Author: Clinton

Microsoft has released an update for their Bing app for Android.  The update brings a significant number of changes and improvements to the search app including a new home screen.  The update is version 8.0.25268601 for those keeping score at home and if you have Bing installed on your phone, you should see the update come via an OTA update over the course of the next few days.

The first change you will note is the improved Home page.  Now you have the familiar search section of the Home page, but below that you now have news cards of top stories more visible.  The page also gives you easy access to your voice assistant and camera.  Microsoft has injected Machine Learning into the app now and over time, it will learn your habits and what you like to read so it will bubble up more relevant information to you.  Like other apps, the more you use it, the smarter and more personalized it will become.  Also, you can explicitly dislike a story or source by tapping the overflow menu (the … menu)  on the card.

The Microsoft OneDrive app for Android has a new update rolling out that those who are running Android Oreo will appreciate.  The update, version 5.2 for those keeping score at home, brings improve support for the latest version of Android including support for Notification Channels.

For those who aren’t familiar with Notification Channels, it allows you to set the priority of notifications for apps that support it so that you are constantly alerted to anything related to the app or, the opposite, no notifications at all.  The team over at Android Central put together a great primer on Notification Channels in Oreo that I highly recommend reading.

OnePlus has released an update to the OxygenOS platform that brings Android Oreo to the OnePlus 5.  The update comes a little earlier than expected as the company had indicated the update would be in early 2018.  But, after months of testing in their beta channel, it appears the company is ahead of schedule and has released a little early.

The actual roll out of the update to the OnePlus 5 began yesterday but, as OnePlus typically does, it went to only a small percentage of customers yesterday and will gradually expand out to the entire customer base over the course of the next few days.  The update is 1.5GB in size so you will want to make sure you download it via WiFi and install it with at least 80% of your battery remaining unless you are connected to AC.

The change log on this update is massive and brings Oreo, the December Android Security Update and multiple other new features or improvements to the phone.

The Android Oreo update for the Android One version of the Moto X4 is now rolling out.  This is the version of the mid-level phone that launched on Project Fi earlier this year.  Google, at the time of the launch, stated that they would have the Oreo update out on the phone by the end of the year.  With 8 days to spare, they fulfilled that promise.

The Oreo update comes with firmware build OPW27.1 and it comes with everything that comes in Android 8. The new build also brings the December Android Security Update to the device.  The update is just over 1GB in size so it will need to be downloaded via WiFi and you’ll need to have 80% battery to install it or be plugged into AC.

As for the non-Android One variant of the X4 getting the Android Oreo update, it doesn’t appear to be happening yet.

Verizon has become the first US carrier to update the Moto Z2 Force to Android Oreo.  The carrier has released build ODX27.109-34 for the Z2 Force, bringing Oreo and all of its goodness to the July 2017 flagship device from Moto.

As you would expect, the update is sizable at around 900MB, making it one that you will want to download while you are WiFi and have at least 80% battery life.  Installation should take 10-15 minutes and a reboot is required.

Today’s Deal is on the entry level but well appointed LG X Charge.  This is one of the Amazon Prime phones and right now you can pick it up for $119 with the Prime ads on the lock screen.  Normally this version of the phone is $149.

The LG X Charge is a 5.5″ 720p display phone powered by the MediaTek MT6750 SoC.  It has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and a MicroSD slot for memory expansion.  That memory can be expanded up to 2TB.  It has a 13MP main camera and a 5MP selfie camera.