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The latest news on all your favorite apps.
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Google’s updated Home app will show Nest Cam events in its feed
iOS release notes reveal that Google is making a couple changes to its Home app. Once updated, the Feed tab will show important activity from supported devices, like your Nest Cam. Last year, Google said users would be able to watch full video clips or listen to audio clips in the Feed tab, and this update could enable that.
'Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp' gets a 'New Horizons' crossover event
Nintendo is determined to build up hype for Animal Crossing: New Horizons ahead of its March 20th debut, and that includes bringing a taste of the game to the modern Animal Crossing game you can already play. It just kicked off a New Horizons crossover event in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp that gives you a feel for the Switch game's island setting. You can compete in Tom Nook's fishing tourney to get rewards for your campsite, catch "critters" from New Horizons and adorn your place with island-themed cosmetics.
Google is working on a native printing and scanning app for Chrome OS
Google is working on a native Chrome OS app for printing and scanning, according to 9to5Google. Even though Chromebooks are geared towards schools, they don't provide an easy way to see queued print jobs or to figure out the errors that prevent a printer from properly working. Google's Cloud Print made doing those possible, but the app is shutting down in 2021. Now, 9to5Google has discovered that the tech giant is working on a "Print Management app" for the platform. A Chrome OS specific flag in chrome://flags describes it as:
Whisper left users' details exposed in an open database for years
The once-popular app Whisper promises a place where you can share secrets anonymously. According to a Washington Post report, however, it left sensitive information that can be tied to users' confessions exposed to the public for years. Apparently, Whisper kept a non-password-protected database that allowed anyone to freely browse its records. Those records included users' age, ethnicity, gender, hometown, nickname and membership in groups, which were mostly about sexual confessions and sexual orientation discussions.
iOS 14 might let you scroll through apps in a list view
Apple appears to be working on a new homescreen option for iOS 14 that will allow users to view their apps in a list format. Leaked code, obtained by 9to5Mac, suggests that the list format will let users sort their apps with several filters.
A popular analytics platform secretly scraped user data via VPN apps
Popular analytics platform Sensor Tower has been secretly harvesting data from millions of people with Android and iOS ad-blocking and VPN apps, according to an investigation by BuzzFeed News. It's not clear that the apps -- which include Free and Unlimited VPN, Luna VPN and Adblock Focus -- were owned by Sensor Tower, nor were their users made aware that by using them they were exposing their data to potential risk.
Spotify's new home screen helps you get back to favorites
Spotify still isn't done revamping its mobile app. The music service is rolling out a "refreshed" mobile home screen for Android and iOS that makes it easier to return to favorites. You can catch up with the latest episode of a podcast, quickly fetch your gym playlist or otherwise find your go-to media without hunting. You'll still see new material to discover, such as the "Made For You" playlists and recommended albums -- it just won't be as prominent. The suggestions you see will change depending on the time of day.
Apple is rejecting coronavirus apps to limit virus misinformation
Apple and Google are taking measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus misinformation from apps, according to a report from CNBC. Apple, for one, is rejecting all coronavirus-related mobile apps that aren't from the government or official health organizations, developers told the news organization. Google Play, meanwhile, is blocking all searches for coronavirus, though it's not clear if it's completely blocking app approvals, as well.
Twitter users on Android can now pin lists to their Home feeds
Twitter's curated timeline algorithm is iffy, but the chronological timeline can turn into a mess, too. In September, the platform rolled out a feature that let iOS users quickly swipe between five pinned lists, as well as the Home timeline. This helped users create their own customized experience -- one could quickly scroll through the accounts that are most relevant to them and ensure they didn't miss anything important. Twitter assured Engadget that the same feature would come to Android shortly, and that day is finally here. The company announced that Android users should start seeing the new feature today.
Hulu's live TV service is finally available on the PS4
Starting today, you can watch Hulu + Live TV on your PlayStation 4 console. Live TV's PS4 debut comes nearly three years after Hulu first launched the service, and more than a month after Sony shut down its competing PlayStation Vue service. The company didn't say why it took it so long for it to bring Hulu + Live TV to Sony's console, but here we are and better late than never.
Moment stops work on its Android camera app due to complexity
You may have to be pickier about your choice of phone if you're a mobile photography enthusiast. Moment has stopped working on its Pro Camera app for Android due to a lack of "engineering bandwidth" (read: enough available staff) to develop the software properly. Simply put, it comes down to the complexity of the Android ecosystem. Phone makers frequently create custom Android versions with different levels of access to "select camera features," Moment said, leading to wildly varying feature compatibility lists -- and that's before accounting for OS updates that break these manufacturer changes.
Facebook removes Discover tab in Messenger to simplify chat
Do you spend your days browsing Facebook Messenger's Discover tab for bands, games and chatbots? No? You're not alone -- and Facebook is doing something about it. The social network has confirmed to TechCrunch that it's rolling out a Messenger redesign that axes the Discover tab, leaving just Chats and People. You'll also see People split into both active chatters and Stories, while Instant Games (to no one's surprise) and Transportation are gone from the chat composer's utility tray. Bots, games and other features aren't completely gone, but you will have to search for them.
Spotify redesign makes it easier to play, favorite and download music
Today, Spotify is rolling out three new icons in its iOS app. The icons are meant to make it easier to add albums to your playlists, download albums to listen offline and quickly shuffle songs.
Altice One brings its cable lineup to Apple TV
Altice One's cable offerings are now available on Apple TV 4K. Optimum and Suddenlink subscribers can access their favorite cable content directly through the Altice One app on Apple TV 4K. This is good news if you want to watch TV beyond your official box, and it offers a few added perks, like the ability to search Altice One programming via voice controls on the Siri Remote.
Uber's app update offers message translations and makes pickups clearer
Uber is introducing a couple of new features designed to make ride pickups easier for both drivers and passengers. Firstly, the app interface has had a refresh to put more focus and transparency on ride arrival status, and secondly, a new translation tool has arrived, making it easier for riders to communicate with drivers that don't speak their language.
GrubHub+ gets you free deliveries and cashback for $10 a month
GrubHub is launching a new subscription service. Starting today, you can pay $10 per month to get access to GrubHub+. Its main perks include unlimited free delivery and 10 percent cash back on orders. Additionally, if you donate through the company's Donate the Change program, it will match your contribution. It also promises priority support and "exclusive" access to in-app perks.
Samsung finally adds period tracking to its Health app
The Samsung Health app is finally offering a long-awaited feature: period tracking. According to SamMobile, Samsung is rolling out an update, version 6.9.0.055, which adds a new women's health category and allows users to track their menstrual cycles.
Amazon's first big 'Go' grocery store opens in Seattle with 5,000 products
Amazon's checkout-free Go concept has officially morphed into a supermarket. Amazon Go Grocery opens in Seattle today, with 5,000 items for sale across the 10,400-square-foot premises. Using a range of cameras, shelf sensors and software, shoppers can pick up the items they want and simply walk out the door -- their accounts are charged via a smartphone app as they leave.
Google fully explains why its apps aren't on new Huawei phones
Since last spring, the government's entity list ban against Huawei (and ZTE) has largely prevented US companies from working with them. Despite legal wrangling and trade negotiations between the two countries the ban is still in place, and in the case of Google, it means that while there are still updates and services available on older devices, any new Huawei phones (like the Mate 30 Pro, shown above) don't have access to its services. This has been the case for months now, but today Google posted a longer explanation, which it said was in response to continued questions about the issue. For end users, especially those outside the US and China, it might not be immediately clear why the usual suite of Google apps and services aren't on new Huawei phones and now there's at least a detailed official explanation to reference. It could also serve the purpose of warning off anyone planning on making a workaround available, like the LZ Play one that was blocked last year. Android & Play legal director Tristan Ostrowski also laid out the company's opposition to people sideloading its apps. According to him it's because Google can't certify new Huawei phones, due to the ban, and cited the risk of compromised security either in the devices or via an app that has been tampered with. While Huawei had hinted at replacing Android with its own OS, it's continuing to use Android, and replaced Google services with those of other companies like TomTom, for maps and navigation.
Peloton's iOS Chromecast support puts workouts on the big screen
Peloton users on iPhones and iPads can now play their workout videos on a bigger Chromecast-powered screen. The iOS application's latest update adds Chromecast support for the platform, a feature which used to be available only for Android users.