Google’s newest messaging and video chat platforms, Allo and Duo respectively are poised to potentially fail — hard.
Google has Hangouts already, which is almost a complete product;yet, they’ve invested time, development dollars and more on two new separate apps (that are end-to-end encrypted, by the the way). The company is also touting the fact that these apps are “specialized” with the fact that they do one thing. Certainly an interesting notion.
The real issue here is that Google is confusing consumers, they don’t know if they should use Messaging, Hangouts or the new combination of Allo and Duo. Furthermore, we certainly do not know what OEMs will include on the devices that they ship once these apps are live. Will they include the apps made my Google or will they make their own terrible emulations of them (cue Samsung)? THAT is the issue. We need clear direction of where Google and Android want to take messaging as it has been a mess for years with many consumers simply sticking to whatever app is thrown on their device.
With the rollout officially underway, download these from the Play Store or App Store when they are available and give them a try.
So, when I am served ads in Google Chrome and other Google products, I understand, why because I’m feeding Google my search information, they don’t sell it –regardless of what you may think; however, at least I am getting something out of it, free software products. The issue here is when I am seeing a random ad in my Twitter or Instagram timeline, it is literally enraging. From sports ads to random apps that “I should” install are what I am presented and every time I click “I do not want to see this”.
Why do we see ads? That is the question. Simple. Companies that we are engaging with need to make money and money is made by ads being served, it helps the developers and companies continue forward and provide us with an app and service that we get to take advantage of — for free.
Does this mean that all companies are out to get you and your information? Yes and no. Most companies that retain your information for their use will formally let you know in the EULA’s (End User License Agreement) but I guarantee that you’ve never read one from end to end. Let’s start with Google for example. Google built their company off of the promise “Don’t be evil” — I won’t explain it here, just look it up. However, more and more that statement is becoming murkier and murkier and users complain that their data is being compromised; yet, let’s look at it a bit deeper, shall we? There are many companies whose names that we do not even know that track our every grocery bill and more; however, when we have an accessible company such as Google, we automatically assume that their are harboring data and selling it to everyone. I will tell you, yes you, that you are wrong. Google serves you ads and recommendations only off of information that you provide and only that way are they able to provide useful information and products in return. Let’s make the comparison here, the toolbar that you installed on Firefox or Internet Explorer will gather information and shoot it to a company you don’t know. Google on the other hand records your searches, reads your emails (which all email clients do, trust me) in order to provide you with useful services for free. Google Now, one fantastic service would be rendered useless if Google didn’t have that information. That boarding pass that has flight information, you’d never be notified when you got near the airport. That meeting that is scheduled for tomorrow, you’d forget about it if it wasn’t added already to your calendar. That ad for soap you saw that links you to Amazon, wouldn’t be fueled if you hadn’t searched for it.
This is information that you are providing and it only makes your experience better. Still unsure about Google’s privacy policy? Go here https://privacy.google.com/ and learn more, in fact all companies providing you free information and services you should examine their policies, that is even if they are as readily available as Google’s. Bottom line: Don’t be afraid until you know. You should want to know.
There are numerous beneficial things that came out of this years Google I/O. Usually there is a large Android release; however, this year, as with last year, we were given a solid preview for developers. There was so much to cover, so for this particular write up I will focus on main “Top 5”.
Google Home, the voice assistant that we’ve all been waiting for (at least I have) is finally here to help us in our daily lives. Essentially the Google Home product is powered by Google Assistant, which is a beefed up, more conversational version of our beloved Google Now. To paint the picture more clearly, picture an Amazon Echo, with all the power and integration of Google. Scary right? Well, let’s dive a little deeper. When we speak of a conversational piece is is seriously good. From being able to order movie tickets and drill down to determine movies that are appropriate for kids, this thing simply does it all. Furthermore, it also integrates seamlessly with Google Cast — think of the possibilities with all of the other Google products and future products.
Allo is the newest messaging service from Google that is tied to your phone number, basically this is an open iMessage. With the ability to “whisper” and “shout” by dragging up or down on the send button, could this finally be the messenger from Google that we’ve all been waiting for? Although, this is a big deal and a huge potential win for Google, it also proves how far they are behind in the messaging space. We have iMessage, WhatsApp and others, why do we even need this? One important thing to note is that Google already has Hangouts and Messenger. So a chat and an Internet messenger. The question is quickly raised, what happens to these other products? (Especially Google Hangouts) Hangouts has ties to Google Voice, so the hundreds of thousands of Google Voice users are left wondering, once again, what is going to happen as we have seen other apps and services go down in flames in the years before.
Duo is the FaceTime equivalent from Google that is tied to your phone number. Incoming calls are presented to the receiver by a preview that automatically appears on the screen (this could be problematic). The new service also features end to end encryption, which is becoming more and more of a need in a digital age where privacy is getting muddier and muddier. Note that both Allo and Duo will be released for Android and iOS.
The Google Play Store is finally coming to Chrome OS! You’ve been waiting for it and so have I. This is probably the second biggest news behind Google Home, in my opinion. This will be rolled out slowly to to specific Chrome OS devices then hopefully progress to a larger device take up. The reason why this is a big deal is because picture the Chrome App Store, paltry at best, right? Google Play Store has millions and millions of apps, games, movies and more — this is a BIG deal.
Android Wear 2.0. When Google first unveiled Android Wear, it was simple, focused and intuitive — this time it adds a few minor tweaks and a kludgy keyboard — yes a keyboard, I don’t like it at all. Android Wear is the best choice for an Android user that wants to stop constantly taking out their smartphones for updates and receive them right on their wrists. Any update is a good update — except the keyboard, take that out, Google.
All in all, it was an excellent time for developers, contributors and technology enthusiasts alike. For the entire 2016 keynote, take a look below:
Bottom line: There are a lot of great things to look forward to from Google this year, just note that most things are coming in the Fall, so be on the lookout!
So you’re looking for an unbelievable typing experience? Look no further than GBoard, by Google for iOS. Combining swype, Google search and ease of use, this keyboard is heaven-sent.
Installation
As with most apps on mobile operating systems, installation is quick and easy — GBoard is no different. On iOS you are greeted with setup screens which guide you through the proper ways of granting the app the needed access. From there, the app is setup and ready to use. In fact, I’d go the extra mile and remove the English keyboard (usually set as default) — this can be added again later if you want. (Note: Password entry is still limited to the iOS stock keyboard for security purposes.)
Day to day use
Nothing short of a dream. Coming from a generally superior typing experience on Android, the iOS stock keyboard has always been missing something and other keyboards that I tried just missed the mark.
If you’ve felt the same way, GBoard is for you. One of the best typing experiences on a mobile platform, ever.
Bottom line: Usually I give some middle of the road answer. There is no middle road here people, download the app.
More and more we are witnessing opinion pieces regarding the state of Android and the fact that updates (or lack thereof) puts Google’s mobile operating system in a bad place. Here are the facts, if you do not have a Nexus branded device (a Nexus device is a consumer focused smartphone or tablet that Google partners with a OEM to create) you may not ever receive an update. Samsung was notoriously bad for withholding OS level updates, which increase security and performance, from it’s devices — it has gotten better and in most cases many of the more popular OEMs have gotten better at providing updates to it’s consumers. Android updates pictured visually.
Let’s break down the current statistics on the version of Android running “in the wild”, please note that these numbers are based off of devices that access the Google Play Store.
The question here is, “Do operating system updates matter to the end consumer?”. I will answer here bluntly — yes, a resounding yes. Anything that potentially has the means to improve security, performance and overall stability of a device for free — you as a consumer should care about and not push away as if it is so annoying that you cannot standby for 5 minutes without your device to install the update. One of the biggest issues is that the update process for most devices is painfully slow and arduous, partially due to carriers and partially due to the fact that OEMs continue to muck up the operating system with unneeded skins and apps that take away from the experience that Google has laid out by the reference device line — Nexus.
There is an interesting article on ZDNet that notes that “no one wants yearly Android releases” (find it here) that notes that the interest in updates has weakened. TLDR; no one cares about the updates, OEMs only want to sell devices, carriers care about you giving them money, developers want to sell apps and Google only cares about new devices accessing the Play Store (note these opinions come from the article and are NOT aligned with how I feel about the Android udpate issue). This is a fairly poor opinion to take on the system updates issue because it is clear that Google also wants consumers to be safe, hence why there are monthly security patches that are pushed out to devices. The problem? Only Nexus devices and the latest devices seem to adhere to this promise of the updates (even Samsung is getting better).
What about everyone else? Sorry my friends.
When it boils down to it, the update process on Android is seriously flawed, seriously. Google has tried to make it better; however, sadly, it is too little too late as this should’ve been properly thought of and scaled out during the beginning phases of the operating system.
Bottom line: If you want to have the latest version of Android either buy a Nexus device or always purchase the latest and greatest device. I will strongly argue that security, performance and stability are a must; however, it is clear that not everyone shares this opinion.
Tech for the masses, meant to empower, educate and inform by Dexter Johnson.
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