Category: Android

Microsoft Bing, the Redmond, Washington’s search engine and app, has an update rolling out for Android users that brings a lot of improvements.  Along with an overall improvement in the search experience, this update to Bing also brings support for Android App Shortcuts.  Now you can long press the app to open new tabs, save images, and start a new search.

Search results in Microsoft Bing are also improved with this update.  Searches are new faster with the search results being more accurate and more clearly laid out in the results view.

Microsoft is in the process of rolling out a new integration between their personal assistant, Cortana, and the Skype messaging client.  The new integration essentially makes Cortana a chat-bot inside of Skype, allow it to give you suggestions for replies to messages, get weather and news information, as well as facts and other information.  In order for it to work, you have to give Cortana various permissions for Skype and since it is rolling out now, not everyone is seeing it just yet.

If this sounds familiar as an Android user, it should.  Essentially Microsoft is replicating what Google has done with Allo and Google Assistant which, for Windows 10 PC users and those who are heavily in the Microsoft ecosystem, this is great news.

A new update to the ClintonFitch.com app is rolling out to the Play Store that brings a raft of changes and improvements.  The new build, version 10 for those keeping score at home, brings an improved layout to the app that is more in compliance with Material Design principles (although not 100% there yet), improved sharing and overall a lot of stability fixes.

This update also brings the app up to the API level 26 (Android Oreo) so for those who have updated to the latest build of Android, things should work smoothly.

While it is unclear if the rest of the world will see the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, one thing is certain about this new phone.  It is stunningly beautiful.  The Chinese manufacture pulled the covers back on the replacement for last year’s Mi MIX 2 today in Beijing and it features a near bezel-less 5.9″ display and an eye watering 6GB of RAM.

The Mi MIX 2 features an 18:9 ratio screen that renders 1080 x 2160 on the 5.9″ display in an all aluminum chassis.  It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor and coupled with 6GB of RAM.  Storage will be between 64GB, 128GB and 256GB options.  It has a 12MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera and is powered by a 3400 mAh battery.  All impressive specs no matter how you look at it.

Several current Android phones are starting to see the long awaited YouTube HDR content come to them.  YouTube rolled out HDR content at the end of 2016 but to this point, virtually no devices were able to render it.  That has changed throughout the course of 2017 and now several reports indicate that multiple devices are seeing an HDR option on video playback.

For those who don’t know, HDR stands for High Dynamic Range.  Images and video shot in HDR have more contrast, a wider color palette and greater brightness levels.

As for devices that are now reportedly able to show HDR content, it is growing rapidly.

Home Depot, the nations largest home improvement chain, will be coming to Google Home and Google Express.  In a press release, the company announced that customers will be able to shop via Google Home and have their orders shipped to them via Google Express, Google’s shopping service.

“We’re focused on delivering convenience and value as we continue to invest in best-in-class interconnected experiences for our customers,” said Online President and Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Hofmann. “Google has been a key strategic partner for us over many years and we’re excited to take our relationship to the next level with the Google Assistant and Google Express.”

The addition will mean that Google Express will offer shopping and free shipping from over 20 retailers by the end of the year.  Remember that Walmart is also coming to Google Express this month.