Category: Android

Today over at Amazon, you can pick up a great deal on the iClever BoostCube dual port USB wall charger.  Right now you can pick on up for $8.99.  This charger, about the same size as the single charger for Apple’s iPad, sports two USB 2.4A ports and 24W of power to easily charge two devices at once.  It also has built-in LEDs in each port so you can find it in the dark and has iClever’s SmartID technology to charge your devices efficiently and quickly.

iClever recently redesigned this charger, aiming at squarely for those who travel.  The AC prongs now fold into the chassis of the charger itself, making it easy to pack and a bit more compact.  Performance wise, it is an excellent accessory whether it is for your home, office or traveling.  It can charge Android and iOS devices handily and with the SmartID technology, you don’t have to worry about over charging of your devices.

Google Trips, Google’s travel organizer app, was released back in September 2016 and hasn’t had a whole lot of fanfare.  It’s a solid little app that helps you keep your trips organized with all of your reservations as well as things to do and see while you are in that location.  Since its launch, the app hasn’t had many updates but for some users, there has been a nagging bug that has finally been addressed.  A small update is rolling out now that fixes an issue with notifications in the app.  Those notifications should now work, letting you know when you have a trip upcoming or events within that trip.  Previously it worked… sometimes.

If you have Google Trips installed on your phone, the update should be coming to you over the course of the next few days.

Pocket Casts, one of the most popular podcasts apps for Android, has had a series of small updates over the past couple of weeks.  The latest update, version 6.2.3rd for those keeping score at home, brings a wide range of bug fixes to the app.  The developer, Shifty Jelly, has fixed an issue with the widget for the app on the OnePlus 2, fixed the lock screen skip buttons on Android 4.4 phones and addressed an issue with the podcast artwork flashing.  If you use Pocket Casts and have been impacted by one or more of these issues, this is the update you need to get from the Play Store.

Another issue that was addressed was double Chromecasting notifications.  They have attempted to address this issue but in the release notes, Shifty Jelly indicates that it is still possible you will get the default Android notification.  If you do, you can disable that in the settings on your phone or tablet.

Another deal today is on the all new Samsung Chromebook Plus.  The 12.3″ convertible normally sells for $450 but is down to $420 right now on Amazon.  That will get you one of the latest Chromebooks available and it will run Android apps natively right out of the box.

The Chromebook Plus has a 12.3″ display rendering at 2400 x 1600.  It is also a touchscreen which makes using the included stylus or your finger for apps easier.  It has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of Storage and you can expand that storage thanks to the MicroSD slot.  It has dual-microphones, a 720p Webcam and, of course, Wi-Fi.  It only ways 2.4 lbs so it is designed for portability and with it being able to be be used as a laptop or a slate, you have a lot of flexibility in where and how you use this Chromebook.

The skyrocketing growth of LineageOS continues with the stats page for the platform now reporting over one million installs.  Considering that the company, rising from the ashes of Cyanogen, started on December 24, 2016, it is a staggering number.  As you would expect, many owners of devices with Cyanogen have flocked to LineageOS and the company has disappointed.  They have continued to add devices old and new to their lineup of supported devices, both running build 13 (Marshmallow based) and build 14 (Nougat based).  But equally, they have attracted a lot of attention from Cyanogen users and others who are looking for a different Android experience.

Oh, and remember, it was just last month that they passed the 500,000 install mark.  That’s growth peeps.

Over the course of the past few months, there have been two important changes on the Android launcher front.  The first was the announcement of the Google Pixel and its still exclusive launcher back in October.  Then came news last month that the Google Now Launcher is being removed from the Play Store this month.  This latter bit of news has caused a lot of questions in the Android community with users looking for alternative launchers.  That’s were Nova Launcher comes into the picture.

While there are literally dozens of launchers in the Play Store, Nova Launcher remains one of the most loved and used.  But is it the best?  That’s going to depend on what you want and expect out of a launcher.  If you like seemingly endless configuration and customization, you would be hard pressed to find anything better than Nova.  There are a huge number of configuration changes you can make in the launcher, from how your App Drawer is accessed, presented and even your icons for apps.  It is truly impressive and even if you just want to run things “out of the box” with Nova, you likely won’t be disappointed.