Android

• WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to send self-destructing voice messages, providing more privacy for sensitive conversations.
• The feature, currently available to beta testers, prevents recipients from forwarding, saving, recording, or exporting the voice note.
• While not officially available to all users yet, WhatsApp's track record suggests that this feature will eventually be widely implemented.

AndroidX libraries are moving to a default minimum supported Android API level 19 (previously 14) starting with releases in October, 2023. According to Play Store check-in data, nearly all Android users have devices on API 19 or newer, so it’s no longer necessary to support legacy versions. This change will help AndroidX libraries maximize the potential number of users for app developers and aligns with Google Play Services and Android NDK.

If you are currently supporting a lower minSdkVersion, we recommend increasing that value to 19 and cleaning up any code to support prior versions or if you are unable to do so for business reasons you should stay on the previous versions of AndroidX.

I got a push notification about how my Pixel just got more useful...yeah ok let's check this out. Turns out no, it's nothing new to me as Android 14 has been out for about a week now.

EXCEPT for a new "Immersive View" mode in Google Maps. It's just that I can't help but feel something here is wrong...missing even.

If you didn't see it, well I'm pretty sure the bridge doesn't have a huge structural gap in it.

How long before Google kills this feature?

archive.org archive link

• Google starts showing prompts to create and use passkeys to streamline the way you sign in to your personal account.
• You'll also see a new option to "skip password when possible" in your account settings page.
• Users will still be able to sign in with a password and can opt out of passkeys for the time being.

• It doesn't like Google will give us a budget-friendly Pixel device any time soon.
• Google's VP of mobile business Nanda Ramachandran told Der Standard that that it would involve making too comprises.
• But with the Pixel 8a on its way, we'll see how the upcoming addition to the Pixel A series will balance price and performance.

Obtainium allows you to install and update Apps directly from their releases pages, and receive notifications when new releases are made available.

Motivation: Side Of Burritos - You should use this instead of F-Droid | How to use app RSS feed

Currently supported App sources:

Open Source - General:
    GitHub
    GitLab
    Codeberg
    F-Droid
    Third Party F-Droid Repos
    IzzyOnDroid
    SourceForge
    SourceHut
Other - General:
    APKPure
    Aptoide
    Uptodown
    APKMirror (Track-Only)
    Huawei AppGallery
    Jenkins Jobs
Open Source - App-Specific:
    Mullvad
    Signal
    VLC
Other - App-Specific:
    Telegram App
    Steam Mobile Apps
    Neutron Code

• A new promo video of the Pixel 8 series surfaces online.
• The video highlights all the camera capabilities of the Pixel 8 Pro.
• They include AI-powered editing alongside Real Tone, Night Sight for video, and more.

The U.S. Department of Justice's 10-week antitrust trial against Google is underway, and it has the potential to spell big trouble for the Mountain View tech giant. The Justice Department, along with several individual states, claim that Google was able to reach its status as the dominant company in search through anti-competitive means. Now, the company has reached monopoly status and everything needs to be investigated.

Google's upcoming Made by Google event on October 4th will unveil the Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2, as showcased in a new teaser.

• Clubhouse, the once-popular live audio app, is relaunching with a new focus on voice messaging and group chats.
• The revamped Clubhouse emphasizes the speed and intimacy of voice communication, highlighting the benefits of tone and connection.
• The late revamp may struggle to compete in the crowded social app market.

• Gboard's Proofread feature is an innovative AI tool that detects spelling and grammar errors, proposing corrections and implementing them seamlessly.
• The feature is present for some users on Gboard v13.4, the latest beta version going live on the Play Store now.
• The proofreading process currently happens server-side, which may be a privacy concern for some.

However, a point of contention arises when one learns that the proofreading happens server-side. For the feature to operate, the typed text is sent to Google for processing. It would indeed be revolutionary if, in future updates, Google manages to bring this processing onboard without the need to offload it to its servers.

The Proofread feature isn't the only novelty Gboard has been experimenting with. There are rumblings about a feature that crafts stickers using AI. Additionally, another anticipated feature could aid users in rephrasing their messages in varying tones, ranging from formal to informal.