Category: Android

Google has updated their Update your Android Version support page with dates and information on the new Google Pixel 2 lineup.  When the devices were launched last month, Google made it clear that both of the second generation Pixel devices would be receiving major Android updates for three years.  The update of this support page confirms it.

Both of the devices will get major Android updates, minor security patches and phone support through October 2020.  That means that these devices, which launched with Android Oreo, will also see Android P, Android Q and Android R before they are out of support.

The update is a change of course from the first generation of Pixel devices and previous Nexus devices.  Those devices received 2 years of major updates and 3 years of security updates.  That means that the original Pixel and Pixel XL will see Android P, but that will be the end of major updates from Google.

Google Text-to-speech, the underlying engine for converting on screen text to speech has been updated.  Version 3.13.3 is now rolling out and with it comes support for Filipino and Greek languages.

Chances are that the majority of readers have never leveraged the TTS engine but it is a critical application for those with visual impairments who need the text on their device display’s read aloud to them.  Setting up of the engine is done in Settings>Accessibility and powers Google’s TalkBack feature built into Android.

Google Play Books, the eReader app from Google, has a new update rolling out today.  The updated version, build 3.15.5 for those keeping score at home, is mostly a maintenance update but does bring stylus support to the app.  Once update, and if you have a device with a stylus, you can now use it to highlight text and select text as you read.

Support for styli is something that shouldn’t entirely be unexpected.  Devices like the Note8 and others have had stylus input for a while new Chromebooks like the Samsung Chromebook Pro, which can run Android apps, also comes with a pen.  Later this month, the new Pixelbook from Google will hit shelves and it has an optional PixelPen for inputs.  It’s only natural for apps to start picking up this input method as the line between Chrome OS and Android continues to blur.

Yesterday the Huawei Mate 10 lineup was announced, an update to last year’s popular Mate 9.  Today you can now download all of the wallpapers, 31 in all, from the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 Porsche Edition.

Huawei has always produced some stunning wallpapers for their devices and these don’t disappoint.  Covering a wide range from abstract to flowers to mountain scenes, the wallpapers are 2160 x 2160 so you will be able to use them on virtually any device – phone or tablet.

All 31 of the new wallpapers are now up on the Wallpaper page here on the site and I have added a few samples after the break for those that are curious.  As with all new wallpapers, they are at the bottom of the page so if you want to skip right down to them, just scroll down to the bottom.

Microsoft OneNote for Android has a new update rolling out that finally brings support for setting passwords on note sections.  The updated build is version 16.0.8625.2040 for those keeping score at home and with it comes the ability to set a password on a section of notes and to open that section using your phone’s fingerprint scanner (or password if you phone doesn’t have one).

Password protection of sections has been in OneNote for a while and while you could open up a section on your Android device, you could not set the password in the app itself.  You had to use the OneNote desktop app in order to set passwords.  No more.  Now you can long press a note section in the app on your device and you will see a new Protect Section option on the menu.  Tap it, set the password for the section and you are good-to-go.

As planned, Huawei has announced the new Mate 10 lineup of phones.  There are three variants of the phone, including an updated ultra-high end Porsche design model.  Designed with AI built into the phones, the Mate 10 offers excellent performance and camera quality, building on last year’s Mate 9 line up.

The first phone in the lineup, the Mate 10, is a 5.9″ Quad HD LCD display with a 16:9 ratio.  It has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and can be expanded up to an additional 256GB thanks to the MicroSD slot.

The Pro and Porsche Design models are fundamentally the same phone.  They have 6″ Full HD+ OLED displays that render at a 18:9 ratio.  The Pro model has either 4 or 6GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage.  The Porsche Design has 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.  Both of these models do not have a MicroSD slot so the storage you buy is the storage you have on the phone.  Also, these two models do not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.  All three models are essentially bevel-less.