Android Q devices will get over-the-air security updates — but there’s a catch

Devices shipping with Android Q will receive over-the-air security patches without having to go through device manufacturers.

A lack of steady security updates has been a major pain point for Android users over the years. Google finally has a fix for the problem. At its annual developer conference Tuesday, the tech giant said it’ll bypass mobile makers and push security updates directly to devices.

The benefit is that users won’t have to wait lengthy periods for device manufacturers to test and quality assure the patches for their devices for fixes to critical security vulnerabilities that put users at risk.

Security updates for Android Q will be focused on 14 modules crucial to the operating system’s functioning — including media codecs, which have long plagued the Android software with a steady stream of security flaws.

There’s a catch — two, in fact.

Devices updating to Android Q will not work with over-the-air security updates and some manufacturers can opt-out altogether, according to The Verge which first reported the news, rendering the feature effectively useless. The new feature will also not be backported to earlier versions of Android. Google hasn’t updated its Android software version distribution pages for some months. Given that based on the figures available, more than half of all Android users are still on Android 5.0 Lollipop and earlier, it could take years for Android Q to match the same usage share.

Still, Google has to start somewhere. Android Q is expected out later this year.

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Android now has 2.5B users

At its I/O developer conference, Google today announced that Android now has over 2.5 billion users. That’s up from 2 billion the company announced two years ago.

This means overall Android growth remains on pace, though it’s not exactly accelerating. From September 2015 to May 2017, the company added about 400 million new users. It took another two years to add 500 million additional users.

Android remains the most popular mobile operating system, though over the course of the last few years, Google also invested in KaiOS, the outgrowth of Mozilla’s failed Firefox OS. We didn’t hear much about KaiOS at I/O so far, but there is a good chance that this platform will become more important over time as more users come online in developing countries, something Google is quite aware of.

Google has 2 billion users on Android, 500M on Google Photos

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Apple Watch may be getting more independent at WWDC

Apple may be preparing some tweaks to watchOS that will leave you fumbling for your phone less often.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman just published a long list of software tweaks his sources say are coming to iOS, watchOS and macOS at WWDC. One of the most interesting takeaways from the report is that Apple is reportedly planning to remove one of the final Watch/iPhone dependencies and will be bolstering up some of its stock apps.

Apple may be adding a watchOS version of the App Store to the wrist computer, allowing users to add third-party capabilities to the Watch without having to delve into the Watch app on their iPhones.

Additionally, Bloomberg reports that watchOS will be getting version of some iOS stock apps that weren’t previously available, including the Calculator app, Voice Memos, Apple Books (for audiobooks) and functionality to send Animoji/Memoji stickers. The company will reportedly also be adding a pair of health apps, one called “Dose,” that helps users keep track of taking pills and “Cycles” an app to track menstrual cycles.

WWDC begins June 3, TechCrunch will be there to provide you with all of the updates to Apple’s software ecosystem.

iOS reportedly getting its very own swipe-to-type keyboard

from Apple – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2VikZnp

iOS reportedly getting its very own swipe-to-type keyboard

Apple may be bringing an Android favorite to iOS at its software developers conference next month. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has published a big list of little software tweaks his sources say are coming to iOS at WWDC.

One of the more interesting notes is that Apple is reportedly going to be releasing its own swipe-to-text keyboard on iOS, something that has long been natively supported in Android. Users would no longer have to tap away on their keyboards in order to text and would be able to use the first-party keyboard to type just by dragging their finger between letters to form words.

Users desperate for the functionality on iOS haven’t had to look far as it’s been supported by adding a third-party keyboard through the App Store and enabling it in settings. We’ll see if Apple has anything new to bring to the keyboard’s mechanics.

WWDC begins June 3.

Apple Watch may be getting more independent at WWDC

from Apple – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2J1Agm1

Where top VCs are investing in media, entertainment & gaming

Most of the strategy discussions and news coverage in the media & entertainment industry is concerned with the unfolding corporate mega-mergers and the political implications of social media platforms.

These are important conversations, but they’re largely a story of twentieth-century media (and broader society) finally responding to the dominance Web 2.0 companies have achieved.

To entrepreneurs and VCs, the more pressing focus is on what the next generation of companies to transform entertainment will look like. Like other sectors, the underlying force is advances in artificial intelligence and computer power.

In this context, that results in a merging of gaming and linear storytelling into new interactive media. To highlight the opportunities here, I asked nine top VCs to share where they are putting their money.

Here are the media investment theses of: Cyan Banister (Founders Fund), Alex Taussig (Lightspeed), Matt Hartman (betaworks), Stephanie Zhan (Sequoia), Jordan Fudge (Sinai), Christian Dorffer (Sweet Capital), Charles Hudson (Precursor), MG Siegler (GV), and Eric Hippeau (Lerer Hippeau).

Cyan Banister, Partner at Founders Fund

“In 2018 I was obsessed with the idea of how you can bring AI and entertainment together. Having made early investments in Brud, A.I. Foundation, Artie and Fable, it became clear that the missing piece behind most AR experiences was a lack of memory.

from Apple – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2H5r7GJ

Google refreshes Android Auto with new features and a darker look

Android Auto — the in-car platform that brings the look and functions of a smartphone to the vehicle’s central screen — is getting a new look and improved navigation and communication features that will roll out this summer.

The improvements and new look were revealed Monday during Google I/O 2019, the annual developer conference.

The most noticeable change might be the overall look of Android Auto. It now has a dark theme, new fonts and color accents designed to make it easier for drivers to quickly and more easily see the content on the car’s central screen.

The new version of Android Auto has also improved its notifications. Drivers can choose to view, listen and respond to messages and calls more easily.

Engineers have updated the software to make it more seamless. The system, if properly enable, would pop up on the car’s screen once the vehicle was turned on. However, the user would still have to restart their media or navigation option. Now, Android Auto will continue playing the media and navigation app of the driver’s choice. Drivers can  tap on a suggested location or say “Hey Google” to navigate to a new place.

The navigation bar on Android Auto has changed as well. Drivers will be able to see their turn-by-turn directions and control apps and phone on the same screen.

Finally, the platform has been adjusted so it will fit various sized-screens. Android Auto now maximizes the in-car display to show more information, like next-turn directions, playback controls and ongoing calls.

Android Auto is not an operating system. It’s a secondary interface — or HMI layer — that sits on top of an operating system. Google released Android Auto in 2015. Rival Apple introduced its own in-car platform, Apple CarPlay, that same year.

Automakers that wanted to give consumers a better in-car experience without giving Google or Apple total access quickly adopted the platform. Even some holdouts, such as Toyota, have come around. Today, Android Auto is available in more than 500 car models from 50 different brands, according to Android Auto product manager Rod Lopez.

Google has since developed an operating system called Android Automotive OS that’s modeled after its open-source mobile operating system that runs on Linux. Instead of running smartphones and tablets, Google modified it so it could be used in cars. Polestar, Volvo’s standalone performance electric car brand, is going to produce a new vehicle, the Polestar 2 that has an infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS.

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Google refreshes Android Auto with new features and a darker look

Android Auto — the in-car platform that brings the look and functions of a smartphone to the vehicle’s central screen — is getting a new look and improved navigation and communication features that will roll out this summer.

The improvements and new look were revealed Monday during Google I/O 2019, the annual developer conference.

The most noticeable change might be the overall look of Android Auto. It now has a dark theme, new fonts and color accents designed to make it easier for drivers to quickly and more easily see the content on the car’s central screen.

The new version of Android Auto has also improved its notifications. Drivers can choose to view, listen and respond to messages and calls more easily.

Engineers have updated the software to make it more seamless. The system, if properly enable, would pop up on the car’s screen once the vehicle was turned on. However, the user would still have to restart their media or navigation option. Now, Android Auto will continue playing the media and navigation app of the driver’s choice. Drivers can  tap on a suggested location or say “Hey Google” to navigate to a new place.

The navigation bar on Android Auto has changed as well. Drivers will be able to see their turn-by-turn directions and control apps and phone on the same screen.

Finally, the platform has been adjusted so it will fit various sized-screens. Android Auto now maximizes the in-car display to show more information, like next-turn directions, playback controls and ongoing calls.

Android Auto is not an operating system. It’s a secondary interface — or HMI layer — that sits on top of an operating system. Google released Android Auto in 2015. Rival Apple introduced its own in-car platform, Apple CarPlay, that same year.

Automakers that wanted to give consumers a better in-car experience without giving Google or Apple total access quickly adopted the platform. Even some holdouts, such as Toyota, have come around. Today, Android Auto is available in more than 500 car models from 50 different brands, according to Android Auto product manager Rod Lopez.

Google has since developed an operating system called Android Automotive OS that’s modeled after its open-source mobile operating system that runs on Linux. Instead of running smartphones and tablets, Google modified it so it could be used in cars. Polestar, Volvo’s standalone performance electric car brand, is going to produce a new vehicle, the Polestar 2 that has an infotainment system powered by Android Automotive OS.

from Apple – TechCrunch https://tcrn.ch/2LpUpE2