Here are four Google apps that are more useful than you’d think

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By tech2 News Staff /  10 Mar 2017 , 13:56

Most of us just stick to the bare essential apps that usually come pre-installed on our devices. Various surveys in the past have even suggested that the majority of smartphone users install no more than one additional app per month on their devices.

There are, however, several Google apps that don’t come preinstalled on your devices that you really should install. They offer a number of features that can be extremely useful in ways that you didn’t think possible.

So here goes…

Android Device Manager

The Android Device Manager is the app you wished you’d installed when you lost your phone. This simple little app lets you track your Android device, reset the lock-screen password that you forgot and also remotely erase the data from your phone.

Some security software asks you to pay for services like this, but why should you when it’s already available for free? The app isn’t perfect, and needs a working data or Wi-Fi connection to function, but it’s still better than leaving your phone unsecured.

Download here

Wallpapers

You know how hard it is to find decent wallpapers for your smartphone. There are a number of third-party apps that will find wallpapers for you and there’s always Google, but did you know that there also is a first-party app that will take care of all your wallpaper needs?

Simply titled ‘Wallpapers’, this app accesses images from Google+, Google Earth and others and sets your wallpaper for you, including individual ones for your lock screen and home screen. You can set the app to change your wallpapers periodically as well.

While the app is well rated, there are some complaints that the library is a little thin at the moment.

Download here

Google Authenticator

With all these stories of leaks and hacked accounts flying around, securing your own Google accounts should be high up on your priority list. For this, Google offers two options. You can either enable two-step verification via SMS or you can use the Google Authenticator app.

SMS is good, but you’ll need to update your number every time you change a SIM, even when you’re travelling, which can be a pain. Google Authenticator fixes this minor inconvenience.

Once paired with your account, you can get Google to ask you for your authentication code every time you log in somewhere. The Authenticator will generate a random key whenever you want to log in to your account.

Download here

Google Arts and Culture

This isn’t a must-have app per se, but it’s a very educational one and can be very useful if you have a bunch of young ‘uns on your hands. The app is interactive and educational and even supports VR tours of collections and museums. What more do you need to keep the tiny tots busy?

Download here

Google cracks the whip on fake reviews, ratings on Play Store

By tech2 News Staff /  30 Nov 2016 , 14:45

Not many would consider buying a product, service, app or even watch a movie without referring to expert/consumer reviews. Our lives are dependent on online reviews, at least most of us would agree. It simply means gauging from the experience of people who have been there, done that. But, what if these reviews are a part of a foul-play, wherein a product seller or app developer is adding reviews to popularise his or her product.

Google has now announced some major improvement in the backend that will help identify fake reviews. It has basically improved the ways in which it identifies and removes fake reviews and ratings. Now, it can identify as well as remove more fake reviews and ratings with greater accuracy, Google claims.

Google wants app developers to promote their apps, but using legitimate promotion practices. So, the thumb rule is simple – reviews should come from genuine users, and developers cannot use techniques to manipulate it.

It is in line with the announcement on 31 October. “From time to time, we observe instances of developers attempting to manipulate the placement of their apps through illegitimate means like fraudulent installs, fake reviews, and incentivised ratings. These attempts not only violate the Google Play Developer Policy, but also harm our community of developers by hindering their chances of being discovered or recommended through our systems. Ultimately, they put the end users at risk of making wrong decisions based on inaccurate, unauthentic information,” Google had said.

This isn’t something new. In October 2015, Amazon sued over 1000 people for writing fake reviews. The lawsuit emphasised on how the false reviews damaged brand reputation and were inauthentic. Amazon said there were 1,114 defendants, termed “John Does” offering false review service for as little as $5 (£3.24) on the website Fiverr.com, with most promising five-star reviews for a seller’s products. It should be noted that Amazon sued the people, and not Fiverr.

In May 2014, Italy’s anti-trust board had fined TripAdvisor $600,000 over failure to stop fake reviews. TripAdvisor argued how it has process in place to detect fraudsters and also automated tools and algorithms that work against people trying to cheat the system. The extent at which we rely on online reviews, duping people into paying for something by calling it the best is nothing but a scam.

Google is improving Play Store with AI powered recommendations and more payment models

  03 Nov 2016 , 16:56

Alphabet Inc’s Google is redoubling efforts to help developers of Android mobile apps build their businesses as concerns mount that the app economy has reached saturation. Under the leadership of Sameer Samat, who rejoined Google earlier this year after a spell as president of wearable tech firm Jawbone, the company is sharpening Google Play store recommendations with artificial intelligence and expanding support for various payment platforms, among other initiatives.

Google’s efforts in some way mirror those of arch-rival Apple Inc, which revamped its App Store this year with quicker review times for new apps and an increase in the cut of revenue that goes to developers. Both companies face a chorus of complaints from developers who say they are struggling to stand out in a jam-packed field. Many smartphone users, meanwhile, appear to have tired of downloading apps altogether, especially as messaging services like Snapchat perform more of the functions that once required a separate app.

Games remain a focus of the Google Play store, and Nintendo Co Ltd is building a version of its popular Super Mario Run game for Android, said Samat, who leads product management for the Google Play store. The store is also expanding to new platforms, including wearable devices, virtual reality headsets and Google’s Chromebook laptops. “What we are excited about is giving developers that single entry point for more and more of the computing ecosystem,” said Samat.

Android Wild West

Google has eased the once-complicated process of developing apps for the Play store, said James Knight, a former Google employee who launched Pembroke, a consultancy that helps developers convert Apple-compatible iOS apps to the Android operating system. “The App Store has historically been a little more straightforward, and Android has been a bit more like the Wild West,” he said.

Mirroring the larger smartphone market, the Google Play store sees far more activity by virtue of its placement on the wide range of devices running the Android operating system – but Apple claims more of the profits. The Google Play store accounted for 70 percent of app downloads in the third quarter of this year, but Apple’s App Store logged 65 percent of the revenue, according to App Annie, a mobile analytics firm.

A big part of Google’s new effort involves emerging markets, where Android is stronger relative to the iPhone. The company has steadily expanded its support of direct carrier billing, a popular payment method in emerging markets where consumers often do not have credit cards. Google now offers the payment method in 47 markets. To improve app recommendations for users, the Play store has also made extensive use of machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence that gleans insights from vast troves of data. Google’s Play store and machine learning teams began collaborating three years ago, and a partnership was struck last year with Google Brain, a cutting-edge research project.

The jolt of artificial intelligence is welcome as developers hunt for an audience for their apps, said Greg Cohn, chief executive of Burner, which makes an app that provides temporary phone numbers. “The harsh reality is that there are a few apps that get the vast majority of people’s time and attention,” he said.

Reuters

Google delays Android Wear 2.0 until 2017

By Tim Schiesser on September 30, 2016, 9:30 AM




Google was originally expected to release the next major version of Android Wear late this year, however a recent post from the company has revealed the smartwatch operating system has been delayed until early 2017.

The Android Wear 2.0 developer preview program will continue throughout the rest of this year and in to 2017, with watches set to get the final build early next year. Google announced the availability of the third developer preview several days ago, and the company says another developer preview will be released before the update is sent to OEMs.

In the third developer preview, Google has added the Play Store to Android Wear 2.0. It may seem a little cramped, however users can now browse and install apps directly from their watch, rather than using the equivalent app on their smartwatch. Searching for apps is as easy as using voice commands, the tiny Android Wear keyboard, or handwriting.



The Play Store on Android Wear also allows you to install only the watch app, provided the app supports this feature of Android Wear 2.0. This prevents apps you only use on your watch from clogging up the app tray on your smartphone.

The choice to delay Android Wear 2.0 until next year seems to fit with the plans of major Android Wear OEMs such as LG, Motorola and Huawei, who decided to hold off releasing any new smartwatches during the fall. In early 2017 we could see a major relaunch of Android Wear complete with new devices running the updated operating system.

Why Can’t I Download Certain Apps on the Play Store?

Joel Lee September 29, 2016 6 minutes

Why Can’t I Download Certain Apps on the Play Email

Let me know if this has ever happened to you: you come across an article with one or more interesting Android apps and you go to download one of them… only to find that you can’t see it in the Play Store. You ask around and other people can see it, but you can’t.

This was a common question when Pokemon Go first came out (a number of people, myself included, couldn’t see it in the Play Store).

Or maybe you can see it but can’t download it for some reason. Or maybe it gets stuck. Regardless, there’s an app you want but can’t get. While these kinds of problems aren’t exactly common, they aren’t rare either. The good news is that there are workarounds. The bad news is that they aren’t always easy.

Device Restrictions

The most common explanation is that the developers of the app have simply marked it as “incompatible” for your device.

This doesn’t actually mean that the app won’t work on your device (though that’s certainly a possibility). The more likely reason why developers do this is because there may be weird glitches or bugs on particular models that can’t be fixed or the developers don’t have the resources to fix.

Image Credit: Bloomicon via Shutterstock.com

One way around this is to download the APK and force an install. Do this at your own risk, however, because there may actually be incompatibility issues that could harm your device in some way. (More likely you just won’t be able to access certain features.) You may also run into malware when doing this!How to Download an APK from Google Play to Bypass Restrictions How to Download an APK from Google Play to Bypass RestrictionsNeed to get your hands on the installable APK file for an app from Google Play? We got you covered.READ MORE

Also note that sometimes developers will mark an app as “phone only” or “tablet only”, which is just an easier way to make that app incompatible with a broader range of devices. That’s why some apps can’t be installed on your Moto G or Kindle Fire but will work fine on a Galaxy Tab.

Region Restrictions

The other most common explanation for an unavailable app is that you’re located in an unsupported region of the world. I know it seems unfair, but there are many apps that, for example, only work in the US — and in order to stave off clueless reviews, the developers made the app region-restricted.

Image Credit: Denys Prykhodov via Shutterstock.com

You could go ahead and try forcing an install for these kinds of apps as well, but region restriction is a bit more complicated than device restriction.

I mean, there’s no point to installing the apps for Hulu or Ally Bank if you live in France because even if you manage to get the app installed, you still won’t be able to create an account or use their services — so the only effective solution is to contact the developers and ask them to expand into more regions.

Missing Device Features

If you’re like me, then you like to avoid upgrading your device whenever new models come outbecause it’s an effective way to sidestep a lot of unnecessary spending. Unfortunately, if you’re toofrugal about upgrading your device, it won’t be long before you fall behind in specs and features.5 Tech Upgrades You Should Avoid (To Save Money) 5 Tech Upgrades You Should Avoid (To Save Money)READ MORE

Gyroscopes, accelerometers, ambient sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, proximity sensors, and even geomagnetic field sensors — these are all bits of hardware that may or may not be missing from your device, especially if you have a budget model or a device that’s several years old, and certain apps require these sensors to work properly.

The only real solution is to upgrade to a more modern device. This is why a lot of people actuallyupgraded their phones to play Pokemon Go. That’s the potential headache of being frugal with your gadgets and devices!

Outdated Android Version

Just as apps can have hardware requirements, many apps also have software requirements in the form of your current Android version.

Every new version of Android comes with a handful of new features and improvements that apps can take advantage of and use. If an app relies on one of these features, then it may not work at all, and there’s no point in allowing you to install the app.Everything You Need to Know About Android N Everything You Need to Know About Android NWant to install Android N or just learn about the next Android version? We've got your back.READ MORE

Image Credit: mirtmirt via Shutterstock.com

However, it’s more likely for apps to be labeled incompatible simply for the convenience of the developers. Underlying structural changes to Android from version to version may require developers to include workarounds for “backwards compatibility” — and instead of wasting valuable time on this, they may just mark the app incompatible.

As always, you can try to force an install, but don’t be surprised when certain features don’t work or when the app causes your device to crash. The better alternative is to update your Android version,assuming updates are available to you.Why Hasn't My Android Phone Updated Yet? Why Hasn't My Android Phone Updated Yet?The Android update process is long and complicated; let's examine it to find out exactly why your Android phone takes so long to update.READ MORE

Manufacturer-Specific Apps

A not-so-common hurdle is that some apps are produced and maintained by device manufacturers, and such apps are designed to take advantage of features that are only available on the manufacturer’s devices (or so they’d like you to believe).

The result? Some apps are only compatible with Samsung devices, or Motorola devices, etc. The good news is that most of these manufacturer-specific apps have alternative apps that you can use instead (and they tend to be better anyway) so don’t bother forcing an install or switching out your device unless you really want a particular app.Replace Samsung Apps With These Better Alternatives Replace Samsung Apps With These Better AlternativesWhether you have a Samsung device and want to avoid the built-in apps, or you just want some of those cool Samsung features, these are apps you should check out.READ MORE

Google Play Store Is Buggy

If you run into an app that appears compatible with your device (i.e., the Play Store allows you to download and install said app) yet the download doesn’t work for some reason, the problem may be elsewhere — like within the Play Store app itself.

If a download or installation isn’t working, run through these potential solutions in the order that they’re listed:

1. Log out of the Play Store app, open the device Settings and navigate to the Applications section, find and tap on “Google Play Store”, then tap on Clear Data and Clear Cache. Log back into the Play Store app and try again.
2. Uninstall the Play Store app (which will revert it back to factory settings and disable it), then re-enable the Play Store app and try again.
3. Reboot the device by holding the power button and selecting Reboot. This may solve temporary issues like another app’s update request being stuck and blocking your ability to download a new app.

If none of those solutions work, then the problem is likely elsewhere (not in the Play Store app) and the exact solution is beyond the scope of this article. Consider attempting to install the app using a non-Play Store method instead.10 Best Android Apps Not in the Play Store 10 Best Android Apps Not in the Play StoreThe Play Store isn't the end-all-be-all of Android apps. If you've never ventured outside of it, you're really missing out.READ MORE

Insufficient Storage Space

Apps take up a surprising amount of storage space. Just browsing through my own app list, I see that OneNote, Spotify, Maps, and Dropbox take up over 100 MB each while Groupon, SleepTime, YouTube, Gmail, and a bunch of other apps are using over 50 MB each.

It all adds up and can result in insufficient storage space on your device, especially if you’re using an older device (which is likely if you’re dealing with app incompatibility issues) — and when you don’t have enough space, apps can’t be downloaded or updated.

The only real solution here is to free up space on your device by uninstalling unused apps, moving photos and videos to external or cloud storage, deleting extraneous files, and clearing system and app

Which Apps Can’t You Download?

Now that we’ve shed some light, we hope you better understand why that app you want to download is incompatible with your device. Except for upgrading your device or downloading the app APK and forcing an install, there isn’t much you can do.