Android Pay Update Brings Support for Android Wear

Android Wear 2.0 is expected to be released today but it appears to Google is already paving the way for it with other apps.  Android Pay was updated late yesterday and with it comes support for Wear 2.0.  The support for it is not explicitly called out in the release notes for the update, something that Google is notoriously bad about updating on their apps.  Rather, it is in the screenshots that are associated with the update in the Play Store.

In those screenshots, you will see round Android Wear captures of a transaction with a Bank of America card along with another screenshot of a history of transactions.

Android Install Base Report Shows Nougat at Over 1%

Google has released the latest Android Platform version report which sees Android Nougat finally break through the 1% install base level.  The report is based on devices that visited the Play Store for a 7-day period ending February 6, 2017.  While it is not the ultimate report of which versions of Android are in use, it is nevertheless a good resource to get a picture of what is out in the wild.  For Nougat, across versions 7.0 and 7.1, the devices coming to the Play Store topped out at 1.2%, nearly double that of the .7% from the January report.  This number should continue to increase as new devices hit the market as well as updates to Nougat from HTC, Sony, Moto and others that have been happening over the course of the past few weeks.  It’s still a low number but it is heading in the right direction.

Android Marshmallow was the only version of those in the report besides Nougat to see an increase in usage.  Marshmallow jumped 1.1% to 30.7% of the total while Lollipop, KitKat and Jelly Bean all saw drops.  Lollipop fell .5% to 32.9 while KitKat saw a .7% decrease and Jelly Bean was down .3%.  Android Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich just made the report with a 1% total each.

Nextbit Release Beta 3 of Android Nougat for The Robin

Nextbit has dropped the long awaited beta 3 of Android Nougat for the Robin today.  The update comes some 8 weeks after the release of the 2nd beta, a point at which the Paranoid Android team joined up with them to get the beta built.  This new build is expected to be the last beta as the team has indicated their is just one blocking bug that is preventing it from going public.

The Android Nougat beta is a closed beta for those who have a Nextbit Robin.

The fact a beta came out for the phone is a great sign, especially in light of Nextbit being acquired last month.  It was stated at the time that software updates would continue to come until February of next year and this is a good early indicator that the phone is not abandoned.

As for changes, they are pretty significant in this new build.  First, the build has the January Android Security Bulletin patch so it is relatively up-to-date from that regard.  Multiple bugs and stability issues have been fixed, particularly around Wi-Fi and overall system stability.  Power management has also been improved which should help battery life while running the beta.

YouTube Update Brings 10-Second Advance Gesture

A new version of the YouTube app for Android is rolling out in the Play Store, bringing a new double-tap gesture to rewind or advance the video you are watching by 10 seconds.  The new gesture works exactly as you would expect.  If you double-tap the right side of the video you are watching, you will advance 10 seconds into the video.  Double-tap the left side and you go back 10 seconds.  No more having to use the seek bar to try to go forward or get back on a video.

The new feature is something that should make video viewing a bit easier and faster to navigate.

Today’s Deal – Anker 6-Port USB Charger with Quick Charge 3.0 for $29.99

Today’s Deal over at Amazon is on the Anker 6-Port USB desk charger.  Right now it is on sale for $29.99, a savings of 60% off the regular price.  For that, you get a desktop charger that provides one Quick Charge 3.0 compatible port and five standard ports that supports Anker’s PowerIQ technology.  That tech assures you get the fastest – and safest – charge for your devices.  Each port is able to pump out 2.4 amps of energy to give you maximum charging power.  It total, it has 60W of power.

While powerful, the Anker charger is designed to be portable.  It just under 5″ in size so if you need to move it from a desk to another place in your home or office, you can do so without having a big hassle or it being an eyesore.

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