Tag Archives: google

News

Find Your Friends and Family with Google Maps Locations Sharing

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In the world we live in today, it’s natural to be wary about your location being widely known via technology. Sometimes, however, it can be important. Google+ users have been using the Locations function in order to keep track of friends and family. It gives them the peace of mind in knowing where their children are, or maybe just as a way to see what their friends are up to before texting them. But right now, that feature is migrating to Google Maps, and it hasn’t been a smooth transition.

 

Normally, it’s easy to access Locations from the Google+ app. For the last few weeks, users are just seeing a message telling them to move to Google Maps when they head to the Locations tab in Google+. Simple enough, right? Not so: the feature isn’t active yet in Google Maps. If they tap the “switch to Maps” button, it’s just a redirect to a Google help page offering the helpful tip of updating Google Maps because the new feature isn’t live in their current version. Fair enough, so go to update the app and…get a redirect to the Play Store, with no update to be found.

 

It seems like this is just a disconnect between departments. The feature works fine in Maps, and won’t be too difficult for those familiar with the Google+ version. It just looks like the Google+ pulling the plug too soon without checking with the Maps team to make sure it’s ready on their end. A rare slip-up from the normally-close-knit Google ecosystem, but it’s just adding to the annoyance over Google shuffling around their already-over-complicated native app market.

 

Using the new feature in Maps is easy. Just pop open the navigation drawer within the app—”Share location” is currently marked with a little “NEW” badge. You can leave location sharing on indefinitely, or set it for a certain period of time (like an hour). The sharing goes out to certain people that you’re connected with, or you can send a link out via text message.

 

When you share your location with people, you’ll appear in a little bar at the top of the map, and they’re a tap away from knowing where you are. The bottom of the map shows location information (like restaurant info) and a toggle that lets them share their location back with you. Once you’re connected, shared locations will appear with a little profile pic in the main map interface, but they can be toggled off.

 

Of course, you’ll need GPS enabled to use this new feature. If your smartphone is having trouble connecting to GPS, bring it to iFixYouri for a checkup. We have 15 locations nationwide (and more coming soon!) as well as a convenient mail-in service for all sorts of devices. If your current smartphone is too old for the update, iFixYouri also sells refurbished devices in stores, so you can upgrade today and save some cash!

News

Android O Developer Preview: What’s New and What’s Cool

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Google announced the Android O developer preview this week, and it’s looking to be a huge update with a lot of interesting changes. Here’s a list of iFixYouri’s favorite new features so far. Mind you, these are just capabilities for app developers to tool around with; no guarantees that everyone will use these in their applications.

 

Android O places more automatic background limits on implicit broadcasts, background services, and location updates, something Nougat worked towards. The end result: apps will have a minimal impact on user’s battery life and the device performance.

 

Sony jumped in to help with audio, bringing that company’s legendary sound quality to Android. The new AAudio API should be great for apps that require high-performance audio, and the ConnectionService API will get an update. The latter will allow calls from third-party apps (WhatsApp, for example) to work with Bluetooth devices like home stereos and cars.

 

Google wants to make apps more “glanceable,” so they’re making notifications be better grouped. Developers will be able to customize the background color of these notifications, as well, but, Google advises that color changes should only be for “ongoing tasks which are critical for a user to see at a glance.” There’s also be app-defined categories for notifications. For example, the Facebook app could group notifications under various sections, like events or friend requests. Creating these notification channels will give you control over which alerts you receive, along with the ability to quickly turn off specific categories. Users can also “snooze” notifications so they’ll reappear later.

 

The status bar icons at the top of the quick settings panel will get some tweaks. When the panel is fully opened, and there are notifications not visible, their app icons will be listed in a little bar at the bottom of the display. A little odd to visualize, but it should be helpful when managing several notification groups at once.

 

No longer exclusive to Android TV, Picture-in-Picture is now available on Android phones and tablets. Building on multi-window mode in Nougat, there’s a new app overlay window and multi-display support for launching an activity on a remote display. We predict you’ll need a lot of RAM for this, but newer hardware should handle it.

 

Android O now allows developers to create adaptive icons with different shapes that the system will automatically display based on a mask selected by the device. It’ll be interesting to see what each developer has their icons do, and under what circumstances they do move.

 

Similar to how Android supports third-party keyboards, users can now choose a default password manager app.

 

Accessibility service can respond to directional swipes (up, down, left, and right) from a device’s fingerprint sensor. This is neat; you can assign, say, the flashlight to turn on, or the phone to go into silent mode.

 

The Ambient Display has been redesigned. It’s no longer just a black-and-white version of the regular lockscreen. Namely, only icons, and not full notifications, are displayed underneath the clock in this mode. When the Ambient Display is active, just double-tap to wake. Double tapping the icons will takes users directly to the notification shade.

 

Now we play the waiting game on the most important feature: the name. Android Oreo? Orange Cake? Oatmeal Cookie? We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.

Uncategorized

Personalize The Holidays with Google Live Cases

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If someone on your Christmas list got caught up in the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, and ended up trading that device in for a Google Pixel or Pixel XL, you have an opportunity to get them a great present. I mean, this is a top-level 10-out-of-10 gift for only $40. Google has released Live Cases, beautiful slim protection for their smartphones (including the previous-gen Nexus series). In addition to keeping your phone safe in the case of (short) drops, a soft embossed rubber button on the back can be programmed to various functions. With a press of your index finger (it’s right underneath the fingerprint sensor) you can activate the flashlight, toggle wi-fi on and off, open an app, and more. Each Live Case comes with a Live Wallpaper app that matches and complements it, so your device can have one visual theme front and back.

Live Cases come in some off-the-shelf designs that are very pretty, including selected satellite images from Google Earth and artwork from designers like Jeremy Scott (famous for the winged Adidas sneakers, among other things). Any of these would make a “cool” present or even a “very nice” present. What truly elevates things are the customizable Live Cases, which come in two flavors: Places and Photos.

Photos allows you to upload a photo, zoom and rotate it to fit a virtual phone case, and then receive it in the mail for just $40. Google’s rules will be familiar to anyone who’s attempted to create a custom debit card: no obscenity and no copyrighted images. After a few hours of messing around, we came up with the official iFixYouri Google Pixel Live Case, featuring our founder Chris Johncke. Just boop his nose to receive excellent customer service for all your device repair needs.

Our favorite by far, and we predict this will be crazy popular (Google! Focus your incessant advertising on this!), is the Places Live Case. A simplified Google Maps pops up, and you search for a county, town, or specific street address. “A place you love,” the prompt says. A transparent layout of your chosen device is overlaid on the center of the screen, and you can drag and zoom to fine-tune its placement. I punch in my old neighborhood in Uruguay…

…and drag a little so my childhood home is in the center, with plenty of area and coastline around it for visual interest.

From there, I can select a variety of visual textures and color combinations. Some may gripe that Google doesn’t allow true color customization, but all the combinations are pleasant and balanced. I get overwhelmingly indecisive, so I’d rather let a team of trained designers handle this step rather than fuss with several color wheels. I like the polka dots a little…

…but I like the detail of smaller streets and alleyways the “vivid” option provides. Perfect!

The next step features a 3D view, where you can look at the case from all angles. It’s satisfying to see how the design wraps around the edges of the case.

On your way to checkout, Google reminds you of the Live Wallpaper function. For the Places case, it shows your current location on a map in the same style as the case. It’ll be great to see the front and back of my phone match during my next vacation back home!

“A place you love” really sums up what makes the Live Case such an awesome gift. Personalizing things with a picture is old news; Tervis Tumbler as a phone case? In a world where everyone seems to be from somewhere that’s not where they currently are, having a reminder of your roots is such a warm gesture. This is typical Google: the company wants to bring personal technology into your life in a way that’s simple, automatic, and meaningful.

News

Why Would Google Delete All of Your Data?

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How much of your life is kept on Google accounts? Are all your documents saved on Google Drive? Family pics on Google Photos? Credit cards and gift cards on Google Wallet? Maybe you run a small business and do your marketing with Google AdWords? If so, you might want to start reading the “terms of services” very carefully. Several hundred people who purchased the new Google Pixel smartphone directly from Google in order to resell to a third party have found themselves locked out of their Google account. It starts with a friendly little letter…

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…then escalates to a terrifying message:

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Can’t say they weren’t warned. When buying the Pixel from the Google store, part of the terms & conditions state the following: “You may only purchase Devices for your personal use. You may not commercially resell any Device, but you may give the Device as a gift.” Even if it’s just your recovery account associated with such activity, both will be banned. Google, like a vengeful god, will sweep down upon any digital platform it controls and ban you from it. What makes things a little sketchy is that there’s no part of any of the notices that informs the locked-out what they did wrong. It took several of them putting their heads together to realize that the one thing they all had in common was buying the phones and having them shipped to a smartphone retailer in New Hampshire. This is the kind of thing that causes mess-in-your-pants panic: being severely punished for an unknown crime.

While most companies would simply serve a cease-and-desist letter to the New Hampshire company and impose a restriction on the number of phones being ordered (the current limit is 5), Google went ballistic. This is a textbook case of trust-betrayal, Google is essentially saying, “We’re giving you a good thing, don’t take advantage of it.” The forum that advertised and discussed the plan has reportedly been doing the same thing with Google’s Nexus phones with no issue. One can’t help but feel as if this is an overreach of power on Google’s part; if someone violates a legally binding contract (accepting the terms of service, in this case), you handle it properly and through legal channels. Holding data hostage just isn’t appropriate, especially since this can affect business owners.

After spreading the story around the various news outlets, the forum announced that Google has unlocked the accounts while reminding the guilty parties that they were in violation of their “fraud prevention efforts.” If anything, this was just a display of power, an extreme measure to scare off anyone else thinking of buying to resell. It’s scary to think that Google has this ability, and can do what they want with your data to mete out whatever they deem to be “justice” for whatever they deem to be wrong. This definitely brings up the question: How much of your life should you trust to one company?

Google’s new motto: Don’t be evil…and don’t mess with us.

News, Software

Android vs iOS: Third-Quarter 2016 Head-to-Head

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The results are in, and Google is in the lead. Third-quarter stats put the Android mobile operating system as being present in 87.5% of mobile phones worldwide. That’s almost 9 out of 10 phones. Meanwhile, Apple sold about 5% less phones than it did in the same period last year. We’re fairly certain there’s a good reason for that.

It’s worth noting that this is WORLDWIDE market share. In the US, it’s about 53% Android, 42% iOS. It’s easy to see where Android’s dominance both here and abroad stems from: price. iOS is only featured on iPhones, which don’t feature a “budget” model (unless you count the iPhone SE), while Android appears on phones that cost as little as $20 and as much as $650. This appeal to the lower end of the market gives Android much more appeal in developing markets, especially with import taxes and other tariffs (a brand-new iPhone 7 can easily go for double its US price in other countries). Apple seems content to hold the higher, smaller end of the market pyramid; its entire marketing and image essence revolves around a “luxury” or “elitist” niche. In that respect, 42% of the market is actually great. iOS, and the iPhone itself, is essentially THE top-end phone as far as consumers are concerned. It took quite some time for a challenger to the throne to arise (the Google Pixel) and it’s too soon to tell.

But let’s talk about that 5% drop. While every company wants to do better every year, we think this drop is okay. Yes, it’s true that the 7 didn’t seem to live up to the hype, especially compared to that surrounding the 6S a year prior. However, we’re sure this isn’t a bad sign for Apple.

  • The period was until the end of September, and a lot of potential buyers were waiting to upgrade to iPhone 7, which was released September 25th. The 6S came out September 16th of last year, so it had two weeks of sales to help bolster numbers.
  • With the 6S released one year and nine days before, and considering the popularity of that device, one can assume that the majority of buyers were and are still under Apple’s one-year warranty. Why buy a new phone if your current phone is still…new?
  • October began with the Samsung Note 7 debacle, and many users of those phones switched to iPhone. This most likely gave Apple the boost they needed in October.

So there’s no need to worry about Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, and the rest of the folks in Cupertino. The stock (AAPL) took a small dip at the news but that was part of an ongoing slight downward trend. Google will continue to thrive, as well; the Pixel is selling a lot of units, and new high-end Android phones from LG, LeEco, and Xiaomi will continue to push sales around the world. Well, maybe just the first one. Here at iFixYouri headquarters, we have yet to receive any Xiaomi or LeEco phones for repair, but we’ll just assume that it’s because they’re indestructible. But maybe not. Regardless of what you buy or plan on buying, remember that iFixYouri is here to fix it. Can’t make up your mind? Leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to help out!

wifi

New Google Product Breakdown

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Yeah, so yesterday’s post on Google’s #madebygoogle summit was a little lengthy. Today we bring you a breakdown of each new Google product, including its price. Most products are available (at least for pre-order) as of October 4th.

 

Google Pixel

  • 5.0” screen, 5.6” total height
  • Gorilla Glass screen
  • FHD screen with 441ppi
  • Battery: up to 13 hours of video playback
  • Fast charging: 7 hours of battery life in 15 minutes
  • Aluminum body with Gorilla Glass covering half of back
  • Colors: Quite Black, Very Silver, Really Blue
  • Pixel Imprint: back-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • 32GB or 128GB storage (unlimited cloud storage for photo and video)
  • 4GB RAM
  • Rear camera: 12.3MP, 1.55μm, f/2.0 (highest rated smartphone camera on DxOMark.com)
  • Front camera: 8MP, 1.4µm, f/2.4
  • Video: 1080p @ up to 120fps (slo-mo). 720p @ up to 240fps (super slo-mo). 4K @ 30fps
  • USB Type-C and 3.0. Single SIM slot. 3.5mm headphone jack.
  • $649 for 32GB (or $27.04/month for 24 months with Google Store Financing)
  • $749 for 128GB (or $31.21/month for 24 months with Google Store Financing)
  • Free Daydream View VR headset with pre-order

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Google Pixel XL

  • 5.5” screen, 6.0” total height
  • Gorilla Glass screen
  • QHD screen with 534ppi
  • Battery: up to 14 hours of video playback
  • Fast charging: 7 hours of battery life in 15 minutes
  • Aluminum body with Gorilla Glass covering half of back
  • Colors: Quite Black, Very Silver, Really Blue
  • Pixel Imprint: back-mounted fingerprint sensor
  • 32GB or 128GB storage (unlimited cloud storage for photo and video)
  • 4GB RAM
  • Rear camera: 12.3MP, 1.55μm, f/2.0 (highest rated smartphone camera on DxOMark.com)
  • Front camera: 8MP, 1.4µm, f/2.4
  • Video: 1080p @ up to 120fps (slo-mo). 720p @ up to 240fps (super slo-mo). 4K @ 30fps
  • USB Type-C and 3.0. Single SIM slot. 3.5mm headphone jack.
  • $769 for 32GB (or $32.04/month for 24 months with Google Store Financing)
  • $869 for 128GB (or $36.21/month for 24 months with Google Store Financing)
  • Free Daydream View VR headset with pre-order

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Google Home

  • Home audio device with Google Assistant integration
  • 5.6” tall, 3.8” diameter
  • Speakers: 2” driver and dual 2” passive radiators
  • Supports Android and iOS
  • $129
  • Comes with slate-colored metal base. Additional bases are $20 each.

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Daydream View

  • Virtual reality headset
  • 220g, constructed of lightweight, breathable foam and fabric.
  • Controller has 9-axis IMUs for precision tracking
  • Requires Daydream-ready phone (Pixel)
  • $79, or free with Pixel or Pixel XL preorder

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Google WiFi

  • Modular wifi routers. Plug one in and the others act as signal repeaters.
  • 4.2” diameter, 2.7” high
  • Simultaneous dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz / 5GHz) supporting IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac.
  • WPA2-PSK with automatic security updates
  • Network Assist: Optimizes speed between devices, and assists in placing routers for best coverage.
  • Google WiFi App allows full control over device access.
  • $129 for one device, $299 for set of three.

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Chromecast Ultra

  • Media streaming dongle for TV
  • 4K HD and HDR support
  • HDMI output
  • Ethernet port for hard-wire connection
  • Supports Android, iOS, Windows, and MacOS
  • $69
News

#madebygoogle News: Pixel Phone, Virtual Reality, and More!

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So it’s finally October 4th! The long-awaited #madebygoogle summit is today, and iFixYouri finally received all of the news that Google said we’ll be talking about for the next 8 years. Will we, though? Is 8 months more accurate? Or 8 decades? It’s tough to decide, since the Google Pixel got leaked yesterday (oops) and we had to pretend to be surprised. Let’s go over what happened in the two-hour long presentation.

Things started out light, with a short clip featuring Bertram and Dinesh from Silicon Valley. Bertram says he’s been getting Google products in beta tests and also an invite to a wild afterparty with Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Dinesh is jealous and so are we.

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Sundar Pichai comes out to deliver the keynote, just past his one-year anniversary as CEO of Google. He gives a brief history of the connectivity…

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…and states Google’s goal (of this press conference, at least): an “AI-first world.” Pichai talks about Google Assistant, which we covered in our article on Google Allo, and how it’ll work as an interface to your own “personal Google.” Security was mentioned, with personal information staying on your device, and given some interesting examples of use. We liked the idea of having it remember the combination to your bicycle lock; just say “Remember my bicycle lock combination” and recite it, Assistant does the rest. Simple, but cool.

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Pichai also mentioned Google’s database of 70 billion facts on human interaction and how they’re using it, from advances in their translation program (something called neural machine software giving more realistic translations) to text-to-speech software giving context and emotion to responses. Also, their machine-learning tools can finally determine what bears are doing in photos.

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It sounds silly, but identifying rocks in a photo (essentially gray-brown blobs) is a huge step. Rick Osterloh, former president of Motorola and Google’s hardware chief, stepped up next, and could barely contain his excitement.

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After a brief talk about keeping up with the demands people have for their personal tech (including a great line: it should “just work for you”), he unveils the Google Pixel, their latest contender in the smartphone market, and brings Product VP Brian Rakowski up to demo it.

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Pixel is a very attractive smartphone, with a polished aluminum body and a half-glass back where the fingerprint sensor lies. Colors include…erm…Quite Black, Very Silver, and the stunning Really Blue. Its operating system is Android but sleek, similar to Chrome OS, and designed around Assistant. The most important feature of this integration is that Assistant is great at reading contextual clues. Long-pressing the home button brings up Assistant, and swiping up shows you information related to what you’re currently looking at. Or if a friend texts you asking if you want to visit her in New York, you can just bring up Assistant and ask “How much are flights?” and you’ll get a quick list showing you travel options to JFK or LaGuardia. We’re curious how it will know whether or not to look for context clues, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Another feature that previously didn’t get any hype is the Pixel’s camera. Citing a rating of 89 by DxOMark.com, the highest of any smartphone camera (the iPhone 7 got an 86), the 12.3MP f/2.0 camera is seriously the best smartphone camera out there. Just take a look.

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All that with no camera bump! Other camera features include 4K video, a Smart Burst mode (that takes several photos in quick succession and automatically chooses the best one) and HDR Plus, a high-quality pixel-by-pixel dynamic range setting. Also: zero shutter lag and the shortest capture time of any phone tested. A redesigned stabilization feature uses the Pixel’s internal gyroscope 200 times per second to deliver smooth video without the wobbly effect of digital methods. With a subtle jab to Apple, Brian announced that all Pixels offer unlimited photo and video storage on the cloud, even with 4K video.

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And while we’re on the subject of subtlety:

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Sabrina Ellis, director of Product Management, came out next to announce some hardware features. Without stating the battery life of the Pixel (which may actually say a lot) she did mention a fast charger, similar to that in newer Samsung Galaxy models, capable of charging 7 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes, hopefully without anything blowing up. The phones will ship with Nougat, the newest Android software version, and new updates will automatically download in the background and kick in at the next restart, taking a cue from Google’s Chromebook laptops.

The devices will also come with a “quick switch adapter” for transferring contacts, messages, photos, etc., from your old phone directly to your new Pixel, no other hardware needed. Any difficulty with all this new? Every Pixel has 24/7 live customer care with a screen-sharing option, making it great for older folks.

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Now for some not-so-good news. The only US carrier currently offering the Pixel is Verizon. The phone can also be purchased unlocked, but its price is causing some gripes: $649 for the 5” Pixel and $769 for the 5.5” Pixel XL. Fortunately, a cell-carrier-esque payment plan is available through the Google Store, starting at $29 a month. I will also remind readers that the iPhone 7 was released on the exact same price point.

On to more hardware! The VR team head, Clay Bavor, comes out to discuss the Daydream virtual-reality headset. It’s here we get to see the typical Google outside-the-box innovation: the headset is mostly made of lightweight foam and fabric. Even the viewing box is encased in what seems to be a textured microfiber sweatshirt.

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Very odd, but Clay explains that, as the headset is something you wear, it should look like something you’d wear. That actually makes sense! Daydream works similar to Samsung Gear VR or Google’s own Cardboard, in that you need a compatible smartphone (the Pixel, for now, but other manufacturers are working on it) to act as the screen. A small controller, with two buttons, a touchpad, and full gyroscopic detection, hides snugly inside the viewing box when not in use. Extremely low latency (by enabling the VR software to access more processing power when inside the Daydream) increases immersion and reduces motion sickness. More demos followed, including a Harry Potter game, an interactive star chart, and curated StreetView tours, including…uh…SheepView.

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Mario Quieroz from Product Management talks about Google WiFi, a revamping of their OnHub devices. It’s simply a modular wifi system; plug one into the Ethernet, and the others act as additional transmitters giving strong, overlapping coverage to the whole house. It also actively manages networks, seamlessly switching routers as a user travels throughout their home to whichever connection is strongest. We think this is very cool, and useful for large households with several devices in each room.

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The Chromecast Ultra was also unveiled, featuring faster processing and better picture with 4K support. Mario mentioned that Google Play Movies & TV will get 4K in November.

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Rishi Chandra came out next, very likable but also extremely long-winded. His topic is the Google Home device, Google’s competitor to the Amazon Echo.

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Google Home, about the size of a Yankee Candle and featuring three powerful speakers, talks to you using the aforementioned Google Assistant, and Rishi went on and on using several examples, not all of them thrilling. “Ok Google, play me that Shakira song from Zootopia” and, lo and behold, Assistant finds it for you and starts playing! More interesting is Assistant’s integration and personalization across all of your devices; tell your Home device to add pasta and tomatoes to your shopping list then, at the grocery store, ask Assistant to show you said shopping list and bam!

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When you get home, put your pasta in boiling water and tell Home to set a timer for 11 minutes. Tell it “Good morning” and it gives you info on the weather, your commute, appointments you’ve set, and more while you sip your coffee; Rishi calls this MyDay and compares it to the presidential daily briefing. It seems like the neatest features of Assistant are its most basic, and that’s important for achieving the type of integration into day-to-day life that Google wants.

The last speaker, Scott Huffman, talked about the nerdier side of Assistant and how Google will work with developers to utilize it. A devkit, Google SDK, will be launched to help programmers and companies work with the new software.

After the rudest ending ever to a press release (“I’d like to say thank you, and goodbye to everyone on the livestrea-” followed by a LIVESTREAM HAS CLOSED placard), we think that was a fairly satisfying expo, though not as groundbreaking as Google made it out to be. Of course, we’re excited about the Pixel phone. Google’s current Nexus line of smartphones are of very high quality and extremely well-reviewed. We’ve played around with Assistant and, although we do like to poke fun, it is groundbreaking and it’s easy to agree with Rick Osterloh about AI being the link between software and hardware. Google WiFi isn’t breaking new ground but it’s a great, affordable solution (better than purchasing routers separately and linking them together manually) to a common issue. The potential success of Google Home is up in the air if the dozens of people who bought an Amazon Echo are any indicator (we kid, we kid). I guess we’ll find out in 8 years. Ok Google, set a reminder for October 4, 2024.

Our technicians are already doing their homework and eagerly anticipating the first Pixel test devices, so go ahead and order one if you’re interested; if anything breaks, you can send it to iFixYouri and we’ll get it back to you good as new.

Apps, Software

Chat Securely with Google Allo, Face-to-Face with Duo, or…Not

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If you have your ear to the ground, tech-wise, you might have heard of Allo, Google’s new messaging application for Android and iOS. No, it’s not a rebranded Hangouts. The two apps will exist independently alongside Duo, a video messaging app released in August. A lot of users are already stumped. Why need three apps when one (the most established) already does what the other two do? We’ll break it down for you.allo screenshot

 

The main purpose of Allo is one-on-one messaging, although group messaging is supported. It has a pleasantly simple layout and, way more importantly, optional end-to-end encryption. This “Incognito Mode” also features expiring chats (with settings ranging from 5 seconds to one week) and private notifications, meaning non-rich (displaying on your lock screen only that you have received a message). It has a real “secret agent” feel to it, and is obviously intended to steal some of the secure-messaging market share from BlackBerry. There has been some criticism from security experts, including one Mr. Snowden, regarding Allo’s encryption feature not being activated by default and requiring a special “mode” to be entered. More fun, less useful features include changes in text size (by long-pressing the send button until a small slider bar appears) and the ability to send a tiny Google Map with a dropped pin on your current location. Allo also has an odd “Smart Reply” feature that utilizes Google’s impressive machine learning algorithms to predict responses for you, depending on context and your previous replies. One example even showed Smart Reply suggesting responses to a received photo, allowing you to easily pretend to care about your friend’s child doing something mildly interesting. However, until Smart Reply gets to know you, the suggested replies are rather bland. Here’s a thrilling snippet of conversation between my editor and I using only suggested responses.

 

Allo’s main intention seems to be to show off a preview of the new Google Assistant, before it appears in Google Home (Google’s response to Amazon Echo) and future Android Wear smartwatches. It’s an expansion of Google Now, the system of “cards” showing information Google thinks you’ll be interested in combined with voice search. Assistant expands on that through Allo, turning the process into a two-way conversation (versus the prior “Let Me Google That For You” method) and…Assistant is pretty darn good at talking. Telling Assistant “I want to go to Boston” brings up landmarks in Boston along with suggestions to look up flights, hotels, and more. Complaining “I’m hungry!” shows you restaurants in the area along with ratings; a quick tap opens up Maps and drop a pin. You’ll also be asked what you’re in the mood for, and this information is saved for the future as the app gets to know you. Assistant, along with competitors Siri and Cortana, has a long way to go before being a true personal assistant (I tried getting it to book me a flight, to no avail) but it’s a step in the right direction for Google. This kind of competition is healthy and will push the three companies into making some serious breakthroughs in the future.

 

Duo is simply a spinoff of the Hangouts video chat, again using a streamlined layout. Android users have the “Knock Knock” feature, which shows the recipient the video feed of the caller before they pick up. Google says this is to “make calls feel more like an invitation rather than an interruption” but also means that you better get your finger out of your nose before you press the Call button (the feature can also be switched off). Duo streams video in HD 720p but also optimized depending on connection, and is able to seamlessly switch between WiFi and mobile data.

 

The most important thing about these new applications is that nothing is changed for those who don’t want it. This spinning-off isn’t like Facebook forcing you to download its Messenger app. Hangouts is still around and still feature-rich, but Allo is designed just for those who wish to text chat one-on-one (securely, if needed) or in small groups, and Duo for one-on-one video chat. The main focus of Hangouts will remain cross-platform functionality (being able to talk via a laptop or a cell phone), group chat and video chat, and free voice calling. Users are free to download one or all three and use them how they wish, and facilitates the sort of custom user experience Google is trying to expound through its Android platform.