Google and Jetbrains have released the first stable build of Jetpack Compose 1.0, the new Kotlin-based UI framework for Android.
First announced over two years ago at I/O 2019, Jetpack Compose is a new framework for creating user interfaces for Android apps, co-developed by Google and JetBrains, the company behind Kotlin. As such, Jetpack Compose works exclusively with Kotlin, and not…
The latest version of Android Studio, codenamed Arctic Fox, is now out of beta and includes the ability to easily pair Wear OS emulators, as well as a variety of new tools for Jetpack Compose.
This year, Google has decided to tweak the way they handle the version number of…
Google will require vaccinations for employees working in offices, delays campus return
July 29, 2021
Sundar Pichai kicked off yesterday’s Alphabet Q2 2021 earnings call by encouraging “everyone to get the vaccine when it’s available to you.” In an internal memo today, the Google CEO announced that vaccinations will be required for employees working at offices.
In…
While Duplex is most known for calling on your behalf using a human-like voice to make appointments, the technology is also being used to speed up online interactions. Some Google Assistant users are now seeing Duplex on the Web help with “Fast checkout” when shopping.
Duplex is Google’s umbrella term for technology that handles tedious, multi-step tasks on a user’s behalf. Duplex on the…
Since last year, Google has been continually updating its iPhone and iPad apps with homescreen widgets. Google Maps is now the latest with version 5.74 seeing a pair of useful iOS widgets.
The first is a standard search widget called “Find places nearby.” Google has…
Google is sending out a promo email to select users of older Google Home and Nest speakers to offer a discount of $25 USD on Nest Audio. The email, which went out this morning, encourages an “upgrade to Nest Audio” for better sound quality and marks down the original…
Google Keep has not seen a major update in quite some time — outside of a new icon, though it is already a mature Workspace application. Google is working on a small feature that will let you customize the background of Keep notes.
Update 7/28: The ability to set background images in Google Keep is now widely rolled out after appearing for some users at the start of this week. Opening a note…
In addition to previewing the “Safety Section,” Google today issued the latest set of Play Policies. One upcoming change will see Google close inactive Play Store developer accounts “after 1 year of dormancy and additional factors.”
“Dormancy” includes…
Mamma mia! Nintendo announced today that it’s killing another mobile game. Dr. Mario World, which launched two years ago, will be discontinued on November 1, 2021, at 6 a.m. (UTC).
“Thank you for playing the Dr. Mario World game,” Nintendo notes. “The Dr. Mario…
Sofa media organizer for iOS gets major update w/ ‘The Shelf,’ sticky notes, advanced stats, and more
July 28, 2021
Sofa for iOS is a beautiful and powerful app to organize all the media and other things that you want to check out with rich artwork, widgets, and a great UI for not only keeping things tidy but also keeping track of what you’re consuming. Now Sofa is out with its big 3.0 update that comes with advanced features like sticky notes, more powerful stats/filters, The Shelf to prioritize content…
