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One of AI's biggest changes is already here
LLMs have changed how data is accessible online, and it's here to stay.
The world didn't change when ChatGPT launched to the public in November 2022. But in the tech space, it certainly felt like it. Most people were familiar with algorithms, fewer with Machine Learning, and an even smaller margin were familiar with reinforcement learning. These algorithms were black boxes, spooky bits of mysterious technology inside big-tech companies designed to push relevant ads. But overnight, ChatGPT took over the tech news cycle as increasingly impressive demos of its capabilities were being discovered. Overnight, people were enamored by the power of large-language models, from debugging code to writing cover letters. AI rapidly moved from slowly building hype to being the newly established frontline of tech.
Android's new Credential Manager API aims to simplify the sign-in experience across apps
An alpha release of the Jetpack API is now available to app developers
Android apps support various authentication methods to help you sign in to your account. You can sign in with your username, phone number, or biometrics or use federated sign-in solutions like Sign-in with Google. In addition, you can also set up passkeys for your accounts to simplify sign-ins. While having so many options to sign into apps is a bonus, Google wants to make things a bit simpler who don't want to bother with the different interfaces each option presents. To that end, the company has released the Credential Manager API.
Google blocked 1.2 million privacy-violating apps from the Play Store in 2021
Google has highlighted all the changes it introduced last year to protect Android users from malicious apps and developers on the Play Store
In a bid to provide Android users a safer experience on the Play Store, Google made a ton of changes over the last year. The company has highlighted some of these changes in a recent blog post and explained how they protect users from malicious apps and developers on the Play Store.
Android 12 adds APIs for Bluetooth LE Audio, paving the way for better Bluetooth audio
Android 12 brings along support for Bluetooth LE Audio, completing the equation for a more robust bluetooth audio experience in the future.
Unless you've been living under a rock since yesterday, you know that Google I/O 2021 is underway. This is the biggest Google event of the year, and although it focuses on developers more than it does on consumers, the announcements made therein are relevant to both demographics. One of these announcements is for Android 12 adding in an API for Bluetooth LE Audio, which is a significant announcement that will greatly enhance the end-user experience when using Bluetooth earphones and other audio devices.
[Update: Launched] Twitter is revamping its API with much-requested features for 3rd-party apps
Twitter API v2 is a new foundation, which has been rebuilt for the first time since 2012. Some important changes will affect 3rd-party apps.
Twitter is having an interesting week, to say the least. A day after numerous high-profile accounts were hijacked to promote cryptocurrency scams, leading to Twitter temporarily halting new tweets from many verified accounts, the social media company is announcing some big changes to its API. Twitter API v2, as they are calling it, is a new foundation that has been rebuilt for the first time since 2012. Some important changes will affect 3rd-party apps that we know and love.
Google's Digital Ink Recognition API in ML Kit enables handwriting and drawing recognition
Google has launched the new Digital Ink Recognition API for the ML Kit SDK that will allow developers to add handwriting/drawing recognition to their apps.
About a month ago, Google made some significant changes to its ML Kit SDK (Software Development Kit) to make mobile development with machine learning easier for developers. The company decoupled ML Kit's on-device APIs from Firebase and made them available under a separate SDK, added Android Jetpack Lifecycle support to all APIs, and announced an early access program to give developers access to upcoming APIs and features. Now, the company has launched the Digital Ink Recognition API on Android and iOS, to allow developers to create apps in which stylus and touch act as inputs.
Google's new In-App Review API lets developers ask for Play Store reviews without leaving the app
Google launches new In-App Review API that will let developers ask for Play Store reviews without redirecting users to the Play Store listing.
In an APK teardown of the Play Store app (v15.9.21) late last year, we learned that Google was working on a way to let users review Play Store apps through an in-app dialog. This new feature will help users rate an app without the need to head over to the app's Play Store listing. Google has now launched the In-App Review API, which will allow developers to add the in-app review dialog to their apps.
HMS Core 5.0 introduces an AR Engine, Computer Graphics Kit, Accelerate Kit and more improvements
Huawei's HMS Core has received an update to v5.0, bringing along new kits like AR Engine, Computer Graphics Kit, and many other changes! Read on for more!
Huawei Mobile Services, or HMS, is Huawei’s alternative to GMS, and it similarly consists of user-facing applications as well as core background services. HMS provides an experience that is consistent across devices and independent of the platform version. The HMS ecosystem is comprised of HMS Apps, the HMS Core, and the HMS Capabilities that the Core enables through its available APIs. The latest milestone update to HMS Core 5.0 introduces several APIs and improvements to existing APIs.
Android 11 will introduce a new "App Compatibility" Developer Option to help devs test new platform changes
Android 11 will come with a new "App Compatibility" setting in Developer Option, making it easier for app developers to test platform behvaior changes.
Every year at Google I/O, Google highlights some of the most exciting changes coming to the next version of Android. While most users judge Android versions by the visual changes that affect their experience, each Android update also comes with a ton of changes to APIs and platform behavior. These changes are important for app developers to take note of and to prepare their apps for, as they can fundamentally alter the ways in which their apps can be consumed by end-users. With the next version of Android, Android 11, Google will make it easier for developers to test and prepare their apps for upcoming changes with a new "App Compatibility" setting in Developer Options.
ARCore's Depth API helps create depth maps using a single camera
Google ARCore Depth API helps developers create depth maps through depth-from-motion algorithms, to enable features like occlusion on single camera devices.
Google ARCore, which was recently renamed to Google Play Services for AR, is Google’s attempt at expanding Augmented Reality and its experiences to more and more devices without the need for specialized niche hardware, unlike the erstwhile Project Tango. Google is now making ARCore more immersive for a wider variety of devices through the new Depth API.
Huawei Ability Gallery is Huawei's comprehensive service distribution platform
Huawei Ability Gallery is Huawei's comprehensive service distribution platform. Here is a primer explaining various abilities and touchpoints. Check it out!
Back in May 2019, the US government put Huawei on the entity list, forcing US companies to cease business with the Chinese giant. Consequently, Google had to withdraw its business and support from one of its key Android partners, leaving Huawei with the monumental task of building a Google-less world for its users. Many OEMs have tried to do so before, but most such attempts were in the face of prosperity when failure was still an option. Huawei's journey on this end began during favorable times when it still could miss and slip, but the situation has devolved politically over the past few months. Now, Huawei cannot fold, and the company is betting all of its chips on its own homegrown alternatives. The Huawei AppGallery offered itself as an alternative to the Google Play Store, providing both developers and users a way to distribute and procure apps on Huawei and Honor devices. In a similar fashion, the HMS Core acts as an alternate for GMS Core and Google Play Services, providing developers with the needed APIs to build powerful apps and deliver functionality that users have grown accustomed to. The next leg in Huawei's software ecosystem strategy is the Huawei Ability Gallery - a service that seeks to extend contextual support (suggested actions based on current information) from developers to users, and Huawei Assistant -- the service that presents these endpoints to the users.
HMS Core on Android is Huawei's alternative to Google Play Services
HMS Core on Android is Huawei's attempt at providing functionality similar to GMS Core and Google Play Services. Check out how the company aims to do so!
The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is objectively one of the best hardware releases of this year, featuring practically every meaningful innovation in the phone world so far, and introducing a fair few of its own. However, despite offering one of the best sets of features available on an Android smartphone, it cannot be recommended to a large swathe of users. And the blame for such an exclusion lies solely on the political situation between Huawei and the USA, which has forced the company to release an otherwise-excellent piece of hardware without the most crucial bit of functional Android: Google Play Services. The world could do nothing but watch as an Android giant attempted to figure out its way in a Google-less world. Huawei needed functional and reliable alternatives for itself and its users, and it needed them yesterday.
OPPO will let third-party camera apps use its beauty and HDR functions thanks to Google's CameraX API
OPPO has announced that it will support the Google CameraX API, allowing third-party camera apps to make use of the Reno's beauty and HDR functions.
Google's CameraX API is something that was revealed at Google I/O this year and came as a welcome relief for developers with a passing interest in camera applications. The complexity of the previously released Camera2 API - despite being a massive improvement over previous iterations - was still beyond belief. CameraX is aimed at developers who may not be developing camera applications full-time, and instead, want to take a more casual approach.
Google's Manifest V3 will change how ad blocking Chrome extensions work: Is it to cripple them, or is it for security?
The upcoming Manifest V3 for Google Chrome Extensions will change how ad blockers work on Chrome. Is this the right way forward for ad blockers and Google?
Google Chrome is the most popular cross-platform web browser available on the market right now, claiming 62.7% of the global browser usage share up until May 2019, with Apple's Safari coming in second at 15.89% and Mozilla's Firefox claiming 5.07%. Because of its lion's share, the smallest of changes that Google Chrome undertakes for its platform end up affecting millions of users around the world. So when Google announced the next extensions manifest version in the form of Manifest V3 for Google Chrome Extensions, we knew we were in for some big changes, especially when it came to light that Google was building in a content blocker API within Chrome itself.
Google Photos Library API now available, lets you integrate Photos with your app
Google is opening a program that will allow developers to tap into the awesomeness of Google Photos for their own apps with a new Library API.
Google Photos is one of the company's best products. It works extremely well, is easy to use, and has very powerful features. The service has only gotten better over time. Now, Google is opening a program that will allow developers to tap into the awesomeness of Google Photos for their own apps.
How to see what hidden APIs apps are using in Android P
Android P restricts apps from accessing hidden APIs and non-SDK interfaces. Using Logcat, it's easy to see what non-SDK APIs that apps are using in the new release of Android.
In late February, we spotted commits in the Android Open Source Code suggesting that Google would restrict applications from accessing undocumented/hidden APIs in the Android software development kit (SDK). The search giant later confirmed those changes; in Android P, API restrictions have expanded to cover Java language interfaces of the SDK, starting with rarely-used interfaces and eventually broadening to other non-SDK methods and fields. The first Android P Developer Preview shows warnings when apps are using non-SDK interfaces, but it isn't obvious what hidden APIs are being accessed. Luckily, Logcat makes it easier.
PSPDFKit, the PDF Framework used in Dropbox and Evernote, is now Available in a Standalone App [XDA Spotlight]
The powerful PDF rendering, editing, and creation framework called PSPDF is now available as a standalone application on the Google Play Store.
The beauty of Android lies in its intents system. Unlike iOS, Android has the ability to replace most default applications with third-party software.
Google+ Integration will finally be Removed from Google Play Games in 2017
Google+ integration will finally be removed from Google Play Games in February 2017. Instead, developers will use the Google Sign-In API.
Outside of a few niche topics (and a few fairly large Android discussion circles), Google+ has failed to catch on as a social media platform.
Why Images in some Camera Apps are Upside Down on the Nexus 5X
Some camera apps on the Nexus 5X display upside-down, and it's due to a rare manufacturing decision. Here's how it happens and how it can be fixed.
New users of the Google Nexus 5X may have noticed a peculiar problem arise when they snap a picture using some third-party camera apps - the image ends up being upside-down!
Pssst... over here. Yeah, did you know about the Hidden Android Classes? Shhh... it's a secret. They let you do stuff you otherwise couldn't. You can read internal data, like the text message database stored on a phone. You can also gain lower level access to the hardware in order to extend your app's access to things like the touchscreen input values, or WiFi radio usage. To get your hands on that kind of contraband, you'll need to do some poking around in the Android SDK, and make a few... changes... to the way your Eclipse ADT plugin works.