* AOSP now includes the Fuschia SDK and a Fuschia device

App News

* Weather Channel update gets new interface. Now with “stories”?* Notifications from the Twitter App are Easier on your Battery* You’ve been using Nova Launcher for 7 Years* Guru decides to try Lawnchair Launcher to give his new Pie phone a Pixelesque look. Lawnchair Launcher is an open source launcher.

In Other News

* Google testing new Cast UI for Chrome* Republic Wireless now offering 30/90 day unlimited data SIMs.* Google Assistant adds English and Australian accents for Google Assistant in the US

Show Notes

* Android News

* The latest on messaging apps.

* Google discontinues Play Services support for Android 4.0.

* App News

* Google News is testing restrictions to prevent data abuse.

* A less intrusive version of Assistant for Maps is rolling out.

* Google Allo to be sunset.

* Kindle now allows downloads to SD.

* Improve Media and Messaging App Integrations with Auto

* Files by Google adds USB OTG support

* Google Fit updated with breathing exercises.

* In Other News

* Updates for third-party Google Assistant products may not be equal.

* Facebook may have exploited Android APIs to collect information without permission.

* Google wants to replace your radio as an audio news source.

* Google Plus shutting down earlier than expected in April of 2019.

* Sundar Pichai testifies in Congress.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Google’s Find My Device can now map out exactly where you left your phone in certain buildings

* Google Assistant adds broadcast replies, lyrics, and Pretty Please.

* App News

* Play Store now showing reminders to install previously used apps

* YouTube hits 5 billion installs

* Android Auto adds new media tools, message previews when stopped, etc.

* In Other News

* FCC Preparing to Redefine text messaging as an information service.

* Bringing Google Fi to more people on Android and iOS

* Echo Big Mouth Bass….?

* Fast Pair Update

* 2019 may be the last year to use the classic version of Hangouts.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Android Accessibility Suite adds new features.

* Tasker cleared to use SMS and call functionality.

* Wear OS version H update adds power menu and better battery usage.

* App News

* Bridge syncs your notifications between your Android smartphones and tablets

* Pocket Casts brings a material theme overhaul in open beta

* In Other News

* Amazon developing new speaking styles for the Echo, including a newscaster voice

* Smart Speakers have no idea how to give us news

* FCC paves the way for improved GPS accuracy

 

Show Notes

* Android News

* Project Fi extends VPN to all connections and offers improved connection switching

* Android Q’s Multi Resume feature will let two apps run simultaneously without pausing

* Google plans to fix Androids slow share menu

* Google admits too much white in apps is bad for battery life

* Google releases first Android Ecosystem Security Transparency Report

* App News

* Google’s Digital Wellbeing exits beta.

* Google’s Restrictions on SMS/Call Log permissions is forcing some apps to abandon useful features

* Cloudflare releases Android app for its 1.1.1.1 DNS

* In Other News

* Stan Lee has passed away.

* Google is helping the NY Times digitize 5 million historical photos.

* Registration for .dev begins January 2019.

* What ChromeOS needs before it can be considered a real computer: A real file directory, compatibility with network storage, full app functionality, desktop friendliness.

* Man sues to lower his age by 20 years to help him on Tinder.

Show Notes

* Android News

* The 11th Anniversary of the First Android Beta

* Android Dev Summit is today and tomorrow.

* App Developers must now target Android 8 or higher.

* App News

* Reboot to Ingress, called Prime, released.

* InboxIt replicates the Save to Inbox functionality from the deprecated Inbox app.

* In Other News

* Chrome will start blocking ads from websites with abusive ads.

* NASA Dawn Spacecraft is dead.

* NASA turns off Kepler Space Telescope

* Mario Segale, namesake for Nintendo’s Super Mario, passed away at age 84.

* Free Flickr accounts limited to 1000 photos, the rest to be deleted.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Android Distribution Numbers, Oreo on the rise, Pie nowhere in sight.

* Android phones in Europe without Google Assistant will have a basic voice assistant.

* Google discontinues Android Nearby Notifications

* App News

* Google Docs passes 500 million installs

* In Other News

* IBM to acquire open-source company Red Hat

* Google Voice is testing support for audio and video MMS attachments

* The Library of Congress expands the DRM that can be legally broken.

* Microsoft completes Github Acquisition

* Making it easier to control your data directly in Google products

Show Notes

* Android News

* Celebrating a Sweet Decade of Android

* Google responds to large ad fraud operation that utilized more than 125 Android apps

* App News

* Facebook announces Messenger 4 update with focus on simplicity.

* Messages adds contact sharing.

* Google Camera app for Wear updated with viewfinder, shutter, etc.

* Google News app is using gigabytes of data without users’ knowledge

* In Other News

* Google Pixel 3 locks fast charging to certified chargers.

* Google is upgrading Play Movies and TV to 4K free of charge.

Show Notes

* Android News

* Complying with the EC’s Android decision. (Commentary)

* App News

* APKs shared with Files Go are now scanned by Google Play Protect

* Inbox removes option to disable Gmail Notifications, prepared for shutdown

* Home View is a beautiful site to see

* Muzei 3.0 released with new API and features.

* Google Wallpapers gets a bunch of new wallpapers.

* In Other News

* Paul Allen, Microsoft co-founder, dead at 65.

* Harmony Hub Control is now live on Google Assistant

* New version of Winamp set to be released next year

* IRC turns 30.

* Konnected Alarm Panel allows retrofit of classic alarms