Category: Android

If you are a HTC One A9 owner on AT&T, it is a good day for you.  HTC’s Mo Versi announced on Twitter last night that the December Android Marshmallow update is now starting to roll out to your device.

Happy Tuesday! AT&T HTC One (A9) Owners – The latest security updates including improvements to the camera will be OTA’d out by tonight.

— Mo Versi (@moversi) December 8, 2015

When they released the One A9, HTC committed to having updates out for the device 15 days after they were released from Google.  So far, they are sticking to their promise but what makes this interesting is that AT&T is involved.  The commitment from HTC was that the updates would be released for unlocked devices, not those tied to carriers.  With AT&T getting the update out just days after it was released from Google, it would seem that the carrier is working hard to get device updates out quicker, something they have sorely lacked in the past.

All good things must come to an end and it appears that day has come for the Nexus 6.  Google has quietly pulled the 2014 hero device from the Google Play Store, ending the 14 month reign of the Motorola built device.  Unveiled on October 15, 2014, the Nexus 6 sported a massive 5.96″ super high resolution (2560×1440) display, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear camera and powered by the Snapdragon 805 processor.  The device was met with glowing reviews overall with the two biggest sticking points being the price (started at $649 for the 32GB model) and the shear size of the device.  Google, it seems, listened to customers and critics as the Nexus 6P, the 2015 hero device, is considerably smaller and lighter weight while still sporting a 5.7″ display.

While Google has stopped selling the device, owners of the Nexus 6 still have a very viable phone in their hands.  Google released the device with Android Lollipop and has already rolled the update out to Marshmallow for it.  With the company’s commitment to a 2-year update cycle, that means that it should see Android N when it is released presumably in late 2016.

Google has finally released the Pixel C, their latest Android tablet meets laptop replacement device, to the Google Play Store.  The Pixel C was announced at the Android Marshmallow and Nexus event a few months ago and it has only been a matter of when the Mountain View company would release it.  That wait has ended today with the 32GB unit starting out a $499 while the 64Gb until will start at $599.

Like Apple with the iPad Pro, Google is trying to develop an answer for the Microsoft Surface which this past month out sold the iPad lineup.  Google’s focus with the Pixel C is like the iPad Pro which is to bring laptop-like functionality in an easy-to-use and highly available device.  While it will remain to be seen if the 10.2″ display device will meet the need, many Android users and fans have been waiting for its release.

One of the few non-Material Design apps from Google, Google Authenticator, has finally been updated to reflect a more modern design.  The app has been bumped up to version 4.44 for those keeping score at home and also brings support for Android Wear so you can perform authentications for your 2-factor enabled accounts from your wrist and not just your phone or tablet.

For those who may not know what the app does, it provides you a six digit PIN for you to authenticate your identity on accounts such as Google, Evernote and Dropbox where you have enabled 2-factor authentication.  2-factor authentication is a more secure way of keeping your accounts secure by requiring not only a username or password but also this PIN to prove you are you.  It is always a best security practice to enable 2-factor on your accounts to prevent hacking of your accounts.

Google Authenticator for Android – Free – Download Now

Google has released the December update for Android Lollipop and Marshmallow, holding true to their monthly security updates to the mobile platform.  The new images for Nexus devices has been released for OTA updates as well as factory images and for Marshmallow, it will be known as 6.0.1.  If you have a Nexus device, you can expect to start seeing the update over the next couple of days unless you are locked to a carrier in which case it will be a bit longer.

The update contains no less than 16 vulnerability fixes, the most severe of which allowed for remote code execution.

The most severe of these issues is a Critical security vulnerability that could enable remote code execution on an affected device through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files.

In all there were 4 critical issues addressed along with 10 high risk issues and 2 moderate risk issues.

One of the big misconceptions about Project Fi is that you are absolutely required to use Google Hangouts for your SMS/MMS and Instant Messaging app.  Here is a quote from a post I made a couple of weeks ago on the subject:  If you are a new Project Fi users, chances are you are a bit confused.  That confusion surrounds SMS and which app you can use for getting your text messages on your Nexus phone using Fi.  On the surface, it looks like you are required to use Google Hangouts, the voice, video and yes, text messaging integrated app.  But that not necessarily true and in fact, even Google suggests that you use Google Messenger, the default SMS app on Nexus devices, for texting.

That said, for those of us on Project Fi, there are some benefits to having everything in one app like Hangouts.  Not only does it give you one app to go to for your communications, the information synchronizes with Hangouts on your PC.  That means you can get your messages and your texts on your desktop, read them and reply to them.  If you haven’t considered moving your SMS/MMS communication to Hangouts, read this article and see if it is right for you.  A lot of it will depend on how you communicate and with whom.  But after being an avid Messenger user for most of 2015, when I switched to Project Fi, I embraced Hangouts and haven’t looked back.