As part of their monthly security update plan, Google has released the March 2016 security update for both Android Lollipop and Android Marshmallow today. Both updates have had their factory images posted on the Android developer site while the OTA updates are also shipping today for Nexus devices. Users can expect to see the update hit their unlocked Nexus devices over the course of the next few days and maybe up to a week as it rolls out.
After 10 months of being invite driven, Google announced this morning that they are killing the Project Fi invite system across the US effectively immediately. To this point, in order to join and use the MVNO service from Google, you had to ask for an invite (ask for a SIM basically) to join up and use it. That system is gone and anyone with a compatible phone can now simply go to the Fi website and join up, getting a SIM shipped to them in a few days.
Microsoft continues to develop and enhance their apps for Android with one of the newest, Arrow Launcher, getting a healthy update over the weekend. The updated build is version 1.1.2 for those keeping score at home and there are a lot of fixes, improvements and UI changes in this update to the launcher. Designed for Android phones, Arrow Launcher gives a mult-page look to your phone that brings things like contacts, widgets, most used apps and reminders within easy reach.
After what could only be described as a snail’s pace for the release of Android Marshmallow by manufactures and carriers, the last few weeks have been more of a frantic pace. Last Friday I posted that the Galaxy Note 5 on Verizon was seeing the latest version of Android start to roll and today the carrier along with competitor T-Mobile have begun the release of Marshmallow the HTC One M8.
Today over on Amazon, you can pick up a great deal on the SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.0 drive for your PC, Mac or Chromebook. Normally this stub-style USB drive is $79.99 but right now you can pick one up for $33.99, a savings of 58%. If you don’t need 128GB, you can pick up the 64GB version for just $17.99. The Ultra Fit drives are small drives that deliver great performance. They are roughly the size of a USB mouse receiver to give you an idea and because of that compact size, you can leave them plugged into your devices all the time. They don’t protrude like a traditional USB flash drive.
It is a good time to be alive. As an Android user, there are more phones and tablets within reach of many users than there ever has been before now. These devices are increasingly growing in power and abilities and for most of us, they are an indispensable part of our everyday lives. But as flagship devices have grown in size and power, they have started to intrude on the space once reserved for tablets and it is forcing some to consider the question, do I really need a tablet? I have been asking this question for some months now and for me the answer is no. Let me explain why.
Google has begun rolling out a significant update to Google Play Services for Android that has a significant number of fixes and improvements for users. The updated build is version 8.7.03 for those keeping score at home and should be hitting your compatible device in the next few days. So what exactly is Google Play Services? Think of it as the glue that binds your phone to Google Play so you can authenticate and update apps and services on your phone. It’s not sexy but it is important and when it doesn’t play nice in the sandbox, it can make things a bit challenging.
OnePlus this morning announced that the latest update to their OxygenOS platform for the OnePlus 2 has been released. The update brings the Android based OS up to version 2.2.1 for those keeping score at home and will be pushed to devices via an OTA update. For those who may not be familiar with it, OxygenOS is OnePlus’ homespun version of Android with several customized tweaks to suite their flagship device. The company has been moving away from Cyanogen, which they originally released with the OnePlus One, as they want more control over the Android experience.