Category: Google

It is the first of the month which means it is time for the monthly Android Security Bulletin to be released along with updated images for Nexus devices.  The June update is now on the Android Developer site in the factory images while OTA updates to Nexus devices will begin in short order.  Google has also released the full bulletin for the update, outlining all of the things that were addressed in the update.  In all there were 21 security updates in the release, six of which were considered critical in nature.  Google points out in the bulletin that no known exploitation of the issues are known but they are addressing them anyway to keep users safe and secure.

I began tech writing back in 1998 and over the course of those 18 years I have reviewed well over 100 different phones, tablets, PCs, Chromebooks and the like.  When it comes to phones, I’m a bit jaded admittedly.  I tend to not get caught up in all the hype of new phones or even phones that are a few months old because, let’s face it, the next new phone is on its way.  That is certainly the case for the Nexus 6P.  The Huawei built Nexus phone has been out since September of last year and you can almost certainly bet that its replacement will be here about that time this year.  But of all the phones I have used over the course of my tech writing, the Nexus 6P may be the most complete package to date.  It is shockingly good on almost every level.  Here are some of my initial thoughts on it as I prep for a larger, detailed review later this month.

Google Map is receiving another update for Android users with this update more or less aimed at those who do a lot of walking or bicycling.  The updated build, version 9.26 for those keeping score at home, brings the ability for you to search for other places to stop along your walking or biking path.  Say, for example, you need to stop at the pharmacy while you are biking home, you can search for a CVS or Walgreens along the way and build in that stop on your commute home.  If this sounds familiar, it should.  Google Maps had this feature for those who drive but it was not available for those who were walking or riding.  Give the number of people who walk or ride bikes to and from work, especially in urban areas, this was a real miss up to this point.

Today marks the first birthday of Google Photos, the photo backup and sharing service-meets-app.  It was announced at Google I/O 2015 and was officially launched on May 27, 2015 as a website and an app for Android with iOS being added shortly thereafter.  In that year, the service has grown tremendously as have the functionality of the apps and the website.  Today, as part of the celebrations, Google has released some facts and figures on how the service is used and how much it has grown in popularity.  We knew of course that it had grown to over 200 million active monthly users based on comments from I/O this year.  But there are even more interesting figures to discuss.

If you have been thinking about trying out YouTube Red, the ad-free version of YouTube, now is a good time to give it a go.  Right now you can sign up for three months for just .99 Cents, giving you full access to the service, and as a bonus, to Google Play Music Unlimited as well.  For those who may not remember, Red is the ad-free version of YouTube which gives you an ad-free experience but also allows you to download videos for offline viewing later on your Android devices.  It also gives you access to original YouTube content.

The Chromium team has released Chrome build 51 for Windows and Mac, updating the browser with a significant number of bug fixes and security improvements.  The updated build is version 51.0.2704.63 and it is available now for those of you who have the browser installed.  To force the update, go to Menu>Settings>About and the browser will go and look for the update, download it and after you restart your the browser, will apply it.  Do note Linux users, this update is not available to you just yet.  The release notice from the Chromium team indicates that the Linux build will be coming out shortly.