Welcome to In Brief, the AndroidGuys tech briefing. Today is Thursday, October 18th, and we’re taking a look at all the tech news you need to know. In this post, we want you to learn about the news the way you want to learn. We’ve embedded a podcast version of all this news below. If you don’t want to listen, you can read just like you normally would.
In today’s edition, Google brings Digital Wellbeing to Android One, Keep Notes is refreshed, the Misft Vapor 2 is leaked in its entirety, and more.
We’d love feedback on this post, so please let us know what you think in the comments. If we can improve in some way, we’d love to know!
Digital Wellbeing coming to Android One handsets
With the release of Android Pie, Google introduced its new “Digital Wellbeing” initiative, along with an accompanying app. This has been only limited to Pixel devices, but Google is now bringing the app to Android One devices.
The latest update to the app on the Play Store, brings compatibility to Android One handsets. Those compatible devices must be enrolled in the beta program for Wellbeing, along with being updated to Android 9 Pie.
Google has been pretty quiet about whether this app will expand to more Android devices in the future. Until this changes, you’ll have to own a Pixel or Android One device to take advantage.
Google Keep receives Material Design 2 UI Overhaul
After being rebranded to Keep Notes on Android last month, a big UI redesign is now rolling out. Google has been slowly bringing its new Material Theme UI to various applications, and now Keep is joining in the fun.
When compared to the old version, the main background of the app is now white, and the card colors are a bit softer than before. There is also a new sidebar menu which gives you access to Notes, Reminders, Archive, Trash, and more.
The update is rolling out to users now and comes with a version number of 5.0.411.09. Users should be able to download the update in the coming days if it’s not already available.
Misfit Vapor 2 gets shown off ahead of official announcement
We are expecting to see a new fitness tracker from Misfit announced at any moment. It seems that the Vapor 2 has been leaked, revealing its overall design and a few key specs.
The listing reveals that the wearable will include a 5ATM rating, GPS, and heart rate monitor. There will also be two different screen sizes, but there will be a single band width of 20mm.
Pricing for these starts at around $265, but you can opt for a metal-link band for about $290. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like that these will include the new Snapdragon 3100 Wear chipset from Qualcomm.
The OnePlus 6T could work with Verizon
The OnePlus 6T is set to be unveiled in less than two weeks and we are continuing to learn more about the device. Previous rumors suggested the OnePlus was working with T-Mobile to provide the first official carrier partnership in the US.
However, the 6T may have another trick up its sleeve as PCMag is reporting that the device could work with Verizon. According to the report, the 6T includes LTE Band 13, which is “critical for good Verizon compatibility”.
Unfortunately, there’s no mention of whether Verizon is working on certifying the device. We’ll learn more in a couple of weeks when OnePlus unveils its more important device ever.
You can now control your Nvidia Shield TV with your Google Home
NVIDIA has announced a new update to the Shield TV which makes it possible to control your device with Google Home. This comes after a recent update which brought Google Assistant support to the Android TV device.
Once the update arrives, you can use your Google Home (or any other Assistant speaker) to perform various actions. These include turning the unit on or off, opening a specific app, adjusting the volume, and even more.
NVIDIA states that the update is starting to roll out today, and will be available on all Shield TV’s within the next month.
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by Andrew Myrick via AndroidGuys
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