Category: Android

The September 2016 Android security patches have been released for both Android Marshmallow and Nougat today.  This month there are three different patches available, an increase from the two that we have seen over the past few months.  Google has been working to spur on manufactures to get the security updates out quicker and by further subdividing the patches, it is further eliminating reasons on why they aren’t released.

According to the Security Bulletin released by the Android team, the patch 2016-09-01 will primarily deal with remote code execution and elevation of privileges within the Android platform.  This patch contains two critical updates and five high priority updates.

Microsoft has rolled out yet another update to their Android launcher, Arrow Launcher.  The update marks the third significant update to the launcher over the course of the past three weeks as the company continues to improve the performance and information in the app.  This latest update, version 2.3.0.26056 for those keeping score at home, brings a handful of changes with the most notable being IM support on the Recent tab.  Now that tab will show you recent Instant Messages that you have received from Facebook Messenger, Skype and other messaging apps.  Now you don’t necessarily have to open each app to see your latest interactions on those apps.

Today’s Deal over at Amazon is on the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua.  This 5″ Android phone is down to $149 over at Amazon, a savings of over $50.  The phone is unlocked and is compatible with GSM carriers here in the US (AT&T and T-Mobile), it has 16GB of storage which can be expanded thanks to the MicroSD slot and is water IP68 certified against dust and water.  That means this phone is dust and water proof up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes.  Powering the Xperia M4 is the Snapdragon 6.15 processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB of RAM installed.  If you are looking to pick up a solid performing phone at a great price, this could be a good option for you.

Based on a leak from the ever reliable Evan Blass, it looks like we could well see a new 7″ Android tablet from Google coming very soon.  In fact, it could be as early as next month with the October 4th event slated to announce the new Pixel phones, a 4K Google Cast device, Google Assistant and Google Home.  Adding a tablet to that mix wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Google’s Huawei-built 7-inch tablet, with 4GB RAM, on track for release before the end of the year.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 5, 2016

If the rumor is true, this would be a welcome device by many Android fans.  The very popular Nexus 7 (2013) tablet is no longer available or supported as far as major releases are concerned and the only real Google branded tablet option is the Pixel C.  That’s a nice device and Android Nougat has certainly made it more usable, but at 10″, it is bigger than what some people will want or need.

Google has rolled out a small behind-the-scenes update to Google Maps that acknowledges the phenomenon that is Pokemon.  Using the timeline feature in the app, you can now indicate when an activity you were doing was catching Pokemon, just like you can when you are walking, running or doing other activities.  The change doesn’t require an update of your Maps app (assuming you have the latest build from the Google Play Store) and you can now edit activities in your timeline as time spent trying to catch them all.  While not necessarily super useful, it is fun, especially for those who are into the game (and there are a lot of you into the game!)

Today’s deal over at eBay is a great one for those looking at a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.  Right now you can pick up the phone with 32GB of built-in storage for $569.99.  That is a savings of some 37% and the phone is unlocked.  Right now the color options are gold and black so quantities are very much limited.  The even better news:  The Galaxy S7 Edge doesn’t have blow-up batteries. 🙂 (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Specification wise, the Galaxy S7 Edge does not disappoint.  It comes with a quad-core 2.15 GHz on 2 cores and 1.6 GHz on the other two.  It has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 32GB of storage with expansion up to an additional 200GB thanks to the MicroSD slot.  The S7 Edge has a 5.5″ Quad-HD Super AMOLED display that renders at 2560 x 1440 resolution and 534 PPI.  The rear camera is an impressive 12MP f/1.7 shooter with OIS while the front camera is a 5MP that is also f/1.7.