Author: Clinton

Today Google has made good on a commitment they Tweeted about a few months back:  There is now a non-Google Project Fi compatible phone.  The new Android One Moto X4 is available for pre-order starting today and takes full advantage of Project Fi’s ability to switch networks on-the-fly just like the Google Pixel and previous Nexus 6, 6P and 5X.

The Moto X4 comes with what Google is calling a pure Android experience and ships with Android Nougat.  An update to Oreo will happen before the end of 2017 and Google has indicated that the Moto X4 will be among the first phones to get the Android P update in 2018.

Following up on their iOS and web updates, Twitter has now begun rolling out a new Popular Articles feature in their Android app.  The update requires that you have the latest version of their app but this new feature is a cloud-side change that is rolling out to users.

The new Popular Articles feature is based on the interaction with articles from those that you follow on the service.  In other words, if a handful of those that you follow on Twitter like or retweet an article, it will show up in this new section.

The latest update to the Google Play Music app for Android brings a much needed ability to stop auto playing of music when you connect your phone to an external Bluetooth device.  The update, version 7.12.5218-1.V.4310085 for those keeping score at home, is in the Play Store now and should come to users as an OTA update over the course of the next few days.

The new toggle is in the Settings of the app and is shows as “Allow external devices to start playback”.  If you disable this, when you connect your phone to a Bluetooth device, it will not start automatically playing music.  This is particularly handy when it comes to connecting your phone to your car’s Bluetooth as it won’t just start blaring music.

After being launched last month at IFA in Berlin, the new Sony Xperia XZ1 is now available for purchase here in the US.  The 5.2″ phone is available in four colors and is $699 through Sony’s Amazon storefront.

The Xperia XZ1 is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC, has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on board.  That storage can be expanded up to an additional 256GB thanks to the MicroSD slot.  The XZ1 has a 19MP main camera and 13MP selfie camera, is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance and has a HDR 1080p IPS display.

A lot of leaks and rumors are suggesting that tomorrow we can expect a big announcement between Google and HTC.  That announcement is expected to be that Google will acquire all or some of HTC.  Bloomberg Gadfly reporter Tim Culpan is reporting that trading of the Taiwanese company will halt trading of their stock tomorrow as part of the “major announcement”.

Rumors of the demise of HTC have been swirling for years as the company has struggled to make a firm foundation for itself in the smartphone space.  While they have had some outstanding phones, they have also had plenty that have simply not performed well both in sales and overall usability.  HTC has built phones for Google in the past and is the company behind the upcoming Google Pixel 2.

Google Cloud Print is a handy feature that can be found in Android and Chrome OS that allows you to quickly and easily print to printers that are configured and enabled to leverage the cloud-based printing solution.  The vast majority of printers on the market today will work with Cloud Print but, if you haven’t invited users to use your printers at home or in your small office, they won’t see them as a printing option.

This seems to be the most common problem I find for users who are trying to get a printer configured to work with their Chromebook or phone.

This tutorial is aimed at those who have Android, Chrome OS and a compatible Google Cloud Print printer at their home or small office.  Most enterprise Android & Chrome OS users will not have to worry about this as printers are managed through your G Suite administrator.