Tag: Android

Last week a small update hit the Google Play Music app but on the surface there wasn’t much new.  However, within the settings of Google Music you will now see the option for a Sleep Timer.  Essentially it acts like a countdown timer and when it expires, it pauses your music.  The idea, as the name suggest, is to play some music to help you go to sleep then shut down so you aren’t playing music all night or running down your battery if your phone isn’t charging.  This new feature is in version 6.13.3321 for those keeping score at home and you likely got the update last week if you have the app installed.

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!)

The Snapseed team over at Google have released another update to the Android photo editing app.  The update, version 2.9 for those keeping score at home, brings several new tools to the app as well as some improvements on preferences.  The new tools include a new Face tool which allows you to bring focus to faces, smooth skin and to add clarity to eyes.  Like the other filters in the app, you can adjust the strength of each of these elements of the tool to bring it to your liking or you can simply have Snapseed analyze your photo and make the adjustments automatically.  In testing out this new tool, the smoothing feature is very impressive.  It softens up lines and wrinkles but doesn’t over do it with too much softness.

Google Opinion Rewards, the app that pays you Google Play Store credit for your opinion, has been updated and expanded.  Now Android users in Denmark, Norway and Sweden can take part in the program just by downloading the app and answering opinion questions as they are sent to you.  For those outside of these new countries, there is an app update available which has some stability fixes and other under-the-hood improvements that you’ll want to get.

If you aren’t familiar with the program, Google Opinion Rewards sends a survey once a week or so (sometimes more, sometimes less) that asks your opinion on anything from branding to places you visited to products and services.  Answering the survey’s will give you credit, up to $1, in the Play Store which you can spend later.  Most surveys are just a few questions so they are quick and easy to complete.

Due to 35 reported cases of batteries exploding, Samsung has voluntarily stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7 effectively immediately and are issuing a recall on all those sold.  The European launch of the device has also been delayed.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.

The announcement will be a huge financial blow to the company but clearly is the right thing to do.  Demand for the Note 7 has been high but equally, the cases of battery issues has caused many to pause.  It is good to see the company responding in a proper way.

If have a Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge on the Verizon network, there is a new software update waiting for you.  The new build of Android Marshmallow addresses some call quality issues as well as enabling the FM radio built into the device.  Specifically, you are looking for Verizon’s software version MMB29M.G935VVRU2APG5 for those keeping score at home and it is currently rolling out to customers.  You can manually check for the update by going to Settings>System Updates.  It is a small one as Verizon is allowing users to download it over LTE but you can expect about a 10 minute download and another 10-15 minutes to install and reboot your device.