Android - page 6

Nintendo brings Miitomo game to U.S. and Europe

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Miitomo on iPhone.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Miitomo
Miitomo on iPhone. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Nintendo’s first smartphone game is finally available to download in the U.S. and Europe, two weeks after making its debut in Japan.

Miitomo, which lets you create your very own Mii and socialize in a virtual world, is free to play on both Android and iOS.

Government is on a coast-to-cast phone-unlocking rampage

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The government has big plans for the All Writs Act.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC
apple-samsung-iphone-galaxy-patent-war
The government has big plans for the All Writs Act. Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr CC

Right from the start, the current iPhone vs. FBI standoff has revolved around whether it was focused on unlocking one specific handset or setting a precedent that would allow the Justice Department to unlock any phone it wanted.

Well, if you wanted evidence that the government is using the All Writs Act to try and force Apple and Google to unlock a whole lot of smartphones around the U.S., look no further than the below infographic.

Amazon cracks down on bad USB-C cables that can kill your gadgets

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Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Amazon makes buying USB-C cables safer. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Amazon has started cracking down on crappy USB-C cables that could damage your smart devices.

The retail giant now prohibits cables that do not comply with standard specifications laid out by USB Implementers Forum Inc. 

Apple says Samsung illegally won patent reversal

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Samsung
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The Apple vs. Samsung legal case rages on. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

The Samsung vs. Apple patent war has been raging for years now, but it took an interesting twist recently when a three-judge panel in federal appeals court reversed a $120 million jury verdict in favor of Apple.

The reason it’s interesting? Because, according to Apple at least, doing so was a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Massive Snapchat revamp brings real voice and video calling

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Snapchat just got a major update.
Snapchat just got a major update.
Photo: Rob LeFabvre
Grab Snapchat 2.0 today! Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Android
Grab Snapchat 2.0 today! Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Android

The Snapchat revamp you’ve been reading so much about in recent months has landed.

Dubbed “Chat 2.0,” and available today on Android and iOS, it finally brings voice and video calling, improved Snapchat Stories, and 200 brand new stickers.

Samsung Pay arrives to take on Apple in China

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Samsung Pay has arrived.
Photo: Samsung
Samsung Pay has arrived. Photo: Samsung
Samsung Pay has arrived. Photo: Samsung

After almost two years of planning, Apple finally launched Apple Pay in China last month — and, wouldn’t you know it, Samsung’s keen to catch up!

To that end, the company officially launched Samsung Pay in China today, partnering with the state-backed China UnionPay to do so.

And, right away, it claims that it will be available in more places than Apple’s rival system.

Google Maps shows you where Batman hangs his cape

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Google Maps Batcave
Ummm ... spoilers? Thanks a lot, guys.
Photo: Google

Google Maps has rolled out something special for the premiere of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice this weekend: You can take a stroll around the film versions of Bruce Wayne’s house and Batman’s lair through Street View.

The tour contains a lot of surprises for long-time Batfans who have been keeping cold on the new film. For one thing, did you know that Batman is secretly Bruce Wayne? It’s crazy. Even stranger than that is the fact that while the film places Gotham City somewhere in New Jersey, Google Maps puts it on the border of a dog park in southern Michigan.

Google beefs up Gmail security to keep your emails private

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Google-Chrome
Much tighter rules are designed to keep you safe.
Photo: Google
Gmail is safer than ever. Photo: Jay Wennington/Unsplash
Gmail is safer than ever. Photo: Jay Wennington/Unsplash

As Apple fights to keep the FBI out of our smartphones, Google is making our emails even more secure.

The company today confirmed a number of new protections for Gmail users, including stronger encryption, better notifications, and more.

No, Samsung Gear S2 is not getting iPhone support today

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Nope. Not yet.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Nope. Not yet. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Nope. Not yet. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Everyone thinks Gear S2 is getting support for the iPhone today, and it’s all thanks to Verizon. But in actual fact, that’s not the case.

While Samsung’s latest smartwatch will be iPhone-compatible at some point, you’ll have to wait a little while longer for it.

Holy smokes! Sony is bringing PlayStation games to mobile

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PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone.
Photo: Sony
PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone. Photo: Sony
PlayStation greats are coming to your smartphone. Photo: Sony

Days after Nintendo launched its very first smartphone game, another gaming giant has announced it will start making mobile games.

Sony has formed a new company called ForwardWorks Corporation that’s dedicated to bringing PlayStation greats to Android and iOS.

Google Photos now smartly sorts your snaps automatically

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Your vacation snaps can now be viewed on the big screen.
Smarter albums now available in Google Photos.
Photo: Google
Google Photos smart albums
Smarter albums now available in Google Photos. Photo: Google

Taking lots of photos when you’re doing some fun is great, but sorting them when you go home is not. But now you don’t have to.

Use Google Photos and it takes care of organization for you, with smart albums that are made up of your best images from every event.

Android Pay takes its battle against Apple Pay to the U.K.

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Android Pay is expanding its reach.
Photo: Google
Android Pay is expanding its reach. Photo: Google
Android Pay is expanding its reach. Photo: Google

Android Pay, Google’s answer to Apple Pay, is finally expanding to new markets.

Google has announced that the service will be making its debut in the United Kingdom “in the next few months,” and it will launch with support from a long list of banks and retailers.

Where is Android’s answer to iPhone SE?

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With iPhone SE, Apple delivers something Android doesn't.
Photo: Apple

Die-hard Android fans probably had little interest in Apple’s keynote Monday, but believe it or not, plenty will be interested in the new iPhone SE.

With high-end specifications and a 4-inch display, it’s a compact smartphone for those who want the latest features without a supersized screen — and there’s nothing like it on Android.

Can Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 convert a hardcore iPhone fan?

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iOS and Android are killing off the competition.
Two giants going head to head.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
Two giants going head to head. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Android
Two giants going head to head. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Android

After unboxing and filming the review for the Samsung Galaxy S7, I realized that I had never used Android as a daily driver. I had always sided with iOS in any “fanboy” debates, and I had never given the little green robot a chance.

To change this, I set myself the challenge of using Android and the S7 for a week as my primary smartphone. Check out the video down below to see how it worked out.

Apple says Android Marshmallow is as squidgy as its name suggests

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Surprise! Android update rates pale in comparison to iOS.
Photo: Google

It seems there is little that Apple enjoys more than poking Google with a big stick, and the company’s been at it again, reminding everyone that just 2 percent of devices running Android are updated to the latest Marshmallow release.

During its big iPhone and iPad event this morning, Apple trotted out execs to peddle its wares, but the company just couldn’t help taking a swipe at the competition.

Samsung Gear S2 to gain iPhone support this month

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iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
iPhone is getting a new companion in Gear S2. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

Samsung’s Gear S2 smartwatch will get an update that adds iPhone compatibility by the end of this month, according to a new report.

The move will allow Samsung to compete with the Apple Watch in its own backyard, but some features — such as Samsung Pay — will be lost when the wearable is connected to iOS.

Twitter turns 10 years old today

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Twitter in its earliest days.
Photo: Twitter
Twitter in its earliest days. Photo: Twitter
Twitter in its earliest days. Photo: Twitter

Twitter turns 10 years old today — with the company having been founded back in the halcyon days of March 2006, when V For Vendetta had just arrived in theaters, James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” was being played on repeat by every radio station, and the iPhone was still an excited rumor on tech sites.

#ManyHappyReturnsOnYourBirthday.

Apple Watch will stay ahead in smartwatch race, but look out for Android Wear!

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Apple Watch will continue to lead, but don't expect its current lead to stay the same.
Photo: Apple
Apple Watch will continue to lead, but don't expect its current lead to stay the same. Photo: Apple
Apple Watch will continue to lead, but don’t expect its current lead to stay the same. Photo: Apple

In terms of marketshare, the Apple Watch’s watchOS compared to Google’s Android Wear is likely to follow a similar trajectory to iOS and Android.

In other words, while Apple is dominating right now in smartwatch shipments, that balance promises to shift somewhat over the coming years as new low-cost competitors enter the market.

WhatsApp beta adds support for bold and italic text

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whatsapp-beta-adds-support-for-bold-and-italic-text-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201603WhatsApp-text-formatting-jpg
Bold and italics in WhatsApp.
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Bold and italics in WhatsApp. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android
Bold and italics in WhatsApp. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Android

WhatsApp makes it easy to express yourself with emojis and images and other kinds of modern media — but what if you prefer the good old written word?

Until now, the platform has only supported basic text with zero formatting options. But in the latest WhatsApp beta, users have the option to use bold and italic text in their messages.