Tag: Android

Microsoft Authenticator, the 2-factor verification app from the Redmond company, has a nice update rolling out to it for users.  The new build, version 6.1.7 for those keeping score at home, brings fingerprint authentication to the app.  What this will allow you to do is approve a login request by tapping the fingerprint scanner on your phone and not require you to enter the six digit code to approve it.  It is all aimed at keeping things easier but also secure.

If you haven’t tried Microsoft Authenticator, it works how you would expect a 2-factor app to work but it does so with a bit more flare by having avatars for your accounts.  For example, you have the Facebook logo for your Facebook account, or the Google “G” with your Google account.  It also has a nice, 30 second countdown clock next to each code so you know when it is about to expire.

Google has begun the process of rolling out a new Archive feature to Google Photos.  The new feature will allow you to select photos and move them to an Archive album, hiding them from your main photos view. You will still be able to view the photos in Albums and you can still search for them.  It just removes them from your Photos view.

This feature can be quite handy for more-or-less cleaning up your Photo stream.  As a Top Contributor for Google Photos, I take a lot of screenshots of my Chromebook, Mac and Android devices to help people in the forums.  That means I have dozens of these screenshots in my Photos view.  Well, I did until yesterday.  Now I have them archived but if I ever need to refer to one, I can easily do so.  They aren’t deleted or altered in any way.

Today’s Deal over at Amazon is a quick, 4 hour sale on the Anker PowerLine USB-C cable.  The 3-foot USB-C to USB-A 3.0 cable is down to $5.59, down from it’s normal price of $11.99.  This price is good until the timer runs out or the designated number of cables are sold.

Anker makes some great accessories and I have no hesitation in recommending them.  Their cables are well designed and constructed so they will last a long time.  They are also backed by an 18-month warranty.

Back in April it was announced that PayPal would be integrating with Android Pay so it could be used as a payment option when you are using Android Pay at a retailer.  That integration now is starting to show up for users.  In the latest version of the PayPal app, you now have an option in settings to link the two payment services together.  This then allows you to select it as your payment option when you are at a retail pay terminal.

The feature is rolling out now and is a combination of an app update.  You need to make sure that you have the latest build of the PayPal app, version 6.12.0.  If you have that and still don’t see the update, it is a matter of it being server-side loaded to your account.

Мои русские друзья, это хороший день для вас!  Good news for those in Russia.  Android Pay has come to your country with 15 banks supporting it.  The tap-to-pay service has been rumored for weeks to be coming to the country but Google made it official on their Russian site today.  It’s good news for a country and good for Android Pay as it continues its slow march across the planet.

As for the banks supported, here is the rundown:

• Sberbank
• Alfa-Bank
• VTB24
• Russian Standard Bank
• Raiffeisen Bank
• Bank Otkritie
• Rocketbank
• Tochka
• Russian Agricultural Bank
• Yandex.Money
• B&N Bank
• Tinkoff
• Promsvyazbank
• Ak Bars Bank
• MTS Bank

While it certainly isn’t every bank in the country, key large banks within the country on on the list which means it will hit a large percentage of customers.

Google Hangouts has officially dropped support of SMS for non Project Fi or Google Voice users.  The support ended yesterday and was something that had been planned since Google announced the change back in March.

The change is part of the overall strategy of Google to move their G Suite customers to the new Google Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat while leveraging Android Messages for SMS on Android devices.  For consumers, the focus is on Google Allo and Duo to meet these communications needs.