Category: Android

The latest update to Google’s keyboard app Gboard for Android is rolling out and it is bringing a lot of new features.  With the update, version 7.2.9 for those keeping score at home, will allow users to create their own GIFs to share with others.  The feature requires that you give Gboard access to your camera and when you do, it will fire up the selfie camera on your phone to record about 3 seconds of video.  It then uses the video to create the short animation and will allow you to add filters to it as well.

The new feature is found when you open up Gboard for Android and then tap on the emoji icon (the smiley face) then tap on the GIF option.

Google’s Family Link, the app that allows parents to setup, manage and monitor their children’s accounts on Android devices has had a big expansion today.  All 28 European Union countries now have the app available to them in their local Google Play Store.

For those that aren’t familiar with it, Family Link allows parents to create an account for their children on Android devices (and Chromebooks too) that can restrict access to certain types of apps, limit their device screen time, and even put the devices asleep at a certain time.  It is all part of Google’s effort to keep kids safe online but also as part of digital wellbeing by not being in front of their screens all the time.

It has been a long time coming but Google Photos is finally going to give you the ability to mark photos in your library as favorites.  The new features, which the Google Photos team announced via Twitter, is a cloud-side update and will be rolling out to all accounts throughout this week.  Once you have it, you will be able to view a photo and will see a small star icon as you view that photo.  Tap that star, that photo gets marked as a favorite.

As part of this feature, there will now be a new Favorites album in the menu and in your Albums view in Google Photos.  That way you will be able to quickly find them in your library.

When it comes to over-the-ear headphones, the number of options is a bit dizzying.  You have the ultra high end coming in north of $300 while the low end, the sub-$50, often leaves a lot to be desired.  And why you may find a pair that gives you reasonable audio, it may not work great on Bluetooth or even given you the option to go wired if you wanted to do so.

One of the newer player in the headphones and headset market is Tribit.  The Chinese company makes a wide range of Bluetooth enabled audio accessories that are aimed at providing a premium experience without the premium price.  The Tribit XFree Tune Headphones hit that mark.

Recently the company sent me a XFree Tune unit for review and I have to say, for the sub-$45 price tag, you will be hard pressed to find a better option out there, especially one with a built-in microphone to use for phone calls.  Yep, they are versatile too.

After debuting on the new Gmail experience on the web, nudges has landed in Gmail for Android too.  The feature gives you suggested reminders to follow up on emails or to reply to emails that are in your Gmail inbox.  The feature is a cloud-side update so as long as you are running the latest build of Gmail on your Android phone, you should see the feature.

Nudges in Gmail uses AI to survey your inbox and give you gentle reminders (aka nudges) to reply to an email or to follow up on an email.  The idea is to help you with a reminder so you don’t have something you need to follow up on slip through the cracks.

A colleague of mine always starts detailed emails with “BLUF” – Bottom Line Up Front.  So here is your BLUF:  If your bank doesn’t support Google Pay at this point, it is probably time to look for a new bank.  Up until yesterday, in 2018 alone, the tap-to-pay service had added 141 new banks:  80 in January and another 61 in March.  They just doubled the number by adding an scarcely believable 171 financial institutions yesterday.

The additional financial institutions brings the total number of those supporting Google Pay to 1,364 across the United States.