Apps and Updates

Since its launch last year, Inbox by Gmail has added more features to make it smarter and more convenient to use. Today, the app is getting a highly requested feature that allows users more granularity and adds more options to the popular email snoozing feature.
Facebook has today announced that it is bringing its Periscope-like live video broadcast feature to Android. The service received its debut on iPhones last month.
Facebook Live enables you to share your experiences and perspectives in real time, with the people who matter to you – whether you’re someone who wants to broadcast to friends and family, or a public figure who wants to connect with fans around the world. Live videos on Facebook are authentic and exciting, and we’re seeing people tuning in and engaging directly with broadcasters in the moment.
The company says that people spend more than three times longer watching a video when it is live …
An updated version of the Google app rolling out this afternoon adds new animations to Now on Tap and a whimsical finger painting-like feature to make a custom colored Google logo.
An update to Google+ for Android will now preload webpages when on WiFi, adds notification filtering, Community moderation tools, and more in addition to other bug fixes.
Google Maps is expanding its ‘Explore around you’ feature to France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Japan. The tool helps users find places to grab a meal or drink based on location and lists them as pre-made categories.
Google is announcing two notable new features for Gmail for Android today, including support for rich text formatting and a new “Instant RSVPs” feature that offers one-tap access to responding to Calendar invites.
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Facebook has long faced calls for a Dislike button on posts, users arguing that they may want to express support in response to bad news, and Liking a post feels like the wrong way to do it. After a great deal of testing, the company has today announced that it is supplementing the Like button with five additional one-touch responses – but Dislike isn’t one of them …
Microsoft’s Garage Projects seem to constantly be coming and going, but the last couple of months have seen more releases than usual. Last month Microsoft released a quirky new alarm clock called “Mimicker Alarm,” and now the maker of the flopped Android competitor Windows Phone has released two more projects: Hub Keyboard, and Sprightly…
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This isn’t the first time that Google-owned Waze has brought on a celebrity for its turn-by-turn navigation, but I think most would agree that everyone needs to know about this one. For a limited time, you can choose Morgan Freeman’s iconic voice in Waze, giving you the most soothing “In half a mile, turn right.” you could ever hear…
A Google Play Music update is rolling out that allows users to search for music-related YouTube videos from within the app. The video search feature is available to all Play Music users, including those who don’t subscribe to the streaming service.
Just over one year ago Adobe brought the first version of its Photoshop Lightroom image editor to Android for the first time, and today the first major overhaul of Lightroom for Android is being released with version 2.0. Lightroom for Android 2 brings the mobile image editor up-to-speed with the iOS version of the same software, and actually goes a step further with RAW image support made possible by Android.
After being all the rage when it launched on iOS last month, social network Peach has finally made its way to Android. Peach is basically another status sharing app, but its novelty comes in its heavy use of GIFs, multiple ways to ‘poke’ a person, and the use of “Magic Words” to send information and communicate in fun ways.
Last month, Google announced that new Play Games users would get a player ID instead of having to make a Google+ account. Player IDs are now being rebranded as Gamer ID and will act as an in-game identity. As they are unique, Google recommends heading to the Play Games app now to claim yours.
Recent updates to Google Drive added notification controls to the mobile apps and easier management of shared items. Its latest Android update, simplifies the cluttered file and folder menu, adds the ability to see deleted files on mobile, and more avatars.
Skype told us a month ago that it would soon be rolling out group video calling to both iOS and Android devices, and the company has today advised that the rollout is now underway.
Today, we’ve started rolling out group video calling on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets in Western Europe and North America and we expect to have completed our roll-out to these markets over the next week or so. We plan to be fully available worldwide in March
This brings the mobile experience in line with that already available on the desktop.
The UI lets you choose between a grid view of all those in the call, and a focus view that automatically switches to the person speaking. Alternatively, if you only really care about one person in the call, you can use a ‘pin’ feature to stick with your view of them.
Via Engadget
Vimeo, the popular alternative to YouTube, has just released a brand new update to its Android app. Within the update, the company has finally enabled a feature which should have been there a long time ago: Chromecast support. Anyone downloading the app, or updating, will now be able to beam content straight to their Chromecast-connected TV with just the press of an onscreen button.
A month after your bday, you receive a card. It serenades you with a 90s slow jam before you slam it shut, mortified. But you smile — because Grandma loves you. *And* because Chromecast has arrived.
Late is better than never, and Vimeo loves you a ton too, and now you can tap the Chromecast icon to seamlessly stream videos to your big screen. We appreciate your patience, pals!
Oh and we fixed some bugs and crashing issues, also.
You can download the app free from the Play Store, or if you have the app already installed, check for updates and you should see it available to download right away.
Today’s addition of 13 new languages brings the total number of languages Google Translate understands to 103. The update allows 120 million more people around the world to use the service and will be rolling out over the next couple of days to the web and mobile apps.
Starting with Android Lollipop, users could use the Gmail app to manage their Outlook or Yahoo email addresses instead of a rarely updated and generic email app. Now, those users will have the option to get access to more advanced Gmail features like spam protection and inbox organization with a new feature called Gmailify.
Twitter has toady announced long-awaited support for native GIF search with partners Giphy and Riffsy. The addition of GIF search means that users will now be able to search for GIFs from a library of thousands and instantly insert them into their direct message or tweet.
As screensavers for their latest streaming device, Apple filmed beautiful slow motion video of cinematic locations and landmarks. Developers have since discovered the public URL for the video files and packaged them up for other uses. Now, there is an Android app that turns the Apple TV’s screensavers into Daydreams for any Android device.
From improving the quality of their standard voice to adding regional accents, Google has made great strides in making computers sound more natural. Text-to-speech (first spotted by Android Police) has recently been updated to have multiple male and female voices.
Before Google Photos, there was Google+ Photos and prior to that Picasa. Google acquired the desktop photos management app in 2004 and made it free. While Google announced today that they are shutting down Picasa, diehard users will still be able to use quite a few features.
My Maps is a handy tool that allows users to label and makes notes on top of Google Maps. Users can access their annotated maps from the full Maps app, but need to go to the My Maps website or use the mobile app to make edits. Today, the Android My Maps app has been redesigned in its first update since 2014.
Google recently pushed out an update to its Clock app, and this one’s a game changer. You know the clock widget that lets you put analog and digital clocks on your home screen? Until now, dragging it around and resizing the widget simply changed its alignment. Now, when you resize the widget, the clocks themselves actually change size too…