CorysTechTime

Typically Google releases the Android Security Patch on the first Monday of every month and here we are. The February 2021 Google Android Security update is now available to Pixel 3 devices and newer. I tend to look forward to the Google Feature drops for Pixels and we should get one next month.  More details on the February update can be found below.   Happy updating! Link(s) Google

  Not sure if this is new or not but there is some new iconography in Gmail for the web. I use the web version of Gmail daily and haven't noticed this change until this afternoon. The new-look pretty much matches what's available on the Android app. This may be an A/B test or server-side push so don't fret if you don't have it yet. Have a good weekend folks!

  I tend to look forward to these updates. Cool thing is that they come every six weeks or so. Check out some of the highlights Google mentioned in their blog post. Faster and easier web sign-in - Now you can securely sign in to websites with the PIN or fingerprint you’ve set up to unlock your Chromebook with our new Web Authentication (WebAuthn) feature. Lock screen enhancements with a Screen saver - You can use your lock screen to check information like the current weather and what music is playing; you’ll also be able to pause a track or skip songs without unlocking your device. Link(s) Google

With Chrome apps set to cease to exist in the near future on Chrome OS. Here are the Google apps I wish to get PWA support. Google Keep - My go-to notes app and offline support would be great. The Android app does the job but this is one app students such as myself can benefit from having an app built with Chrome OS on top of mind. This is one app I can see being improved with updates to the Android app. Google Calendar - Offline support was recently announced so I assume PWA support may be around the corner. Youtube Music - I'm not sure how likely it is for this app to have PWA support but it would be great. One issue off the back I can see is with offline support especially for those who wish to have music saved locally. My guess the Android app will receive better support on Chrome OS and a major makeover to match the web version.  To a lesser degree Gmail - Don't get me wrong PWA support would be dope but I’d be more interested in multi-account support similar to the Androi

The Play Store on the Web and the Android app are clearly from two different eras. The Play Store on the web is card-based and doesn't really fit in with the current Material Design or Material Theme being used on the Play Store Android app. The Android version has this clean, minimal, and white background when the light theme is applied. The same clean, minimal, and black background when a dark theme is in use.   So this has me wondering if this is the year we will get an update to the web Play Store. Functionality wise it works as intended but I for one would like to see some consistency with the Android version. Last year, Google mentioned some unrelated changes are coming to the Play Store and I hope an updated web client is part of a bigger story. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for this one.

  I've been using Google TV on the new Chromecast w/Google TV and been enjoying it. On its surface, the Google TV app is no different from any similar service. It suggests content and some of the suggested movies and shows are based on your watch history. But Google sets itself apart with the best organization of content and where those recommendations are coming from on any app or service. At least for me! Here is a couple of stand out features that would be hard not to have. On the TV Google TV as far as I can tell is about the same on the new Chromecast, however, there is one section I have yet to find in the Android app and that's Trending on Google . Here you will find are the most searched shows on Google and relevant to the streaming services you use. I found so many movies I forgot were coming out or never watched and found interesting. Pandemic much. The list of movies and shows in the section have some paid content but is still based on your interest. Please bring thi

Google completes its Fitbit acquisition after many months of scrutiny. In a blog post, Rick Osterloh announced today that the deal is now complete and Fitbit is officially part of Google.  Rick Osterloh says... "This deal has always been about devices, not data, and we’ve been clear since the beginning that we will protect Fitbit users’ privacy. We worked with global regulators on an approach which safeguards consumers' privacy expectations, including a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads and th is data will be separated from other Google ads data". "Together, we can make health and wellness more accessible to more people. We’re confident the combination of Fitbit’s leading technology, product expertise and health and wellness innovation with the best of Google’s AI, software and hardware will drive more competition in wearables and make the next generation of devices better and more affor

  It's around this time of the year where I start to look at what apps and services I'm using and if there are better alternatives. The past few years I've been open to trying new RSS readers because I find what's currently available are subpar at best. Maybe it's me and should seek out a more modern way to get my news. I hear many people say that they get their news from Twitter but I'm not on social media all that much and I don't foresee that changing. I guess I'm old school in that I prefer to sit down with my laptop and go to a website and find the news I'm looking for from my go-to sites in one place. However, the offering currently just seems to have some glaring issues that may be resolved if I paid for them. One problem I'm finding is that some articles do not appear in my current RSS reader of choice. The other thing I'm seeing is that articles are not appearing in real-time. Some articles appear hours later or as I previously state

If it hasn't already it will soon. Google One appeared in my Google launcher app this evening. I like how Google is steadily adding more links to their apps and services. Stadia was added a little while ago and now Google One is the latest addition. Makes me wonder though, where is Youtube Music?